Evidence for God in the Bible Archives

February 21, 2025February 19, 2025

Churchianity vs. Christianity

One of the things that frustrates congregational leaders and is used by atheists and skeptics to discredit the Church is that many Christians do not understand the difference between orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Orthodoxy is having the correct doctrine, and orthopraxy is having the proper practice. Both are essential, but a vast percentage of those who “attend church” are people who only practice orthodoxy. ”Churchianity” is saying to oneself, “I have doctrine, and I believe, so that’s all I need.” That is logically wrong, but more importantly, it’s biblically wrong.

Read Matthew 8:21-22, 9:9, 16:24, 19:21, and John 21:21-22. What phrase do all of those passages have in common? The answer is “follow me.” What did Jesus do? Did He go to worship service once a week?” Is that all He expects of us? Read Matthew 25:31-46. Does Jesus picture those who are saved as weekly church attendees who could quote selected biblical passages? Is that all there is to Christianity?

Read Matthew 6:19-21 and ask yourself what “treasures” Jesus is talking about. What good are earthly treasures when you face the end of life or the loss of someone you love? At those times, the value of following Jesus becomes clear. Is your heart set on earthly treasure or heavenly treasure?

The loss of young people from the Church today is not because they have a problem with Jesus Christ but rather because they see no practical value in Churchianity. We urge you to follow Jesus and practice orthopraxy as well as orthodoxy. Churchianity is a false way of life and has nothing to do with what Jesus intended for us to do and be.

— John N. Clayton © 2025
Reference: Why Aren’t Christians More Like Jesus by Michael J. Clemens, Keledei Publications, ISBN 9781958139493

February 20, 2025February 19, 2025

We Need Grace and It’s Freely Available

We Need Grace - A Cistern or a Well — The difference between a cistern and a well

One of the ways skeptics denigrate the Bible is to say it portrays God as an angry, violent, abusive being who deliberately looks for ways to inflict pain on innocent humans. Like most skeptical attacks on belief in God, this portrayal is full of ignorance and misunderstandings. The Bible clearly shows God’s real nature. God desires all humans to embrace good and receive the blessings He offers, rejecting evil and its consequences. Second Peter 3:9 says it well: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (think differently). We need grace, and God provides it.

An analogy that might help understand grace is comparing it to water. We need water for physical survival. We need grace to survive spiritually. Water has a source – a lake, well, river, etc. Grace has a source – God. (See Ephesians 2:8.) Most water must be treated to give us health, and that treatment is very complex. Grace is much simpler, coming directly from Christ. Only water saves a body dying of thirst, and only grace saves a dying soul. (See Romans 6:1-4.)

You must turn on a faucet to get water, and to get God’s grace, you must want it. The local water department will not force you to accept their water. You can refuse it, but you will die if you do. We need grace, but God will not force us to accept His grace, love, forgiveness, and the way of living He offers. But if we reject it, we will die spiritually.

In Jeremiah 2:13, the prophet identifies two evils: forsaking God and making substitutes that Jeremiah calls cisterns.

“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

A cistern is an underground tank collecting and storing rainwater, usually from a roof. In a desert area, a cistern was essential. However, one problem was that sometimes the cistern, traditionally made of cement, would leak and no longer hold water. The substitutes Jeremiah talks about were human philosophies, religions, and psychological evasions. The prophet says these lifestyles (cisterns) can hold no water (grace). The result is pain, suffering, lack of purpose in living, and destructive lifestyles. We need the well of grace supplied by the endless spring of God’s love.

February 17, 2025February 15, 2025

Required Pilgrimages Not Required

A unique characteristic of the teachings of Jesus and the first-century Church is the freedom from religious pilgrimages. A recent incident reminded us of the problem and tragedy of required religious pilgrimages when people died or were injured during the Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela. This Hindu celebration is supposed to absolve people of sins and bring salvation. It is held in Prayagraj, India, at the confluence of three sacred rivers – the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. A stampede developed when people jumped over crowd-control barriers. Last year, 1.8 million Muslims made Hajj in Mecca, Arabia, to cleanse their souls of sin.

There are other examples, all of which show the human desire to be free from evil and sin. We have to admire the dedication of the Hindus and Muslims who are willing to sacrifice to make their required pilgrimages. It certainly shames many people who claim to be Christians and contrasts with the obsession many Americans have with materialism and physical pleasure.

The teachings of Jesus Christ starkly contrast with the required pilgrimages. Christ taught us to focus on serving others and avoid selfish greed. Jesus did not establish a sacred place for worship. When the Samaritan woman at the well tried to argue about the proper place to worship, Jesus replied, “The hour has come when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4:19-24). In Matthew 25:31-46, Christ made it clear that serving the needs of others shows that we are saved. In Romans 6, Paul tells us what is involved in cleansing our souls.

The wisdom of not having required pilgrimages is obvious. It involves more than avoiding a stampede or using our limited resources to visit a geographic location or have a sacred object. People can participate in Christian worship anywhere, anytime, free of sacred objects. Serving those in need benefits everyone and brings peace to a world desperately needing freedom from religious wars, selfish materialism, and politics.

It is tragic that some who wear the name “Christian” disregard the teachings of Christ and adopt the same destructive practices of the rest of the religious world. When Christians fail to follow the teachings of Christ, others see no value in becoming followers of Jesus.

— John N. Clayton © 2025
Reference: AP News

January 27, 2025January 26, 2025

Mark Twain Quotes Display Wisdom

These two quotes of Mark Twain have special relevance to several issues today.
“No amount of evidence will ever convince an idiot.”
“The truth has no defense against a fool determined to believe a lie.”

One of those issues is the political situation in America, where people will follow their chosen political party no matter how many lies the leaders tell. A relative responded with, “I hold my nose and support him,” when I pointed out that what the person had said was a complete fabrication. Both parties have been guilty of falsehoods.

More to our point is the reaction of atheists, agnostics, creationists, and philosophers to what we try to present. If there is no evidence to support one person’s opinion, it has no validity. Many of the claims of evolutionary theory have no evidence to support them and a great deal of evidence against them. The same is true of many claims of denominational creationists. These competing claims are the source of most of the supposed conflict between science and faith.

Denominational creationists may claim that the flood of Noah produced the Grand Canyon, but that can’t be true. The rocks in the canyon are not flood deposits, and the fossil placement does not indicate violent water movement. Still, creationist groups claim that the fossils are evidence of a global flood. The point is not that the Biblical flood didn’t happen but that it did not produce the geological record of the Grand Canyon.

Evolutionists assume that no process operated in the past that is not going on today. This belief, called uniformitarianism, is a foundational assumption of evolution, but evidence from astronomy and the fossil record shows that uniformitarianism is not true. Many more facts give evidence against Darwinian evolution.

We are all guilty of holding to beliefs despite evidence to the contrary. Many proponents for and against climate change refuse to accept the evidence. This results in doomsday predictions on one hand and refusal to do anything on the other. Both those who deny global warming and those who say destruction is unavoidable are ignoring evidence.

Science is knowledge, and knowledge can never conflict with truth. The truth is that evidence supports the existence of God and the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. As the Mark Twain quotes said, we are fools if we ignore evidence, and all people will pay the price for that in the future.

December 24, 2024December 23, 2024

The Christmas Season Again

We are once again at the Christmas season, which reminds us of the birth of Christ. This season also reminds us of the value of friends and family. More than at any time in recent memory, there is excitement about what to expect in the new year as polls show that the majority of Americans have a positive view of the future. At the same time, political differences are creating division between friends and family members.

The links below will lead you to previous Christmas posts where we dealt with misconceptions about Christmas, the connection between Christmas and creation, and the importance of Christmas as a time to renew relationships with family and friends. We pray that you will have a wonderful Christmas season, renewing your love for Christ and for others.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS AND CREATION
THE VALUE OF CHRISTMAS

December 20, 2024December 17, 2024

Doctrine of the Rapture

A denominational teaching that has brought significant doubt about the integrity of Christianity is the doctrine of the rapture. There are several versions of this human teaching, and with every war in Europe or the Middle East, some people claim it’s the start of the tribulation, and the rapture is coming soon. The general idea is that Jesus Christ will come again to gather a chosen few during the tribulation and then return to establish a utopian physical kingdom in Jerusalem after a war destroying all other physical political systems.

In my lifetime, I have seen a variety of rapture teachings. Some extremes have involved preachers like David Koresh and Marshall Herff Applewhite. In 1997, Applewhite told his followers that God was sending Comet Hale Bopp, and their souls would ascend to a spaceship. More rational denominational preachers have used the doctrine of the rapture to support political activity.

Rapture teaching embraces the idea that after Jesus returns and establishes a physical kingdom in Jerusalem, there will be a time of bliss for a thousand years in which many more will be saved. Some versions say that will happen secretly with those who are part of that denomination. Another version is the claim that those who have died before the second coming will be raised and given a second chance.

The word “rapture” is not found in the Bible. The second coming of Christ is not a political event, will not be centered on a physical reign in Jerusalem, and will not be secretive in any way. Revelation 1:7 says, “… every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all peoples on earth will mourn because of Him.” Second Peter 3:10-12 tells us that the physical cosmos will be dissolved. Matthew 25:31-32 tells us that everyone will be judged. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that all of us are destined to die once and then to face judgment. Regardless of what version you may be exposed to, understand that the Bible does not support the doctrine of the rapture.

December 18, 2024December 17, 2024

Food Shortages and Hunger

A recent document from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations shows the following data about food shortages and hunger on our planet:

1) Up to 757 million people faced hunger in 2023 – 152 million more than in 2019.

2) In 2023, 864 million people were food insecure, meaning they ran out of food at times during the year.

3) In Africa, 20.4% of the people are facing hunger.

4) 2.8 Billion people on our planet could not afford a healthy diet in 2022.

Human greed, selfishness, and ignorance cause food shortages and hunger. What should we do about it? In Matthew 25:35 and 42, Jesus invites those who gave the hungry something to eat and drink into His kingdom, while those who failed to do so are excluded. Jesus fed thousands of needy people. (See Matthew 14:13-21.)

Those of us blessed with adequate food and clean drinking water must reach out to those in need. We support 13 Christian organizations supplying food and water to needy people. Skeptics and atheists are not motivated to do this. If your belief system is “survival of the fittest,” you can write off the percentage of humanity in need and consider them “less fit.”

We can give you contact information if you want to get involved in Christian projects to provide food and water. Just email me at jncdge@aol.com. You can be part of the solution to the food problem.

December 17, 2024December 16, 2024

The Value of Women

If you listen to media hype or read books written by skeptics, you might conclude that the Bible is a product of a bunch of men who wanted to keep women under their thumb. This desperate attempt to denigrate the Bible shows incredible ignorance of the value of women in the Old Testament and the teaching of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

The Old Testament portrays women as equal to men in every way. The creation account in Genesis 1:26-27 uses the plural term – “In the image of God created He THEM” – both men and women. The term “help meet” in Genesis 2:18 means one who would fill what is lacking in man. Modern translations use the term “helper.” The Bible describes men and women as having unique qualities of equal value. That is common sense, for how could a man produce offspring without a woman, and how could a woman become pregnant without a man?

The Old Testament does not portray women as merely glorified incubators. It called for men and women guilty of evil to be treated equally. (See Deuteronomy 17:2-7 and Numbers 5:5-7.) Proverbs 31:10-31 praises a woman who cared for her family and ran her own business. The laws of the Old Testament demanded that men were legally bound to care for their wives. Prostitution was forbidden, and kidnapping and rape were punishable by death. Women who were prisoners of war could be married or set free but never abused or sold. (See Deuteronomy 21:10-14, 22:25-29, 23:17.)

Jesus Christ treated women with respect and care, and the New Testament Church taught that women are equal in every way. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” It is true that politicians and selfish males have attempted to use the Bible to control others, but the Bible promotes equality and the value of women.

December 6, 2024December 5, 2024

The Reality of Satan

What is your view of Satan? Is he real or just a cartoon character? The Bible speaks of the reality of Satan 43 times with different names applied like Beezebub, adversary, tempter, prince of this world, etc. The atheist view is to deny that evil exists, and therefore, an agent of evil also does not exist. Richard Dawkins, in his book River Out of Eden (page 133), states the atheist view that there is no such thing as evil. My question is whether your experience backs up that statement of faith.

The reality is that evil is not an object but a choice of sentient beings capable of making a choice. There are two types of beings in existence – time-dependent sentient beings like us and beings that are not time-dependent, which we call angels. Ephesians 3:8-10 tells us God’s purpose in creating us, and Ephesians 6:11-12 tells of the spiritual war we are part of. The first two chapters of Job give us a small view of the reality of Satan, the nature of that war, and our role in it. Jude 6 speaks of the history of beings outside of time. Repentance, a change of thinking, is impossible for angelic beings because they are outside of time, and time is a prerequisite for change. When we die and become timeless, we also will not have the possibility for change. That is why change is essential in our present existence.

The New Testament gives us a clear picture of the reality of Satan’s nature. Sometimes, he works with brute force, as with Judas and Herod during the attack on Jesus as a baby. In today’s world, we have seen Satan’s brute force in the KKK, the Crusades, Islam, and Mormonism. Satan can operate politically, as in Mao, Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, and Putin. More commonly, we see him sowing seeds that grow into weeds of destruction. (See Matthew 13.) Sometimes, he tries to imitate God’s good things, as seen in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14.

If you choose, you can write all this off as fantasy, but life’s experiences tell you it is real. Matthew 13:30 tells us that God gives you a choice and time to make that choice. Revelation 20:7-15 describes what is possible for us. Recognizing evil and Satan’s role gives our lives meaning and purpose. Denying evil and the reality of Satan makes us robots driven by blind, meaningless chance with no purpose in our existence.

November 29, 2024November 19, 2024

Christ’s Unique Nature

The events of the last week of Jesus’s life show us how different He is from other historical religious leaders. Hebrews 4:15 says it very well: “We do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was tempted in every way as are we, yet without sin.” Consider what the Bible tells us about Christ’s unique nature, even during His crucifixion.

GRACE – Luke 23:34 Jesus prays for those killing him. Some other religious figures encouraged retaliation and violence.
MISSION – Luke 23:43 Jesus promised paradise to the thief on the cross. He told Paul in Acts 9:15 that there was a stated purpose for his life. From the very start, Jesus came to fulfill prophecy and to build His Church.
STRUGGLE – Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 Jesus had a very human response to what was happening to Him.
FAMILY – John 19:26-27 One of the last acts of Christ on the cross was to assure the care of His mother.
HUMAN NATURE – John 19:28 Jesus was thirsty. Luke 22:44 Jesus was in agony over what was going to happen to Him. Luke 24:30-43 Jesus ate with his disciples, proving that he was alive.
TRUST – Luke 23:46 Jesus commended His spirit to the Father. Paul reflected this trust in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 and Stephen in Acts 7:59-60.
PERSEVERANCE – John 19:30 Jesus said, “It is finished.” He had completed the sacrifice that had been His purpose from His very birth.

When we stand before Jesus on the day of judgment, we cannot say, “Lord, you don’t know how it was,” because Jesus endured everything we experience. He came from a poor family and was not part of the religious hierarchy. Because of Christ’s unique nature, He refused to use violence, political power, or military force. He left us–His disciples–with a platform to change the world and gave us the tools to do it. Read Matthew 25:31-46 and see what Christians should be doing to help others. Understand that Jesus was different from all other religious figures and that following His teachings can change us–and the world.