Is there any proof God exists?

The simple answer is...Yes, and His handiwork is evident everywhere you look. From the smallest cell in your body—to the wonders of this planet—to the farthest edge of the universe—there is a consistency in design, engineering, and natural order that supersedes any possibility of "chance".

The bottom line is that believing in the existence of God has more to do with faith than validation. For example, the disciple Thomas refused to believe in Jesus’ resurrection until he personally saw and touched Him. He needed validation through one or more of his physical senses. If you’re like Thomas, proving the existence of an invisible God using physical measurement will be difficult—if not impossible. If however, you are able to move beyond our physical limitations and search for God with an open mind and an open heart—then the proof of God, and His promises, will be within your reach. A great place to start your search would be within the pages of His Bible.

If God exists, why does He allow evil and suffering?

When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them a “free will”—the ability to make their own choices. Since genuine love can only exist when it is freely given—He gave them (and us) the option of choosing whether we would love Him and follow His ways. Unfortunately, Satan saw an opportunity to use God’s gift of a free will to deceive Eve and bring sin into this world. The natural consequence of that sin was the growth of evil and suffering.

As descendents of Adam and Eve, we continue to choose and rely on our own selfish desires, thereby ensuring the proliferation of sin—as well as the evil and suffering that follow it.

Yes, God does have the power to instantly remove all evil and suffering from this world—but at what cost? He would have to remove “free will” from mankind and control our every thought and action—making us little more than puppets. Or, perhaps without evil and suffering, mankind would become complacent and never seek Salvation through Jesus Christ. Whatever the reason, God is in control, His plan is working perfectly, and someday we will be with Him—in an eternal place that has no evil or suffering.

There's a devil? Come on...you can't be serious?

Yes… I am very serious, and so should you—since his goal is to see you, and the rest of humanity, in Hell. The Bible warns us about him and exposes his methods of deception.

We know his heavenly name was “Lucifer”, an angel with great authority and honor, who was cast out of heaven for believing that he was “like or equal to God”. He is referred to as a “serpent” in the Garden of Eden—after deceiving Eve into believing that she and Adam could also “become like God”. The New Testament calls him Satan or the Devil, a deceiver and enemy of God. We know that he failed to tempt Jesus in the desert, but successfully deceived Judas into betraying Jesus. We also know that someday God will cast him into the Lake of Fire, where he, and his followers, will be tormented for all eternity.

Satan knows his days are numbered and he knows his final destination. He will use his remaining time to trick as many people as possible into rejecting God's free gift of Salvation. To do so, he will use many forms of deception—including convincing people that he doesn't exist. Don’t fall for it.

What "religion" is the right religion?

First, we must remember that religion is man’s creation—not God’s. God's desire is that we have a personal relationship with Him. Religion is often man's attempt to place God into a neat little box—full of man-made rules and requirements.

God reveals His desires for us throughout the Bible. If you had to condense the entire Bible down to one verse—that verse would probably be John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”. If you condensed it even further—down to one word—that word would probably be “Salvation”. It's the purpose of the Bible and God's reunification plan for all mankind.

So in response to your question—we believe that the right religion is the one that conforms to God's plan to bring Salvation and eternal life to all mankind through His one and only son, Jesus Christ.

Why do you want me to believe what I don't want to believe?

We don’t—that would be pointless. To receive God’s gift of Salvation, you must do it willingly—with a heartfelt desire to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior. Attempting to coerce you into believing something that you choose to reject would accomplish nothing. It won't bring you Salvation and may even push you further from the Lord.

We would, however, like you to make an informed decision about where you will spend eternity. Like it or not, you will choose your eternal destination during this lifetime. You only have two choices. You will choose to spend your “forever” with God in Heaven—or with Satan in Hell. That’s it. There are no other options. We want you to consider both options—while you still have a chance to decide. And remember, not choosing is a choice.

Isn't the Bible full of errors?

We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God without error in the original writings. The Bible consists of 66 books and was written over a period of 1600+ years by 40 different writers. Each writer had a unique personality and writing style, but the consistency of the message remained constant because there was only one author—God—who does not make errors.

There are many hard sayings in the Bible and some verses are very confusing. For some, that's sufficient grounds to dismiss the Bible as error-ridden. Sometimes, however, confusion simply means that we need to dig deeper for the answers. If one verse seems confusing or contradictory, read the verses before and after it to get a better understanding of what the writer was saying. If there are references to other scripture verses, read those verses for clarification of the topic. Most answers are there, if we choose to research and meditate on His word. Some answers, however, will probably elude us until we reach Heaven. Until then, we can stand firm on the promises of the author (God).

What is a 'Christian' and why would I want to be one?

Basically, a Christian is a sinner who has accepted God’s free gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. It has nothing to do with membership in a specific church or denomination—but has everything to do with an individual's personal relationship with God.

Such a Christian is often called a “born again” Christian, which means “born of God” or “born from above” and refers to the “spiritual rebirth” that takes place the instant someone accepts Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. This spiritual rebirth is necessary because of what happened in the Garden of Eden.

When God created Adam and Eve, they were complete beings—with a body, soul (mind, will, and emotions), and a spirit (which allowed a spiritual relationship with God). When Adam and Eve chose to sin, their spiritual nature died and the personal relationship they once enjoyed with God—ended. As descendents of Adam and Eve, we inherit their sinful human nature and remain separated from God. God, however, promised to someday provide mankind with a new spirit, His own Holy Spirit, which would bring us Salvation and reinstate the lost relationship. That day arrived when Jesus paid the full price for our sins on the cross.

A Christian has chosen to place his/her faith in God's promise of Salvation and eternal life through the completed work of Jesus Christ. Jesus, himself, confirmed that you must be "born again" to enter God's kingdom (John 3) and that the only way to accomplish this was through him (John 14).

If you want a relationship with God and eternal life in Heaven—then you have to follow His plan. Choose God's plan today and accept His free gift of Salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Why would God love me?

God loves you because of who He is. In fact, He loves you so much that He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you. Jesus shed his blood as payment in full for every one of your sins -- past, present, and future. Why? Because He wants to have a loving personal relationship with you now, and then later -- share eternal life with Him in Heaven.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or how bad you think you have sinned—God is waiting for you with open arms. Don't attempt to "clean up your life" before you approach Him, He wants you to come just as you are. He wants to bless you now and give you a new life. He wants to build a relationship with you that begins today and lasts forever. Accept God’s free gift of Salvation and mark today as the day that you discovered just how much God loves you.

 

How to Accept Christ

Are you having questions about how to know God personally and how to have and personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Maybe you are having concerns about your relationship with Christ. As you read the following material ask God to reveal Himself to you:

Realize God loves you, and wants to have a personal relationship with you. 1 John 4:10 states "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." Understand that a personal relationship with Christ is more than attending a church, being baptized, making a commitment to do better, or memorizing a set of religious materials. Having a personal relationship with God is even more than being religious. The Word of God says in James 2:19, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."

So how does one go about having a personal relationship with God?

1. Agree with God about who you really are. God says, "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God." and "All who have sinned, fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:10-11 and 23) So often we would rather play the blame game. It is not my fault. I wasn't raised in a Christian home, or I have made some bad choices in life, or I've associated with the wrong crowd. God loves you regardless of your past. Admit to God what he already knows. I have sinned against you God.
   
   
2. Acknowledge your inability to save yourself. Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." We think all I need to do is try harder, get myself together and straightened up, or do the right things and then I'll be okay. The Prophet Isaiah states, "...All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..." God is not impressed by mankind. There is nothing you can do to earn a personal relationship with God. It is God who seeks a personal relationship with you. Acknowledge that you need God in your life.
   
   
3. Accept God's remedy for your life. Remember God loves you and has provided all that is necessary for you to be forgiven and have a personal relationship with Him. (John 3:16-18) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." The Bible makes it very clear that Jesus was the one who bore our sins, died in our place, was buried, and whom God raised from the dead. Two followers of Jesus were asked what to do to be saved, they answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." (Acts 16:30-31) When we accept the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as payment for our sins, God forgives us of our sins and enters into a personal relationship with us.
   
   
4. Admit your need for Christ to save you now. Do you understand that you are a sinner and that you cannot earn God's forgiveness? The Bible states, "...that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart, that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Notice what you just read in God's Word. It states that you "will" be saved. Not might be, or could be saved, Christ says in Revelation 3:20, "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in..." The following is a simple prayer, often called a sinner's prayer. Don't just read it, pray it out loud to God. He is listening, and He will hear you.
   
   

Dear Jesus,

I realize I have broken not only your laws, but also your heart by my sins. My sins have separated me from you. Today I want to turn from my sinful, selfish life toward you. I ask you to forgive me for my sins. I invite Jesus, who died for my sins, was raised from the dead, and is alive now, to become the Savior and Lord of my life. Thank you Jesus for saving me. Amen.

"For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10)

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13) Did you just call upon the Lord to save you? Did you mean it with all of your heart? If so, then take time to thank God for saving you.

Welcome to the family of God. Please call, email, visit, or write us and share with us your decision. We will be glad to pray for you and get you additional information about your relationship with God.