Video “Evidence of God’s Existence”
Paul wrote the Book of Romans to the believers in Rome. He has praised them for their faithful living. He has encouraged them to remember their need for fellowship. He unlocked the mystery of the Gospel so that they could tap into the power to have authority over the enemy and his forces. Now he takes steps to warn them about the culture where they live so they will not become ensnared again in the traps of satan.
Let’s begin by reading Romans 1:18-20. “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”
Paul’s first point is that deep down inside everyone knows that God is real. From Adam to those in Rome to those on the earth today, the evidence cannot be disputed. Everyone knows the truth. Those who “Say there is no God.” know the truth. Those who want to argue the point knows the truth. We spend too much time trying to convince people to confess what they already know to be the truth and not enough time telling them about the Gospel of Jesus which is filled with love, forgiveness, and acceptance.
Paul continues; “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. So, they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.” (Romans 1:21-23)
As humans, we struggle to believe what we cannot see. We want proof of everything. Therefore, we invent foolish ideas. For example, ancient people understood that our world traveled across the heavens so they imagined we were being pulled in a chariot across the skies, foolishness to us but wisdom to them.
Therefore, those who would not recognize the one true God began to formulate foolish ideas of God was like. In Rome the prevalent thought was every person, place, or thing had its own divine soul. Therefore, a tree was God, the City of Rome was God, and every individual was God.
In addition, with these darkened thoughts they began to form statues of these “gods” including themselves to be worshipped.
Nevertheless, this was not a new problem by no means. When the Israelites were in the wilderness, they began to complain about God’s provision of manna. Therefore, God sent poisonous snakes among them. The people cried out to Moses to intercede on their behalf. God told Moses to fashion a bronze snake and attach it to a pole. Those who were bitten and looked at the bronze snake would survive. (Num 21:4-9) We learn later in John 3:14 that this symbolized Jesus being lifted up on the cross.
However, the Israelites perverted this symbol by worshiping the snake. Therefore, King Hezekiah broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made because the people had begun making sacrifices to it. (2 Kings 18:4)
Even David recognized this problem in his life when he wrote, “Only fools say in their heart “There is no God.”
Let us continue with Paul. “So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.” (Romans 1:24-25)
As they began to form these foolish ideas, they started to decide what God would and would not allow. Therefore, they traded the truth for a lie. And God abandoned them to this lie.
This was the culture of Rome in Paul’s lifetime. Prostitution was legal, public, and widespread. Art collections in respectable upper-class households were pornographic. It was considered natural and unremarkable for adult males to be sexually attracted to teen-age youths of both sexes, and intimate relationships was condoned as long as the young partner was not a freeborn Roman. There were no words in Latin for “heterosexuality” and “homosexuality” because there were no different aspects to either.
Simply put; prostitution- acceptable; pornography- acceptable; pedophilia- acceptable; homosexuality as a normal acceptable lifestyle equal to heterosexuality.
As shameful as the things were Paul continued with the spiraling downward of man. “Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.” (Romans 1:28)
First God had abandoned them to their lies and foolish ideas. These foolish ideas led to foolish thinking which led to blatant sin.
This blatant sin led to a crumbling society.
Suddenly their lives were filled with every kind of wickedness. Murder and malicious behavior became prominent. They turned against each other and sought new ways of discovering sinful pleasures. They have become heartless, without mercy.
These are records of historians that lived in ancient Rome.
Rome’s founder “forbade them to destroy any children under three years of age unless they were maimed or monstrous from their very birth. These he did not forbid their parents to expose, provided they first showed them to their five nearest neighbours and these also approved.” (Dionysius of Harlicarnassus)
“For what reason have I for hating a man to whom I am offering the greatest service when I save him from himself? Does a man hate the members of his own body when he uses the knife upon them? There is no anger there, but the pitying desire to heal. Mad dogs we knock on the head; the fierce and savage ox we slay; sickly sheep we put to the knife to keep them from infecting the flock; unnatural progeny we destroy; we drown even children who at birth are weakly and abnormal...”(Seneca)
And the church would not escape such cruelty.
"Nero punished a race of men who were hated for their evil practices. These men were called Christians. He got a number of people to confess. On their evidence a number of Christians were convicted and put to death with dreadful cruelty. Some were covered with the skins of wild beasts and left to be eaten by dogs. Others were nailed to the cross. Many were burned alive and set on fire to serve as torches at night." (Tacitus)
They knew such actions required that they pay a penalty but they did them anyway. And encouraged others to join them.
Does this sound familiar?
In the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court ruled that women, in consultation with their physician, have a constitutionally protected right to have an abortion in the early stages of pregnancy—that is, before viability—free from government interference.
Most common form of abortions
Suction Aspiration; This
Dilation and Curettage (D&C); this method is similar to the suction method with the added insertion of a hook shaped knife (curette) which cuts the baby into pieces. The pieces are scraped out through the cervix and discarded
Dilation and Evacuation (D&E); this method is used up to 18 weeks’ gestation. Instead of the loop-shaped knife used in D&C abortions, a pair of forceps is inserted into the womb to grasp part of the fetus. The teeth of the forceps twist and tear the bones of the unborn child. This process is repeated until the fetus is totally dismembered and removed. Usually the spine must be snapped and the skull crushed in order to remove them.
Salt Poisoning (Saline Injection): Used after 16 weeks (four months) when enough fluid has accumulated. A long needle injects a strong salt solution through the mother’s abdomen into the baby’s sac. The baby swallows this fluid and is poisoned by it. It also acts as a corrosive, burning off the outer layer of skin. It normally takes somewhat over an hour for the baby to die from this. Within 24 hours, labor will usually set in and the mother will give birth to a dead or dying baby. (There have been many cases of these babies being born alive. They are usually left unattended to die.
Prostaglandin Chemical Abortion; This form of abortion uses chemicals developed by the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Co. which cause the uterus to contract intensely, pushing out the developing baby. The contractions are more violent than normal, natural contractions, so the unborn baby is frequently killed by them -- some have even been decapitated. Many, however, have also been born alive.
Hysterectomy or Caesarean Section
Used mainly in the last three months of pregnancy, the womb is entered by surgery through the wall of the abdomen. The technique is similar to a Caesarean delivery, except that the umbilical cord is usually cut while the baby is still in the womb, thus cutting off his oxygen supply and causing him to suffocate. Sometimes the baby is removed alive and simply left in a corner to die of neglect or exposure.
Partial-Birth Abortion; Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby’s legs with forceps.The baby’s leg are pulled out into the birth canal. The abortionist delivers the baby’s entire body, except for the head. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby’s skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the skull.The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child’s brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.
In Rome babies were drowned or left exposed to the elements. In our advanced society we are much more merciful by not allowing them to die such horrible deaths by refusing them the right to be born… The National Right to Life Committee reported on their 1/2012 fact sheet that the total of US abortions since 1973 ( through 2011) was 54,559,615 based on state government health organization data.
We have become people who “do things that never should be done.”
We have become a tolerant people. In a press release from Gallup we learn “-- For the first time in Gallup’s tracking of the issue, a majority of Americans (53%) believe same-sex marriage should be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages. The increase since last year came exclusively among political independents and Democrats. Republicans’ views did not change.” (Frank Newport)
The decision by a federal appeals court in New York to invalidate the Defense of Marriage Act improves the already strong prospect that the US Supreme Court will take up the issue of gay marriage this term.(Warren Richey | Christian Science Monitor – Thu, Oct 18, 2012)
So what is the point being made here? This evil we read about in the Book of Romans has come to our shores. And you must sound an alarm. This year it is imperative that we as the body of Christ let our voices be heard. I am not here to tell you who to vote for or on what your vote should be based. I am not here to judge you on your stand on any issue. I am here to tell you that your voice matters in this election more than ever.
