Alan V. Nelson's Blog

I can see where someone might think God's selfish, and I can see where someone might think He's proud, arrogant, and self-seeking. I can even understand why some might believe that. After all, the first of the ten commandments is, "Do not have other gods besides me." Following that statement(in the book of Exodus, chapter 20), we read that we shouldn't make idols in verse 4 and that we shouldn't worship or serve them either, which is a direct implication that we should only do that to God. He...

The question of "who made God?" seems reasonable at first glance. I mean, if everything else that exists has a maker, then it makes sense to ask that if God exists, who made Him? After all, we can't claim the existence of something unless it had a beginning, can we? We could, except that not all things that exist have a beginning. Only those things that began to exist have a beginning. For God, there's never been a claim that He began. The very first line of the Bible claims the exact...

If there is a more fundamental question in all of reality, I've never heard it.Does God exist? Yes. Here's why I believe that.If God does not exist, Infinite Truths do not exist, nor are they perceivable.Infinite Truths do exist, and they are perceivable.Therefore, God exists.Infinite Truths are truths that were true before we arrived on this planet, are now, and will be forever after. Examples of these truths are:The laws of mathematicsThe laws of logicThe existence of loveThe only way these...

Question:Why does God view us all as sinners? Why is it that the Bible teaches that we inherited our sin from Adam?
Answer:I want to say that these questions are lovely! You might think it a bit strange to delight in questions about original & inherited sin, and it may be, but let me explain:
No matter how anyone frames the first question, any acceptable answer will include the presupposition that the God of the Bible exists. Case in point, if you don't believe in God but ask any derivative...

Question:
Why did God create the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil, then tell Adam & Eve not to eat from it, knowing they would disobey?

Answer:
This question implies God entrapped Adam & Eve when that couldn't be further from the truth! If a parent home-brews beer, and then tell their prepubescent child not to drink it, is that entrapping their child? No, that doesn't follow, as it doesn't follow that God would do that to His children. Even if all we knew of God was in the first...

Question:
Why did God create the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil, then tell Adam & Eve not to eat from it, knowing they would disobey?

Answer:
This question implies God entrapped Adam & Eve when that couldn't be further from the truth! If a parent home-brews beer, and then tell their prepubescent child not to drink it, is that entrapping their child? No, that doesn't follow, as it doesn't follow that God would do that to His children. Even if all we knew of God was in the first.../>

Let's get the ball rolling and not waste any time.
First Announcement:This is the last post on alanvnelson.blogspot.comI am moving to ALANVNELSON.WORDPRESS.COMPlain and simple.The new blog is still under construction. Hold tight and it'll be beautiful and manageable, and better for all of us in the long run.If you want to keep following me, click this LINK. You can sign up at the bottom-left of the page to keep receiving updates.
Second Announcement: Click image for larger vi...

I've given myself a max of 15 minutes to write this because time is precious these days.

So listen up!

There are seasons of change, of death, of life, of drafting and revision. I've been through every single one of those seasons since January 1st of this year. It seems like a fog, what I've been drifting in, existing in. But, I've survived. I've fought for every moment that mattered, and currently matters, and I think I'm stronger for it. Relationships I've garnered and care deeply for have suf...

This past weekend, me, my dad, and my bro-in-law Chris, went on an overnight camping trip to Stone Mountain State Park, which sits beautifully about an hour or so outside of Winston-Salem.
We hiked, ate, talked, thought, mused, drank Blenheim Ginger Ale, and enjoyed the sunshine on Friday and the rain on Saturday, all while being perched comfortably in the middle of God's green creation.
I hammocked, Chris cooked, Dad rested. We've all needed a respit lately from our respective endeavors. This...

It’s a story many of us have heard relentlessly. Maybe you’ve heard it too. If you’ve heard it as many times as I have, it’s possible that you didn’t even realize how much you have in common with her.Her name is Jochebed. And she is my hero. You may have heard of her son… Moses.It wasn’t until one night spent surfing Netflix did I realize how much we shared in common. I hadn’t seen “The Prince of Egypt” in years, so why not spend a night reliving my childhood? But rather than relive my childh...