Thank you for asking good questions!

Questions are good.

There is no right or wrong question although some questions are more helpful than others. Usually when we have questions it means that God is doing something in us, drawing us to Himself.

Christianity is based on evidence, logic, science, experience and is backed up in history. Therefore, no one is going to ask you to ‘simply believe’. Instead we would like you to ask your questions and get real answers so that you might discover the One True God who really loves you. Over recent years two of my favourite websites have become questionsoflife.com and thinkingmatters.org.nz. Because thinking really does matter.

To show you that we take questions seriously and we want you to ask them, I have written my opinion and insights on commonly asked questions today. I hope they start some good conversations and inform your spiritual quest.

Pastor Russell Watts April 2020

2

INDEX

1. How can you know there is a God? 4 2. Aren’t all religions basically the same? 5 3. What about evolution? 6 4. Why would an all powerful, all loving God allow evil? 8 5. Why are so many Christians hypocrites? 9 6. Why is the history of Christianity filled with violence? 10 7. Why should I trust the ? 11 8. What about same-sex marriage? 13 9. Who is Jesus? 15 10. How can you get your life right with God? 16

3

1. How can you know there is a God?

Science Firstly, science points to the amazing intelligent, complex and symbiotic design of nature. To think that such life with such complex genetic information appeared randomly, out of nothing by accident takes a tremendous amount of blind faith. Behind every building is a builder. Behind every painting there is a painter. Behind creation there is a creator. A God-shaped vacuum On the Alpha course Nicky Gumbel talks about a ‘God shaped vacuum’ in the hearts of all people. While this is not biblical language, if you study the cultures of the world you will find this to be true. Human beings the world over search for a connection with God. Some get it wrong and some get it right but … the point is they all look because they appear to be made for this connection. Jesus “In these last days he (God) has spoken to us by his Son…” (Hebrews 1:2) “Jesus answered: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) How easy it would have been for God to remain aloof and distant from His creation. But God came to earth as a human being … Jesus! Jesus’ existence is a historical fact reported not just by the Bible but also by secular historians like Josephus. Jesus not only claimed that God existed but that He was in fact God in human form! Change “We…are being transformed into his likeness.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) This transformation process is still happening. Right now on planet earth there are billions of people who call themselves Christian. Many of these people have experienced this same transformation. No, we’re not perfect, but our lives have been changed for the better and, through us, this world is a better place.

4

2. Aren’t all religions basically the same? Then how come Christians say there is only one way to get right with God and that is through God’s son Jesus?

The first thing I want you to note here is that contradictions cannot all be true. If I say the sky is blue and you say that it is red, we cannot both be right (one of us needs glasses). In the same way the religions of the world disagree on some fundamental issues; ie what is right and wrong? For example, in Islam, the Quran makes very different statements about the status of women compared with those found in the Christian Bible. The different world religions disagree on how to get right with God, what to expect in the afterlife, who the Person of Jesus really is, who God is and what God is like. These are massive differences and they can’t all be right. To me the greatest difference is in how a person might become acceptable to God and move on into the afterlife. All religions except Christianity base their salvation/ eternity on doing good works, earning your way to god/s and the afterlife. Only Christianity says none of us are good enough to connect with God but that God has chased after you and me and He has made a way for us to reconnect through Jesus alone. The Bible teaches that Jesus is ‘the’ way, ‘the’ truth and ‘the ‘life. Fully God and fully human. People are so politically correct in our day and age that it seems rude to say all religions are not the same and there is only one way to connect with God. But to hold this view point defies intelligence and logic.

5 3. What about evolution?

There are several issues to consider here. Firstly, science answers the question of ‘how’ things work. And because there is a creator we would expect there to be laws of physics and mathematical systems that point to a creator. Christianity answers the question of‘ why’ things are the way they are and explains God’s story and how you and I can fit into it. To suggest that something was suddenly created out of nothing with DNA cellular information is not logical. The only other option is that God created. But did He create through an evolutionary process or something else? In the creation account the sun and moon are not created until the fourth day, giving rise to some speculation around how long that first week was. The Bible says that the world was created in 6 days, and the suggest that the world is only about 6-10 thousand years old. There are many highly qualified scientists who have studied this and can give scientific explanations for how this can be true. See answersingenesis.org or creationministries.org for answers to any question you might have. However, there are many Christians who support the evolutionary theory and have a real, genuine saving relationship with God. There are other Christians like me who believe in natural selection and survival of the fittest but don’t see scientific evidence for a genetic change in kind. These genes already existed within the gene pool of the original creature; some were just more suited to survival. As far as I know all missing links in the evolutionary theory are still missing. For me, what science has discovered about DNA is the greatest evidence against the evolutionary theory. To think that in a single fertilized cell invisible to the human eye, are all these carefully formed mathematical structures that determine, like a blue print, a person’s size, shape, eye and hair colour, personality (to some extent), etc, etc is mind-blowing. In order for evolution to be true, massive chunks of new information to provide new families of proteins are needed. 6

Good science and Christianity go hand in hand, they are not in opposition. I have read of many scientists like previously outspoken atheist Anthony Frew who came to faith because of the evidence for intelligent design discovered through science. Every culture for thousands of years believed that the earth was flat and rested on the back of Atlas or Elephants or … Only in the last three hundred years have scientists believed the earth was round and suspended in space but in the book of Job (in the Bible), thousands of years old we read.. “who hung the northern sky and suspended the earth on empty space.” (Job 26:7 ) An example of Young Earth Evidence: Continental Erosion and Fossil Remains. The continents are eroding at such a rate that, if not for tectonic uplift, meteoric dusting and volcanic influx, they would erode flat (Mt. Everest and all) in less than 25 million years. At this rate, high- altitude, million-year-old fossils should have long since eroded away. And yet they remain. The implication is that these fossils are not millions of years old. If this were true, the entire geologic column would need serious revision. https://www.gotquestions.org/young-earth-evidence.html 7

4. Why would an all-powerful, all-loving God allow so much evil in the world?

The questions of evil and suffering are big ones! While God did not create evil, He did create a universe where people and beings have freedom of choice and it’s those choices that bring about evil and suffering. Often where we see suffering the most is where God has been most rejected. I recall being a young man and being deeply disturbed about the thousands that were dying in a poor country on the news. Around a week later I read in a Time magazine an article that said there was enough rice in the world today to wipe out starvation completely. It said that the dollars spent on the army in our largest nations would be more than enough to wipe out world starvation. When people connect with God and are directed by God there is compassion, generosity etc. The first schools, orphanages and hospitals in most countries were initiated by volunteer Christians. Some of our suffering comes as a result of 1/3 of God’s angels rebelling against God eons ago, some as a result of human sin and the consequences of a world no longer ruled by humanity under Gods leadership. Some suffering is caused by flaws in human character like selfishness, greed, racism, hate, and unforgiveness etc. While God didn’t create evil or suffering the Bible teaches us that it can be used by God to alert us, direct us, shape us and unite us. That is, the things that were intended by something else or someone else to hurt us, can be used by God to help us.

8

5. If Christianity is true, why are so many Christians hypocrites? In my experience, everyone has a belief system and everyone at times struggles to be true to it. The teachings of Jesus and the Bible set the bar very high in regard to how we are to live and how we are to treat others. It’s clear that we are to love our enemies and to show kindness to those that treat us badly. The crunch, however, is that Christianity is not a set of rules or guidelines. It’s a lifestyle that flows out of a person’s connectedness to God. So even if someone knows what is right, if they are not spending time with God, if they are not allowing themselves to be led by God, their behaviour may be contrary to what you and I would expect. Some people may even call themselves Christians because they have a ‘tradition’ or a ‘ritualistic’ type faith and not a real relationship with God at all. The neat thing about Christians, though, is that no one claims to be perfect. In fact we can’t be Christian unless we confess our shortcomings and acknowledge that we need God’s help. And if Christians are living humbly before God, acknowledging that we have made mistakes and want God’s help, then maybe, Christianity is the least hypocritical of all belief systems. We are all works in progress.

9

6. Why is the history of Christianity filled with so much violence? There have been terrible things done in the name of Christianity down through history, especially during the time of the crusades and the Jesuits. For most of those involved, they had no idea what the Bible said. It was written primarily in Latin at that time and was not written in English until the King James Version (KJV) was translated in 1611 for the common person. So they did what they were told but didn’t know what the Bible actually said. Most horrors were committed by soldiers following orders, and I suspect the greatest ‘unchristian’ persecutions were against the Jews. I once sat down with an old Irish couple when I was confused about the Protestant vs Catholic violence in Northern Island. They said to me that the violence had nothing to do with which church you belonged to; it had everything to do with generational unforgiveness and hate (two things that Christianity is to totally against).

10

7. Why should I trust the Bible? Hasn’t it been changed over the years?

The Bible is historically accurate. Archaeology has proved the existence of the places, the cultures and the rulers (such as Pontius Pilate for example) that are mentioned in the Bible. Compared to other ancient documents, there is no comparison! The has been preserved more than any other ancient work. There are over 5,800 Greek manuscripts. The runner-up for ancient texts is Homer’s Iliad, with less than 2,000 copies. After that, the works of Aristotle, Herodotus, Tacitus, and others are even more poorly represented with only two handfuls (or less!) for each. You will be aware that over time language changes and so Bible Societies painstakingly, respectfully look at ancient manuscripts and work to find modern words that describe the ancient texts. The New Testament manuscripts were written by eyewitnesses These eyewitnesses were real people who saw and touched and witnessed first-hand the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The whole New Testament claims that Jesus Christ died on a cross and rose from the dead three days after dying. He was seen risen from the dead by all of the original 12 apostles (except Judas who hung himself) and by over five hundred different people1 ( Cor. 15:6). There was nothing to gain but death by asserting this claim, but many of these disciples chose to die as martyrs rather than deny the truth of Christ’s resurrection. The fact that so many early disciples died as martyrs based on what they personally witnessed only bolsters the reality that it was true. Because Jesus Christ rose from the dead, the Bible must be true. Christianity is the only religion founded by a leader who predicted his resurrection before he died, and whose earliest followers also died confessing and believing this fact. The tomb was empty and the resurrection makes the most sense for why Jesus’ body went missing, 11 therefore Jesus is still alive today. It means that Jesus is God and is Lord of the entire cosmos. He—God—Jesus—runs the show. There is a reason that the Bible is the bestselling book of all time: it is because God directed its formation, and its teachings can connect you with a real and loving God. The teachings of the Bible work in real everyday life. Nabodinus Cylinder from Ur - evidence that King Belshazzar from the time of Daniel, existed. https://creation.com/ archaeology-belshazzar

Archaeologists have uncovered in the Old City of Jerusalem the place where Jesus cured a man blind from birth (John 9:7). The pool of Siloam was fed by the renowned Hezekiah’s Tunnel (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30) and is a much grander affair than archaeologists had thought, with three tiers of stone stairs allowing access to the water. What archaeological discovery has had the all-time greatest Biblical impact? “Probably the have had the greatest Biblical impact. They have provided scholars manuscripts approximately 1,000 years older than our previous oldest manuscript. They have demonstrated that the Old Testament was accurately transmitted during this interval. In addition, they provide a wealth of information on the times Cave 4 at Qumran where approximately leading up to, and during, the life of 15,000 fragments from some 574 Christ.” - Dr. Bryant Wood, manuscripts were found. 12

8. What about same-sex marriage?

We are living in the generation that has the biggest crisis of identity of all time! We are not told what is good and bad or what role to fill in society or our relationships. Instead we are told we can be whoever we choose to be. We have come to define ourselves by our sexual orientation. This is one of the biggest questions of your generation. In this day and age ‘love’ is considered the ultimate virtue for all behaviour and sexual freedom essential for personal identity. If it is ‘love’ it’s always right. In this generation we can see on the internet or read in magazines of people who are in love and sexually active with others 50 + years younger, their children and even animals. Does love always make everything right? It is assumed that if you cannot be fulfilled sexually you cannot be happy or find your true self. Yet I know of no couple that would say the key to their relationship being so good is the sex. Neither have I ever met someone who says they are totally happy as a person because of their sexual activity. Is anyone ever truly free to fulfil all their sexual fantasies? Don’t all people have to deny themselves some things? The Bible says that your identity is not found in your sexual orientation but in who God says you are and what He has purposed for you to do with your life. But aren’t some people born with a same sex attraction? Dr Patricia Weerakoon, GP & Sexologist, says that scientists have been trying to find the homosexual gene for a very long time, and it has not been found. In neutral scientific studies, the gay lifestyle is associated with poorer physical and mental health outcomes. It is true that the Bible groups same sex relationships alongside sex with anyone outside of marriage, getting drunk or stoned, being greedyetc. When God says, “This is not what I want for you, this is sin, ie will pollute 13 your spirit,” he always does this to protect and help us. God is love, He is for love, but to assume anything and everything done in love is good for us, or natural, or helpful is to make assumptions that are not supported by science, evidence or common sense. Any person from the LGBT community is always welcome at our church, I would hope at any church. We will genuinely love them, and I would expect God to work in their lives in the same way that he will work in the lives of all us, to teach and transform us into his way of living. While we all crave love and acceptance, we must be aware that no form of sex will ever satisfy your deepest longings; only God can do that!

14

9. Who is Jesus? That is the biggest and most important question that you need to find answers to. He claimed to be God (if you have seen Me you have seen the Father, I and the Father are One etc). His teachings were unlike anyone else who has ever lived. His life was without sin or fault. His supernatural power was much more than the greatest miracle worker that ever lived. He could even control a storm and raise the dead. He fulfilled in His life over 400 Old Testament prophecies including where He would be born and how He would die. His birth split History into BC and AD. The evidence for his physical resurrection from the dead after three days in a tomb is compelling. He was seen by so many after He was raised from the dead. Billions of Christians claim to have experienced Him. He came and died in our place so that our record of sins could be wiped (our punishment paid for) so we could reconnect with a Holy God. When we look at the claims and life of Jesus we are only left with three options: He was crazy and thought He was God but wasn’t. He was the greatest con man of all time. Or He truly is God the Son and the only way for us to reconnect with God.

15

10. How can you get your life right with God?

Firstly, it’s really important to ask your questions. History, science and the experience of billions of people who follow Jesus all point to Jesus being who He claimed to be. • The son of God, • the only One who can take away your sins and put you in relationship with God. • The Way, the Truth and the Life, • the One who died to pay the penalty for your sins, • the God who loves you so much He would rather go through death and suffering than live without you. • Jesus split history into BC and AD. • His teaching changed the world and knowing Him will change you for the better. If you have questions, ask a mature Christian or go to www.questionsoflife.com If you have come to a place where you believe in who Jesus is and what He has done, what now? Thousands of people asked the first Christian leaders the same question when they heard and believed. This is what Peter told them: Acts 2:38-39 “Turn back to God! Be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit”. Turn back to God means saying sorry for the things you know you have done wrong e.g. lying, being rude to parents, sex outside of marriage, being greedy, selfish, living for yourself and not God, getting drunk etc. Say sorry specifically for the things that God brings to mind and ask for His help not to go back there. Be baptised means having another Christian dip you under water where God will wash away the sins you haven’t said sorry for. Receive the Holy Spirit means asking a mature Christian to pray for you 16 to have God come on and into your life. This means you will be closer to God and be given the power to live differently, not for yourself but for Him. In the Bible these things all happened at once, in the same hour, and were all part of becoming a Christian. If you are 12 years old or younger it’s best to ask your parent’s permission to be baptised. We want you to take these next steps to be part of God’s forever family. Let us know how we can help.

17 Jesus promises us that as we let him teach us and guide us, he says, 8 "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." If you begin a relationship with Jesus, you might see changes in your attitudes, or hopefulness, or how you view others, or how you spend your time. Only God knows. But as you get to know him, he will impact your life. Ask anyone who follows Jesus, and they'll tell you how knowing him has affected their life. He tends to give us greater desire to choose his ways. How he does this is unexpected. It isn't like he gives you a new set of commands that you must now follow. This isn't self-effort or you performing for God. And it isn't religious dedication. It is a relationship, an intimate friendship with God. It is God personally leading you and teaching you about himself, about life. He enters our lives when we invite him in. He affects our lives, from the inside out, at a heart level. Jesus offers you more of life. You know how relationships, jobs, sports, entertainment...all of it has great moments, yet the fulfilment is often fleeting. The satisfaction of it does not keep us full. And nothing on earth ever will. (EveryStudent.com)

You can find the answers to all these questions and many more on EveryStudent.com on the web. Or you can download their app from Google Play Store or App Store.

18

Is There a God? Six straightforward reasons to conclude that God exists.

Who is God? What is God really like? A one-page description..

The Spiritual Adventure Pack How does a rational person arrive at having faith in God? See this…

A Scientist Gives Evidence Pointing to God Video: Dr. Francis Collins, Director of Human Genome Project

How an Atheist Found God A personal account from the director of EveryStudent.com

God’s Existence Video: a 3 minutes answer to “Does God exist?”

Where is God? Why God is not totally invisible and hidden.

Did God Create the Universe? Scientists are in agreement about how our universe began…

Is God Real? How the DNA code remarkably points to a real God.

19

https://www.startingwithgod.com/ https://www.everystudent.com/

https://creationministries.org/

https://answersingenesis.org/ https://www.gotquestions.org/

20