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The day approaches. The return of Jesus Christ draws nigh, and very shortly thereafter, the end of this world as we know it. We must prepare to meet our God. One of the signs of doomsday is that wickedness will come to a full. Keep yourself unspotted. When we, as the born-again, find ourselves walking contrary to the Word of God, we must repent and turn from the sin, disavow it, and confess the Word of God. I John 2:1-2:
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
I John 1:7-9:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Saints, be encouraged that God’s grace is sufficient for all your needs, including the way of escape. I Corinthians 10:13:
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
The days are very short. The days are very evil. We must separate from sin.
Some of you turning in to this feature are born-again but find yourselves in a spiritually unclean position, and some are not yet born-again. You can correct this matter today. Click onto “Further With Jesus” for childlike instructions, immediate forgiveness of sin, and entry into the favor and Kingdom of God. Do it today, right now. NOW FOR TODAY’S SUBJECT.
GOD SAID, Romans 12:3:
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
MAN SAID: We have evolved from literally nothing, and by only naturalistic means. There is no supernatural God who engineered this universe and man.
Now THE RECORD. Could the scriptures of the Holy Bible be literal truth? Were these very words dictated to holy men by God Himself? Are the scriptures God’s firsthand, eyewitness accounts, and not simply handed down folklore, or the rantings of fanatics? The answer to these questions is yes; yes a most provable yes.
This is GodSaidManSaid feature article #458. These features are all preserved on this site in text and streaming audio. These glorious features certify the full veracity of holy writ. Every Thursday eve, God willing, they grow by one. The sciences (archaeology, paleontology, geology, biology, the fields of medicine, and neurology), history, literature of the ancient cultures, and more, all say yes. Welcome to GodSaidManSaid. We’re so glad you’ve come. May the face of the Lord shine upon you with Light and Truth.
Imagine that thousands of years before man’s most sophisticated science arrived at a conclusion, God’s Word had already been there. According to Romans 12:3, God has dealt a measure of faith to every man. Faith is onboard from the beginning. Faith functions at the center of our molecular structure. Adam and Eve had faith onboard. Unfortunately for mankind, Grandmother Eve put her faith in Satan’s words instead of God’s, and then Adam followed her pernicious ways. According to God’s Word, all men have been dealt a measure of faith.
Several years ago, GodSaidManSaid published information on how man is biologically and psychologically hard-wired to God. A new book, published in 2009 by neuroscientist Andrew Newberg and therapist and author Mark Waldman, titled How God Changes Your Brain, continues to pursue the concept of the God connection. Newberg is the director, and Waldman an associate fellow, of the Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania. Newberg is one of the founders of the new interdisciplinary field called neurotheology. Did God deal every man a measure of faith? The following excerpts are from the 349-page book, How God Changes Your Brain:
As a neuroscientist, the more I delve into the nature of the human brain, the more I realize how mysterious we are. But if I had to pick two things that I have learned—as a doctor, a teacher, a husband, and a father—I would first say that life is sacred. Indeed, we are literally driven to live because every cell in our body fights to survive, and every neuron in our brain strives to become strong.
The second thing I’ve learned is that behind our drive to survive, there is another force, and the best word to describe it is faith. Faith not just in God, or in science or love, but faith in ourselves and each other. Having faith in the human spirit is what drives us to survive and transcend. It makes life worth living, and it gives meaning to our life. Without such hope and optimism—synonyms for what I am calling faith—the mind can easily slip into depression or despair. Faith is embedded in our neurons and in our genes, and it is one of the most important principles to honor in our lives. [End of quote]
And again from the book:
Faith in an optimistic future may be a placebo, but it’s important to remember that placebos can cure, on average, 30 percent of most physical and emotional diseases. Even an irrational belief in a cure that has been proven not to work can significantly boost the body’s immune system when dealing with a deadly disease.
Recently, a team of National Institutes of Health researchers concluded that “a moderate optimistic illusion” appears to be neurologically essential for maintaining motivation and good mental health. They also found that highly optimistic people had greater activation in the same parts of the anterior cingulate that are stimulated by meditation. …the anterior cingulate plays a crucial role in controlling anxiety, depression, and rage, as well as fostering social awareness and compassion.
Even the medical researchers at the Mayo Clinic stress the importance of optimistic thinking for maintaining optimal health. They found that positive thinking decreases stress, helps you resist catching the common cold, reduces your risk of coronary artery disease, eases breathing if you have certain respiratory diseases, and improves your coping skills during hardships. An optimistic attitude specifically reduces the stress-eliciting cortisol levels in your body, and many other studies have demonstrated how optimism improves behavioral coping in a variety of physical illnesses. In a forty-year follow-up conducted at Duke University, optimists had increased longevity compared to pessimistic individuals. Indeed, the role of optimism is so important in maintaining psychological health that the University of Pennsylvania has an entire institute—the Positive Psychology Center, headed by Martin Seligman—dedicated to this research.
Faith is essential for maintaining a healthy brain,… [End of quote]
The beautiful Bible definition of faith, and a short demonstration of it workings, is found in Hebrews 11:1-3:
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
As you continue into chapter 12 you will read of the “cloud of witnesses” who have gone on before us. Chapter 11 is capped off with the following verses, 33-40:
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
We have all been dealt a measure of faith. It is the mustard seed Jesus speaks of and it will grow if we give it the needed attention. Romans 10:17:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Grow in faith. There is no greater wealth. God said faith is onboard, and thousands of years later, science says YES!
GOD SAID, Romans 12:3:
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
MAN SAID: We have evolved from literally nothing, and by only naturalistic means. There is no supernatural God who engineered this universe and man.
Now you have THE RECORD.
References:
Authorized King James Version