Jesus was brought into the world to experience the full gamut of human suffering. This…
Tag: God
Though our various responses to death may lead to different ways we choose to live, there is one response to death we all share: we all, at one point or another, fear death to some degree. The Greek philosopher Epicurus attempted to dismiss death: “Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And once it does come, we no longer exist.” While some attempt — and may well accomplish — to put on a brave face, all of us share a fear of death, even those who do not believe in God. Greg Epstein, a humanist, wrote, “For a Humanist, the mourning process begins with accepting that death is real and final and that, with apologies to Epicurus, we fear it. Our fear of death is not only normal, and not to be dismissed, it is part of the motivation we feel to live a good life now, while we still have time.” The bottom line is our will to live is strong and our fear of death is very real.
God only promises us this moment and nothing more. If you believe in Jesus and you are ready to obey, act now!
Often, as men, we spend our lives seeking after happiness. Scientific studies have been done to answer the question, “Are We Happy Yet?” There is a Springer’s Journal of Happiness Studies, a website titling itself the World Database of Happiness, and countless articles and self-help books on how to make oneself feel happier. Some seek wealth, hoping they could purchase enough things to make them happy. Solomon sought happiness through the wealth he accumulated.
Before the world ever came into existence, the Lord had purposed just exactly how His creation would exist. He knew where to place the Earth to provide a perfect place in the universe for life, and understood the intricate designs necessary to make His creation bountiful and good. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Finally he created man. He gave them dominion over his creation, that man should wisely use its bounty for his benefit. He gave them a mind to think, to judge, and to understand His will for them. In their hearts he put eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and in their perfection He designed them for that eternal purpose (Genesis 2:17).
The knowledge of the glory of God is today revealed in the face of Jesus, as it once was in the face of Moses, but in a vastly superior way. As Moses came down from the mount with the law and a countenance reflecting God’s glory, so did Jesus—He just happened to be coming down from a much loftier, heavenly peak with a perfected law and, since He is the express image of God’s person, His glory and God’s are one.
As has been shown in earlier entries on this site, prophecy provides proof that 1) the prophet of old prophesied truth, and thus 2) spoke of the future in a way that no man, apart from the power of an all knowing being, could. Therefore, we can deduce that if the prophets of old were confirmed by what they spoke, there must be a Higher power providing these men with the ability to foreknow.