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Evidence and History or Claims and Wonders

Evidence and History or Claims and Wonders

In my blog last week, The Imminent Collapse of the United States: Lessons from the History of Empires (And More Evidence that Jesus Is Coming Soon) we examined the historical lessons from the rise and fall of empires.

It is well known that:

  • “Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.” —Winston Churchill
  • “The best prophet of the future is the past.” —Lord Byron

As the blog last week described, the great empires of history rise, progress, and fall in a repeating pattern, because human nature doesn’t change; humans continually repeat the same patterns of behavior that lead to the destruction of their societies, and these patterns of behavior are rooted in sinfulness, selfishness, greed, pride, and arrogance—in the rejection of God and His design laws for life.

  • “Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results.” —Niccolò Machiavelli
  • “Mankind are so much the same, in all times and places, that history informs us of nothing new or strange in this particular. Its chief use is only to discover the constant and universal principles of human nature.” —David Hume
  • “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”—Solomon (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

We don’t learn from history because human nature deceives itself:

The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is incurably bad. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9 New English Translation).

The unconverted human mind wants to deny the truth of our sinful condition and the inevitable self-destruction that will occur without Jesus. The corruption of human nature and the fallen propensity to deny truth have been understood by many deep thinkers throughout history:

  • “We learn from history that we don’t learn from history!” —Desmond Tutu
  • “That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.” —Aldous Huxley

One of the purposes of the Bible is to connect us to history, to reality—the reality of our origins, created in the image of God, of the fall into sin, of the terrible results of fear and selfishness (sinfulness), of God’s plan of salvation, and how when God’s Spirit is not transforming our hearts, the sinful traits of the me-first drives of survival of the fittest take control and people repeat the same patterns of self-destruction over and over again. But when we remember history, remember our Creator, His methods, principles, and eternal design laws for life, and are surrendered to Him, then we have nothing to fear for the future because we are living out the reality God has designed for us.

We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history (Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 196).

But the godless, those who are controlled by the satanic spirit of selfishness, want to divert our minds away from reality, away from history, away from evidence and facts and onto authority—to believe because someone in power says so—or onto signs and wonders, onto things that incite strong emotions, that wow us. Both tactics are designed to disconnect the mind from objective truth and disempower the individual from being able to make their own informed choices, thus making them vulnerable to the control of others. God has warned against this:

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer (Deuteronomy 13:1–3 NIV84).

Signs and wonders, technology, fantasy, false science that claims there is no God, the goddess of reason, the god of evolution, the new green earth worshipers, the gods of money, power, and control—all of these false gods thrive on turning the minds away from God’s truth, away from reasoning and thinking, and inciting strong emotions—particularly fear.

The people of God are not to base our beliefs upon the claims of powerful people nor upon wonders or signs, but upon evidence, truth, and historical facts—the inspired Word of God, which records the history of humanity and God’s plan of salvation. But Satan wants to turn our minds away from truth, evidence, facts, and history. Recently, I observed two events that revealed ungodly forces working to divert minds away from reality and onto either signs and wonders or the authority of office.

The first event was when I was visiting various Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. I typed “Museum of Natural History” into Google maps, but the app listed the site as the Smithsonian National Museum of… Renowned Collection of Natural Wonders. However, the official name posted at the entry is the National Museum of Natural History. (See images below.)

 

 

I don’t know the motivation for this name used in Google maps. I am not alleging that this is a conscious plot; it may very well be the unconscious result of the impact of godlessness and the move away from objective reality being taught in our schools, social media, and society in general. But that is the point. History requires us to study objective facts, evidence, scientific measures, and real people who did real things. But signs and wonders are designed to wow, to impress, to cause a sense of stunned silence and a willingness to comply without thinking. Does calling the museum by this different name subtly move minds away from “history” and toward “wonders”?

One of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist church, supporting God’s directions in the passage from Deuteronomy cited above, warned about moving away from solid evidences of God’s Word:

Let none cherish the idea that special providences or miraculous manifestations are to be the proof of the genuineness of their work or of the ideas they advocate. If we keep these things before the people, they will produce an evil effect, an unhealthful emotion. The genuine working of the Holy Spirit on human hearts is promised, to give efficiency through the Word. … the Bible will never be superseded by miraculous manifestations. … We shall encounter false claims; false prophets will arise; there will be false dreams and false visions; but preach the Word, be not drawn away from the voice of God in His Word. Let nothing divert the mind. The wonderful, the marvelous, will be represented and presented. Through satanic delusions, wonderful miracles, the claims of human agents will be urged. Beware of all this. … We must not trust the claims of men. … Nor can we trust impressions. … The man who makes the working of miracles the test of his faith will find that Satan can, through a species of deceptions, perform wonders that will appear to be genuine miracles. … If we accept not the truth in the love of it, we may be among the number who will see the miracles wrought by Satan in these last days, and believe them (Manuscript 43, 1907).

God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, the truthfulness of His Word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason; and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity; while those who really desire to know the truth, will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith (Steps to Christ, p. 105).

We are to examine evidence, reason out facts, and understand the history of human events, especially those recorded in Scripture. But Satan wants us to disregard facts, evidence, and history, and he has multiple strategies to do this.

The second event I recently noted, which exposes another method to divert minds away from evidence, was when a professor at the University of Pittsburg told his students that there is no difference between the skeletal structure of human males and females. When the students laughed at the statement, he was shocked. An article reporting on the event says:

The professor then responded to the laughter with shock, wondering how he could be doubted when he was “the expert in the room.”

“Have any of you been to anthropological sites? Have any of you studied biological anthropology? I’m just saying, I’ve got over 150 years of data, I’m just curious as to why I’m being laughed at,” he said before later declaring, “I have a PhD!” [1]

The professor is advancing the idea that beliefs should be based on the authority of the speaker, their credentials, the office they hold, or the power of their dynamic presence, and not on objective facts or evidence. This same method is behind the entire transgender movement—the claim of those in some office that there is no male or female. Understand clearly, the primary purpose of the transgender movement is not human rights; it is an assault on human minds, a strategy to get people to accept voices of authority over objective reality. After all, if the most basic and obvious natural truth that is observable by everyone (male and female) is denied, then there is no objective truth that an individual can ever cite to hold people in power accountable. They will always be right because they are the “expert” or “office holder” or have “power.”

But this unhealthy methodology is not restricted to secular academia; it also manifests in the church. I once experienced the same thing about 13 years ago when, after disagreeing with the senior pastor of my church over certain theological ideas, one of the associate pastors told me that I had no right to question the senior pastor because he was the “Lord’s anointed.” In other words, I was to believe based on the authority of his office, not because he had truth on his side. But the Bible says that we are to “test everything. Hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21 NIV84). And that “a fool will believe anything; sensible people watch their step” (Proverbs 14:15 GNT).

We are living in the very last days before Christ returns, and it is essential that every person develop the ability to discern for themselves the right from the wrong (Hebrews 5:14). It is essential we become thinkers, people who know truth, know history, evaluate evidence in light of God’s Word, and do not believe others based on their office, authority, or charisma and signs and wonder.

So I encourage you to always think for yourself, ask questions, and require evidence—and that evidence should appeal to your reason and be consistent with the history that God has revealed in His Word.


[1] https://www.foxnews.com/media/audience-laughs-professor-telling-riley-gaines-difference-male-female-bone-structure

 

 

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I was invited over a friend’s house to see the “God and Your Brain” seminar today. I became [a christian] 36 years ago at the age of 19, but have struggled with the concept of God taking His ‘pound of flesh’ out on His Son to be appeased. Wow. Your seminar has been an incredible revelation and breath of reason and fresh air! I have your book, “The God Shaped Brain,” and it is SO eye opening. Finally, after 36 years enlightenment has come! Praise the Good Lord! What can I say, but that the Real Gospel is truly “Good News!” Thank you for your efforts in giving the Gospel a clear sound!

Paul C.,  Springfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 43

Two years ago I stumbled upon your book, “Could It Be This Simple,” and then found “The God-Shaped Brain” videos on YouTube, your bible study class, and the ‘Come And Reason’ mobile app. I shared your book with a friend and after nine months of showing love, patience, and kindness this person has been changed by the love of God, too. The same love that healed me, I now express to other women in tangible ways, such as to a Baptist woman with high anxiety and childhood trauma. She was extremely happy and relieved when I shared about the so-called “judgment of God” and burning in hell. She had no desire to serve a God that was so harsh. I have repeated the phrase dozens of times to her. “What we believe has power over us, but we have power over what we believe…”

This message that you are sharing has changed my life. I will continue to serve other women and bring this message of God’s healing love to their lives by sharing your books, YouTube videos, and The Remedy Bible app. Keep up the good work. Don’t be discouraged. God is doing a mighty work in and through this ministry!

Jill L., Midwest, USA

 

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After coming into contact with Come And Reason Ministries, I can finally say that many of my unanswered questions have fallen into place. I discovered that my view of God’s Law was “imposed laws and rules” with “imposed punishments” and that this was the major culprit of my many unanswered questions. Thanks be to God for using you and those around you to help us who have struggled with this “infection” of thought. I have now rejected the “imposed law” concept to fully embrace “Design Law”… to look thru “Design Law,” instead of “imposed law,” is a relief.

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Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 63

I’ve been very blessed by “The God Shaped Brain” and this ministry, through video and podcast, over the last few years. It’s truly opened up my eyes more to the truth about God and the importance of that truth in the present world. The message is so inviting, freeing and enlightening and MORE people need to know about it. I believe it is the last message that can truly, not only prepare a people for salvation and translation, but vindicate the character of God.

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Testimony 44

We were given a gift of the DVD set, “God and Your Brain,” and we just finished watching it. The truths in this are so powerful and truly an answer to a prayer. We’re seeing hope where once we thought God wasn’t answering our prayers to be free of certain mindsets. He answered with these DVDs and we are hungry for more. Thank you!

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Testimony 27

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

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Testimony 59

I’m a native Ghanan, but am currently in France for my master’s degree. Prior to this, during my final years at undergraduate studies in Ghana, I was introduced to your ministry and I’ve been immensely blessed by what you share, especially about the Design and Imposed Laws. God richly bless you for that.

One of the first things I did when I arrived in France was to buy all four of your books. They not only helped me, but those I shared them with. I shared the message with an atheist student and I marveled at how God worked mightily in his life. Today this person shares the Love of God with others and debunks theories of who God is not. I want to share what you present in your “Heavenly Sanctuary and Investigative Judgment” pamphlet, because the message brought rest to my soul and I live today as a healthy person.

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Testimony 24

I wanted to thank you very much for presenting your understanding of God. I’ve always been troubled by this question: Why did Jesus have to die? Since my conversion I understood that The Father & Jesus are one, I did not have issues with that. But was there not any other way to save us than for Jesus to die? I guess I actually had a question about God – if He is so wise, how come He did not find another way? I did not see the real ‘beauty’  in the cross. Only when you explained the picture in the medical context, Jesus providing medicine for my selfishness, have I started to finally ‘see the light’. Thank you so much. Your seminar, “Healing the Mind,” are absolutely marvelous & have shared them with my family and many other people, including colleagues at work. Thanks, thanks, thanks. May God bless you abundantly in your ministry.

M. W., Australia

 

Testimony 40

I was brought up in a different faith and have been petrified my whole life of God. I believed that I would burn in hell for eternity. When I was 12 I started pursuing the things of this world, but for the next 45 years the Spirit was always calling me, as I knew there was a God through nature. I could see the vast sea of stars in the universe and knew there was something bigger out there. Five years ago, through a Revelation seminar, I was blessed to learn about God’s character and government.

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Tom W., Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA

 

Testimony 34

I was introduced to Come and Reason Ministries by accident, via a passing comment made in a bible study class we were visiting. I checked this website out and my life was changed. The understanding of the truth of God’s character, and how we apply it, is so right. The tricky part is consistently applying which “lens” to look through. As I began to understand, I started sharing the basics of this understanding with a discussion group I was leading and, suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense that never used to. At the same time, I enjoyed an amazing opportunity. I was able to conduct a full bible study at WORK! What an amazing experience! It is such a joy to share the truth about God and to share how it all fits in the war between God and Satan. So many people benefit when we have a correct understanding about how God works and who He really is! Thank you for this transformational understanding. Keep up the good work! God Bless you!

Tony P., CA, USA

 

Testimony 37

Hearing Dr. Jennings’ presentations in person came at a pivotal moment in my spiritual journey that began about nine months ago, when the fault lines inherent in my belief system began to crack under questions that most reasonable people end up asking about God and His nature. These were questions I couldn’t find answers to, and they shook my faith. I was unable let it go any longer and be satisfied. My Christian experience became distant. I was afraid; the fear in me rose like thorns, pushing me away from Jesus. And then someone heard my questions and introduced me to this ministry, and my life has totally changed.

I can tell you that this new, “present truth” message is far grander and life-changing than when I shifted from being an agnostic and then a nominal Christian. It has radically altered my worldview, because it reveals a God that makes sense. It is a revolution. I believe that Dr. Jennings’ message is the final message that must go to the world. If any message could be called “righteousness by faith,” as abused as that term is by the right and the left, this is that message, because Jennings’ biblical message identifies a God who is different, whose character isn’t an impossible contradiction.

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Testimony 18

The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

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Testimony 65

I have been tuning into your weekly study classes for a while now and wanted express my appreciation for the teachings that ha been a huge blessing in opening up the true message of the word. Viewing scripture under an imposed law theory always, without fail, raised more questions, concerns, and conflicting scripture interpretations that were discouraging at the very least. Looking at scripture through the design law lens has brought more truth to light for me personally and an understanding of our Heavenly Father that places Him “above all others,” where I am now more than thrilled to witness and serve Him.  I “stumbled” across this ministry a year or so ago and would only watch a few minutes at a time. But the more I listened and the longer I paid attention, the more my spiritual eyes were opened to the ever present truths of scripture. The comprehension of the great controversy and it’s origin by the lies perpetrated and perpetuated throughout the Bible on the attack of God’s character and government is truly priceless. Keep up the Good Work! Your servanthood is desperately needed in such a time as this!

Jeff D., Reading, MA, USA