Christianity Archives - DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY

November 15, 2024November 16, 2024

Singing and Making Melody in Your Heart

We hear many sounds in the natural world. Animals make sounds as a vehicle to convey a need they have. Birds get a lot of attention because we enjoy the sounds they use to mark territory or find a mate, but it is not music. What is music? We define music as “an art form that combines either vocal or instrumental sounds, sometimes both, using form, harmony, and expression of emotion to convey an idea.” Ephesians 5:19 talks about “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

Genesis 4:21 tells us that Jubal was the father of the harp and the flute, and archaeological evidence shows that, along with drums, those were the first instruments of music. In 1 Samuel 16:14- 23, King Saul had mental issues, and his servants suggested that music might help. This led to David playing the harp in the presence of Saul, and every time he did, “Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil departed from him.”

Music has many forms and people have used it for dancing in every culture. The dancing can be part of worship, between two people, or by an accomplished dancer. All of these are possible because of the human relationship with God, as we are created in His image. Singing was part of many activities described in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word “zamar” was used when the singing was a praise to God. Singing aloud used the word “ranan,” while singing of God’s attributes was described by the Hebrew word “shir.”

In the New Testament, Greek words refer to an individual’s response to God in song. The Greek word “ado,” used in Ephesians 5:19, “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,” indicates that singing is to be done with understanding. The same word is used in Colossians 3:16. James 5:13 tells Christians to sing when they are happy. The word used there is “psallo,” and the same word is used in Romans 15:9 and 1 Corinthians 14:15.

Worship is not a spectator sport, and God did not intend for Church worship to be a time of entertainment. All of us should sing in worship, but some say, “I’m tone-deaf and don’t sing well.” The truth is that most of the singing in ancient times involved chants – not four-part harmony. God listens to your heart, not to your sharps and flats.

Today, many churches have paid singers and special programs that feature skilled musicians. These are wonderful to attend and listen to. I enjoy listening to Bill Gaither’s programs on television, but I don’t participate—I listen. One of our co-workers is Paul Foster, who has a beautiful voice and is a skilled musician. He has a daily YouTube program called “Songs of Encouragement.” It is a wonderful teaching tool for anyone but does not replace worship.

Music testifies to human uniqueness and is a great tool God gave us. God’s Spirit is a part of our singing in worship that unifies us and brings us closer to God. Don’t neglect your personal involvement in “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

November 13, 2024November 11, 2024

The Curse of Incarceration

The Does God Exist? ministry recently mailed out our 6,000th apologetics course to a person in prison. Over the years, we have presented our programs in prisons throughout the United States. I recently had a conversation with an inmate who said he was glad to be in jail, where he was learning things from other prisoners to help him not get caught when he gets out and resumes his life of crime. This shows that the curse of incarceration is not working.

The solution to this curse is to change our concept of how to handle a person who has committed a crime. From a financial standpoint, when taxpayers must pay for a person who will be in jail for many years or even life, the cost is massive. There are some bright spots in this very dark problem. In Texas, a program called C.A.S.A (Christians Against Substance Abuse) has been able to change the lives of literally thousands of incarcerated men and women through education and counseling. Several chaplains in Texas prisons are using the “New Life Behavior” curriculum.

Recently, two factors have made getting our life lesson materials to prisoners more challenging. The mail service is more expensive, and prisons have extreme requirements for delivery because so many prisoners have received mail with hidden drugs.

Christians believe that every human being is created in the image of God and should be shown the “agape” kind of love that Jesus taught. (See Matthew 5:43-44.) Prisons should be places where people are rehabilitated, not tortured. We cage dangerous animals, and caging a human is like caging a vicious dog. It doesn’t make the dog less vicious. That is the curse of incarceration.

Educating and rehabilitating humans would be far less expensive than our present system, where most prisoners are simply learning how to be smarter criminals and commit more crimes when released. Will America wake up to this need? If it happens, Christians are the ones who will lead the way.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Information on CASA is available from Kings Crossing Prison Ministries at https://www.kingscrossingprisonministries.org/.

November 8, 2024November 7, 2024

Is Prayer a Waste of Time?

We recently received an email from a man saying, “I have quit praying. It is a waste of time. Nothing I ask for ever happens or comes.” Is prayer a waste of time?

I understand the man’s comment. When my son was born, I prayed he would be healthy and blessed with a keen mind. After about six months, we learned that he had congenital cataracts. I prayed that his vision would be restored after cataract surgery, but then we learned that he had retinal problems and would be blind. I knew some blind friends who were very bright and had purposeful lives, so I prayed that my son would be bright and full of potential. However, by the time he reached school age, it was evident that he was mentally challenged.

At that point, I had to ask myself, “Is prayer a waste of time?” As a Christian, I knew the Bible said I should pray (John 16:24, Mark 11:24, Matthew 5:44, James 5:16). While studying this question, I gradually realized that prayer was never about physical needs. Jesus warned that problems would come (Matthew 24:4-13). Prayer did not remove issues for Jesus or Paul. Jesus was still crucified, and Paul still had an affliction (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).

The Bible teaches that prayer is primarily about spiritual issues, not physical ones. That doesn’t mean we should not talk with God about physical problems, but the promises of what prayer will do are spiritual. James 1:5 tells Christians to pray for wisdom, not intelligence. James 5:13-14 says, “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray.” (KJV) The Greek word “afflicted” is “kakopatheo,” meaning to suffer evil. This is not about physical affliction but letting evil take over your life. The use of oil mentioned in the passage was not about medicinal value but a symbol of gladness or spiritual nourishment. (See Deuteronomy 33:24, Psalms 23:5, and Job 29:6.)

Colossians 3:2 tells Christians to “Set your mind on things above, not on things on this Earth.” Philippians 4:6-7 tells Christians that prayer will guard our hearts and minds, not skin and joints. Is prayer a waste of time? I have had atheist friends tell me they don’t understand how I keep going with all the things that have happened in my life. They don’t realize that prayer brings what this passage calls “the peace of God.” Peace doesn’t come from politicians or things of this world. Realizing that you have a purpose for existence is a beautiful reward of being a Christian. My prayer for you is that you will find that peace.

November 1, 2024October 28, 2024

The Violation of Parental Rights

A struggle with faith connections in America today is the violation of parental rights. By a parent, we mean more than the woman who gave birth to a child and the father who impregnated her. I am the father of three children who are not biologically related to me. They came into our home as infants, and my wife and I raised them. Their birth certificates identify my wife and me as their mother and father. We love our three children as much as any parent can, and they refer to us as mom and dad.

We are seeing a disturbing violation of parental rights in America. In some cases, the government can take children from their parents if they refuse to promote gender ideology. Reported instances of adults telling kindergarten students that there are more than two genders or that they may have been born in the “wrong body” cause concern among parents. Government agencies can tell people of faith that they cannot adopt a child or raise a child in a foster home because they won’t promote the current craze of trans-genderism.

Some public schools have adopted “secret social transition” policies requiring school staff to treat children with gender dysphoria as the opposite sex without telling the child’s parents. The long-term effect of hormone drug treatment is still unknown, but all available evidence is that it has a negative impact on a child’s longevity. Secret transition policies are a violation of parental rights.

In the Bible, Proverbs contains many admonitions to children, fathers, and mothers. (See Proverbs 22:6, 23:13-14, and 22-25.) The New Testament addresses parents directly, charging both mother and father with parental responsibility. (See Ephesians 6:1-4, Colossians 3:20-21, and 1 Timothy 3:4.) The biological process of conception and having a baby is a small part of being a parent, and God’s plan works and produces the very best long-term results.

October 31, 2024October 28, 2024

The Ouija Board Scam

Scams, lies, and fakes are nothing new—they have been around for centuries. An example is the Ouija board, which dates back to the early 1800s. Originally a parlor game, the “ouija” name was an amalgamation of “oui” and “ja” from the French and German words for “yes.” Today, you can buy a Ouija board from Walmart for $19.99. The Ouija board scam uses well-known psychological principles to do interesting things that depend on the human mind.

The Ouija board originated when life expectancy was very short compared to today. Almost a third of children did not live to see their fifth birthday. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, everyone was touched by the loss of a loved one. Many people wanted to communicate with their dead relatives, resulting in seances, disembodied voices, automatic writing, and other scams involving communicating with a loved one in the spirit world. In 1891, Elijah J. Bond received a patent for a “talking board,” which he sold to William Fudd, who made a fortune selling them.

The Ouija board scam is an example of automatism, doing something without feeling we are doing it. People have used automatism in hypnosis, dowsing, automatic writing, and many fake psychic events. Those of us who have been around for a while have seen things like this repeated over and over. Who can forget “Clever Hans,” the horse who could do complex mathematical calculations? It turned out to be a function of the mind of his owner, a mathematician, who could transmit commands to the horse by subtle physical gestures.

Another scam is religious spiritualism, in which a preacher claims to have special powers coming from God. Religious scams have also gone on for a very long time. In 1 Samuel 28:3-14 Saul went to a woman known as the witch of Endor and asked her to contact Samuel, who had died. Witchcraft was outlawed in Israel then, so the woman was reluctant to conduct a séance. When she did the scam séance, the real Samuel appeared through a miracle from God. The witch was shocked and screamed, obviously surprised because she had a scam going, and the real thing appeared.

The Bible presents a rational, accurate description of the normal process of human affairs. Miracles are identified as such and cannot, by definition, be proven. Jesus offered evidence through miracles during His physical time on Earth. Religious leaders today claiming the ability to perform miracles are like the Witch of Endor or the Ouija board scam.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: smithsonianmag.com

October 14, 2024October 13, 2024

Low-Cost Ways to Improve Your Health

Who doesn’t want better health? What if you could achieve better physical and mental health without spending money? At a time when people are facing depression and anxiety about inflation, wars, and even elections, here are some suggestions for easy, low-cost ways to improve your health.

The first suggestion is to move your body. Studies have shown that physical activity can sometimes do more to reduce mild to moderate depression, anxiety, and stress than medications can. Medications also have their side effects. Sitting in a chair for many hours each day can lead to various health problems, but even a small amount of exercise can make us feel better. Physical activity strengthens your bones and muscles, including your heart, while brightening your outlook on life. Gardening or housework can be rewarding. Bicycle riding or walking can allow you to see things you won’t see while sitting at home.

The next suggestion for easy, low-cost ways to improve your health is to go outdoors. Seeing the beauty of God’s creation can be very soothing. Walking in the woods, away from traffic and noise, is stress-relieving. Oceans, lakes, and rivers bring a soothing calm and relief from everyday pressures. Our daily postings on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) show design and beauty in God’s creation. Watching animals and birds in the wild can inspire you with their various activities. Bird songs and the sounds of nature can be soothing. The beauty of plants and trees, especially in the fall and spring, reminds us that God created beauty for us to enjoy. Studies have shown that exposure to nature can improve cognitive function, blood pressure, and sleep.

While considering easy, low-cost ways to improve your health, we must recognize the value of connecting with others. God designed us to be together and support each other, and living in isolation can lead to mental depression and anxiety. First and foremost, families are important, but family members are often far away or estranged. It is also essential to have friends outside of family members. In a church congregation, you can find friends who will give you love and support. Clubs and community groups can provide fellowship with others, but there is nothing as close as sharing life and faith in the fellowship of a solid biblical church.

We encourage you to try these suggestions and see what positive changes they can make in your life and health.

October 9, 2024October 8, 2024

Unhealthy Foods and God

Skeptics challenge that the Christian system allowed unhealthy foods that would not be condoned or promoted by an all-wise God. The Bible passage referred to is Acts 10:9-15 where Peter has a vision and is told to eat any meat, including animals that had been forbidden to the Jews. When Peter objects, a voice says, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

We must take the Bible literally. We must look at who said what is in the passage, to whom it was said, why it was said, and how the people who heard it would have understood it. In this case, God’s message for Peter is clear if you read the rest of the chapter and on into chapter 11. This event was not about eating unhealthy foods but about taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people, not just the Jews.

Another method of understanding the meaning of a passage is to compare it to the rest of the Bible. You don’t have to be a scholar to know that the Bible cannot contradict itself. The New Testament has many statements that show it is not a book about eating. For example, in Matthew 15:17-20, Jesus says that what you eat doesn’t defile you, but rather what you think. In 1 Corinthians 10:27-32, Paul tells the Christians not to worry about what foods they can eat but rather be concerned about offending others and driving them away from Christ. In Romans 14, Paul tells Christians that the Church is “not about meat and drink” and then talks about not offending others.

This does not mean the Bible doesn’t care about unhealthy foods and practices. In Acts 15:19-20 the Church was told to avoid drinking blood or meat secured by strangling. However, even in that passage, the message was not about food. In Jesus’ time, having meat to eat was rare, and grains, fruit, and fish were the primary food sources. Also, life expectancy was short due to a lack of hygiene, the spreading of disease by immoral choices, and the lack of modern medicine.

God is not the cause of the often unhealthy foods we place in our diets today. Christian morality and attention to our health and the needs of others testify to the validity of the Christian system as taught in the New Testament.

October 7, 2024October 6, 2024

Hostility Toward Christianity

We recently received a very hostile phone call from a person who went so far as to threaten us. This has happened many times in the past, and the hostility toward Christianity is excellent evidence for its validity. “So you think you are the only people going to heaven?” is a misguided challenge we get in response to the messages we post on this site.

Skeptics frequently refer to the Crusades and the horrible violence that people who called themselves Christians have done against those who were not Christians. Their actions violate what Jesus taught and contradict what those who follow the Bible do in relationship to others. Please do not confuse the misguided teachings of the past with what the Bible tells Christians to do. The Crusades violated everything Jesus taught, as did the inquisitions.

Jesus told His followers in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” This concept is repeated over and over in the New Testament. Judging is up to God, and the New Testament commands Christians to be peacemakers. Acts 2:47 tells us that the first-century Christians “had favor with ALL the people.” At the same time, it is essential to understand that Jesus told His followers they could recognize false religions and their teachings by their results. (See Matthew 7:16-20 and John 15:2-16).

It’s a fact of life that we have to make judgments every day. As we look at world religions, we see the results of their teaching. We must ask, “What are the results of following the teachings of those religious systems?” We can read the historical results and see them in the news today. The hostility toward Christianity and the very fact that our ministry is attacked is an indication of the violence and destructive nature of most world religions. Over the history of humanity, religion has caused a considerable number of wars, and it continues to do so today. Biblical Christianity (not human creeds) teaches the opposite of all this, but other religions and religious leaders reject the Bible’s teachings.

As we analyze each religious system, we must question the hostility toward Christianity. How many hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, educational institutions, etc., have resulted from the beliefs of each religious system? You can kill me, but you cannot destroy the good that Christianity has brought to the world. If men and women study the evidence, they will see that religious systems are not all the same. This ministry is dedicated to providing evidence, but if someone rejects it, that is their prerogative. They will have to answer, as will we, to the perfect judge who created the cosmos and us.

October 4, 2024October 1, 2024

To Understand the Godhead

Both believers and skeptics ask the question, “What is the godhead?” While I don’t pretend to understand the Godhead, I have spent years trying to explain it.

Passages like John 14:26 bother a lot of folks. That passage has Jesus saying, “But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” The word “godhead” is found three times in the King James version of the New Testament, each time translating a different Greek word. In Acts 17:29 (theios), Paul was talking to the philosophers in Athens. Romans 1:20 (theiotes) deals with evidence for God’s existence. Colossians 2:9 (theotes) was dealing with philosophy and human deceit.

An analogy that may help us understand the Godhead is that humans have three parts that makeup one individual. We all have intellect, which allows us to be creative and have ideas of a spiritual nature. God’s intellect is seen in the creation and design we see all around us.

We all have a personality that allows us to express our spiritual nature and to love in a way that is not just survival. Jesus taught His followers to be known by their love (See John 13:34-35) and demonstrated it in His life. He used the Greek word “agape” and referred to caring about all of humanity – even our enemies.

We all have spirit, which is the action that we do, and the Bible consistently uses that word with a verb. (“The Spirit MOVED upon the face of the waters.” “He will TEACH you.” My spirit will not always “STRIVE” with man.) We are all just one individual, but we all have intellect, personality, and spirit.

When the disciples questioned how they could see God, Jesus gave an answer that involved one part of the Godhead while referencing the other parts. (See John 14:9-10.) John 1:1 and 1:14 and 1 Timothy 3:16 show that Jesus was God in the flesh. It is impossible for us to understand the Godhead. St. Augustine wrote, “If you understand God, what you understand isn’t God.” J.B. Phillips wrote a book titled “Your God is Too Small,” in which he pointed out how the human mind limits God.

We humans will never understand everything there is to know about God, creation, or God’s purpose in creating us, but we can understand enough to make our lives meaningful and productive.

September 27, 2024September 24, 2024

Understanding God’s Nature and Dimensions

One of my favorite book titles and quotes is Your God Is Too Small, written by J. B. Phillips in 1953. The book’s theme is that humans are limited in understanding God’s nature. That issue continues today with questions concerning the spiritual realm. God is not a physical being, limited to physical dimensions. What does that mean?

We live in a three-dimensional world, meaning you can move up or down, left or right, straight ahead or behind you. In mathematics, we demonstrate this concept on the cartesian axes of x, y, and z, and we can plot each of those dimensions against time. You can go to the left or right, up or down, forward or backward at a certain speed until you arrive at a particular spot. Notice that each case requires the passage of time. You can’t put time on a cartesian axis because time is 4th dimensional. Just as God created the three dimensions, He also created the 4th dimension. We struggle with that concept because we can’t control the time dimension. It controls us.

The Bible describes God as a being outside of time, not limited by that dimension as we are. Psalms 90:4 (repeated in 2 Peter 3:8) tells us that “with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Revelation 1:8 and 11, 21:6, and 22:13 describe God as “the Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the end.” We realize that has enormous implications for understanding God’s nature. When we pray, God hears our prayer outside of time. Revelation 21:3-4 is easier to comprehend if we realize that without time, all the bad stuff relating to time, including pain, suffering, death, disease, and war, are gone.

If God is outside of time and created time, He exists in a dimension higher than time. There are virtually unlimited dimensions in mathematics, and here we are struggling with one we can’t perceive physically. The Apostle Paul got a glimpse of this and tried to describe it in 2 Corinthians 12:1-5. God’s answer to prayer is frequently not in the time frame we understand. Our concept of heaven and hell is badly distorted by not understanding God’s nature and the spiritual realm outside of time.

The people who heard Paul speak at the Areopagus in Acts 17:22-32 struggled with understanding God’s nature, and Paul challenged them to think. For many of them, and many in today’s world, their God was and is too small.