God’s Existence in Your Body

When the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, He left behind amazing proof that mankind is not simply the result of a “big bang” billions of years ago. Design demands a designer and our Designer has left in our bodies absolute proof that we are created beings. When the psalmist said, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psa. 139:14), he was affirming that which is so readily obvious to every man. The complexity of your body shows beyond any doubt that there is a God.

The following facts can be found by anyone who spends the time in research. They can be found immediately by using the search capability of a computer. I have not attempted to verify each of them, but they are found in various places.

The heart is a prime evidence of the existence of God. This muscle beats almost three billion times in the average person’s life and supplies blood for every part of our body. The blood’s “plumbing” system has “pipes” as large as a garden hose (the aorta) and as small as the capillaries, where in some of them the red blood cells must pass through in single file. The six quarts of blood travel through a network which would stretch more than two times around the earth. Remember David’s words, “I am wonderfully made.”  Design demands a Designer!

The nerve system in the body is remarkable. In one square inch of skin, there are four yards of nerve fiber, 600 pain sensors, 1300 nerve cells, 9000 nerve endings, 36 heat sensors and 75 pressure sensors. Using 43 pairs of nerves (12 which go to and from the brain and 31 going from the spinal cord), messages are sent to the brain at speeds the average automobile cannot attain—some messages traveling at over 200 MPH. There are 45 miles of nerves running through our bodies. Our brains regulate all of this. It is far more complex than the most powerful computer and has over 100,000,000,000 nerve cells. David was right—we are wonderfully made.

Add to this the following facts. We have over 600 muscles. We make over a quart of saliva every day. The surface area of the sacs in the lung is approximately the same size as a tennis court. The liver performs over 500 functions. We lose about 100 hairs per day from our scalps. You breathe 23,000 times a day. Your eyes can distinguish more than eight million shades of color. Your brain can record over 86 million bits of information daily. Your ears can distinguish more than 300,000 different sounds. David was right. We are wonderfully made!

The point is obvious. God designed us. God left undeniable evidence of His existence in every part of our body. How can anyone deny the existence of the great Designer!

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Should We Preach Jesus and Ignore Doctrine?

Sometimes we hear individuals say, “Why should we be so concerned about doctrine? We should just preach Jesus and ignore doctrine. Preaching doctrine creates division, but preaching Jesus will bring unity.” Those who say these things often are motivated to bring about harmony among those who follow Jesus, but we must begin by asking, “What does the Bible teach about the importance of doctrine?” Think about all you would  have to give up if you never preached doctrine.

If I gave up all doctrine, I could never preach about Jesus’ resurrection. When Paul was teaching in the marketplace in Athens he proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus. He was taken to the Acropolis where he was questioned by the Greek philosophers. They said, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak” (Acts 17:18-19)?

If I gave up all doctrine, I could never preach about the sermon on the mount. Matthew devoted three chapters to this amazing lesson taught by Jesus. It is filled with moral teachings like the beatitudes, Christian influence as salt and light, loving our neighbors, humility in prayer, the goodness of God in His providence, the Golden Rule, etc. “When Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine; for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matt. 7:28-29). If I cannot preach doctrine, I cannot preach the sermon on the mount!

If I gave up all doctrine, I could never preach about the parables of Jesus. Mark described the preaching of Jesus. “And He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine . . .” (Mark 4:2). Jesus spoke more than 30 parables, but I could not use them. I could not tell about the prodigal son, the good Samaritan, the pearl of great price, the wise builder, etc. How can I preach about Jesus without using His parables, but they are doctrine!

If I gave up all doctrine, I could never free men from sin. Paul described the salvation of the Romans using these words, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6:17-18). If the heartfelt obedience to doctrine brought freedom from sin, how can anyone, who loves the lost, minimize the preaching of doctrine?

Take time to use your concordance to read all the Bible says about doctrine. Do this with a sincere heart and you will never again speak of separating Jesus from doctrine. Take time to study the Bible, it’s not that hard to understand!

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Jesus and the Father in the Book of John

What word comes to your mind when you think of the writings of John? I suppose that the first word which comes to mind is that the disciple whom Jesus loved speaks so much about love. He does. He uses the word love, in its various forms, almost sixty times as he writes about the life of Jesus. The remarkable thing is that there is a far greater emphasis in this book. He uses the word father 132 times, and in all but eleven passages he uses the word to refer to  Deity!

In this fourth gospel John records the words of Jesus. Jesus used the phrase “My Father” 34 times. He not only thought of God as a father, but He thought of Him personally. There is a profound difference in thinking of God as a father, and viewing Him as “my” father!

Jesus knew that His Father was one who loves. After describing Himself as the good Shepherd, Jesus said, “Therefore My Father loves Me . . .” (John 10:17). This was the nature of the Father! God is love and Jesus lived His life cognizant of the fact that our Father is one who loves!

Jesus knew that His Father is one who gives. When he taught the Jews about true manna He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven” (John 6:32). When our Master lived on this earth He was comforted knowing that His personal Father is one who gives! Would to God that we all lived every day remembering this trait of the nature of God.

Jesus knew that His Father was one who had a house of many mansions. Who does not think of His words when we face death? “Let not your hearts be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions . . .” (John 14:1-2). What difference does it make about our dwelling places on this earth when we have a Father’s amazing house awaiting us!

Jesus knew His Father in a way no other one has ever known Him. He is a righteous Father (John 17:25) and a holy Father (John 17:11). He is one who seeks men to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). He is a Father who works in the lives of men (John 5:17) and one who should be honored (John 8:49).

So how do you know your Father? The way we view God determines how we serve Him. How do you see the God you serve? The right way to think of God is to think of Him as Jesus did. He saw Jesus as a Father. More importantly, He saw Him as a personal Father. Don’t ever forget, we have the same Father!

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A Christian’s Reaction to Stressful Times

The situation in Jerusalem was one of immense danger. The northern kingdom of Israel was being overrun by the Assyrians, and in the southern kingdom the holy city of Jerusalem was being threatened by the same army that had invaded the north. Isaiah was in that city, and his writings allow us to sense what was happening. To study this event gives tremendous insight into how individuals react to stressful times.

Stressful times should create humble hearts before God. Isaiah said, “And in that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth” (Isa. 22:12). Had Judah looked around them they would have seen how dire the circumstances were. The city was not only being threatened by Assyrians but the armies of Kir (Syria) and Elam (Persia) were also part of the attacking forces (Isa. 22:6). The valleys around the holy city were filled with chariots of the enemy, and there were breaches (gaps) in the walls (Isa. 22:7-9). It was a time when the Jews should have been on their knees, clothed in the sackcloth of repentance. Such simply was not happening!

Stressful times are times when we foolishly seek comfort in material things. God had called for repentance, “But instead, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: ‘Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die’” (Isa. 22:13)! How remarkable it is that we ignore the God of all comfort when we really need comfort. This is the avenue of escape those with addictions seek, but the seeking of comfort in material things is also the route taken by many. When adversity comes our way we no longer spend time with His word. We become sporadic in church attendance. We push the spiritual out of our lives in so many ways. The “let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die” philosophy is such a fatalistic view of life. It may be the only source the ungodly have, but Christians have an amazing source of spiritual comfort and hope.

Stressful times either bring us closer to God or distance us from Him. How closely we live to God is determined by us. James said, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). When we humble ourselves before Him, He always lifts us up (James 4:10). The adversity in the days of Isaiah became Satan’s tool to destroy spirituality in Jerusalem, when it could have been the instrument used by God to create greater spirituality. Israel decided which it would be.

So the next time you are burdened, just remember that you determine if that situation is a blessing or a curse!

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Zealous for Good Works

He was just six months from the cross when He saw the blind man whose affliction some attributed to his sins or those of his parents. Jesus seized the opportunity to show His compassion and then to teach that it is wrong to associate sickness with sin. His explanation for interrupting His plans for that day was, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). His zeal, His devotion to doing the will of God, is so needed by many Christians today.

We need to be zealous in honoring that which is holy. When Jesus saw the desecration of the temple, He made a whip and drove out all those who had robbed that holy place of its sacredness. As His disciples watched all this take place, they remembered the words of David and knew they applied to Jesus, “The zeal for Your house has eaten Me up” (Psa.  69:9; John 2:17). In an age of complacency and secularization of all that is holy, we, too, should be consumed protecting the holy.

We need to be zealous in protecting the integrity of the church. In the closing chapters of Isaiah, the Messianic prophet saw the church (Palm Beach Lakes) clothed with garments of salvation and robes of righteousness and adorned with jewels like a bride at her wedding (61:10). He saw us as the glorious crown in the hand of Jehovah and as a royal diadem ready to be placed on the head of God! When he imagined how others might hide her beauty and dim the lamp of righteousness and salvation shining from her, he said, “For Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest” (62:1). O how the world would be changed if Christians were as Isaiah was for cherishing the glorious beauty of His bride. O how we all should be concerned about her integrity!

We need to be zealous in edifying the church. The church in Corinth was selfishly competing for spiritual gifts. They had elevated their own self-interests above the needs of the church. Paul said, “Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel” (1 Cor. 14:12). Christ did not shed His blood so I could put my own interest above the building up of the body of Christ. The Lord wanted them to go beyond just being zealous and to reach the level of excelling!

So what about you? Do you remember the zeal you had when you first obeyed the gospel? How does your present zeal compare to what it once was? God help us to let the zeal we have for His house, the church, consume us!

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