THE UNIVERSE AND BEYOND!
David L. Odom
Yes, we do believe the Universe exists, because we can see it with our eyes, and we know it exists!
But what about believing in something existing without being able to see it with our eyes (God) ?
Is it possible that there are things that exist that we cannot see with our human eyes, but that do exist?
Hebrews 11:3
"By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible."
Certainly, with the invention of the microscope, we now more fully understand the above statement!
Actually, we see from the above statement in God's Word
that there are two items of knowledge to properly understand the meaning of the Universe!
Faith!
Romans 10:17
"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
Hebrews 11:6
"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
Physical sight!
Psalm 19:1
"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."
Psalm 33:6-9
"6 By the word of Jehovah the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear Jehovah; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast."
Yes, we use our eyes that God has given us to view His marvelous Creation, but we must have faith in order to believe that all this Universe we can see was created by a Creator, an intelligent Deity, instead of creating itself from dead senseless matter into billions of various life forms we see and experience with our physical eyes!
As we have already seen, this faith comes from only one source, the Bible!
THE BIBLE
We also find many facts in the Bible concerning this Universe in which we exist that man did not know or understand at the time they were written!
When an honest person who is seeking truth examines the Bible, that person will find that these writings from Genesis to Revelation could not have been put together by man himself, due to all of the internal evidence concerning this Universe in which we live and exist!
Look at a few examples of facts we now know,
that were written about long before mankind discovered them:
The Earth is Spherical
Proverbs 8:27
(ca. 1000 B.C.)
"...when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,"
Isaiah 40:21, 22
(ca. 700 B.C.)
"21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in."
The Earth is not supported
Job 26:7
(ca. 2000 B.C.)
"He stretches out the north over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing."
The Universe is a continuously spreading expanse
Genesis 1:8
(ca. 1475 B.C.)
"And God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day."
The Stars are innumerable
Jeremiah 33:22
(ca. 600 B.C.)
"As the host of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured..."
Stars emit sound
Job 38:7
(ca. 2000 B.C.)
"When the morning stars sang together..."
Water-Vapor Cycle
Job 36:27, 28
(ca. 2000 B.C.)
"27 For He draws up the drops of water, they distill rain from the mist, 28 Which the clouds pour down, they drip upon man abundantly."
Ecclesiastes 1:7
(ca. 1000 B.C.)
"All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again."
Ocean Currents
Psalm 8:8
(ca. 1000 B.C.)
"...whatever passes through the paths of the seas."
Dear truth seeker, the Bible doesn't try to prove it was written by our Creator, it goes on the premise that it IS TRUTH from that Creator, and WE must have FAITH to believe it is what it claims to be, and shows us to be!
Prophecy
John 5:39
"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;"
Luke 24:25-27
"25 And He said to them, 'O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?' 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures."
Fulfilled in Jesus Christ
Acts 3:18
"But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled."
Acts 10:42, 43
"42 And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."
Look at a few examples of prophecies,
that were written hundreds of years before they were fulfilled:
Born of a woman: Genesis 3:15 = Galatians 4:4
Born of a virgin: Isaiah 7:14 = Matthew 1:22, 23
Linage of Abraham - All families of earth blessed - Jew and Gentile:
Genesis 12:3 = Acts 3:25, 26; Galatians 3:8
Family of David: Psalm 132:11 = Matthew 1:1, 2; Acts 2:29-32; Revelation 22:16
His Time of Birth (Preceded by a Forerunner):
Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1; 4:5 = Matthew 3:1-3; Luke 3:1-6
His Place of Birth: Micah 5:2 = Matthew 2:4-6
His Divinity:
Psalm 2:6, 7; Isaiah 9:6, 7; Jeremiah 23:5, 6 = Acts 13:33; Matthew 1:20-23; John 8:58
Slaughter of Babies: Jeremiah 31:15 = Matthew 2:17, 18
His Galilean Ministry: Isaiah 9:1, 2 = Matthew 4:14-16
His Priesthood: Psalm 110:4; Zechariah 6:12, 13 = Hebrews 5:5, 6; 7:17-21
To be a Prophet: Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, 19 = Acts 3:22-24
Purging the Temple: Psalm 69:9 = John 2:17
His Triumphant Entry: Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9 = Matthew 21:4, 5
Numbered with Transgressors: Isaiah 53:12 = Luke 22:37
Betrayed by a Friend: Psalm 41:9; 55:13 = John 13:18
Deserted by Disciples: Zechariah 13:7 = Matthew 26:31
Silent before Accusers: Psalm 38:13, 14; Isaiah 53:7 = Matthew 27:12-14
Vinegar and Gall: Psalm 69:21 = Matthew 27:34
His Cries on the Cross: Psalm 22:1; 31:5 = Matthew 27:46
His Vicarious Death: Isaiah 53:4-6 = Hebrews 9:28; Romans 4:25; I Peter 2:24, 25
Nailed - Pierced: Psalm 22:16; Zechariah 12:10 = John 19:34, 37
No Bones Broken: Psalm 34:20 = John 19:33, 36
Casting Lots for Garments: Psalm 22:18 = John 19:23, 24
His Grave with the Rich: Isaiah 53:9 =Matthew 27:57-60
His Resurrection: Psalm 16:10; 2:7 = Acts 2:31, 32; 13:32-35
His Coronation: Psalm 110:1, 2; 24:7-10 = Acts 1:9; 2:34, 35; Hebrews 1:13
No imposter could have could have ever fulfilled all the above prophecies!
Remember that these prophecies were recorded in a complete translation in the Greek language (Septuagint Version) at least 250 years BEFORE Jesus was born!!
Dear Bible Student, Do You Have This Faith?
2 Corinthians 5:7
"For we walk by faith, not by sight;"
Romans 10:17
"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
Hebrews 11:6
"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
Hear, learn, and come to Jesus Christ!
John 6:44, 45
"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. 45 It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me."
HOW?
By believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that He is Immanuel, the Messiah, the Word!
Matthew 1:23
"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call His name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us."
John 4:25, 26
"25 The woman said to Him, 'I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.' 26 Jesus said to her, ' I who speak to you am He.' "
John 1:1, 14
"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "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"
John 8:24
"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
BUT YOU DO NOT RECEIVE REMISSION OF SINS IN A MENTAL BELIEF ONLY (called Faith Only)
By repenting of our sins!
Luke 13:3
"I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
Acts 2:38
"Peter said to them, ' Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' "
Acts 17:30, 31
"30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
BUT YOU DO NOT RECEIVE REMISSION OF SINS AT THIS POINT IN OBEDIENCE!
By confessing Christ before men!
Matthew 10:32, 33
"32 Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven."
Romans 10:9, 10
"9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, unto righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, unto salvation."
1 Timothy 6:12-16
"12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen."
BUT YOU DO NOT RECEIVE REMISSION OF SINS AT THIS POINT IN OBEDIENCE!
By being baptized into Christ!
NOTE: This is immersion in water 'INTO CHRIST'
for (UNTO, IN ORDER TO) the forgiveness, the remission of your sins!
This is NOT sprinkling or pouring!
John 3:5
"Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' "
Romans 6:1-7
"1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin."
Acts 2:37-42
"37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brethren, what shall we do?' 38 Peter said to them, 'Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.' 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation!' 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
Notice in the above Scripture that only those who 'received his word' obeyed the gospel!
John 1:12
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
Have you yet been involved in the 'new birth' from above?
Have you yet been baptized for the correct reason?
Some are baptized today because they have been taught they have already been saved by 'faith only', and that water immersion is only an 'outward sign of an inward change'!
BUT NOTICE THAT 'PREACHING JESUS' INCLUDES WATER BAPTISM!
Acts 8:35-39
"35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, 'Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?' 37 [And Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing."
Acts 10:47, 48
" 'Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?' 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days."
This is where we meet His soul saving blood (figuratively of course) which washes away our sins!
Revelation 1:5, 6
"and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood" 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
Acts 22:16
"Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name."
I Peter 3:20-22
"20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him."
There is not any power in the
water
Also notice that is how Jesus purchased His church, with His own blood!
But why are people telling us today that the church isn't important!
Acts 20:28
"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."
Therefore we read:
1 Corinthians 12:13
"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."
Christ Jesus is the Savior of this body, the church, which is His kingdom!
Ephesians 5:23
"For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body."
Matthew 16:15-19
"15 He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' 16 Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' 17 And Jesus said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.' "
The rock upon which Christ's church was built was the Truth which Peter had just stated that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God! The Lord's church was NOT built upon Peter!
Ephesians 1:22, 23
"22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
Ephesians 4:4-6
"4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all."
Notice only one body, which is His church, His kingdom, just as there is only one baptism, which is water immersion into Christ!
This is how we put Christ on!
Galatians 3:26-29
"26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise."
YES, YOU DO RECEIVE REMISSION (FORGIVENESS) OF SINS AT THIS POINT IN OBEDIENCE!
Notice the examples of conversion in the book of Acts:
Obey Jesus Christ Now!
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