God gives us incredible irrefutable documented proof in the Bible of His existence!  He put it there and made it globally available for all to see.  Tragically, very few people know this!  Here is a brief summary of that proof.  (There are many other proofs as well!)

The Bible is made up of two main parts.  The Old Testament (OT) consists of 39 books written by 30 or so different men from roughly 1400 BC to 400 BC.  It tells about God’s early dealings with mankind in general, and then with the group of people He chose to write and preserve the books of the OT.  The New Testament (NT) contains 27 books and letters written by 7 or 8 different men within several decades after Jesus Christ left the earth.  These NT books tell about Jesus’ life and teachings, and about the early years of the one Church He established.

The astounding fact is that there are more than 300 prophecies documented in the books of the OT about a coming Messiah who would save His people!  Prophecies about the coming Messiah are called Messianic prophecies.  These prophecies are about many different aspects of the Messiah’s life, purpose, and teachings.  Many of these prophecies are extremely specific.  Every one of these 300+ OT Messianic prophecies was perfectly fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth and the circumstances surrounding His life.  Their fulfillment was documented for posterity by the men who wrote the books of the NT.  So we have today both these documented prophecies, as well as the corresponding documentation of their perfect fulfillment.

The odds of any one man fulfilling even a tiny part of these prophecies by accident is beyond astronomical, and realistically impossible.  And no man, or group of men, could fake either the OT recording of all these prophecies, or the perfect fulfillment of all of them as described in the NT.

Making and perfectly fulfilling all 300+ prophecies about the coming Messiah could ONLY have been brought about by a force that completely knows and controls the past, present, and future.  A force that controls the Earth and nature absolutely.  A force that knows the innermost thoughts of people, and exactly what they will do and when.  A force that has people and nations do its bidding.  Etc, etc, etc.  That force can only be… and is… Almighty God.  Therefore, these Messianic prophecies and their perfect fulfillment by Jesus Christ, as well as their preservation in the Bible for us today, prove that God Almighty must exist!

This proof of God’s existence is documented in the Bible for all to see.  There are many other proofs of God’s existence as well, and we’ll look at some of those briefly later in this book.  But this documented fulfillment of the 300+ prophecies provides a factual, checkable, analytical, logical, solid, reasoned proof that God exists.  That’s just what one would expect as something coming from God.

Corollary Proofs for the Bible and Jesus Christ

The 300+ fulfilled OT prophecies about the coming Messiah also prove that the Bible really must be God’s word to mankind, since it tells of these fulfilled prophecies from God.  It also proves that Jesus of Nazareth was a very real person who is also the Son of God, and that He came to Earth to provide a way for all of mankind to be saved from the eternal punishment in Hell that we each deserve because of our violations of God’s given rules.

These facts make it ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL for each of us to learn what God tells us in the Bible about why He put us here on Earth, and what He requires from each of us during this life in order for Him to take us to Heaven when we die.

Excerpt from the book, "Documented Proof! God Does Exist!" by James Hinckley.  To be published by James Kay Publishing.       (Used with permission.)

What Must I Do to Be Saved?

The word church simply means "the called out." The term is used in the New Testament to refer to the people who have been "called out" of the world into a relationship with Christ. God calls us by the Gospel, for Paul wrote, "Whereunto he called you by our gospel" (2 Thessalonians 2:14). Those who hear and obey, the Gospel are "delivered from the power of darkness" and are "translated into the kingdom (the church)" of Christ (Colossians 1:13). This means that those who are in the church of Christ have been delivered from sin and have entered into a spiritual relationship with Christ. This is why it is so important to be a member of the Lord's church--those of the church have been "called out" of sin and into Christ.

The church of Christ today requires nothing more or less to be a member of the church than what was required in the first century. On the day of Pentecost, the day the Lord's church began, sinners asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"  (Acts 2:37). Peter then told the people to "repent and be baptized...for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). Acts 2:41 confirms that about 3,000 were baptized, and verse 47 shows that they were "added" to the church.

The same process by which sinners were saved is the very process by which they became members of Christ's church. It should also be noted that the New Testament nowhere authorizes voting to see if one can become a member of the church. Voting on church membership did not originate with God, but with man. The New Testament teaches that when one hears the Gospel (Romans 10:17), believes the Gospel (Acts 15:7), repents of sins (Acts 2:38), confesses faith in Christ (Romans 10:10), and is baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 22:16), he is added to the Lord's church.

This does not make one a member of a denomination; this makes one a member of the church of Christ!

Excerpt from the tract, "WHAT IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST?" by Mark Lindley.
(Used with permission. Edited-LWG)

What does one mean when he says, "I am a member of the church of Christ?" Many who are not members of the church of Christ believe that when one makes such a statement, he is claiming membership in a denomination. In fact, many sincere, religious people believe that all churches are basically the same, because they feel that all are denominations. Please understand, however, that those who claim membership in the church of Christ are not claiming to be members of a denomination. We, members of the church of Christ, feel that it is extremely important that others understand...

The Church of Christ Is Not a Denomination.

On the occasion of Matthew 16:18, Jesus promised to build His church. He said, "Upon this rock I will build my church." Note that Jesus promised to build "a" church. Acts 2:47 reveals that the church promised by Christ was built: "Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." To which church were the saved added? Obviously, they were added to the Lord's church, the church of (the one belonging to) Christ. Therefore, there was a church which existed in the first century which belonged to the Lord, and that church was not a denomination.

Now since it was possible to be a member of the Lord's church, the church of Christ, in the first century without joining any denomination, why would such not be possible today? The Scriptures teach that it is possible to be a member of the Lord's church without being a member of any denomination. So when one says, "I am a member of the church of Christ," he is not saying that he is a member of a denomination; rather, he is saying that he is a member of the church Jesus built-the one that is found in the New Testament.

The truth is, there were no denominations in the first century; there was only the Lord's church. In denominationalism there are scores of churches, but in the Bible there is only one church. Paul wrote, "There is one body" (Ephesians 4:4). The body is identified in Ephesians 1:22-23: "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all" (emp. mine ML). There is one body, and the body is the church. Therefore, there is one church. Consider this illustration. If there were one animal in the field and that animal were a mule, how many mules would there be in the field? Very obviously, the answer is "one." By this same logic, the Scriptures teach that there is one body and that body is the church. So, according to God's inspired Word, there is only one church. Again, when I say, "I am a member of the church of Christ," I am referring to that one church of the New Testament.

Additionally, the position that all the denominations make up the one church of Christ will not stand in the light of God's Word. Each denomination comes with its own set of doctrines, and many denominational doctrines contradict one another. But the Lord's church is to be united doctrinally. Paul wrote, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of or Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment"
(I Corinthians 1:10). Since the Lord's church, the church of Christ, is to be "perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment" and the denominational world is fractured and divided, then, the denominations do not comprise the true church of Christ.

Furthermore, that Christ's church existed in the first century before there were any denominations, proves that the Lord's church is not made up of denominations (Acts 2:47). Simply put, the Lord's church could not be a conglomeration of denominations, because His church was built before there were any denominations!

Excerpt from the tract, "WHAT IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST?" by Mark Lindley.
(Used with permission. Edited-LWG)

Can one be saved outside the church which Jesus built, the church of the New Testament, the church of Christ? What does the Bible Say? Paul wrote, "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body" (Ephesians 5:23). It is clear from this verse that Christ is the Savior of the body, and, remember, the body is the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). Thus, since Jesus saves the body and the body is the church, one must be in the church to be saved! Another way of saying this is that when one is saved, the Lord adds him to the church (Acts 2:27). So the church is made up of those who have been saved from sin.

Excerpt from the tract, "WHAT IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST?" by Mark Lindley.
(Used with permission. Edited-LWG)

When one becomes a member of the Lord's church, he has only begun the Christian life. He is then to begin growing in Christ. Peter wrote, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). The New Testament, the sole authority for the Lord's church, teaches that members of Christ's church are to worship (John 4:24). It is for this reason that churches of Christ meet every first day of the week to sing (Ephesians 5:19), partake of the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-29), give (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), pray (Acts 2:42), and study God's Word (Acts 20:7). For one to forsake worship is a clear violation of Scripture: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).

Members of the Lord's church are also to evangelize. Jesus said, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:19-20). This passage shows that one must be taught how to become a Christian. Therefore, those who are members of Christ's church have the privilege and responsibility to share the Gospel with others.

The word faithful summarizes all that one should do who becomes a member of the Lord's church. Jesus said, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). Faithfulness involves worshipping, studying, growing, evangelizing, etc. Those who are faithful are promised "a crown of life." This means that the faithful will enjoy eternal life in heaven. Certainly, this is motivation to live a faithful Christian life.

Excerpt from the tract, "WHAT IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST?" by Mark Lindley.
(Used with permission. Edited-LWG)