Manifesto for Christianity | Week 5 | Can We Talk About This?
Why I am a Christian
Christianity is still the most reasonable, historically based, factually confirmed, and logical worldview one can hold.
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: This Jesus the Nazarene was a man pointed out to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through Him, just as you yourselves know. 23 Though He was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail Him to a cross and kill Him. 24 God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!” 37 When they heard this, they came under deep conviction and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Brothers, what must we do?”
38 “Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 And with many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!” 41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them.
Acts 2:22-24, 36-41 HCSB
A Manifesto for Christianity
Step 1: What Is Truth?
37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked. “You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” 38 “What is truth?” said Pilate.
John 18:37-38 HCSB
Truth: Correspond and Consistent
Postmodernism
32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:32 HCSB
Step 2: God or No God?
Kalam Cosmological Argument
1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause
2. The Universe began to exist
3. Therefore, the Universe has a cause
Everything has a cause and process by which it was created.
• Infinite, Outside of Time and Space
• Immaterial
• Extremely Powerful
• Uncaused, cause
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Romans 1:20
Step 3: Which God?
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment
Hebrews 9:27
Step 4: Historical Basis
Manuscripts
Writings of Plato
7 extant manuscripts of Plato’s Tetralogies
Oldest is 1,200 years after his death
New Testament Writings
24,633 Manuscripts Exist Today
Oldest dates back to the first century!
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
Luke 2:1-2
Step 5: The Verdict
“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9 HCSB
Words Of Knowledge
-There is a picture of a married couple facing each other and their hearts are closed off to their partner, it is boarded up with locks on it. The couple is facing each other and boxing one another with their hearts closed off. God is opening their hearts. The barriers on their hearts are leaving and they are turning around back to back to start boxing the enemy instead of each other.
-There is restoration over marriages and healing over wounded hearts that cause unhealthy self-protection. Every spouse is recognizing that they are on the same team and truly have each others back.
-God is healing glaucoma. It leads to blindness but who is like our God? Who can, but Him, heal the blind. “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” Isaiah 35:5-6 NIV
-God is healing children that have had a stroke when they were young. The symptoms of that stroke that still exist are being healed.
-God is healing tongues so that those tongues can praise Him. God is healing any issues in the mouth that constrict His children from worshiping Him freely.
-The phrase, "He doesn't leave things broken, He restores"
-God wants to restore marriages, broken pasts, relationships, and people's minds... all things. He wants to sanctify, purify, and change us and restore us. He doesn't want to leave us as broken, angry, immoral people. He wants to restore us.
-Anyone who has been in immorality in the past, God is saying that He will never compromise your purity or write you off as "broken". Rather, He will restore you.
-if you’ve stepped out of covenant from a past relationship and even remarried, God wants to restore your heart. He loves you and is proud of you.
-If you’ve had an issue with recently losing your hair, where you’ve said these words, “I am loosing my hair” or any medical condition relating to hair loss.
-God is healing right knee swelling
-If sickness keeps hitting your family, take a moment and ask the Lord, “what do I need to surrender and/or repent for? God wants to heal your body and heart!