God's Not Dead

God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty

By Rice Broocks

I finished this book on November 4, 2016. It took about two weeks to read. I've seen the movie, but this book really isn't about the movie. Rather the book is about the evidence behind the movie, and more importantly the evidence to support that not only did Jesus live, but He was crucified, resurrected, and appeared to His disciples and believers. I'm a believer, but the reason I love this book, and other books that prove Jesus was the Messiah, is because it arms me with the knowledge and confidence to not just stand firm in my faith, but to take it a step further and become a defender of the faith. "All believers should be able to give reasons for their faith."

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."
― 1 Peter 3:15
"While we must certainly treat those who express hostility toward God with dignity, we must also be prepared to speak the truth boldly."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The truth is that God has created a world where free moral agents are able to have real choices to do good or evil... God made a world where choices are real and humanity is affected by the choices of other humans... Though God gave clear commandments to humanity, we have for the most part ignored these directives. The mess that results is not God's fault. It's ours."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The truth is you don't have to have an explanation for every explanation. Such a demand sets up an infinite regress where nothing would be knowable and science and reason would all break down."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The real question is, how much proof is enough proof to convince you that God is real?"
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The truth is, if your mind is made up about what you don't believe and won't believe, then no amount of evidence will convince you."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The good news announces that God became man in Jesus Christ, He lived the life we should have lived, and in our place He died the death we should have died. Three days later He came back to life to verify His identity as the Son of God, and now He offers full pardon and forgiveness to all who will believe and turn from the darkness of sin and the futility of trying to save themselves. Those who turn and put their trust in Him will never be ashamed."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The gospel changes us from the inside out. That is why many are quick to say that Christ didn't call us into religion but into relationship, relationship with Him and with one another."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"God deserves the recognition for all He has created. Knowing that a Creator exists changes everything in our outlook and worldview. It should inspire us to honor Him more than we would honor any woman or man for any human achievement. It should also cause us to seek Him, to earnestly desire a relationship with Him."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Faith involves reasoning, remembering and researching or study. Faith is hard work. We have to do our part to understand what God is promising, grasp the conditions of those promises, review the evidence of His faithfulness in the past, and hold on to our convictions about this regardless of our mercurial feelings."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"It is when we apply ourselves to understand, seek wisdom, examine everything, and hold fast to what is true that we discern the right path and make the wise decisions about our lives and our world."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"God wants you to have knowledge of Him. This knowledge comes not only through Scripture but also through the evidence exhibited in the world He created."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Trust is probably the most important ingredient in building a relationship. This is true not only between people but in a relationship with God as well."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"God must necessarily exist in order for atheists not to believe in Him. There is no other explanation for the capacity to reason (even poorly). Atheism and naturalism can't account for reason. To say that reason came into being for no reason is unreasonable."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"There is no real conflict between science and God, but there is a conflict between naturalism and faith."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Real faith is not blind. It is evidence-based and requires all our efforts in pursuit of the truth."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"If there is no God, there is no such thing as evil. You see, without God evil doesn't really exist. The unbeliever can't describe the world we live in without borrowing the biblical concepts of good and evil."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"But if there is no God, there couldn't possibly be a transcendent morality that everyone should obey. Good and evil would simply be illusions, man-made and arbitrary. Certainly without a transcendent God or source of moral authority, it comes down to whatever are the opinions of the majority. So from where does this universal sense of right and wrong come?"
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?"
― C.S. Lewis
"The real challenge is this: whether you are a believer or an unbeliever, atheist or theist, evil is not just around us — it is in us. That is why it is safe to say the existence of evil is not evidence of God's absence in the universe but evidence of His absence from our lives."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"These, then, are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they out to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in."
― C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity
"without God all things are permissible"
― Fyodor Dostoevsky
"God's mercy is demonstrated by His becoming a man in Jesus Christ and dealing with our ultimate enemy who lives in the unseen world."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"God created beings who had the capacity to fail. Failing meant making the choice not to do good. From the beings we call angels to the humans made in His image, God's creations have real power to make real choices. If God created us without that right and ability, we wouldn't be having this discussion."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong, but I can't. If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata — of creatures that worked like machines — would hardly be worth creating."
― C.S. Lewis
"By allowing evil a momentary presence in human existence, He not only defeated it on the cross but also will ultimately remove it forever. Because of this, in eternity, we will be able to exist with our free wills intact without the presence of evil."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The moral law is written on every human heart. Good and evil are very real and only truly understood in light of the existence of a transcendent authority. This is because there are moral principles that are universally true, regardless of culture or context. The existence of evil is not evidence of God's absence in the universe but evidence of His absence from our lives."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Maybe a person can't articulate her or his faith logically, but that doesn't mean faith in God itself is illogical or irrational."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The sheer magnitude of evidence for this so-called uncaused cause calls for consideration for the existence of God. Just so long as this entity remains anonymous and impersonal, everything's fine. But a caring, personal God, who answers prayer and judges sin is frightening to the imagination. If the Creator of the eye actually sees or if the Maker of the ear actually hears, then we are responsible and accountable for our words and actions."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"I find it quite improbable that such order came out of chaos. There has to be some organizing principle. God to me is a mystery, but it is the explanation for the miracle of existence, why there is something instead of nothing."
― Allan Sandage, winner of the Crawford Prize in astronomy
"Only if a Designer had specifically created our universe with the intention of supporting life would we exist."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"In one moment, all space and time itself came into being. This notion of a beginning of everything was resisted due to the fact that it pointed people toward a Creator. What's more, the incredible fine-tuning of the fundamental laws of physics is evidence as well of a personal superintellect responsible for a universe that is life-permitting."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Natural selection tells you only what happens after you get life. If there is no life or no cell to begin with, then there is nothing to select."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"A blind evolutionary process could not produce the wondrous forms of life we see today, particularly humanity."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Even if the mechanism that accounts for all the changes in life from one species to another were natural selection, it would have taken a supernatural Designer to have constructed such an astounding process."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Our souls long for something beyond merely material existence. We are desperate for relationships, for significance, and for a real reason to live."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Any similarity in those fossils or in the genetic codes of chimpanzees and humans can be attributed to a common Designer, not common descent."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"A pointless beginning points to a pointless existence. A purposeful beginning proves life has real purpose and meaning. Humanity's universal need for purpose and meaning in life points to the existence of God."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"This is the anchor of our hope and faith. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrated that God exists and give a vivid picture of His nature and character."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The miracle of the resurrection of Christ is that it demonstrated how God pierced the veil of the physical world by becoming a human in Jesus Christ."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Though we are still limited in what we can ultimately know, God gave us the ability to know that He is real, His word is true, and there is life after death."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The reason that Christ is the only source of salvation is He did what no other person in history did by living a perfect life and then offering that life for the sins of the world."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Nineteen centuries have come and gone, yet today He is the crowning glory of the human race, the adored leader of hundreds of millions of the earth's inhabitants. All the armies that ever marched and all the navies that were ever assembled and all the parliaments that ever sat and all the rules that ever reigned — combined — have not affected the life of man upon this earth so profoundly as that One Solitary Life."
― Dr. James Allan Francis - One Solitary Life
"God doesn't give commandments He knows we cannot keep, but we cannot keep them without His help."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Because we are designed by God, we function best with His power and truth by following His instructions. Any deviation hurts us in the way that putting water instead of gasoline in an automobile's engine will hinder its function. God wants to empower us to live optimally in the world He made, so He gave us accurate instructions on how this happens. The Bible, in a real sense, is the instruction manual for life."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The Bible gives us a reliable account of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. His identity as the Son of God was verified by His resurrection. Our faith is first and foremost in Him, and because of His authority, we approach the Scriptures as true and trustworthy."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The Bible is a collection of sixty-six books written by forty different authors over a period of sixteen hundred years. In spite of the diversity of authors and contexts of each book, the theme of redemption or salvation is consistent. From Genesis to Revelation this is true. The different strands weave together into a beautiful tapestry reprsenting God's redemptive story in history. Though many issues are covered in the Bible, an overarching consistent theme unfolds to reveal the ultimate salvation found in Jesus Christ."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The majority of the differences between manuscripts simply consist of differences in spelling, different synonyms, and summaries of sections. Very few differences represent significantly different understandings of the text, and none in any way alter any foundational Christian teaching"
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"To love God is to have a specific expression, and to love your neighbor is demonstrated not merely in a feeling or emotion but in our actions."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Just believing in the Bible or even just reading it does not transform lives. People must place their complete faith in Jesus' promise of forgiveness for their sins and in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform them from the inside. Then the Holy Spirit brings divine revelation causing the Scriptures to reshape readers' hearts and mind."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The most faithful of God's people who sinned have had their stories told just as they happened. No whitewashing of the ugly parts or retelling them to cover up the blemishes. The Bible tells the story of real people and real life."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Because of the compelling nature of its truth and message, Christianity prevailed against this powerful juggernaut of the Roman State, not by military force from without but by changing hearts and minds from within."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"God is a God of judgement as well as love. The two traits are not mutually exclusive. If God did not judge evil, then He wouldn't be truly loving."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"When we read of God acting in judgement toward a person, city, or nation, many fail to recognize the seriousness of the evil that was committed and the number of opportunities the wrongdoers had to change their ways before judgment came. God's mercy is more abundant than His judgments."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"If you don't know how serious the consequences for your actions should be, you'll never really understand how amazing the grace is that God extends to you. That's why people today tend to minimize the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our sins to pay for our salvation. They have never realized the eternal separation from God that we deserve for our sins and assume the reward of heaven is certainly theirs."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"No one deserves heaven. Our sins of pride, selfishness, lust, and rebellion have resulted in a separation between God and us. Only when we realize the punishment we deserve will we comprehend the magnitude of God's gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. Grace is God's unmerited favor toward us that He gave us through Christ's death and resurrection."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Our world would be a dark place without the light of God's truth overwhelming the emptiness of unbelief."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"No one is ever too lost, and it is never too late for any person, city, or nation to turn to God."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The majority of those who turn from Christ do so not because of a lack of evidence, but because of a lack of effort. They simply quit trying, or others stop trying to reach them. Living in darkness is much easier than living in the light; so are apathy and indifference towards others."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The living proof of God's existence is the continued testimony of His working in the lives of people around the world. Regardless of age, ethnicity, or even cultural context, the message of Jesus Christ continues to be the hope of the nations."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"The power of God is freely given to those who are humble enough to ask, desparate enough to seek, and bold enough to knock."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Science can tell us how systems and processes function, but it will never be able to tell us from where life comes."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"He has given us enough evidence to know He exists but waits for us to seek Him."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"God is indeed alive, that knowledge should inspire us to press through the obstacles and seek Him with all our hearts."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
"Sooner or later everyone has to seriously ponder the questions “What is the meaning of life?” and “Does God exist?” These are the great questions of our time. The answers to these questions will define and direct your life like no others. They are not questions that can be ignored forever. As you simply open your eyes to the people around you, you will find there is an enormous openness to start conversations that will have eternal significance."
― Rice Broocks - God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty

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