I honestly cannot write these next few words without feeling a lump in my throat and my eyes beginning to tear. It's because I love you both so very, very much. My dearest Nana and Ta Ta, you did so much to make my life special. I'm forever grateful to you both, and I will always cherish the beautiful memories of our times together. Nana, you gave me the best mom in the whole world, and I know why she was the best-because her heart was as beautiful as yours. I love you so much for that. You are my best friend. I am truly blessed to be your granddaughter. I pray every day for God to heal your heart. May God comfort you and keep you well. I love you, my dearest Nana.
I feel so strongly in my heart that my husband's ministry is the fulfillment of my mother's prayers. She was a true prayer warrior, and she prayed as hard for Michael as she did for everyone she knew and for many people whom she didn't know. I know that nothing would please her more than to know that those of you who have read Michael's testimony will be touched enough to want to seek comfort in the person of Jesus Christ. That was her mission, to bring people to Jesus. That was Michael's hope and prayer in writing this book. It is my prayer for all of you. I thank you for allowing my husband to speak to you and for giving him the opportunity to glorify God through the work of his ministry.
God bless you,
Camille
Afterword
"I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."
It's one of the most famous movie lines ever spoken. Vito Corleone, the man who spoke those words in The Godfather, was subtly referring to the power the godfather had to force someone to accept his offer, like it or not. You can be certain that the offer being made was not for the benefit of its recipient, but rather for that of the mobster or his mob family. I am very familiar with the mob's persuasive power. When I was in the life, I took advantage of that power when I needed to.
Our Creator has likewise made us an offer that none of us should refuse. He has offered to all of us the gift of eternal life, not by way of force, but by way of simply accepting His Son Jesus Christ into our hearts. Unlike the godfather, God the Father makes us an offer that will benefit our lives, both here on earth and for all of eternity.
Today, I am making an offer to all of you who have not yet come to know your Savior and also to all those believers who still might have some doubts about the Christian faith. Take the time to "intellectually examine" the claim that Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God and that the Holy Bible truly is the Word of God. Examine the evidence in support of these claims, and I guarantee that you will arrive at only one conclusion-a conclusion that will leave you wondering why you didn't accept God's offer long ago.
How do you begin this intellectual examination? First, if you don't already have one, get yourself a Bible. My experience has been that most people who reject the idea that the Bible is the word of God have never even read it. I recommend the New International Version. It is a simple translation and very easy to understand.
I don't believe there is any specific formula for studying the Bible. It is certainly not necessary to start from the book of Genesis and read all the way through to the book of Revelation. In the beginning, you might want to skip around and look for a book that is of particular interest to you. God will get your attention as you begin to find your way. I began my examination with a thorough reading of the New Testament. I was very interested in learning about Jesus. The entire Old Testament was written in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, and I wanted to know who He was right from the start. I became fascinated with the four Gospels and the epistles of the apostle Paul. I kind of worked backwards from there and began to study the Old Testament. The books of Proverbs and Psalms were of particular interest to me. The writings were so profound, so intelligently written, that I was really inspired by their teachings.
From there, God seemed to just take over. He instilled in me a genuine desire to prove to myself that all of this amazing material I was reading was factual, reliable, and worthy of my belief. The Bible itself was convincing me of that, but I wanted more proof, more independent evidence that I could rely on to establish the authenticity of the book itself.
I realized that the Bible, among other things, was actually a history book. It contained the history of the world from the beginning of creation to the establishment of the Christian church after the death and resurrection of Christ. I began to search for additional written materials that would help me form an objective conclusion concerning the authenticity of the writings of the Bible. I was amazed at the volumes of information that were available in bookstores concerning the authenticity of the Holy Bible.
I then expanded my search to include information concerning the authenticity of the writings of other religious beliefs and objectively compared that information with what I had learned about the Bible. For me, the conclusion was simple. Hands down, the Bible was truly the Word of God. I am confident that an honest, objective examination will lead you to arrive at the same conclusion.
Be certain that, by no means, is it my intention to attempt to establish myself as an authority on the doctrine of the Christian faith. I am neither an authority nor an expert in that regard. There are many learned and knowledgeable Christian scholars who are far more qualified than myself to teach and explain Christian doctrine. It was not necessary for me to be a scholar, however, to process the evidence in support of the reliability of our Christian faith. I trust it will not be necessary for you, either.
I have provided for you a list of reference materials that have helped me establish beyond any reasonable doubt that Jesus is Lord and that the Holy Bible is truly the Word of God. The following information is taken from these reference materials and offered to help you get started on your intellectual examination of the evidence, an offer that no one is really in a position to refuse.
Remember, this is an intellectual examination, a search for the truth. Examine the information carefully, objectively. Weigh the evidence. Only when you are totally convinced of the deity of Jesus Christ can you give your heart completely to Him. Do not deprive yourself of the amazing gifts such a commitment will bring to your life.
The Uniqueness of the Bible
The Bible stands alone among all other books ever written. It is different from all other books in the following ways, to name just a few:
Unique in Its Continuity
The Bible is the only book that was
1. Written over a span of about 1500 years.
2. Written by more than forty authors from every walk of life.
3. Written in different places and on three different continents.
4. Written during different moods.
5. Written in three languages.
6. Written in a wide variety of literary styles.
7. Written to address hundreds of controversial subjects.
8. Written (in spite of its diversity) to present a single, unfolding story of God's redemption of human beings through one central character, Jesus Christ.
Unique in Its Circulation
The number of Bibles sold reaches into the billions. More copies have been produced, either in whole or in part, than any other book in history. If you were to line up all of the people who received Bible or Scripture selections last year and then hand a Bible to each one of them every five seconds, it would take more than ninety-two years to distribute what just the United Bible Societies gave out last year alone.
Unique in Its Translation
No other book in history has been translated, retranslated, and paraphrased more than the Bible. According to the United Bible Societies, the Bible has been translated into more than twenty-two hundred languages, which represent the primary vehicle of communication for well over ninety percent of the world.
Unique in Its Survival
The Scriptures have never diminished in style or correctness, nor have they ever faced extinction. Compared with other ancient writings, the Bible has more manuscript evidence to support it than any ten pieces of classical literature combi
ned.
Unique in Its Teachings
Prophecy:
Among the evidences put forth by the Bible for the truth of biblical Christianity, fulfilled predictions (prophecies) are especially important. According to Deuteronomy 18, a prophet was false if he made predictions that were never fulfilled. No unconditional prophecy of the Bible about events up to the present day has gone unfulfilled. Hundreds of predictions, some of them given hundreds of years in advance, have been literally fulfilled. The time (Daniel 9), city (Micah 5:2), and nature (Isaiah 7:14) of Christ's birth were accurately foretold hundreds of years earlier in the Old Testament, as were dozens of other things about His life, death, and resurrection. The ancient world had many different devices for determining the future, known as divination, but not in the entire gamut of Greek and Latin literature, even though they use the words "prophet" and "prophecy," can we find any real specific prophecy of a great historic event to come in the distant future, nor any prophecy of a Savior to arise in the human race. No other religion or religious writing outside of the Bible can claim the absolute existence of fulfilled prophecy.
Character:
The Bible as a book focuses on reality, not fantasy. It presents the good and the bad, the right and the wrong, the best and the worst, the hope and despair, the joy and pain of life. And so it should, for its ultimate author is God, and "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account" (Hebrews 4:13).
Unique in Its Influence on Civilization
Civilization has been influenced more by the Judeo-Chris- tian Scriptures than by any other book or series of books in the world. The influence of the Bible and its teachings on the Western world is clear to all who study history. It has been the most available, familiar, and dependable source of intellectual, moral, and spiritual ideals in the West. After some two thousand years, the centuries themselves are measured from the birth of Jesus. Calendars in India and China, like those in Europe, America, and the Middle East registered the dawn of the third millennium from the date of His birth. The Bible presents the highest ideals known to men, ideals that have molded civilization up until the present day.
Historical Accuracy of the Bible
The Old Testament has been shown to be reliable in at least three major ways: (1) textual transmission (the accuracy of the copying process down through history), (2) the confirmation of the Old Testament by hard evidence uncovered through archaeology, and (3) documentary evidence also uncovered through archaeology.
Evidence from Archaeology
The Old Testament:
Not only do we have accurate copies of the Old Testament, but the contents of the manuscripts are historically reliable. The evidence in support of these facts is not credibly refutable.
Archaeology, a relative newcomer among the physical sciences, has provided exciting and dramatic confirmation of the Bible's accuracy. Whole books are not large enough to contain all the finds that have bolstered confidence in the historical reliability of the Bible.
William F. Albright, reputed to be one of the greatest archaeologists, states, "There can be no doubt that archaeology confirmed the substantial historicity of Old Testament tradition."
Other experts have also spoken as to the evidence supporting the Bible:
It may be stated categorically, that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has led to amazing discoveries.
-Nelson Glueck, renowned Jewish archaeologist
Archaeology has confirmed countless passages which have been rejected by critics as unhistorical or contradictory to known facts .... Yet archaeological discoveries have shown that these critical charges.. .are wrong and that the Bible is trustworthy in the very statements which have been set aside as untrustworthy... .We do not know of any cases where the Bible has been proven wrong.
-Dr. Joseph P. Free, professor of archaeology and history, Bemidji State College
Professor Merrill F. Unger, who received his A.B. and Ph.D. degrees at Johns Hopkins University, says, "Old Testament archaeology has rediscovered whole nations, resurrected important peoples, and in a most astonishing manner filled in historical gaps, adding immeasurably to the knowledge of biblical backgrounds."
I have not even scratched the surface here in providing you with the volumes of discoveries archaeologists have uncovered to quiet the Bible's critics and prove its authenticity and reliability as an ancient manuscript. In short, even the stones have cried out in praise of the word of God as it appears in the Holy Bible.
The New Testament:
The primary sources for the life of Jesus Christ are the four Gospels contained in the New Testament. Aside from the numerous archaeological discoveries that provide clear and convincing evidence of the New Testament's authenticity and historical accuracy, there are considerable reports from non-Christian sources that supplement and confirm the Gospel accounts. These come largely from Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Samaritan sources from the first century. These reports corroborate numerous accounts of Christ's life that are reported in the Gospels, including the accounts that: (1) He performed unusual feats that they called "sorcery," (2) He was crucified in Palestine under Pontius Pilate, (3) it was believed by His disciples that He was raised from the dead three days later, (4) His small band of disciples multiplied rapidly, spreading even as far as Rome, (5) His disciples denied polytheism, lived moral lives, and worshipped Christ as divine.
The twenty-seven books of the New Testament proclaim and verify the historicity of Jesus Christ. A careful review of the evidence proves that these books are historically reliable as previously indicated. We can see that their testimony about Jesus provides significant, irrefutable evidence that He really lived and, in fact, still does.
Consider for a moment how tradition says the apostles met their deaths because of their absolute refusal to renounce Jesus Christ as the Savior and the one true God:
Having walked with Jesus during His public life, these men had to make a determination as to whether Jesus was actually the Son of God and the Savior as He claimed to be, or else a liar, madman, or demon, and, on top of it all, an absolute fool.
Consider this: if Jesus really knew He was not God, then He was lying. But if He was a liar, then He was also a hypocrite, because He told others to be honest, whatever the cost, while He, at the same time, was teaching and living a colossal lie.
If Jesus really believed He was God when, in reality, He was not, then He had to be a lunatic-a madman. God is either God, who knows all things and cannot be mistaken, or He is not.
More than that, He would have been a demon, because He deliberately told others to trust Him for their eternal destiny. If He could not back up His claims and knew they were false, then He was unspeakably evil.
Last, Jesus would also have been a fool, because it was His claim to deity that led to His crucifixion.
If Jesus was a liar, a con man, and therefore an evil, foolish man, then how can we explain the fact that He left us with the most profound moral instruction and powerful moral example that anyone has ever given? Could a deceiver, an imposter of monstrous proportions, teach such ethical truths and live such a morally exemplary life as Jesus did? The very notion is beyond belief.
The reliably documented evidence that is the New Testament account of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection and of the apostles' activities after His resurrection, allows us to reasonably and rationally draw only one conclusion: these men went to their deaths believing what they reported, that Jesus was the Son of God and Savior as He claimed to be.
Consider What Some of Our Great Leaders Say about the Bible
"It is not possible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
George Washington
"
A Bible in every home is the principle support of virtue, morality, and civil liberty."
Benjamin Franklin
"There is a Book worth more than all the other books which were ever printed."
Patrick Henry
"I say to you, search the Scriptures! The Bible is the book of all others, to be read at all ages, and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once, twice or thrice through, and then laid aside, but to be read in small portions of one or two chapters every day, and never to be intermitted, unless by some overruling necessity."
John Quincy Adams
"The Bible is the rock on which our republic rests."
Andrew Jackson
"I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this book upon reason that you can and the balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man. I believe that the Bible is the best gift God has given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through the Book."
Abraham Lincoln
"The best religion the world has ever known is the religion of the Bible. It builds up all that is good."
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