LEARNING DAILY

 

John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

The LSSB says this about this verse, “The Word’s relation to the Father: (a) Christ was preexistent “with God” before the creation of the world (see Colossians 1:15). He was a person existing from eternity, distinct from but in eternal fellowship with God the Father. (b) Christ was divine (“the Word was God”), having the same nature and essence as the Father (Colossians 2:9).” The Father sent the Word, His Son into the world to die on a cross, taking the rightful place of whosoever would place their faith in Him. The Son would die and be raised to life again three days later. That’s the gospel of hope all Believers have.

 

At the end of the nineteenth century/ beginning of the twentieth century, a German philosopher by the name of Fredrich Nietzsche decided that God had died; that idea did not catch on until the 1960s. He was writing after the Enlightenment and said because of the Enlightenment the importance of Judeo-Christian morals and values were no longer necessary and man could do whatever they wanted. Given the revolution of the 1960s it is not difficult to understand why the people wanted to be this.

 

As a young person, I went to Sunday school, church, and to the youth group at church. I have to admit, I went to be with friends and to torment the Sunday School teacher; I remember the felt board lessons, but for the most part I did not get much out of going. I tried once or twice to read the Bible but the King James Version was beyond my comprehension. I was a “Christian” because I went to church. Even after we got married, I continued to go to church because it is what we did. My life was not changed by going in the least. I was a good person walking down what Jesus said was, “a broad way leading to destruction”, a road that had many people walking to the same end.

 

However, I found that Nietzsche’s belief that God was dead was a lie. I had not bought into this concept. I just had not given it much thought. In July of 1976, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and change me. I read a book, saw how things end, wanted to be on the winning side and gave my life to Jesus. No bells. No whistles, I did not rundown any aisles. I just asked Him to take control of my life. And He did. If you ask me how I know God is alive, I would tell you I know because of how He changed me. I was changed in many ways right away; many years later He continues to cleanse me to make me more like Him. I have never been successful in cleansing myself.

 

I am able to see God in the changes He has made in others who have given their lives to Him. I am constantly amazed at the complexity of the human body, how the stars stay in the sky, the exact placement and rotation of the earth, the way science is proving the creation story when trying to disprove God’s part in its creation and how mathematics has shown that it is beyond improbable that such a universe could just randomly come into existence with just the right properties to allow human existence. I am amazed that people believe a tiny one-celled animal came out of the ocean, grow legs so it could venture into the woods because it was curious and eventually became you and me.  And yet, intellectuals continue to invent fancy, intellectual theories about all the complexities around us; they refuse to include God.

 

There is a greater mystery. God created man to fellowship with; they failed Him and sin entered the world. Yet, in His mercy and grace, He sent His Son to die in their place. To those who accept His plan of salvation, God is giving to them His holy and righteous character, preparing them as they walk the narrow way to enter His eternal kingdom. Psalm 14:1 states, Only a fool has said in his heart, “There is no God” (that God is dead)!

 

Nietzsche said that God is dead. He lied!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.