 
Ufuomaee

Dear Atheist...

A Collection Of Articles
First published by Ufuomaee 2018

Copyright (C) 2018 by Ufuomaee

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

Ufuomaee asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Ufuomaee has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

These articles were originally published on blog.ufuomaee.org. This is a collection of religious articles based on faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. All opinions shared are owned by the writer. Unless otherwise stated, all scriptures reference are from www.blueletterbible.org

First edition

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#  Contents

  1. Preface
  2. Acknowledgement
  3. Yesterday, I Almost Lost It. Today, I Still Believe.
  4. How I Came To Settle On The Truth
  5. Dear Atheist...
  6. A Loving God
  7. The 'Wicked God' Of The Bible
  8. The Poor You Will Always Have With You
  9. The Intolerance Of Religion In A Tolerant Society
  10. Thou Doth Protest Too Much, Methinks
  11. "Hate The Religion, Love The Believer"
  12. Brainwashed!
  13. The Stupidity Is Too Much
  14. The Devil's Homeboy
  15. The Easy Way Out
  16. Heaven And Hell: An Idiot-Proof Design
  17. Re: Why It Is Not A "Safe Bet" To Believe In God
  18. Are You In It For Eternal Life?
  19. What's The Big Deal About Eternity?
  20. Musing On Immortality, Original Sin And Suffering
  21. Musing On Time And Eternity, Evolution And Creation
  22. "We Know Everything And There Is No God"
  23. OUT OF BOUNDS!
  24. A World Without God?
  25. Does Christ Get In The Way?
  26. What Makes God God?
  27. How Humble Is Our God That He Should Listen To A Man
  28. Son Of God, Save Yourself!
  29. What Has God Done Today More Than Yesterday?
  30. Stinking Doubt And Confirmation Bias
  31. Hey, Why Aren't You Trying To Save Me?
  32. Repent Or Perish!
  33. Bonus: You Don't Love Me? Your Funeral!
  34. About the Author
  35. Also by Ufuomaee

# Preface

These articles can all be found on my blog, Grace and Truth at www.ufuomaee.blog. They were written at different times over a span of six years, as I wrote them following inspiration from God. A lot of the pieces are also response posts to Atheists, who commented on my blog or whose articles I read. They are arranged here in a way that I believe will help you come to an understanding of God's love for you and help you overcome every hindrance to faith, which is essential for salvation. Some of the articles are hard hitting as they were written in response to staunch Atheistic views, and they may not truly capture your unique perspective as an Atheist or Agnostic. I do not write to offend, only to challenge your thinking and help you to come to the knowledge of the truth. God bless you as you read.

# Acknowledgement

I just want to thank my Lord, Jesus Christ, for bestowing me with the _gift_ of writing, the _love_ of writing and the constant _inspiration_ to write. Without His Holy Spirit, I would not have been able to write these articles at all. I dedicate this book to Him and all who love the truth and desire Wisdom.

# Yesterday, I Almost Lost It. Today, I Still Believe.

Every time, without fail, that I watch a telling of the Transatlantic Slade Trade of African people, I struggle with the faith I profess in Christianity. Yesterday was one such day. I finally sat down to watch the movie "12 Years A Slave" with my husband. And I was traumatized.

I know there are some that will immediately think, " _not another black person bringing up the past again!_ " but I fear that it is a reality that will always torture us. To undermine its importance is really just to perpetuate the oppression that it was and deny the humanity of the millions who died and suffered at the hands of those criminals, who never saw the inside of a jail! I'm sorry, but the most you can do, especially if you belong to the privileged white race, is just apologize again and again for the cruelty caused by those before you, even if you were not involved and would have stopped it given a chance.

The major problem for me, was not so much the awful brutality and hate of the whole thing...it was the profession of faith in God and Jesus that those sadists claimed that torments me! As I watched them reading the Bible to their slaves and using it to keep them in line, while ignoring what it says about them, I wanted to be sick! At least when the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites, they didn't profess to be children of Jehovah.

It is enough to make anyone, especially of African origin, not to believe! Because the faith we now profess was taught to us by our slave masters. By people who raped and tortured our ancestors. By those who treated us like livestock. Who abused our children, tearing them from their mothers and murdering their fathers! How could anyone have believed in God in such circumstances?

Yet, belief in God was what gave them hope... It was what gave them meaning. And despite everything they suffered, they still believed that He would deliver them eventually.

Just as I know without a shadow of a doubt that those who led the Crusades and committed so much atrocities in the name of Jesus did not know Him at all, I am convinced that those who perpetrated, propagated and gained from the evil of slavery did not know Jesus either. Anyone who reads the Bible, and who receives a revelation of Jesus Christ, will know that these oppressors were not at all Christian. So the issue isn't about Christianity, but about our raw prideful and hateful nature that seeks to oppress those who are different from us.

Even today, we still see many people perpetuating all sorts of evil in the name of Christianity. One raw example is the victimization of homosexuals. They are not our enemies...and even if they were, we are still commanded to LOVE OUR ENEMIES! Loving them doesn't mean we condone their sin, but it certainly doesn't mean that we bully them, call them hateful names, beat them up or any of the ridiculous things being done by professing members of the Church today, in their lack of ability to speak the truth in love.

The truth is there will always be people who seek to turn a good thing rotten for some quick gain or comforts. There will always be deceivers among us, who through their witness, turn many away from the truth. In Jesus' parable about the wheat and the tares, the tares were planted in by the enemy from the early beginnings. God's decree was that they grow together...and at the end of time, He will discard the tares and take the wheat into His barn. This parable isn't simply about the Church vs the world, but about the infestation of evil that has been within the Church even from the early beginnings (1 Pet 4:1, Jude 1:4).

Let us not be deceived by these wicked people. Let us also never let them take away our precious faith, because their actions constantly bring it into question! Let us hold on tight to the holy faith we profess, knowing that we will reap a reward in the end, if we don't give up (Gal 6:9). May the grace of God be with you all.

# How I Came To Settle On The Truth

This was a comment I wrote in response to an Atheist on another blog, where I write as a Contributor. I don't know why I went so deep into it today... but I thank God I did. Here's part one of my testimony, slightly edited from the original comment.

Peter's question was how can someone know which religion is correct.

**My response:**

There's no formula, Peter. If you're truly seeking God and to know the Truth, He will reveal it to you. I'll tell you a little about my experience.

God used a member of the International Church of God (ICOC) to convict me of my sin once and for all... so that I gave my life with no turning back on the 10th of Feb 2002... at a completely different Church, Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC).

Afterwards, the Mormons visited me to tell me about Joseph Smith. I was very new in the faith then, and praying for more truth to grow and get grounded. I could have easily believed and followed them. But I told them I'd pray about it, because it seemed inconsistent to what I'd learned about Jesus from the Bible.

While at a service one Sunday at KICC, I was still waiting for God to answer my question. He did. Not through the Pastor, but through a passage in the Bible that He opened my eyes to see - about the Devil and his servants coming as angels of light to deceive (2 Cor 11:13-15). You may say it was a coincidence, but it was like God said to me, that's the answer you asked after and joy filled me.

I returned their Book to them and that was it.

But God also opened my eyes about the Church, when I saw how they treated the poor and how they continually went on about 'prosperity'. When the Pastor declared he'd devote the year to a prosperity gospel 'claiming what you haven't sown' or something like that, I left KICC and never returned.

After that... I became very on fire and zealous for God and was still searching for somewhere to belong. I wanted to obey Jesus and preach the gospel so I started proselyting on my own. It was then that I meet the Jesus Christians (a Christian sect, which has pretty much disbanded now). They are mostly known for their literal interpretation of Jesus' commands, particularly to sell your possessions and give to the poor, and that no man can serve God and money. That was a journey of my life I both love and regret. I love it because of the many ways I grew as a Christian and got to learn so much about God and the Bible. But I also got to see the pride and weakness of men. It was also there that I made a life changing decision I would later regret. The story of my time with the group and how I eventually left them is for another day.

However, while I was with them, we spent a lot of time evangelizing on the streets and I met people of other faiths. The strongest opponents were Muslim, who were also great evangelists. I took their Koran to read it.

I kept an opened mind, but it really wasn't making much sense to me. It also contradicted the Bible in so many ways and taught that Jesus was just a prophet, and that Mohammed was the last prophet. I knew immediately that it wasn't true. As I read, the words of Jesus came to me... "If you continue in my teaching, then you are truly my disciples. Then you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free" (John 8:31-32).

It was all the confirmation I needed to know that to follow Islam was to discontinue following the teachings of Christ. And as Jesus Himself said that anyone who comes after Him is a thief (John 10:7-10), it stands to reason that if I truly believe Jesus, then Islam must be a lie.

That's how God settled my mind and heart on all those things. The Bible says we can test every doctrine to discern the Truth (1 John 4:1). I've read up on other faiths. Jesus is truly the only way (John 14:6). But I pray God reveals that to you, Himself.

God bless you, and thanks for being the first person to get me to share that publicly. Have a great day!

# Dear Atheist...

You have a problem. You have an addiction. The thing you crave so much has blinded you to what you need. You crave to know. You feed on much knowledge, but are never content, because the more you know, the less you know.

This drug that gives you a momentary high, and causes you restlessness, is a disease to your bones. Knowledge is good, but Wisdom is better. Seek after Wisdom, and you shall receive knowledge and understanding.

You've been looking into those Scriptures long and hard. You think your diligence and persistence is evidence of your sincerity. But your pride, which you do not see, has blinded you. You know too much, and cannot learn the truth. No one pours new wine in old wine skins.

You need to stop. Just stop. Stop trying so hard to know. Stop and listen. Wait.

In your longing for the truth, wait. Wait in expectation. Wait, and believe that there is a Truth to know. Don't start thinking about what it is. Just free your mind.

Expel all that you think you know. Abide in that place of foolishness. Yes, be in that place of uncertainty. Stay there and smash your pride. Admit that you do not know. But believe that the Truth will be revealed. For all who seek shall find, and to those who knock, the door shall be opened.

Wait. Resist the temptation to stop waiting because of the shame. Empty yourself of all expectation, except the revelation of God.

Yes, admit the truth to yourself. You are not an atheist. Not when you are searching for God. It might be shameful to realise that you have believed all along... You just don't know WHO you believe in. You don't know WHO to trust.

But He is the One who reveals Himself. And only to the humble. The broken. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They meet Him in that place of waiting.

So wait. When you know the Truth, it doesn't matter what anybody else says. You know it for yourself. **You can rest in the revelation of God, because when He reveals Himself, none can deny the truth. You will know that He is, just as you know that you are.**

How long should you wait, you might wonder. How long is eternity? Eternity is not measured in time. That is where God abides. It is not about the length of your waiting, but the quality of your expectation, of your hungering and thirsting.

Wait...even past the point where everyone has moved on, and it seems you are the only one stuck...waiting. Wait, even when you think you should just admit to yourself that this is the most foolish exercise ever. Wait, even when your friends laugh at you and tell you how foolish you are to be expectant of a God you once denied belief in.

Wait. Through the noise. Through the commotion. Through the anxiety. Through the grief. Through the pain. Through the foolishness. Through it all. Don't stop waiting.

God will visit you, when all else has lost importance and knowing Him is all you desire. He will surely visit you. And you will know. And you will rejoice and you will be satisfied. And your life will NEVER be the same.

Wait for Him, my friend. Wait.

# A Loving God

God is Love (1 John 4:8). But is Love God? This is an equation that confuses many. But an adjective cannot become a personality. It remains an adjective, understood in context of the personality that possesses it.

By saying that Love is God, we use our own limited understanding of love to define who God is and limit Him. But, God, who is Love, enables us to understand what Love is, by what He does! This discussion is important because it is because of this confusion over what love is, that many are offended over God and His Christ. They think that a loving God will not judge nor punish them, or that anything that seems like 'love' is good enough.

First of all, God is clear. His ways are not our ways. He doesn't love as the world loves. The kind of love that we know of in the world is weak, selfish and vain. Love to many is about feeling, and usually, what feels good, whether it is right or wrong. But true love is not apart from justice, but is concerned with right and wrong.

God, who is Love, must be fair, because He has the best interests of _all_ and not just one (self), at heart. But worldly and romantic love, though pretending to be about two, is really usually about one, who cannot suffer wrong (or for long), even for the sake of the other that they claim to love! Yet, Christ, who was innocent, died for the wicked.

This is what the Bible has to say about love in 1 Corinthians 13: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (Vs 4-8).

This is how God showed His love... "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Jesus showed His love this way... "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8). Real love is about sacrifice. Sacrifice is purposeful, but not all sacrifice is loving. People make sacrifices everyday, in the form of compromises. But the Bible teaches us that only what is done for God (and in obedience) will last (1 Cor 3:13-15).

There are many places in the world that people do all sorts of sacrifices for evil purposes. Usually, the sacrifices they make cost them nothing, but cost others!!! In some parts of Africa, people sacrifice innocent people to get favours from demons. This is to illustrate that the meaning of love and sacrifice can only be found in God. Like Paul said, we can give our whole body to be burned, but if we understand nothing about God's love, then it was all vanity (1 Cor 13:3).

Likewise, there are many religions that speak of love and sacrifice. There are many teachers who teach wisdom, the importance of love and how to love. They may be great 'lovers' in the eyes of the world, but if they do not ultimately point you to Christ, then the source of their love is not God, and all is still vanity. What is the point of a love that cannot save you?

God will always point us to Christ, because that is His plan for our salvation. Christ is the Revelation of God's Love. We cannot escape the teaching of the Bible that our works alone cannot save us, but we must have faith in the Holy One - "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

# The 'Wicked God' Of The Bible

Eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil has made man so wise! Now we know good and evil, we can judge God. In fact, we are so enlightened now that, we are wiser than God, and beyond judgement ourselves.

"How can a God be worthy of worship when He commands His _holy_ people to kill innocent children and animals, and annihilate whole civilizations?" they ask. "How could He condone slavery, when we were loving enough to condemn it?!"

"If there is such a God, He is wicked and we should all refuse to worship Him. If judgement day comes, we'll just hide it out. He will be so embarrassed when nobody bothers to show up!" they mock. Are you on board?

The whole premise of the atheist's unbelief is built on the idea that they are wiser than God. Not only wiser, but kinder and more just too. If they were given the job, they'd solve all the world's problems before you can say "Boo!" The philosophy is built on arrogance, pride and foolishness, which is itself, its own punishment, ironically.

_Let him that thinks he stands take heed, lest he falls._ (1 Cor 10:12)

The Bible says in the book of Revelations that when the day of reckoning comes, men will beg the rocks, hills and mountains to fall on them, as they seek to hide from the glory and judgment of God (Rev 6:16). So, if you want to join that camp, believe the lie!

_The fool says in heart, "there is no God!"_ (Psa 14:1)

We've run ahead with the little knowledge we were given and believed we know it all! But what you have in your hand is sand from a massive ocean of Wisdom! God is the possessor of all wisdom. The Book of Proverbs refers to the Spirit of God as Wisdom (Prov 1:20).

_The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom._ (Psa 111:10)

Without the fear of God, you cannot be wise! You see one side of a diamond, and you conclude that it's a triangle, because your one-dimensional mind cannot comprehend a three-dimensional concept, or even four-dimensional. As a result, you cannot make a righteousness judgment. You can't even present a reasonable argument or ask the correct question to get the answer you seek.

_God opposes the proud and gives grace the humble._ (Jam 4:6)

I cannot tell you why God does things that seem unjust to you, because you cannot understand until you first humble yourself and confess that there is a God, who deserves your reverence. When you have done that, then your foolishness will subside long enough for you to start on the journey of wisdom - which begins with the fear of God.

You say He is wicked, He says He is gracious! The fact that you have the breathe to speak and accuse your Creator, and He hasn't struck you down suddenly with lightening, is evidence of His grace. The fact that you have a mouth and a voice, and a mind that is uniquely your own, which is able to comprehend and assess many things, yet you use your reasoning to try to disprove or discredit your Creator, and He hasn't struck you and made you dumb and deaf and blind, is evidence that He is gracious.

If He were to sift your breath from you suddenly for your arrogance and insubordination, He would be well within His rights. He doesn't owe you one second of time. Everyday you arise from your bed is a gift you can never repay. And believe me, He doesn't need your worship! He deserves it. If He wanted, He could raise up stones in your place to worship Him.

_Give honour to whom honour is due_. (Rom 13:7)

The analogy of God as a parent who seeks endless expressions of gratitude from his children is flawed. What God demands is respect and trust, no less than we ought to give our earthly parents. When we're humble, He needn't force us to be grateful... Gratitude flows naturally from humility.

He has been so loving and gracious to you and I. But He is also a just God, who is bound to reward us for our crimes. Don't let your allotted time run out before you humble yourself before Him. Then you shall enter His rest, and will learn true wisdom. Wisdom that the world can never teach you.

# The Poor You Will Always Have With You

This post is in response to Nancy Drew, who wrote a response to the original post: 3 Strange But True Reasons Why God Doesn't Feed All The Starving Children by Peter Guirguis.

I can understand where Nancy is coming from, as I also kind of felt let down by Peter's defence. I think it was the title that made it seem so intriguing and new. But it really wasn't anything new, like Nancy pointed out. Nancy raised some good points in her posts, that if I was an atheist, I would have nodded my head along in agreement. But like Peter, I do see the bigger picture.

**" You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."**

**(** **John 12:8** **,** **Matt 26:11** **).**

I think this one liner by Jesus answers this deep question succinctly. Even though He doesn't give a reason, it is still an answer.

Many people have wrong expectations of God. The Jews, for instance, were expectant that when the Christ came, He would deliver them from the rule of the Romans. But that wasn't Jesus' agenda at all. And though Jesus healed and fed many people, He didn't heal _all_ the sick or feed _all_ the poor that lived in the world, while He walked on it, or even in Judae. Jesus came for a higher purpose than to make this world a more cosy place for everyone. He came to save the world spiritually! You may not agree with His priorities, but that's just the way it is.

God already gave us a chance for a perfect world, without sickness, sin, death and poverty! It was His original plan, to live among men in a state of Heaven on Earth. However, we all know what happened to that plan. The enemy succeeded in deceiving Eve and Adam, so that they became corrupt and could not abide in the Garden and live in that perfect world. God didn't see Satan's attack as a defeat, but as a challenge...an opportunity to teach, groom, and lead us to know and love righteousness.

God's plan and desire to live with us in peace and harmony forever is still in play... But, He has set a date, a day which no man knows, when He will destroy evil once and for all, and reserve for Himself, those who did His will on the Earth. Those who believed in Him, and followed His Christ. Those who loved others, as a reflection of their love for God and His righteousness (Read the parable of the Sheep and the Goats).

Asking why God doesn't feed all the starving children is equivalent to asking why God doesn't make everyone believe in Him! You may disagree, but really, what's the difference? If God really wanted to, He could snap His fingers and make the world perfect once again. He could, with a word, cause all men to fall in love with Him... But that's not His way. That's not true love, because it deprives us of our choice, and therefore, responsibility and sacrifice.

Every parent knows that their kids will never learn responsibility, compassion, discipline or even patience, if they always do everything for them. Or if they pad them from the hard knocks of life! Part of parenting is letting go and letting your children mature into wisdom and understanding by their interactions with the world and experiences. So, just as a Good Father, God allows us to make mistakes, suffer and go through all sorts of trials. It is His desire that those who accept His grace through Jesus Christ, will follow in Christ's example and heal the world (with their loving witness). He mandated His followers, in addition to preaching the good news, to also help the poor and the oppressed. That is how people will know that they are truly His followers (John 13:35).

Yes, God has intervened dramatically in the past. But what is consistent with God is His grace and the liberty He has given man to either do right or do wrong. God has always allowed time before enacting His judgments. Men committed all sorts of atrocities for many thousands of years before God decided to send the flood. Sodom and Gomorrah carried on their abominable acts for years before God decided to consume them with fire. The Israelites endured centuries in bondage and slavery, before the great deliverance that God brought about through Moses! There are many more examples of God's patience and endurance with men. The one thing you can be sure of with God is He will not override your will - but He will certainly judge you for your sins.

So, what I'm trying to say here is that, there is no complex answer to why God allows evil to coexist with good on Earth. In His parable of the Wheat and the Tares, Christ answers this question even more clearly...

**" The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."**

**(** **Matt 13:24-30** **)**

That's it, in a nutshell! I cannot do better than my God. There's no other _smart_ answer to give. At least, not one that will satisfy an atheist! By the way, God won't consider your claim to atheism as a reasonable defence against your disobedience. You say you don't believe in God, that's ok. You should know that God doesn't believe in atheism either (Romans 1:18-25)! And, you know what, neither do I! Nobody wants to live in a world without God, any more than a child wants to grow up without parents. The problem is, you want a god you can control, who fits your idea of niceness and who won't make you do what you don't want to do. Just because we have largely succeeded in stripping parents of their power in the home, doesn't mean we can strip God of His authority over the Earth! God is not God if He jumps at yours or my command!

Christians know that the burden is upon us to feed the poor, heal the sick and love our neighbours as ourselves. A selfish Christian is an oxymoron. So, don't use those who claim to be believers but who don't practice practical love as examples of what Christianity represents. If you look and observe, and are honest, you will see that most of the people out there helping the poor in foreign lands are Christians, and they do it because they are Christian, not because they are good people.

On a side note, if you are inclined to help the poor and make the world a better place, please support my charity work in Nigeria, by donating to Fair Life Africa Foundation. Thank you!

# The Intolerance Of Religion In A Tolerant Society

Modern society is now led by a worldview that is _beyond atheism_ and _beyond agnosticism_ (Council for Secular Humanism). The more enlightened secular humanism has emerged to lead the masses towards peace, joy and hope, exploring all possibilities, closed only to the belief in God.

According to Wikipedia, secular humanism is a philosophy or life stance that " _embraces human reason, ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, pseudoscience, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision making._ " One of the major tenets or principles states:

**" We are concerned with securing justice and fairness in society and with eliminating discrimination and intolerance." (www.secularhumanism.org)**

Another fundamental principle is the belief in " _the cultivation of moral excellence_ ". I think there is a need to understand the definition of tolerance and the definition of excellence, so that we can fully grasp the scope of these tenets, as they do appear contrary to a dogmatic mind. A dogmatic mind is one that is " _inclined to lay down principles as undeniably true_ " (Google), and is the mind of people of Faith, who hold to a fundamental belief in God.

According to Dictionary.com, tolerance is " _a fair, objective, and permissive attitude towardthose whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one 's own._" Excellence is defined as " _the fact or state of superiority_ ", leading us to seek an understanding of what is superiority. Quite simply, superiority means that something is higher, better...which means other things are inferior, worse. This requires an ability to judge and to discriminate between what is better or worse or, in absolutes, what is good or bad.

Therefore, can excellence and tolerance truly co-exist equally? Secular humanists feel that their superiority is their ability to live with the tension of the two...striving towards excellence, yet tolerating (while rejecting) inferior worldviews. However, people of Faith, who are prone to refute the existence of dual opposing truths admit that to truly pursue excellence, tolerance must (at times) give way! We are not afraid to call a spade 'a spade'.

Christians are clear in what we consider wrong or right, good and bad. We have the Bible which guides our beliefs, much like secular humanism have their Affirmations of Humanism. According to our holy book, we boldly take stands against abortion, sexual immorality, homosexuality, murder and so on. We are able to take those stands, while still extending love and compassion to those who commit sin. **Our slogan is "hate the sin, love the sinner!", just like our God hates our sin and loves us passionately. If, at times, we fail to practice what we profess, the problem is with our humanity and not with our Faith.** The mere fact that we are able to identify and judge sin for what it is makes us intolerant in their eyes.

However, Humanists cannot seem to proclaim anything to be absolute, and in their promotion of tolerance above all else, they will never achieve the moral excellence they profess to strive for! They live in a duality of conflicting views, and are prone to "doublespeak". They utter with one breath that they will fight for your human right to hold your religious views, and with the other, they campaign, connive and seek to overthrow the foundation of that fundamental right! It is like a so called friend who says to you: " _I love you, brother, and I will always fight against any threat to your right to life. But you know, if you willingly give up your life, the world will be a better place!_ " Basically, die already!

They can't come right out and attack your right to your religion, because that would go against their tolerance mantra. However, they seek to persuade you, trick you, bully you out of your faith, which they undermine as inferior and ignorant. Consider this tenet from their Council: " _We deplore efforts to_ ** _denigrate_** _human intelligence, to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation_." (my emphasis). I looked up the word denigrate, and according to Google, it means to "criticize unfairly". WOW! For a philosophy that is built on fairness and justice, that is quite a contradiction. Yet that is what so many atheists do. While Christians preach to build faith, atheists criticize to destroy faith. An act that is equivalent to hurling rocks at someone's residence and saying: " _We 're not trying to make you homeless, we just want to destroy your house!_"

To fully grasp the dichotomy that is the dual belief in tolerance and excellence as equals, you might want to consider the case of a school. Would you really want to send your child to a school whose slogan reads " _Towards Tolerance and Moral Excellence_ "? Wouldn't you be a little concerned that they may be confused? That they would not be able to hold to any moral standards, because of their profession of tolerance. And if you were an advocate for tolerance, wouldn't you be concerned that they would be pushing their "superior morality" on your children, who you wish to remain open to all views? It doesn't add up. It would be a school divided against itself, and really in no place to lead or teach your children!

The truth is that, in all their doublespeak about religion, their rejection of it is fundamental in their beliefs and practices, and thus, they CANNOT tolerate religion. Yes, the war has not been declared officially. It is still very much a human right. But, all you need to do is read their literature, and you will know that they are well on the way of making that right a thing of history! Take for instance, a blog post I read yesterday called Eradicating Religion. The title alone says it all, but when you read it, you will see that the masks have fallen off, and there is deep hatred against any belief in God. In another post that linked off one of my posts making these same claims, another Atheist boasts about his readiness to defend believers against true religious persecution. The double speak is so blatant there, as I pointed out in my comments.

A characteristic of narcissism is to make the victims believe that the abuse is all in their heads! That is exactly what secular humanism is doing to people of Faith, as they undermine and attack our beliefs with their "superior wisdom" and "tolerant affirmations". Indiscriminate tolerance doesn't work because a house divided against itself cannot stand. You can't exercise your right to depravity, while I also strive for moral excellence, and think that we're equally right. Justice (as another professed ideal of secular humanism) is not tolerant. They refuse to comprehend that being intolerant of sin and evil doesn't make one unloving!

Within their camp is a diversity of views ranging between compassion and selfishness. The only thing they are truly united for (or agree on) is the elimination of God and the belief in Him. I'd rather they would just come right out and say it, and stop pretending that we don't know that the jig is up! Quit the doublespeak, politically correct mumbo jumbo and come right out with it! You think my right to religion stinks!

# Thou Doth Protest Too Much, Methinks

Football is the world's biggest sport. The fans are in the billions and they are fanatical. I don't get it.

Aside the fact that I don't get what the whole hoopla is about, I also think it is a huge commercial scam and a waste of money. But this post is not about footballers nor their fans. I'm sorry to use you as an example, but you're the best.

Despite my disdain with the whole football mania, and the fact that I think far too many people are wasting their time, money and tears over a simple sport... I have never gate crashed a sports game to shout "Boooo!!!" I have never been to a Football forum to try to talk sense into these "less enlightened" suckers for a game. I've never been part of a rally to challenge the rights of football fans to convene at bars on Sundays!

I mean, why would I??? It really is not that big a deal that people are so passionate for a game. I can see that it unites families and friends, communities and countries too. Though I don't think footballers deserve to earn millions (let alone billions) of dollars a year, I think the whole commercial thing has given people jobs, hope and joy. I can see the good and the bad, and though I think the whole fanfare can be much reduced, it doesn't ever cause me to plague the lives of the fanatics! I also have never come across such football haters!

But in the realm of religion... and especially Christianity, the fanatics are as common as the haters!!! It's the weirdest thing! They say there is no God, that we are wasting our lives, we are filling people with false hope...the works! They can hardly admit a good thing that Christianity has done and still does in this world.

They rise up early to plague Christian forums, hangouts and blogs, trying to destroy their witness and get some converts to their side of unbelief. They even devote whole blogs to disproving the existence of God. Like seriously?! If they truly believed God was as irrelevant as Santa, I doubt they would get as much delight bashing Him and His believers as they do. I think their passionate protest is telling more about what they believe and who they are running from.

If you ask me, I think the Atheist doth protest too much...

# "Hate The Religion, Love The Believer"

Is this a reasonable position for Atheists or Secularists to take? Atheists have often argued that the Christian slogan to "hate the sin, but love the sinner" is tantamount to their claim to oppose religion but love religious people. However, I think this would not sit well with me (and many people of faith) because we DEFINE ourselves by our faith, whereas sinners do not define themselves by their sin.

Actually, I can think of only one type of sinner that defines themselves by their sin, being homosexuals. So to hate their sin is (to them) equivalent to hating them, the same way Christians feel an attack on their Christian liberties is an attack on them as individuals (as citizens and as humans).

Can you think of other sinners that define themselves by their sin? Maybe Nazis or the KKK, who define themselves by their hatred and superior feelings against people of colour. If we hate their sin, can we claim to still love them?

In general, Christians can love people, despite their sin without attacking their identity. For example, we love teenage girls who abort and seek to help them, though we hate their sin. We love criminals in prison for murder and visit and pray for their healing, though we hate their sin.

**The essential point I am making is, though you can separate the sinner from their sin, you CANNOT separate the believer from their belief.**

For this reason, I would disagree that it is possible to hate the religion and love the believer. If this differentiation cannot work with religious beliefs which are an essential part of the religious person (that we claim to love), how then can we deal with our strong views against religion in general or a religious belief or practice in particular?

I would love to know your perspective, whether Christian, religious or not. Please share your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks!

# Brainwashed!

One morning, while in my early teens, I woke up in a panic. My heart was beating fast and I was sweating and afraid. I had just had a dream that I had smoked a cigarette.

Not a pack. Just one cigarette. And I was afraid of what it had done to my body. I had heard somewhere that every cigarette you consume takes days off your life. I was afraid that I would become addicted!

I was also afraid of what my parents would do if they found out. I stayed in bed frightened until I realized that it was only a dream, and it had never happened, so my life was not in any danger.

Why was I so afraid? Could it be that my parents brainwashed me against cigarettes or drugs? Could it be the propaganda about the dangers of smoking? Could it be based on real concrete information about smoking and a genuine fear to avoid it at all costs?

I certainly can't remember a single session of brainwashing from my parents. I can't even recount any speech on not smoking from them. So I think we can safely rule out that source for brainwashing. Maybe it is media hype. Maybe there's some truth in the hype. Maybe I was just a girl with a heightened fear of evil!

But I can tell you that, til today, I have never smoked a single cigarette. Despite peer pressure. Despite observing my school mates casually smoking and being excluded from their cool group. I determined in my heart at a young age that it was not a thing I wanted to do.

Maybe it had something to do with God. Maybe it didn't.

But you know, I am sick of people claiming that I only believe in God, at my grown age, because I was brainwashed as a child. That is certainly not the case.

God puts the fear of Him in the hearts of His children - even at a young age. He sets them apart for Himself. And no education nor wisdom can turn their hearts away from Him. If you are His, you will certainly feel His pull to believe, to stir away from evil and to do right.

# The Stupidity Is Too Much

There is an account in the Bible about how Paul and Barnabas went to Lystra, preaching the gospel among the Gentiles, and then came across a cripple. Paul speaks to the cripple that he may be healed, and he is healed. Immediately, the people believe that Paul and Barnabas are gods, and decide that they want to do sacrifices for them. However, Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes and speak to them to convince them that they too are mere men. Not long after, some Jews come and turn the people (who moments earlier revered them as gods) against them, and they stone Paul until they believe he is dead, and drag him out of the city!

You can read the whole account at Acts 14:8-20. It is quite unfathomable how foolish humans are, without the true knowledge of God. In his speech to the pagans, who were about to worship men, Paul said concerning God that " _in times past [He] suffered all nations to walk in their own ways_ " (verse 16). This was quite resounding to me. Religions like Hinduism and Buddism could spring up and develop roots, because God _suffered_ them to be so ignorant. Well not anymore!

People usually say that Jehovah cannot be the one true God, because there are so many other gods believed to be true, and thus He would simply be one among many. But there is no God that has gone the lengths of Jehovah to show His power, love and wisdom among men. The gods they worship are among His creations (like the Sun and Moon) or even worse, they were created with their very own hands - even made of wood and stone! But the only true God was never created, and has no beginning or end. Unlike these false gods, He does speak and work wonders among His people.

When I read that verse by Paul, I could just imagine how frustrated God would have been, when He eventually decided that enough was enough with all these people walking about in their foolishness, worshiping things that were created, and not considering Him! The stupidity was rampant, and He chose the Israelites to be a People by whom He would reveal Himself to the world, and turn them to the true worship of the God for whom their hearts ached! They worship false gods because they _know_ there is a god, but their reasoning is short-circuited to settle for anything that causes one to go "awww!"

But they cannot hold their convictions, because their convictions are baseless. They are only as deep as their bellies, emotional, superficial, irrational (Phil 3:19)! Having seen the miracle done by Paul, they didn't reason that they were worthy of listening to, that they may in fact be on to something, but were quickly turned away by their opposition (who knows if the Jews offered them money, food or protection), and hated the light that had come unto them! Even the Hebrews, who knew God intimately, for He delivered them mightily from the oppression of the Egyptians, quickly thought to CREATE a god of their own imagination, in the form of a calf to worship! How fickle and desperately wicked is the heart of man.

However, the stupidity of the pagans cannot be compared to the stupidity of the Atheists who, for their inability to 'find' God, with their half-hearted searches and proud thinking, conclude that there is no God to find. They sit precariously upon their scanty knowledge, satisfied to be ignorant on this grave matter, and decide that it was in the absence of their _great_ knowledge that their ancestors thought to believe in God. But now they know better. Now they know enough. Now they know that God doesn't exist.

Truly, truly, ignorance is not bliss.

" _Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon_ " (Isa 55:6-7).

# The Devil's Homeboy

In almost every gangster movie, we watch how the kingpin deals wickedly and how he is followed by a bunch of die-hards who think they are untouchable because they are by his side and do his bidding. There's always one sidekick, who sucks up to the Bad guy, and imagines that they are best buddies...without realizing how much his ass-kissing is getting on the kingpin's nerves.

One random day like this, the suck-up gets a bullet in his head! Just because the Bad guy felt like it. Just because he had had enough. Just because he wanted to teach him and others a lesson. Just because he can!

Funny thing is that there are no shortage of idiots to take the place of the sidekick, and they never seem to learn the lessons nor heed the warning that this Bad guy is not their friend. That they are just as disposable as homeboy on the floor with his guts spilling out!

Maybe they do realise and they are resigned to their fate. Maybe they are too afraid to change allegiance. Maybe they just love being bad so much, and they long to be the kingpin eventually. They long to be the one with all the power who calls the shots and disposes of people at will. Or maybe they are actually deceived and think that the Bad guy is really the _misunderstood_ Good guy.

Whatever their reason...they need to come swiftly to their senses and realise their perilous situation. They need to know that it is never too late to change allegiance. They need to know that the wicked person they serve does not and cannot love them! The Good guy is not the one who kills you for pissing him off, but the One who loves you so much that He died for you, to redeem you from the grip of the enemy of your soul.

# The Easy Way Out

The way I see it, it would be easy to be an atheist. You've got no one's rules to follow but your own. As long as you also follow the laws of the land where you live, you've got no problem.

With no belief in God, there are so many life experiences that one could experiment with, without fear that they would have to give account to anyone for their actions. You wouldn't feel guilty for living a selfish life, doing only what feels good and right to you... or even breaking the law - if and when you think you could get away with it! I mean, what does it matter anyway?

So, now all I have to think about is my business and my family - that's if I ever settle down to have one. I mean, there are no restrictions on who I can sleep with, or even how many. Why do I have to get tied down? And who needs kids anyway? Yes, they are adorable, but what a way to waste precious time and money! So I guess it will just be about the business...

So much more free time to get that money! And lots of it too!!! No point giving to anybody else, because anyone who can't get their own is bloody lazy or stupid! _Don 't_ mind my french.

Now, what will I do with all that money...? No Church. No charity. No family. Friends? Any friend of mine will certainly have their own money, so they won't need mine. Well, maybe I'll buy my own island! Awesome idea!!!

So, imagine I got my own island. It only took me about 30 years because of those thieving tax laws. Now I don't have to pay taxes ever! The Island is pretty small though. I need to get some food. Oh damn! I don't know anything about farming!

Got to get that stuff imported. In the end, I figure out that I need more than food. I need other people to help with building my mansion, and hooking me up with all the services I need, so I won't need to travel back and forth so much.

By the time I get everything set up, and pay everyone their due wages, I'm going to need a job again! This lifestyle is expensive.

And I hate to admit that I'm lonely. Sleeping with prostitutes wiped me out! If I'd settled down, I'd have gotten sex for free. Plus, they would have helped with a lot of the stuff I had to do on my own... And maybe they'd have been good company too. I quite like that idea now...

But, alas, I'm too old... Nobody wants to hire me. Nobody fancies me. Heck, no one likes me. I don't even know if I like me

_What 's the point of living anyway, if no one cares that you're alive?_

In this very unlikely scenario, that's when one might realize that life has to be for more than self. This person was actually fortunate to get this far. He or she could have met their end with many kinds of misfortune, including victimization (with the crime rates in such an irreligious society), imprisonment (for his petty or major crimes), sickness, accident, sudden death, poverty and destitution, among many things that humans face.

Maybe with suffering, they might have come to realize that they need other people sooner than that. That to live in harmony with others, we need more than state laws, but moral laws that keep us from hurting others - even if no one but us knows about it! Maybe they might have appreciated the value of friends and family, and the fact that money can't buy happiness. Maybe they would agree with Jesus that "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

Maybe you're an athiest, and can't see any comparison to the person I've illustrated because you love life, family and friends. My question to you is - if there's no God, no rules and no morality, why are those things important to you?

# Heaven And Hell: An Idiot-Proof Design

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Heaven is far preferable than Hell. God has made the choice so very simple, that an idiot will not miss road!!! As the wise men of the world over-analyse every detail of these options, and speculate endlessly about whether or not God exists, the idiot has read all the signs along the way...he saw the narrow way with the sign of the Cross, saying "this is the Way. Walk in it", and he is undisturbed to follow the trail that leads to Life!

This is how idiot-proof the choice is:

1. Heaven is a luxury, all expense paid eternal vacation free from logistical stress and packed with delightful leisure activities. Hell is a horrible, uncomfortable, uncivilized garbage dumpsite, which reeks of everything distasteful, that you spent a fortune to get to! Even if the thought of Heaven is not appealing enough, the fear of ending up in hell alone should motivate anyone to choose Heaven!

2. The King of Heaven came to Earth Himself and gave instructions on how to get your ticket and where to board the flight. It is so simple that unlearned men were able to write it down and share this knowledge to everyone! With a manual and a map, and the Spirit of God to enlighten our paths, it's a sureset!

3. Even if it was a sordid trick so that you loose out on the here and now for a promised ever after, what have you really got to lose??? What do you have that you can't already lose to the injustice, cruelty, wickedness and unpredictability of this life? It isn't a fool's gamble to trade this world for the glory of Heaven. It's a fool's gamble to ignore the eternal and take your chances on the now - only to spend an eternity in Hell.

So really, who is the fool? The one who believes God or the one who doesn't?

" _I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children_ " (Matt 11:25).

# Re: Why It Is Not A "Safe Bet" To Believe In God

I was directed to read this post written by an Atheist, who debunked the premise of Pascal's wager, during a debate an a post about my post about whether God is easily offended. Pascal's wager is often posed by Christians trying to defend their right to their Faith from unbelievers. It says simply that if God doesn't exist, the Believer loses nothing, but if God exists, the unbeliever will suffer loss.

It is a good article for every Believer to read, especially those who are into apologetics, so they can better understand the atheistic perspective. I think my response to the authour, copied below, captures the problem Christians have with Atheists, which resort to them using Pascal's wager, without even considering that someone has used that argument before them...

Read The Full Post Here

My response:

**Hi Greta,**

**Great and challenging piece on the topic of faith and Pascal 's wager. I actually used it in a recent debate with an Atheist, and I will admit, it was made because I was "backed into the corner" regarding the issue of "proof".**

**But that is the fallacy here ... demanding proof to have "faith" is not actually to have faith at all, and that is what the logical atheist cannot appreciate.**

**For the record, I didn 't come to believe because Pascal's wager was pointed to me, I simply believed, and my belief has been reinforced by a relationship with God. I also wouldn't respect anyone who comes to belief because they are backed into the corner with Pascal's wager.**

**Pascal 's wager is simply our way of saying you are asking us to throw away "faith" by reason of your demand for "proof", but we value our faith more than your unbelief.**

**The Faith/Logic argument will be an unending one, not because faith has no logic, but because logic has no faith!**

**Sincerely, Ufuoma.**

# Are You In It For Eternal Life?

Apparently, Christians only worship God because there is something in it for us...particularly the eternal life that Jesus died so we could have.

I thought I would ask you why you decided to believe and submit to God, through Jesus? Was eternal life really the selling point?

I shared my views in my response to Jenny's post - What if I'm wrong?

***

Your main theme here is that we believe because there is something in it for us. I have to ask myself why I believe...

You know, I am not too big on this 'life' thing we have going here!!! Everyone goes on about how life is a gift. I keep wondering when someone gave me the option to choose to be alive or not. I mean, I had no say in who my parents were, where I was born, and on so many things while I was a child. But as an adult, everyday, I choose to be alive. I have this instinct to survive and want to survive.

Now, on to eternal life. If it is anything like the life here on Earth, I think I would give that a pass, and just let this one finish once and for all. The idea of living forever is not really my cup of tea, so when approached by Christians that that was what God was offering, it wasn't really a gagging moment for me. I could have gone either way on that one. So, I would have to disagree that I believe in God because I want to live forever. Not really. Maybe if I made the rules in eternity.... Maybe.

Sometimes, I just want this whole not knowing for sure part of life to end. I want to know for sure the purpose I was born in the very first place. When someone talks about a God who knew me, it resonates with my spirit. When they talk about His commandments to live an unselfish life, to love others and hold Him at the highest esteem, it also resonates with my spirit. When I read the Bible for myself, and studied the words of Jesus, I believed that He existed. Not because of all the peace He promised me. Not because of the Home He said He's preparing for me in Heaven...just because that was the most truth I had ever learnt (and still ever learnt) in this world. It makes sense to me.

And what do you know...it kinda makes me want to make more out of this life that I did not choose. I am not letting time pass until I get to heaven to start living... I am living now, and living well and purposefully. I can offer words of hope and encouragement to others who also struggle with this life and may want to end it all. Maybe you might say that is what I got from it...the feeling of importance. Maybe. But I don't have all the answers. I don't know why some believe and some don't. But I know we all wonder what is the meaning of this thing called life...and God answers that question for the majority of us in this world.

***

It's probably an unpopular opinion, but in case she's on to something, what's in it for you?

# What's The Big Deal About Eternity?

I just read a post by an Atheist that I found very intriguing. I particularly liked his take on eternity, and found it a bit amusing. Click to read: **Do you know for sure that you will go to Heaven?**

I shared my comment under his post, but I thought you guys would appreciate it too, so I'm posting it here. Can we truly appreciate immortality, while we remain confined to a mortal body?

I wrote:

**Yeah, I don 't try to think of eternity too much. That wasn't what sold me on Christianity. I shared that in one of my response posts called "Are You In It For Eternal Life?".**

**What do mortals know about the life of an immortal? It 's dimensions above our ability to comprehend. I reckon it might be like a stone (if it had the ability to think) wondering what was the big deal about living? So you eat and you poop and you sleep and you work...then what? But only the living can appreciate life, and only the immortal can appreciate immortality.**

**Many say life is a gift, and sometimes, I 'm in that camp. But when I see people suffering who had no say in their existence, I do wonder what sort of gift it is... However, it's still a gift in the sense that it is an opportunity. Life presents us with lots of opportunities to show forth our true character and to learn true wisdom, and it doesn't have to be leisurely or easy to be worthwhile and beneficial.**

**That 's my perspective. When someone offers you a gift, it doesn't help to question it. Seize the opportunity!**

**Cheers, Ufuoma.**

What do you think? Is this another case of the dead calling the living pathetic?

# Musing On Immortality, Original Sin And Suffering

Last week, I shared a comment I wrote in response to an Atheist's post on the topic of eternal life. Later, while musing on this topic, I went back to the Beginning...to the Garden of Eden, where it all began for mankind. I learnt something from that. I learnt that mortality is a curse.

You see, we were never supposed to die. We were supposed to live with God forever, nourished by His Light, as we are now nourished by the Sun. In the absence of sin, Adam and Eve would still be alive today, along with billions of humans, who died after them. Even without eating from the Tree of Life! God's presence would have sustained us, just as He sustained Moses for 40 days and nights without food and water on the mountain.

However, once Adam and Eve sinned, they were corrupted and suffering entered the world...because when we go against the will of God, we inflict pain and suffering on ourselves and others, even without knowing it. And the thing about corruption is that it is an insatiable pit. Have you noticed how a small lie turns into a great and mighty delusion? Have you watched how food rots with just a singular fly? Likewise, once corruption takes hold, it cannot be satisfied until all that is good is made evil.

With this turn of events, God, in His great mercy, made us mortal! How did He do that? By first withdrawing His presence and casting them out of the Garden of Eden. He even put up a flaming sword to keep them from eating from the Tree of Life, which would have made them immortal. Knowing that they were corrupt, there was not much He could put past them. Rebellion was now the order of the day, so to save us from ourselves, God prevented mankind from becoming immortal.

Do you see His mercy? Suffering and immortality would have been a terrible terrible curse on Adam and Eve and all humans after them. That would be Hell on Earth! Imagine the worst kinds of wickedness, escalating endlessly, and the same murderers, rapists, thieves and villains unable to be stopped, because they are immortal. Imagine sickness and suffering, all sorts of diseases...but they cannot kill you, because you are immortal. There would surely be no good thing or person remaining, because corruption would devour all! So with sin came the need for mortality (Rom 6:23)! And after death, judgment (Heb 9:27)!

So when God warned Adam that the day he eats of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which he had been forbidden to eat from, he would surely die...He wasn't exaggerating at all. It wasn't that the tree was bad. Of course it was good, like the devil said. But their disobedience was evil. Maybe God wanted to train them first, before rewarding them with its fruit. But they presumed themselves wiser than God, and rebelled against Him.

We also know that on account of their sin, the first animal was killed, to cover up their shame; for they came to know that they were naked and were ashamed. The death of the first animal to serve as Man's clothing, would certainly not have helped to foster cohabitation between animals and humans. See how sin was already unraveling God's good plan?

God could have killed Adam and Eve right there and then, and decided to start again, but He rather took advantage of the situation presented, to _teach_ mankind His ways... And then He sent Jesus to redeem us, and restore us to His original plan. Those who believe in Jesus, who forsake their sin, and the corrupted world, choosing instead to deny themselves and follow Him, would be restored in their relationship with God and given the gift of eternal life... Knowing Him and God, in Paradise, and living forever in peace and harmony with one another and all God's creatures.

I love how our Heavenly dwelling is depicted in Revelation: " _Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever_ " (Chapter 22; verse 1-5).

Immortality is our destiny as children of God. It is right for us to desire it. Power is our birthright as royalty. Let's take hold of it. Sin, Sickness and Death are defeated in Christ Jesus and corruption has no more hold on us. Let us not live as though we do not know our heritage... Let us live as those who have been redeemed, bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. And may His Kingdom come and be restored on Earth... Amen.

# Musing On Time And Eternity, Evolution And Creation

" _Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am_ " (John 8:58).

The other day, I started musing on immortality, original sin and suffering, after reading a post by an Atheist who said that the thought of living forever freaked him out. Maybe you can't fathom immortality and eternity either. My musings on the topic led to me musing about the concept of time and space, and the biggest question of where and when did it all start!

Christians believe that God created the whole world and the universe and everything that is said to exist. Whether you can think it, imagine it, see it, touch it...God made it. The Bible tells us that our world and everything was created with Adam and Eve, and going by the timeline of the Bible, that would mean that our planet couldn't possibly be older than 10,000 years (as a big estimate). However, Scientists disagree, based on carbon data and a lot of other archaeological findings, including the discovery of the Universe, and suggest that our world is indeed billions of years old.

This presents a problem for the sincere Believer. Do we throw out our Holy Book for being inaccurate, and accept the theories of science, or do we stick to our guns and insist that science is missing an important piece of the puzzle? Or is there a way for us to still believe the rest of the Bible, while not considering it an authouritative account of history? This issue about how old our planet is and how the whole cosmos started has divided Christians, and made those who insist that the Biblical account is in fact true and accurate to appear to be ignorant fools.

Well... I dare to be counted among the fools, by presenting my own understanding on this whole concept of time, eternity, evolution and creation.

I think the whole problem for us lies in the confusion between time and eternity. As humans, we are only able to comprehend life and matter within the dynamics of time and space. We have no understanding nor appreciation for the concept of eternity, except to reason that it is an immeasurable amount of time. Even large amounts of space is measured in 'light years', using time as a basic unit. Likewise, we have limited understanding and appreciation of the spiritual realm and the supernatural.

However, what if eternity is not measured in time? What if eternity is the _absence_ of time? With this understanding, we can now appreciate how to God, " _a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day_ " (2 Peter 3:8). In which case, you could not be able to determine the age of anything that has ALWAYS existed. Nor would you be able to determine the true age of something that was CREATED at the beginning of Time. Are you confused?

Time must have a beginning and an end. We are told the beginning of Time, but not the beginning of the existence of the Immortal God, who was never created, but by whom all things were created (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16)...including time, space and matter! He didn't just create the world or the universe and everything in it... He also created the concept of time, and He gave it a beginning and an end! The beginning of time are the days of Genesis, when He created our world. The end of time will be the Last Days, when He will judge the world!

At the end of time, God will roll up time like a film, and there will be time no more (Revelation 10:6)!!! Time as a concept will cease to exist. All that will remain is eternity and immortality, the absence of time. We are even told that the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll (Revelation 6:14).

**Pop Quiz: How old was Adam when God created him?**

The Bible doesn't say. But we know that he was a mature male. He wasn't created a fetus, nor a baby nor a young boy... He was created whole and complete MAN. Same with Eve. She was created a whole and complete woman.

**Pop Quiz: How old was the Earth when God created it?**

The Bible doesn't say. But we know that the Earth was fully formed! That everything that should have been was present. All God's creatures came with the full package. The trees, animals, insects...everything, was in a state of maturity. They did not have an age, because before they existed, there was no concept of time!

They were not, and then they were. If you try to use carbon data to determine the true age of the world, you will be wrong, because you will exceed the beginning of time. It would be like trying to determine the age of your car by measuring the age of the metal used in creating it, rather than going by the date given by the manufacturer!

And so ends the question of how old the universe is... It doesn't matter. The universe was created mature and full to the glory of God. We are only now discovering it!

The same way God created time, He also created the concept of SPACE, and He gave Man the Earth as his home, for the duration of TIME that He has allotted to Man. At the end of time, we are told that there will also be A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH (Revelation 21:1). I wonder how old they will be? I reckon they will also be fully formed, mature and ageless, as though they have existed before they were created.

We, who live in the confines of time and space, use those measurements to understand our world and existence. But we _cannot_ use time and space to deny nor disprove the existence of a Creator, who is not bound by either time nor space! That would be very arrogant and foolish.

So the Big Bang Theory and its associated Theory of Evolution will remain exactly that until the end of time; theories of Man. While Evolution is a theory based on time, Creationism is a _belief_ based on eternity! At the end, we will know the truth about the agelessness of our Earth and Universe - if indeed the Christian is right that there is a Creator at the beginning of our existence as a human race. Or, when we each die, we will simply cease to exist, and will know nothing...and it will be as though we never were.

So, don't overthink it, unless, of course, you have a soul

" _Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding._

_Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?_

_Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;_

_When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?_

_Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?_

_When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,_

_And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,_

_And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?_

_Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place..?_ "

(Job 38:4-12)

# "We Know Everything And There Is No God"

" _We know everything, and there is no God_ ," said the Atheist.

Mankind have been learning about themselves and their environments since the beginning of their recognition of their existence, whenever that beginning was. We know that without the consciousness that we are alive, and the ability to think, to feel, to reason, to adapt, to change, to construct and to create, we would not be able to know or influence anything in our world. We would just exist and not even know that we exist!

No matter the knowledge man has gained, it seems that they have not learned the folly of making arrogant statements about the existence of realms they cannot see, and the folly of jumping to conclusions. Yes, make theories, and gather your evidences, but there is no certainty in _any_ knowledge, unless you are all knowing. The Apostle Paul said something very interesting about those who think they know it all:

" _And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know_ " (1 Cor 8:2).

I think this is an amazing truth for all kinds of thinkers, whether they be Religious, Atheists or Agnostics. All of us should just admit the limitation of our understanding, because to claim all knowledge and understanding is to claim divinity, and such are in for the shock of their lives (Prov 16:18, 1 Cor 10:12)!

Now, the Believers have been the ones most accused of being "know-it-all"s, because we are very _certain_ of our strongly held beliefs, which rule every aspect of our lives. However, such 'certainty' is limited to the definition of 'belief', being " _an acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof_ " (Google). I do beg to offer that they are not indeed the most annoying nor arrogant "know-it-all"s. The Atheists are the chiefs of "know-it-all"s, and they are indeed the greatest of the fools (Psa 14:1).

Let's try a little reasoning here... I would suppose that there are three types of knowing; the knowing that is by Faith, the knowing that is by Certainty, and then there is the in-between, undecided, inconclusive thinking, that cannot truly be defined as knowing, called Doubt. Believers profess by faith that there is a God, and the Atheists profess with certainty that there is _no_ God (for it is only by certainty that such a claim can be made and accepted), while the Agnostics are undecided on whether or not there is a God. The Bible says concerning the doubters (or double-minded), that they are unstable in all their ways (Jam 1:8), so these cannot be seen to be authouritative in any form of knowledge.

Therefore, it would only be reasonable that the burden of proof is laid on those who are _certain_ that there is no God, because for them to be certain, they must have proof! It cannot be laid on Believers. Faith stands by REASON and not by certain evidence. There has to be sufficient reason to hold a belief. Believers have, for many thousands of years, tried to _reason_ with unbelievers (quite like I am doing now), that they hold their view dangerously and unreasonably, seeing as it is a view that is impossible to support with evidence - but requires the support of evidence because it is CONCLUSIVE!

You cannot reasonably conclude that God doesn't exist, even if you were to scan the whole universe or travel through all space and dimensions yourself! It is not unreasonable to suggest that a God who created the whole universe would abide OUTSIDE its limitations! And even if He chose to abide within it, since you are not like Him in any way, there is no technology you can come up with to rule out the possibility that while you are at location A, He is not at location X! And let's not neglect the dimension of time, to which _you_ are limited and He is not! You've set yourself up to fail, and your conclusion is illogical. So I dare say, the view you hold requires much greater faith (based on the "reasonable" theory of Evolution) than mine, and you can be no more certain about how this whole universe began than I.

But I am not surprised by your arrogant and stubborn stance, for it is also written about the fool that he "... _hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself_ " (Prov 18:2). I dare to submit that the Atheist's resistance to the possibility that there is a God is simply because he does not want to be guided by Wisdom, but wishes only to " _discover himself_ " and do as he pleases. They love their foolishness, and are proud of it. They are simply unreasonable, and as such, they cannot gain understanding nor wisdom, and all their knowledge is gained in vain. They are kings of arguments, and somehow, they have put Believers on the defensive, with the burden of proof, being ignorant of the fact that THEY are the ones in the position of certainty and therefore burdened with the duty to provide proof, or else join the more sensible Agnostics!

This post is probably wasted on the fools, but to those with the ability to reason, to people of faith, I would like to warn against falling for the tactic of the Atheist, and running around trying to gather the proof for them so that they might believe. They cannot and will not, unless God grants them the gift of faith and sight (Mark 4:12)! There is no sign that can be shown that would convince them of the existence of God, if they have already acknowledged all the evidences that are before us all, and disregarded them (Matt 16:4, Luke 16:31, Rom 1:19-20).

To the militant Atheists, those committed to robbing the world of faith, I would just like to warn you of sitting too comfortably on that field of Science that you have stumbled upon, which you now sit on like a mountain and think you are above all knowledge! You are as one sitting on a chair with one leg! You don't have all the pieces, no matter the abundance of things you are able to explain.

Science is beautiful and has been greatly beneficial to our world since its discovery. But can you dare to believe that there is a realm, or even two or three more realms that you have not even come to know even 1% of...and that if you were to gain such knowledge, even what you think you know about Science must be brought again under the microscope? Do you think your mind could comprehend that Science is just the shore of a vast ocean of knowledge that you do not have???

Don't use Science to tell me there is no God! Science is evidence that there is a God if there is any more need for evidence. Our discoveries in each new year from the study of Science should help us realise that we do not even know the half of it...and tomorrow or next year, we will discover even more. And maybe, if we were connected to the God who knows all things, and submitted to Him, He might be merciful enough to grant us knowledge that will grow our understanding and knowledge base in Science exponentially!

You need to realise that Believers are not against Science, we just see it as a _small_ part of the much, much bigger picture! But since you lack spiritual sight, Science is all you see. I pray that God may soften your hearts, and open your eyes that you may truly see!

" _You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see_"(Rev 3:17-18).

# OUT OF BOUNDS!

Those words will either humble you or anger you, but throughout our lives we will come across situations where we are shut out from. Where our input is not needed. Where we have no choice but to trust those with understanding and insight.

Truth is, as much as we may want to, we can't possibly know nor understand everything. We don't have the capacity! There are some things that are given to us to know...some things that are given to us to search out. And then there are things that are OUT OF BOUNDS. You can't know them. You can't search them. You can't have them, nor can you comprehend, unless the One in Charge favours you to do so.

The realm of Faith is one such territory. The Atheist values his knowledge above all else, and is frustrated by this realm, where his 'much' knowledge and logical reasoning is neither needed nor valued. This is the territory of God, where He abides, and by which He chooses to run the world and the whole universe. This is His control tower...and they are shut out!

They can't investigate it. They can't validate it. They can't know it. They can't comprehend it. They are not so qualified, nor have they been called to enter in. And they suppose that because it CANNOT be examined nor analysed, then it must not be profitable, and it is not even real.

I came across a picture on a blog by an unbeliever that made me think. It said: " _I would rather have questions that can 't be answered, than have answers that can't be questioned_". And something I read today reminded me of how _unsearchable_ the things of God are (Rom 11:33). They are areas of Restricted Access, and unlocked only by faith, humility, love and wisdom. Even those with faith realise that there are areas that are yet unsearchable to them, but which they will be granted rights by the grace of God, when He deems them so worthy to know more.

Would I rather have questions that can't be answered or answers that can't be questioned? Well, the truth is I have both, and I APPRECIATE both! I do have questions that I don't yet have answers to. There are many things I don't know, and also that I don't need to know in order to live a happy and fulfilled life. Like how the Universe works, for example.

The average person doesn't need to know telecommunication technology nor electronic engineering in order to enjoy the use of a mobile phone! They know what they need to know, and they are quite content to take their phone to a specialist for repair, than to try to fix it themselves, when it malfunctions. The same way, I feel quite content to sit in the cabin of an aeroplane and trust that the Pilot and his crew know what they are doing, even if I don't know the first thing about aerodynamics! It's not even so much that the questions don't have answers, but that people lack the interest, patience and/or capacity to learn and understand fully.

I also have answers that can't be questioned. There are not many, but I have security in the few I hold dear. As children, we have security in the restrictions our parents put in place for us. We can't, or rather, we _shouldn 't_, question them on their parenting, because we wouldn't even understand if they were to explain themselves, nor would it bode for a good relationship.

It is when we mature that we can then question them if we see fit. We are now in a better position to ask the right question, with a right attitude, and rightly understand and appreciate the answer. In fact, we may NEVER need to ask why, because as we grow up, we will come to KNOW why! And we will apply the wisdom of their training with our children too.

It is for this reason that Jesus said that anyone who comes to Him, must come LIKE A LITTLE CHILD (Matt 18:3). We come by faith, realising that we don't know as we ought to know, trusting that God loves us, knows us and all we need to be happy, and will teach us all things as we mature in Him. At different stages, there will be things we cannot or should not question. For example, we can't question His goodness. We are secure in knowing and trusting in His benevolence towards us. As we mature, we need never question it...we can testify of it!

Knowing everything is not the problem of those who live by faith. We _know_ enough to have faith in God about the rest. We do not so much desire greater knowledge as we do greater _wisdom_. A child who knows little, but has understanding (through intimacy with the One who knows all) is wise; but the one who knows much but lacks understanding is foolish. The knowledge of the spiritual will be forever hid from such, who lack humility and faith.

" _At that time Jesus declared, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children_" (Matt 11:25).

# A World Without God?

Let's think about that for a minute. Really, really think about it. Can you imagine it? The absence of the awareness of any divine Being? Any sovereign Lord? Any all encompassing Spirit?

So many people profess that they can. And that they have. And in fact, they live in such a world... A world without God. A world untouched by His influence and untainted by His existence.

In reality, they live in a world filled with people who constantly question the existence of such a Being. Such questions always bring the possibility to the fore. Such questions are as the fall of an elephant in the desert. It throws the dust up again, and clouds their world for the moments they contemplate the possibility that there is a God! In those moments, they are choked by the dust, until it settles...

But then, the question is thrown again, and another elephant falls and their world is disturbed. Calamity strikes, and reason prevails. Yet, the masses call upon God. From a place they know not of, the call for help, for assurance, for serenity, goes out. The call arises from within, before one has been able to conclude the question - IS THERE A GOD?

Those who are certain there is none have no proof to substantiate their claims. How can you deny the existence of something that you are constantly plagued with the possibility of its existence? How can you disprove the existence of an intangible Being, when you cannot disprove the existence of your thought? How can you know for certain that someone does not exist, when you are only now discovering the possibilities of things you once took for granted or those before your time never imagined possible?

The bottom line remains that the question can never be answered in the negative...but it can certainly be affirmed. It can be affirmed in experience. In relationship. In reality. In discovery. In thought and in revelation.

Those in whom these faculties have been enlightened can not begin to imagine a world without God. Believe me, I have tried!

The question is not if there is a God, but "WHO is God"? Religions abound because of the awareness that there is a God...and because there is no universal understanding on who He is. The Agnostic is content in the possibility that there is a God, without knowing who or why, when or how. The Atheist denies that there is one, and abides alone in his folly. The Believer seeks to know who God is...believing that such knowledge holds the meaning of life, upon the realisation that One exists!

But let's entertain the Atheist for a while... What would this world be without a divine Creator, a God?

The question as to our existence is answered with a 'post it' on the wall called 'Evolution'. It stands there as a space saver, until more is known. For now, it will suffice to believe that all the intelligence that brought this universe into existence, and that fills the space of a single atom, came about by an unintended, uncontrolled, illogical explosion many billions of years ago...

Love and hate are not real, but defined and learnt by human interaction. Laws made by a civilised world are sufficient to keep the peace in such a world. Morality is a learned standard of behaviour, indoctrinated from childhood, and subject to change with culture and education. Socialisation defines gender, and sex differences between males and females can be over-turned by human science. Intelligence is the greatest good!

These are the conclusions drawn from a world that denies the Truth of God. The wisdom of Mankind that seeks to overthrow the Wisdom of God. It can be likened to a computer created by a brilliant scientist...to be capable of reason and feeling and communication. The computer 'lives', not knowing the origin of its first impulse, and believes it can recreate itself and build a world without the scientist. But here's the gotcha; the fail-switch is with the scientist!

Oh, but I failed. I got distracted from my train of thought in imagining a world without God, by reason of the folly of such a thought. Let's try again, shall we?

If there was no God, there would be no intelligence. There would be no civilisation. There would be no humanity. The lions would rule the Earth, as the greatest of the animals. The Earth would be a nature resort, filled with every kind of animal, without chemical waste, without legal or financial systems, and without emotional calamities.

That's the best I could do. Maybe an Atheist can help me out, and show me what a world - with humans - would look like without God.

# Does Christ Get In The Way?

After reading a post by Jenny of Life After Doubt called "Abandoning Christ in a Christ-Centered Marriage", I felt a burden to write this post, as a way to understand what was really the underlying issue and to help anyone else that may be going through a crisis of faith in their marriage.

In her post, she talked about the youthful origins of her marriage, her initial passion for the Faith, and how that crumbled away to leave behind a stronger marriage without Christ. The central problem identified in her post was that God got in the way. However, is it really possible for Christ to sabotage unions that He is very much invested in?

To me, it seems obvious what got in the way. Religion. Religion always gets in the way!!! If spirituality is water to the soul, religion is soda! Religion is what the enemy offers us instead of water. It may look nicer, taste better, fill you up faster...but it doesn't quench your thirst and is not at all good for you!

It is very easy to transition from being a Christ-follower to being only a Church-goer. Usually, when people convert to the Christian Faith, their zeal is sparked by their love for Christ and what He represents. Then they are schooled in on Christianity as a religion, and try to fit in to the new Christian mold.

Depending on your denomination or Church, this will require changes from your diet to your personality to your vocation. Quite often, these recommendations on improvement are based on sound Biblical doctrine...however, as with all things religious, the spirit and intent for which these practices are encouraged is often lost in translation. What remains are a series of dos and don'ts, with the burden on the followers to keep up the false image of righteousness.

Living by faith and depending daily on the Spirit of Christ is not the easiest thing to do in a dark and corrupted world (Heb 10:38). It requires sincerity and spiritual discernment (John 4:24). It is like manually distilling every cup of water you drink. Pre-packaged drinks, like soda, start to seem more attractive for the insincere. Religion has the pre-packaged appeal. All you have to do is sign and conform. No critical thinking. No personal relationship. No personal accountability. But the quality of what you get depends on who sold you the product.

It can be quite hard to distinguish the real from the fake, and you can go a long time putting your faith in religion, all the while you thought your faith was in Christ. The true test is in the trials. I do believe that if your faith is built on Christ, when the storms of life come, you will still be standing on the solid rock of Christ afterwards (Matt 7:24-27). However, if your faith was built upon a religion, it will crumble to the ground and be blown away with the wind, when it is tested. That is why Jesus said that no one can snatch those who are His from His hand (John 10:28), and that many will call Him "Lord, Lord", but He will tell them that He never knew them (Matt 7:22). That's quite a critical difference!

Reading Jenny's account of her transition, I don't see any real testing of faith. What she recounted was a drifting away from religion, an affiliation with worldliness leading to the final rejection of God. It seems like the case of the seed that was sown on the rocks that had no root, though it sprung up for a while (Matt 13:3-9). Of course the world would seem so much more attractive. Religion is always a burden because Christ is not the authour, man is. But Jesus didn't come to add burdens to our lives and our marriages... He said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt 11:29-30), not like the Pharisees who put unbearable burdens on people that they won't even lift a finger to alleviate (Luke 11:46).

The Bible says for good reason that a three-fold cord is not easily broken (Eccl 4:12). Christ represents the third cord in marriage, not religion. These are just some of the benefits of a Christ-centered marriage:

  1. **Sacrifice** - With a relationship with Christ, you will learn the value of sacrificial love, and when you find yourself giving in to selfishness, you need only remember who your Hero and Mentor is. He will also be right there to remind you of opportunities to show sacrificial love to your spouse;
  2. **Faithfulness** - As humans, we are very fickle. Temptations come, life gets hard and busy, your spouse may lose their sexual appeal. Christ gives us the grace to be faithful. To love even the undesirable;
  3. **Understanding** - As we develop our relationship with Christ, He grants us insight into ourselves and our spouse. This insight helps us to be more patient and compassionate, and develop into mature and gracious life companions;
  4. **Perseverance** - When Christ is the centre of our lives, it doesn't mean that everything will go perfectly smooth. Trials will still come. But a relationship with Christ gives us root and strength of character, so that when the storm is over, we are still hanging on to Him, if nothing else at all;
  5. **Joy** - We will not always feel happy. But we will always feel at peace with God. We will know the joy of His fellowship and will enjoy our marriage. When He is at the centre of our union, we have hope and reasons to rejoice daily.

Dear Jenny, I think it is a good thing that you have survived the death of religion in your marriage, and that you are still going strong. But marriage is not a human calling. It is not something we can survive in our own strength. The enemy attacks marriages vigorously, and without Christ, you're like a ship without an anchour. Marriage is a divine vocation that needs God's grace to succeed in this world.

I hope that your heart will not be closed to Christ, even as you have decided that religion is not for you. I know you know you don't know everything, so there's still a very real possibility that your faith in God can be revived. By all means, throw out the bath water that is religion, but keep the Baby, which is Christ! You may consider this post as God knocking on the door of your marriage (Rev 3:20). " _You know God_ ", He doesn't give up easy...

# What Makes God God?

What makes God God? Is it His love or His wisdom or His sovereignty? These are perhaps His three most defining traits, but only one make Him God.

The answer can only be found in the definition of a god. A god is not defined by his goodness or his knowledge and understanding, but by his dominion - his absolute power and control over all things. This is what qualifies one to be called a god. Without such dominion, they are not gods.

Now, God declares that there are no other gods, but Him (Isa 45:5)! He is the only one with such dominion in the whole Earth and Universe. He is supreme. Anything else we might imagine or uphold as a god is a counterfeit, a snare and will surely disappoint us. He is the only One worthy of our worship, adoration and submission.

Now it is God who declares that He is good! It is He who declares that He is Love. He is also the One who reveals that He is Wisdom. We know that He is all these things, because He has said so, and it is impossible for Him to lie, for whatever He says must become truth, and must be birthed to reality. We also know that He is all these things, because He has gone to great lengths to reveal Himself to us and to show and teach us His love, wisdom and truth.

These qualities, however, do not _qualify_ Him for the title and respect of God. Without them, He would still be God. But He just so happens to be " _merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth ..._" (Exo 34:6). These traits should endear us to Him...should draw us near to Him...should cause us to trust in Him. But regardless, He is worthy of our worship!

So, a refusal to worship God because He does not meet your expectations or standard of love, wisdom or truth is a great foolishness, by virtue of the fact that He is qualified for your worship even without these qualities! Even if He was a god who lied, or who deals wickedly...being the _only_ God, you really wouldn't have any leg to stand on to challenge Him about His goodness and worthiness for your submission. You will come to know soon enough that you are not His mate, nor His contender. And He wouldn't be too shy or good to put you in your place! And so we must know that the fear of God is indeed the beginning of wisdom (Pro 1:7, Pro 9:10, Psa 111:10).

But we can thank God, for there is no one else to thank, that God is good...and He is good all the time! We can thank Him that He is gracious, loving and wise. We can thank Him for all His wonderful ways, and that _He_ is the One who is God, and not us!!!

And when we have appreciated Him, we can and should appreciate His efforts to teach us His ways, and learn from Him. We can choose wisdom and seek to honour and obey Him, and emulate Him. We will choose happiness, when we freely love Him in return, and trust Him with our lives by surrendering all to Him.

This is what God wants from us. This is the worship He seeks. The recognition that He is God and God alone, and the appreciation of His goodness and His ways. Then we will know Him, and we will enter His rest.

" _Be still, and know that I am God ..._" (Psalms 46:10).

# How Humble Is Our God That He Should Listen To A Man

I read Exodus 32 today, as part of my Daily Reading, as I am reading through the Bible again. In the last couple of years, I have heard so many accusations made against my God for His actions in the Old Testament with the Israelites. These Atheists accused Him of being childish, given to temper and a God who changes His mind! For these, they say, He is not a God, and certainly not one that is worthy of worship.

I wonder if they know that God is a Person! No, He is not a human being. But He is a Living Being. And as a Being, He has a personality, He has character, He has a mind and a heart. When He made us in His likeness, these were the qualities we gained from Him, not a physical appearance, for He does not have a physical body. We need physical bodies, He does not. However, when He came as Jesus, He took on _our_ physical form!

So my God is a Being, the Supreme Being. And He is entitled to change His mind, if He so deems fit. No, He is not fickle like men. He doesn't change His mind with the wind. He is not temperamental. He is indeed wise. And in His desire to have a relationship with human beings, He has had to adapt to us and accommodate us at times... And yes, He has CHOSEN to heed the counsel of men. Emphasis on the word 'chose'!

But, one might ask, why should God who knows all, and is all wise and good, 'repent' at the rebuke of man, who He created? I would say, He would _because_ He is wise and good, compassionate, considerate, understanding etc. God is _not_ unreasonable, which would be the only reason why He would never change His mind...because as the saying goes, "if you can't change your mind, why have one?" As much as God gave the Israelites free will to worship and serve Him, He had to put up with their willful disobedience, and make _compromises_ to maintain a relationship with them, rather than consume them, which would have been within His prerogative!

So, this is was what happened. Moses was gone for long, talking and listening to God as God taught him His statutes. God even wrote on the tablets Himself. While Moses was long gone, the Israelites became restless, and rebelled, by pressuring Aaron to make gods for them to worship. They made sacrifices to this golden calf and danced naked before it.

God knew what had happened, and told Moses, while Moses was still on the mountain with Him. His rage was hot against His people, and He wanted to give them their DUE reward. They had been testing Him with their faithlessness all along, and this was the last straw. He would start again with Moses.

So, Moses, being His friend, God told him of His intentions. Now, Moses had not seen, but only heard of this evil that the Israelites at done. He was sympathetic and stood as an advocate for them. In his case for why God shouldn't go ahead with His plans to destroy the Israelites, he considered what others would think of God. That He delivered the Jews only to destroy them in the wilderness.

What I see here is that God is not big on PR (public relations). He has never needed anyone else's consent nor approval to do His thing. Yet, He wants to walk with men. He could start again at this point, just as He did when He wiped out the world with a flood... But how many times would He start again? God decided to forego His rage and compromise and find another way to deal with the Israelites, so that they will learn His ways. He listened to Moses! He was not too proud to do so.

Now, it is written that "the Lord repented of the evil" (v14). Moses wrote that. It wasn't God. And this is why (one of the reasons) I have an issue with the teaching of the infallibility of the Bible. Because Moses wrote that God repented of His evil, men can stand up and open that mouths and accuse God of evil!!! And mock Him that He repents... That He is not always good or wise. But Moses is not infallible, and neither is the Bible.

I reckon that Moses was wrong to say that God's thought at that time was evil. It was not. And He didn't repent of evil. He was humble enough to consider things from MOSES' perspective, and also the perspective of the other nations, who did not know Him, and would not understand His judgement against His people. BECAUSE of them, He decided to withhold His rage, and be more long-suffering with the Israelites. But if He had visited them with judgement, He would still have been within His rights... He would just be a God that cannot relate with humans...and He wants to relate with us.

Eventually, Moses goes down himself and sees the wickedness of the people. Now, he is the one enraged! He destroys the work God had done on the mountain, and orders the killing of the people by their own brethren. He said "thus saith the Lord" (v27) when he gave commandment that those with him should pierce their brothers. But then, it is also written in verse 28, that the people did according to the "word of Moses". I do wonder if indeed Moses had heard God say that the people should pierce one another, or if Moses was acting on his own rage?

Now Moses could relate to God, and understand God's perspective. After all the mighty wonders He had done for them. After all the ways He had provided for them. They easily forgot His commandments, and began to act like the pagans, who had held them captive for centuries. Moses went back to God, knowing how great an offence the people had done, and pleaded forgiveness on their behalf.

Did God forgive them? I don't think so. Not at that point in time. He withdrew His presence from them, and left them with His Angel. He promised that He would still visit their sin upon them, when He visits them again...and it is written that He plagued them thereafter (v35). His judgement was not immediate destruction or consummation as originally intended, but prolonged separation and condemnation. They were cursed, and few of those people saw the promised land.

What did God repent of? Was God evil to curse them? What should God have done differently? How should one deal with an adulterous spouse?

I cannot stand and judge God, because I have never worn His shoes. I don't know the great scourge of betrayal He would have felt, after all He did for those people. It seems, the more He sought to be familiar with them, the more contemptuous they were of Him. So His distance was earned and needed...and with His separation comes cursing. They chose their fate. Yet, God had mercy on their children, and the world, because of Abraham.

If God has a fault...if any weakness, it is that He loves willful men, and desires to live in harmony with mankind. That is the thorn in His side...that and the free will He also bestowed on us. And so, for the joy of fellowship with Man forever, Jesus Christ endured the Cross (Heb 12:2)!

" _What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?_ " (Psalms 8:4)

# Son Of God, Save Yourself!

The gospel of Christ is such a mystery to onlookers. They can hardly understand why an all-powerful being, such as God, would subject Himself to such an humiliation as to be killed on a Cross. How He could say that He came to save the world, but wasn't able to save Himself! The problem here is that they don't know the WHY. In my post "The Power of The Cross", I explained the mystery behind this act of submission.

Today, people still mock God's apparent 'powerlessness'. "If you're truly there, show yourself!!!" "If you're truly powerful, do a miracle for us!" "If you're truly good, then destroy poverty, sickness and evil NOW...and don't let me or anyone else suffer anymore!" They don't understand why He remains silent if He exists, and assume if He does exist, He must be pretty powerless or just pure evil! In my post, "The 'Wicked God' of the Bible", I explore the dangers of this reasoning.

However, Jehovah is an ALMIGHTY God. The Only Supreme God, who is all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing and ever-present. There is indeed nothing too big or too small for Him. But as the King of kings and Lord of lords, He submits to no one, nor does He change at the will or command of anyone. Yet, in His great love, He gives men the privilege to know Him and to have a relationship with Him. To live with them as a loving Father, not just a Conquering King. My post, 'A Loving God', deals with this.

I wonder how many of you have watched the remake of the Superman film - Man of Steel. There are some parallels to be drawn from it in explaining the mystery of the gospel. In the movie, the powerful Superman, who did not want to harm or upset humans, allowed himself to be held captive by them. But, when it was needful for him, he simply separated his hands, which were bound by iron chains, and they broke and fell off without argument! That was just too hilarious!!!

You see, the world doesn't comprehend true power. **True power is not an oppressive show of strength. True power is true love (Matt 20:25-27)! Submission is not the absence of power, but the** ** _control_** **of power.** In the same way, Jesus submitted to the Cross! And He did so to win a BIGGER victory.

Were His hands truly bound by those ropes? Did the nails really hold Him up on that Cross? Yes and No. Yes in that, they were physically able to hold Him, because He came as a human - the Son of Man - to take our place on the Cross. But also No, in that being also the Son of God, at anytime, He could have disappeared, broken His bonds or even ripped Himself free of the Cross. But He choose not to. These are His words to us:

"No one takes it [My Life] from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again..." (John 10:18).

Let us not join the mockers and laugh at His humble imagery on the Cross... He is not a powerless God. He is a courageous Friend (John 15:13)! We have cause to rejoice, because He is indeed risen!

As to why God allows evil, injustice and sickness, only God truly knows why He choses to act in some situations and not to in others. I believe that He has also 'bound' His hands (so to speak) from acting before the time He has given Himself and us, to pour out His judgement on the wicked.

In the beginning, He submitted and entrusted the world to man, when He gave Adam the first commandment to go and replenish the Earth and have _dominion_ over it. As a ministering Spirit, He lives inside of all of us who invite Him to be our Lord, and through us He is content to perform His wonders on the Earth. He does hear our prayers, and is moved to act _daily_ in the lives of those who submit themselves _daily_ to His will. I will share more on this in my follow up post - You Are A Royal Priesthood...A Peculiar People.

Through us, who believe, God has chosen to feed the poor, heal the sick, defend the oppressed and reach the lost. We are His appointed mouthpieces, His hands and feet, created unto good works (Eph 2:10). This does not mean that if we fail to act, God will not bring deliverance from elsewhere, for He is a just God. He will not always remain silent. And those to whom He entrusted the world must give account to Him of their service and leadership (Luke 12:42-48).

May we be found faithful stewards, doing the will of God when He returns in glory. Amen.

# What Has God Done Today More Than Yesterday?

I was asked this question by R.E, who I suppose is an Atheist, after he read my post "We Know Everything, And There Is No God". This line of questioning my relationship with God actually began with:

" _This relationship you talk of, I assume means you have become rather close. How would you define your relationship? What exactly convinces you that you have one with God? How are you getting closer?_ ** _What is he doing today more than he did yesterday?_** "

Ultimately, I found that he was just looking for a way to label me a fanatic, as his assumption that my relationship with God was all in my head would be proven by my lack of valid answers... Some of you reading this might actually be like R.E, rather skeptical that anyone could claim to have a relationship with a Being they had never seen or touched. Since my answer didn't satisfy R.E., I doubt it would satisfy you.

I just wanted to take a moment and reconsider that loaded question, which I've highlighted for today's Reader Questions. The question itself assumes a lot about God and about me, in order to validate a relationship that is in question.

  1. **It assumes someone can know everything there is to know about another person.** There is no one who knows everything there is to know about people they even live with. No, not a single person. We all have our layers, and all our thoughts are not open for inspection, even by those closest to us. As an example, try asking a mother to tell you what her teenager did yesterday, and then ask the teenager the same question...you'll see that the mother doesn't have the full picture, because there are some things the teenager won't let on to his/her mother. You can even turn it around. Ask the child to tell you what their mother has done today more than yesterday. However close, and however observant the child is of his/her mother, they cannot know all the burdens the parent carries with taking care of them, work, other relationships and more. The answer must come from their _limited_ perspective and what the parent has chosen to reveal. If we can't know everything about people we see and speak with everyday, how can one expect to have all knowledge about any being that can be called GOD (or any knowledge that can be used conclusively to prove or disprove Its existence)?
  2. **It assumes the relationship can be defined and is limited within human relationship constructs**. Though Jesus used several human relationships to illustrate the love, concern, authourity and supremacy God has over us, there is no singular _human_ relationship model that defines a Christian's relationship with God. He is both Father and Brother ( _what the..?_ ). He is King and He is Friend ( _reasonable?_ ). He is Teacher and He is Lover ( _inappropriate?_ ). He is Master and He is Servant ( _confused?_ ). He is Shepherd and He is Lamb ( _impossible?_ )! But fundamentally, He is in Charge! He is the Leader and we are the followers. Our relationship is typified with awe and adoration, fear and submission, humility and dependency. Bottom line is God is not accountable to us, we are accountable to Him.
  3. **It assumes there is a correct answer to the question, which the enquirer knows, and once answered correctly will result in acceptance of the truth**. There is no acceptable answer that can be given to someone for whom the only correct answer would be "Man, you got me! For a second there, I thought I knew God!". Because he doesn't believe, nor does he understand faith. I might as well be speaking in tongues. It would take the gifting of the Holy Spirit for him to _interpret_ what I am saying in a way he can understand, appreciate and finally, accept!

My recognition that it is impossible to have all knowledge of someone, and that it is I who is growing closer to God, and not the other way around, resulted in him finally coming out with his presupposition: " _But you admit that you hardly have any knowledge of him, to me that isn 't a relationship. You're more of a fan_." He then went on to seal his argument (against reason) that the only valid relationship is one where you know everything about the other person, by saying that " _if my father was still here (he passed away 3 years ago) he would do as he always did, telling me what he was doing daily. It doesn 't make him idle, elderly or 'finished with his work' it means the exact opposite, he was a great father_."

It sounds like his father was accountable to him... I don't know how many of you have this type of relationship with your father, where you know everything about them based on what they communicate each day. Am I the only one with a father who has a lot on his plate, much more than I can fathom? In response, I shared my distinct relationship with my earthly father:

> "My earthly father is a business man. He loves me dearly. I know I have a relationship with him even though we don't see or speak daily. He has shown me his love over the years. Sometimes I know his plans. Most times, I don't. He travels a lot, all around the country and out doing a lot of businesses and politics. I imagine his life is so full and I couldn't tell you what more he achieved today than yesterday. And even if I were to ask him that strange question, I believe he would save me a bulk of the details, not least because it's none of my business and there's no need for me to carry the burdens he shoulders. But I'm not a fanatic. I know him. He is my father."

R.E didn't respond to this. You see, relationships are all different. Even the simple ones between a father and his child. Your ethnocentric understanding of relationships cannot invalidate the real experience of mine.

Now, even though he meant the question to poke holes in the Christian belief that we can have a relationship with God, I'd like to use it as an occasion for testimonies today. And though we can't say all that God has been up to on a day by day basis, we can testify for ourselves, _the new thing_ He has done in our lives! So my question is, **what have you witnessed God do in your life recently and how do you know you are drawing nearer to Him?**

Even if they don't believe, let us who believe be edified, and those in expectation be encouraged. You can expect my answer to this in a follow-up post, because this has been long enough! Please use the comments to share your answer, if it is not too personal. Thank you!

# Stinking Doubt And Confirmation Bias

" _For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables_ " (2 Tim 4:3-4).

The Bible talks about people who depart from the Truth, seeking false teachers who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear. This is usually applied to teachings of immorality, particularly sexual immorality. However, I think it applies to teachings of unbelief too, which is a growing trend. It was a clanger to me recently when I read Revelation 21:8, and learnt that the "unbelieving" will also be cast in the Lake of Fire. Is that surprising to you?

Atheists like to accuse Christians of only believing strongly in our Faith because of 'Confirmation Bias'. They seem oblivious to the fact that confirmation bias exists in their camp too. People who are losing faith or who have lost faith usually talk of their connection with those who lost faith before them. They talk of the books and blogs they read to know more, to learn "the truth". And the materials they seek are comforting, soothing to their experience of losing faith. They confirm that what they are going through is normal and right and a progressive change, and not a destructive and diabolical move, as Christians would suggest.

And aside the Traitors, who support their loss of faith journey, and even speed it up with their own stories, there are the staunch Atheists, who were probably responsible for instilling doubt in the first place! Of course, they are happy to have the Backsliders in their camp, and quickly affirm that they are _now_ thinking rightly. They give them all the supportive information they need, so that they can be deeply rooted in their new state of unbelief! Confirmation Bias anyone?

**According to Wikipedia, confirmation bias "** ** _also called confirmatory bias or myside bias, is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one 's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses_** **" (** **<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias>** **).**

Many of those losing faith express how hard it was to get to the point of actually letting go of the idea of God. I can imagine it would be hard. It would be like searing your conscience with a hot iron - by yourself (1 Tim 4:1-2)!!! They lament that though they cried out for Him and waited for Him and were desperate for Him, He didn't answer them...so they had no choice but to walk away and believe that He was never real.

You know, the Bible says that " _there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it ..._" (1 Cor 10:13) Doubt is a very common experience. God's silence is an even more common experience! Do you think the Prophets of old heard from God every single day? Yes, they prayed every day, but He didn't always answer them. There were no doubt long periods of silence. They too were plunged in doubt and despair...but they hung on to faith, and God spoke to them at the right and appointed times.

Consider Job. Job was someone who should have lost faith. Suddenly, he was attacked for no reason. He had always believed that God would never forsake the righteous, but God had forsaken him (Psa 37:25). He had his friends and wife peddling their false ideas to him, accusing him of sins he hadn't committed, and tempting him to curse God. But Job, even in his darkest hour, held on to his REVELATION of God.

He knew God. God wasn't just an idea to him. God was his Friend. Yes, He was silent now, but there had to be an explanation for what was happening to him. He gave God the benefit of the doubt. He trusted God. And at the appointed time, God spoke up and revealed Himself again.

If you like, accuse God of being childish or reckless or whatever, but God tries our faith, not for His own pride, but that we may be strengthened in our faith, no matter the season of life we are going through. It is easy to have faith in the good times. But God knows that for our character to grow, for our understanding to increase, we will need to suffer hardship and grow in faith and _grace_ through them (Rom 5:3-5).

You may or may not have been going through any special trial when you began to doubt God. Maybe, it was just one day you realised that you hadn't heard from God in a while...and then you panicked. Or maybe an agent of the enemy had instilled doubt in you, and you decided to put God to the test to answer you or convince you otherwise. Or maybe losing faith was the only way for you to justify your lifestyle which the Bible condemns and it was either that (spiritual suicide) or actual suicide... The fact is, at the point that you began to doubt, you began to stink!

" _... let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord..._" (Jam 1:6-7).

The Bible says that we shouldn't go to God with doubt, but whoever goes to Him must know that He exists and He is good... These are two UNQUESTIONABLE truths for genuine faith. " _But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him_ " (Heb 11:6). Also, it says " _My righteous one will live by faith, and if he turns back, I will have no pleasure in him ..._" (Heb 10:38) Think about that for a minute.

You might think you still had "faith" because you prayed...and you expected Him to answer. But God heard your accusations. The ones you didn't utter. God knew you were reveling in unbelief. God knew your heart was taken in sin that you were not ready to surrender. When you asked God to show Himself, your expectancy was not truly that He would. And each day, your doubt grew and stank all the more. And you shut Him out with the stench of it.

You see, there is no faith without trust, and you stopped trusting Him the moment you began to doubt Him... You became fearful of being deceived...and not by the liars, but by God Himself. Your reasoning became superior to His revelation, and so no revelation will ever suffice, if it must align with your reasoning... In your search for peace and confirmation, you flowed with the tide of unbelief, until you found yourself at the shores of Atheism.

I am not saying this for nothing. Like I said, doubt is common. If there was absolute certainty, there would be no need for faith! You are not the first, nor will you be the last. I have struggled with doubt, and God has helped me and taught me...but He still tries me. I wrote a piece not long along called "The God Who Helps Me Write" at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. It was so that the next time I was giving in to doubt, I will remember that we've been there and done that and HE IS REAL.

And, I thought that would be it for me... That I would never doubt again. But as long as we are human, who live in this physical realm, we are prone to doubt the invisible. God is not an ATM, or candy machine or genie, who answers our every plea. He is sovereign and wise, and He realises the importance of us not always getting our way...for us to truly be surrendered and reliant on Him. If we are to share in the glory of our Lord, we must also know that we will share in His sufferings and be purified through all sorts of trials...just as His first disciples did (Phil 3:10, 2 Tim 3:12)!

Days after I wrote another piece "The God Who Heals Me", I was also given to doubt again. Can you just imagine? I thought maybe I had spoken too soon, or misrepresented God. And my communication with Atheists brought offense into my walk with God. I was doubting and judging Him in my heart, while desperate for Him to show me that He was real again.

But He has already shown me. Times without number. How could I doubt Him still? Imagine how Jesus' felt when after walking with Him and seeing ALL His mighty works for three years, His disciples still exhibited doubt!!! He said He was weary of them (Matt 17:17). But yet, He strengthened Peter (Luke 22:31-31), and showed His scars to Thomas, so he would believe (John 20:24-29).

So what did it take for me to realise my error this time...? Confirmation Bias! Thank God for _positive_ confirmation bias! This is why it is so very important to have and maintain fellowship with other Believers, especially as the days get more evil (Heb 10:23-25). We reinforce each other's beliefs, we edify one another and strengthen our faith and witness with unity!

I am currently reading a book about Hell by Bill Weise, and the way he wrote about his experience and communication with God reminded me of mine. He is also a man who hears God, and I was pricked in my conscience because I should have known better than to doubt my relationship with God. I prayed after that, and my prayer was without the offensive stench of doubt. And God taught me the lesson I am sharing with you today.

" _And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward,_ ** _when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word 's sake, immediately they are offended_**" (Mark 4:16-17).

If you have been stained by doubt, maybe your faith was offended by an interaction with Atheists, and so you began to see God through their eyes, you are not going to be able to believe like a little child anymore (Matt 18:3). That's what you need to do. That is the sort of faith that pleases God and moves Him to action.

You can't be in doubt and be in faith too. You have to reject doubt, wash it off you, and forsake your pride and be a fool for God again. You need to REPENT of your unbelief and ask for His grace to have faith again (Eph 2:8). And He will make Himself known to you again, because He is gracious and long-suffering, and His desire is that all may be saved (2 Pet 3:9, 1 Tim 2:4).

" _Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you._ ** _And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart_** " (Jer 29:13).

You can call it confirmation bias or whatever, but we all NEED IT for reassurance, to belong. It is either you seek to belong with the haters of the Faith who are flirting dangerously with the Devil (Jam 4:4), or you seek to belong with the lovers of the Faith, who the Father calls His children (John 1:12-13). You decide _whom_ you will believe.

" _And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve ..._ ** _but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD_** " (Josh 24:15).

" _Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise_ " (Heb 10:35-36).

" _Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened_ " (Matt 7:7-8).

# Hey, Why Aren't You Trying To Save Me?

Uh, hold up. Stop for a minute. Whaaaaat?

"Yep! If you really think I'm in danger of burning eternally, why aren't you trying harder to convince me?" said the Atheist. "There should be a line across the street from my house!"

I found it very weird, when I came across this (paraphrased) question by an Atheist on his blog. I could think of quite a few reasons why more people were not trying to break down his door to save him from eternal damnation.

  1. I'm quite sure a few good messengers had already been sent to him, who he disregarded and probably chewed up and spat out;
  2. There are many more people like him in desperate need of salvation, and if you had a choice between going to get chewed up, or going where you are more likely to get received, many would prefer to go where the grass is greener (so to speak);
  3. It could be that those around him need salvation themselves, but they think they are all quite alright;
  4. Or maybe those Christians around him really do not care enough to evangelise;
  5. Also, I do believe that at some point, God stops sending people to you! Maybe when you smell the smoke of your burning house, you will get a clue and dash out.

But does he actually have a point? Despite what I perceive to be blatant insincerity, I do believe he has a point in that number four is a common phenomenon among many professing Christians. Most of us seem quite comfortable in our salvation, we don't really get hot and bothered about the many unbelievers who are destined to a life of eternal separation from God. Many of us are more concerned with what God will do for us to make our lives more comfortable and beautiful, with only a few who are actively serving among the poor, sick and the lost.

Though we all know for a certainty that we will die one day, everyone seems to live in denial of this fact! We are not constantly tormented about our future death or the impending demise of our loved ones, nor are we consumed with trying to prolong their lives. In a similar way, Christians are also consumed with the present, and do not wake up plagued with a burden to save everyone from the coming judgment. Often, it is all many can do to keep themselves from sin and being corrupted by the world. Does that mean that the threat of eternal fire and brimstone is not real? Nope, not at all. It just means that we are human, prone to distraction, unfaithfulness and selfishness. Like Paul said, many of us still desire milk (Heb 5:12), when we should have graduated to meat and leadership!

Seeing as Jesus said the road is narrow and all (Matt 7:14)...it is also conceivable that there are far less Christians than those who profess to be. This is a big problem because many who we should be preaching to are lying that they are already saved, so we think the work is done when it is far from it. This is deceptive not only for true believers, but for the world that is expecting an impact that only a substantially higher number of labourers would accomplish! Even so, I suppose there are also genuine believers who have fallen asleep on the job. Thinking of myself, though, there are a few reasons I no longer hit the pavements or knock on doors.

  1. It is no longer an effective use of time, and time is also a tool of the trade when witnessing;
  2. You get ignored, have doors slammed in your face, insulted...and at the end of the day nobody actually pays any attention to you;
  3. Many people say they have already heard, or they are already saved, or they belong to another religion, while some waste your time, knowing they have not interest in what you are saying...often so they can push their own agenda across to you;
  4. Family and friends get angry and tired of hearing you talk about Jesus, sin and repentance. So you stop talking to them about those things, and just stick to praying for them;
  5. Changes in culture means that it is highly offensive to approach people to tell them about Jesus, and in certain places, it is a life and death expedition;
  6. More people feel that living a good lifestyle is the most effective witness, so they try to let their actions do the talking, and speak to those who engage them in discussion about their faith.

What more people prefer to do, these days, is witness online, through blogs and chat rooms. I did chat rooms years ago. That's another minefield. Everyone comes in with their agenda ready for an argument. Few people are listening to learn something. Often times, you come out feeling deflated, challenged and/or angry. There's rarely a sense of accomplishment, because someone has come to Christ due of your efforts. The problems with door to door knocking is still felt, when you get lots of rejections by people who say they are already saved, uninterested or have their own passionate religious views they would like to convert you over to. It can be emotionally exhausting. Blogging appears more effective for me. However, I really can't tell you how effective it is.

Yes, I am really quite safe here, comfortable in my house, sending messages and hoping that someone who needs to read them or who needs to hear about Jesus, and is open, will do so. Problem is, most people who do read my words already believe like I do, and I can't deny that I get thrills when they like my posts. But I am yet to receive a comment from someone who has been reading one, two or more of my blog posts and became saved or was even simply challenged to learn more about Christ (if you're out there, please say something!). Yes, I am glad that my writing encourages my brethren, but it would make me soooo happy, if an Atheist or an unbeliever was convicted because of something I wrote too. But, I don't denigrate what I do. I am sowing seeds, and just like the person who knocks on doors...once in a while, it bears fruit! That being said, I and other Christians can certainly do more.

However, if this is truly an appeal for people of faith to prove their faith and love for mankind by witnessing, it would be great if the secular world showed a sincerity and readiness to receive our messages by:

  1. Restoring Religious education in schools so that children get exposed to religious ideas early;
  2. Scrapping laws that restrict street evangelists from preaching on the streets or distributing their literature in public places;
  3. Removing censorship of God, Christ and other references to faith in media (like TV shows and movies), which (incredibly) freely allow regular mentions of f**k and s**t and the like!

I'm just saying...since you are asking us to do more to reach out to you, it would help if you unblocked your ears and stopped giving us the cold shoulder.

If you are reading this, and you are an Atheist, and you are thinking that Christians are not trying hard enough to save you, maybe you should consider that many Christians are already actively using multiple platforms to reach out to the lost (which includes you). Maybe the next time you do happen to open the door to a believer trying to spread the gospel, you will be kinder. Even if the message is not for you, a nice smile or an offer of tea should encourage them to continue reaching out to other people.

However, if you are among those complaining that we keep shoving our religion down your throat, I hope you will understand if you don't see us for a while. Cheers!

# Repent Or Perish!

> "And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? 3″I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4″Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5. "I tell you, no: but, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:2-5)

At any time from this minute, any one of us could take our last breath! The world is becoming a more hostile place to live in, and many thousands are perishing daily - not merely dying. We don't like to think of the distinction, to know that many who die, die in their sins, and will not be raised up in glory, but will perish for eternity. But with every calamity we hear from all over the world, we are reminded that people who might have been saved, in more ways than one, have gone with no more hope for redemption. Now, more than ever, there is a burden to call all men to repentance, so that though they die, they may live!

I don't know you. I don't know what you do or why. But I know that one day you will die. And I know that if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you will perish also. Jesus is the One sent from God to preach to us the good news of God's great love for us (John 3:16)...not merely with words, but with His actions. He taught us, through His life, a better way to live and to love. He showed us the power of God; the power to heal and to deliver those bound from their chains, calling all to a life of liberty and peace (John 8:36). And ultimately, by His sacrificial death on the cross, He paid the price for our redemption, so that we will no longer perish in our sins, but be reconciled to God, and live forever with Him. Read more about Jesus and what He did for us all.

There are two things you must do in response to this message. You must first believe it. First and foremost, you need to confess that you are a sinner in need of God's forgiveness, and accept Jesus Christ's atonement for your sins, and believe that your sins have ALL been forgiven. You are free from every wickedness that once held you bound and from the sting of condemnation (Rom 8:1). When you truly believe in Jesus, you will understand why your life can never be lived the same way. Jesus calls all who believe in Him to follow Him (Matt 16:24). The second thing you must do, therefore, is to repent. This means that you will turn around from the wrong way you are going, to follow in the right way that God has prepared for you to walk in (Eph 2:10). When you do these, you submit to Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life, as well as your Saviour.

Jesus showed His love for us first (Rom 5:8), so that we will not be hindered from coming to Him. Do not let unbelief be a barrier. God has provided undeniable evidence, through creation, of His existence and glory (Rom 1:20). When you respond by faith, believing and forsaking your sinful ways, and choosing to trust and obey God, you show that you love Him too (John 14:15). Then Jesus promises that He will come and make His home with you...by giving you His Holy Spirit, which will lead you into all truth (John 14:23, 26). This is the Spirit that gives you a new life...and will also quicken you at the Resurrection (Rom 8:11), when Christ returns to judge the world. This is what it means to be born again or born of the Spirit. Without this rebirth, no one can see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3).

If you have believed the message and accepted the call to repentance and received a new life of liberty in Christ, you are a new creature (2 Cor 5:17). You have the assurance of God's salvation, and have been saved by the grace of God, through your faith in Jesus (Eph 2:8). No longer conform to the world's standard of love or wisdom, but be renewed in your mind daily (Rom 12:1), as you grow in the Faith by studying the scriptures, praying and having fellowship with other believers. Be careful that you do not carry again the burdens of religion and sin, as many did back then and still do today (Read Galatians 3). Persecutions and tribulations will surely come; the road will be long, narrow and trying, but if you abide in Jesus, He will empower you to overcome in all things (John 15:4; Phil 4:13).

"M _ay the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with you now and forever more "_ (2 Cor 13:14). Amen.

If you like this message and are among the redeemed of God, please share this call to repentance with others, and let your light shine!

# Bonus: You Don't Love Me? Your Funeral!

Carrying on from yesterday's musings on unconditional love, I got a few opinions from other believers. One was very interesting. He also believes that God's love is unconditional, but that the benefits of the love are received on conditions...sort of like a man who loves a woman and wants to propose. If she doesn't love him back, she won't get the ring, the wedding, the house and his devotion, even if he might still love her deeply!

That got me thinking! It's quite a good analogy, except that it doesn't explain hell - the punishment for not loving God back! If the man's response to his beloved after her rejection of his love is to kill her or to sabotage her life in any way, can he really claim to have ever loved her? Doesn't that make him sort of a psycho, so that she was right to reject him in the first place???

In trying to understand God's unconditional love, I've tended to think that hell is a consequence, and God is merely warning us from falling into that pit... But someone laid the pit there. Jesus also talks of casting the disobedient into outer darkness, and Revelation gives us a very graphic description of the Lake of Fire, a place of torment _prepared_ for the disobedient! Ummm... How does one explain hell without making God out to be a calculating psycho?

As much as the first part of benefits makes sense, this example is not fully reflective of God's love for mankind. The beauty of mankind to God is also the thorn in His side! Our willfulness! God made us in His image to have a mind of our own, to have a passionate heart and an independent spirit. I think that's what He loves so much about us. We're His masterpiece.

But these qualities also mean that we are able to exercise choice, will and passion. When we exercise these things with love and wisdom, our potential for joy is limitless. But when we use our liberties for selfishness and foolishness, we're a train wreck, a loose cannon or disaster waiting to happen! This is the tension that God lives within. But He won't change it for anything. He won't deny our willfulness. He knows our potential for love is so worth the choice He gives us.

It is our stubbornness that makes us ignore God's counsel, His direction and His warnings about where our bad choices are leading us... He sent us prophets and helpers, and gave us no room for doubt as to the greatness of His love, by sending Jesus to take our due punishment...so that we don't have to be burdened with guilt and condemnation about our sins. He has done everything but withdraw our godly quality...the gift of free will He bestowed on us from the beginning, in order that we may be reconciled to Him.

Really, what more can He do to show His love and mercy? In light of this, condemnation and hell is a very real choice made by those who reject Jesus. Unfortunately, it isn't multiple choice. It is isn't hell, heaven or utopia. It isn't eternal life, eternal death or eternal existence in anarchy. It is either or.

You might say it is not much of a choice, but He has bestowed on you enough wisdom to know which is the better of the two. They are even exact opposites so that the correct choice is distinctively more attractive! It makes it that much likely that you will make the right choice! But with multiple choice, when there's only _one_ correct answer, you are more likely to make the wrong choice. So I do think offering us only two highly _contrasting_ options is so loving of God. It's an unbelievably easy choice and blatantly obvious what the right option is that you would have to _really_ hate Him to choose Hell!

The main point here is that He gives you a choice!!! You can't say you were forced to love Him, and you won't find yourself in Heaven, moping about and sulking because you really wanted to go to hell instead, and God had not even bothered to make preparation for you there! In anticipation of the decision you would make, He took the liberty to prepare both Heaven and Hell, for those who choose wisely, and those who choose foolishly.

I think that is very thoughtful, and wise and loving too. He's been perfectly reasonable, if you ask me. He invited you to fellowship, but you would have none of His love. He offered you light, but you asked for outer darkness instead! He invited you to Heaven, but you spat in His face and said you'd rather burn in hell! So be it! He's not going to drag you to Heaven kicking and screaming...

Now, you've got to really love Him or really hate Him. Complacency is certainly not an acceptable response! For the passion He has shown, He requires an equally passionate response...the kind that will cause you to lay down your own life too, in love and appreciation of His sacrifice. If you can't or won't love Him back, it really is your loss - _your funeral_!

#  About the Author

Ufuoma Emerhor-Ashogbon is a young professional, a social entrepreneur and the Founder/CEO of **Fair Life Africa Foundation** , a charity that supports under-privileged children. She goes by the penname, Ufuomaee and loves to write and tell stories on her blog, **blog.ufuomaee.org**. She uses this avenue to share about her faith in God and is known for writing Christian romantic fiction, with lots of drama and scandal, that challenges all to think about their lifestyle and choices. She's a wife, mother and mentor to many young women.

####  You can connect with me on:

     https://books.ufuomaee.org

     https://twitter.com/ufuomaeeB

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#  Also by Ufuomaee

Check out my library of books at https://books.ufuomaee.org

##  Broken

At a young age, Promise is molested by her uncle, and her life is never the same again. She grows up to be promiscuous, using sex to meet basic necessities and luxuries of life. She's intrigued to meet Ope, a Christian man who practices celibacy, and in her attempts to make him fall, she falls in love...

But married life is not all she dreamed it would be. Their chemistry in bed leaves much to be desired, and Promise soon loses the fight against her sexual urges. Convinced that they can never work, she wants to leave, but Ope doesn't believe in divorce. In her struggle for freedom, she discovers the depths of her own wickedness, as she seeks to break the man she once loved fervently.

Broken is a story about broken people who break others, and the divine power of love that conquers all.
