Newspaper And Milk
(Is God Real)
(Doubts)
 
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’  But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’  26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ 27 Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’  28 Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’  29 Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’  John 20:24-29
 
The Basic Bible Truth
 
To describe God completely is an impossible challenge for us on this side of Heaven.  We see only dim shadows of the realm that God inhabits.  Our culture says to us that if we see something, we can believe in it.  God describes a better way.  That we trust Him and believe Him blindly.  To prove God’s existence to this world is a difficult task.  Much like a jury trial, we can present evidence to those around us.  We can point them toward creation and the majesty seen in the enormity of this universe.  Or we can show them the complexity of the human genome and how it works in its smallest detail.  The sheer number of copies of the earliest manuscripts of Scripture overwhelm the handfuls that represent any other ancient text.  No one piece of evidence, taken by itself, can adequately prove God’s existence.  But when taken as a cumulative accounting and considered with a genuinely unbiased study, a verdict can be reached.  Unbelievers often are looking for that one, individual bit of evidence that they can point to as proof.  But as many juries have found, truth is often found in considering all of the materials and testimony offered for consideration.  God has provided ample proof.  We must reach a verdict.
 
The Object
 
A Newspaper
Small Amount Of Sodium Polyacrylate
A Glass Of Milk

This is based on the classic “pouring milk into a rolled up newspaper” illusion.  Most everyone knows it is done with a gimmicked pitcher.  So I change it up a bit.  I tape a small plastic bag with sodium polyacrylate powder in it to the inside of the newspaper, where I can get to it easily after I roll the paper up into a funnel shape.  I fuss around just a bit getting the inside of my cone opened to receive the milk, but what I am actually doing is getting the mouth of the bag open so I can pour the milk into the bag.  I then take the glass of milk, hold it high enough above the newspaper funnel so everyone can see there really is milk going into the paper, and I pour the entire glass out.  I then simply hold it while I give my talk about doubting, letting the powder do its work.  I may even add some chocolate syrup and stir just to make sure the powder is absorbing everything well.  At the end of my talk, I casually mention that I really don’t care for milk anyway, and lay the paper down on a table, flatten it out with my hands, and leave it lying there.  A cup of milk, fully absorbed into sodium polyacrylate powder, can be smashed quite flat with no ill effects or leaks.  Practice this before hand to get the powder to milk ratio right.  Sodium polyacrylate powder is the chemical in baby diapers and can be purchased online through a variety of outlets.
 
The Lesson
 
 
I have brought with me a copy of today’s newspaper.  The headlines were pretty boring, so I thought I would make it a bit more interesting for you.  I also brought a cup of milk, but I don’t care for just plain milk.  It needs a good shot of chocolate.  And then we stir.  Let me roll this newspaper up into a funnel about this size.  And then I would like to take this cup of milk and pour it straight into the newspaper funnel.  That should do nicely.  Now, remember what you just saw me do.  We will talk about what you watched me do, at the end of today’s lesson.
 
We live by faith and not by sight.     Taken in context, this verse refers to Heaven.  Paul is talking to the Corinthian church about their ultimate future—where all Christians will spend eternity.  The truth of this verse, though, extends into all areas of the Christian walk.
 
So much of our Christianity is “un-provable” by the standards of the world.  The culture we live in demands a reality check based upon the five physical senses:  taste, touch, hearing, sight, and smell.  The spiritual world, which is very real indeed, is not accessed by any of these senses.  So the unsaved look at our belief system as foolishness.
 
For the Christian, the Bible must be seen as absolutely dependable.  It does not just contain the Words of God—it is the Word of God!  And if God is perfect, (He is, by the way), then His Word is also perfect.
 
Mankind, since the fall, has been separated from God by sin.  I believe that Adam understood firsthand how incredibly awesome God actually is.  The Bible says that Adam walked with God in the garden in the cool of the day.  Have you ever wondered what God looks like—or sounds like—or feels like—or smells like?  Adam knew.
 
Everything that we need to know about God is described in the Bible.  We trust and we have faith that what God has said in His Word is true and unchanging.  And what is even more amazing, He gives us the faith that we need to believe!
 
Will there at times be days of doubt?  Yes, even some of the heroes of the Bible exhibited skepticism at times.  Usually that uncertainty was a result of their physical senses.  What they saw, and felt, and heard, and smelled overwhelmed the truth that they knew, deep down, was unchanging.
 
You have watched carefully as I rolled up this newspaper, and then you probably smiled a bit when I pouredthis glass of milk into it.  You kindly listened to what I had to say about doubt, as I held this in my hand the entire time.  But right now you need to be asking yourself, “Did I really see him pour that milk into the paper?  I thought I did…but…”  You just watched me flatten out the paper on the table.  And deep inside you, you understand that is impossible.  And yet, you were pretty sure that was really milk in that glass.  Or was it?
 
Learn to trust God implicitly.  Don’t waste your life in pursuit of some physical evidence of God.    Your five senses are not infallible.  They are, in reality, quite easily deceived. Trust the Bible to be true, no matter what!  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

PDF of Lesson