by Dr. Rice Broocks
Breaking News! In a dramatic reversal of public opinion, God is alive and well, and working wonders on planet Earth! As recent statistics reveal, even in academic circles, the concept of God is making a comeback on a global scale.
Following the opinions of atheist European philosophers, many people in 20th century fell into the trap of believing that "God is dead." This was actually a play on words claiming that no ideas about spiritual or metaphysical things can be scientifically verified—so, in their opinion, for all practical purposes God (who is a spiritual being) was dead. As a result of this trend, there have been many predictions of the end of the Christian faith.
For example, as presented by authors John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge in a recent book entitled God is Back (2009), Thomas Woolston, and English theologian who lived in the 18th century, was the first skeptical thinker to give an exact date for God's death. he predicted that Christianity would be completely gone by the year 1900. A Prussian king named Frederick the Great believed that Wooldridge's prediction was too generous and commented to his friend Voltaire (circa 1770) that religion was crumbling on its own accord and its end would be more rapid than that. In his response, Voltaire suggested that religion would end in the next 50 years.
Later, many thoughtful people who were influenced by Frederick Nietzsche (1900) and Karl Marx (1847) predicted that modern politics and economics would cause people to embrace atheism even as Christianity and thoughts of God would completely vanish from the world. In other words, some really smart people actually predicted that all our thoughts and feelings about God would eventually vanish from the Earth!
In recent days, scientists like Steven Hawking have tried to revive this non-belief in God by suggesting quantum physics has eliminated the "need" for God.
"GOD IS BACK"
But, a funny thing happened on the way to the funeral! Contrary to all the failed predictions, faith in God is now surging in every part of the World. China, which once outlawed missionaries and tried to eliminate religion, now is home to a truly great awakening touching millions. God's Spirit is sweeping across Asia producing Churches with tens of millions of new believers (one Church in Korea has over 800,000 members). Africa is predicted to be 50% Christian by 2020. In America, CNN (Belief blog) recently reported the more educated someone is, the more likely they are to attend religious services.
The evidence is undeniable, and as millions of people continue to put their faith in Christ around the world, God is being revealed as the source of ultimate meaning and purpose. By humbling Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, God entered the natural world and experienced everything from the perspective of human beings.
In this way, God demonstrated the real meaning of life: a personal relationship with the Creator.
In the end, Jesus offered Himself as payment for our sins by ding on a cruel cross. Three days later He rose from the dead. That resurrection gives us the certainty we need t o know that God not only created the universe, but God is in control of the universe as well. By His resurrection God proved that (1) His existence is real, (2) Christ's identity as the Son of God is valid, (3) a spiritual rebirth (being born-again) is available now to those who believe in Jesus and (4) an after-life of eternal fellowship with God awaits those who belong to Him.
And this is the good news of the Gospel!
Regardless of what atheists and doubters think...
God is Not Dead!
"In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also." (John 14:19 ESV)
God's Not Dead (Like A Lion)
Newsboys
Let love explode and bring the dead to life
A love so bold
To see a revolution somehow
Now I'm lost in Your freedom
In this world I'll overcome
My God's not dead
He's surely alive
He's living on the inside
Roaring like a lion
Let hope arise and make the darkness hide
My faith is dead
I need a resurrection somehow
Now I'm lost in Your freedom
In this world I'll overcome
My God's not dead
He's surely alive
He's living on the inside
Roaring like a lion
Let heaven roar and fire fall
Come shake the ground
With the sounds of revival