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mso-gram-e:yes;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> </head> <body lang=EN-US link="#356AA0" vlink=purple style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> <p class=NormalWeb3 align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:26.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black'>Why Doesn't God Reveal Himself to Me?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black'>By Dave Hunt</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family: Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'><br> <span class=GramE>(<i>An excerpt from Dave Hunt's timeless classic,</i> In Defense of the Faith<i>.</i>)</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=NormalWeb3><span style='font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 style='text-align:justify'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'>Question: I would like to know God, and I have asked Him to reveal Himself to me, but nothing happens. No lights have gone on, no messages in the sky, no sudden revelation. It seems to me that if God really existed He would want us to believe in Him and He would therefore do something tangible to let us know He exists. Is it wrong to ask for some unmistakable evidence of God's existence?</span></b><b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family: Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=NormalWeb3><b><span style='font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;color:black'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 style='text-align:justify'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'>Response:</span></b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:black'> No, and the evidence is all around you--more than you need. The kind of evidence you seem to be hoping for, however, wouldn't help at all. Suppose some message with your name in it suddenly appeared in the sky. How would you know that God put it there? Suppose right now you heard an audible voice saying loudly, &quot;I am God! Worship me!&quot; What would that tell you about God--and how would you know that He had actually spoken?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'><br> In fact, God <i>has </i>spoken to you. The design of the universe is a message from God, telling you of His existence as Creator and of His infinite wisdom and power. Those things that you value most highly and that you know in your heart make life worthwhile--love, joy, peace, moral purity, goodness, truthfulness, justice, kindness-tell you of God's character. Your conscience tells you that you are morally accountable to God, that you have violated His laws and have fallen short of His perfect standard. Your conscience also tells you that there is no way you can make up for having broken God's laws. You can't buy Him off with sacrifice, prayers, good deeds, or ritual.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'><br> Suppose you got a speeding ticket. Would you waste your time telling the judge that you've driven that stretch of highway within the speed limit more often than above it? Would he let you off under the theory that <span class=GramE>your</span> &quot;good deeds outweigh the bad&quot;? You know that won't work with an earthly judge, and it certainly won't work with God.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'><br> Would you tell him that if he lets you off this time you will never break the law again? You know what the judge would say: &quot;If you never break the law again, you're only doing what the law requires. You get no extra credit for that. It doesn't make up for having broken the law in the past. The penalty will have to be paid as the law prescribes it.&quot; You know it's the same way with God.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'><br> Your conscience tells you that the only way you could possibly escape the severe penalty that God's infinite justice must demand for having broken His laws would be if He forgives you. And you know He can't just wipe the slate clean for no reason. For one thing, that would hardly encourage you to improve your behavior. Furthermore, it would violate <span class=GramE>His own</span> law. He must have some way of paying the penalty Himself--a penalty you can't pay--so that you can be forgiven by His grace.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'><br> You don't know what that method may be, but you know that a God of perfect love and perfect justice would somehow provide it. If there is an explanation of this good news, it would surely be in the Bible. In fact, God has explained it all in those pages. Have you seriously studied the Bible and checked out the evidence that shows it is God's infallible Word?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'><br> There is more than sufficient historic, archaeological, and scientific evidence to prove that the Bible is God's infallible Word. In fact, in this volume alone we provide overwhelming evidence of that fact. But you don't really need it. That kind of proof is like icing on the cake. If you just read the Bible with an open heart and mind, you will know that God is speaking to your heart as only He can speak.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'><br> I recommend that you begin with the Gospel of John and continue through Acts and Romans, then read those three books again. God has promised in His Word: &quot;Ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart&quot; (<a href="http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&amp;version=KJV&amp;passage=Jeremiah+29%3A13" title="Bible Gateway"><span style='mso-ansi-font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt'>Jeremiah 29:13</span></a>). That is a promise you can count on! Seek God with all your heart and put Him to the test by looking in the Bible for the revelation of <span class=GramE>Himself</span>!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=NormalWeb3 style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal>(Courtesy of <b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>bereancall.org, </i></b>printed with permission)<o:p></o:p></p> </td> </tr> </table> <!-- InstanceEndEditable --></td> </tr> </table> </body> <!-- InstanceEnd --></html>