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    Does God Really Exist?

    A homework assignment was given to third graders in Chula Vista,

    California and they were asked to explain God. And Im going to share with

    you the actual essay from an eight-year old boy named Danny Dutton. You

    tell me how well he did.

    One of Gods main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the

    ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth.

    He doesnt make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smallerand easier to make. That way He doesnt have to take up His valuable timeteaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

    Gods second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this

    goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside

    bedtime. God doesnt have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this.

    Because He hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in Hisears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off.

    God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keepsHim pretty busy. So you shouldnt go wasting His time by going over your

    Mom and Dads head asking for something they said you couldnt have.

    Atheists are people who dont believe in God. I dont think there are any

    where I live. At least there arent any who come to our church.

    Jesus is Gods Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on waterand performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didnt want to

    learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and theycrucified Him. But He was good and kind, like His Father and He told HisFather that they didnt know what they were doing and to forgive them and

    God said O.K.

    His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard

    work on earth so He told Him He didnt have to go out on the road anymore.

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    He could stay in heaven. So He did. You can pray anytime you want andthey are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on

    duty all the time.

    You should always go to Church on Sunday because it makes God happyand if theres anybody you want to make happy, its God. Dont skip church

    to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This iswrong. And besides the sun doesnt come out at the beach until noon

    anyway.

    If you dont believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonelybecause your parents cant go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God

    can. It is good to know Hes around you when youre scared in the dark orwhen you cant swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.

    But...you shouldnt just always think of what God can do for you. I figure

    God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases.

    Andthats why I believe in God.

    Now folks, how many of you would say ol Danny there had a pretty

    good grasp on the existence of God? Yeah, pretty accurate, wasnt it? But if

    were honest, a personal opinion about God still doesnt suffice for the

    skeptic. And so the question then is, How can a Christian demonstrate to

    the skeptic that God is in fact real and people really can have a personal

    relationship with the Creator of the Universe?

    Well, the first way we know that God Really Does Exist is by The

    Argument of Being. But hey, dont take my word for it. Lets listen to

    Gods.

    Exodus 3:1-14 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-

    law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and

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    came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appearedto him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush

    was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, I will go over and see thisstrange sight why the bush does not burn up.

    When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from

    within the bush, Moses! Moses! And Moses said, Here I am. Do not comeany closer, God said. Take off your sandals, for the place where you are

    standing is holy ground. Then he said, I am the God of your father, the Godof Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. At this, Moses hid his

    face, because he was afraid to look at God.

    The LORD said, I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. Ihave heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am

    concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them fromthe hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good

    and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey the home of the

    Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now

    the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way theEgyptians are oppressing them.

    So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites

    out of Egypt. But Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh

    and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? And God said, I will be with you. Andthis will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have

    brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.

    Moses said to God, Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, The Godof your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, What is his name? Then

    what shall I tell them? God said to Moses, I am who I am. This is what youare to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.

    Now folks, according to our test, the Bible is clear. When Moses

    asked how to give him some ammo if you will to prove to people that he

    really did in fact see God, what did God say? He simply declared that He

    just is. Hes the Great I Am. Hes always been and always will be Who He

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    is, the One and Only Supreme Deity, the Self-Existent One. He doesnt have

    to prove His existence. He simply tells Moses that He just is and that Hes

    called His people to worship Him.

    And whether you realize it or not, this is the Argument ofBeing and

    it goes like this. The very fact that anyone even considers that a Supreme

    Being exists, and we do, then this is in a way, admitting that there must be a

    God. Why? Because if God didnt exist then we wouldnt conceive of Him,

    right? I mean, if there is no God, why bother? People, if there is no God then

    why else would every culture on the planet have an automatic desire to

    worship something or someone higher or above themselves? I mean,

    wouldnt it be logical to say that people conceive of God and have an

    automatic desire to worship something or someone higher or above

    themselves because God put it in their hearts to do so? Well gee, guess

    what? Thats exactly what the Bible says God did.

    Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also

    set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has donefrom beginning to end.

    People of God, the Bible is clear. God put eternity in the hearts of all

    mankind first so that we might conceive of Him and then secondly to

    hopefully motivate us to seek out by faith a relationship with Him.

    Therefore, its this universal and automatic desire to worship something or

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    someone higher or above ourselves that shows us that yes, God Really Does

    Exist.

    Oh, but thats not all. The second way we know that God Really Does

    Exist is by The Argument of Beginnings.

    Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

    Alternate Reading At the beginning of (time), God created from nothingthe heavens (space) and the earth (matter).

    Now here we see that the very first line in the Bible clues us into the

    awesome truth that there really was a time when there was no time, and that

    there really was a beginning of time. And so heres the logical question. If

    something has a beginning then there must be an Ultimate Beginner, right?

    Why? Because if ever there was a time when there was nothing, guess what

    wed have today? Nothing! Why? Because nothing cannot produce

    something.

    For instance, how many of you have had a birthday? And why do we

    have birthdays? Because we had a beginning point, we were born, right?

    And this is because we came from something, we came from Mom and Dad,

    right? And did you know that it has been scientifically proven that if your

    parents dont have any children, then you wont either? And why is this

    true? Because something cannot come from nothing!

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    And people this is what makes evolution absolutely illogical. You

    see, in order to try to do away with the existence of God the evolutionist

    says the universe didnt come from God, but the Big Bang. But people,

    whats funny about the Big Bang is that rather than disproving God, it

    actually proves His existence. How? Well, think about it. The Big Bang

    theory says that there was a beginning point in creation where all of life

    suddenly exploded into existence from a tiny ball of dirt. But logically, if

    theres a beginning to something then there must be an Ultimate Beginner,

    so the question is, Where did the dirt come from? Who made the dirt?

    Something cannot come from nothing. Thats illogical! And believe it or

    not, scientists call this dilemma the X Factor which is a fancy way of

    saying, We have no stinking idea.

    And then if you really want to ruin their day then ask them, Where

    did the space for the universe come from? Where did matter come from?

    Where did the laws of the universe come from? How did matter get so

    perfectly organized? Where did the energy come from to do all the

    organizing? When, where, why, and how did life come from nothing?

    Why? Because if ever there was a time when there was nothing then what

    would we have today? Nothing! But people, since there was a beginning

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    and something does exist then this shows is that yes, God Really Does

    Exist.

    Oh, but thats not all. The third way we know that God Really Does

    Exist is by The Argument of Morals.

    Romans 2:14-15 Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do bynature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though

    they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the laware written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their

    thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.

    Now according to our text here, all mankind has an automatic

    inward sense of right and wrong, right? What does the Bible say? Even if

    someone never came across the Ten Commandments, theyd still inherently

    know that its wrong to murder or that it is wrong to steal, or that its wrong

    to lie, etc. So heres the logical question. Why and how could there be a

    universal moral law on the hearts of all people? I mean, do universal morals

    just come out of the thin air? Or can we logically say that universal morals

    must have come from a Universal Moral Law Giver, i.e. God? And people,

    this is precisely what the Bible says God did.

    But not only were morals given to man to show us that God Really

    Does Exist but so were otherpersonal attributes. Which by the way, the

    evolutionist also has a hard time explaining. For instance, If God isnt real

    then where, when, why, and how did man evolve feelings? How did thought

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    ever evolve? Where did the ability to experience guilt or show love and

    mercy come from? Where did mans ability to think abstractly or appreciate

    beauty come from? And if man is no different than animals then why cant

    they do the same? Why dont we see peacocks painting portraits like Picaso?

    Why dont we see cats constructing massive skyscrapers? Why dont see

    dogs becoming doctors to help the dying? And if we supposedly came from

    apes, why are there still apes? Shouldnt they have evolved out of existence

    by now? And if they supposedly gave birth to us at one time in the past, why

    dont we ever see them do it again! Well gee folks, Ill tell you why. Its

    because man was created morally in the image of God, to show us that yes,

    God Really Does Exist.

    Oh, but thats not all. The fourth way we know that God Really Does

    Exist is by The Argument of Design.

    Romans 1:19-20 Since what may be known about God is plain to them,

    because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the worldGod's invisible qualities His eternal power and divine nature have been

    clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men arewithout excuse.

    Now according to our text, nobody on the planet has any excuse for

    not knowing that God is Real. Why? Because God has revealed Himself in

    the complexity or design of creation. And so this is the logical question. If

    the world shows intelligent design, and it does, then logically an Ultimate

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    Designermust also exist. Why? Because just as we wouldnt say that my

    watch here evolved accidentally over millions of years in the field across the

    street from the mud, wind and rain, but that it must have had a watchmaker,

    then how much more logically should we conclude that the world with all

    its complexities must also have been created by a world-maker i.e. God?

    Why? Because design implies a Designer!

    And therefore, I want to look at just a smidgen of the proof out there

    revealing us how everything really is a product ofGods design showing us

    that He is Real, instead of mere chance or luck. Lets take a look at the

    Design in the Universe & Earth.

    THE FORCE OF GRAVITY: If the force of gravity was 1% higher,

    our sun would be much bigger and life on earth would cook! If the force

    were 1% less than the sun would be too small and we would freeze!

    Either way, No Life!

    THE NUCLEAR FORCE: If there were a very slight increase in

    nuclear force then the chemicals of life, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, would

    be almost non-existent. And a very slight decrease in the force and theonly element in the universe would be hydrogen. Either way, No Life!

    ELECTROMAGNETIC COUPLING CONSTANT: If it were slightly

    stronger or weaker then molecules couldnt exist. Either way, No Life!

    EXPANSION RATE OF THE UNIVERSE: If this rate were a fewpercent slower, then all the matter in the universe would collapse into a

    ball. (By the way, this would seriously ruin your day.) And if it wereslightly faster, then galaxies and stars would not have formed. Either

    way, No Life!

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    DISTANCE BETWEEN STARS: If the distance between the stars was

    just a few percent closer or further away, this would destabilize the

    planetary orbits around the sun and the earth would not be capable ofsupporting life. Either way, No Life!

    GRAVITY ON EARTH: A slight increase in earths gravity and the

    atmosphere would retain too much ammonia and methane, which aretoxic to life. A slight decrease in gravity and the atmosphere would lose

    too much water. Either way, No Life!

    EARTHS DISTANCE FROM THE SUN: If the earth was a few

    percent farther from the sun, the earth would be too cool and the entire

    planet would freeze over. If the earth were a few percent closer to thesun, the waters of the earth would boil. Either way, No Life!

    THE EARTHS ROTATION TIME: If the earths rotation were

    increased by a few percent, then temperature differences would be toogreat to support life. And if the rotation time were a little slower, then

    atmospheric wind velocities would wipe out all life. Either way, No Life!

    SIZE OF THE MOON: If the moon were slightly smaller, then the tidesand winds would be too small and the earth would overheat. And if the

    moon were slightly bigger, this would result in ferocious winds and

    massive tides that would flood the earth twice a day! (By the way, youcan only comfortably drown once in a day!) Either way, No Life!

    And people what you have to keep in mind is that this is just the tip of

    the iceberg. Theres tons of information out there revealing how all of life is

    intricately designed by the Hand of God. Oh, but thats still not all. Lets

    now take a look at the Design of the Human Body and you tell me if we

    ever evolved by chance.

    The kidneys contain approximately 280 miles of tubes and filter 185

    quarts of water a day from the blood.

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    The heart pumps 5,000 gallons of blood a day. It beats approximately

    100,800 times a day or 2 billion 500 million times in an average lifetime.

    The human skeletal structure is light and flexible yet can withstand

    enormous stress.

    The eye has automatic aim, focus, and aperture adjustment. It providescolor and 3-dimensional images and can function in darkness to bright

    light and makes 100,000 motions in a day.

    The body replaces over 1 trillion cells in a day.

    The lining of the digestive track turns over about every 2 days. (Faster if

    you eat spicy Mexican food.)

    The body makes 2 to 10 million blood cells every second. If you lined up

    your red blood cells end to end they would go around the equator of theearth four times.

    The lining of our skin turns over about every 2 to 4 weeks. We shed

    about 40 lbs. of skin in a lifetime. (This is why old sofas weigh so much.)

    There is enough DNA data in a single human cell to fill an encyclopedia

    volume. And just as the words and letters in an encyclopedia volume arearranged in an intelligent pattern, the DNA in a cell is likewise perfectlyformatted and constructed in an intelligent pattern.

    Our most sophisticated computers are no match for the human brain. The

    brain stores so much memory data that by the age of 40 it would take theEmpire State building full of computers just to store the same amount of

    information.

    Now folks, is that amazing or what? In fact, Id say its amazingly

    ludicrous to say we evolved by chance, right? Thats illogical. Oh, but

    theres more. Its also illogical to say that our bodies evolved over millions

    of years because by their very design they have to appear on the scene fully

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    functioning or it would spell certain death. For instance, what good would a

    half a lung be? How about half of an eye? How about a half of a liver or

    maybe a half of a heart? Impossible, right? They all have to be there fully

    functioning all at the same time! And thats precisely why half a brain! In

    fact, Dr. J. Jastrow has this to say about the vain reasoning of the

    evolutionist.

    For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the storyends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about

    to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he isgreeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries!

    People of God, how many different ways does God need to show us

    that He Really Does Exist? Whether its the argument ofBeing, the

    argument ofMorals, the argument ofBeginning, and even the argument of

    Design we can clearly see that God is in fact Real. He Really Does Exist!

    Thats the good news. Now heres the bad news. The Bible says were in a

    heap of trouble with God because weve all blown it one way or another.

    Romans 3:23, 6:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ

    Jesus our Lord

    And if youre anything like I used to be, youre probably thinking,

    Im not that bad of a person, Im not a sinner. Well, actually its pretty

    easy to demonstrate. This is what the 10 Commandments are all about. For

    instance, how many of you, have ever lied? Go ahead and raise your hands.

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    Okay, the rest of you just did, so were all even. Alright, now how many of

    you have ever stolen something? Okay, come on now, you already told me

    youre a bunch of liars! People this is the truth. Weve all sinned and fallen

    short of the glory of God, myself included. Im not going to heaven because

    Im so wonderful, its simply because Im forgiven. And this is the same

    offer Jesus makes to all of us.

    John 14:6 Jesus answered, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. Noone comes to the Father except through Me.

    Romans 10:9-10 For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and

    believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

    For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it

    is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

    John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His One and OnlySon, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For

    God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save

    the world through Him.

    People of God, be encouraged. It really is true. We saw the good news

    that God really does exist. But then we saw the bad news that were in a

    heap of trouble with God. But now we see that God gives us one more piece

    of Good News, thats what the word Gospel means you know? Good News,

    and that is this. Out of love for you and I, God did what only God could do.

    He made a way for us to be saved from destruction. He let His Own Son die

    on the cross for our sins, or in other words, He allowed His Son to take the

    death penalty in our place. Why? So that we might not perish but have

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    everlasting life. So that we might be saved and not condemned. Is that some

    Good News or what? Therefore, to make sure that none of us miss this

    amazing Good News from God, were going to take a look at it through the

    eyes of this father and what he did with his son.

    There was a man who had the responsibility of operating a drawbridge thatspanned a river. And so when a steamboat came by he would put the bridge

    up, then lower it so that a train could cross when it came by.

    Well, one day, he brought his son to work; and together they watched thebridge go up to let a steamer go through but when it was time to lower the

    bridge, his son was nowhere to be found.

    But just then the father heard the cries of his son and he saw to his horror

    that the boy was caught in the massive gears that controlled the movement of

    the bridge.

    Then to make matters worse. A train whistle blew which meant only onething. A trainload of people was on its way. And so in a split moment the

    father realized had a decision to make.

    To save his son he would have to raise the bridge once more; but, if he were

    to do that, the train would go into the river killing many people. So with hisheart wrenching, the father made his decision.

    He voluntarily chose to lower the bridge and crush his boy. And a moment

    later the train whizzed by and the passengers waved at the man, totallyoblivious to the price he had just paid for their life.

    Now folks, thats one of the closest stories Ive ever heard to illustrate

    what God did for us when He sent Jesus to die on the cross. But theres one

    missing element. Yes, God too chose let His Son die for others. But it

    wasnt for a trainload of wonderful people. It was a trainload of people who

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    hated His guts, nailed Him on a cross and who even after being saved have

    the audacity to keep on sinning again and again and again!

    People of God, may we never ever whiz by in this life totally

    oblivious to what God has done for you and I! Remember, He didnt have to

    and we certainly dont deserve it! If we had any idea of the depths of Gods

    love, not a day would go by where we didnt praise His Holy Name and tell

    everyone we meet to do the same! Why? Because thats what happens when

    you truly begin to understand that God Really Does Exist.

    _____________________________________________________________

    To find the way to God, to understand the truth of Gods Word, and to

    received the gift of eternal life, begin by repentance and faith through aprayer like this:

    Dear God, I understand that I have broken Your Law and

    sinned against You. Please forgive my sins. Thank You that

    Jesus suffered on the cross in my place. I now place my trust inHim as My Savior and Lord. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

    ___________________________________________________________