A Search for Truth

By Ray Weaver Sr.

Each day you wake up, you are facing the first day of the rest of your life. What does that mean to you?

Is it just another day, a planned set of activities, work, school, boredom, or questioning why or what is next?

Where are you going, why and for what purpose? Is it important to you or anyone else? How do you relate to yourself and to others in your life or to those you might come in contact with?

Some of us are quiet; others talk a lot. Some question everything, and some just take life as it happens, without caring too much. Are we changeable, or have we changed over our lifetime, or more importantly, do we want to change?

What is important to you? What is true and real?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490843810

Ray Weaver Sr.

Ray is a “Show-me” and wants everything proven to him. Ray spent forty-six years in the aerospace industry, including four-plus years in the USAF. He has taught computers and radar systems and continued his education forever. He retired as a Senior Engineering Manager from Lockheed Martin Corp. after working on numerous space and missile systems.

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Copyright © 2014 Raymond (Ray) Weaver Sr.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-4382-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4383-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4381-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014944963

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/30/2014

Scripture taken from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Contents

Prologue What Is Truth and Where to Start?

Chapter 1 - Does God Exist, and Then What?

Chapter 2 - The Bible—the Word of God

Chapter 3 - God

Chapter 4 - Jesus Christ, the Son of God

Chapter 5 - The Holy Spirit

Chapter 6 - Sin

Chapter 7 - Prayer

Chapter 8 - Repentance

Chapter 9 - Faith

Chapter 10 - God’s Plan of Salvation

Chapter 11 - The Church

Chapter 12 - Knowing God Personally

Basic Biblical Truths

Background

Personal Contributors

Growing, Learning, and Maturing

Ray Weaver’s previous books:

MMMA Test Strategy/Guidelines for Aerospace Vehicles,

Released on April 30, 1986 and published by MMMA in May 1986.

This manual was prepared as ground rules and guidelines for establishing test planning and test requirements for aerospace vehicles and associated hardware. It was developed as part of a technical document for ensuring all technical aspects of design, manufacture, and testing of aerospace systems were adequately provided for all related disciplines. It is a technical reference and guide for MMMA to achieve a consistent technical approach for tailoring test strategies and requirements for aerospace vehicles proposed for design, fabrication, assembly, and checkout of aerospace systems for MMMA personnel; while providing alternatives, deviations that are acceptable, and approved approaches. All technical aspects of design and test of hardware, electronics, chemicals, etc., were technically provided in engineering and mathematical terminology. Note: MMMA (stands for Martin Marietta Michoud Aerospace.)

The Alpha to the Omega"

Released and self-published on February 16, 2011.

This is short wittings on each letter in the alphabet on living, relationships, God’s plans and directions for this world, and our place in His scheme.

Prologue

What Is Truth and Where to Start?

What is real, what is truth, and where does one start to go and find the answers? Why are we here, and what is life all about? Reasoning, intellectual thought, purpose, good, bad, beginning, ending - what about all the great whys in this world we live in? Is there a god, is there an afterlife, how are we to live with each other, and are we all the result of a big bang in the heavens we call space?

Mankind has always pondered on such things. Ancient societies dealt with these ideas in many different ways. What makes sense? Cultural anthropology and philosophers have studied to try and figure it all out. There are many ideas, theories, and hypothesis and some with pretty good scientific explanations, but all leave something to be desired. They all seem to raise more questions or more whys than they can answer. Most of man’s answers are incomplete at best or are based on some hypothesis that may or may not be true to start with.

Evolutionary theory revolves around the idea of natural progression of the species, but it is mind boggling to think every form of life came from a little gunk in the water and dirt and became all the variety of creatures we have, have had, or will have on planet earth.

There is obviously some scientific evidence of some evolutionary processes, but does that mean everything was created by evolution?

Evolutionary theory leaves major gaps in where water, dirt, and the gunk came from and the vastness of variability of the species. It stretches reasonableness beyond belief, similar to the big bang theory of creation—how, why, and where did pre-matter come from? Notice I said theories, not facts, just ideas with some scientific backup that are based on some hypothesis man came up with. Science is always being revised and theories/hypotheses updated as we learn more or discover errors in the concepts (e.g., the world is flat; the earth is the center of the universe; no, the sun is the center of the universe; Newton’s law of gravity and mathematical relationships to explain the material universe verses Einstein’s theory of relativity, which does away with gravity and replaces it with the curvature of space and time phenomena).

So, what is important to us human beings for the here and now, and what happens to us when we die? How do we get along, how do we set priorities in life, and who is in charge, or does it matter?

Obviously no one can answer all the questions raised above in one book, so I’ll start with one question, followed by rational and subsequent truths and ideas that have helped me personally. The question is Does God exist and then what?

Chapter 1

Does God Exist, and Then What?

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about many things.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said, I don’t believe God exists.

Why do you say that? asked the customer.

Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize God doesn’t exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can’t imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.

The customer thought for a moment. He didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument. The barber finished his job, and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.

The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again. He said to the barber, You know what? Barbers do not exist.

How can you say that? asked the surprised barber. I am here, and I’m a barber. And I just worked on you!

No, barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty, long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.

"Ah, but barbers do exist. What happens is people don’t come to me."

Exactly, affirmed the customer. "That’s the point. God, too, does exist. But people don’t go to Him and don’t look for Him. That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world."

Is it all a great game, a joke? Are life, existence, eternity, God, you, and I real or just a dream? What do you think? Are you what you are because of your parents, your clothes, and looks, where you live, what you do, what you eat, or what you think?

God’s presence is felt but not seen, seen and not touchable, touchable but not heard, heard but not breathed, breathed but not felt. What is real, and what is make-believe?

What do we know, and what do we think we know? The world is very small or very big based on our perception of it. So where do we start in discovering what is and what is not?

When we were born, we had a very small world or existence. Everything revolved around eating, sleeping, and those who cared for us. We cried when we wanted or needed anything. If we were fortunate, we could smell, taste, feel, hear, and see, but our reasoning was just starting to develop.

Our world gradually grew as we discovered a more diverse existence. We discovered our own bodies and others we could see, and we started emulating what they did. Our little minds were great sponges of learning, absorbing all we saw, tasted, heard, felt, smelled, and sensed around us. If we were fortunate, we had loving, good parents who helped nurture us in the ways of the world and what they valued and understood to be correct ways to survive and grow up. We were even more fortunate if they were believers in the eternal God and His ways. Many were not so fortunate.

As we grew up, we were exposed to more and more of this world and acquired many concepts and viewpoints. Eventually, our minds and physical abilities reached the point where we had total free will to choose what we agreed with or select alternatives. Some accepted whatever way was easiest and did not require any extra work to resolve issues. They chose to go along with what the world presented to them, and it was not worth debating about any important issues. Others chose to argue and try to understand it all. Many had why stamped in their minds and wanted to know why, what, where, and who made us tick and function the way we do. Who started it, and what would be the long-term outcome of our existence? What was the purpose of all this? These questions are not easily answered. Most of us have wondered about these things to one degree or another over our lifetime.

Now what do we do with those questions? We either accept some basic ideas and dig into possible answers or reject it all and say, Let’s just eat, drink, and be happy as best we can and not worry about it all. Or maybe it’s some of all the above.

The question is God, yes or no, and then what?

Here are some approaches for making that first decision.

Before we start, let me state that many sources, writings, books, and life lessons have been used in my research. I have referenced the sources in each case and their respective authors. Sometimes I have used direct quotes, but mostly I paraphrased their ideas to either simplify or shorten them. My thoughts and answers are included, and I hope they will help satisfy your own quest for truth. All references are indicated either in the writing or at the bottom of the pages when they are from a known source. All quotes from the Holy Bible are from the King James Version (KJV) or annotated otherwise, for example: the American Standard Version (ASV).

A. Mathematical Logic Formula Approach

(Plato’s Why You Should Believe God Exists Whether He Does or Not)

It starts with eight hypothetical questions you should answer as to whether you think you would gain, lose, or have a draw/tie (+1, –1, or 0). Each question has three parts: life/death, belief in God, and God’s existence. When you consider the questions, be sure you think about the social and cultural interaction of people and groups and so on over time and a society without any concept of a higher intelligence and power. These are simple questions but not easy answers. Think about them before answering. Place your answers in the corresponding block numbers 1 through 8.

1. You are alive; you believe in God, and God does exist. Do you gain, lose, or draw?

2. You are alive; you do not believe in God, and God does exist. Do you gain, lose, or draw?

3. You are alive; you believe in God, and God does not exist. Do you gain, lose, or draw?

4. You are alive; you do not believe in God, and God does not exist. Do you gain, lose, or draw?

5. You are dead; you believed in God, and God does exist. Do you gain, lose, or draw?

6. You are dead; you did not believe in God, and God does exist. Do you gain, lose, or draw?

7. You are dead; you believed in