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My 'testimony' is the story of how and why I became a Christian. It's ultimately not a short story. It took over 30 years to complete. This is the really short version. I grew up celebrating Christmas and Easter like everyone else I knew. That was the extent of my 'Christianity'. I also went to school where I was taught Darwinian evolution. I was eventually calling myself an atheist in my 20's. A friend showed me a video seminar at age 29 and everything changed. The first thing that convinced me was Creationism. Atheism is scientifically impossible. So who was the real Creator then? My research showed me that Christianity is the only scientific possibility. Then I discovered Bible Codes and Fulfilled Prophecies. I believe any and all of these things PROVE beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Bible is absolutely true. Take the time to investigate my claim. I promise you it's the Truth. I'm betting my life on it. I prayed for Jesus Christ to save me in November 2003. Then the unprovable, invisible changes started happening which changed me into a different person. I am a Christian now because I know it's true intellectually, but more importantly, because I've felt all of its blessings spiritually since coming to Faith. Here's a YouTube version:
Young-Earth Creationism
Creationism is all the scientific evidence that ultimately proves that the God of the Bible created time, space, the earth, light, all plant life, the rest of the universe, all the animals, and then the first man Adam (in that order). It also focuses heavily on Noah's flood and how we see so many effects of it still today. It discusses how old everything really is which tends to really baffle some people. It's so difficult for someone today to believe that the Grand Canyon was actually formed only some 4,000 years ago and was probably formed over just a matter of weeks or months! Events that happened after the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 gave a smaller scale example of exactly how it happened. Somehow that kind of information never makes the news or the textbooks. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Simple as that. The first natural question is if you believe it or not. Does God even exist? If God doesn't exist, then God didn't create anything. If God does exist, then God created everything. That's logical, right? The only other possibility is the idea that God exists, but God didn't create anything which just doesn't make any sense at all, really. So the concept of atheism enters here. I was calling myself an atheist in my 20's because I grew up never learning anything about the Bible and I was taught that Darwinian evolution theory was actually proven fact. It's not. Now, when I was confronted by a friend with a video tape about young-earth creationism, I laughed and literally said "I'm gonna pick this thing apart!" as if my 29 year old brain was going to see through all the mistakes of this dumb preacher. Well, I watched the first one and couldn't refute anything he said. This is a shortened version. The full 2+ hour versions are on YouTube, of course. The videos I watched were an older version of the ones above, but primarily the same info. It really intrigued me. I admit I disregarded all the Jesus stuff he talks about in the full versions, but the scientific discussion about the age of the earth really had me thinking. My friend brought me the next video tape and I proceeded to watch all seven tapes. This was the info that really killed my atheistic beliefs. It was impossible not to believe that God the Creator does actually exist AND the entire planet was flooded not so long ago - just like the Bible says. I still wasn't on board with all the Jesus stuff yet, but this was still the beginning of my journey. There's another huge creation ministry that I actually volunteer for called Answers In Genesis. Ken Ham is a wonderful speaker and truly a workhorse for God. Answers In Genesis is the ministry that built a museum and a life-sized Noah's Ark near Cincinnati.
Bible Encryptions
Also commonly known as 'Bible Codes', Bible Encryptions, as I prefer to call them, are one major reason why I believe in the Bible itself. It amazes me that God wrote a book over thousands of years that had something hidden in it for us computer users to eventually find! The statistical odds of this stuff happening merely by random chance is so astronomical it's absurd! There IS a point where statisticians will call something 'impossible'. This blows away the odds to such a degree that there's NO way God didn't write the Bible. Chuck Missler taught this stuff wonderfully. The following video is just an example, but this stuff happens all through the Bible. See? This kind of info PROVES to me a supernatural design of the Bible. Maybe this one video doesn't prove it to you. Fine. Read Grant Jeffrey's 300+ page book ' The Signature of God' and/or Chuck Missler's 500+ page book 'Cosmic Codes' and then reevaluate the odds. Fulfilled Prophecy
Prophecy is basically telling the future. The Bible has done that with a 100% track record on various world events (like, say, the destruction of a city). The only ones that haven't come true are predicted for 'the end of the world' so they still can and will come true. There are no predictions in the Bible that just flat out didn't or couldn't come true. I know that doesn't prove anything. But when you start to measure the statistical odds of the predictions that DID come true, you start to understand the proof. LISTEN TO THESE! These recordings were instrumental in my conversion from atheism to Biblical Christianity. I believe if you listen to them, you will also be absolutely convinced. I know it looks like a lot but, trust me, it's worth the time. I actually have a lot more recordings than just these, but these particular ones are, in my opinion, the best, most convincing ones. I'm more absolutely sure of my Faith than anything else! Trust the Bible and Jesus before it's too late! EVOLUTION
Kent Hovind - 100 Reasons Why Evolution Is So Stupid Streaming Audio or Download
Kent Hovind - More Reasons Why Evolution Is Stupid Streaming Audio or Download
Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution 1 Streaming Audio or Download
Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution 2 Streaming Audio or Download
Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution 3 Streaming Audio or Download
Janet Folger - Creation vs Evolution 1 Streaming Audio or Download
Janet Folger - Creation vs Evolution 2 Streaming Audio or Download
Robert Gentry - The Young Age of The Earth Streaming Audio or Download
John Morris - The True Age of the Earth - Geologic Evidence for Young Earth Streaming Audio or Download
Terry Mortenson - Millions Of Years: Where Did The Idea Come From? Streaming Audio or Download
Kent Hovind 1 - The Age Of The Earth Streaming Audio or Download
Kent Hovind 2 - The Garden Of Eden Streaming Audio or Download
Kent Hovind 3 - Dinosaurs And The Bible Streaming Audio or Download
Kent Hovind 4 - Lies In The Textbooks Streaming Audio or Download
Kent Hovind 5 - The Dangers Of Evolution Streaming Audio or Download
Kent Hovind 6 - The Hovind Theory Streaming Audio or Download
Ken Ham - Is Genesis Relevant Today? Streaming Audio or Download
Ken Ham - Did God Create in 6 Literal Days? Streaming Audio or Download
Ken Ham - Is There Really A God? Streaming Audio or Download
Ken Ham - Do Animals Evolve? Streaming Audio or Download
Ken Ham - Where Did The 'Races' Come From? Streaming Audio or Download
Ken Ham - What Is The Only Answer To Racism? Streaming Audio or Download
Ken Ham - Fossils and the Flood - What's the Connection? Streaming Audio or Download
David Menton - Fearfully & Wonderfully Made Streaming Audio or Download
Chuck Missler - Stretching the Heavens and the Dilation of Time 1Streaming Audio or Download
Barry Setterfield - Stretching the Heavens and the Dilation of Time 2Streaming Audio or Download
THE BIBLE
Chuck Missler - Bible Codes Streaming Audio or Download
Chuck Missler - Cosmic Codes 1 Streaming Audio or Download
Chuck Missler - Cosmic Codes 2 Streaming Audio or Download
Chuck Missler - Cosmic Codes 3 Streaming Audio or Download
Chuck Missler - Cosmic Codes 4 Streaming Audio or Download
Chuck Missler - Cosmic Codes 5 Streaming Audio or Download
Chuck Missler - Cosmic Codes 6 Streaming Audio or Download
Chuck Missler - Cosmic Codes 7 Streaming Audio or Download
Chuck Missler - Cosmic Codes 8 Streaming Audio or Download
Josh McDowell - The Evidence That Demands A Verdict Streaming Audio or Download
David Jeremiah - Proof Of Prophecy Streaming Audio or Download
Grant Goodeve - Proving the Bible Through Archaeology Streaming Audio or Download
Grant Jeffrey - The Signature of God Streaming Audio or Download
Ray Comfort - The Evidence that God Exists Streaming Audio or Download
Chuck Missler - Digging Up The Truth Streaming Audio or Download
Bob Cornuke - Digging Up The Truth Streaming Audio or Download
Chuck Missler - The Bible: An Extraterrestrial Message Streaming Audio or Download
Mark Eastman - The Bible: An Extraterrestrial Message Streaming Audio or Download
Tom Nelson - Tough Questions - The Bible: Reliable or Ridiculous? Streaming Audio or Download
Tom Nelson - Tough Questions - They Never Heard the Gospel Streaming Audio or Download
Tom Nelson - Tough Questions - Problem of Evil: Is God in Charge? Streaming Audio or Download
Tom Nelson - Tough Questions - Hell: Needless or Necessary? Streaming Audio or Download
Tom Nelson - Tough Questions - Is Christ the Only Way? Streaming Audio or Download
AMERICA
A Nation Adrift (Christian Roots of America) Streaming Audio or Download
THE GOSPEL I'm going to try to explain the basics of what Biblical Christianity is and is not in a logical way so everything can potentially make sense. Remember, I believe in what I believe for good factual reasons, not just (blind) 'faith'. I'm going to start chronologically, of course, which brings us all the way back to Adam. I believe through all the scientific research it can be shown that the Bible's story of creation is the only 'theory' that is truly possible. Atheistic evolution is scientifically impossible. So is the idea that the earth and the rest of the universe are billions of years old. But remember, it's not unreasonable or unscientific to allow for God's miracles. He created nature's rules and he can bend them any way He wants. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. No, I'm not going to just reprint the Bible verbatim now, but that is the first verse. It means what it says and says what it means. On the sixth day of creation He made Adam and later He made Eve from Adam's 'side' (rib). Yes, God's creation powers are miraculous. He didn't use millions of years of evolution to finally reach a creature He'd label as the first 'man.' God told Adam (only Adam, by the way) not to eat the fruit of one particular tree in the Garden of Eden. Eve got tricked into eating it anyways and brought it to Adam. Adam knew he wasn't supposed to eat it (His only commandment!) but he ate it anyways. This was the first 'sin' and ever since then all of mankind (because we all stem from his genetics) became cursed with the concept of death. Adam was created perfectly by God and would not have died if this event didn't occur. But now, everyone is genetically a sinner, whether they think so or not, because of this 'original sin'. But, come on! Who can possibly say they've never committed even one sin in their life?! Nobody! Not even Mother Teresa or ANY of the Popes could claim such a thing. This just helps prove my point. EVERYBODY is a sinner. One of God's attributes is holiness. That means He's perfectly 'good'. The concept of justice is a huge part of this. If a law is broken, justice must be properly served. This is what is meant by 'paying for your sins'. We mortals get upset when a murderer goes free or a corrupt politician doesn't go to jail, right? That's because of our innate sense of justice. God's justice is perfect. He can't just sweep some of your sins under the rug and pretend they didn't happen. They have to be 'paid for'. I never really got that until I understood God's concept of justice. God says that even one sin is enough to deem a human unworthy of 'the Kingdom of God'. It says that because you've sinned, you die. Then you 'pay' for your lifetime of sin through a justified, eternal sentence in Hell. Hell is very real and something that NO human should think of as an acceptable alternative to joining God's family! But that's where Jesus comes in. Let me back up a bit and point something out. In the Old Testament, God set up a system of sacrificing animals (a lamb, for example) for some 'temporary forgiveness' of sin. It was a symbolic ritual that focused on the shedding of innocent blood so God would forgive the sins of the person offering the sacrifice. But, animal sacrifices can't actually forgive human sins. It was all a foreshadowing of Jesus! When Jesus started His ministry, He was called 'the Lamb of God'. He taught spiritual truth to the people around Israel for three and a half years, but His main mission was to be the ONE sacrifice that actually COULD forgive human sin. Why was He alone qualified? He didn't have the curse of Adam's original sin genetically passed down to Him because He was born of a virgin and He lived a lifetime without sinning so He had no sins of His own to pay for. When the Jews and Romans crucified Him, He went through the entire process WILLINGLY as an innocent man because He knew it was the ONLY way to save humanity from the 'Lake of Fire'. That kind of selfless Love gets my attention and I'll be forever grateful to Jesus for enduring the crucifixion so I don't have to go to Hell. See, most people tend to think God grades on a scale. "The 'Hitlers' of the world go to Hell...but not me! I'm a good person". It doesn't work that way. Everyone is born already doomed to sin which leads to Hell...unless you let Jesus pay for your sins instead of YOU paying for them. Simple as that! I'd rather accept the free gift of salvation offered by this event than go to Hell and pay for my own sins, wouldn't you? So how does one 'accept the free gift'? 1. Believe in the Bible. It IS God's Word written by the Holy Spirit. If you doubt the Bible itself is true, you're basically calling God a liar whether you realize it or not. 2. Believe in the Bible's story about Jesus being born from a virgin, crucified, and raised from the dead so that people can be saved. It all happened 2000 years ago with the help of God's miracles, of course, but there's NO good reason to not believe this actually happened. 3. Ask God to forgive and save you! No matter what your life is like, just stop and talk to God! Admit you're a sinner to Him. Tell Him you're sorry. Tell Him you want to be a part of the 'Kingdom of God' and you need Jesus' sacrifice to wash away all your sins. Yes, this requires humility and some people just WON'T submit to a higher authority, even to the Creator of the Universe! Very foolish, indeed, but that's how a prideful, sin-loving, human heart tends to think. Please don't think like that. God is totally worthy of ALL human submission! This is my basic attempt to explain the Gospel. It's only the tip of the iceberg compared to all the wisdom found in the Bible, but that should be enough to start your relationship with God. Just talk to Him! Ready to start reading His Word? It truly IS an amazing story with lots of interesting subplots. I've compiled my own list of essential chapters which form the main historical plot and basic teachings of the Bible. If you follow this list for your first time reading the Bible, you can get the overall point of the whole Bible in roughly 30 hours. That could be an hour a day for a month or 10 minutes a day for 6 months. Go at your own pace, but just start reading :) ONE MONTH BIBLE READING PLAN FOR FIRST READ-THROUGH
DAY 1Genesis 1-4,6-9,11-12,15-19,21-22 DAY 2 Genesis 24-25, 27-33, 35, 37 Day 3 Genesis 39-50 DAY 4 Exodus 1-14 DAY 5 Exodus 16-17, 19-20, 24, 32-34, 40 Leviticus 18-20 DAY6 Leviticus 23-26 Numbers 6, 9-14, 16-17 DAY 7 Numbers 20-21, 25, 27, 30, 32 Deuteronomy 4, 7-8, 27-31 DAY 8 Deuteronomy 34 Joshua 1-12, 20 DAY 9 Joshua 22-24 Judges 1-2, 13-16 I Samuel 1, 3, 8-10 DAY 10 I Samuel 13, 15-25 DAY 11 I Samuel 26-31 II Samuel 1-7, 11-12, 24 DAY 12 I Kings 1-3, 5, 8-11 DAY 13 I Kings 17-19, 21 II Kings 1-9 DAY 14 II Kings 22-25 Ezra 1, 3-7 Nehemiah 1-6 DAY 15 Nehemiah 8-9 Ecclesiastes 3 Isaiah 51-55, 64-66 Jeremiah 30-31 DAY 16 Daniel 1-6 Jonah 1-4 Micah 5 Malachi 3-4 DAY 17 Matthew 1-13 DAY 18 Matthew 14-25 DAY 19 Matthew 26-28 Mark 1-8 DAY 20 Mark 9-16 Luke 1-2 DAY 21 Luke 3-11 DAY 22 Luke 12-21 DAY 23 Luke 22-24 John 1-7 DAY 24 John 8-19 DAY 25 John 20-21 Acts 1-9 DAY 26 Acts 10-22 DAY 27 Acts 23-28 Romans 1-8 DAY 28 Romans 9-15 I Corinthians 1-11 DAY 29 I Corinthians 12-15 Galatians 1-6 Ephesians 1-6 DAY 30 Philippians 1-4 Colossians 1-4 Hebrews 8-13 DAY 31 James 1-5 I Peter 1-5 II Peter 1-3 I John 1-5 |