SHARE Magazine January 2017 | Page 5

You have questions we ’ ve got answers
too many “ Churches ” where my heart sank within me because I felt like I was among cold strangers , certainly not brothers . I felt rather like an alien among a strange people . How I long to find my Father ’ s other children , I know they are out there somewhere . So , here is the question , where can we find true Christians today ? Is the real
Church gone underground as it was in Jesus ’ time ?
I trust that the listings of articles in this issue will help re-establish our identity as God ’ s family and to recognise our intrinsic value to the whole . That we may recognise that we are not individual organisations or denominations but one family . May your reading of this issue re-invigorate your desire to find your place in Jesus ’ family , to identify your purpose and go on to pursue it with passion .

I remain in Jesus ’ Service . Love as always Angela Slack

Editor and Co-founder

Q & A

You have questions we ’ ve got answers

This issue ’ s question taken from GotQuestions . org : Accessed August 27 , 2016 .
http :// www . gotquestions . org / Bible-mythology . html
Question : How do I know the Bible is not just mythology ?
Answer : That the Bible originated in the mind of God makes it not only unique among all books , it is unique among all the treasures on earth . President Abraham Lincoln appropriately referred to the Bible as “ the best gift God has given to man .” Indeed it is . It reveals God ’ s eternal plan of redeeming the fallen human race . Yet even though billions of copies of it have been distributed throughout the world , many continue to question its truth . Is the Bible a book of mythology , or is it the true , inspired Word of God ? This question is of the greatest importance to every person , whether they know it or not .
Many religious texts claim to convey a divine message . The Bible , however , stands alone in that God left absolutely no room for doubt as to whether or not this is His written Word . If anyone undertakes an honest effort to examine the facts , he will find the Bible most assuredly has God ’ s signature all through it . The very same mouth that spoke all of creation into existence also gave us the Bible .
Unlike mythology , the Bible has a historical framework . Its characters are real people living in verifiable locations during historical events . The Bible mentions Nebuchadnezzar , Sennacherib , Cyrus , Herod , Felix , Pilate , and many other historical figures . Its history coincides with that of many nations , including the Egyptian , Hittite , Persian , Babylonian and Roman empires . The events of the Bible take place in geographical areas such as Canaan , Syria , Egypt , Mesopotamia and others . All this certifiable detail refutes the idea that the Bible is mere mythology .
Unlike mythology , the Bible has many confirmations in sciences such as biology , geology , astronomy , and archaeology . The field of biblical archaeology has absolutely exploded in the last century and a half , during which time hundreds of thousands of artefacts have been discovered . Just one example : at one time , skeptics used the Bible ’ s references to the Hittite civilization as “ proof ” that the Bible was a myth . There was never any such people as the “ Hittites ,” according to the science of the day . However , in 1876 , the first of a series of discoveries was made , and now the existence of the ancient Hittite civilization is well documented . Archaeology continues to bolster the Bible ’ s historicity . As Dr . Henry M . Morris has remarked , “ There exists today not one unquestionable find of archaeology that proves the Bible to be in error at any point .”
Unlike mythology , the Bible is written as history . Luke wrote his Gospel as “ 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 .” Luke claims that he had “ carefully investigated everything from the beginning ” and so wrote “ an orderly account ... so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught ” ( see Luke 1:1-4 ). Did Luke include miracles in his account ? Yes , many of them . But they were miracles verified by eyewitnesses . Two thousand years later , a skeptic might call Luke ’ s account a “ myth ,” but the burden of proof rests with the skeptic . The account itself is a carefully investigated historical document .
Unlike mythology , the Bible contains an astounding number of fulfilled prophecies . Myths do not bother with prophecy , but fully one third of the Bible is prophecy . The Bible contains over 1,800 predictions concerning more than
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January - March 2017 SHARE | MAGAZINE | 5