Today, on the Plymouth Brethren Facebook group page, a gentleman named Jeff Reiman posted:
This post brought a number of thoughts to mind. First, in many years on forums and other venues, debating and refuting the arguments of atheists who tell us they do not believe that God, or any supernatural being, exists - I have always questioned them. From their point of view, God is just a figment of our imagination, a crutch to lean on when we find life getting to be more than we can bear.
And, my response to them has been that a true believer will lean on God in good times - just as much as when times get hard.
I have always questioned if atheists have just built a God-wall which they can hide behind. Much like this gentleman, Kevin, in Jeff's post - I suggest that the atheists deny God, and many have denied Him so long that they actually begin to believe their own fantasy - because once they acknowledge that God does indeed exist - they will be held accountable to him, even if they never become believers.
In our discussion before he was promoted to heaven, my brother, Bob, and I both agreed that neither of us can remember a time when we did not believe that God and Jesus Christ do exist. I did not become a believer until I was fifty, but still I always knew that God was there. My problem was that I spent fifty years running from Him.
Another flash-back from Jeff's note was the time, circa 1986, when my wife introduced me to a Filipino church in Santa Ana. I went because I liked the people, but I was not yet a believer. One day I sat at the pastor's dining room table with him and a Christian friend, Don Mrla, discussing the reason we attend church services. In my mind, since I was born and grew up in Alabama, the Belt Buckle of the Bible Belt - and since I did, when it struck my fancy, attend the Baptist and Methodist churches in my home town - that made me a Christian. But, as I told them, "I do not have to go to church to be a Christian!"
That was the blind "not-yet-a-Christian" Bill Gray - leading the "yet-to-be-saved and seeing" Bill Gray.
One thing I have learned since becoming a believer in 1987 - is that, even on days when I do not feel like going to church - once I get dressed and get to church I am so happy I came. The Christian fellowship, the joy of singing praise and glory to God (even in my frog voice), and sharing in the learning of God's Word in Sermon and Sunday School - make it a glorious day. No God, don't have to go to church? Really? Get real - church and Christian fellowship is a blessing given to all who believe.
And, Jeff's comment, “'See if that works in a human courtroom' I told him. 'Tell the judge you didn’t know what the speed limit was. He will still find you guilty!'” - really brought a flash-back. About 1980 my wife, Dory, got a speeding ticket in the city of Orange, California. I will admit that, in those days, her foot on the gas pedal was more of a heavy brick than a sensitive foot.
But, this particular time she was innocent. She was traveling west on Chapman Avenue and turned left onto Tustin Avenue - when the flashing lights came on and a police officer pulled her over. He gave her a speeding ticket for going over the 35 mph limit. She told him that she did not see a speed limit sign when she turned onto Tustin Avenue - but he gave her a ticket anyway.
When she told me what had happened I went to that intersection and sure enough, even though there was a speed limit sign there - there was no way she could have seen it - for it was fully covered by an untrimmed tree on the sidewalk. I took a series of photos from that intersection showing her progression as she turned from Chapman onto Tustin - and clearly showing that the sign was always completely hidden by the untrimmed tree.
The judge acknowledged my point that the sign was hidden by the tree. But, he told us, because we lived in that area, she should have known the speed limit there. Case closed. Guilty! Pay the fine.
And, that is exactly Jeff's point in his post: "Our ignorance of the law really shows our disrespect for the law and the lawgiver Himself."
For an atheist, or any non-believer, to deny God, or even question God - does not relieve him of his accountability to God for all He has given us in His Written Word, the Bible. God's "speed limit signs" are all there in His Bible - even if they seem to be hidden from our view. Primarily they are hidden from our view - because we refuse to open our eyes and see.
So, Jeff Reiman, thank you for your post on the Plymouth Brethren Facebook group today. It is a good reminder that it is our responsibility to be in God's Word daily - and that being more mature in His Word will help us share His teachings with those who are still blind, or partially blind, to His love.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
A young man named Kevin thought he had a good reason for not reading the Bible. “Because if we read it then God will hold us accountable to follow it” he said. “See if that works in a human courtroom” I told him. “Tell the judge you didn’t know what the speed limit was. He will still find you guilty!”
Kevin had to agree. Our ignorance of the law really shows our disrespect for the law and the lawgiver Himself. “Besides” I added, “you have a conscience. You know right from wrong in your heart.” Kevin knew I was right. His excuses were hollow. So are ours when we disrespect God by failing to read His word.
This post brought a number of thoughts to mind. First, in many years on forums and other venues, debating and refuting the arguments of atheists who tell us they do not believe that God, or any supernatural being, exists - I have always questioned them. From their point of view, God is just a figment of our imagination, a crutch to lean on when we find life getting to be more than we can bear.
And, my response to them has been that a true believer will lean on God in good times - just as much as when times get hard.
I have always questioned if atheists have just built a God-wall which they can hide behind. Much like this gentleman, Kevin, in Jeff's post - I suggest that the atheists deny God, and many have denied Him so long that they actually begin to believe their own fantasy - because once they acknowledge that God does indeed exist - they will be held accountable to him, even if they never become believers.
In our discussion before he was promoted to heaven, my brother, Bob, and I both agreed that neither of us can remember a time when we did not believe that God and Jesus Christ do exist. I did not become a believer until I was fifty, but still I always knew that God was there. My problem was that I spent fifty years running from Him.
Another flash-back from Jeff's note was the time, circa 1986, when my wife introduced me to a Filipino church in Santa Ana. I went because I liked the people, but I was not yet a believer. One day I sat at the pastor's dining room table with him and a Christian friend, Don Mrla, discussing the reason we attend church services. In my mind, since I was born and grew up in Alabama, the Belt Buckle of the Bible Belt - and since I did, when it struck my fancy, attend the Baptist and Methodist churches in my home town - that made me a Christian. But, as I told them, "I do not have to go to church to be a Christian!"
That was the blind "not-yet-a-Christian" Bill Gray - leading the "yet-to-be-saved and seeing" Bill Gray.
One thing I have learned since becoming a believer in 1987 - is that, even on days when I do not feel like going to church - once I get dressed and get to church I am so happy I came. The Christian fellowship, the joy of singing praise and glory to God (even in my frog voice), and sharing in the learning of God's Word in Sermon and Sunday School - make it a glorious day. No God, don't have to go to church? Really? Get real - church and Christian fellowship is a blessing given to all who believe.
And, Jeff's comment, “'See if that works in a human courtroom' I told him. 'Tell the judge you didn’t know what the speed limit was. He will still find you guilty!'” - really brought a flash-back. About 1980 my wife, Dory, got a speeding ticket in the city of Orange, California. I will admit that, in those days, her foot on the gas pedal was more of a heavy brick than a sensitive foot.
But, this particular time she was innocent. She was traveling west on Chapman Avenue and turned left onto Tustin Avenue - when the flashing lights came on and a police officer pulled her over. He gave her a speeding ticket for going over the 35 mph limit. She told him that she did not see a speed limit sign when she turned onto Tustin Avenue - but he gave her a ticket anyway.
When she told me what had happened I went to that intersection and sure enough, even though there was a speed limit sign there - there was no way she could have seen it - for it was fully covered by an untrimmed tree on the sidewalk. I took a series of photos from that intersection showing her progression as she turned from Chapman onto Tustin - and clearly showing that the sign was always completely hidden by the untrimmed tree.
The judge acknowledged my point that the sign was hidden by the tree. But, he told us, because we lived in that area, she should have known the speed limit there. Case closed. Guilty! Pay the fine.
And, that is exactly Jeff's point in his post: "Our ignorance of the law really shows our disrespect for the law and the lawgiver Himself."
For an atheist, or any non-believer, to deny God, or even question God - does not relieve him of his accountability to God for all He has given us in His Written Word, the Bible. God's "speed limit signs" are all there in His Bible - even if they seem to be hidden from our view. Primarily they are hidden from our view - because we refuse to open our eyes and see.
So, Jeff Reiman, thank you for your post on the Plymouth Brethren Facebook group today. It is a good reminder that it is our responsibility to be in God's Word daily - and that being more mature in His Word will help us share His teachings with those who are still blind, or partially blind, to His love.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
No comments:
Post a Comment