When we have no knowledge of the existence of God we begin to theorize about HIS very existence. I remember feeling like... hummm, I have to believe in something.., and so what shall I believe...
When I was young we all thought of ourselves as Christian. I was not a Christian, but, I thought hey, whatever we say we are that’s what we are right... We choose a religion based on our understanding of what makes sense to us.. or we choose because father or mother made us go to that church down the street... I remember becoming catholic because I went to a catholic school for a year.... knew all the prayers .. the rosary everything.. But I did not know GOD.. I was only giving GOD lip service..
Matt 15:8
'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
The reality of GOD becomes dramatically true, when you find out GOD really does indeed exist… .. But knowing GOD does not necessarily come about as a great discovery down some long spiritual path…and then suddenly..after much effort we find GOD….Many people have done that and found Buddha, or Mohamed or perhaps another religious deity...
These religious icons are a substitute for knowing the real GOD and a hindrance from knowing the true and Living GOD as known through the revelation of Jesus Christ.. ... They are what I know to be -anti-Christ spirits. Religions denying Christ as the only way to GOD and holding themselves up as a substitute for Christ
We can therefore define an anti-Christ spirit as being against Christ and instead of Christ.
1 John 4:3
And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God [does not proceed from Him]. This [nonconfession] is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world.
Any religion that does not knowledge that Jesus is indeed GOD incarnate is a religion being operated through an anti-christ spirit.. .. Saying Jesus is a god, rather than GOD..or saying Jesus was only a prophet or just another righteous man is false religion .. it is blasphemy.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Let us have scripture again reveal this immovable foundational truth;
Phil 2:6
Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained,
When we, as saved people explain to the world that Jesus is GOD..They are offended, they repel you and can often become angry with you..
Matt 7:6
"Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces
.We can talk about any religion, but when the name of Jesus come up.. there is likely to be an unwelcome response.....What is behind this reaction..
I would have to say in many cases it is an anti-Christ spirit.... The reaction to Jesus is .., there are many ways to GOD.. this is your way but we have ours... Again such thinking can result in a grave error with damnation of their soul being the eternal consequence.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.
Knowing GOD is an act solely initialed by GOD Himself..., Through GOD revealing himself... Yes it is GOD who reveals Himself .. and not man who finds GOD.. we are at best blind men wondering through life and until GOD opens our eyes we do not see HIM ..until GOD reveals HIMSELF.
Nicodemus , was considered a religious man, a leader of GOD people the Jews.. yet He knew NOT ..GOD..
John 3:1
NOW THERE was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (a leader, an authority) among the Jews,
John 3:2
Who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know and are certain that You have come from God [as] a Teacher; for no one can do these signs (these wonderworks, these miracles--and produce the proofs) that You do unless God is with him.
Nicodemus saw Jesus as a teacher but not the Holy ONE of GOD... And Nicodemus with all his authority and all his education.. someone who undoubtedly spent his lifetime reading scripture.. YET.. He knew NOT GOD
John 3:10
Jesus replied, Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet do not know nor understand these things? [Are they strange to you?].
While in the meantime ..Peter a fisherman.. not a particular religious man at all... Was given the Revelation of Christ Our Savior..….
Matt 16:17
Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven.
Just as things are today , things were the same in the time period of Jesus ministry.. Many People had theories about who is this Jesus...
Matt 16:13
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
Matt 16:14
And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."
GOD can only be known in reality through an actual experience with GOD.., Yes a revelatory experience. We have come to call it a personal relationship with Christ..., the phrase "personal relationship".. is not to be found anywhere in scripture.. But we know it to mean.. an actual experience with knowing Jesus through Revelation knowledge.. In our case through .. His revealed WORD..., Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the WORD of GOD...
In what we thought was our search for GOD was in reality GOD drawing us to HIMSELF..
John 6:44
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
GOD is not apparent to everyone, People hope that they know GOD they hope they are going to heaven... But only when GOD reveals Himself to you can we be certain.
To the World God is hidden… their questions are always... does GOD exist?????
Is 45:15
Truly You are a God Who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior
Yet our LORD does leave a multitude of clues that bear out HIS existence.., the creation itself testifies of the existence off GOD… The intelligent design of our world and the very universe speaks about the existence of GOD…
Ps 19:1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Ps 19:2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
Ps 19:3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
We can look up at the Sun, the moon and the countless stars in the sky.. And if we are reasonable people we must say…Who put all this together???? Someone had to do this..
It’s like walking into a vast wilderness and stumbling upon a Mansion…,..The first thing we look for is someone to be there.. This structure did not build itself....We have stumbled upon something far greater than a mansion in the wilderness .. who's maker is the LORD our GOD...
Ps 115:15
May you be blessed of the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth.
Ps 121:2
My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
Ps 124:8
Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
Ps 134:3
May the LORD bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth
.
John 1:3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.
The evidence is overwhelming.. , GOD does exist… Seeing GOD in creation is much like seeing a completed mansion and knowing someone had to construct this house… but not meeting the builder…until one day the builder decides to come out and say hello… …
God revealing Himself to Paul
Acts 9:3
As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;
Acts 9:4
and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
Acts 9:5
And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting
GOD revealing Himself to Moses
Ex 3:3
So Moses said, "I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up."
Ex 3:4
When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."
Ex 3:5
Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
Ex 3:6
He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God
One day,..... only known perhaps between you and the LORD.. GOD revealed Himself to you........... And your life has been forever CHANGED......
This my friend is how you were Born Again....
John 1:13
Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!]
