Proof of Paradise
By Peter Powell
Here it is:
Proof Of
Paradise…evidence of Heaven.
Right here… within these
pages.
Proof of Life After Death.
ă
Copyright 2002 - Peter Powell
All Rights
Reserved
Dedicated
To:
those that need more Faith.
those that want more Faith.
those that have trouble
believing.
those that have lost a loved
one.
those that are heavy laden.
those that are suffering.
those that are dieing.
Table of Contents
Chapter
Since the Beginning
1. Is there a Heaven?
2.
How can God allow pain and suffering
or the death of innocent people?
3.
What is The Reason for our Existence?
4.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
5.
Seeds
6.
Lots of Proof
7.
Who is this man Jesus?
8.
The Perfection of Mankind
9.
Choices
10.
Is there a Hell?
Conclusion
By
the Way
What
are the answers?
Fun Challenges
Since
the Beginning
Since the beginning man has pondered these questions. Man has wondered: what is the reason for our existence? How can
we believe in something we cannot see? How can we believe in something for
which there is no proof? Is there a
God? Where did we come from? Was there a
Creator?
Many
people, for example, Scientists, require proof. They should remember, that just
because there is no evidence of a crime, it does not mean that the crime has
not been committed. The fact is there are many things that have happened in
this world for which there is no proof or explanation.
Scientists cannot explain where life comes from, but it does exist, in abundance. Scientists have spent decades trying to understand our brain (central nervous system), our breathing (respiratory) system, our blood (circulatory) system, etc. Some progress has been made on these things but science hasn’t answered how they first started or how to recreate them.
Let’s see them recreate the water cycle, the atmosphere, the biological chain, the sun, or the balance of nature. Yet, in fact, they admit that we could not exist without these things.
This world is no mistake. Also, it could have very well evolved. I would say it did evolve, and still is evolving. That does not change the fact that God and Heaven do exist. Rainbows exist. You can’t find or touch a rainbow, but, they do exist.
There
is a picture of paradise on the front of this book. Earth untouched by man =
paradise. Virgin land without people on it has no sin in it. That is how it was
after God created it and before man changed it. It is Mankind that is imperfect
and so are his creations. The only things wrong with the Earth are what Man has
done to it.
If you have enough faith in God you really don’t need proof of paradise. If you need faith, or if you want more faith, the following pages may be of help to you. There is Proof of Paradise right here within these pages.
Chapter One
Is there a Heaven?
Is
there life after death?
There
is proof of Heaven and God right here on earth. This evidence surrounds us
every day.
Let’s
take a minute to consider the animal kingdom. There is no sin in their world.
They don’t need a job. They don't have to pay the rent. They don’t have to buy
food or gasoline. They don't need utilities. They are kept warm. They are
provided with food, clothing, shelter, and water. Do they have heaven right
here on earth? Paradise… There is no sin in their world.
Let's
try and remember that we too are animals. Specifically, we are mammals. So
what's the difference between them and us? One difference is that they have no
knowledge of Evil. We do. Animals, except man do not sin. Mankind is the only
Earthly being that lives in sin.
Show me an evil animal besides man. Even a mean dog has been made that way… by man. Show me a tiger that has committed pre-meditated murder with malicious intent. Tigers kill to eat or feed their young. So do we. We are not prosecuted for murder when we kill animals
to
eat. Killing to eat is OK’d by God in his Word[1],
the Bible. Also, most animals do not kill their own kind. We do, and not for
food. Sharks may take a bite but they do not kill to gain a profit (like men),
they are just hungry. Animals follow the law of their kingdom, survival of the
fittest. Please ask yourself if a fish swimming in a lake is innocent? Has that
fish ever done anything that is evil?
The
animals are in another order. They are on a different level of existence.
Which is where Heaven is. It’s in another order
[2]
or on a difference level of existence. Jesus was in another
order or on a different level of existence when He arose from death and appeared.
He was in a Heavenly body, one that is suitable for eternal life.
We
had the same paradise the animals still have here on Earth. We lost it. We ate
from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil[3].
The serpent tempted us[4].
Then God condemned the serpent to crawl on its belly for the rest of time[5].
For goodness sake, it’s the snake.
Chapter Two
How can a merciful, loving God allow pain and suffering or death of the innocent?
This is the number one objection made by Atheists when
trying to prove their case against God.
Consider this:
Our military leaders must
sometimes make decisions to sacrifice the lives of many innocent, brave
Americans for the greater good of protecting American freedom. These men will
follow their leaders’ orders to their own death because they have faith in
their leaders’ reason for the orders.
Or this:
If your dog or cat has a chicken bone lodged in his or her throat and you try to help by attempting to remove the bone you may have to cause even more pain to the animal by cutting or pulling the bone out. The pet is innocent and you are causing him pain for a good reason. Unless this animal has known you for a long time he will have no idea that you're trying to help. Only when the animal is sure of your love will it realize that you're acting out of compassion. The animal must have faith in you in order to know that you're causing more pain out of love.
Would you agree
that the distinction between a Captain or a General and his troops is less than
the distinction between mankind and God? Isn't the difference between man and
God greater than the difference between man and animal? So who are we to question the wisdom of
God? We don't understand creation and
we don't understand our own mind so how can we expect to understand the reason
behind any case of pain or suffering or death. We must have faith.
Usually, pain and suffering is not inflicted by God.
Usually pain and suffering is the result of some choice or mistake
made by man. If we slaughtered the
Buffalo to starve and kill the Indians, did we cause pain and suffering and
the death of innocent people? And how do we rationalize or justify such a
case? If we kidnapped the native Africans
from their homeland to make them slaves, did this not cause pain and suffering
and the deaths of innocent people? And who is the savage in these situations?
If we had not taken slaves from Africa by the tens of thousands what would
be the fate of that continent today? Would it be better or worse?
How can we be sure that the death of a child is not the
price paid by the parent for some sin he or she may have committed? For example,
Joe Kennedy, a well-known sinner (father of JFK), as we all know, paid over
and over for his sins.
How can we be sure that the death of an innocent
newborn child was not for the purpose of bringing a family closer together?
Jackie Kennedy felt this way about the death of her son Patrick Kennedy. She
hoped the birth of this new child would bring her husband, Jack, closer to her.
She did not realize until later that the death of this child was what truly
brought her husband closer to her (Patrick died within a few days after his
birth).
God does not make us choose good over evil. He made us free to make our own choices. And
we live and die by the consequences of our choices. Joe Kennedy, even after attaining his lifetime dream of putting
his son into the Presidency of the United States did not get to fully enjoy it
because of a stroke he sustained.
However, we are not the
judge and we don't know the plan. But, there is compelling evidence that we
reap what we sow. We get what we give. What goes around comes around. Perhaps
this is one of the hardest lessons of all for people to learn and keep. It took
me over half of my lifetime to learn that we get what we give and I had to
learn it the hard way, by unpleasant experience. I
had to pay a price for my wrong doings and I will
probably pay some more.
Isn't it true, that we learn from pain and suffering?
Don't we usually need to learn the hard way?
When our parents tell us what is good or what is right or what is best
do we listen? Or do we do it our own way?
When we put our hand against a hot pan do we learn not to do it again?
We don't always learn from what we are told. We usually must learn from pain
or suffering or some other experience. Isn't
that when we learn best? We learn the hard way, and then it stays with us.
So good does come from pain and suffering sometimes.
Pain and suffering or even
death do not hurt our soul. John the Baptist[6]
endured pain and suffering, by choice, and for good reason. Jesus Christ
endured much pain[7] and
suffering and He was innocent. It was for the greater good. In fact, in His
case, 'twas for the greatest good of all time. If we all did what He asked us
to do, Love One [8]Another[9],
pain and suffering and even death would be reduced by quite a bit, wouldn’t it?
Chapter Three
What is the reason
for our existence?
God gave men the ability to choose. And, I believe, that is the reason we are here. To choose. To choose our path. Good or bad. To choose our way. Right or wrong. To prove, or disprove, our own worthiness for the eternal reward offered by our Maker[10]. That’s it. That’s all of it.
Think about it. From birth to death what does it all mean? The only thing we leave on this earth after we die is our deeds. Are they good or bad? And in death the prince and the peasant are equal. The rich and the poor are the same. After death the only thing that matters is the choices we made during life. So, in my opinion, that is why we're here, to choose our path, to determine where we will end up after death.
On the judgment day, if God asked you to tell him if
you were truly good or bad wouldn’t you know the true answer? Wouldn’t you
prefer the right answer? God gave us the ability to choose between right and
wrong. He made us accountable for our actions in life and in death.
Chapter Four
The Dead Sea Scrolls.
A shepherd found the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave
area just to the northwest of the Dead Sea in 1947. They were in pottery jars,
which helped to preserve them. John Trever, an American scholar, later authenticated
them. The Dead Sea Scrolls have been generally
The reason I mention the Dead Sea Scrolls is simply because they authenticate the Bible. One of the scrolls has been found to be a copy of the Book of Isaiah of The Bible and it has been confirmed that the Isaiah scroll is about one thousand years older than any Hebrew manuscript ever found.
Chapter Five
Seeds
Do you know how small a
tomato seed is? Do you know how many tomatoes one tomato seed will produce? Do
you know how many seeds a tomato has in it? Do you know how long a tomato seed
will last? Do you know of anyone that can create a tomato seed? Do you know how
many different kinds of seeds there are? Do you believe that we could exist
without seeds? Would you say that seeds are miraculous? In my opinion, seeds
are proof of God and all that He has said. Do I need to write another chapter
on eggs?
Chapter Six
Lots of Proof
The US Dollar, the best and most widely accepted currency in the world, carries the words “In God We Trust” on bills and coins.
America’s founding documents, such as The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution are obviously deeply based on the existence of an all powerful Creator or God (…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness - US Declaration of Independence 1776 By Thomas Jefferson).
Consider this analogy:
Man’s courtrooms have convicted innocent people and taken their freedom on less evidence than is presented here for God’s case. I believe they use words like “circumstantial” evidence to justify the taking of a man’s freedom. If the skeptics and scientists would accept circumstantial evidence to prove the case of the existence of God it would have been a “slam dunk” many years ago.
The
existence of the Earth with all of it’s life support systems such as, the water
cycle which provides water for plants and animals and fish while at the same
time cleaning the air and cleaning the water, along with a self sustaining
system of plants and animals that reproduce and evolve and feed themselves and
breath in a gas that they need and breath out a gas that the other needs and
then upon their death they replenish the earth with nutrients to support the
next generations, not to mention an atmosphere that holds the perfect balance
of gases to support life, placed within the solar system at just the right
distance from the sun, and rotating at just the right speed and with just the
right amount of gravity to keep from crushing us, and is in a perfect orbit to
create the seasons, is, in my opinion, enough circumstantial evidence to prove
or substantiate the case for God. If I were a juror on the case I would be
convinced by all of this. Would You?
The complex genius of the Creator in making all of these things so is, in and of itself, proof of His existence. Has anyone ever put together such a complete combination of nature, life, and love? Has anyone else ever come up with such a philosophy that has intrigued and baffled men throughout the ages? Who’s teachings are in a book (The Bible) that is the number one best seller of all time and that carries a message that is left up to the interpretation of its reader, purposely and by design. The simple truth of how it all fits is evidence in itself. It’s hard to understand but at the same time it’s crystal clear.
And here’s another thought or two:
Our Founding Fathers left their homeland, crossed a sea, and built a Nation in order to be free to worship God. Which, by the way, grew to be the strongest Nation in the world.
Over 80% of the people in the world believe in some kind of an ultimate God or universal Creator or Deity.
A few more points:
Bird wings. The bird’s wing is an engineering feat that it took mankind thousands of years to copy. Man’s wings are still not as effective or agile as a bird’s wings.
Bugs wings, like flies or bees or butterflies. Man still hasn’t mastered how bugs wings work. Even though he is trying.
The lily blooms. The lily blooms, along with about a million other flowers, are as much or more pleasant to the eye that any art created by man.
The Sky – another something amazing.
Eyes.
Fingers.
Babies.
Nerves.
I could go on and on.
There must be something to it!
Chapter Seven
Who was this man
Jesus?
It’s up to you to decide whom Jesus was. Here are a few facts that may help you with your choice.
If Jesus Christ was not telling the Truth,
then he pulled off the biggest hoax in the history of mankind. The story of His
life has been retold and written about more than anyone else’s. There are more
pictures of Jesus than anyone else, except maybe George Washington. Buildings erected because of Jesus are third
only to personal housing and restaurants. The story of His life is the number
one best seller of all time.
According to the Gospels[11],
He walked on water, turned water into wine, healed people, raised people from
the dead, arose from his own death, ascended into heaven and is now seated a
the right hand of God[12].
He has prepared the way for us[13].
Chapter Eight
The Perfection of Mankind
Mankind is, by far, the most vile, vulgar,
murdering, lying, cheating, stealing, cursing, raping, sinning, wretched being
that is on the Earth. You might say that we are not perfect. All men and women
are imperfect. None are perfect. So how can we be free of sin? We can’t. We
will falter, no matter how hard we try… we will mess up, as they say, we are
only human.
So what do we do about it?
Our best. Your very best. We try. And when we
make mistakes, we learn. You say, “I’m sorry” and try not to do that again.
Which is known as “asking forgiveness, and repenting”. By doing this and having
Faith in God in life we become perfect in the hereafter, like God, perfect and
pure, like His Son. We are perfected by His Son.
Because, you see. God so loved the world that
he gave His Son so that we might have everlasting life. So that whosoever
believes in Him shall not perish. John 3:16
Jesus died. I mean He suffered and died. He
was crucified and pierced. They drove nails through his limbs and pierced his
side[14].
He died for us. With His death He took the burden of sin off all Mankind.
His blood cleanses us… to make us pure… so we
can get into Heaven… or Paradise. That is the way, the only way, through Him,
that died for us, to forgive us our sin… to perfect us.
What an example Jesus was for us. So good.
Most everyone that met Him loved Him. And His teachings! And He walked in the
Holy Lands and spoke the words of His Father[15].
They saw Him and heard Him. And He healed people and did miracles. He showed
us, in person[16]. We saw it,
with human eyes. He gave us proof.
And He gave his life. That is… He gave His
life. And showed complete Faith. And asked forgiveness for those that murdered
Him. And He told us that He would Rise Again[17]…
to show us… that there is life after death. And He did. He proved it. And they
saw Him. Risen from the dead. And they knew it was Him. They examined his
wounds[18].
It was Him. He proved it. And they wrote it down[19].
And kept it. For all time.
God gave His Son… to cleanse us… Jesus died on the cross… to wipe away our sin. To give us grace. To open our eyes, so that we can see the Way. To give us a chance to be perfect, so we can live in paradise forever.
God brought his Son back to life to show us there is life after death[20].
Chapter Nine
Choices
As you know, every choice you make affects the rest of your life. Every little choice and every big choice affects you thereafter. Every time you decide to get up late it affects the rest of your day, which, in turn, affects the rest of your life. The choice you make to light a cigarette, or not, or drink a beer, or have a baby, or take a walk affects everything that happens afterwards.
God does not make us choose good over evil… or bad
over good. In fact, even His Bible is left up to your choice. It is up to you
whether or not to read it, and how to interpret it. He made us free to make our
own choices. And we live and die by the consequences of our choices.
It is usually easier to do bad than it is to be good. The right decisions are usually the toughest ones. It seems that bad news travels much faster than good news. It's easy to get a bad reputation. But it takes much effort to get a good reputation[21].
We should always remember how easy it is to take a departure from the truth or what is right. When Christ told Peter at the Last Supper that he would deny Him 3 times before the rooster crows[22] Peter adamantly refused believe it, but before he knew it, by morning he had done exactly as Christ had predicted and was ashamed.
Do you feel shame when you do something wrong? Why? Can you rationalize the Truth? How? Can we justify a lie? Or does doing good make you proud? Why? It feels good to do good. And it hurts to be bad.
The choices are simple. Is it right or wrong? Is it good or bad? Which do you choose? Which will you choose?
Life has many choices, eternity has two.
Chapter Ten
Is there a Hell?
Evil begets Evil
Evil breeds evil. It is very prolific. It spreads like bunny rabbits. Or like the plague.
Lies bring more lies. Stealing brings more stealing. And so on…
Have you ever seen this happen? Do you know it’s there? Evil, that is. Have you ever experienced something bad or done something bad or knew someone that did?
OH, evil is there all right, and you know it.
Evil is very strong stuff. It can lure you in… and take you over. It can be fun. It can be beautiful. It can give you pleasure… and it can take your life. It is strong stuff… Yes… Very strong.
And it has… taken lives that is. Many. One rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch… and will… if you don’t stop it… Get rid of it.
OH,
it’s there all right. Don’t you believe it?
Do you need proof that there is evil in this
world? Just as sure as there is evil in this world there is a price to pay for
doing evil. In this world and the next. Just as sure as snakes crawl on their
belly there is a Hell. Or a Hades. Or the land down under. Or whatever you want
to call it.
God is just. And Hell is just. Justice. It is
the price. The price we pay. Isn’t it right to pay for our sin. Isn’t it? Is it
OK to do wrong and have no consequence for it? No conscience? Does that make
sense? So what does make sense?
Hell makes us accountable…for our choices…
for our life.
God knew that Mankind would need a punishment for doing bad. Otherwise Man would always be evil. That is why there is a Hell. Parents know that children do better when receiving rewards and punishments as needed. And without any punishment children become…. And just as employers know that employees need an incentive to do better than average, God knew that Man would need an incentive to do good. That is why there is a Heaven.
Conclusion
So did we prove it? Is there any doubt left?
You don’t really need proof. You need Faith…
Trust in God. To believe in His Son… His message… That is the answer. It’s all
you need.
It’s up to you. No one can do it for you.
It’s your choice. That’s why you are here on this earth… to make the choice.
Maybe it’s not obvious - purposely. If it were
obvious how to get eternal youth or eternal life wouldn’t everyone take it.
That would be too easy. He left it up to each of us to decide what the truth
is on purpose so that we, each one of us, would have to make the choice.
Even if there were 7 billion indisputable
ways of proving it, it would still be your choice… to believe in Him. Or not.
What a gift! The path to paradise. The key to the Golden Gates. The stairway to Heaven. Everlasting life. Do you want in? Or are you out?
By the Way
By the way. This is urgent. Don’t put this
off. Please don’t procrastinate on this matter. Don’t let the most important decision
you will ever make pass you by. Your time could come at any moment. And then it
will be too late…unless…
Be ready. Always be ready. Why? Because He is coming again. But this time it won’t be to give us the answers. He’s already done that. Next time He comes ‘twill be to save the ones that got the message and condemn the ones that didn’t. So… be ready, don’t wait… hurry up! Get saved… By The Way… His Way.
What are the Answers?
You know the answers… don’t we. He’s been giving us the answers… all along. The right answers… they are all around us… always have been… always will be.
But we don’t listen… we are hard headed… we have to learn the hard way… Don’t you think it might be a good idea to learn this lesson the easy way? Please… Just this one time… Just listen up and do… rather than the alternative?
The answers are right here. Don’t Steal or Murder. Don’t Curse or Covet. Tell the truth. Live the Truth. Honor others, especially Mom and Dad[23]. Stay on the Straight and Narrow Path. Love One Another. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you[24]. Or Follow His Commandments. Follow His Word. Have Faith in Him. If everyone did these things we would be in paradise. Isn’t that right?
The answers are right here.
Is it hard to understand?
Or is it crystal clear?
The answers are right here.
They are in your heart.
Fun Challenges
Here are some fun challenges:
The first one (the longest one) is the best one.
v Maybe you noticed, but… you won’t be able to deny the Truth found herein. This could mean you may want or need to take some action on it, or maybe not. Maybe you don’t wanna fool with it right now or maybe you might do it later or maybe you’re to busy or maybe you are just hard headed. I mean you’re only human. But, you should know, that after having been made aware of the Truth within these pages, if you reject it, you… … … … … … You wanna bet? Bet your life. It’s on the line here. See Bible, Rev. 21:27
v How many people love you?
v How many friends do you have?
Did I say fun? -- Oh… Sorry.
v Do you lie?
v What does Mankind want?
Money or
Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?