Hi to my Forum Friends,
Our atheist Friend, Deep, feels he has the perfect plan to, once and for all time, put God, Christians, and Creationism in their proper places. So, like his role models, Dawkins, Hitchens, et al, Deep asks, "Will someone simply present the Theory of Creationism? As a proper theory, it must explain evidence and have predictive ability. It need not depend on further indemonstrable concepts. Anyone?"
I noticed his little game yesterday, but, seeing it for what it is -- chose to ignore it. However, last night, watching a show on television, a couple -- a young lady and her new friend, a blind man -- were sitting in the park and she, overwhelmed by the beauty of nature all around her, exclaims, "Isn't the sky the most beautiful blue ever?'
The man smiles and tells her, "I have no idea what blue is supposed to look like -- I have been blind all my life." Of course, the young lady realizes her faux pas and apologized. But, this scene made me think of our atheist Friend, Deep, and his supposedly perfect ploy to prove God, Christianity, and Creationism -- to be false.
This scene made me think of Deep's little game -- and the spiritual condition of all non-believers. Non-believers, whether they be atheists, agnostics, plain old vanilla-flavored non-believers, world religion adherents, cult followers, etc. -- all have one one thing in common. They are all spiritually blind. They do not have spiritual discernment. This is not a social disease in today's relativistic society. However, it is an eternally dangerous spiritual condition.
So clearly I recall how spiritually blind I was before I became a believer. For many years, I traveled a lot on business. I spent so many nights in hotel rooms that I became comfortable in them. They almost became like a second home to me. But, they were also very lonely, being away from family and loved ones for extended periods. Yes, I often became depressed -- and, seeking an answer, I frequently turned to the Gideon Bible found in all hotel rooms.
I would open the Bible, begin to read it -- and get through only a few verses before getting confused, tossing it back into the table drawer, and turning on the television -- the non-spiritual world's tranquilizer, i.e., brain anesthetic.
Why did this happen to me? Because I was spiritually blind and did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help me understand God's Word. After many years of this, one Saturday evening, at a party, I met a wonderful man who exuded love, God's love. This was not a Bible study; only a social event -- yet, I could sense something different about this man. His name is Pastor Sam -- and the next day, Sunday, Dory and I went to the church where he was pastor. At that church, the Christian love was overflowing -- from God, though Pastor Sam, permeating the whole congregation -- and, I felt like it was all aimed toward me.
The next Friday evening, Dory and I went to their Bible study -- and I felt this same Godly love from all the people. This love kept me coming back to their worship services and to their Bible studies. Six months later, I asked Jesus Christ to be my personal Lord and Savior. I became a Christian believer and was immediately indwelled by the Holy Spirit -- who will never leave me. He will always be there to teach me, to guide me, to convict me when I make a mistake, and to forgive me when I recognize and acknowledge my failure.
This is one of the benefits of being a Christian believer. However, the greatest benefit is that I know that I will spend eternity in the presence of God -- and not be cast, eternally, out of His presence into the darker regions of hell.
An obvious question might be, "Bill, did you suddenly get spiritual discernment? Were you suddenly not spiritually blind when you began to attend that church and their Bible studies?"
And, the answer is -- NO. No, I did not immediately acquire spiritual eyes, spiritual discernment -- the moment I picked up a Bible with them. What did happen is that I began to listen to their teachings, to listen in their Bible studies and Sunday School classes, and slowly a lot of it began to make sense.
Also, it helped that Pastor Sam gave both Dory and me good Study Bibles, the Harper's NASB Study Bible published by Zondervan. Unfortunately, that one is no longer in print -- but, Zondervan does have a good NKJV Study Bible.
Having a good Study Bible, with well written study notes -- and taking that Bible to worship service and Bible study every week, while also studying it privately -- is the first step toward gaining spiritual knowledge. And, as I said, after six months, I knew enough about God, Jesus Christ, and His Written Word, the Bible -- to know that I wanted to become a full fledged Christian believer, I wanted to ask Him to come into my heart and be my personal Lord and Savior. And, that is when I was indwelled by the Holy Spirit; that is when I became spiritually alive -- no longer spiritually blind.
Yet, at this time, I was still a spiritual infant, a "babe in Christ" -- just beginning to be able to stand on my spiritual legs -- but, still very wobbly. Definitely not strong enough to be called mature in the Word. Becoming mature in God's Word is an ongoing process which never ends -- and, I have only been at it for twenty-four years.
However, I know that, because He is my personal Lord and Savior -- I will have eternity to be learning. And, the most exciting thing I can look forward to -- is that, after this brief mortal life -- He will be my teacher for an eternity of learning. Imagine that! The most perfect Spiritual Professor in the universe, Jesus Christ -- and, He will be teaching me, and all believers, for eternity.
So, Deep, and all of our other non-believing Friends -- feel free to concoct all the "perfect" schemes your mortal minds can conceive to prove God, Christianity, and Creationism are false. I imagine God is smiling -- just as we do when we see our young toddlers attempting to walk, or our young children trying to ride their bicycle with training wheels for the first time. Yes, this brings a smile to our faces -- and, I am sure that God is smiling at all the infantile schemes in the secular world to prove Him out of existence.
Let me conclude by assuring ALL of my Forum Friends that God is here to stay! He was here in eternity past -- and He will be here in eternity future.
The big question, the most important question, is -- "Will YOU be with Him for that eternity?" Or will you be cast away from His presence -- because YOU chose to deny Him? My non-believing Friends, think long and hard on that -- for eternity is a very long time.
And, the moment you leave this mortal body, the moment you breathe that last breath -- your next breath will be in eternity. If you have chosen wrong -- there will be NO SECOND CHANCE. So, my Friends, choose wisely -- as though your eternal life depends upon it. For it does.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
