Automatic Transcript Generated
Speaker 1
So Brian is asking, what will you offer when you are forced into the courts to prove your gods or to be censored?
Speaker 2
I really like this question because I’m an attorney and I love courts and evidence sort of stuff. And I’m also very concerned about very realistic possibility that very soon we will be censored and that even the Bible itself might be a book that no longer publishers will carry. We’re definitely, I think, gained close to those days and I’ve been very mindful to this question even before Brian asked as to, yeah, what would it look like if I would get hauled into court? And I think every Christian needs to be thinking in these terms. And even if you’re not hauled into a human court, we’re told there’s going to be a judgment and we’re going to be, in a sense, brought before God’s court and God is examining us and judging what we’re doing. So what will that look like? What do you want it to look like? But in terms of proving to people that there is a God or what’s a God like, I will first want to say, well, first he says God. I believe what the Bible says. Deuteronomy 64 says, here, O Israel, the Lord our God. The Lord is one.
Speaker 2
There is one God. But that Hebrew word for one means that there could be many components that make that one. So the Bible also uses that word one to talk about how a man and a woman become one flesh, two of them becoming one in marriage. So that’s how the God is. There’s these three entities usually to be the God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They make together what is God, but often God also in the New Testament especially, he’s referring to the Father, though Christ is also represented and referred to as God. So it’s a little bit different. Some people trip up on this but just want to clarify that. So how can I prove in court that God is God, that God exists? We’ve talked about this before, even last week, isaiah 46 nine to ten, the Bible outright gives a test so that we can know God is God. God gives a challenge. He says, Remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is none, none other like me. So first he says, remember the thing the former things. God could tell us things from the beginning because he set things up from the beginning.
Speaker 2
So we want to know how was the earth created? What was it like? The Bible can tell us. Only God could tell us because Adam and Eve weren’t around even when the earth was formed. And those of us who are creationists do believe that there’s plenty of evidence in science backing up the Bible’s claim. We then go to verse ten here. So God says there’s none like me. He also says, I’m declaring the end from the beginning and from the ancient times, things that were not yet done, saying, my council shall stand and I will do my pleasure. So God saying here also, who can tell you right now or even many years before, what’s going to happen way in the distant future? Only he can do that, only God knows the future. And we have an incredible prophecy that mathematically we can demonstrate was prophesied before it came true. And this is found in Daniel nine, starting at verse 24. And it talks about how 70 weeks are given for Daniel’s people that would be the Jews, and for their holy city Jerusalem, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation, for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up this vision and prophecy, and to Anoint, the Most High Anoint.
Speaker 2
All this is referring to the Messiah in Greek, that is Christ. So Jesus Christ is talking about know, therefore understand gabriel’s telling Daniel that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah, the prince Jesus comes, there will be seven weeks and 62 weeks. So you’re going to have these seven weeks and then 62 weeks. If you add them up, that’s 69 weeks of the whole 70 weeks. So the streets will be built again in the wall and there’ll be trouble sometimes. Okay, so when does this period start? When is that command to go forth and rebuild Jerusalem? Ezra 711 talks about how there is this letter that was that King Arthur Zerkses gave to Ezra the High Priest, and it gives a year, I think it was like the second year of King Arthur Zerkses, something like that. And you can look up in the history books when that was, and some people say it was 457, others say it was 458 Ad. I’m in the camp that believes that was the fall of 457 Ad. I would say the day of Atonement in particular of that year. And then in verse 26 it reads, and after the 62 weeks, so remember there were 70 weeks, and then after the 70 weeks is the 62 weeks.
Speaker 2
So at the end of that 69 week overall period, there is going to be another seven week period. And during that time the Messiah is going to be cut off. That’s a word used for he’s going to die, but not for himself. Oh, yeah. Jesus didn’t die for his own sins. He died for the world. And the people of the Prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. But it says, then he shall confirm. The Messiah shall confirm a covenant for one week. Where that 69 weeks? There is one week left for that total seven, sorry, 70 weeks. But in the middle of the week, he shall bring an end of the sacrifice and offering. And I know I’m giving lots of dates, times, whatever, so 69 weeks the Bible explains that there’s a day for year principle for prophecies like this, and you could try it out. So if you plug in a day for a year, 70 weeks each week, it has 70 days. There’s 42 weeks in a year. If you crunch all the math, but basically end result. And you can look this up, but there’s other people who give a more detailed explanation of how to do this.
Speaker 2
And you probably have it on Bible ash right? Tina the exact math.
Speaker 3
Yeah, we do.
Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah, sorry. So you could go through and they’ll take you step by step, but you end up with the Messiahs appearing to be 80, 27. That’s when Jesus was baptized, that’s when he became the Messiah, that’s when he started his ministry. And we know from the Bible, three and a half years later, Jesus is crucified. He died for everybody. And that’s when he puts an end to the sanctuary service. There’s no more need for sacrifices of animals going forward, because those things were pointing forward to Jesus’s death. And then he fulfills what they represented right in the middle of the week. And then three and a half years later, we have the stoning of Steven. And now the Gospel is not just being given to the Jews, but is going out onto all the Gentiles, too. Paul is commissioned to be the apostle to the Gentiles. Peter is called to go speak to the Gentiles. And that 70 week period comes to an end, but it’s right on time. We know the historical fact Jesus was here around that 27 Ad.
Speaker 1
So why is this for those? How does this prove or why is this important to when we are brought before court?
Speaker 2
So we can also prove as a historical fact that this book of Daniel traces to at least 200 years before Jesus because it was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. We know that those scrolls weren’t written after the time of Jesus. So these are written at least 200 years. We’re already part of the Hebrew canon 200 years before Jesus came. So this was predicted way before. And Jesus comes right on schedule. One of the Gospel says, I think in the fulfillment, fulfillment of time, these are the times that being predicted, and Jesus came right on time. The odds of this are astronomical. It’s absolutely divine. And again, we’re just talking about one prophecy in the Bible. We can go prophecy to prophecy to prophecy, including the prediction of how in Daniel, two Babylon would fall and would be overtaken by the meat of Persians, that they would fall and be overtaken by Greece, that Greece would immediately fall apart into four separate kingdoms, which it did. And then that one of those kingdoms sort of became Rome. It conquered the rest of this area, and that Rome was never conquered by another civilization. The Roman Empire just slowly fell apart and became basically what we know as these separate European countries and they’ve never been able to form a coherent union.
Speaker 2
They look at the European Union, it’s very loose, it’s always tenuous and not everybody’s in it. And we know that the European Union is probably going to collapse again because it’s more or less predicted. The Bible says they’re going to try but they’re not going to be able to cleave together. It’s astounding and it was predicted.
Speaker 1
Yeah. What else you got? I know you got some more notes there that I think are also important.
Speaker 2
And on top of that the Bible says Psalms 34, eight additional evidence. It says, oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is a man who trusts in him. Taste and see God again. It’s now sort of saying that you put me to the test, try me out, trust me, see what happens in your life. That’s pretty bold. And anybody who’s actually taking God up on that offer placed their life and trust in their hand, I think would come and say, yeah, God is delivered. And maybe there’d be some people who say, oh, it fell through god’s people were awful, that was God’s people, that wasn’t God. Give God the chance, rely on God, don’t depend on God’s people. Rely on God and see what happens. And one Peter. 315 and 16. It says, but sanctify the Lord your God in your heart. And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason for the hope that is in you. With meekness and fear having a good conscience that whereas they others might speak evil of you as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that false accuse you and your good conversation with Christ.
Speaker 2
Recall this Christians to be ready to always give an answer why we have hope. And that should be because we’ve tasted and see that God is good, that he’s been amazing in our life. But ultimately Jesus says how can we prove we’re his disciples, that we’re the real deal, even to reveal that he is real? I would say it’s John 1335 by this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. So I can only hope that if I was put on trial and hauled into court, I hope the thing that would really stand out the most would be my love and definitely working to get better at that. So that if it does happen, it will be quite apparent. But all of us should be thinking about that. Will we look loving when we’re hauled into court? Can that be really noticeable? Can people say, wow, this is something that seems beyond human? Is this something that cannot be within man itself and truly think there must be a divine God behind this person, a God that is of love and transforming people to be better, more amazing, more wonderful than they ever could on their own?
Speaker 2
No evidence I think could be better than that.
Speaker 1
Speaker 3
Amen.
Speaker 1
How about you?
Speaker 3
Amen. Honestly, that’s so valid. I 100% support prophecy. I love prophecy, especially Daniel. And I think Gandhi is so spot on in how he’s fulfilled everything on time. And that’s just one of many prophecies that God is fulfilled. But also the qualitative I mean, that’s quantitative, but also this is the qualitative aspect of God. Like, I think of the verse in John 17 three which says, this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou has sent. And I’m like, yeah, because God, once I got to know you and I love you, God, I don’t want to be apart from you. I can’t imagine my life without God. I just need such a part of everything that I do and everything that I am. I just don’t understand how people live any other way. And I know that’s kind of weird to think about, but it’s like if you’ve not experienced it, but I mean truly experience it is what I would say, because, you know, God promises. In Jeremiah 20 912, he says, seek me if you seek me and you’ll find me, if you search for me with all of your heart, if you really come to God and say, god, I give you all my heart.
Speaker 3
I surrender everything to you. God will not fail you. I think so many people have been like, Well, I gave God a chance. I’m like, but did you give everything? Did you surrender to God everything? Or is there something you’re holding back? Is there something you’re holding on to? And that’s what I would really say to you, is just that if you come to God, you have to come to God with everything and be open about everything. Just kind of like the woman at the well, she tried to hide her past, but Jesus knew it. And once he showed that to her, then she was able to open up to Jesus. And I think we kind of have to do the same thing where we are completely open and come to Jesus completely as we are just embarrass all, because God already knows. But I think it’s when you’re willing to open up your heart to Him fully and completely, then he’ll make himself real to you in the same way. Just like it says, drawn near to God will not draw near to you. God doesn’t force Himself on you. And I think that that’s something that people don’t understand is God is not a God of force.
Speaker 3
He’s not abusive in that way. He doesn’t push Himself on you. He will only enter into your life as a welcome guest. So just keeping that in mind. As far as why is God real, because he’s been real in my life. There’s nothing there’s no promise that he hasn’t fulfilled. And I could tell you so many times where I said, God, I need you. You promised me. In Psalm 34, you said that the young lines do lack and suffer hunger, but those that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. I claimed this so many times during my college years. And every time I had a need because I had nothing in college, I had nothing. I was barely getting by like pennies. And God just fulfilled every single time, every need that I had. One semester I had nothing. I was like, God, I have no way I’m going to survive this next semester. I can’t pay my tuition. I’m going to get kicked out. I’m not going to graduate. And like, the next day. So I get emotional because God’s so real. The next day, they said, oh, you got a scholarship.
Speaker 3
I’m like, I didn’t apply for a scholarship. And money appeared from nothing so that I could pay. My tuition was just there’s so many times. Or there was a bill I had to pay. And I was like, God, I don’t have this $25 to pay this bill. Is it due tomorrow? What am I going to do? And I claimed his word. And the next day, there was a check in the mail for $25. And I was like, God, how did this happen? And it was for my car insurance. They said, you overpaid here’s, we owe you this. And I’m like, how did you know God, on the day that I would need this, that you would come in and show up right when I needed you? And God has never failed me. But I took God at his word, and I trusted him. And so I would say that to me, like, that is the greatest evidence for God is that he showed up when we put our full and complete trust in Him. And so, you know, for me, like I said, without God, there’s no other way I can’t live without Him. And I really encourage you out there, if you’re questioning is God real, give him a real chance and really take Him at his word fully by faith.
Speaker 3
God says without faith, it’s impossible. To please God, you have to take his word as though it’s true. He that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. So really seek for God diligently, not half heartedly, but with everything you’ve got. And you’ll see God show up, you can’t miss Him.
Speaker 2
Vicky first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything else. Wow, thank you for sharing that so powerful testimony.
Speaker 3
There’s a lot more I could share, but I don’t think I’ve even heard.
Speaker 2
That testimony from you.
Speaker 1
Yeah, I don’t think I have either.
Speaker 3
Oh, man, I got a lot more, let me tell you. God has showed up and I’ve seen miracles happen, like miracles, miracle miracles.
Speaker 2
So if I get hauled into court to prove there’s a God, I’m going to have to subpoena you. And I’m going to call my first witness. Tina.
Speaker 3
Like God was real. He showed up. I promise you, there’s no way this could have happened. So anyway.
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In His Service
BibleAsk Team
