God's Answers to Negativism

For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a
positive answer for it.

You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 13:34)



You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps(Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things(Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28)

You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I FORGIVE YOU(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME. (I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I don't have enough faith"
God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

Share these with others, you never know whose life maybe in need of this today!

Abortion

Psalm 139:15-17

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.


What a horrible thing to do!!

Many do not understand the meaning of abortion. IT MEANS KILLING LIFE. You can call it a murder, a planned murder. Hold on, people just push off the concept saying it is just the fetus. No! It is not. The moment the sperm enters an ovum, life is generated. It grows in stages. The first few stages are in the mother’s womb.

A woman is responsible for the abortion done to her. Just because everyone does abortion or even if the government allows for abortion, it does not become a right act. People hold different suppositions of when the actual life begins in the womb. Consider a basic living thing – bacteria, all it has is just a cell. It is still LIVING!! How much more will the fetus start to live the moment the fusion happens?

If you do not want the baby do not go for it. Use proper preventive measures for it. You have no right to kill a life.


Psalm 139:12-14

Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.

Nevers of Marriage

So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” - Matthew 19:6

1. Never speak rashly.

Proverbs 15:1 tells us "A harsh word stirs up anger".

2.Never Confront your mate publicly.

Mathew 18:15. Jesus taught, "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone". If you have a n issue to bring up with your spouse, do so in the privacy of your home.

3. Never confront your spouse in your childrens presence.

Your children in no way benefit from watching the two of you quarrel. They will inavriably respond more to the tone of your disagreement than to what is being said. they will feel defensive for themselves and defensive for the spouce they feel is getting a verbal lashing. they are likely to disrespect both parents for engagging in this behavior, either at the time or in later years. As a parent, you have the job of modeling good communication before your children, Proverbs 17:1 affirms, "better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife". A tense home will make a boy long for his drivers licence so he can escape. A young girl will long for some man to remove her from such a home -all too often, the wrong man.

4. Never use your children in your conflict.

sometime parents ask one of their children to side with them their argument, to help them in their defense, or even to lie for them. Again, this is not modeling good communication skills or good conflict resolution. A child needs the assurance that both parents love each other and are able to resolve their diffrences by themselves. to ask a child to side withone parent is to put the child in an extremely awkward and undesirable position.

5.Never Say "NEVER" OR "ALWAYS"

The tendency in a conflict is to take an issue to the extreme "You always do this " or You never do that". Very few things in life hapen in never or always terms. It's far more productive tosay, "I dont appreciate it when..." or "I feel bad when you....." and then state the specific behavior. Dont generalize or user broad terms. Be specific in citing behavior. Never and always are terms that polarize. Stay neutral and dont push your argument, or your spouse, to an extreme position.

6. Never resort to Name-Calling.

Name-calling is always negative in tone and negative in effect. A name-caller cites a weakness or flaw in the other person and exaggerates it. The way to resolution inconflict is tobecome specific and totake the heat and hurt out of one's spoken words. Name-calling is a sure-fire way to turn up both the heat and the hurt in an argument.

7.Never Get historical.

Dont dredge up the past. In recalling past sins and applying them to the most recent bad behavior or error., you are sending a strong signal to your spouse that you are not a forgiving person. A truly forgiving person endeavors not only to forgive, but alos to forget. Although you may not ever truly be abel to forget an incident, you can forget to bring it up.

8.Never stomp out of the room or leave.

This is a form of domination, a form of gaining victory, and it will produce nothing but unresolved and heightened anger.

9.Never raise your voice in rage.

Uncontrolled anger turns any statement into a sin and any discussion into an unresolved debate. it is a primitive form of winning an argument. If anger creeps into a conversation or discussion, the anger must first be addressed and defused before any other issue can be dealt. Proverbs 16:21 asserts, "Sweetness of the lips increase learning," Proverbs 16:24 adds, "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones". A quiet, sweet tone of voice makes a person much more persuasive and brings about a much better attitude in the person who is listening.

10.Never bring family members into the dicussion unless they are a direct part of the problem being addressed.

In other words, never say to a person, "You are just like your father" or "Your mother does this and it drives me nets, and now you're doing it too". Regardless of the accuracy of your statment, your spouce is going to be defensive about his or her parents. Very little can be accomplished in a discussion if parents or in-laws are brought into the discussion, because they will then become the focal points of the argument.

11.Never use reasoning or logic as weapons.

Arguments are fueled by a competitive spirit that insists upon winning. conflicts are resolved when one person chooses willfully to "lose" or to abondon a position and yield to the other person. Nothing is more disrespectful than to disregard the feelings of your mate with cold logic as if your mate's pain is foolish and imagined.

Is this a doormat position? No To the contrary, it is agodly position. Repeatedy thruogh the new Testament we find admonitions that we are to submit to other believrs. Rather than to defend a position of personal "right", we areto submit our personal rights to a greater position of seeking unity and harmony within the body of christ.

this is not to say that we are to compromise with evil. If a spouse is intent on engaging in evil behavior that involves both spouses or the family as a whole, there is not way that the other spouse should contribute to or accommodate that behavior.

Seek every means of possible of convincing your spouse that wheat he is about to do si unrighteous before God and dangerous to the integerity ofyour marriage and family. Make every appeal you can make to the person to turn away from evil and toward the things to God. Pray diligently and fervently that God will drop the scales of deceit from your spouse's eyes so that he might see clearly the full ramifications of what is being done and come to himself, and in the process , repent of his ungodly behavior.

12. Never be Condenscending.

Arguments are rarely resolved if one person adopts a "Know it all" or "better than thou" attitude. If condesecending behavior is manifested in a public setting, the spouse who is being talked down to is likely to be angry and embarrassed. Whether you are husband or wife, your role in marriage is to build up, to edify, to strengthen and to genuinely praise the goodness of God in your spouce. A condesending attitude does just the opposite.

13. Never Demean.

Some people dont condescend in tone; they demean in actual content of their communication. One man said :My wife isn't well educated andd doesn't know about these things". He had no idea that he was hurting his wife in making a statement like that. He could hardly fathom the fact that she was embarressed and upset by his remark, which he perceived to be a simple fact. He even said to me, "I am telling the truth , and if the truth hurts a little, so be it. you have got to face the truth".

Much truth in our world never needs to be said. And there is no greater truth that this: we are to love one another at all times. If telling the truth to a person clashes with expressing love to that person, err on the side of expressing love. Ther is no excuse at any time for demeaning a person. Rather, focus on all of the good qualities and traits that God has put into your spouse. build up these attributes. Praise the good. You may be amazed to see how the bad pales into the background of your relationship.

14. Never accuse your spouse with "YOU" statements.

Arguments escalate when you continually point to the other person and say such things as , "You did this, ", "You said that", "You caused this" or "you are a rotten person.". you have taken on the roles of both judge and jury. Instead ,couch your statements in "I" terms; "I heard this and i need to know if i heard you correctly", "I dont understand what you mean when you say ..." or " I felt this way when i heard what you said.".

15.Never allow an argument to begin if both of you are overly tired, if one of you is under the influence of chemicals or if one of you isphysically ill.

Abigail, the wife of a foolish man named Nabal, had the good sense notto tell her husband what a grevous error he had made untill he was sober enough to hear her fully (1 samuel 25). A person who is physically ill; isunder the influence of alcohol, drugs or heavy duty prescription medications; or is exhausted physically or emotionally cannot engage in a reasonable, logical, rational conversation. if your spouse lashes out at you while he or she is in one ofthese condtions, wait until the context changes before you respond or bring up an issue for discussion.

16. Never touch your spouce in a harmful manner.
No grabbling, no slapping, no shaking , no pushing, no strong-arming. Rough physical treatment is never justifiable.

Dont be discouraged or fearful when conflicts arise. use them as a building stones toward an even more wornderful marriage relationship. On the heels of conflict and resolution, we see marriage at its most intimate.

Divorce

"God hates divorce" - Malachi 2:16

Foundation of Marriage

Genesis 2:18

And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

Genesis 2:21-24

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh

Marriage is to be one man for one woman for life-not a man and a man or a woman and a woman. God made a man and a woman-not a man and a man!

After understanding the basics for marriage, now arises the question of divorce. What would be God's answer to it. Let us analyse.

Divorce

Mathew 19:4-6

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”





Malachi 2:15-16

But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. “ For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,”Says the LORD of hosts. “ Therefore take heed to your spirit,That you do not deal treacherously.”

Essentials in a Marriage.

1. Christ should be the head of the home

2. Commitment and Understanding

3. Building of trust and Confidence

4. Openness of heart and emotions

5. Everlasting and unconditional Love

Ephesians 5:22-33

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

The word love mentioned in these verses are the unconditional or God kind of love. The Greek word for this love is mentioned as "agape" which means unconditional love, a love which is no way earned or deserved. Husband and wife are considered a single body by God and the only force binding them is this Love.

HOW TO AVOID DIVORCE IN MARRIAGE

Consider the following views and try one at a time.

1.It’s true that we have an innate need to be loved for who we are and not for how we look or what we do. We crave being loved without earning it in any way. But it’s also true that shallow standards of beauty imposed by our world are ridiculous and unfair, leading some to do foolish things to their bodies or psyches. What do we do now?

If you feel that you no longer love your spouse because of his/her physical appearance then,

a) Be honest about all your emotions and speak them to your spouse. It’s not your heart that holds you back; it’s your physical senses.
b) The attributes that used to trigger your passion are gone. Do not rely on emotions as they change with time and situation. Take a decision to love a person irrespective of how they are.
c)If you would have seen the same person and loved them when they are overweight, dark and so on, the feelings now arising in you would not diminish your love rather increase them. Feelings are momentary, but they are real. Feelings cannot be stopped but can be converted to positive nature.

If you work on this together, with honesty and openness, you will bring passion back into your marriage.

Some of the most common reason for frustration in marriage are:

1. Breakdown in communication
2. Spending less time with each other
3. Diverting attention to other things to forget tension at home

1.It is very essential to let the communication go through to your spouse. The real emotions and feelings are to be let out in love. There would be a large scope of preventing a disaster in this kind of an environment rather than prescribing medicines for the emotions to heal later. Let your spouse know your likes, dislikes, love, hate after all they are a part of you. You cannot/should not hide yourself from you.

2. Set aside time for your spouse. They need to be in your presence to feel your love and warmth. The more you spend time together the less will be the feelings of fear, misunderstanding, disrespect and neglect. Do not bring office work to home. Some case it might compel you, explain it to your wife and seek co-operation without bossing over. Go for outing to open places, lonely places and long visited places. Revive the love and intimacy very often.

3.Face the problems immediately. Do not run away. The more you delay, the more complex they become. Time does not heal problems. Courage and sound mind does. Remove all misunderstanding and fear out of your spouse as soon as you can. Assure your spouse of your unconditional love.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

50 Promises for Marriage

Every Married person, or persons planning to marry should consider reading and practicing the below mentioned actions. Extend Unconditional Love to your spouse as they are a part of you. Nobody can hate themselves.

Mark 10:8

and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.

1corinthians 7:4

The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.


1. Start each day with a kiss.
2. Wear your wedding ring at all times.
3. Date once a week.
4. Accept differences.
5. Be polite.
6. Be gentle.
7. Give gifts.
8. Smile often.

















9. Touch.
10. Talk about dreams.
11. Select a song that can be "our song".
12. Give back rubs.
13. Laugh together.
14. Send a card for no reason.
15. do what the other person wants before he or she asks.
16. Listen.
17. Encourage.
18. Do it his or her way.
19. Know his or her needs.
20. Fix the other person's breakfast.
21. Compliment twice a day.
22. Call during the day.
23. Slow down.
24. Hold hands.
25. Cuddle.
26. Ask for each other's opinion.
27. Show respect.
28. Welcome the other person home.
29. Look your best.
30. Wink at each other.
31. Celebrate birthdays in a big way.
32. Apologize.
33. Forgive.
34. Set up a romantic getaway.
35. Ask, "What can I do to make you happier?".
36. Be positive.
37. Be kind.
38. Be vulnerable.
39. Respond quickly to the other person's request.
40. Talk about your love.
41. Reminisce about your favorite times together.
42. Treat each other's friends and relatives with courtesy.
43. Send flowers every Valentine's day and anniversary.
44. Admit when wrong.
45. Be sensitive to each other's sexual desires.
46. Pray for each other daily.
47. Watch sunsets together.
48. Say "I love you" frequently.
49. End the day with a hug.
50. Seek outside help when needed.

But most importantly, put the LORD in the center of your lives. Pray together!

Marriage - God's Expectation

The Creation of Marriage

Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they sahll become one flesh.

Purpose of Marriage

Marriage is not intended to be a self-centered means of meeting our own needs. When we think this way, divorce becomes an option and all too often a reality.

God created marriage to
a) reflect His glory
b) meet the needs of our mate

Six Principles

1. Husbands, be the head.
2. Wives, be the helper.
3. Leave all other loyalties behind.
4. Be absolutely loyal to yur mate.
5. Be companion to your mate.
6. Work together for the glory of God.

There is a role defined distinctly for husband and wife and they cannot be interchanged. Adam and Eve werer created equal in value, dignity, worth and significance.

Responsibility

1. Husband bears the responsibility before God to lead Women, in a God-honoring manner, to sacrificially love her by protecting and providing for her well-being.

Supporting Scriptures

Ephesians 5:28-29

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

Responsibility

2.Wife bears the responsibility to voluntarily submit to her husband's leadership, to support his authority, and to work alongside him in their common purpose of bringing glory to God.

Supporting Scriptures

I Peter 3:1-2

Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.

3. Leave all other loyalities behind.

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother........." This is a very strong idea and contradicts with the 5th Cmmandment of God's law which says "Honor your father and your mother".

This does not speak about sons to turn their back on parents rather he is to leave the authority of his parents in order to establish a new authority of his own (along with his wife). Parents cannot function as a surrogate head for him. The parent-child relationship is temporary, but the husband-wife relationship is permanent - "till death do us part."

4. Be absolute loyal to your mate.

"..............and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

This verse rules out polygamy ".. be joined to his wife.." not to his wives
GOD'S DESIGN FOR MARRIAGE AT THE VERY CREATION OF THE HUMAN RACE, WAS ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN.

Rules out homosexuality, Genesis 2:22-23 "Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out of man." It was man and woman who was made husband and wife.

Rules out adultery, "....be joined to his wife..." not to some other woman.

If there's any lack of satisfying intimacy in your marriage, the answerr isnot going to be found outside of your marriage; the problem is inside of your marriage - that's what needs to be fixed.

5. Be companion to your mate.

"... and they shall become one flesh."

The sexual union between husband and wife only symbolizes their greater union. A preceeding union of spirits, of emotions, of intellects, of common interests, goals, plans and hopes will enhance the sexual union.

Genesis 2:18 "The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

The basic obligation of marriage is to be the answer to the mate's need for genuine companionship

6. Work together for the glory of God

"... and they shall become one flesh".

One flesh refers to the entire life-union of the couple, of which sexual intercourse is the unique realization and expression. The essential moral problem with non marital sexual intercourse is that it performs a life-uniting acts without a life-united intent, thus violating its intrinsic meaning.

Between man and his wife in their perfect union there should be no guilt, hiding, blaming, alienation and conflict.

Marriages are to be a reflection, not of our own self-centeredness, but of the divine plan of redemption in which sinners, who were once lost and alienated from God by their sin, are reunited as one flesh, one body with Him. This brings God great glory and pleasure.

Who am I ?

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

The below promises come alive in each and every individual who is saved.

That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. - Philemon 1:6

I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10).

I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).

I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

I am far from oppression, and fear does not come near me (Isaiah 54:14).

I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me (I John 5:18).

I am holy and without blame before Him in love (I Peter 1:16; Ephesians 1:4).

I have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5; I Corinthians 2:16).

I have the peace of God that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

I have the Greater One living in me; greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world (I John 4:4).

I have received the gift of righteousness and reign as a king in life by Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).

I have received the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, the eyes of my understanding being enlightened (Ephesians 1:17,18).

I have received the power of the Holy Spirit to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, to cast out demons, to speak with new tongues. I have power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm me (Mark 16:17,18; Luke 10:17,19).

I have put off the old man and have put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of Him Who created me (Colossians 3:9,10).

I have given, and it is given to me; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, men give into my bosom (Luke 6:38).

I have no lack for my God supplies all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

I can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one with my shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16).

I can do all things through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13).

I shall do even greater works than Christ Jesus (John 14:12).

I show forth the praises of God Who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (I Peter 2:9).

I am God’s child─for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God, which lives and abides forever (I Peter 1:23).

I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ unto good works (Ephesians 2:10).

I am a new creature in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17).

I am a spirit being─alive to God (I Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 6:11).
I am a believer, and the light of the Gospel shines in my mind (II Corinthians 4:4).

I am a doer of the Word and blessed in my actions (James 1:22,25).

I am a joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17).

I am more than a conqueror through Him Who loves me (Romans 8:37).

I am an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11).

I am a partaker of His divine nature (II Peter 1:3,4).

I am an ambassador for Christ (II Corinthians 5:20).

I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people (I Peter 2:9).

I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 5:21).

I am the temple of the Holy Spirit; I am not my own (I Corinthians 6:19).

I am the head and not the tail; I am above only and not beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13).

I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).

I am His elect, full of mercy, kindness, humility, and longsuffering (Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12).

I am forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood (Ephesians 1:7).

I am delivered from the power of darkness and translated into God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13).

I am redeemed from the curse of sin, sickness, and poverty (Galatians 3:13; Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

I am firmly rooted, built up, established in my faith and overflowing with gratitude (Colossians 2:7).

I am called of God to be the voice of His praise (II Timothy 1:9; Psalm 66:8).

I am healed by the stripes of Jesus (I Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5).

I am raised up with Christ and seated in heavenly places (Colossians 2:12; Ephesians 2:6).

I am greatly loved by God (Colossians 3:12; Romans 1:7; I Thessalonians 1:4; Ephesians 2:4).

I am strengthened with all might according to His glorious power (Colossians 1:11).

I am submitted to God, and the devil flees from me because I resist him in the Name of Jesus (James 4:7).

I press on toward the goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. (Philippians 3:14).


For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7).

It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).

Evolution - A Myth

"Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?" - Job 38:2

"The most miraculour thing is happening. The physicists are getting down to the nitty gritty... and the last thing they ever expected to be happening is happening. God is showing through." - John Updike.

Universe

Form the outer regions of space to the microscopic world of atoms and molecules our universe displays complex design, purpose, order and arrangement.

Points agreed by eminents

Life on earth would not be possible ...

a) If our universe had not expanded at just the right speed at the moment of origin.
Stephen Hawking has calculated that if the rate of the universe's expansion one second after the Big Band had been smaller by even one part in a hundred thousand million million, the universe would have collapsed into a fireball.

b) If the precise amount of matter were not produced at the moment of origin

c) If our universe expanded at any other speed

d) If elecrical, gravitational, electromagnetic or nuclear forces in our world were any stronger or weaker

e) If our planet were not tilted exactly the way it is (at an angle of 23.5 degrees on its axis of rotation)

f) If planet earth were any closer to the sun it would be too hot for life to exist on earth. If it were any farther away it would be too cold for life to exist on earth. The distance happens to be just right!

g) If the size, composition, location and orbit of the sun, earth or moon were not just what they are - life on earth would not be possible. (In fact, the size of the moon "just happens" to be 400 times smaller than the sun and the moon "just happens" to be precisely 400 times closer to the earth than the sun is. This "just happens" to make a total solar eclipse possible from an earthbound point of view whenever their orbital travels bring them in line with one another. "One can't help but feel a nagging sense of suspicion that there is probably more going on here than just a mindless series of happy accidents").

h) If the surface temperature of the sun was slightly higher or lower

i) If the eart rotated around the sun at any other speed or diameter

j) If the cosmological constant (the energy density of empty space) were any different.
In fact, "all the seemingly arbitrary and unrelated onstants in physics have one strange thing in common - these are precisely the values you need if you want to have a universe capable of producing life.

k) If delicate ozone layer did not exist to filter out the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.

l) If the moon were any closer to earth, ocean tides would cover the ighest mountains. It it were any bigger and in the same place, the tides would be too strong.

m) If the thickness of the earth's crust were slightly different

n) If our planet did not have an abundant supply of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, phosphorus and calcium.
No other planet has been found to have all these crucial elements to sustain life.

o) If our planet were not covered with 4/5ths water which evaporates, gives us rain and regulates temperature.

p) If water did not have such a high boiling point and if its solid form (ice) were not less dense than its liquid form

q) If the process of atmospheric evaporation werre not finely and precisely balanced

r) If the range of temperature, humidity, pressure or acidity in our atmosphere were any different

s) If the speed of light constant or the gravitational constant were slightly different.
"The fundamental laws and constants of nature did not gradually evolve into their present life-supporting character through a process of natural selection, as is widely believed. Instead, they spontaneously came into existence with the origin of the universe itself, perfectly calibrated and ready for action... Despite the infinity of possible errors, the universe repeatedly chose the 'correct' value each time it had to do so as far as our own existence is concerned. Mathematicians tell us that the probability of this happening is zero. Yet we are here"

t)If the ration between the mass of a proton and electron and neutron were any smaller or greater

u) If the severity of volcanic or seismic activity on earth were slightly greater or lesser

v) If the oxygen to nitrogen ration or the carbon dioxide to water vapor ration were slightly differrent

w)If jupiter had a more elliptical orbit and did not act as our "meteor and comet shield"

x) "The Earth is just large enough so that its gravity retains the atmosphere and just small enough not to keep too many harmful gases".

Sir Fred Hoyle once commented...
"A commensense interpretation of the facts suggests that a superintellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in the nature."

Modern science has no explanation for the billions of independent cosmic factors that happen to be "just right" for humans to exist apart from the deliberate workings of an Intelligent Designer.

The Bible Says:

Psalm 19:1

"The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork."

Isaiah 40:26

"Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things,
Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might and the strength of His power;
Not one is missing."

Psalm 8:3-4

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?"

Romans 1:18-20

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse."

The Bible and Science

The Bible is literary source of Christian religion. It is the inspired and inerrant word of God, a collection of 66 books (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament), written by over 40 different authors, from 1500 B.C to about 100 A.D on three continents, in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. These men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). They wrote not in words of human wisdom but in words taught by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2:13).

As we can see that the Bible was written centuries ago, it has many verses in it that relate to science. One would expect that the lack of modern scientific knowledge of the writers would show through on this ancient document. But instead, there is an amazing treatment of science in the Bible that transcends human invention and the knowledge of the period in which it was produced.

Let us have a look about what Bible has to say and the scientific discoveries made by mankind.


Date: 1500 B.C
1. God gave the Israelites many teachings about the washing of hands and clothing. (Numbers 19:11-16)
Date: 1865 A.D
The importance of washing to prevent the spread of germs was not recognized until 1865 by Joseph Lister.

Date: 1500 B.C
2. God told the Israelites to let the land rest every seventh year. (Leviticus 25:4)
Date: 200 B.C
Today, the practice of “letting the land rest” is known to be very important for the soil. This was not practiced, however, (except for the Israelites) until about 200 B.C by the Romans.

Date: 1500 B.C
3. God told the Israelites in Genesis 17:12 “every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised…..”
Date 1935 A.D
Doctors discovered that the best day for a surgical procedure on a new born baby is on the eight day because the blood is at the height of clotting on this day.

Date: 700 B.C
4. Isaiah 40:22 “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth………….” Tells us that the earth is round.
Date: 1600 A.D
Most cultures before the 16th century believed that the earth was flat.

Date : 2000 B.C
5. Job 26:7 tells us that “God hung the earth on nothing.”
Date: Recent
Most ancient cultures believed that the world was held up by something

Date: 700 B.C and 1000 B.C
6. Isaiah 43:16 and psalms 8:6-8 talks about “paths of the seas”
Date: 1855 A.D
Matthew Fouantaine Maur, the “father of oceanography” discovered that there were natural currents and paths in the ocean.

Date: 1500 B.C
7. God told Noah exactly how to design the ark in genesis 6:15.
Date: Recent
Naval engineers now know that this design is perfect for the rough seas.

Date: 2000 B.C
8. Job 38:20 speaks about light moving from one place to another.
Date: 1600 A.D
The fact that a light move was not known until Newton discovered the motion of the light in 1600.

Date: 600 B.C
9. The prophet Jeremiah said that “no person could count all the stars”. Jeremiah 33:22
Date: Recent
At one time in history some people believed that we could count and even name all the stars. Astronomers now understand that the stars are uncountable.

Date: 950 B.C
10. Ecclesiastes 1:6 describes global wind patterns.
Date: 1960 A.D
Global wind patterns were not understood until the 1960’s with the help of the satellites.

Date: 2000 B.C, 950 B.C
11. Job 36:27-28 and Ecclesiastes 1:7 describe the water cycle.
Date: 1700 A.D
This process was not understood by scientist until Perrault and Mariotte in the 1700’s.

Other Scriptures that Science Validates.

1. 2 peter 3:10 speaks about the atomic fission.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up

2. Psalm 8:8 and Isaiah 43:16 talks about ocean currents.
Psalm 8:8 - The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea. That passes through the paths of the seas.
Isaiah 43:16 - Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea. And a path through the mighty waters.

3. Job 36:27 and Amos 9:6 talks about Hydrologic Cycle
Job 36:27 - For He draws up drops of water, which distill as rain from the mist.
Amos 9:6 - He who builds His layers in the sky, And has founded His strata in the earth; Who calls for the waters of the sea, And pours them out on the face of the earth — The LORD is His name.

4. Job 40-41 and Psalm 74:14 talks about dinosaur.
Job 40:15 - “Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox.
Psalm 74:14 - You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness

5. Jonah 2:5, 6 tells about mountains inside the ocean.
The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; the deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God.

6. Hebrew 11:3 everything present in the earth is made up of subatomic particles, which are invisible.
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

FAQ about God

1. God is infinite, Matter is finite, and how could God become man?

This is a common question that every one will ask whenever I talk about Jesus Christ. People ask how God, who is dependent on nothing, can then become dependent as a man. Another will ask if God became a man, he could not then become a god again because a man cannot become a god. I can answer this question with bible scriptures but there are possibilities that many readers might not be aware of bible or some of them may not believe bible, so me explaining through bible will not impact either of them, so I would prefer to explain you logically. It is sad to see people trust on their intellectual human logic and reasoning rather than God’s word. I have answered these questions in three premises in detail.

Premise 1

All the religion who believes in existence of God accepts that God can do anything.

If this so, then it necessarily follows that if God can do anything, then he can become a man since that possibility falls under the scope of "God can do anything."

1. This would mean that God stopped being God

a) Not if a "part" of God entered into a human form. The totality of God could still exist, yet a localized "part" could take the form of a man.

b) Is not the Qur’an the word of Allah? Is not the Bhagavad-Gita a word of Krishna? is not his word a reflection of his character since it proceeds from Him? Is not the infinite word of Allah become knowable, readable in a physical form for us to understand? Is not the infinite word of Krishna become knowable, readable in a physical form for us to understand? Since this is so, why cannot the Word of God become flesh-as the Bible says? Why cannot a representation of God (His word) take a physical form (Qur’an, Bhagavad-Gita) or even a human form (Jesus) – since God can do anything?

2. This would mean that the infinite God became finite.

a) Not if a "part" of God entered into a human form. The totality of God could still exist, yet a localized "part" could take the form of a man.

b) Is not the Qur’an the word of Allah? Is not the Bhagavad-Gita a word of Krishna? is not his word a reflection of his character since it proceeds from Him? Is not the infinite word of Allah become knowable, readable in a physical form for us to understand? Is not the infinite word of Krishna become knowable, readable in a physical form for us to understand? Since this is so, why cannot the Word of God become flesh-as the Bible says? Why cannot a representation of God (His word) take a physical form (Qur’an, Bhagavad-Gita) or even a human form (Jesus) – since God can do anything?

3. This would mean that the independent became dependent.

a) It would not necessitate that the totality of God became dependent, per point “b” above: a part of God could become man.
b) God can choose to become dependent, in part, as a man. He can make that choice, can he not?

4. This would mean that the eternal became temporal.

a) Again, by premise one; God could do it since He can do all things.
b) If God, in some way, became a man by adding human nature to Him, it would not necessitate that God stop being eternal since His divine nature would be, by nature, eternal as it is retained within the human form.

5. If God became man, then he could not become God again.

a) If only “part” of God became man, then God would never have ceased being God and the objection is moot.
b) If God can do all things, then a part of Him can become a man and retain His divine nature and never have stopped being God at all.

6. Why would God need to become a man? Showing He has a need means he is dependent.

a) It is not a need. It is a choice. God is not compelled to do anything – except be Himself. If He chose to become a man, It would be by His desire, not by His need. This answers the second question.
b) If God can do anything, then He can choose to share in the dependency of a human and not deny his own nature of being God

Premise 2

God cannot do anything, because He cannot do anything that conflict with His nature. Becoming a man conflicts with His nature.

God’s nature has to do with essential character and essence of His being like holiness, love, compassion, goodness, patience, etc.

There is nothing In holiness, love, compassion, goodness, patience, etc., that would mean God could not become a man.
The essential nature of God is not changed if a part of it adds humanity.

Premise 3

God’s nature can be partially seen in His creation.

As a painter reveals part of himself, his style, what he is, etc, in his painting, so too, God has revealed part of Himself, His style, and what He is in His creation.
a) The universe is ordered; therefore, God is God of order
b) The universe operates on laws; therefore, God is a God of law
c) The universe has a beginning; therefore, God is the creator
d) The universe is immense (functionally infinite); therefore, God is infinite.

If this is possible, then why cannot part of God become man and add human nature to it. There is no logical reason to declare the impossibility of God that He, in some way, could become a man.

2. Jesus' Two Natures

Jesus is God in human flesh. He is not half God and half man. He is fully divine and fully man. That is, Jesus has two distinct natures: divine and human. Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God and was made flesh, (John 1:1,14) this means that in the single person of Jesus is both a human and divine nature. The divine nature was not changed. It was not altered. He is not merely a man who "had God within Him" nor is he a man who "manifested the God principle." He is God, second person of the Trinity. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word," (Heb, 1:3). Jesus' two natures are not "mixed together," nor are they combined into a new God-man nature. They are separate yet act as a unit in the one person of Jesus. This is called the Hypostatic Union.
The following points should help you see the two natures of Jesus "in action":

God
He is worshiped (Matt2: 2,11; 14:33)
He was called God (John 20:28; Heb 1:8)
He was called Son of God (Mark 1:1)
He is prayed to (Acts 7:59)
He is sinless (1 Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15)
He knows all things (John 21:17)
He gives eternal life (John 10:28).
All the fullness of deity dwells in Him (Col. 2:9).


Man
He worshiped the Father (John 17)
He was called man (Mark 15:39; John 19:5)
He was called Son of Man (John 9:35 –37)
He prayed to the Father (John 17)
He was tempted (Matt. 4:1)
He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52).
He died (Rom. 5:8).
He has a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39)

The Communication Idiomatum

A doctrine that is related to the Hypostatic Union is the communication idiomatum (Latin for "communication of properties"). It is the teaching that the attributes of both the divine and human natures are ascribed to the one person of Jesus. This means that the man Jesus could lay claim to the glory He had with the Father before the world was made (John 17:5)., claim that He descended from heaven, (John 3:13). and also claim omnipresence, (Matt. 28:20). All of these are divine qualities that are laid claim to by Jesus; therefore, the attributes of the divine properties were claimed by the person of Jesus.

Mistakes non – christians make

One of the most common errors that non-Christian make is not understanding the two natures of Christ. For example, the Jehovah's Witnesses focus on Jesus' humanity and ignore His divinity. The repeatedly quote verses dealing with Jesus as a man and try and set them against scripture showing that Jesus is also divine. On the other hand, the Christian Scientists do the reverse. They focus on the scriptures showing Jesus' divinity to the extent of denying His true humanity.
For a proper understanding of Jesus and, therefore, all other doctrines that relate to Him, His two natures must be properly understood and defined. Jesus is one person with two natures. This is why He would grow in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52) yet knows all things (John 21:17) He is the Devine Word that became flesh (john 1:1,14).

The Bible is about Jesus (John 5:39). The prophets prophesied about Him (Acts 10:43). The Father bore witness of Him (John 5:37; 8:18) The Holy Spirit bore witness of Him (John 15:26).The works Jesus did bore witness of Him (John 5:36; 10:25) The multitudes bore witness of Him (John 12:17). And, Jesus bore witness of Himself (John 14:6; 18:6)Other verses to consider when examining His deity are (John 10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9Phil 2:5-8; Heb 1:6-8; and 2 Pet 1:1).

1 Tim. 2:5 says, "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Right now, there is a man in heaven on the throne of God. He is our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1) He is our Savior (Titus 2:13). He is our Lord (Rom. 10:9-10). He is Jesus.

3. Is God's nature changed by Jesus being divine and human?

The Christian doctrine concerning Jesus' two natures is called the hypostatic union. It is the teaching that the Divine Word of God (John 1:1) "became flesh and dwelt among us," (John 1:14). Therefore, Jesus is both divine and human in one person (Col. 2:9); He has two natures: human and divine. But some who oppose the Trinity and Jesus' incarnation (the Divine Word becoming a man), say that if Jesus is God in flesh this must mean that God's nature changed because God added a human nature to His divine nature. This would violate Malachi 3:6 which says that God does not change. But, the union of the two natures of Jesus in one person does not constitute a change in the nature of God.

Since the hypostatic union teaches that in the one person of Jesus there are two natures, the divine nature of Jesus is not affected by union with the human nature because there is no fusion of the two natures. That is, the divine nature is not combined with the human nature to make a third thing. This would be the error known, as monophysitism Jesus is not a new third thing with a fused-together new nature. Instead, it is a union. An example of a union is marriage between a man and a woman. Each is separate, but in marriage "...they shall become one flesh," (Gen. 2:24), yet they remain two distinct individuals. They are not blended into a new third thing. Fusion, on the other hand, can be illustrated by the combining copper and Zinc that can be fused together to form a new third thing called brass. In this case, the two elements loose their identity and are merged together into something new. But in a union, the elements do not loose their identity or nature. The hypostatic union is not a hypostatic fusion and the two natures of Jesus do
not lose their distinction and they are not altered.

Furthermore, within the union of the two natures in the one person of Christ, the divine nature is still divine and the human nature is still human. One is not altered by the presence of the other anymore than my spirit in me is altered in nature by its indwelling a physical body. Likewise, the divine Word is not altered by indwelling human flesh.

Finally, the doctrine of the Trinity is that God is three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This does not mean three gods. There is only one God. The Trinitarian nature of God is not altered by the union of the Word with humanity since it was the divine Word that humbled Himself to become a man (John 1:1,14; Phil. 2:5-8) not the Father or the Holy Spirit. Therefore, by definition the Trinity is unaffected by the union of the Word with humanity in the incarnation of Jesus.

4. God cannot have a son.

Are there really people who think that Jesus is the Son of God because God had intercourse with Mary and fathered a child? The mere thought of it should make anyone sick! Unfortunately many people implies that this is what Christians believe, so many people think this is what we believe. This is a most unfortunate misrepresentation of Christian faith by non-Christians.

Let me clear what Christians believe with the term son of God. God created the body of Jesus in the womb of Mary. Jesus born from a Virgin Mary. Jesus was not born by any sexual intercourse between God and Mary or any Man and Mary. Jesus birth was a great miracle;

The word "son" has more than one meaning:

· Biological: I have already pointed out that we do not imply anything biological with the term!

· Relational/Social: The term "son" implies a certain relationship between two people, the son and the father. This social relationship is not dependent on the biological relationship: Many people who are not biologically related are in father-son relationships. The term "Son of God" implies this relationship between Jesus and the Father.

· Legal: A son can act in many cultures as the legal representative of his father, and when the father dies he inherits the fathers title and estate. Usually the prince sat on the right hand of his father, the king. This implied that he was not a subject, but shared in the authority of the throne. Jesus told a parable in which he portrayed himself as the Son, and therefore the legal representative of the Father: (He also prophesied his own death in this parable)

Trinity

God cannot be a trinity. !!!!!

How often have people told me this! The doctrine of trinity simply makes no sense, and since God is the creator of order, logic and sense, it would be totally wrong to say that he is something that does not make any sense!

My first reaction to this is amazement: "God cannot..." is a phrase that does not make sense to me! God made gravity, and the other forces, He made light, He made stars, solar systems, galaxies, black holes, DNA, He designed the human brain! How can we say He cannot be something just because we cannot understand it? Can an ant deny the existence of a computer because he cannot understand it?

1+1+1=1??? This is false mathematics. God is not a finite object that can be counted. He is infinite. The equation should read: Infinite +Infinite + Infinite = Infinite!

The question should not be: "Can God be a Trinity?" but: "Does He choose to be a trinity?"

Trinity

The word "trinity" is a term used to denote the Christian doctrine that God exists as a unity of three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of the persons is distinct from the other, yet related in essence. Each is divine in nature, but each is not the totality of the Godhead. Each has a will, loves, and says "I", and "You" when speaking. The Father is not the same person as the Son who is not the same person as the Holy Spirit who is not the same person as the Father. Each is divine, yet there are not three gods, but one God. There are three persons individual subsistence’s, or persons. The word "subsistence" means something that has a real existence. The word "person" denotes individuality and self-awareness. The Trinity is three of these, though the latter term has become the dominant one used to describe the individual aspects of God known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Included in the doctrine of the Trinity is a strict monotheism which is the teaching that there exists in all the universe a single being known as God who is self-existent and unchangeable (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8). Therefore, it is important to note that the doctrine of the trinity is not polytheistic as some of its critics proclaim. Trinitarianism is monotheistic by definition and those who claim it is polytheistic demonstrate a lack of understanding of what it really is.

The Trinity is
• God in three persons.
• Each person is divine
• There is only one God

Many theologians admit that the term "person" is not a perfect word to describe the three individual aspects/foci found in God. When we normally use the word person, we understand it to mean physical individuals who exist as separate beings from other individuals. But in God there are not three entities, nor three beings. God is a trinity of persons consisting of one substance and one essence. God is numerically one. Yet, within the single divine essence are three individual subsistence that we call persons.

• Each of the three persons is completely divine in nature though each is not the totality of the Godhead.
• Each of the three persons is not the other two persons.
• Each of the three persons is related to the other two, but are distinct from them.

The word "trinity" is not found in the Bible. But this does not mean that the concept is not taught there. The word "bible" is not found in the Bible either, but we use it anyway. Likewise, the words "omniscience," which means, "all knowing," "omnipotence," which means "all powerful," and "omnipresence," which means, "Present everywhere," are not found in the Bible either. But we use these words to describe the attributes of God. So, to say that the Trinity isn't true because the word isn't in the Bible is an invalid argument.

The Trinity can be a difficult concept to understand. Some think it is a logical contradiction. Others call it a mystery. Does the Bible teach it? Yes it does, see trinity but that doesn't automatically make it easier to comprehend.

The Trinity is defined as one God who exists in three eternal, simultaneous, and distinct persons known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Such a definition may suffice for some, but for others this explanation is insufficient.

Therefore, to help understand the Trinity better, I offer the following analogy that, I think, is hinted at in Rom. 1:20 "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made."
Notice that this verse says God's attributes, power, and nature, can be clearly seen in creation. What does that mean? Should we be able to learn about God's attributes, power, and nature by looking at what He has made? Apparently, according to the Bible, this is possible.

When a painter paints a picture, what is in him is reflected in the painting he produces. When a sculptor creates a work of art, it is from his heart and mind that the source of the sculpture is born. The work is shaped by his creative ability. The creators of art leave their marks, something that is their own, something that reflects what they are. Is this the same with God? Has God left His fingerprints on creation? Of course He has.


Creation.

Basically, the universe consists of three elements: Time, Space, and Matter. Each of these is comprised of three 'components.'

Time - Past Present Future
Space - Height Width Depth
Matter - Solid Liquid Gas

As the Trinitarian doctrine maintains, each of the persons of the Godhead is distinct, yet they are all each, by nature God.

With time, for example, the past is distinct from the present, which is distinct from the future. Each is simultaneous. Yet, they are not three 'times,' but one. That is, they all share the same nature – time.

With space, height is distinct from width, which is distinct from depth, which is distinct from height. Yet, they are not three 'spaces,' but one. That is, they all share the same nature – space.

With matter, solid is not the same as liquid, which is not the same as gas, which is not the same as solid. Yet, they are not three 'matters,' but one. That is, they all share the same nature – matter.

Note that there are three sets of threes. In other words, there is a trinity of trinities. If we were to look at the universe and notice these qualities within it, is it fair to say that these are the fingerprints of God upon His creation? I think so. Not only is this simply an observation, but it is also a good source for an analogy of the Trinity.

A Criticism of Trinitarianism

Some critiques of the Trinitarian doctrine say that the Trinity is really teaching three gods, not one. They will say that God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit would make three gods, since the Father plus the Son plus the Holy Spirit would make three. But this is not a logical necessity. Instead of adding, why not multiply? One times one times one equals one. Why must addition be the criteria by which the doctrine is judged? It need not be. Rather, the doctrine should stand or fall based upon biblical revelation, not human logic. Nevertheless, let me draw an analogy from creation itself to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity.

An Analogy of the Trinity

To continue with the observation about the Trinitarian nature of creation, I would like to use 'time' to illustrate the Trinity. Is the "past" plus the "present" plus the "future" a total of three times? Not at all. It simply is a representation of three distinct aspects of the nature of time: past, present, and future. Likewise, the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit are not three separate beings or entities, but three distinct persons in the one nature of the Godhead.

One more comment about Jesus. Most of the people deny that Jesus is God, the creator of the universe, in flesh. Various objections are raised saying that Jesus could not be God, otherwise, He would be praying to Himself, etc. Let's work with the analogy above, and continue with ‘time’ as our illustration.

Let's take 'present' and add to it human nature. Present, then, would have two natures: time and man. If 'present' were truly human then he would be able to communicate with us, tell us much, and we could see and touch him. But, because he is also 'time' by nature, he would be able to tell us both the past and the future as he manifested the 'time' nature within him. If 'present' then, communicated with the past and the future, it would not mean he was communicating with himself, but with the distinctions known as the past and the future.

I know that this is only an analogy. But I think it is a good, though basic, illustration of God's nature as expressed in Trinitarian expression.

Is there subordination in the Trinity?

There is, apparently, subordination within the Trinity in regard to order but not substance or essence. We can see that the Father is first, the Son is second, and the Holy Spirit is third. The Father is not begotten, but the Son is (John 3:16) The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (John 5:26) The Father sent the Son (1 John 4:10) The Son and the Father send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26). The Father creates (Isaiah 44:24) the Son redeems (Gal. 3:13), and the Holy Spirit sanctifies (Rom 15:16).

This subordination of order does not mean that each of the members of the Godhead are not equal or divine. For example, we see that the Father sent the Son. But this does not mean that the Son is not equal to the Father in essence and divine nature. A wife is to be subject to her husband but this does not negate her humanity, essence, or equality. By further analogy, a king and his servant both share human nature. Yet, the king sends the servant to do his will. Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). Does this mean that the one sent must, therefore, be of different nature than the one who sent Him? Of course not.

Critics of the Trinity will see this subordination as proof that the Trinity is false. They reason that if Jesus were truly God, then He would be completely equal to God the Father in all areas and would not, therefore, be subordinate to the Father in any way. But this objection is not logical. If we look at the analogy of the king and in the servant we certainly would not say that the servant was not human because he was sent. Being sent does not negate sameness in essence. Therefore, the fact that the Son is sent does not mean that He is not divine any more than when my wife sends me to get bread, I am not human.

Is Trinity is confusing?

Another important point about the Trinity is that it can be a difficult concept to grasp. But this does not necessitate an argument against its validity. On the contrary, the fact that it is difficult is an argument for its truth. The Bible is the self-revelation of an infinite God. Therefore, we are bound to encounter concepts, which are difficult to understand -- especially when dealing with an incomprehensible God who exists in all places at all times. So, when we view descriptions and attributes of God manifested in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we discover that a completely comprehensible and understandable explanation of God's essence and nature is not possible. What we have, however, done is derive from the Scripture the truths that we can grasp and combine them into the doctrine we call The Trinity. The Trinity is, to a large extent, a mystery. After all, we are dealing with God Himself.

It is the way of the cults to reduce biblical truth to make God comprehensible and understandable by their minds. To this end, they subject God's word to their own reasoning and end in error. The following verses are often used to demonstrate that in the doctrine of the Trinity is indeed biblical.

Matt. 28:18 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

1 Cor. 12:4-6 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

2 Cor. 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

Eph. 4:4-7 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

1 Pet. 1:2, "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure."

Jude 20-21, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."

Forgiveness

Q: I know it feels good to forgive, but sometimes feeling good isn't enough reason for me to want to forgive someone. So why forgive?
A: It's really important to realize that the attitude you hold is the attitude that brings to you what's present in your life.If things in your life are not coming down the way you want them to, change your attitude.

Q: What is the true meaning of forgiveness? When I say I forgive, what am I really saying?
A: If you ever had your feelings hurt and you forgave the person for it, and, inside of you, you allowed them the chance to hurt your feelings again, then you really did forgive them.You entered into real, true forgiveness because you allowed them the opportunity to come back to you again. That's forgiveness. But if you remember who they were and what they said and what they did and the time they did it, and if you say you forgave them, you didn't. We don't really forgive when we still have the feeling of the memory of the hurt.

Q: Are there signs that I have really forgiven someone?
A: When we have really forgiven somebody, we enter into original innocence. And that original innocence is like new snow. It's like fresh rain that cleans the air.

Q: Why do people say to forgive and forget?
A: You don't get forgiveness until you forget what it is that is blocking you. A lot of things we choose to keep remembering keep us stuck here on earth. Another option is for us to stay in a state of forgiveness, which is a state of grace.

Q: The title of the book is Forgiveness: The Key to the Kingdom. Why did you choose that name? What does it mean?
A: The moment inside of you where you forgive what's happened is the moment when you are enlightening yourself. When you really forgive, you clear the levels of thought, feeling, imagination, the unconscious, and you even clear the physical evidence. Do you know what happens when those levels clear themselves? We automatically move very deep inside ourselves, into the Soul, wherein the Christ and God, the divine spiritual energy... resides and lives.There's also the element of self-forgiveness. That's really the key to the kingdom. It not only opens the door, it's the hinges on the door, it's the key to the door, and it's also the little bell that rings and lets you know the door opened.

Q: How do you forgive people who hurt you time and again?
A: If people hit you, forgive them. If they hit you again, forgive them again. If they do it again, don't be stupid--get out of reach. And forgive them again.

Q: When I see some things people do, I find it really hard not to judge them. Isn't there sometimes a reason to judge?
A: When we judge something we find ways to justify it. And we justify it through all the right reasons that seem so reasonable, except that they're all wrong. The only real reason for being is for the loving and the caring and to keep cleaning up what gets dumped inside of you. And it's not easy. It's a daily task.

Q: What is forgiveness all about?
A: It's not about you forgiving me anything. It's about me forgiving me for giving myself over to the exterior senses and selling myself out and not having a wonderful, joyful life inside. That's the greater forgiveness.

Q: Why is it such a big no-no to judge?
A: Judgements are one of the most unhealthy things we can do... If we were to ask what is the big reason that we're all back here on the planet, I'd say it was because of a judgement we placed somewhere, because our judgements are held against us, and they're held in the place where we judged.So, if we judge physically, the judgements are held physically, and we have to come back to clear them. But what do we do instead? We do more judgements.

Q: Is there a way I can avoid judging?
A: Eternal vigilance is the password for forgiveness: the constant state of awareness where no harm is meant or intended for anything.

Q: Is forgiveness really necessary for spiritual growth?
A: You can look at it this way; blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.How do you become pure of heart? ... There are two ways, and in both you need to forgive.The first way is in your heart, where you forgive whatever you did that caused the upset.And the second way is "out there," where you forgive the other person for whatever they did...Then there's a third thing you have to do, and that's to forget it. The forgetting of it is the indicator of the forgiveness of it, and that is the indicator of the pureness of the heart.