"I Got Jealous of Jesus" said Ex-Atheist Lee Strobel

...After his wife's conversion to Christianity, Strobel, a journalist with the Chicago Tribune at the time, sets out to disprove Christianity, which strains his marriage and causes great internal struggle. But after an intense investigation lasting nearly two years, the evidence points to "the truth of Jesus Christ" and he accepts Christ as his savior.

Lee Strobel admitted in the interview with Laurie that one of the main reasons he initially was resistant to his wife's new-found faith was jealousy.

Read Ex Atheist Lee Strobel: My Wife's Conversion to Christianity Nearly Led to Divorce 

"I got jealous of Jesus, I felt like there was another man in our marriage," he admitted.

"I felt like she was cheating on me; she's got this emotional support she's getting from this Jesus guy."

Ex Atheist Lee Strobel: My Wife's Conversion to Christianity Nearly Led to Divorce (Interview)

Leslie Strobel shared part of her own struggle, revealing that she felt she could share anything with her husband, other than her faith in Christ.

"What I did find out over time is that the best way to reach him was to continue to let God grow me," she said.

She told Laurie that she began praying a specific verse for her husband, namely Ezekiel 36:26, which reads:

"Moreover, I will give you a new heart, I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take your heart of stone, and turn it into a heart of flesh."

"Once I heard that verse, I prayed it daily and daily, and that's when I started seeing his willingness to at least crack the door open a little bit and look," she said.

Laurie showed clips from the movie to the audience, and when talking about the moment Strobel turned to faith in Jesus Christ, he called it "one of the most powerful moments, it brought me to tears."

Leslie Strobel said of her husband's conversion: "There was no indication that he was close to making a decision, but when he came out and just said 'I believe,' I cried. I simply just lost it."

The powerful story shows that even when Strobel was trying to get his "wife out of the cult," God was "working in his life," Laurie highlighted.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/greg-laurie-brought-to-tears-by-lee-strobels-the-case-for-christ-urges-atheists-to-see-it-177891/#riGWyIGOtr1f34Qc.99

...Lee Strobel tells CP that, during that time in his life, he felt that God was an invention of people's own fears.

"I thought that the mere concept of an all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe was absurd. I thought that God didn't create people, but people created God because they were aftraid of death — so they invented this idea of Heaven. Those were the kind of thoughts that I had," he says. "I was hostile toward Christianity. I used to mock and make fun of people who believed in Jesus being Divine."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/ex-atheist-lee-strobel-my-wifes-conversion-to-christianity-nearly-led-to-divorce-interview-170581/#eCM9FtcqJc7ek6Xt.99

The evidence for Jesus' existence

The evidence for Jesus' existence

From CNN "Finding Jesus" (3/5/2017)

Some scholars who argue for the existence of Jesus says the New Testament mentions actual people and events that are substantiated by historical documents and archaeological discoveries.

Ehrman, author of "Did Jesus Exist?" scoffed at the notion that the ancient world was full of pagan stories about dying deities that rose again. Where's the proof? he asks. Ehrman devoted an entire section of his book to critiquing Freke, the mythicist and author of "The Jesus Mysteries: Was the 'Original Jesus' a Pagan God?" who says there was an ancient Osiris-Dionysus figure who shares uncanny parallels to Jesus.

He says Freke can't offer any proof that an ancient Osiris figure was born on December 25, was crucified and rose again. He says Freke is citing 20th- and 19th-century writers who tossed out the same theories. Ehrman says that when you read ancient stories about mythological figures like Hercules and Osiris, "there's nothing about them dying and rising again."

"He doesn't know much about ancient history," Ehrman says of Freke. "He's not a scholar. All he knows is what he's read in other conspiracy books."

Craig A. Evans, the author of "Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence," says the notion that Paul gave his life for a mythical Jesus is absurd. He says the New Testament clearly shows that Paul was an early enemy of the Christian church who sought to stamp out the burgeoning Jesus movement.

"Don't you think if you were in Paul's shoes, you would have quickly discovered that there was no Jesus?" Evans asks. "If there was no Jesus, then how did the movement start?"

Evans also dismissed the notion that early Christians blended or adopted pagan myths to create their own mythical Jesus. He says the first Christians were Jews who despised everything about pagan culture.

"For a lot of Jewish people, the pagan world was disgusting," Evans says. "I can't imagine [the Gospel writer] Matthew making up a story where he is drawing parallels between Jesus' birth and pagan stories about Zeus having sex with some fair maiden."

The stone that proves Pilate's existence

The words of Jesus also offer proof that he actually existed, Evans says. A vivid personality practically bursts from the pages of the New Testament: He speaks in riddles, talks about camels squeezing through the eye of a needle, weeps openly and even loses his temper. Evans says he is a man who is undeniably Jewish, a genius who understands his culture but also transcends his tradition with gem-like parables.

"Who but Jesus could tell the Parable of the Good Samaritan?" Evans says. "Where does this bolt of lightning come from? You don't get this out of an Egyptian myth."

(Those who argue against the existence of Jesus say they aren't trying to destroy people's faith.

"I don't have any desire to upset people," says Freke. "I do have a passion for the truth. ... I don't think rational people in the 20th century can go down a road just on blind faith.".)..

..."Finding Jesus" premieres March 5 at 9 p.m. EST and a companion resource site has been created for those interested in learning more. The site will provide clips and sermon outlines for pastors and group discussions.

The CNN series was inspired by Finding Jesus the book by award-winning journalist and filmmaker David Gibson, co-authored with Michael Mckinley. To find out more information about the season, visit the website.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-ar-bernard-cnn-finding-jesus-share-faith-interview-176449/#hPzkWz7KR0X3sPbZ.99

Ancient Palace of Sennacherib was Uncovered after Tomb of Jonah was Destroyed by ISIS

ISIS' Destruction of Tomb of Jonah Uncovers Ancient Palace of Biblical King Sennacherib

 ..."Jonah's descent into the depths in the belly of the great fish and subsequent triumphant prophetic mission to Nineveh is seen as a reference to and prototype of the death and resurrection of Jesus."

The team of researchers believe that IS has been tunneling to access ancient artifacts, such as statues, coins, jewelry and mosaics, looking to sell them on the black market to fuel its ongoing war in the region.

One of the tunnels reportedly led archaeologists to the remarkable marble cuneiform inscription of King Esarhaddon of the Assyrian empire, who ruled from 681 to 669 B.C., and renovated the palace built for King Sennacherib.

The Bible describes part of Sennacherib's military rule in II Chronicles 32:1, where it says: "After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself."

Breaking Israel News reports that the 2,300-year-old palace was partially destroyed during the Sack of Nineveh in 612 B.C.

The archaeologists also discovered in another part of the tunnel stone sculptures of an Assyrian demi-goddess believed to sprinkle "water of life" to protect humans in her care.

"There's a huge amount of history down there, not just ornamental stones," Salih added. "It is an opportunity to finally map the treasure-house of the world's first great empire, from the period of its greatest success."

Officials reported back in July 2014 that IS, which was just beginning its conquests in Iraq, had destroyed the tomb of Jonah, the biblical prophet said to have been swallowed by a whale.

"In Christian tradition, the story of Jonah is an important one," scholars Joel S. Baden and Candida Moss told CNN back then. "Jonah's descent into the depths in the belly of the great fish and subsequent triumphant prophetic mission to Nineveh is seen as a reference to and prototype of the death and resurrection of Jesus."

The researchers have been able to expand their efforts since the Iraqi government's reclamation of the western half of Mosul back in February, though the campaign to liberate the entire city and push IS out of Iraq continues.

It has not been made clear why IS radicals destroyed the tomb of Jonah back in 2014, given that a Muslim mosque had also been build there for a prophet venerated by Islam.

"It is believed that ISIS, as part of the Salafi movement, rejects the concept of worshiping at shrines and therefore destroyed it to prevent Muslims from worshiping there," BIN offered.

"Some have speculated that the destruction of the site was intended to wipe o

(Click the link below to read more about Sennacherib king of Assyria )

• Sennacherib king of Assyria & his army killed by the Angel of the Lord

You may also click the link below for many archaelogical discoveries in Old Testament

http://www.christianpost.com/search?k=Isis+found+ancient+king

Sennacherib king of Assyria & his army killed by the Angel

How God miraculously answered King Hezekiah's prayers these 2 times are fascinating!

2 Kings 19:9 ...Sennacherib king of Assyria sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Say this to Hezekiah king of Judah, ‘Do not let your God on whom you rely deceive you by saying, “Jerusalem shall not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”11 Listen, you have heard what the Assyrian kings have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared? 12 Did the gods of the nations whom my forefathers destroyed rescue them—Gozan and Haran [of Mesopotamia] and Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad [of noFrthern Syria], the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

Hezekiah’s Prayer

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the house (temple) of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim [of the [b]ark in the temple], You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth. 16 O Lord, bend down Your ear and hear; Lord, open Your eyes and see; hear the [taunting] words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to taunt and defy the living God. 17 It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have devastated the nations and their lands 18 and have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not [real] gods but [only] the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they [could destroy them and] have destroyed them. 19 Now, O Lord our God, please, save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know [without any doubt] that You alone, O Lord, are God.”

...

 32 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: “He will not come to this city [Jerusalem] nor shoot an arrow there; nor will he come before it with a shield nor throw up a siege ramp against it. 33 By the way that he came, by the same way he will return, and he will not come into this city,”’ declares the Lord. 34 For I will protect this city to save it, for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”

35 Then it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went forth and struck down 185,000 [men] in the camp of the Assyrians; when the survivors got up early in the morning, behold, all [185,000] of them were dead. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria [d]left and returned home, and lived at [e]Nineveh. 37 It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with a sword; and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place

2Kings 20 

In those days [when Sennacherib first invaded Judah] Hezekiah became deathly ill. The prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not recover.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, 3 “Please, O Lord, remember now [with compassion] how I have walked before You in faithfulness and truth and with a whole heart [entirely devoted to You], and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle courtyard, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father (ancestor): “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Behold, I am healing you; on the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life and save you and this city [Jerusalem] from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.”’”7 Then Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And they brought it and placed it on the [painful] inflammation, and he recovered.”..2 kings 20:8 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will [completely] heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?” 9 Isaiah said, “This will be the sign to you from the Lord, that He will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow [indicating the time of day] go forward ten steps, or go backward ten steps?” 10 Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps; no, but let the shadow turn backward ten steps.” 11 So Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord, and He brought the shadow on the steps ten steps backward by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.

If There Were No Mankind, God Doesn't Exist?

Dear Martin, the philosopher:

I lament that your so called " God " only exists in philosophy and abstract land but not in real world. How I wish you could be more realistic!

Let me ask you a question, " If nobody heard a giant tree falling in a far away forest, is this 'tree falling', real or not?" Does this tree falling or its very existence depends on being heard and defined by humans? This falling giant tree could have existed many thousand years before humans started to have history.

 If There Were No Mankind, God Is what?("假如沒有人類，上帝是什麼？ ")

This question of yours is really really very subjective and totally from human perspectives, don't you think? It can only apply to all man made gods & goddesses whose existences do depend on human beings to invent, create and to worship, don't you think?

Is our Creator God made in mans' image or the other way around? Did human beings exist in the beginning of the universe?

How could our Creator God be defined by humans? Who is the Lord of our life? Are we even the lords of our own lives? Can we control our lives?

Our Creator God is self existent (自有永有的)  and exists by Himself, He is the cause of all the living creatures and no one has caused Him to exist.

Since my high school years, I've liked a proverb that says "Pride is like an arrogant rooster who thinks the Sun rises because of its crowing!" ( 驕傲就像 一隻自以為太陽升起是因它啼叫的公雞。) This year is the year of Roosters, and without roosters, no Sun could rise, right? ( No Sun could even exist without roosters!) In a word, do you mean " If there were no mankind, then God doesn't exist? " ( 假如沒有人類, 上帝就不存在嗎？)

Here below are a couple of links for you to think about and comment.

• I AM WHO I AM 我是（自有永有的)（轉貼）

• Does the Truth Matter to You?
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