Right up front, I'm going to say that it's ultimately up to you to answer this question in order for the answer to mean something in your life. My answer is, "Yes." But that answer does not help you, unless you believe it. It's reasonable to believe in something without having to prove the assertion. Let me repeat that. It's reasonable to believe in something without being required to prove that thing exists. But Can You Prove God Exists? My answer is, "Yes." Give me the next 60 seconds to provide a reasonable explanation to my answer. Man's Best Friend I grew up with a dog name Bandit. That dog loved me. He walked with me. He talked with me. He protected me. He came when I called for him. He answered me. He was my best friend. I couldn't imagine growing up without that dog. He loved me. That dog loved me. But I can't prove it. I can't prove that my dog loved me. There's no evidence. There's no science or data that can prove that his love for me existed. And to require evidence that a dog is man's best friend seems unreasonable. We all know this to be true. Sometimes my wife is in pain. Not all the time. Just sometimes. That's my wife in the picture. She's the most beautiful woman in the world. Sometimes her pain, on a scale from 1 to 10, is a 15. Again, it's not persistent, it's not all the time. It's here and there. If any of you have ever had back pain, it's a real pain in the butt. Heh. It's something that is always with you, some times you forget it, and then, "Bam!" It's there. It's been years. We've had the best doctors. The best science has been researched and applied. We've taken tests and seen the results and made decisions based upon that data. And we're doing better. The pain is going away. And we're getting healthier and healthier every day. My wife will be 100% healthy at some point, maybe it's today. And we'll celebrate that "day without pain" for sure. But to ask my wife to prove she's in pain is unreasonable. The doctors, science, and data do not prove the pain exists. But it does. It's subjective. Only my wife, my wife alone, can tell you what she's experiencing, can tell you what she's going through. It can't be measured. Doctors and scientists can acknowledge what people testify to, but often they can't prove it. Prove Your Love If you think you are in love and that your companion loves you, just ask them for information that you can verify, specifically with a neutral third-party scientist that could prove the love. This should be simple for any mature, reasonable human being who says they're in love. Yes? Just ask your companion to prove it. See what they say. I warn you, this may start a dispute. Burden of Proof The burden of proof is the obligation of someone in a dispute to provide sufficient justification for their position, which may include perceptual experience (the evidence brought to you by your senses), reason (making sense of things based upon existing information), and authoritative testimony (solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter; to bear witness to; to declare something to be correct, true, or genuine; to declare the truth of something in words or writing). But my dog and I, my wife and I, are not in a dispute. I remember my dog. And I believe my wife. The Queen of England and President Trump
I have every reason to believe these two human beings exist. They are alive and well, at least for the time being. I believe they exist even though I've never met them. I've never actually seen them. I've never heard them say a single word. I've never touched them. Or smelled them. I've never even taken a picture of them. I've stood in front of the Queen's castle and the White House. But I have actually no evidence they exist. Yet I have every reason to believe they do. Millions of people follow them. (Trump has more than 84 million Twitter followers, as of today). Millions have said they've seen these people. People say that they've been deeply and forever affected by their words and actions. People say that they've changed their entire lives, because of these two people (Trump and the Queen). Many people hate them. Many love them. It's reasonable for me to assume that millions of people are not lying to themselves and to others. They're not imaging things. It would be unreasonable for me to require millions of people for 3rd-party neutral scientific evidence of what they believe in Trump or the Queen of England. And it's not unreasonable because I have never met Trump or the Queen of England, or that I don't believe those two people exist, it's just because it's unreasonable, it's not rational, to require proof of the assertion that they do indeed exist. Describe God To Me You could probably describe your best friend's personality, distinguishing characteristics, favorite food, or hobbies. Right? Just as you can describe your friend, you can actually describe what God is. Thousands of years ago, men and women testified as to what they described as God. Their descriptions are written down in the bible. People, inspired by God, wrote down what they believed best describes what God is. God, my inspiring people, gave us a description of himself in his Word, so that you can know God. Let’s learn about what God is by taking a look a few biblical verses. Creator In Genesis 1:1, we see that God is a creator.
Faithful In Deuteronomy 7:9, God is faithful, which means reliable; trusted; true to one's word, promises, and assertions.
Good Psalms 34:8 says that God is good.
Great Psalms 135:5 says that God is great.
Powerful Psalms 147:5 says that God is powerful.
Strong Isaiah 26:4 says that God is strong.
Spirit John 4:24 says that God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Not a Man Is God an old man with a big, bushy grey beard? No. Is God a man? No. Is God a woman? No. Is God Jesus? No. No to all of those questions. God is spirit, energy, and light. The word “worship” in that verse (John 4:24) is the Greek word pronounced "pros-koo-neh'-o," which means to reverence. Worship is a feeling, attitude or gesture of deep respect; an act of devotion; adoration, or manifestation or acknowledgement offered to God. And the word “spirit” in that verse is the Greek word "pneuma," which refers to the spiritual energy inside you. Spirit connects you to God and everything in the universe. You may want to read "Spirit is a Force" in TheKingsGuide.com for more information. Peace God is peace in 1 Corinthians 14:33.
Father God is a father in 1 Corinthians 8:6, which says "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." Acknowledging God as a “father,” our heavenly father, help us realize all that he can and will do for us. Just as an earthly father has certain abilities that enable him to care for his children, God, our heavenly father, cares for us and fulfills his promises. Ephesians 1:3 says that "God is our heavenly father, and father of Jesus Christ." So, God is also a father to Jesus Christ, who was a wonderful spiritual man. Supplier Philippians 4:19 says that God is a supplier. And this is where where praying comes in. You may want to read "Trusting in God by Praying" in TheKingsGuide.com to learn what praying is. Light 1 John 1:5 says that God is light. Light. God is energy and light. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says that we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting. When we live in the light, we see things others can not. The unseen things of the world become visible and known to us, and we thereby become wise. Love 1 John 4:16 says that God is love. That's pretty plain and simple to understand. What do you love? I love my wife, my children, pepperoni pizza, football, and many other things. But who do you love? Who? Wherever there is love between people, there God is. Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” To learn more about being in the midst, read "The Meaning of Life Is in the Middle" from TheKingsGuide.com Conclusion In conclusion, we now have a pretty good description of God. People are always looking for evidence or proof of God existence. They do not see that God is all around us. He’s creation, goodness, peace, light, and love. It's reasonable to believe in something without having to prove it. Now, by studying God’s Word, we have a pretty good idea of who God is. For advice on being a better husband, father and man, and learning how to live like a king, read more from The King's Guide. Please follow @TheKingGuide on Instagram. In Pamplona, Spain, there is a festival called the Running of the Bulls. I didn't participate. I know that there's a lot of danger involved, machismo, and fear involved in the activity in which bulls are let loose to run down the streets while people are running with them. If you're running with the bulls, you can't be overwhelmed with fear, because fear will stop you in your tracks. And if that happens, you're in a world of hurt. You have to be vigilant as to what's around you (bulls, people) and also focus on where you're heading (down the street to the finish line). To live without fear we must run the race of life with total confidence in ourselves and the power that we have within. If we can consistently orient ourselves, our direction life, to God and practice the presence of God in our lives, this will help us eliminate fear and live and life that is set before us.
To help us live without fear, we can look to spiritual truths, written thousands of years ago, by men and women who desired to share what they knew to be true and applicable to your present-day life. In II Timothy 1:7, we read, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Back then, the church was teaching people to fear God. It's even written in the Bible. But after studying the original text a more accurate translation would be "respect". Not "fear." Fear does not come from God. We don't fear the Spirit. Now there are times in our lives where we can be challenged or tempted to fear. If we decide, for some odd reason, to run with the bulls in Spain, for example. To eliminate fear we shift our focus away from fear, pay attention to what's going on around us, and direct our thoughts and attention to the ultimate truth, God, Spirit, who has given us power, love, and a sound mind. When you're living without fear and filled with the knowledge of God, you have:
We can live without fear because God gave us those things. POWER In Acts 1:8, it says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost [holy spirit] is come upon you." Ephesians 1:19 says, "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power." The believer has potential power residing within her. God’s power is manifested in our lives when the Word is heard, believed, and acted upon. That's what is referred to as "believing action." In Ephesians 3:20, there is a spiritual promise. And it's for you. Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." We have the right and privilege to rely on God’s power each day. We put it into operation and God does the energizing. We can live without fear because God gave us love. LOVE I John 4:18 says that there is no fear in love. Perfect love casteth out fear. Love is the antidote for fear. God can be realized by studying. The knowledge of God’s Word gives us all things that pertain to life (II Peter 1:3). When we put our focus on living God’s love and keeping His commandments, we’ll find no room left for fear. Sound Mind We can live without fear because God gave us a sound mind. A sound mind demonstrates good judgment and wisdom. It includes disciplined thinking. James Allen illustrates this in his work entitled As a Man Thinketh where it says, "A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth... Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful, and pure thoughts" We eliminate fear when we direct and focus our thoughts on God. We keep heading in that direction. James Allen goes on to say, “By pursuing this process, a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life.…” II Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." We do not have to live with fear in our lives. We can observe what's going on around us and direct our attention to what provide us with power and love. We are sound in our minds because God has given us a spiritual power that works in us to manifest the spiritual fruits in our lives. We can live in love. We can live without fear. We can meditate upon these things which have been given to us. And let's live a life that's more than abundant. More Spiritual Lessons for Men I’m guessing you might agree that worrying about the future is not a pleasant way to spend our time. So, the question I have is: when anxious thoughts arise, how can we stop them? One wonderful principle we can operate is to live one day at a time. What Me Worry? Realistically, we do need to think about our future. We need to make plans. That’s for certain. We have calendars filled with important dates and events. We have things to do to enjoy life. For example, I have some volunteering scheduled at my daughter’s school for the upcoming weekend. I have to plan that into my future. But am I worried or anxious about my future plans? No. Do I continually fret over the details of my life’s schedule? No. Why not? Why am I not worrying about the future? I’d like to share with you what I do, so that you can investigate for yourself if what I do can work for you. I Do Two Things I do two productive things to make things happen: (i) I pray and (ii) I make positive plans. 32-Inch Waist Here’s an example. I have a goal that in 6 months, I’ll have much less fat stuck on my stomach, and I’ll be able to fit into a pair of jeans with a 32-inch waist (currently I’m a 34W, and it used to be 38W). Am I worrying about this goal? No. Why? I’ve (i) prayed about it (or, said in another way, I focused my thoughts with specific details and assured confidence in success), and (ii) I have made positive plans (in which I realize where I am, and list the future steps to reach my identified future goal). Planning is Time Travel
I think of planning as a bit like time travel. We travel into the future by planning, because planning is like bringing the future into the present so that we can do something about it today. I recommend reading that again. Once we pray and plan, we can stop our anxious thoughts about the future by putting the majority of our energy and actions into living one day at a time. Jesus Lived from Day to Day Jesus lived and taught his friends to live one day at a time. We read in Matthew 6:25, 28, 31, 34:
The words “take…thought” are translated from a Greek word meaning “be anxious about” or, as we might say, “worry.” Jesus told them not to worry about what they were going to eat, to drink, to wear—not to worry about “the morrow,” the future. He assured them that “sufficient [enough] unto the day is the evil thereof.” Thayer’s lexicon helps clarify the King James Version of verse 34 as “Let the present day’s trouble suffice for a man, and let him not rashly increase it by anticipating the cares of days to come.” There’s enough to take care of in every twenty-four-hour period. If we try to anticipate the worries of the future, we may actually increase the challenges we’ll need to deal with. We can put our focus into living in the day, right now, the day at hand, the present moment and one day at a time. E. W. Bullinger translates Matthew 6:34 as follows: “Have, then, no anxiety for any future day….” That includes tomorrow and the day after tomorrow and the day after that. Every care or concern we may have about the future can be handled one day at a time. To live one day at a time, you have to live in the present moment, one day at a time. Enjoy what’s going on right now. You’re not your best if anxieties about the future dominate our thinking. The Benefits of Worrying Can you remember the last time you really, practically benefited from worrying a lot? Explain the details of when worrying about something actually helped the situation you were in. See what I mean? Focus on the Present Moment So how can we focus our energy into experiencing, living, and enjoying the present moment - the day at hand? I suggest we should daily “perform our vows.” Psalms 61:8: So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows. A vow is a solemn promise you make committing yourself to an act, service, or condition. Commitments This is one of the best things about believing in God: we can perform (or do) what we’ve committed ourselves to do, and do it one day at a time. What have we committed to do? Our commitments may include: our marriages, our children, our parent, our jobs, our school, our fellowships, our volunteer work, taking care of the things we own, taking care of our health (ahem), etc. We’re committed to doing certain things. We do our commitments and responsibilities daily. For example, we love our lover daily. Love ‘em up. Right. And when each day is over, we thank God for our commitments and go to sleep. Staying committed to the things we have at hand, and doing them well, can help us stop worrying “the morrow.” Doing God’s Word. What’s That Mean? Spending time in every twenty-four-hour period, each day, with our thoughts focused on doing God’s Word can also help us live day-by-day, and not worry about the future. What does that mean – “doing God’s Word”? Here are a few ideas:
Daily Benefits And while we are focusing our energy and actions into living every day with the Spirit, we are daily loaded up with blessings. Psalms 68:19: Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. In Conclusion Because we pray and plan, we can stop anxious thoughts about the future by living our lives to the fullest one day at a time. You may be interested in reading Squeeze Your Woman Today. |
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