Things in the Universe We Can't Explain

There are eight things about the Universe that every world view has to be able to explain. Whether we examine them by philosophy and logic, or use science and mathematics, these eight problems don't seem to have a solely natural avenue for understanding. Rather, they appear to require that something "larger than life" adds something to each equation.

1. The Origin of the Universe
2. How Finely-Tuned the Universe is
3. The Origin of Living Beings
4. Evolving Creatures by Design
5. Consciousness and Mind
6. Free Agency and Responsibility
7. Objective Moral Standards
8. The Existence of Evil

If you can't explain how these came to be, using only natural elements (space, time, matter, physics & chemistry) then you have to admit the necessity of "supernatural" causes.
PLUS ...
If you find any evidence of intention or purpose, you have to expect and search for a person who was active.
GOD.

No matter how hard our best minds have tried, the plain, natural explanations just don't get the job done, and often for some rather obvious reasons. The "God of the gaps" is real. He made the Universe, and our minds, so we could figure it out and appreciate how amazing He is. But there are places where "random chance" is beyond fantastically improbable, and only his active interference can "bridge the gap" and make things happen.

At some point, everyone must confront the possibility that they are holding some kind of bias, either for or against "the Truth," and ask themselves, "Why?" and "Why not?"

If you start out with the impervious assumption that there are no supernatural events or agents, then you are not being honest with yourself, because that last possibility is exactly what you are trying to determine. You have to temporarily suspend your disbelief, or you will end up with circular reasoning, proving that only your original assumption could be right, even though it's totally inadequate.

This is what we want to know:
"What is the best, most reasonable, or just plausible, explanation for these events?
   - does it cover all of the evidence and facts?
   - does it tie up loose ends, or make any testable predictions?"

The bottom line for most atheists and skeptics is that accepting the conclusion that God exists would require some kind of response. They would have to choose:
A. to seek a relationship with God, or
B. to refuse to acknowledge His claims.
And each of these choices has eternal consequences. Quite simply, they just don't want to know.

Or, if they are like the persistent agnostic who just can't drop the question, maybe they really do want to know. They want to know for sure, to be as certain as they can get, because something is telling them it is the most important question in the world. And eventually they will decide to trust the evidence that is available, and choose to cross over into faith.

At which point, you just might begin to wonder, if God is real, then who is Jesus? And then you need to ask if there were any eyewitnesses who recorded their stories for those yet to be born, and you find the four Gospels.

Matthew was a former tax collector, who wrote for Jews in Palestine and abroad.
Mark was Peter's secretary, recording his story for preaching in Rome's underground.
Luke was Paul's traveling companion, who helped share the Gospel with the Gentiles.
John was the "beloved disciple," became the Bishop of Ephesus, and died in exile.

And Paul's letters were obviously written before he was martyred in Rome, in the middle 60s AD. The churches that he wrote to saved them as treasured documents useful for the formation of the Church and the salvation of souls.

Clearly all of these accounts of Jesus' mission to be the Messiah were recorded within the lifetimes of witnesses who could have verified their accuracy. And all twelve of his disciples were willing to suffer, and even die, for the message they were asked to spread. Apparently, they thought Jesus was uniquely special, even the Son of God.

The same God who created the Universe so that he could share his love with us, who revealed Himself to Abraham and Moses and all the Prophets, who loved King David and promised him an heir and an eternal dynasty. The God who sent his only Son to call us to repentance, so that we could be adopted and saved for eternal life in Heaven, where we can share in God's love and be changed into his likeness.

This is the God who adds something "larger than life" to the equations of his creation. He is the explanation that makes the unexplainable make sense. He covers all of the evidence, and ties up all of the loose ends. And He is calling you to cross over into a life of faith.