final thoughts about the inspiration of the Bible

Alright, this is my last posting about this stuff (for now at least ha). Here are just some final things to think about ...

If the authors of the Bible were not guided by God, then how on earth did all of the proclaimed prophecies end up fulfilled?!?  Because the Bible was written over 1600 years, many earlier writers made bold predictions about what would happen in following centuries.  They went out on a limb and said, “Under the inspiration of God, we are gonna tell you what will happen 1000 years from now!”  Here are some of those prophecies …

The birth of Jesus was predicted several hundred years before His arrival.  It was in print.  These prophecies were incredibly detailed, in fact, they included the following:

·         Jesus would be born of a virgin.

·         He would come 483 years after the year 444 BC.

·         He would be of the lineage of Abraham,

·         the tribe of Judah,

·         the house of David.

·         His birth place would be Bethlehem.

·         He would have a ministry of miracles.

·         He will cleanse the temple.

·         He would die a humiliating death involving …

   *rejection of his own people,

   *silence before his accusers,

   *being mocked,

   *piercing of His hands and feet,

   *being crucified with thieves,

   *praying for his persecutors,

   *speared in his side,

   *buried in a rich man’s tube,

   *and casting of  lots for his garments.

That is a total of 18 prophecies concerning one man alone.  And every single one of those 18 prophecies came true … every single one!  A mathematician, Peter Stone, wrote a book as he tried to figure the odds of any one person fulfilling all of these prophecies.  He found that the odds of one person fulfilling only 8 of them are 1 in a million-billion. I didn’t even know that number existed!!  How can anyone account for these prophecies being filled hundreds of years later; apart from the admitting that God played a part in authoring these predictions.

Another example …

In the 5^th century BC, the city of Tyre was on the Mediterranean coast.  The Bible prophet Ezekiel made the assertion that Tyre was going to be destroyed and that no city would be built on that site again.  The people who heard that prophecy during that time must have thought Ezekiel was deluded.  It would be like me announcing to you that some big city like Boston is about to be wiped out, and some national wildlife preserve is gonna replace its location. You'd think I was crazy for suggesting such a thing.  But a few hundred years after that prophecy by Ezekiel, the prophecy was fulfilled in amazing detail.  The city of Tyre was utterly destroyed.  If you go to the holy land today, you can take a tour and be brought to the flat rocks that once provided the foundation for that city … they have never been built on since.  How do you account for the fulfillment of that and hundreds of others prophecies of scripture being fulfilled?  It had to have been inspired by God.

The reality is, it is easier to criticize the Bible then it is to yield oneself and allow scripture to make an appraisal of our lives.  The Bible gets to the root of issues of character.  People know that if they read it, it’s gonna speak truth to them about their condition.  It is going to bring up matters of sin, repentance, heaven, and hell.  And nobody wants to bring those things to the forefront.  But I can assure you that being vulnerable to this appraisal of your life will open up a world of freedom if you recognize and accept what God is offering.  There is a reason that the Bible is translated into over 1200 different languages.  There is a reason that it has stayed atop the best seller list for about 300 years.  There is a reason why is has survived bans and burnings – it has outlived its cruelest opponents.  And it is because the God of this universe is behind everything in it, and the God of this universe has to power to keep His Word alive so it can continue to save and transform the lives of millions of people until the end of time.  So I challenge you to think about all of these things and really ask yourself, “what’s stopping me from at least searching deeper about this gift of Salvation that Christ offers?”  Because the message of salvation in the Bible is very clear.  And the Bible has proven to be accurate and credible.  And the Bible has undoubted markings that it was inspired by God.  So doesn't it seem like it is worth considering its message, rather than disregarding it because of the inconvenience?  If you allow God to “rain on your current parade,” you will find that your parade is nothing compared to the freedom, and love, and hope, and joy that He can give you when you turn to Him. That's a promise from me, but more importantly, from God.

Alright, that’s it.  Thanks for reading.  Grace and peace ♥

the inspiration of the Bible

People talk about the Bible as being God-breathed, meaning that God guided the thoughts and hearts of the authors to record, through their individual personality and style, exactly what He wanted to communicate to people in written form.  In fact, in the Old Testament alone, scripture claims to be the “Word of God” 2600+ times.  If the Bible wasn’t inspired by God, then I would question its application to my life.  Even if their accounts were accurate, are these 40 different authors sharing the right message to the millions of people who read the Bible, or were their beliefs entirely off base and formulated in their own minds?  But I have an unwavering faith that God “breathed” every sentence of scripture –- He spoke directly and indirectly to the authors and unambiguously counseled and instructed each of them as they put the pen to parchment.  And this faith doesn’t come from a simple hope that I am right.  It comes from a deep rooted trust in how the Bible is penetratingly, and sometimes painfully, accurate to my life and my condition as a human.  It comes from the ability of scripture to speak to me and touch my life in positively profound ways.  It comes from the reality of the “facts” about its inspiration, and because that is kinda the kick I’ve been on, these “facts” are what I am gonna share with you now.

Consider…

If the Bible wasn’t God-breathed, wouldn’t you expect it to include some of the erroneous beliefs from the particular time that it was written.  For example, 500 years ago, everybody thought the earth was flat.  If the Bible had been written 500 years ago (which it wasn’t—this is just an example so go with it lol), don’t you expect that mention of a flat earth would have been found within its pages because that is what man was entirely convinced of at that time?  Well, these kind of mistakes did not make it onto the pages of the Bible.  Not because the authors were crazy smart and ahead of their time, but because God was inspiring them, and He is ahead of all time.

So here is a specific example… Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Old Testament in 1500BC.  Archeologists found a medical journal in Egypt (where Moses is from) dating back to 1500BC.  This medical journal is called the Papyrus Ebers, and it is considered by historians to be the “most advanced medical journal of that time.”  This is what Papyrus Ebers suggested as medical cures:

**“To prevent the hair from turning grey, anoint it with the blood of a black calf which has been boiled in oil or with the fat of a rattle snake.”

**To save people bitten by poisonous snakes, physicians gave them magic water poured over idols.

**For a simple splinter, it was suggested to apply worms blood and donkey dung to the area.  The bacteria in these are now known to cause lock jaw and kill people FYI.     

Moses was born in and lived in Egypt for years.  He knew about the Papyrus Ebers; he was raised with it.  And yet when he led 2 million people out of Egypt, he didn’t turn to Papyrus Ebers for medical advice.  He would head up to Mount Sinai (the mountain where God would speak to Moses alone), and would come back to the people of Israel with all sorts of medical advice very opposite of Papyrus Ebers.  In fact, in the Bible, you know what God recommended to Moses for contagious diseases?  Not some magic water, or animal dung, or blood … He recommended quarantine.  And now 3500 years later, what do we do to take care of contagious diseases?  Quarantine.  The Bible was ahead of its time because God is ahead of all time, and He inspired it. 

Here’s another example…

In 1840, a physician named Ignes Simowitz worked in a hospital in Venice.  At that time, the normal routine was to perform autopsy’s on the first floor and then go to the second floor and examine pregnant women.  And this was before they washed their hands.  Simowitz noticed that the mortality rate was 84% among pregnant women, so he suggested that the doctors dip their hands in a bowl of water in between each case.  The doctors in Venice ran him out of town because they said he was suggesting something that was a complete waste of time.  Clearly, Simowitz was ahead of his time. 

Ironically, 3500 years ago, Moses wrote in the Bible about what you were supposed to do if you touched a dead body.  You were to take off all of your clothes and wash them, and then you were supposed to wash your hands in a particular way: place your hands under living water (which implies running water), then take your right fist and rub it in your left hand, and then take your left fist and rub it in your right hand.  And then you were supposed to never dry hands with cloth, but instead, you were supposed to stand with your hands hanging, letting the water drip off your elbows until the sun had dried your hands.  And now … so many years late, every surgeon does this exact procedure a dozen times a day before going into surgery.  If this wasn’t the word of God, then how could the Bible have been so spot-on so long ago? 

The Bible was not mislead by erroneous beliefs of its time because God breathed it.  Instead, it recommended things that were so far ahead of its time that we still use those principles today.  How could that even be possible unless God inspired all that was written in scripture? Just think about it.


K thanks for reading.  Grace and peace, my friends♥

credibility of the Bible continued

Even MORE to consider ...

So although the oral and written testimony of the Bible displays unwavering credibility, it doesn’t stop there.  The Bible makes hundreds of references to historical events, places, people, etc.  Because of that, there are plenty of opportunities for contradiction between the Bible and historical record.  But in reality ... there have been very few contradictions, and although a small number have come up at some point, they have been dissolved by the realization that the Biblical account proved to be spot on.  This isn’t coming from a biased perspective, it’s coming from actual evidence that has been uncovered by Christian and non-Christian scholars, researchers, archeologists, and historians alike. 

Take these examples (from the few instances in which contradictions arose)…

Luke 3:1 says, “Lysanius was the tetrarch (governor) of Abilene” during the year of 29AD.  Well for years, critics said that Lysanius had been executed in 36BC – sixty years before the date that Luke claimed he was tetrarch of Abilene.  But about a decade ago, archeologists found an inscription on a stone that said “Lysanius: tetrarch of Abilene from 16-28AD.”  That’s legit evidence that the Biblical account was more accurate than the historical account.

Also in Luke, the word “polytarch” is used to describe governors, as well.  For years, historians were arguing that the world “polytarch” had not come into existence until hundreds of years after Luke was written … so obviously manuscripts have been altered since they were originally written.   But then in the last 15 years, there have been 35+ inscriptions on stone using the word “polytarch” that date back to the time that Luke wrote the gospel of Luke.

The book of Genesis talks about a nation of people known as the Hittites.  Historians were never able to come up with any trace of evidence for the existence of the nation, so for years this was used as evidence against the credibility of the Bible.  Then in 1906, an archeological dig proved the existence of the Hittite nation – it went so far as to uncover the nation’s capital and 40 other cities within it.  


In chapter 5 of Daniel, the Bible references a man named Belshazzar as being the King of Babylon in that day.  The historical records, though, have held that Nabonidus was the king of Babylon at the time that the book of Daniel is referencing.  Obviously a clear cut contradiction.  Historians argued that obviously the Bible is wrong – “We have straightforward evidence!”  Au contraire … in 1956, archeologists dug up 3 stones that contain the inscribed information that solved this problem.  It seems that Nabonidus decided to lead his armies out to a far away battle front, so he established his son as king of Babylon in his absence.  And his son’s name … Belshazzar.  Once again, the biblical account passed the test for historical accuracy. 

One archeologist did a study on Luke.  All 32 countries, 54 cities, and 9 islands Luke discusses or makes mention of were talked about with absolute accuracy.  They all existed.  There is no evidence to contradict statements made in Luke about these places.  In fact, there has never been a discovery in archeology that has contradicted a single thing in the Bible.  Instead, in the few cases when contradictions between the Bible and historical record existed, archeological records have shown that the Biblical account was the more accurate account.  Archeologist, Nelson Glueck, was quoted stating, “It may be categorically stated that no archeological study has ever contradicted a biblical reference.  Not even one.”  That’s quite a statement, but it’s true across the boards.

What all of this tells us is that the Bible is entirely credible.  The authors were truly eyewitnesses – the oral and written testimony is legit.  The “stories” and messages are consistent with the historical happenings, places, people, etc – the collateral evidence is flawless.  In regards to the oral and written testimony, Simon Greenleaf, who is the head of law department at Harvard University, was not a believer in Christ when he made the following statement:  “The resurrection, because of the testimony of those witnesses, would stand as fact in any English speaking court of law in the world.”  Since he came to this realization, he committed his life to the Savior.  So whether you believe in the importance of accepting Christ as your Savior, you cannot argue against the truth that the Bible was written exactly as it happened.  It is accurate.  It is credible.  It is not a bunch of made-up stories to entertain people.

Even still, although the Bible is in fact true, I know the question still remains … “Yea, but was it really inspired by God?  Do I really have reason to base my whole life on it's message?!"  This is the stuff that is actually most exciting to me!  I can’t wait to share it with you in the near future – so be on the lookout. :)

K thanks for reading.  Grace and peace ♥ 

credibility of the Bible

More to consider …

So although the Bible stands the test for accuracy, questions still remain … is the actual message of it credible; were the authors for real firsthand witnesses that are trustworthy?

The test for examining ancient literature’s credibility involves looking at the oral and written testimony, and collateral evidence of the writings.  When we consider the testimony given by the authors of the Bible, we face verses like , 2 Peter 1:16  which states, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

Also, Luke 1:1-4 says, “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

At least 23 different times, the New Testament writers wrote that they were eyewitnesses.  And consider this, the disciples told the story of Jesus to people that were alive at the same time as Jesus was alive.  Moreover, their message of Jesus Christ and His resurrection was often proclaimed to hostile listeners who would have stopped the rumor, had it been false … but no one stopped it.  When the disciples and authors of the Bible spoke of Christ’s resurrection, for example, they spoke of it as a common knowledge; they wrote about actual people, places, things, and times – all of that would have been silenced immediately by opposition if it wasn’t true … but it wasn’t.  Instead, the message has lasted into the 21^st century, and has had a profound impact on millions of lives. 

I recently heard a great illustration that clarifies what I talked about above.  I’d love to hear what you think.  Okay, so …we were alive at the time of Princess Diana.  Imagine if I loved her so much that I started a cult proclaiming that one time in Wadsworth, OH, she took a happy meal and fed the whole town … or that since her life-ending car crash, she has been resurrected.  Would you accept that and pass the information along to others, or would you say it’s crazy and ignore it?  If the people alive at the same time as Christ and at the same time that the message of His resurrection was being proclaimed thought that the disciples were crazy, than that message would have not stood a chance and would not have been passed on so that we now receive it years and years later.  That’s gotta tell people something about the credibility of the Bible.

I’ve heard people argue that the twelve disciples who went all over the world sharing about Christ knew that they were telling a big lie and where just trying to make a killing off of their preachings.  Ironically, instead of “making a killing”, eleven of these twelve disciples were killed.  Peter, Andrew, James, Philip, Simon, and Bartholomew were crucified.  Matthew and one of the other James were killed by the sword.  Thaddeus were shot with arrows.  Thomas was speared to death, and the other James was stoned to death.  If they were all in on some big hoax, you would think they would have admitted to it quickly, especially when there were about to be tortured, but instead they held firmly to the Truth and gave their lives for its cause.  So that thousands of years later, we can read of their sacrifices and be assured that Jesus and Salvation is real.

Quick note: The only disciple that wasn’t murdered was John.  But he didn’t go without persecution for his faith and preaching of the Gospel … he was dipped in boiling oil several times, by the incredible grace and power of the Savior in whom he entrusted his life, he just wouldn’t die.  So his persecutors got so frustrated they just exiled him forever.  Pretty remarkable, in my opinion.  God is amazing.

So as far as oral and written testimony goes, the Bible proves to be credible.  The disciples [those who followed Jesus and went around preaching to the world about receiving His gift of salvation] were eye witnesses to the "stories" in the Bible, and they were willing to give their lives in order to spread the Truth about faith in Jesus Christ.   And the message they proclaimed was not shot down by those alive during Jesus' time on earth -- because it was all true.  So even those who were hostile to Christ and didn't want to accept the Truth, they knew it was all real and actual happenings; there was nothing they could do to stop the true message from being proclaimed.  And that is why you and I are still hearing this message today, and can believe every word about Christ Jesus and what He will do in our hearts, minds, and lives if we entrust our lives to Him.

So if you are a believer, I hope that this information can help you defend the faith that you have, just as it is helping me.  If you have not let Christ intervene in your life, think about this evidence and ask yourself, "What's stopping me from believing in him and fully accepting His gift of salvation?"

If you ever want to know the sources for what I am sharing with you, I’d be happy to pass them along.  This stuff is so incredible … eye opening, thought provoking, life changing.  I have even more I’ll be posting on here in the near future because there is just so much awesome truth to learn!

K thanks for reading.  Grace and peace, my friends ♥

accuracy of the Bible

The Bible was written over a period of 1600 years by 40 different authors.  The Old Testament tells of the old agreement between God and man, and the New Testament tells of the new covenant.  The new agreement entails that Jesus Christ bridged the gap and serves as the mediator between God and man.  The new covenant contains three promises: 1) the power to obey the Lord’s commandments through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives; 2) forgiveness of sins through acceptance of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross and our commitment to God and His will; 3) eternal inheritance of Christ’s kingdom.  [Hebrews 8-10 are one of many chapters that clarify these points – definitely worth checkin’ out!]

This new covenant offers so much hope and blessing.  Salvation is a gift greater than anything we could ever need.  And yet so many people choose to ignore the gift.  A common reason I have come across is that people don’t believe that this covenant in the New Testament is legit because they don’t believe that the Bible, itself, is legit or true.  Question is … what have they, and you, done to determine whether the Bible is true or not?  Through some recent searching, this is what I have found:

So there are 3 basic questions that are used in order to test all ancient literature for its accuracy.  The 3 basic questions are … 1)how soon after the original manuscript was written was the earliest manuscript copy produced? 2)how many manuscript copies have been produced since then? 3)how much variance is there between current copies and the original manuscript?  Well let’s compare the New Testament of the Bible to 3 very well known pieces of literature that have been discussed and studied in schools across the world for years and years.

Aristotle’s very first manuscript was written in 340 BC.  The earliest copy of that writing was produced in 1100 AD … 1400 years later.  There are now 5 manuscript copies of the original manuscript.

Caesar wrote the history of the Gallic wars around 50 BC.  The earliest copy of that manuscript was written in 1000 BC … 1100 years later.  Since 50 BC, only 10 manuscript copies of the original have even been made.

Homer wrote the Iliad in 850 BC. The earliest copy of that manuscript was produced in 150 AD … 1000 years later.  There are now 5000 manuscript copies of the Iliad.

The New Testament was completed in 90 AD.  The earliest manuscript copy of it was dated to 130 AD ... 40 years later.  There are now a whopping 24,363 copies of the original New Testament manuscript.  And it has been determined by Christian and non-Christian historians alike that there is less than 1/2 of 1% variance between the 24,363 manuscript copies and the very first manuscript from 90AD.

Keep in mind that when we talk about biblical manuscripts, we are talking about handwritten copies of the original text of the Bible.  The actual number of Bibles in circulation is estimated to be 6 billion copies; hence it is the best selling "book" of all time.   That's gotta tell people something. 

Common sense tells us that the sooner manuscript copies are made after the original manuscript, the more reliable they are likely to be.  Moreover, the more manuscript copies there are in existence, the easier it is to catch any changes made, which would blemish a piece of literature's accuracy.  The Bible fits into all of this: it has an incredible number of manuscript copies that vary negligibly, and these copies began to be produced only 40 years after the original manuscript was written.  From the test mentioned above, the same test given to every piece of ancient literature, we have incredible evidence that the recorded message of the New Testament Bible is very accurate.  And the more accurate a manuscript is, the closer it reflects the reality of what actually happened. 

I have lots more I'm learning right now, and I am super excited to share it with you.  So I'll add plenty more in the upcoming days or weeks.  Hopefully it can help clarify things for you, just as it has for me.

K thanks for reading.  Grace and peace ♥

attitude is everything

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.”  - Charles Swindoll

I know it is a long quote, but I love it. This may not be a verse from the Bible, but I am certain that God uses the simplest of quotes, experiences, thoughts, stories, etc to speak to you and me.

Attitude is something that has gotten the best of me many times in my life. I allow myself to be “bogged down” by the things I face throughout my day, and I find myself focusing on and allowing the negative aspects of my life to overshadow the positive. There are so many positives in my life: I have a wonderful husband, siblings, parents, and friends. I belong to a loving and powerful Savior who cares deeply about every detail of my life.  I live in an adorable little farmhouse. I have spent my summer weekends surrounded by family at my favorite place in the world – Beulah Beach. I only have 1 semester left in my college career. I am healthy and blessed in so many ways - the list goes on and on. I need to choose to have a positive attitude throughout my days; one exuding happiness, contentment, and passion.

Right now, Kodi and I are experiencing a stage in our lives where we feel stuck -- trapped in a mundane routine. Kodi has been so exhausted from his job lately. And since we got married, I have focused so much on the day that we move on to “bigger and better things;” being a fifth year senior has been highly discouraging for me lately. And we let those individual circumstances really bring us down as a couple. We realized the other day that we have spent the last two weeks so detached from each other. Our conversations consisted of complaining about the day we had, and the day we face tomorrow. And it sucked us dry of any and all passion. Our love towards each other was barely apparent at times. And even as the Lord has been revealing so many wonderful things to me lately, my bad attitude served as a blockade to His blessings.

This quote has really served as a kick in the gut. It has reminded me that many things will happen in life, planned and unexpected, good and bad, exciting and mundane … I have to choose what attitude I will have toward those things because "happiness is a choice that requires effort at times." And if I can be steer clear of being self-absorbed and caught up in a pity party, and instead choose to glorify God by reacting positively, then my life, Kodi’s life, and the lives of those close to us will reap the benefits. Blessings and joy will be apparent in a transforming way; each day will bring a renewed spirit.  That sounds like a worthwhile notion to me! 

Okay, so this is kinda random, but I wanted to include it because watching it puts the biggest smile on my face.  This little girl has the whole positive attitude thing down pat -- perhaps a little too much! lol Check it out:
Jessica's Daily Affirmation

So please pray for Kodi and me.  Pray that our hearts and minds would be overwhelmed by all the ways the Lord has blessed us.  Pray that we would take charge of our attitudes and choose to be positive in a way that builds ourselves, each other, and others up.  Pray that I stop dwelling on the so-called "bigger and better" things of our future and that I find contentment and joy in the here and now.  Because this is an area of my life that the Lord has placed on my heart -- revealing that it needs serious adjusment as I work to fullfil His will for me. 

K thanks for reading.  Grace and peace♥

facts behind my faith

So I recently got the chance to get together with my dearest friends from high school. We had a blast catching up on our current lives and sharing a bunch of laughs. I love those girls so much!  It was pretty awesome because we somehow got on the topic of faith for quite some time. The conversation actually lasted for at least an hour, so we talked about a lot of things. As I shared about our need for Jesus, His gift of salvation, and His transforming power in my life, a lot of questions came up. Questions about the validity of the Bible. Questions about why Christianity is any "better" than any other religion. Questions about the existance of Heaven and Hell. LOTS of questions. And I appreciate so much that these came up. I gave the best answers I could in that moment, but at the end of the conversation, I realized I have SO MUCH to learn. 

If I want to truly stand for Jesus, shouldn't I have the facts and evidence behind exactly what I stand for? Giving general answers to questions about faith isn't going to have the same impact as a clear-cut response.  Although it is not about convincing people to accept Christ as their savior, having the facts can only help to lead them in that direction.  I'm not saying that I think God demands that we all be distinguished scholars on the history of the Bible and Christianity, and so forth.  But I do think that working to know such details is just one more way to serve and glorify Him.  And for some, I believe it might be a necessity in order to be better prepared for carrying out His will. What do you think?  So yea, for me personally, I feel that although the relationship with Christ is the most important factor, knowing the facts is a very useful tool in furthering that relationship and sharing about it with others. I want to have cut and dry evidence behind why I am confident that the Bible is true and breathed by God.  I want to have valid proof that eternity exists beyond our 80+ years on earth.  I want to have reasons why faith can't be relative -- Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me." --  I wanna be able to prove that unmistakably.  I have spent the last several days taking this personal challenge very seriously, and I am loving all that I have learned.


Peter's encouragment in 1 Peter motivates me in this area ... "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).  I know many are familiar with that verse, but in reality, how often are we truly ready to give the reason for the hope we have? ... the reason that demonstrates that it isn't this so called "blind" faith. 

I am encouraged right now to keep searching for how I can grow in my faith and be used by God, and this is just one of the ways that I feel He has laid on my heart.  I encourage you to search out some ways, as well.  Once I have better sorted through the things that I am learning through my studies, I intend to share some of it with you.  Like I said, I believe that knowing these things and having evidence for what we believe, not only serves to better prepare us for sharing about Christ with others, but it can only help us grow stronger in our own walk with Him.  What do you think?

K thanks for reading.  Grace and peace♥