Hi Micah, Joy, What4, and the other Christian believers on the Forum,
There is an old proverb attributed to the Englishman, John Heywood, in 1546 -- and used by Jonathan Swift in 1738, and in America by Thomas Chalkey in 1713, which says, "There are none so blind as those who will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know."
I can think of no better description of our atheist Friends on the TimesDaily Forum -- for they would stand looking at the sun and question whether it was really there or not. And, the sad part is that there is no way to open their eyes to the real truth; for they have bought into the lies of the world.
There is a Biblical base for this proverb, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament:
In the New Testament, Matthew 13:10 tells us, "And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?'"
In Matthew 13:13, Jesus explains to His disciples, "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand."
What better description can we find for our atheist Friends than this -- that they are so blinded by the secular world, they cannot see the Truth of the Gospel when the entire universe declares the glory of God?
And, in the Old Testament, God through the prophet Jeremiah (5:21-24) tells of those judged because of their stubbornness, "Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see; who have ears but do not hear."
"'Do you not fear Me?' declares the LORD. 'Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, an eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.'"
"But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and departed. They do not say in their heart, 'Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain in its season, both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.'"
In Isaiah chapter 6, God instructs the prophet Isaiah to declare the purposes of God, even though the people would reject his ministry -- much as our atheist Friends reject anything we tell them about God. In verses 9-10, we read, "He said, 'Go, and tell this people: "Keep on listening, but do not perceive; keep on looking, but do not understand. Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed."'"
In the Scripture passage above, the Israelite people are just like our atheist Friends and like Pharaoh, whom God allowed to harden his heart, and then used Pharaoh's heart condition to glorify Himself, God, among the Israelite people, His people.
My Christian Friends, trying to reason with those who have hardened their hearts and swear allegiance to the evolution religion of Charles Darwin -- at some point becomes a fruitless endeavor. As Jesus tells His disciples in Luke 9:5, when He was sending them out to preach the Gospel, "And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them."
This is what we need to do with our atheist Friends, shake the dust of their remarks from our feet -- quit responding to their barbs and caustic comments. Let them talk to one another -- but, we Christians should be addressing those who might be sincere seekers, those who have not closed their ears to the possibility of the Truth found in the Bible, in the Gospel -- and to those who are not believers, yet are still open to being our Friends. There is no need to reply to the atheist's degrading remarks; when gas is passed, if you ignore it, it will soon float away. So, too, with cutting atheistic remarks from those whose only purpose on the Forum is to argue.
Let us use this Forum to share the Word of God, to glorify Him -- and to reach out to those who might be open. While there are maybe 10, 15, 20 who actively post and respond to post on the Forum -- there must be hundreds, possibly thousands, who read the Forum discussions, absorb what is written; both by we Christians and by the atheists -- and, yet, do not post comments or questions themselves. I truly believe that the audience God wants us to be addressing are these dear folks. He wants us to be shining the light of the Gospel so brightly on this Forum; that the darkness of secular atheism will be overcome.
I will leave you with one thought. If you enter a room that is totally in darkness -- then, light one small match -- that light overcomes the darkness. Let each one of us be that single light, that match, which ignites the light of the Gospel to our Muscle Shoals area Friends and Family.
In The Guideposts Treasury of Faith, Ralph L. Woods, wrote the story, "A Genuine Christian." It reads: John Ruskin (1819-1900), was an artist, scientist, poet, environmentalist, philosopher, and the pre-eminent art critic of his time in England. One evening during the latter part of his life in the late 1800s, he sat at a window in his home watching a lamplighter, with torch in hand, ignite the street lamps on a distant hill. Since it was dark the lamplighter himself could not be seen, but his progress up the hill could be observed as successive lamps were lighted.
After a few minutes Ruskin turned to a friend and said, "That illustrates what I mean by a genuine Christian. You may not know him or ever see him, but his way has been marked by the lights he leaves burning."
My Christian Friends, that is why God has us in the TimesDaily Forum -- to be that lamplighter who, though often not seen, still leaves the light of the Gospel burning wherever we walk. I proudly walk with you.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill Gray
billdory@pacbell.net
Alabama bred,
California fed,
Blessed by God to be a Christian American!
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Bill & Dory's Ministry Web Site: http://www.BillDory-Christian-Ministries.com
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