God: Could He Be
Dead?
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1
Let's pray together before beginning this set of lessons:
Lord,
As we are about to open the Bible, perhaps we are not entirely convinced of Your
existence. But we are here today to give You a chance to make Yourself known.
We humbly ask You to show us the reasons why we should believe in You. In Jesus Christ, we
pray.
Amen.
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John 1:18
No one has seen God at any time.
Sure of holding a convincing argument, the unbeliever will say: «God? Nobody
has ever seen Him...»
As you can notice, the apostle John agrees with this statement. However, John doesn't deny
the existence of God.
Would we refuse to recognize the existence of electricity under the pretext that we cannot
see it? Of course not, since we can all observe its power. There are also some
«powerful» reasons to believe in God.
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Exodus 33:20
But [the Lord] said, «You cannot see My face; for no man
shall see Me, and live.»
First of all, let's understand why we cannot see God.
Mankind, in his fallen state, would not be able to bear seeing God's holiness.
We cannot even look at the sun, how much less the Creator of the sun?
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Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The Bible doesn't even try to prove God's existence. It simply states the fact,
right from the very first verse. God is, because He has to be.
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Romans 1:19,20
Because what may be known of God is manifest in [men],
for God has shown it to them.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they
are without excuse.
We never cease to marvel at the prodigious complexity of the Creation.
We will see, in a future lesson, that all this is inconceivable without the presence of a
superior intelligence.
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Isaiah 46:9,10
Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and
there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the
beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done.
During our lessons we will also have the opportunity to study the amazing
prophecies of the Bible.
The facts foretold centuries beforehand by God's prophets have come true with remarkable
accuracy: together, we will see that there is no way that «chance» could be so
accurate...
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Daniel 2:28
But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets.
Wait until you see what God revealed to the prophet Daniel about the future,
and you will surely understand why this prophet spoke this way.
Fascinating lessons await you!
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Psalm 10:4
The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.
Psalm 14:1
The fool has said in his heart, «There is no God.»
Nowadays, to deny the existence of God is often considered as the sign of a
cultured mind.
But in view of the evidence of a superior intelligence, the Bible can only qualify atheism
as nonsense.
Yes, truly, God exists.
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John 20:29
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed.
God promises a blessing to those who believe in Him without having seen Him.
And a wonderful promise is made to those who seek God...
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Jeremiah 29:13,14
«And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for
Me with all your heart. I will be found by you», says the Lord.
What a promise God gives us! If we only give Him a chance, the Lord will
clearly reveal Himself in our lives, and we will be transformed by His presence within us.
What can we lose? Nothing! On the contrary, we have everything to gain by doing so.
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Acts 17:27
So that [men] should seek the Lord, in the hope that they
might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.
The existence of God doesn't need to be proven, but rather felt by each one of
us. When we have been in contact with God, even if it's only once in our lifetime, we can
no longer doubt His reality.
And to seek the Lord is precisely the goal of these lessons.
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Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please [God], for
he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him.
We can better understand why our first lesson focuses on the existence of God:
it is necessary, at the very least, to believe that God exists, before exploring the next
lessons; otherwise they would be meaningless.
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James 2:19
You believe that there is one God. You do well.
The philosopher Kant declared: «There is no proof of the non-existence of
God.»
So, the least we would ask an atheist is to suppose that God exists.
We pray that these lessons transform this supposition into solid reality.
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Let's pray together before ending this first lesson:
Our Father,
We thank You for Your promise to let Yourself be found by whoever sincerely seeks You.
As the apostles asked Jesus, we also ask You: «Increase our
faith.» (Luke 17:5).
As the father of the demon-possessed child, we also address this prayer to You: «Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!» (Mark 9:24).
In Jesus Christ, we pray.
Amen.
Source of the Pictures of this Lesson
Screen 1: «Sequoias tower in Lady Bird Johnson Grove of the
Redwood National Park.» In: «Deluxe Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia CD - 1998
Edition», Compton's Home Library, 1997. Screen 2: Picture
from the Web site:: http://www.csicop.org/articles/sagan.html. Screen 3:
Photo In: «Master Clips 500,000» by IMSI, CD #17, SSGP1919.JPG. Screen 4: MICHELANGELO.
«Creation of the Sun, Moon and Planets» (1509-1512), Sistine Chapel, Vatican. In:
«Charlton Heston Presents the Bible», GT Publishing, New York, 1997, p.18.
Screen 5: «The monarch butterfly.» In: «Deluxe Compton's Interactive
Encyclopedia CD - 1998 Edition», Compton's Home Library, 1997. Screen 6: Used
by permission. Copyright © 1959, 1987 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA.
All Rights Reserved. HARLAN, Russell. In: «Votre Bible et Vous» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.),
p.286. Screen 7: Used by permission. Copyright © 1955, 1983 by Review
and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. COLLINS, Fred. In: «The
Bible Story, volume 6» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.67. Screen 8: In: «The
Watchtower» magazine (June 1, 1998), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.1.
Screen 9: Used by permission. Copyright © 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1968, 1996 by
Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. ANDERSON, Harry. In:
«Uncle Arthur's Bible Book» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.93. Screen 10: Used
by permission. Copyright © 1996 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All
Rights Reserved. Photo by SPRINGER, Joel. In: «Adventist Review» (September 1996), p.17.
Screen 11: Used by permission. Copyright © 1959, 1987 by Review and Herald®
Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. SCHLAIKJER, Jes. In: «Votre Bible et
Vous» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.193. Screen 12: In: «The Watchtower»
magazine (March 15, 1988), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.1.
Screen 13: In: «La Pure Vérité» magazine (unknown date), Worldwide Church of
God, front cover. Screen 14: Picture Collection «Corel Gallery Magic»
by Corel, 1997, CD #8, Photo Library 4, 603005.PCD.
Any copyrighted images not bearing a statement of permission, are used
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The test of Lesson 1 is waiting for you!