Many disciplines of apologetics have to do with external evidence for the Faith, such as archeology or biblical manuscripts. And these things are helpful, but if we are just basing our eternal destiny on probability or a collection of historical items, for me, that's not enough to give full consolation and confirmation of my Faith.

So I want to speak of another witness to the truth of the Creator and His love for us. And this is... the tangible experience of His Spirit in our hearts.

You're saying, "Really, Greg? You're gonna go all vague and subjective on me?"

Well, it's not like that. It's when you are celebrating the feasts of God like Sukkot and during a worship song you are overcome with a force in your heart illuminating the glory, beauty and grace of the King of Kings, moving you to tears, pulsating out from your heart like waves. It is something alive that takes hold of you - not just a feeling. It is something living in you, that in my experience will wax like a flame at times, melting your heart in emotion, moving you to tears.

Another time this happened to me was at a memorial service recently, in which the atmosphere was such a sweet one, ornamented by the choice words of the minister, recounting things from the life of Patty, our sister in the Lord we lost, but most importantly recounting the words of the Master Jesus (Yeshua, as he was probably called in the context of the Jewish culture he lived in), as well as speaking of the great salvation He accomplished for us by dying up on that cross.

My heart was melted at this service as well, another time overcome by something in me I didn't expect necessarily. You could call it Love - as I meditated on the Master and His love, laying down his life for humanity, to receive the wages of OUR sin - namely, death, to offer us the eternal life he had created humanity to have from the beginning, in communion with Him, following His ways.

So yes, I see this "Spirit" as undeniable Evidence that what I believe in is not just in my head - it's LIVING - and it's living INSIDE OF ME.

This Spirit is also known to produce various feelings and thus actions as a result of those feelings. Things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faith, and self-control. These are things that might be a little more subtle, but nonetheless powerful. When someone starts following this God, you will notice that sooner or later, they do start to change for the better! -- They have more joy, more peace, and more patience!

This is something I have experienced personally as well. It is something that works in me that says in my heart, "maybe you don't need to get mad about that small thing" or "maybe you should help that person out".

These things are evidence as well. Evidence of a spiritual reality that is invading this world, but in secret, as it were! Human souls that open themselves up to this reality via choosing the right path and forsaking the wrong one, looking to the Master of love above, who showed us the depths love will go to as an example of how we should love our family and neighbors. They begin to experience this reality in their hearts, bearing these fruits of the Spirit as it were, with the Spirit waxing in their hearts like a flame.

I invite you to open yourself up to this Spirit, this God, as well. Ask Him to touch your heart, like He touches my heart. Then you will know the evidence that cannot be denied for this King and His coming Kingdom.

Shalom V'Ahavah (The God way of saying Peace and Love!)

-Greg