Scott Broberg Fig Tree Ministries

This is not an easy question to answer - particularly because our belief in God is so personal and mostly based on our personal experience.

For the majority of my life, I was not a Christian. I was raised in an abusive household and sought out worldly remedies in an attempt to reduce my anxiety and alleviate my anger. I argued vociferously against God and the Bible when I was in college my twenties. I was agnostic...not brave enough to fully move to atheist. My internal life was in chaos although on the outside I appeared successful. All my energy went to holding everything together on the outside while inside I was deteriorating. 

In 2001 I had a tremendous spiritual experience that radically changed my life. A Chaplain in the Navy encouraged me to earnestly seek God and start reading the Bible. God is a God who reveals Himself to us. You must seek that revealing. Thankfully, I took his advice. 

I can't prove that God exists by pointing to something outside of me (except the fact that Israel is still a nation - which is a miracle in and of itself). My proof is internal. As I moved toward God and sought the Holy Spirit, I could feel myself healing internally (spiritually) and growing stronger. Everything in my life changed. 

God is spirit. We are spiritual beings. We commune with God on a spiritual level. Spiritual truths are often the exact opposite of what we think they should be. We look outside us for proof of God, but the Bible tells us that God is found in the "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:11-13). 

Very early on in my walk as a Christian, I noticed that when I read the Bible, I had a strange sense that I was reading "truth," as such. As if I had an internal tuning fork that would resonate at the pitch of "truth." I can tell you that over time these truths have only grown more solid in their foundation - not weaker - which tells me they are, in fact, true. 

Seek God in spirit. In a quiet moment tell God that you want to know the truth. Pray to God that he would reveal himself to you. Before you go to sleep at night say out loud, "God, I'm strong enough to know the truth." Allow God to work internally. He will show you truth in amazing ways. But you have to pay attention to the still small voice rather than looking for something HUGE on the outside. 

Read scripture - even if it doesn't speak to you at the moment. The Holy Spirit has the power to transform your mind (Rom. 12:2) so that you begin to see the world through God's perspective rather than our own. 

As God transforms you - you will begin to desire all of the things that God desires. It comes naturally rather than being forced from the outside. 

Hope this helps you on your journey.

September 29 2020 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Grant Abbott Child of Father, Follower of Son, Student of Spirit

How did the people mentioned in the bible become convinced that God is real: 1) they heard God speak to them in some way and what he said came true, 2) they saw God at work in their lives protecting and guiding them.

I encourage you to read the bible. This is God’s book, his revelation to human beings. It answers many of our questions about life. For example, why is there so much suffering in the world? The bible gives us some answers but not everything, because God wants us to have faith that he is sovereign and that he has a plan and purpose that is good.

God created a perfect world without suffering, but he also trusted his human creation with the free will to obey God or go their own way. Our first humans rebelled against God’s command, so sin, death and evil forces took control of this world. 

But God did not give up on us. He instituted his rescue plan. First, he chose a people for himself, the nation of Israel, to be an example and blessing for the whole world. Second, he gave us his commandments (the law), so we would know how to live a god-pleasing life. Third, he sent his one and only Son, Jesus, to earth as a human being. Jesus birth, life, ministry, suffering, death and resurrection saves everyone who believes in him (called a Christian) from sin, death and every evil force. Fourth, God gave his Holy Spirit that lives in every Christian to give us the wisdom and power we need to transform this world into the place God intended at creation.

When we look around the world or even at our neighbours down the street, there is a lot of suffering. But if we also look at who is providing relief from that suffering, it is often led by Christians. Individuals, local churches and Christian relief organizations provide food, shelter, counselling, friendship, helping hands, and many other services to people most in need.

Even modern governmental social services to help people who are suffering the most in life were started by Christian leaders in government or other relief organizations; such as free health care, free education, unemployment insurance, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Salvation Army soup kitchens. And this is God’s will, that through his church and individual Christians, suffering in this world would be alleviated.

Suffering is the result of the sinful condition of the human race. As people come to faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord, suffering is relieved in our own lives, and through our Christian service, suffering is relieved around the world.

Please don’t look around to find reasons not to believe in God, look in his book, the bible, and God will give you many good reasons to believe. I encourage you to start reading in the New Testament, when an open mind and heart, to discover what Jesus came to do. I know you won’t be disappointed. 

May God bless your search with the revelation of who he is and the discovery of his plan for your life.

September 28 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Ruth Acma

Our existence is one proof that GOD exist. As it was stated in Wisdom of Solomon 2:23: For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity. The righteous, because they are made in the image of God, can rest in the full hope of eternal life.

The air that we breathe, we cannot see but we can feel.
The heart that keeps on beating, we know that it's inside our chest and we can feel it, yet we cannot see.
The brain that we use in thinking, we cannot see yet we know that it's inside our head.

John 20:29 states that Yeshua said to Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. 

Yeshua Christ created everything for a good purpose. He created everything that we may enjoy our life here on earth. According to Revelation 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

Everything is made for GOD's glory. We all owe our existence to the ONE who created us. Praise be to Almighty.

September 28 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Emo Tenorio Shomer

I humbly submit this question has two parts. (Isaiah 1:18) 
First; IF God does exist? (Isaiah 46:10)
Second; BUT why world suffering? (Deuteronomy 28:2)

First existence is indeed tangible having a physical real world substance. Standing today as prophesied the prime focal point and a stumbling block to the dark demonic caterwauling intelligentsia system. (John 12:43)

I submit Israel and the Jewish people: neither would exit today without the divine interventions from antiquity on their behalf. Consider just the history of these examples.

No people have lost and been driven from their homeland and then returned later to claim it; Israel has done this hat trick twice as prophesied.

"Can a nation be born in a day" (Isaiah 66:7-8) the United Nations mandate expired ending British control of the land and Israel declared state hood on 14 May 1948 with the United States issuing a statement recognizing Israel's sovereignty. The next day they were attacked by five superior well armed Arab nation states. Which they fought and defeated thus maintaining their independence as prophesied. (Ezekiel 36:8-10)

The daunting Entebbe Uganda mission 3-4 July 1976 by the Sayeret Matkal "The Unit" Israeli commandos the first of it's kind setting the standard for all later special operation missions. The audacious concept and execution to rescue Israel's citizens on a PLO hijacked Air France plane. And today the Israeli Defense Force IDF is considered the world's third best military. (Ezekiel 37:10)

Today Israel is a powerhouse technology leader in the fields of medical break throughs, various computer fields and world class military hardware and has just signed a peace deal with two of it's Arab neighbors. 
One the United Arab Emirates the world's richest per capita nation has been wisely investing it's vast oil money into other sources of breaking or coming innovations. (Genesis 12:3)

Bottom Line:
When one considers the long list of papered secular scholars that have endeavored to prove that the Bible was incorrect and in error. 
Finding that was mentioned in the Bible was in fact right where it said it was. Some of these men of science would become believers while others stumbled off to dig elsewhere in their folly to prove the Bible wrong thus there is no God. (Psalms 14:1)

As for the second question the Creator set the rules of this game from the beginning. Is the Creator now required to magically approve or bless those who during their short stage time, seek to change them? 
(Deuteronomy 28:15)

Most of the suffering seen on this little sphere are in large part the consequences of secular man's human nature in choosing poorly. 
(2 Corinthians 7:10)

“The earth is still going round the sun, and neither the dictators nor the bureaucrats, deeply as they disapprove of the process, are able to prevent it.” ~George Orwell

In the Lord's freedom..........warrior on

September 30 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Is suffering all you see? Do you focus on the weeds in your rose garden, or do you go there to see the roses? I think you know that there is no garden where weeds don't grow. Do you think the farmer intentionally planted the weeds, or do you realize, as we all should, that along with the seeds that are used to grow sweet smelling flowers, are bad seeds that produce weeds? 

The farmer doesn't intentionally plant weeds; but they do grow, and if not "weeded out" will choke the good plants, the ones the farmer desires to grow. 

Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of God is like this. A man sowed good seed in his field. One night, when everyone was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. When the plants grew and the heads of grain began to form, then the weeds showed up. The man's servants came to him and said, 'It was good seed you sowed in your field; where did the weeds come from?' 'It was some enemy who did this,' he answered." (Matt 13:24-28a)

The suffering we see and have to deal with and go through is not from God. It is from the same enemy who snuck out to the farmers field and planted the weeds; weeds that cause suffering. The wheat is of God. So why didn't God just pluck up the first weeds that showed up in this world and by that action, rid the world of weeds for all time? 

Adam and Eve were created and placed in a garden where there were no weeds. You know what happened, they sinned against the God whose existence some of us now find hard to accept. Oh, they were sufficiently warned before they messed up (Gen 2:17). But they sinned against God nonetheless. 

(Some of us blame the Most High for not stopping them from disobeying. Some blame God for planting the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden to begin with).

God is good all the time! 

He gave man his own planet; told him to manage it and subdue it. In other words, he gave man the skills and know-how to take charge and develop this awesome creation. The man messed up, but God didn't abandon him. He returned to the man and promised to restore him and the planet to its former glory. 

I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children. For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay (suffering and death) and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth. (I hear that can be some real pain and suffering, but I have three daughters that I think was worth it). But it's not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves as WE WAIT for God to make us his children and set our whole being free (Romans 8:18-23). (emphasis on 'we wait' mine).

Read the word! Watching the evening news is fine, but it needs to be fined tuned with the tuning fork of the Word of God! 

There is death and suffering in the world, and we know why. We need to quit spreading silly tales like 'there can't be such a being as God, look at all the suffering.' (that to me is the pinnacle of ridiculousness).

Why did Jesus cry before he called Lazarus from a four-day-old tomb of death? He knew what he was going to do; that he was going to call him back to the living. Why did he cry?

It's recorded in John 11, Jesus saw her (Mary) weeping, and he saw how the people with her were weeping also; his heart was touched and he was deeply moved. "Where have you buried him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they answered. 

Jesus wept. (vs 35)

He cried because they were hurting. He knew he was going to restore life, but he was touched by their suffering. That's still true in 2024!

March 06 2024 • 4 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Daniel Veler

The question is how do we know God exists? The understanding is found in eternal life, whether or not if you possess it. There are those that are quick to quote John 3:16, but most don’t understand the part where it talks about eternal life for all those who believe in Christ. You see eternal life is not something you come into after death but while you are alive. Eternal life is the gift the Lord gives us once we believe. 

Eternal is defined in John 17. 1: These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ. So eternal life is being brought into the fellowship of the Father and Son. 

Now Judas didn’t understand what Christ meant so the question was asked in John 14 and answered: John 14: 22: Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, "Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."

So you see, if you know the Father and the Son, who make themself known unto you, then you’ll know God abides in you and that they exist.

March 07 2024 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report