Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Lexington, KY. Pastor JOE H. HEAD
Pleasant Ridge Baptist ChurchLexington, KY. Pastor JOE H. HEAD 

THE HANDPRINT OF GOD          

John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

   Intro: People generally believe in a Supreme Being. He is called by different names by various religions. Few people will boldly profess their atheism or agnosticism; while Christians who have had an experience with God are bold to confess their faith in Him as real.

   The scientific community is largely at odds with the Christian understanding of God and of creation that is given in the Bible. Hence, they tend to mock those of the faith for a belief of which they claim there is NO PROOF. But do scientists do the very thing which they accuse Christians of doing? Yes, they do.

   This is exampled clearly in the newest of discoveries by physicists of what they call the Higgs boson, or the “God particle.” They define it as the elusive subatomic particle thought to give all matter in the universe size and shape. Science has spent decades and billions of dollars on research to prove the theory of its existence.

 

  1. HOW DO SCIENTISTS KNOW THE HIGGS BOSON EXISTS? Fact is, they don’t.

   There has been much jubilation in the science community about the discovery of the Higgs boson. CERN’S atomic smasher on the Swiss-French border has been creating high energy collisions of protons to investigate dark matter, anti-matter and the creation of the universe, which many theorize occurred in a massive explosion known as the Big Bang.”* It is being heralded as the “Historic Milestone*” of our day. What is a Higgs boson? It defined as a very small subatomic particle which has never before been found or seen. It was thought to a part of the atom, but proof was needed to confirm the theory. Finally, they say they’ve found it even though it cannot be seen, the “footprint and shadow”* is there never-the-less. They are satisfied that this is enough to believe in the existence of the particle. This vague discovery was by a Scottish man named Peter Higgs and others in the 1960’s. It is sometimes called the “God particle.”

      Rob Roser who leads the search for the Higgs boson at the Fermilab in Chicago, compared the results to finding the fossilized imprint of a dinosaur: “you see the footprints and the shadow of the object, but you don’t actually see it.”*

   “Confirmation of the Higgs boson would constitute a rendezvous with destiny for a generation of physicists who have believed in the boson for half a century without ever seeing it.”*

   So enough of the news from fantasy land!

   Let’s get real. Now let me get this straight.   Science mocks the Christian religion and our source of authority, the Bible, for believing in a supreme being, God, who is invisible, is believed to exist by 90% of the people, and although we have never seen Him and are without scientific proof that He exists, we firmly believe that He does exist and is the creator who made all things.

   While they mock Christians for this faith, at the same time they believe that some particle exists, is invisible, has never been seen, only a few believe it exists, but is believed to be there because it seems to have a footprint and casts a shadow. No proof, where’s the material evidence? Show something the Higgs boson has done.

   So how is that different from Christian faith? Science has always been big on faith in its theories and short on proof. For example, no empirical proof exists which shows the evolution of one kind of species into a totally different species; yet they theorize that this is how life evolved from a simple cell to the myriad of life forms evident today. Hey, where did that simple cell come from? Their answer is that it spontaneously appeared. Hocus pocus, poof… there it is! Wow! Double Wow, Wow!! Only in their wildest fantasy. But that’s all they have to propose their theory of a Creatorless creation.

   Now, that is faith pure and simple. But they have the audacity to mock Christian who make the leap of faith to believe in an Almighty God who spoke everything into existence; and because we have seen His handprint in the material things which He has made without ever seeing Him. Isn’t it more sensible to believe in the God who was there when creation happened; than to be a man who was not there and only has a theory of how it occured?

 

II. HOW DO WE KNOW GOD EXISTS?

The inspired word tells us where to look, Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” The Greek translated “framed” means: to complete thoroughly, be prepared, framed by the word of God.

   Visible things. Just look at natural things all around you. All of it was prepared/created by God; things were spoken into existence. In the book of Genesis we are repeatedly informed, “that God said…. and it was so.” The divine fiat of an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent eternal supreme being had only to speak it, and it was done. Miraculous, yes! Impossible? No! Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

   Science believes that all things are possible by natural evolution and come by chance when given enough time, right? If one dismisses the belief of origins by a powerful God, “chance” is the only place to go. Science is weak!  God didn’t need a lot of time to get His work done. His spoken word made it immediately happen.

   God said it, I believe it, and that settles it. But wait, let’s put it this way, God said it and that settles it whether I believe it or not! Amen!

   God has revealed his handywork, in the Old Testament inspired writings: Psalms 19:1-4 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world….”

   And what does it say to us? It says this to me, Isa 44.6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:” Isa 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” Isa 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,” Ho 13:4 Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.”

   And in the New Testament, Romans 1:19-25 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

   Here’s a thought, even the Apostle Paul knew that unbelievers would allow their skepticism to drive them deeper into denial of God’s existence. This is repeated today by the scientific community which is also mostly composed of the skeptical and unbelieving who choose rather to cling to their fragile hope that God does not exist and therefore they are not accountable to Him now nor in any next life. Paul then explains the consequences of such a denial in these next verses.

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”

   The infidels, atheists, unbelieving, and agnostics will all stand before God one day in judgment , but then it will be too late to acknowledge Him and Jesus Christ the Son of God to the salvation of their never dying souls.    

   Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

   Christians understand God’s eternal person by the things He has made, these show His power and Godhead, they are the “handprints” and “footprints” of God. We have not seen Him, but we know the reality of His existence. He lives in us. Jesus prayed for us,John 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

   Let the Bible speak about origins: Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” 1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” Hebrews 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

   Let the creation speak. And we must not twist its words into what we might rather hear. It has volumes to say about itself. The immensity of space in the universe and all it contains; the depths of the microscopic world; and the variety of life forms that we know exist, the marvel of the human brain, the functioning of all our bodily systems that keep us alive, all reveal the handprint of a God who is much larger than everything He has made.  

   Everything that is, must have an origin/creator; Every design indicates the necessity of a designer; Everything that lives must have a source for its life and since life has never been created by science, it must be that life came from God.  John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

   Science has no clue where all the order in the universe came from. Science sees all the mystery in things which exist but has no clue why it is that way. They keep looking for answers in all the wrong places. The Bible, which is a book of fiction to them, has all of the answers. They will not read it. If they read it they do not believe it. If they do not believe it, they have no answers to the questions about origins. Christians know the Bible truth and are satisfied by it.      

   Speaking about Jesus Christ, Paul wrote this in Colossians 1:15-17 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

   Now then, it is of utmost importance that finite human beings recognize their limitations of knowledge and accept the infallible revelation from God and believe it. If they will not, judgment day is coming, here is their destiny, Revelation 21:8 But the fearful (Gr. mns: faithless), and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

 

 

   *Quotations are from articles by Dennis Overbye, NYT; John Heilprin and Seath Borenstein, A.P.

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Revelation 11:17 "Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned." 

 

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