KNOWING GOD E-Book

ANGELA AIRE OJEIKERE

• Herausgeber: ANGELA AIRE OJEIKERE
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 188

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Knowing God is insightful. It considers if all the diverse religions possess or disclose the true knowledge and revelation of God. It traces how God truly reveals himself and His ways to Man. Remarkably, it answers all those nagging questions about the meaning and purpose of life.

Leseprobe

KnowingGod

AireAngelaOjeikere

Allrightsreserved

Scripturequotationsunlessotherwisestated are taken fromtheHolyBible,New International Version, copy right (c) 1973, 1978, 1984

InternationalBibleSociety,usedbypermission ofZondervanBiblePublishers.

Otherscripturequotations where indicated are fromGoodNews Bible, (GNB),United Bible Societies,CollinsBible.The Revised,Standard VersionofTheHolyBible, (RSV),TheBible Societies. AndKingJamesVersion,(KJV); Trinitarian BibleSociety,England.

PrintedinNigeria.

DEDICATION

TOMYMUMMY,

Forherloveandkindness.

And

Totheevergreen memory of

MylateDad.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Theuseof manyscriptures,mainlymodem translatorsoftheoriginaltextsisdeliberate.

Itseekstogivethereadera maximum understandingof theHolyBookandGod's messageof loveandgoodwilltoallmen.

ByGod's grace,itishopedthatthereaderfinds

increased understanding ofGod andHsways through readingthisbook.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Foreword

1GOD, (a) DOES HE EXIST? Is Life After Death A Reality? (b) The Doctrine Of The Holy Trinity Is Jesus God?

2.SINANDTHE PROBLEMOF EVIL

3. PREACHING THE GOOD NEWS

4.PRAISEAND HUMILITY

5.SPIRITUALWARFARE

6.PREDESTINATION, FREEWILLAND GOD'SSOVEREIGN CHOICE

7.PRAYER

8.SIGNSOF THEENDOFAGE

9.CONCLUSION

Notes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Theauthoracknowledgeswiththanksthe useof materials fromvarious sources,including such worksas;TheChristianFaith,DavidH.CRead (c)1955.TheAuthorityoftheBible,C.H.Dodd (c)1960.AndKnowWhatYouBelieve,PaulE. Little (C) 1973, Mankind's Search for God, WatchTower BibleandTractSociety(c)1990, andGrantR.JeffreyTheSignatureofGod.

Thanksare alsoextendedto myPastorDr. Godwin Bakare,BishopLanre Obembe,Mr. BabatundeAdefoworawhotyped themanuscript andtomembers ofmy family andfriends, to whomIamalsoindebted.

FOREWORD

Thiswriterhasa benefitofcogentandprecise expressionofideas,freeuse oflanguagesandapt utilization ofwords asanasset.Indeeditisa product ofmarriage ofintellectual works and spiritual development.

Nodoubtthesetreatisewillgenerate multifarious responsesanditis notimpossibleforfloodgate responsestogivebirthtoanewedition.

Inanutshell,thisbookisrecommended forall citizens,irrespectiveoftheirreligiousbeliefsand understanding.Itwillnotonly unfoldnewideas butitwillalsogenerate newapproachtoreligious understanding andbeliefaswellascreateroom forfurtherresearchforTheologicalStudents.

S.Kehinde

Lagos-Nigeria

Chapter 1

GOD,

DOES HE EXIST? DID HE MAKE MAN?

Somepeoplebelievethatmanissimplyan animal, withnospiritor soulthat lives beyond death. This view contests the existence ofasupernatural beingorGodwho createdallthings.IfthereisnoGod,lifemust have started suddenlybychance. However, evidentinthestudyofnatureisorder.Inother words,thereisdayandnightandseasonsforall things.Thisseemstoportraythattheworldisthe product ofcarefulplanningandpurpose, not merechance.

Who then designed theworldandforwhat purpose?

Themorepopularviewhowever,is thebeliefin theexistenceofasupernaturalbeingorGodwho createdmanand theworld.Man,theyclaim,hasaspiritorsoul,whichlivesafterthebodydies.

ThisbeliefinGodorgodshasled tothebirthof manyreligions.ThequestionswhatamIdoing onearth?Whatisthepurposeoftheworld?What is thefutureofmankind?arequestionsreligion dealswith.Theyare veryvitalquestions,which relatetoourvery existence.

DavidReadinterestinglyputsit thisway"Imay easily get up in the morning and have my breakfastwithoutgivingapassingthoughttothe meaning of existence, yet the pattern I am following isultimately basedonsomekindof faithastothemeaning oflife,what isworth doing.And every really serious decision that comes my way in practical matters demands frommeananswerthatIcanonlygiveonthe assumptionthatlifehassomemeaning.Trueor false,rightorwrong-wemakethesejudgments everydayofourlives,andtheyimplythatsome standardexit-inotherwordsthatwehavemade someactoffaithastowhatisworthdoingor worthbelievingorworthbecoming." "Whether welikeitor not(Readcontinued)thedaily businessoflifecompelseachoneof ustomake decisionsandthesedecisionswillbe based consciouslyorUnconsciously onourfaithasto themeaningof life...Eventheatheistmustact on afaiththatthereisnoGod,"...lifedemandsofusa choice. Wemustdothisorthat,becomethiskind ofpersonortheother.Toevadethechoiceisstill achoice"1.Amongstallthevariousbeliefshow canwemaketheright choice?.

Religion indeed influences ourway oflife.It shouldbeaddressedwithallseriousnessasittries to answerthoserelevantquestionsaboutthe meaningof life.

wehaveheardof beliefsrelatingtothe immortalityofthehumansoul,heavenlyreward for good people, eternal punishment forthe wicked, therearealsobeliefs aboutman's fall fromdivinegrace,asaresultofdisobedience, and theneedtooffersacrificesforatonementof sin,

Thisspiritualawareness ofpeople ofdifferent culture,languageand customs,wholivedat differentagesand places,pointtothefactthat theremustbesome truthabouttheexistenceof God. Man'ssearchforGodindeedled to thebirthof manyreligions,inman's searchforGodhehas indulgedinvariousformsofworship,especially in the worshipofthingswhichhebelieves sustains him or have significance to his existence.Thesun, themoon,thestars,water, riverorrain,rocks,iron,plantsandflowerswere personifiedasdeitiesorgodsbyvariousreligions suchas Hinduism,AfricanTraditionalreligion, Japaneseshintoismandsoon.In theirownway andaccordingtotheirunderstanding menwere tryingtoreachGod.

TheBeliefInlifeAfterDeath

The beliefthatmanhasa spiritthatlivesafter death,appearsto bequitetenable.Dreams buttressthefactthatoneof thecomponentsthat makeupmanisthespirit.Whenweareasleep, we sometimes experiencethingsthatoftengo beyond, evenourwildest imagination. Wesee our"otherself’ orspirit maninoperation.This indicatesthatmanhasa spirit.Somepeoplewho wentoff ina faintclaimthattheyfelt this"other selforspirit,moveoutoftheirbodyastheylost consciousness.Theyassertthatwhiletheywere stillunconscious, theirspiritmanwasmoving around them, and could observe all that was happening to them. They only regained consciousnesswhenthespiritmovedbackinto theirbody.Peoplewithsimilarexperiencewhohappenedto comebacktolifeaftertheyhadbeencertified deadmedically indeed attesttothisfact.Man, obviouslyisessentiallybody,soulandspirit. Surely,the factthatmanisaspiritbeingis evidenceoftheexistenceofaspiritworld.When the bodydiesthis ‘otherself’ orspiritman continuestolive.

TheOrderInNature

The order in nature certainly point to the existenceofasupernaturalbeingwhocreatedall things.Itistruethatthedevelopmentofscience innosmallwaycontributedtodisbeliefinGod, inthatscienceexplainedmany ofthemysteriesin nature.However,thefactthatwediscoverhow anobjectworksdoesnotprovethattheobject was not designedandmade bysomeone. We mustalsonotassumethateveryscientificbelief is correct. For instance, Newton’s theory of gravitationisnolongerbelieved.Scienceisonly tryingtounderstandorunravelthemysteries in natureandortheworld.

Infact, asC.HDoddrightlystates,"anyandevery scientificstatementissubjectto theprincipleof relativity."Thescientistknowsand acceptsthe factthatthereissomethingintherealworldthat influenceshisfindings.

Thereisasimilarityherebetween scienceand faith.For"ineachsphere(continuedC.H.Dodd) a manbelievesbecausehecandonoother.He may holdagreat deal more ashypothesis in scienceorpiousopinioninreligion,butthereisa pointatwhichcompulsioncomesin.

Thepointisthatatwhichitbecomesimpossible tomake senseoftheworld ofhisexperience, unlessacertainproposition isacceptedastrue (withinthelimitsof theprincipleof relativity). Thus,thepointcomesinBiologyat whichyou cannotmakesenseoftheknownfactsoforganic existencewithoutbelievingthatspecies have evolvedinconformitywith certainlaws."

"The spiritualworldis real, liketheworld sciencestudies.itisthere,wedonotmakeit by ourdesires oropinion.., what webelieve, we believe in the end not because an August authority bids us sobelieve, but like men of science,thereissomething thatcompelsusto believe-somethingin theworldofour experience."2

Theacceptanceof sciencethatcertainlawsexist whichit cannotfullyexplain,definitelypointto theexistenceofaSuperiorBeingwhogoverns theintricatelawsofnature.

Indeed,althoughtheevolutionistbelievethat life startedbychancethroughthereactionoftheright atomsand molecules,theyadmitthatthe probabilityof therightatomsandmolecules fallingintoplaceisnothigh.Alsothereisagreat controversy amongstbiologist as tohow evolutionreallybegan.Surely,aSupremeBeing existwhogovernthelawsof nature,forevena smallchangeinanyof thelawswouldgreatly affecttheuniverse.

The beliefthatmandevelopedfromapesis untrue,If manevolvedordevelopedfromapes, whyhaveapesstopped producingmen?The developmentofinsectsfromthe caterpillarstage hasnotceased.

Infact,sciencehasbeenunabletounderstandthe intricacies ofsomeparts ofthe human body. Cloning andallother similarexperimentsare mere attempts by man to understand the complexitiesofthehumanbody.

AstrologerRobertJastronin hisbook,the Enchanted Loom,wasrightwhenhesaid"the eyeappearstohavebeendesigned,nodesigner of telescopecouldhavedonebetter."In conclusion,hesaid"itisevenhardertoacceptthe evolutionofhumanintelligenceastheproductof randomdisruptionsin thebraincellsofour ancestors."

Our bodyand thatofothercreaturesare wonderfully made, andalltheparts andtheir variousfunctionsare pointerstothefactthata Master Planner existwhocreatedmanandall otherthings.Thetheoryofevolutionis indeed verywrong.

Yes!GodExists

CanmanpossiblyfindGodbysearching? God hadtorevealHimselftoman.Heis the"sole, ultimateauthorityandcontrollerofallthingsHe cannotbeprovedtherefore,by anythinglessthan Himself.Allelsecan justbeawitnesstoHim knowledgeofHim andaboutHim comesdirectly fromHim"3.The worship ofthingswhichmen personifiedasdeitiesorgodssuchasthesun,the moon,flowers,rocks, watertomentionafewand someanimalssuchas snakes,elephants, crocodiles,andcowswhichsome believecarry thesoulorspiritofdeadpersonsare mere attemptsbymentofindthelivingGod.

God has revealed Himselfinthecourseof history.SomeofHisactivitiesintheaffairsof menandnationsarerecordedintheBible.The authorityandknowledge withwhichtheBible revealsfactsaboutthecreationoftheuniverse, thepast,presentandfutureplansformankindis proofthattheBibleisthewordofGodandpoints toit'sdivineauthorship.Godexistalthoughhe cannotbeseenphysically.Similarlythefactthat wecannotseeorholdtheairwebreatheindoes notmeanthatitisnotthere.Godcanbeknown althoughheisnotphysicallyvisible.Thespirit world which isindeedcontrolledbyGodis sometimes revealedtousindreamsandvisions. Someofthethingsscientistslaughedatasuntrue theyhavelaterdiscoveredtobetrueandcorrect. The fact that the Bible reveals an amazing amount of scientific truths that can only be explained by the fact that theAlmighty God revealedthemisproofthattheyarethe inspired wordofGod.

ProphetIsaiahprophesiedthattheearthisround beforesciencediscovereditwasso.Hestatedin Isaiah40:22that"God sitsenthronedabove thecircle oftheearth”. Howdidheknowthisif Goddidnotrevealit tohim,prophetIsaiahwas never ascientist?

Scientistshavefoundout thatsandcontains elementsfoundinthehumanbody.Theassertion thattheLordGodformedmanfrom thedustof theearthistrue.Genesis2:19. Scientistshave alsofoundoutthatthereiswaterinspaceforGod saidlettherebefirmament inthemidstofthe waterandletit dividethewaterfromthewater. AndGodmadethefirmament anddividedthe waters whichwereabovethefirmamentandit was so.Genesis 1 : 6- 7.TheBiblecontains scientificfactsthatscientistsonlydiscover later.

TheAuthority oftheBible

Apart fromtheabove, eventsintheBibleare provenhistorical factsandthereforeworthyof our belief.Thefactthattodaytheworldis experiencing theBible'spredictions about our time,againsupportsthedivineauthorshipofthe BiblebytheinspirationoftheAlmightyGod.2 Timothy 3: 1-5 confirming the world's experiencetoday,predictedthat"there willbe terrible times inthelastdays.Peoplewillbe lovers of money, boastful, proud , abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,without love,unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers ofGod,having a formofgodlinessbutdenyingitspowers"

The Bible isnotjust the history book ofthe Israelites,theBiblerevealsthe past,presentand futureofGod'scontrol overtheaffairsofman.

Demonstration Of God's Power Through Plagues:

God proved Hissupremacyandthe worthlessnessofothergods,whenhemadeafool ofall theidolsandscoresofgodsworshipedin Egypt,acountrywhereidolatrywasmost widely practiced.TheplaguethatturnedtheriverNileto blooddisgracedtherivergod. Whilethethree daysdarknessdisgracedthesun god.Thegods couldnotprevent orprotect theirworshippers from thetenplaguesGodinflictedonthem. ExodusChapters7-11.

The ten plagues were calculated by God to manifestthatHeandnoothergodhaspowerand controloverthewholeuniverse-human beings, livestock, plants, andalltheelements. Godis indeedtheSupremeBeingworthyofourpraise. Therefore,althoughmostreligionstendtogain acceptancebypreachingaboutmoralityorgood behaviour,Goddoesnotapprovetheworshipof othergodsandidols,bowingdowntothestarry hosts, the practice of sorcery. Witchcraft, divination, aswellasconsultation ofmediums andspirit.GoddeclaresbluntlyinIsaiah43:11. "IevenIamtheLordandapart frommethere isnoSavior."

Godistoogreattobeinvokedorreachedthrough mediumsoridols.Acts17:24-25states"theGod whomadetheworldandeverything initisthe Lord ofheaven andearth anddoesnotlivein templesbuiltbyhands.Andheisnotservedby human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives allmenlifeand breath andeverything else"...

"therefore since we are God's offspring we should notthink that thedivine being islike gold orsilverorstoneanimagemadeby man's designorskill"Acts17:29.

It isevil spiritswho take advantage ofman's ignorance,to operatethroughidols,imagesand mediums.Menaredeceivedwhensomeof their predictionscometrue,or whentheyreceive miracles. Theyforgetthatthedevil,thefallen angel,whoistheheadofthesegodshadacquired somepowersfromGod. Thegodsareactually wicked godswhose solepurpose istodeceive men.I recommendGrantR.Jeffrey'sbook,The Signature of God, to any reader who wants furtherproofthattheBibleistheinspiredwordof God.

Godhas indeed revealedHimselfinthecourseof history. DariustheMedehavingnoticedthe supremacy oftheAlmighty God to the other gods,hadthistosay"...HeisthelivingGodand heendures forever, hiskingdom willnot be destroyed, hisdominion will neverend.He rescues and hesaves,heperforms signsand wonders in the heavens and on the earth" Daniel6:26-27.KingBelshazzarofBabylonhad his reign cut short by God. The mysterious inscription on his wall read. "God has numberedthedaysofyourreignand brought ittoanend.Youhavebeenweighed onthe scales andfoundwanting. Yourkingdom is dividedandgiventotheMedesandPersians." Daniel5:26. ThatsamenighttheBabylonianking wasslainandhiskingdomtakenoverbyDarius the Mede. Other nations like Syria, Samaria, Assyria, Damascus, theRomansbowed tothe supremacyofGodAlmighty.Alsovariousmen andwomen alivetoday,who have tested and witnessedsomeoftheactivitiesofthisgreatGod intheir own lives and inthe lives ofothers, realizethatHeistheAlmightyGodthatcontrols thewholeworld.

SurelykingPharoahhadconfidencein hisgods untilheencounteredtheAlmightyGod.Testand seethatHeistheAlmighty.

ManasaLiving Beingand theNeed for Salvation

Thebookoflifereveals thatGodcreatedman.He firstcreatedAdamandEveourancestralparents, from whomallmendescended.Italsostates that manlaterfellfromgrace.He earnedGod'scurse, "death"whenhedisobeyedGodandateofthe fruitoftheknowledgeofgoodandevil.

Theforbiddenfruitcorruptedman'snature.If it wouldonlyimplantin man,theknowledgeand ability to distinguish between good and evil, Satanwhodoesnothaveman'sinterestat heart wouldnever haveenticedAdamandEvetoeatit. Indeed fromtheevilportionof thatseed,evil principlesinvadedman'snature.

When David said "Behold I was shapen in

iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me"(Psalm51:5)KJVherightlymeantthatthe biastosinwastransmittedtousatconception. WhenGodmademanhebreathedintohimthe breathoflifeandmanbecamealivingbeingwith asoulandspiritthatneverdies.Thismeansthat manwouldcontinuetosuffertheconsequences ofGod'scurseheearnedthroughdisobedience foralleternity;becausethesoullivesoneven afterphysicaldeathonearth.The wordofGod statesinIsaiah55:11"soshallmywordbethat goesforth outofmymouth itshallnotreturn tomevoid,butitshallaccomplish thatwhichI please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Theword ofGodhasgone forth,manmustpaytheprice,howeverbecause ofGod's mercy,Hehadtosavemanfromsinand eternal damnation. Man's time onearthisthe opportunityGodhasgivenhimtobesavedfrom eternaldamnation.ManwilloutlivetheSun,man willoutlivethestars, becauseGodmademana livingsoulthat neverdies, whateverheearnson earthwillbeforever,beitpunishmentorjoy.

ThefactthatthedescendantsofNoahcontinued insin eventhough,theywitnessedhowGod destroyedthepreviousgenerationasa resultof sin,certainlypoints outthenecessity forthe salvationof mankind.ThereforeGodpromised Abrahamthatallthepeoplesoftheearthshallbe blessedthroughhim(Abraham)Genesis12: 3. Bythispromise Godplanned toredeem man from hiseviltendenciesandfromdeathwhichis theresultof hissins.Goddecidedtosavethe fallenmanandtobridgethegapbetweenman andGod.

Inotherwords,inadditiontothefact thatGod revealedtomanthatHeistheCreatorofHeaven andEarthasHedidthroughvariousmen,such.as Noah,Enoch,Abraham,Isaac,Jacob,Mosesand ahostofothers,Godhadtoredeemmanfromhis sins.Godusedthesementolay thefoundation towardsthesalvationofmankind.

ReconciliationthroughChrist Jesus

ManmustreconcilewithGodforthewagesofsin is death.Whileotherreligions,believethatman couldreconcilewithGod throughatonementby thebloodsacrificeofanimalsandorthatmancan workout hisownsalvationthroughsubmission, by his goodworksalone, theChristianfaith standsoutin herbeliefthatGodHimselfin His infinitemercy,providedredemptionorsalvation formanthroughthedeathofJesusChrist.

Itiscorrecttosaythatsinmustbeatonedfor,for

Justicedemandsthatwe payforoursins.Surely eveninourlawcourtsjustice demandsthatwe pay forourcrimes, canmanwho hasproven himselftobepredominantly selfishandsinful save himself?Howmanymencanconfidently saythey liveasinlesslife?Mankind mustbe savedfromthebondageofsin anddeath.How thencan manbesavedfromthebondageofsin anddeath?

TheBibletellsus that thesacrificeofanimals,as atonement forman’s sinswas onlyaninterim measure, beforethefinalsacrificeofahuman