If you have been following my journey thus far, then you know I'm at a breaking
point. I started all of this to prove that science has the answers to the
origins of the universe, to the origin of man and to debunk the myth of a God who
created everything. My journey was supposed to be a scientific one to
better understand the truth and reveal it to others. Instead science has let me
down repeatedly. Not only do scientific theories on the origins of the universe
lack consensus and have many holes, due to recent discoveries, scientists
have conceded that 96% of the universe is made up of matter and energy that we
can't see, touch, or interact with in any way! They literally have no idea what it
is and as it turns out, we actually understand very little about the other
4% which makes up the entire known universe. Science has also let me down
when I researched into the organs of man. There's actually very little real
evidence in support of the "molecule to man" evolution theory than they would
have you believe. It was very disappointing. If you analyze the theory
from the primordial soup to the emergence of man, there are enormous
holes at every level of the chain. It's like Swiss Cheese! So we actually know
close to nothing! Nada, zero, zip, zilch... in my opinion science does not have
sufficient answers to answer the questions of origins or makeup of the
universe or the existence of mankind. My research into the Bible however, was the
exact opposite of what I expected. Although there are many stories that are
hard to believe or difficult to understand,
I couldn't disprove any of them. In fact, my research actually uncovered evidence
for Jesus's life, miracles, followers, death, and even his resurrection from the dead.
So I'm at a key decision point...
This is part 7 and the series finale of
The Skeptic's Journey, a true story of an atheist's search for answers. Throughout
this entire series these are his exact words. This is his story, his journey.
You might be surprised to know that my journey to reach this decision point has
taken over 15 years and included a lot more information than can be
communicated in these short videos. I've read countless books, scientific journals,
and even sacred texts from almost every single major religion. In the end all of
my research boiled down to one simple question: Was I going to put my faith
in science or God? It's been said that everyone is a person to face, even the
atheists. We all put our faith in something. I blindly put my faith in
science for many years. Others put their faith in God. And still others don't even
attempt to pursue answers to these types of questions, but that just means they
put their faith in this life, in themselves, or maybe money, or power, or
even their families. But everyone is a person of faith! It's just a matter of
what you put your faith in. And come on, let's be honest. There's only one answer,
one truth. It's not relative. Either God exists or He doesn't. We can either
accept it or reject it. That's the decision. That's the choice. So in the end,
I realize this is an exercise of faith either way, because there is no
definitive proof on either side of the debate. No matter which side you choose
there's always gonna be questions without answers. I'm not a wishy-washy
person. I take a stand on things. And I need to take a stand on this decision.
After years and years of research I've come to a very surprising conclusion.
After looking at all of the evidence, in my opinion I believe it is a bigger leap
of faith to place your confidence in constantly changing and unproven
scientific theories, than it is to believe in God. So I decided I wasn't
going to let what I don't know or understand about God or the Bible keep
me from making a decision about what I do know and understand.
I made a rational well considered step of faith and believed in God...
And now, that choice of faith was over 15 years ago I made the decision to believe
in the God of the Bible, who sent His Son, Jesus, as our Savior. Since that decision
you may be asking, what's happened to me these past 15 years? Well I have to admit
it's kind of hard to explain but let me start with an analogy. Think
about the following human emotions that we all experience at different points in
our lives. The exhilarating thrill of an amazing
rollercoaster ride, the enduring pain of a third-degree burn, the all-consuming
fear of a near-death experience, and the truly indescribable joy of intimacy with
your beloved spouse. I'm a married man so, I can say that. Now imagine you were
asked to explain those sensations to someone who had never experienced it
before. You can tell them what happened, how it made you feel as best you can, you
can use as many adjectives as humanly possible, but the truth is no matter what
you say it's not the same. They will never know what it truly feels like to be in
that situation until they experience it for themselves.
Sometimes our words just aren't enough, but I'll do the best I can. Before I made
my decision to believe in God, I was a terrible father and husband. I had severe
anger issues that surfaced at all times and my wife, my kids, and just in life in
general. I was a prideful man. I lived more for myself than I live for others. I
did not find true joy in life on a daily basis. Let's just say I was not a happy
camper. I made a lot of mistakes and my wife would have been fully justified
leaving me. My life changed instantly when I made this decision. I was living
for a larger purpose. It wasn't about me.
My daily joy in life increased exponentially, yet my circumstances
remain the same. It felt like something was different in me. I faced adversity
with a completely new mindset. There was a miraculous change in my marriage and
my family life as well. My anger issues were gone. My marriage became the biggest
source of joy on this earth even still after 40 years together I have a very
close relationship with my wife my kids and even my grand kids. My pride
diminished. I don't think less of myself, I just
thought of myself less. Some of these changes were gradual but some of these
changes I can only describe as a true miracle because they happen
instantaneously the moment I chose to believe. I cannot describe how truly
miraculous some of these changes were that took place in me ever since I
accepted got into my life. In addition to the behavior changes and the miracles I
witnessed one of the most profound transformations that took place was
right here. I'm definitely more of a thinker than a feeler... I'm not usually
one to talk about my emotions. But I can tell you I've felt true joy, true
contentment, connectedness to God and even true forgiveness in a way that I
can't even put into words. Don't believe me? I get it
I really do, because I was that very same person that would have never given God
credit for any of these changes and dismissed these feelings and emotions as
"all in your head". If you were a skeptic like I was, all I can say is it wasn't me
it was Him. If you take that step of faith and believe in God by following
Jesus Christ he will change your life. And I promise
you, you will experience new emotions that you won't be able to explain fully
either. My goal in all of this was to tell you my story and to encourage you
to take your own journey. Be a skeptic if you must. Do your research on both sides
of the debate, carefully evaluate all of the evidence but in the end make a
decision. I hope you will decide as I did to follow Jesus without a doubt it is
the best decision I've made in my life. I love you all. May God bless you.
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