Those were Atheists ?!

Those were atheists?!

“Those were atheists ?!” my nine year-old son asked. “I thought they would look more… you know… mean-looking. I wish you’d let me debate them. I think I could have taken them. Wow, so they were really atheists, Dad?” It was one of those moments that really stand out in my mind. I had just finished an open “Question and Answer” session in a weekend seminar. Approximately twenty atheists had shown up in response to the flyers spread around town. My oldest son had come to the front of the auditorium to help me pack up at the conclusion of the night. We had a few moments alone and so I used that time to discuss some of the topics mentioned during the Q & A session. My son’s comments came after I revealed to him that the individuals who I had just been talking with were atheists. My son was shocked. After all, the atheists were dressed very similar to him! In fact, one of them had been extremely kind to him and had carried on a conversation with him about football and school.

Atheists? The people next door? There is no shape, size, or color.

Atheists? The people next door? There is no shape, size, or color.

I Can Answer That Question
Far too often we view atheists as evil people who wear scary-looking clothes and mean scowls on their faces. The reality of it is we might be hard pressed to pick them out in our own community. They may be living literally in the house next door. On one occasion I was speaking at a small congregation in a little town in Arkansas when a Christian asked me a question: “Why do atheists do ….” I smiled and answered that I wasn’t sure since I was not an atheist. A man to my right stood up and meekly said, “I can answer that question.” You could have literally heard a pin drop. He continued by saying, “I realize I will probably lose some business with some of you all and have known most of you my whole life, but I’m an atheist.” This was a man in their community they had known for years, and yet there he was—an atheist—in their midst.

In many cases atheists dress like we do, talk like we do, and oftentimes have nice personalities. They come in all shapes, sizes, and socioeconomic classes. These individuals frequently come across as “questioners” or intellectually superior—making religion appear to be a crutch. This may be why so many young people are drawn to them like moths to a flame. Make no mistake about it, atheists are real and are very much in your community.

Atheism is the belief that there is no God. It is derived from the Greek word atheos, meaning godless. Atheos means “without,” and theos means “deity.” The number of individuals who identify themselves as atheists has increased dramatically over the past few years. It has become the belief system of choice for many high school and college students who deem it critical to question everything and go against the norm. So exactly how are atheists appealing to our children and grandchildren?

The Scientific Method
One of the reasons atheists have been so successful in emptying out church pews is because they have convinced at least two generations that everything must be proven using the scientific method. From an early age, students are taught that if you cannot see, touch, taste, smell, or hear it, then “it” does not exist. Those who have stiffened their necks against God recognize that He exists beyond scientific measure—and thus, our young people feel that it is impossible to prove His existence. Case in point—just before I was to teach 700 students about Christian evidences at a Christian academy, one of the seniors got up and offered a prayer. During his prayer, he made the statement that while they didn’t know for sure God was real and couldn’t prove He existed, they had faith and believed in Him. This young man had just told 700 of his classmates he was not sure God was real!

Many Christian parents find themselves dismayed when their child returns home from school only to announce they no longer believe in a God. And yet, as more and more atheists take a militant approach, this phenomenon is occurring more and more often. In a personal email an atheist indicated, “I never really seriously thought about church and religion until I moved to college. After thinking, reading, and discussing God and religion, my belief in God faded and eventually disappeared. Letting go of God was not an easy process—at least for me.” It was not an easy process, but this individual has officially turned his back on God.

Something From Nothing?
Atheists struggle with explaining the very existence of the universe. Any logical person would be hard pressed to defend that nothing exists today. The very fact that you are reading this article indicates that something exists. (Some might contend that this is all a hallucination—but I would still ask where did the hallucination come from, and exactly how do you know it is a hallucination? For something to be acknowledged as a hallucination would mean that one can know reality.) Since it is an absolute truth that something now exists, it demands that something has existed forever. Otherwise, one would be forced to argue that something came from nothing—a position that is weak and illogical. It is a self-evident truth that something can’t come from nothing, thus something has to have existed forever. This truth does not prove a Supreme Being, but rather it establishes that something has “eternal” properties.The essence of being eternal can be defined as existing without a beginning or end—sometimes considered to be outside of time. Since something exists today, it is a reasonable scientific observation to then go one step further and deduce that something has existed forever.

But how do we go about identifying that eternal “something”? This is where naturalistic science meets philosophy. All of our scientific observations exclude anything being “eternal” in nature. (Some might argue that the universe holds an eternal potential, i.e. Heni Poincare’s work would argue that given a sufficient length of time, it will reorder itself into its original arrangement without any loss of usable energy. However, the evidence of such a “theory” is still lacking and would be a faith-based assumption in itself.) Everything that man is currently aware of obeys the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that things are running down and wearing out (a concept also shared by writers of the Bible; see Hebrew 1:11; Isaiah 51:6; Psalm 102:26). Eternality would indicate that something is not running down and had no beginning. Consider the following equations:
1. Something exists today—THUS—something must be eternal and has always existed.
2. Something is eternal (doesn’t wear down and was not created)—THUS—something violates scientific laws (specifically the Second Law of Thermodynamics).
3. Something violates scientific laws—THUS—something exists outside the observable laws of naturalistic science.

From these we can conclude:
4. Something eternal is THUS outside the observable laws of naturalistic science!

While many atheists may not like this “math,” it is inescapable. To argue otherwise would be to deny our very existence. We can logically conclude that something has existed forever—something that is not explainable by naturalistic science. That something is God.

A Belief System Without Hope
Without a belief in God, one must ponder what hope these individuals truly have. What is their view of the afterlife? Consider the following proposition:
1.  Only bodies in which a component (e.g., the spirit) is eternal and endless can have meaning (E form: No finite lives have meaning).
2.  If there are no gods, then there are no endless lives (A form: If there are no gods, all lives are finite).
3.  If there is no God, then no lives have meaning.

This meaning does not equate with happiness, as non-believers and believers alike can experience worldly happiness. However, the core meaning for our lives shapes our attitudes and oftentimes dictates how we conduct ourselves while on this earth. For many, the whole duty of man is to “fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). For others, the duty of man is to eat, drink, and be merry. Consider for a moment the response I received from two atheists when I asked them how they view death.

Jason said, “Non-existence, period.  Dead people do not exist. The person ceases to exist upon death. Death is just a way of expressing that a person has passed away into non-existence, which is (by that concept) only troubling for the people who still exist.

Another atheist, Josh, remarked, “My view on death and an afterlife is pretty nihilistic and generic of the typical atheist. There is no afterlife, and we’ve got to do what we can now. It will make dying a lot easier to know that I will be known long after I die, so for me, it’s kind of like making my ego survive my body.”

Conclusion
I’ve heard it said many times that it takes more faith to be an atheist than a Christian. Given the amount of evidence we have for God, I would agree. Ask yourself ,“Do I have enough faith to be an atheist?” Ultimately we are without excuse! (see Romans 1:20).

Brad Stine once mused: “Who is more irrational? A man who believes in a God he doesn’t see, or a man who’s offended by a God he doesn’t believe in?” I would take that even one step further: “Who is more irrational? A Christian who believes in God but doesn’t teach his child about Him, or an atheist who doesn’t believe in Him but takes the time to teach the child his beliefs?”

Introduction
“Those were atheists?!” my nine year-old son asked. “I thought they would look more… you know… mean-looking. I wish you’d let me debate them. I think I could have taken them. Wow, so they were really atheists, Dad?” It was one of those moments that really stand out in my mind. I had just finished an open “Question and Answer” session in a weekend seminar. Approximately twenty atheists had shown up in response to the flyers spread around town. My oldest son had come to the front of the auditorium to help me pack up at the conclusion of the night. We had a few moments alone and so I used that time to discuss some of the topics mentioned during the Q & A session. My son’s comments came after I revealed to him that the individuals who I had just been talking with were atheists. My son was shocked. After all, the atheists were dressed very similar to him! In fact, one of them had been extremely kind to him and had carried on a conversation with him about football and school.
I Can Answer That Question
Far too often we view atheists as evil people who wear scary-looking clothes and mean scowls on their faces. The reality of it is we might be hard pressed to pick them out in our own community. They may be living literally in the house next door. On one occasion I was speaking at a small congregation in a little town in Arkansas when a Christian asked me a question: “Why do atheists do ….” I smiled and answered that I wasn’t sure since I was not an atheist. A man to my right stood up and meekly said, “I can answer that question.” You could have literally heard a pin drop. He continued by saying, “I realize I will probably lose some business with some of you all and have known most of you my whole life, but I’m an atheist.” This was a man in their community they had known for years, and yet there he was—an atheist—in their midst.
In many cases atheists dress like we do, talk like we do, and oftentimes have nice personalities. They come in all shapes, sizes, and socio-economic classes. These individuals frequently come across as “questioners” or intellectually superior—making religion appear to be a crutch. This may be why so many young people are drawn to them like moths to a flame. Make no mistake about it, atheists are real and are very much in your community.
Atheism is the belief that there is no God. It is derived from the Greek word atheos, meaning godless. Atheos means “without,” and theos means “deity.” The number of individuals who identify themselves as atheists has increased dramatically over the past few years. It has become the belief system of choice for many high school and college students who deem it critical to question everything and go against the norm. So exactly how are atheists appealing to our children and grandchildren?
The Scientific Method
One of the reasons atheists have been so successful in emptying out church pews is because they have convinced at least two generations that everything must be proven using the scientific method. From an early age, students are taught that if you cannot see, touch, taste, smell, or hear it, then “it” does not exist. Those who have stiffened their necks against God recognize that He exists beyond scientific measure—and thus, our young people feel that it is impossible to prove His existence. Case in point—just before I was to teach 700 students about Christian evidences at a Christian academy, one of the seniors got up and offered a prayer. During his prayer, he made the statement that while they didn’t know for sure God was real and couldn’t prove He existed, they had faith and believed in Him. This young man had just told 700 of his classmates he was not sure God was real!
Many Christian parents find themselves dismayed when their child returns home from school only to announce they no longer believe in a God. And yet, as more and more atheists take a militant approach, this phenomenon is occurring more and more often. In a personal email an atheist indicated, “I never really seriously thought about church and religion until I moved to college. After thinking, reading, and discussing God and religion, my belief in God faded and eventually disappeared. Letting go of God was not an easy process—at least for me.” It was not an easy process, but this individual has officially turned his back on God.
Something From Nothing?
Atheists struggle with explaining the very existence of the universe. Any logical person would be hard pressed to defend that nothing exists today. The very fact that you are reading this article indicates that something exists. (Some might contend that this is all a hallucination—but I would still ask where did the hallucination come from, and exactly how do you know it is a hallucination? For something to be acknowledged as a hallucination would mean that one can know reality.) Since it is an absolute truth that something now exists, it demands that something has existed forever. Otherwise, one would be forced to argue that something came from nothing—a position that is weak and illogical. It is a self-evident truth that something can’t come from nothing, thus something has to have existed forever. This truth does not prove a Supreme Being, but rather it establishes that something has “eternal” properties.The essence of being eternal can be defined as existing without a beginning or end—sometimes considered to be outside of time. Since something exists today, it is a reasonable scientific observation to then go one step further and deduce that something has existed forever.
But how do we go about identifying that eternal “something”? This is where naturalistic science meets philosophy. All of our scientific observations exclude anything being “eternal” in nature. (Some might argue that the universe holds an eternal potential, i.e. Heni Poincare’s work would argue that given a sufficient length of time, it will reorder itself into its original arrangement without any loss of usable energy. However, the evidence of such a “theory” is still lacking and would be a faith-based assumption in itself.) Everything that man is currently aware of obeys the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that things are running down and wearing out (a concept also shared by writers of the Bible; see Hebrew 1:11; Isaiah 51:6; Psalm 102:26). Eternality would indicate that something is not running down and had no beginning. Consider the following equations:
1. Something exists today—THUS—something must be eternal and has always existed.
2. Something is eternal (doesn’t wear down and was not created)—THUS—something violates scientific laws (specifically the Second Law of Thermodynamics).
3. Something violates scientific laws—THUS—something exists outside the observable laws of naturalistic science.
From these we can conclude:
4. Somethingeternal is THUS outside the observable laws of naturalistic science!
While many atheists may not like this “math,” it is inescapable. To argue otherwise would be to deny our very existence. We can logically conclude that something has existed forever—something that is not explainable by naturalistic science. That something is God.
A Belief System Without Hope
Without a belief in God, one must ponder what hope these individuals truly have. What is their view of the afterlife? Consider the following proposition:
1.  Only bodies in which a component (e.g., the spirit) is eternal and endless can have meaning (E form: No finite lives have meaning).
2.  If there are no gods, then there are no endless lives (A form: If there are no gods, all lives are finite).
3.  If there is no God, then no lives have meaning.
This meaning does not equate with happiness, as non-believers and believers alike can experience worldly happiness. However, the core meaning for our lives shapes our attitudes and oftentimes dictates how we conduct ourselves while on this earth. For many, the whole duty of man is to “fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). For others, the duty of man is to eat, drink, and be merry. Consider for a moment the response I received from two atheists when I asked them how they view death.
Jason said, “Non-existence, period.  Dead people do not exist. The person ceases to exist upon death. Death is just a way of expressing that a person has passed away into non-existence, which is (by that concept) only troubling for the people who still exist.
Another atheist, Josh, remarked, “My view on death and an afterlife is pretty nihilistic and generic of the typical atheist. There is no afterlife, and we’ve got to do what we can now. It will make dying a lot easier to know that I will be known long after I die, so for me, it’s kind of like making my ego survive my body.”
Conclusion
I’ve heard it said many times that it takes more faith to be an atheist than a Christian. Given the amount of evidence we have for God, I would agree. Ask yourself ,“Do I have enough faith to be an atheist?” Ultimately we are without excuse! (see Romans 1:20).
Brad Stine once mused: “Who is more irrational? A man who believes in a God he doesn’t see, or a man who’s offended by a God he doesn’t believe in?” I would take that even one step further: “Who is more irrational? A Christian who believes in God but doesn’t teach his child about Him, or an atheist who doesn’t believe in Him but takes the time to teach the child his beliefs?”
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Rejection and Submission

Rejection and Submission

The final chapters of the prophecy of Zechariah share the sad truth of the rejection of the Messiah. Zechariah serves as an image of the Good Shepherd whom the people refused to follow in contrast to the evil shepherds that the sheep allowed to feed them. The staves of the Good Shepherd, Beauty and Bands, were broken.

Rejection of the world, is submission to Christ.

Rejection of the world, is submission to Christ.

For many the same situation exists today but they are blind to its reality. Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 55:1–2) and when we allow ourselves to be fed by evil, covetous, and worldly desires we turn away from the grace and unity that secure us. This is true individually of all men, but it is also true of many congregations. The grace and unity that binds us together with God as His children, as part of His family is broken when we follow false teachings and practices and not His divine word which He has sent to Guide us.

The decision is simple: The sinner must submit to the Good Shepherd in repentance (Acts 17:30), confession (Matthew 10:32–33), and baptism for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38). The child of God must then faithfully follow the Good Shepherd who loved us and gave His life for us! The church that has fallen away must repent (Revelation 2–3). Where do we stand today? Be faithful and united!

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A Kingdom not of this World

A Kingdom not of this World

Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’

There is kingdom higher than what the eye sees.

There is kingdom higher than what the eye sees.

John 18:36

Do a word search on “kingdom” in the New Testament, and you’ll be surprised at how often it pops up.  That’s because the kingdom of God was a very important topic in first-century A.D. Christianity, and rightly so.  Jesus preached about it throughout Galilee, declaring that it was at hand (Mark 1:14-15; cf. Matt. 4:23; 9:35; Luke 4:43; 8:1).  It was the theme of both the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 4:23; 5:1-3, 10, 19-20; 6:10; 7:21-27) and the majority of his parables (cf. Matt. 13:44-46).  He sent his disciples out to preach about it (Luke 9:1-2, 59-60; 10:1, 9-11).  He preached about it after he died and was resurrected (Acts 1:3).  After he ascended, his followers preached about it (Acts 8:12; 14:21-22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 30-31) and wrote about it (cf. 1 Thess. 2:12; 2 Thess. 1:5).

As seen above, while on trial Jesus said to Pilate that his kingdom “is not of this world” (John 18:36).  Other comments he made give us an inclination about the nature of his kingdom.  When a scribe complimented Jesus’ answer about what is the greatest commandment, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:28-34), indicating that the scribe’s understanding of the Scriptures put him in close proximity to the kingdom.  In a way that meant he was close to the geographical borders of a kingdom?  No, for Jesus’ kingdom isn’t of this world.  Thus, Jesus was showing that the kingdom is spiritual in nature (cf. Luke 17:20-21).

Paul’s told the Colossian Christians that God had transferred them into the kingdom of his Son (Col. 1:13).  The writer of Hebrews told the Hebrew Christians that they had received a kingdom (Heb. 12:28).  John said to the churches of Asia Minor that Jesus had made them a kingdom and that he was partners with them in the kingdom (Rev. 1:6, 9).  That tells me that the kingdom of God is the church, Christians are citizens of that kingdom, and Jesus is its King.

Paul also said that at the end when Christ returns he will give the kingdom back to his Father after destroying all other rules, authorities, powers, and after having put his enemies under his feet, including death (1 Cor. 15:24-28).  On that day his angels will take out of his kingdom all who unrepentantly disobey God and cast them into hell, after which the righteous in the kingdom “will shine like the sun” (Matt. 13:41-43).  Christian, what kind of citizen of God’s kingdom are you?  Are you submissive to the King in all things, or are you unrepentant in your sin?  Are you even a part of his spiritual kingdom to begin with?  If not, do what they did in the New Testament (Acts 8:12).  Repent of your sins, confess your faith in Christ, and be baptized into his body (Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 12:13), which is his church (Col. 1:18), which is his kingdom (Col. 1:13).

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A Psalm of Thanksgiving

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

The book of Psalms is remarkable in so many ways. Many of the psalms come from the heart of a shepherd boy of Bethlehem and give us great insight into the very soul of a man after God’s own heart.

By the hand of God, there is much cause for thanksgiving.

By the hand of God, there is much cause for thanksgiving.

One of the psalms repeats a phrase over and over. The psalmist said, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men” (Psa. 107:1, 8, 15, 21, 31). This phrase makes a natural division of five situations in this psalm where men should be filled with thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving for redemption. The first section (vss. 1-7) describes the times when God brought Israel from adversity and returned them to the land He promised Abraham’s descendants. While it is true the sin of God’s people often was the reason they were scattered, the psalm shows just how merciful God is toward His children. Those who were redeemed from the nations could so readily sing this psalm of thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving for souls which have been refreshed. In this section, the psalmist looks at the souls which have been brought low by the adversity around them. Their hearts are filled with darkness which is the result of ignoring God. They are bound up in affliction. Yet, when they cried out to God, He heard them. Their souls were filled with the blessing He gave to them. Their lives turned into joy because His mercy gave them what had been missing. The psalmist said, “Give thanks to the Lord for His wonderful works.”

Thanksgiving for deliverance to those who were at the gates of death. This third section (vss. 15-20) parallels thoughts found in the previous section of those who were surrounded by distress. They were so burdened they could not even eat, yet when they cried out to the Lord, He heard them and saved them out of all their afflictions. “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness.”

Thanksgiving from those who were tossed in the seas. The psalmist turns his attention to those who sailed the seas and found themselves surrounded by tempestuous waves. As the waves lifted them to the heavens and then dropped them in the depths of the troughs, hope could so easily be lost. At their wit’s end, they cried out to God, and He heard them, calmed the storms and brought them to safe havens.

Thanksgiving from those who assemble to worship in the company of the elders. The mercy of God is shown in the fruitful seasons where He waters the wilderness and feeds His people. Their crops increase and their herds multiply. He exalts the poor. Oh, that men would give thanks for all He does.

Thanksgiving from our hearts. The imagery in this psalm is different from what is around us, but the lesson is so obvious. God help us to give thanksgiving for all He does!

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The Church is the People

The Church Is The People

We teach it. We preach it. We say we believe it. We just seem to have a devil of a time understanding it – and a far worse one of fully accepting and living it! How many times have we preached, taught, heard, read, said, and/or were convinced we understood it? “The church is the people.” Yes, it is a very simple statement. And yet, it is one not all of us apparently understand the full implications of. You see, when a church member complains or finds fault about what “the church” is not doing (and they themselves are guilty of any similar if not the exact same negligence), they are actually complaining about, and condemning themselves! Why? Because “the church is the people,” and the complainers in the church, are “the church” they are into complaining about!

The church is not made of wood and stone, flesh or bone, but faithful souls serving God.

The church is not made of wood and stone, flesh or bone, but faithful souls serving God.

For example, when a church member complains that the church is not doing enough to bring new folks in, they need to be immediately asked, “So; when was the last time YOU brought someone new in… or invited someone to sit down and study the bible with YOU… seeing as how YOU are the church? When a church member contends that the church either has not done, or is not doing enough now to hold onto our youth, they need to be immediately asked, “So, why haven’t YOU done more, and why aren’t YOU doing more now to hold onto them… seeing as how YOU are the church?” When all some brethren want to do is sit back and criticize “the church” for supposedly being so divided they can’t work or get along together, they need to be immediately asked, “So, why are YOU so quick to complain, alienate, and justify your own not working with your brethren by staying home and not supporting their unity, harmony, and labor of love whenever there’s an opportunity to get and work together for growth, fellowship, and service events… because YOU are the church?”

But you see, that’s not usually what brethren mean when they start griping and complaining about “the church.” Their meaning is more often instead, to point the finger of blame at the elders, the preacher, the older, the younger, the richer, the poorer, and/or any or all of the other people who make up “the church” – but surely not themselves! And certainly never with the vim and vigor with which they routinely judge and condemn their brethren! Oh, on occasion you might hear some throw in the obligatory “And I’m guilty of it too.” But the sincerity of such statements can often be easily determined by simply observing the strength of the efforts they put into personal repentance in the days to come.

But for those Christians who want to constantly just gripe and complain about “the church” – which is what they themselves are – and point their fingers of blame at all the rest of their blood-bought brethren while giving themselves a self-justified free pass to continue right on along without ‘Being and making the changes they want to see,’ Jesus has some incredibly stern words of warning…

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matt. 7:1-5). Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you…” (Ro. 2:17-24. Essential additional instruction can be found in Lk. 6:35-38 & Phil. 1:27-2:16.)

The following adage is true. So the next time you hear a church member complaining about “the church” not having done this or that, remember: “Whenever someone points their finger of blame at someone else, they have three of their own fingers pointing back at themselves.” And they’d better not be guilty of what they’re judging “the church” for not doing… For the church, is THEM!

 

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