THE GOD CHALLENGE

“This is what the Lord says to Israel: ‘Seek me and live.'” Amos 5:4

I have lost track of how many times people have challenged me, or even demanded, that I “prove God exists.” They want me to give them some kind of empirical evidence on-the-spot that is irrefutable, at least as they define “proof.” There are few flaws with this request. (And ‘request’ is putting it gently at times.)

First of all, were there the “proof” that some demand, everyone would be a convinced, and that would negate the entire reason God created “Free Will” in the first place. I’ll address that another time, and link to that article once it is written – but in the meantime – this does not mean there is no proof, just that the proof is subjective by design.

In other words, I have received proof – as have millions of others – but the proof isn’t transferable. You must experience the proof of God’s very real existence for yourself. That is why the Scripture promises, many times in fact:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

God desires to reveal Himself to those who SEEK HIM. Not just to given willy-nilly anyone and everyone. The reality is, not everyone deserves to experience the reality of God. OK, no one does in actuality, but God has made a way for SOME to experience Him. And it comes through faith and repentance. But the proof IS given. In Proverbs 8:17 God declares, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” Earlier in the Bible 1 Chronicles 28:9 God gives this warning to Solomon, “‘And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”

Free Will was given to us so that our choice on whether to connect with our Creator or not would be a FREE and GENUINE CHOICE. God knew that the result of this would be that MANY would not – but in the end, the cost was worth it to experience genuine relationship with those who do choose to know God.

That’s why in Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus Himself says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

The Narrow Gate is those who choose to seek God – and as a result, find Him.

YOU WANT PROOF THAT GOD IS REAL? I can tell you how to get the proof you want, IF you genuinely want proof. Many don’t really want proof, they just want to win an argument. When the Christian can’t provide the “proof” they demand, they declare themselves the intellectual victor in their own mind, and wrongly (and tragically) assume there is no proof to be offered.

But there is. However, few are willing to do what is required to experience the proof…. SEEK GOD.

God has promised if you seek Him, you will find Him. Yet another passage is Deuteronomy 4:29 where it says, “But if from there (wherever you may be right now) you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

ARE YOU UP FOR THE GOD CHALLENGE?

I dare you.

I double-dog dare you.

Seek God – sincerely. You don’t have to “convert.” You don’t have to call yourself a Christian if that word currently leaves a bad taste in your mouth. (Believe me, there are a lot of Christians I don’t like either – and Jesus doesn’t like them much either, for the same reasons. But that’s a different topic for another day.)

What does it mean to “Seek God?”

I think you can figure that out for yourself – but I’ll offer some suggestions. But if you are sincere, I trust God to guide you on the particulars. But these ideas should get you going.

• Get a Bible.
  And a good one, can I suggest NIV, ESV or even CEV translations. No offense the King James Version crowd – they can be pretty dogmatic, but in it’s day, it was translated into the “language of the people,” which was really cool in 1611, but no one talks like that any more. Get one in the language of today.
• Start Reading It.
  The Bible is a BIG book. Start with the Gospel of John. It’s the life of Jesus and a lot of His teaching. Then Acts for the early church if you want, or if you want some theology, dive into Romans. Want pithy quotes and wisdom, try Proverbs. Like poetry, read a few Psalms every day. Skip the Old Testament for now. Paul’s short letters to Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians are really good too. Just a few chapters a day. You don’t need to drink from the fire hydrant, just a cup of water a day so you can reflect on what you are reading.
• Go to Church.
  I know – finding a “normal” church can be tricky (and scary.) I risk offending by making suggestions on a website, but search online for a non-denominational church near you. Arrive just as the service starts if you want to avoid all the awkward greetings. (Don’t tell anyone a pastor gave you that tip!) If you like it, come 20 minutes early on your second week.
• Start to Pray
  I know, this will feel weird. You don’t have to try and sound spiritual, it is just talking to God. And He isn’t grading you on your oratory skills, He is just listening. No formal formula needed. No need to cross yourself and start or end with special words. You’ll hear Christians end with, “In Jesus Name, Amen.” The “In Jesus Name,” simply refers to who gives us the right to ask for anything, and “Amen” in Greek means, “so be it,” so it’s a statement of faith, that we are asking in expectation. If you are stuck with what to say in prayer, an acronym some use is A.C.T.S. which is a reminder to start with A = Adoration – statements of praise to God. C = Confession, admitting things we are sorry for. T = Thanksgiving, simply thanking God for our blessings, and finally, S = Supplication, a big word that means “asking for our needs.” Working through the word A.C.T.S. can be a help in knowing how to pray.
• Make Christian Friends
  As you go to church, be brave, and make some new friends. I promise, they aren’t all weird. But I can also promise, they aren’t all perfect either. There is an old saying, “If you find a perfect church, don’t join it, you’ll ruin it.” A church is a lot like a repair shop, it’s filled with broken people going there to get fixed. You’ll find a lot of people who are new to their faith – maybe some like you are just checking it out too. Saints who have walked with God for a long time are valuable friends, but those who are newer can be great as you can grow together, learn together, discover together. If your church has small groups or Bible studies, join one. That’s a great way to make new friends. Just remember, Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven. Or as another saying goes, “Christians are people Under Construction. So be sure to wear your hard hat.” But doing life together is so important.
• Ask Questions
  It’s OK to have questions, even doubts. God is not threatened by doubts or confusion. Read something in the Bible you don’t understand, ask someone. E-mail me if you want to. Ask at your church. Ask a friend. Some things will have answers – some things won’t have answers, and that’s OK. Not having an answer doesn’t have to rock your faith – but as you seek answers you will find more and more, there are answers. On the important things, there are answers. On the non-essential things, there is mystery, and that is OK, but you’ll discover that our faith is reasonable and rational – and more so than a life without faith.
  

If you are still with me, I hope you’ll take the GOD CHALLENGE! If you are, e-mail me and let me know! I will pray for you. I have seen so many people over the years, take the GOD CHALLENGE and come to know God in a real and personal way. They got the “proof” they needed – not like they originally thought they wanted, but in a better way. An answered prayer, a restored marriage, a new or better job, health miracle or some other way that God showed up for them and proved to them that He was REAL and ACTIVE in their life.

The Bible is LOADED with promises that God has made for His people, once you choose to follow and live for God, a whole new world opens up to you. And one day, you’ll have someone demanded YOU “prove God exists” and you’ll wish you could – but will be saying to them, “You have to just give Him a try, Seek Him and You’ll See!”

TAKE THE GOD CHALLENGE TODAY!