This sums it up pretty well. This man is brilliant. The late Dr. James Kennedy interviews Dr. Ravi Zacharais. Dr. Zacharias explains why the universe could not have possibly just “happened”. We had to have been created.
Creation vs Evolution, Is There a God? | A.L. Howard | 
July 14, 2010 9:30 pm | 
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Islam | A.L. Howard | July 10, 2010 2:37 pm | Comments (0)
Is teaching children to be suicide bombers and terrorists right or wrong? Religion of Peace? You decide…
Islam | A.L. Howard | 2:11 pm | Comments (1)
Imagine for a moment…
We’re standing on the precipice of our lives and looking out over the landscape of our past and present pain. Over to the left is our hidden shame (we can still feel its presence) and peeking out to our right is our fear. Right in the middle is our pain – bold and confident in our defeat. Sprinkling the entire terrain are our tears (our regrets for what might have been yet failed to become). Dark clouds that make up our doubts cover everything and block out all light, all hope. And everywhere we look, darkness threatening to consume us and yet there is so much to see. The story of our lives is played out below us over and over and we wish we could just change the scene that is before us. How did we get to this point? If there were only some source to light to dispel the shadows and the darkness but there is none.
But there is a rumbling in the heavens as if the very clouds are being shaken and dissolved. And there it is in the distance – a single solitary shaft of light pierces the clouds and the causes the darkness to flee. And as that beam of light increases in size and intensity, the darkness is consumed and the clouds make way for the light. And then the miraculous happens – the shame, the pain, the fears and the tears – all gone! By a single touch of the Master’s hand.
All we need is a touch from God. No matter where we are in life or what we’re going through or what we have gone through, the frustration we feel or the desperation we live out, all we need is a touch from Him. No matter whether you’ve stumbled and fallen, whether you’ve fallen short of your potential, no matter how great your sin has been that you think God could never forgive you, ALL YOU NEED is a touch from Him. Like that single ray of light from Heaven that can brighten our lives and turn our lives around, all from a touch of the Master’s hand. Reach out to Him and He will reach out to you. All you’ll ever need is Him. Have faith!
There was someone in the Bible that just needed a touch from the Master. You can read their story here:
As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” - Luke 8:43-49 (NIV)
Be blessed and be a blessing!
Ernest M.
There is a song that sums up this devotional. It is: “All I Need” – Brian Courtney Wilson
Christian Living | Ernest | June 14, 2010 6:58 pm | Comments (0)
Don’t you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers–none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NLT)
But Paul continues in the very next verse
some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away… (1 Corinthians 6:11 NLT)
God loves people. God is Love… He hates the fact that we sin, but anybody who thinks that they are sinless has some self-examination to do. He loved you before you believed, why not homosexuals?
Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying you can continue to practice such things with impunity. God is not mocked (Galatians 6:7). But he will help the homosexuals overcome their sins just the same as He will any other sinner.
Case closed.
By the way, there is help if you are looking to be free from homosexuality.
The Biblical View of Homosexuality | A.L. Howard | April 26, 2010 3:18 pm | Comments (1)
God is Love (1 John 4:8)
Some people tend to believe that their sins will be overlooked because “They’re not that bad”; “There are a lot worse people than me”; Or, “I’m basically a good person”; “Hey, I never killed anybody”; or “I didn’t hurt anybody but myself”…
Imagine this scenario: You have been arrested for a relatively minor offense – say shoplifting. The judge gives you jail time. As you are handcuffed and hauled away to jail, would any of those arguments work? You would not even dream of it, would you?
Now, imagine the saddest situation you can think of. How about a mother clutching her dying baby to her chest with no way to help. Remember, God is Love – not that he has Love – Love is His very nature. God has been watching things like this happen for thousands of years. If we, being mere humans are grief stricken, imagine how a scene like that breaks His poor old heart.
How can God feel anger if He is love? Imagine another scenario. You are walking down the street and you see a poor old lady being robbed… Would it not make you furious? You are furious because even though you may not know the lady, you have a certain measure of love in your heart. God’s wrath is clearly justified.
All sin has consequences. How about alcohol and drug abuse? According to the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, the alcoholic is like a tornado roaring through the lives of others. Even people who drink alone affect people other than themselves: Their employer, family and so on… Pornography, for another example. Looking at porn has consequences for you, and the person who posed for it. And whether or not you believe it him, it twists your mind and opens the door for Satan. Here is an excerpt of a study on pornography’s effect on the mind.
Internet pornography is the new crack cocaine, leading to addiction, misogyny, pedophilia, boob jobs and erectile dysfunction, according to clinicians and researchers testifying before a Senate committee Thursday.
Witnesses before the Senate Commerce Committee’s Science, Technology and Space Subcommittee spared no superlative in their description of the negative effects of pornography.
Mary Anne Layden, co-director of the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Cognitive Therapy, called porn the “most concerning thing to psychological health that I know of existing today.”…Pornography addicts have a more difficult time recovering from their addiction than cocaine addicts, since coke users can get the drug out of their system, but pornographic images stay in the brain forever, Layden said…
God’s grace is not a license to sin. God wants to help release you from sin through grace. If you have given your life over to God, your whole perception on sin will change over time. I used to enjoy and actively pursue sinful pleasures. And at some point, if you are honest with yourself, you will find that you did, too. Or if you have not been baptized, you still do. But if you turn your life over to God, his Holy Spirit will “quicken” your spirit to life. Your whole perception will change. Now you will regret your sins and try to get rid of them. You may never completely get rid of them, but you will want to. You are not suddenly better than anybody else, and with cooperation from God, you will not become hypocritical and look down upon people who are still lost in sin – you will feel sorry for them and try to help.
Don’t you know that someday we Christians are going to judge the world?… Don’t you realize that we Christians will judge angels?… (1 Corinthians 6:2a,3a NLT)
On Judgement day, which side of the bench do you want to be on?
Salvation - How to get to Heaven | A.L. Howard | April 18, 2010 2:01 pm | Comments (0)
Good Friday is actually very important. Good Friday has been described as the crux of time, itself. Good Friday is the day that Jesus was crucified. Easter is not about Easter bunnies and Chocolates… It is the day that Jesus rose from the dead – never to die again.
Did you ever notice that Easter varies so much as to what time of year it is celebrated? Easter is actually determined by Good Friday – not the other way around as you might suppose. Easter is the first Sunday after the first Friday after the first full moon after the Spring (Vernal) equinox. Good Friday came within one day of being as early as is possible in the year 2008 because the full moon and the spring equinox fell on the 21st. This will not happen again until 2106. The earliest possible Easter is March 22. The next occurrence of the earliest possible Easter will be March 22, 2285. The last time it fell on the 22nd was in the year 1818. The latest possible Easter is May 10. Easter has not fallen on the 9th or the 10th ever in history. The first time in history that it will fall on the 9th will be the year 2173. We will not see a May 10th Easter until the year 2268. The dates listed above may be verified at timeanddate.com
A lot happened on Good Friday. It is also known as Holy Friday and several other names.
On the original Good Friday, Jesus was convicted of blasphemy in front of a kangaroo court. He admitted to being God Incarnate (God in a human body so to speak) and that was the last straw! They did not throw Jesus in an insane asylum like they might, today — the religious leaders demanded his death! Jewish leaders did not have the authority to execute people under Roman Law so they took Him to Pontius Pilate. Pilate wanted to release Jesus badly — especially since Pilate’s wife had had a disturbing dream about Jesus. But the Jewish people would not hear of it. Instead of letting Jesus off the hook, they let a rebel named Barabbas walk.
Pilate had Jesus scourged. This is the most heinous thing you can imagine. The whip was tipped with bone and iron shards so it cut through both skin and muscle. Many people did not survive a scourge. This did not satisfy the people. They want Jesus dead.
On the third day (early Sunday morning — Approx. 36 hours after He died — if the Good Friday model is correct. Jesus was actually dead only one full day: Saturday. He died Friday evening and was raised sometime before sunup on Sunday morning.) some people went to Jesus’ grave but he was gone. He had been resurrected! And He still lives! This is now known as Easter.
Jesus was taken up to heaven approximately 40 days after He was resurrected, and now rules at God the Father’s right hand.
The angels that attended Jesus’ ascension told us that Jesus will be coming back in the same way He was taken to Heaven.
And He’s coming back soon!
Maranatha!
Jesus - Who He Is and the fallacies surrounding him | A.L. Howard | April 2, 2010 4:39 pm | Comments (1)
Yesterday, I was reminded of something that I’d noticed a few months ago. There was a wasp in my car trying to fly through the glass. I rolled down a window so he could fly out, but the only way he could see was through the window that would not roll down. I even tried to coax him over to the open window but he became even more determined to fly through the glass.
Also, yesterday, our dog had her cable jammed under the tire of a car. Had she pulled left instead of right she would have been free. But she pulled so hard in the wrong direction that it became terribly jammed under the tire. And she was immobilized.
God told me that we are the same way. We see only one way to a solution, but that solution will never work. And when it fails we try even harder… accomplishing nothing at best — or at worst, getting ourselves really jammed up.
But if we let go, and do what God leads us to do, no matter how ridiculous it may appear to us, we can fly right out of that glass prison.
It was that way with me and the 12-steps. There is no way the human mind can go from reading the 12-steps off the wall to understanding how doing these things can make it possible to stay sober. But once you do the steps, it just works. As simply as flying out the open window.
Stop beating yourself against the glass and let God guide you out.
Salvation - How to get to Heaven | A.L. Howard | March 29, 2010 2:37 pm | Comments (0)
His voting record during his brief tenure in the senate was left of even the late Ted Kennedy!
Obama is not stupid. He knows full well that our economy cannot handle another burden. He should also just be able to look around him and see that the government cannot even handle the job they have taken on in the past such as Social Security and Medicare. How can anyone dream that they will handle an exponentially larger task?
Face it, he has no intentions of helping anybody. He wants government to control every aspect of our lives. An economic collapse is the best way for a dictator to take power. Remember how Adolph Hitler gained power? This is just the first step. Ronald Reagan saw this in the 1960s. You can hear his speech on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRdLpem-AAs
Since passing tort reform in 2004, Mississippi has seen the number of medical malpractice claims plummet by 91 percent from its peak. The state’s largest medical liability insurer dropped its premiums by 42 percent, and has offered an additional 20 percent rebate each year since tort reform went into effect.
Bob Parks http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/14958
This one act of tort reform by itself would make health care a non-issue… If it were even about health care in the first place.
In the end times, there is prophesied that a one-world government and one-world economy will be in place. We see it happening before our very eyes. Make no mistake. If one part of this passes, our freedoms and the American way of life are history.
The End Times and the Rapture | A.L. Howard | March 22, 2010 12:36 pm | Comments (8)
Unless this person can experience an entire psychic change there is very little hope of his recovery (Dr. William Silkworth, M.D. “The Doctor’s Opinion” – Alcoholics Anonymous page xxvii)
Your mind can only handle so much negative emotion. At some point your mind snaps unless you do something about it. Some people pass the breaking point and have a nervous breakdown. Some abuse food sex, money, gambling, alcohol, drugs, etc. as a way to relieve their problems. Some become “workaholics”. To keep the reading smooth, I am using the words “alcoholic” or “addict”, but these principles apply to any problem that the 12-steps address such as Overeaters Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, SLAA, etc.
Though sometimes addictive activities may appear to relieve the suffering, they are always incomplete and temporary. The problems are still there. In fact, the abuse of their “crutch” usually adds to the problems instead of relieving them.
Inside the mind of every person are varying degrees of negative emotions. Fear, guilt, shame, remorse, anger, resentment, low self-esteem, and so on. In an alcoholic and drug addict’s mind these are usually aggravated more than in most people’s because alcohol reduces inhibitions and the drinking alcoholic will do things they would never do sober. Also, in order to fund their habit the addict/ alcoholic will do things they would not ordinarily do. Also lost jobs and productivity usually lead to financial despair if the addiction is left untreated.
No room for any more bad stuff, crises, etc.
One problem with trying to “quit” without the aid of a 12-step program is that whether you are aware of it or not, the negative emotions are still there in the back of your mind — if not in the forefront — every waking moment (And sometimes in your sleep, too – especially in late stages). Life’s problems are like a water faucet that drips new problems and aggravations into the sufferer’s mind. There is already very little room in your brain for more bad things because of years of accumulation (remember your “crutch” has never relieved the problem, it just took your attention away from it temporarily — if you were lucky.) These new problems add to the already accumulated feelings of fear, guilt, self-pity, remorse, etc. until finally the breaking point is reached… and the addict reaches for the only solution they know of. Their “fix” – whatever it may be.
The 12 steps help a person deal with the day-to-day stresses of life without your mind ever getting to the snapping point. (“Living life on life’s terms”) The addict/ alcoholic through the 12 steps, with the help of some activity (“working the steps”) the help of other people, and their higher power (usually God), the guilt fear, shame, anger, and remorse gradually begin to be replaced by serenity and positive emotions and thoughts such as love and real happiness — things the alcoholic has not found important for much too long.
As an added bonus, any new stresses that the faucet of life drips in do not immediately add to the remaining problems, they now “filter” through the renewed mind – and often are dissipated before ever being added to the current problems. The same event that use to be very stressful and emotional no longer seems like such a big deal.
Bad Emotions being replaced by Serenity
The guilt, fear, shame and remorse never go away completely. But as the good things keep coming in, there is no longer room for the bad things. They go away. Unlike when actively abusing the crutch, which only seems to temporarily distract the sufferer’s mind from the problem.
In Steps 1-3 The sufferer realizes that they have a problem and that there is a solution, and choose to pursue the solution.
Steps 4-9 begin to remove the “bad” emotions by listing, discussing and analyzing their “defects of character” with the help of another person. By step 9, the alcoholic begins to make amends (restitution) to anyone whom they have harmed. These steps are very effective. Many people get the feeling that the drink problem has disappeared by step five. (Alcoholics Anonymous page 75)
By step 9, if they work thoroughly, the alcoholic has usually already started to get a whole new outlook on life. The guilt, shame, remorse, resentments, etc. are starting to vanish and be replaced with positive thinking — emotions and actions that most of us have never had to any significant degree. After step 9, some really amazing things begin to happen. Anyone who has not had an amazing experience of mind renewal (“Spiritual experience”) after step 5 will usually have it at step 9.
Steps 10-12 are the growing steps. They keep us on the right path day to day – these are essential to maintain sobriety. These last three must be worked continuously because left untreated, our minds will eventually slip back to the state they were in… and we may drink. And for many of us, to drink is to die. (Alcoholics Anonymous page 66)
Tags: 12 step recovery, addiction recovery, overcoming addiction, stop addiction, the 12 step program, the 12 steps, the twelve steps
Alcoholism and Christianity | A.L. Howard | March 8, 2010 12:07 pm | Comments (0)
There is a lot of confusion about the war of Armageddon. It appears to be almost universally accepted — even by people who teach end-times prophecy — that it is going to be an all-out war-to-end-all-wars between people or nations. The thought is so prevalent that I feel I need to discuss this.
The war of Armageddon in the end times is going to be when Satan and his allies team up to do battle against God:
Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.” Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. (Rev 16:13-16 NIV)
The kings are gathered together at Armageddon – but notice no battle has taken place — until chapter 19 — (because chapter 16 continues with the next judgement)
The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” (Rev 16:17 NIV)
Now we see the kings gathered together in chapter 19:
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh (Rev 19:19-21 NIV)
So where do we come up with the idea that the battle of Armageddon is going to be a war between people?
There is going to be a “World War III”. Several “Kings” (Governments) are going to gather together to try to do away with the little nation of Israel… and there is going to be a bloodbath. People from Russia and various middle Eastern countries are going to swarm on Israel — and be wiped out by the hand of God. Read the entire chapter of Ezekiel 38.
In Revelation, it is written about a 200 million person mounted army coming from the East. That can only be China. Clearly, when you make war with Israel, you are making war with God. Therefore “Armageddon” could look like a war between nations from down here. Satan is the prince of this earth and his demons run governments (in Daniel 10:5-13, an angel who was sent to Daniel was delayed by the “prince of Persia” – a being powerful enough to stop an angel for 21 days – sure could not be an ordinary “human” prince – it was a powerful demon) . Things will be much different than they are now (in 2010) on the earth before Armageddon…
It is only a matter of time before Satan declares all-out war on God. But it is still a long way off. As of 2010, much still has to be done. If you read Revelation chapter 16, you will see that life will be very very different than it is now. People are going to be supremely wicked and will not repent of their ways. God will be pouring out vials of wrath, and people will curse God instead of repenting. There must be a mark of the beast, people who get the mark will get terrible sores… on and on and on - before Armageddon.
I am “mid-trib” meaning that I believe the rapture of the church will happen before God starts pouring out his wrath on the world. The church will be taken away from the earth before God begins pouring out His wrath.
According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NIV)
But I do not believe that Christians will be spared the entire “tribulation” period. The saints (Christians) will be persecuted by the antichrist – and things are going to get very uncomfortable. It will not be convenient or “cool” to be a Christian. We will have to go underground. I hope I’m wrong, it would sure be nice to miss all of that… But it does not seem to be in the cards. Here is why. Notice that already four seals of judgement have been opened, and yet saints remain:
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. (Rev 6:9-11 NIV)
God bless you all
The End Times and the Rapture | A.L. Howard | February 28, 2010 8:43 pm | Comments (0)
Deathbed conversions are entirely possible, according to scripture (The term “Scripture” now applies to both the Old and New Testaments, though when the New Testament writers referred to Scripture, it referred only to the Old Testament until the time when Peter compared the writings of Paul and the “other scriptures” in 2 Peter 3:15-16)
God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him (Alcoholics Anonymous Page 46)
All that is required to get to heaven is to believe. (John 3:18)
There are still a few people out there who believe that you must be baptized to get to Heaven. And I have argued until I am blue in the face. Yes, baptism in the common circumstance is indispensable. Once you believe go get baptized immediately! But on the same token, for instance on a battlefield, somebody laying there dying sees the light, I do not see God turning him away. So God inspired John 3:18. God is willing that none should perish. God is love. (1 John 4:8) Not that He has love, but He is love. God has more love in his little finger than any of us will ever have our entire lives.
If it is as easy as believing, can’t everyone go to heaven? What about seriously deranged people like mass murderers and serial killers? Will they see the light at the end of their life and get saved?
I am sure there will be many people in heaven that will surprise a lot of people. However, it is not so easy to see the light. It is simply not possible with the unaided human mind to discern God. Jesus said it (Matthew 16:17) and I have confirmed this in my own personal experience. There is ample proof in both the Old and New Testaments. Think about this. Peter and company followed Jesus for three years, seeing miracle after miracle, and they were still basically as spiritually blind as bats. And think about the ancient Hebrews. How could anybody be delivered by miracle after miracle, walk through the Red Sea, and all that and still make a golden calf to worship?
And in my personal experience, I have debated with atheists until I was blue in the face… and it just cannot be done. You must seek God, and God must call you in order to find Him.
God made it as easy as believing to get to Heaven, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:9). At the same time, going from belief to unbelief is an infinite chasm that cannot be jumped by human power. Most of what God is and stands for makes no sense at all to the unbeliever. This is further exacerbated by the devil, explained below.
Some People Cannot Be Saved
God wishes that every man would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) However, He knows that many will not. Jesus said that there are children of the devil and children of God (1 John 3:10). This is by the individual’s choice. There are some people who hate God and everything he stands for. Sad but true. And these people will never see the light. I am sure there are a lot of people reading this aghast… So a word of explanation is in order.
Satan is the god of this world system. Back when Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he gave title deed of the planet over to Satan. Note that Eve was deceived, but Adam flat-out disobeyed. Adam had been given title deed to the earth. (Genesis 1:26) Adam, by his disobedience gave title deed over to Satan. Your God is whom you follow (Romans 6:16). Adam followed Satan and made Satan his god. Sad but true. This is how Satan was able to offer the kingdoms to Jesus, if Jesus would just worship him. But in the same way that one man’s disobedience plunged us into this system of pain and tears, another man’s obedience (Jesus) wrested it back.
God allows the “god” of this world to keep the spiritual eyes blinded of people who do not love God and God’s ways.
I said all that so that this Bible quote might make sense.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NIV)
And Satan’s best deception of all? That you have to be good enough to get to heaven. The Gospel makes no sense to unbelievers who are trying to work their way to heaven (1 Corinthians 1:23 ) But there is no such thing as earning your way to heaven. It is simply not possible. We cannot even comprehend what it would take to be “good enough” much less have any hope of achieving it.
For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20 NASB)
God has a sense of justice that far surpasses ours. As much as He hates to destroy anyone, He also gave us a free will and He is not going to ram His ways down our throats. And by allowing Satan to keep people blinded, He is unlikely to allow unrepentant seriously wicked people into the kingdom of heaven.
Salvation - How to get to Heaven | A.L. Howard | January 3, 2010 5:36 pm | Comments (4)
And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27 NIV)
There are various people in the world back in Jesus’ day as there are today. There were sometimes vast crowds (“multitude” In the KJV) of people numbering in the thousands. (Luke 12:1) The size of these crowds of people apparently ebbed and flowed. Sometimes there were just a few followers, and sometimes it was in the thousands.
Then there were the unnamed disciples. These apparently sometimes numbered in the hundreds. (John 6:66-67, Luke 6:17 NIV)
Then there were the twelve. (Matthew 10:1-4)
Then out of the twelve, there was an “inner circle”: Peter, who was given a promise that nobody else was given — namely that he would be the rock that Jesus would build His church upon (Matthew 16:18). Then there was James and John, the disciple that “Jesus loved” who were the only disciples present to see the transfiguration. (Mark 9:2)
Present day is little different. We all have different stations. There are evangelists, such as Billy Graham, teachers, like Joyce Meyer, and pastors of huge churches like Pastor David Yonggi Cho, and pastors of small community churches. There are elders and deacons and the congregation. There are people minister to youth, and the little old lady who brings the wonderful dishes to the pot luck dinners… All the way down to people who only go to church on Easter and Christmas.
Notice also that Jesus made promises and demands of the general populace that are different than the promises that he made to his closest disciples. The sermon on the mount was for everyone including the disciples, but the command to Peter to “feed my sheep” was directed at Peter. Sure it applies at some level to all of us. But God is very smart. Why would he make the same requirements for the poor old blue-collar worker as he does for an internationally-known evangelist? That would not make sense, would it?
Bloom where you are planted. Do not lay a greater burden upon yourself than even God does. You know your station in life and you know God’s requirements. You will do well to fulfill those and don’t expect to be able to walk on water — at least before your time.
So. How strong of a walk with Jesus do you want? It is up to you. Though God calls many, He is very polite. If you are among the called, He leaves it up to you how close you want to draw to him.
Sure it sounds great in theory – but in practice, you will find there is a cost. Sure the reward is great but so is the cost. And the devil will remind you of all the things you are “missing out on” in hopes of discouraging you.
You have to take up your cross. Not a fun task as anyone who has seen or heard about Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ will know. What is the “cross”? I misunderstood this for years. Your cross is not suffering for your own sins – though you will reap what you sow – everyone, believers or not, will in some fashion will reap what they sow. The cross that Jesus carried was a burden that he carried for others. If you take up burdens for other people, you are bearing your cross.
Remember Love is a choice of behavior – not a warm fuzzy emotion. Emotions go away. Love is eternal.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.(John 13:35 NIV)
Christian Living | A.L. Howard | September 29, 2009 9:27 pm | Comments (0)
Demonic forces come to attention when people get into God’s Word, but they have a greater fear than Bible study. They shudder when God’s people begin to pray.
Chip Ingram The Invisible War Chapter 13
Why is prayer so powerful?
As everyone knows, Bible study is indispensable. You have to know God’s word before you can wield it (See Ephesians 6:17). But Satan has been around for much longer than the Bible has. He knows the Bible better than you do, and he is much smarter than you. Left alone with your knowledge of the Bible – strong as it may be, Satan will run circles around you — laughing. You don’t stand a chance.
But prayer to God is like having radio contact in combat with a general who has a spy satellite. The General (God) can see the big picture. He can see where forces are advancing and see weak points in the adversary’s positions. God is much smarter than Satan (God runs circles around him. The Old Testament prophets had told the world including Satan that Jesus would be crucified — hundreds of years in advance, yet Satan could not figure out what was really going on, and went ahead and crucified Jesus anyhow… sealing his fate.)
Better than a general, God spans time and space. He knows what is going to happen before it happens and He is much smarter than the devil. (Imagine how smart God is to have designed the eye that connects to the brain, which can interpret what it is seeing… and you will get a small glimpse of how smart God is. It is overwhelming.)
If you have direct “radio” contact with God, you can cause some serious damage to the enemy. The demons know that so they will try a million tactics to keep you from praying. They can make you feel tired, too busy, any number of things. But pay no attention pray anyhow. No matter what worldly thing you have before you. No matter how urgent, if you want to make a difference for the Kingdom of God — and in your own life, and the lives of your friends family, and the church as a whole, your little tasks suddenly pale in comparison. Nothing is more important than your prayer life.
Remember to strengthen the things that remain (See Revelation 3:2). The things of this world will be burned with fervent heat. But the things that will not burn you will be rewarded for all eternity — other people. If you are instrumental in saving other people, they will not burn, and you will get a reward (See 1 Corinthians 3:13-14). All else is vanity.
Christian Living | A.L. Howard | August 9, 2009 8:34 pm | Comments (0)
This is of course a sensitive subject. Especially if you have lost a loved one, or about to lose a loved one who is unsaved.
And it is also complex and difficult to explain.
Firstly, there is a difference between Eternal Life and Salvation. Technically they are not interchangable. I am not going to go into the details here, but for purposes of this discussion, “salvation” or being saved, means you are going to heaven.
Eternal Life is not something we “do” or earn. It is a free gift from God. If you believe in your heart that Jesus rose from the dead, and confess this with your mouth, you have eternal life. You cannot be good enough to get to Heaven. God knows that, so He gave us a free gift. All you have to do is accept it like a child accepting a Christmas present. Smile, hold your your hands and say thank you.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)
Our spirits are immortal. (The term “immortal soul” is not technically correct – it is the spirit that is immortal) And I have it on good authority that when our hearts stop beating, it is not the end.
One thing God told me was so opposite to my theology that it was hard for me to adjust my understanding to the actual facts. I have preached that once you quit breathing, if you are not saved, and do not know God, you have missed heaven. God said that was not necessarily so. He said that there is a spot where the spirit of mankind may linger for a little time before going on to their permanent abode. Many people who have been clinically dead know they have had this experience.
Angels on Assignment Page 59 (1979) By Roland Buck Hunter Books.
I am not going to argue with you if this book is true revelation from God. I am strongly convinced that it is. The book is no longer in print, but his family has made it freely available online in HTML and PDF formats. Read it for yourself — don’t depend upon other people, even me.
Ask God to reveal if it is the truth or not. http://www.angelsonassignment.org/
God is very merciful and wishes that none should perish. (2 Peter 3:9) He literally bends over backwards to get people saved. I know it grieves his wonderful heart to see anyone reject Him…
So, does it do any good to pray for the deceased? Does deathbed salvation occur? I don’t think any prayer is wasted. I believe just about anybody has a chance. I believe God won this war, and that Hell is going to be a mighty empty place!
Tags: bible second chances, death bed salvation, deathbed salvation, does god give second chances, god of second chances, god second chances, god's second chances, pray for the deceased, should we pray for the dead
Salvation - How to get to Heaven | A.L. Howard | July 11, 2009 12:04 pm | Comments (0)
There is an ongoing debate about eschatology (The study of the end of the world) that has been raging for decades. When are Christians going to be raptured? Are we even going to be raptured? Will we be raptured before the tribulation, sometime during the tribulation, or after?
Interest in the rapture has trickled down from Bible scholars to the common people. Even the ordinary person senses that the end times are drawing near. People want to know.
What is the Rapture?
At some undetermined point in the future, Jesus promised that believers would be taken out of the world.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:21 KJV)
This is also described by the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17
What do pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib mean?
Most scholars in modern times are “Pre-trib”. They believe that believers will be raptured before any of the events of the great tribulation occur (The Great tribulation is described in the biblical book of Revelation and elsewhere) It will be a time of great suffering worldwide. People who believe that Christians will be raptured before the tribulation are nicknamed “pre-trib” (for pre-tribulation). This is the mainstream belief. If you listen to Hal Lindsey or read Tim LaHaye, and most preachers who preach on the subject, this is their point of view.
Mid-trib: believe that Christians will have to suffer along with the rest of the world until some point in the middle of the tribulation, then will be caught up in the air to be with the Lord.
Post-trib: believe that believers will have to suffer the entire tribulation.
There are also people who do not believe in the rapture at all.
When will the rapture Happen?
Several times through the Bible, we are told that no man knows the day or the hour. But we are given signs to watch out for, and a specific sequence of events that must happen. These are laid out in Matthew chapter 24 as well as 2 Thessalonians.
Notice that there are going to be some serious events before the elect are taken out of the world.
So, why mid-trib?
Well, I guess it boils down to when you think the Tribulation starts. There is a seven-year period specifically laid out in Revelation. Leading up to that time, the biggest part of the misery in the world is going to be inflicted by the powers that be. God will have little or no part in the suffering that goes on before that time.
There are many verses that point to a time when believers will be severely persecuted, and beheaded, etc. for their faith by the Anti-Christ before God’s judgement begins. (For instance, Revelation 20:4 when it mentions that people were killed for the witness of Jesus and had not taken the mark of the beast) The one verse that really cinches it is when the Lamb of God opens a scroll sealed with seven seals. As each seal is opened, something tragic happens on the earth. There is going to be famine, pestilence, and death. But if you notice, in Revelation, there are martyrs in heaven who ask God how much longer this can go on, and: “they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters–their fellow servants of Jesus–had been martyred.” (Revelation 6:9-11 NLT)
Summary
So, whenever you mark the time that the Tribulation begins, believers are clearly going to be severely persecuted before the rapture takes place. Take heart, though. It is pretty clear that the believers are gone before the horrible “Trumpet” judgements (beginning in Revelation 8:6) and “Bowl” judgements (Beginning Revelation 15:5) begin. When God pours out the bowls of wrath. Nobody wants to be here for those! Things are going to get bad very quickly.
Find Jesus if you have not already. Then go get baptized right away if possible (you do not have to be baptized for eternal life, but it sure helps down here on earth).
Tags: eschatology, jesus return, mid post tribulation, rapture tribulation, the rapture of the church, when is the rapture
The End Times and the Rapture | A.L. Howard | June 28, 2009 12:15 pm | Comments (0)
God is keeping certain things secret, and almost everything very obscure so Satan cannot foil God’s plan. Things are revealed over time, and they have been getting revealed at lightning speed these past few months.
Clearly, judging by the way the mainstream media and so many public figures and private individuals are fawning over Barack Hussein Obama, the American mentality is ripe to worship a charismatic leader; but it is still too early for the appearance of any of the major players of Revelation.
The Beasts: Firstly, a beast in prophecy represents some sort of power: a kingdom, alliance of Kingdoms, or government(s). Horns on beasts represent the kingdom’s ruler(s). For instance, Daniel’s vision of the Greek Empire was represented by a goat (Daniel 8:5-8) The prominent horn of the goat represents Alexander the Great.
There are actually three “Beasts” in Revelation.
The First Beast: The beast that rises out of the sea in Revelation 13 has seven heads and ten horns. One of the heads survives a fatal wound, and the dragon gives it power. Prophecy scholars are pretty much unanimous that this beast represents the European Economic Union (EEU). Unless he somehow manages to get empowered in the EEU, Barack Hussein Obama does not fit this description.
The Second Beast: This beast rises out of the dry land. He does great wonders and causes people to worship the first Beast.
The Image of the first Beast: The second beast makes an image of the first beast, then brings the image to life. The image of the first beast commands people to take the 666 mark in order to buy or sell.
The Third beast: A scarlet colored beast also with seven heads and ten horns upon which a woman rode who was drunk with the blood of the saints. The seven heads are seven hills. (Rome is the city of seven hills)
The scarlet beast that was alive and then died is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, will go to his doom. His ten horns are ten kings who have not yet risen to power; they will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. They will all agree to give their power and authority to him. Together they will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings, and his people are the called and chosen and faithful ones.” (Revelation 17: 11-14)
The False Prophet: The false prophet that wrought miracles before the Beast. Not much is said about the false prophet, except that he is thrown alive in the lake of fire, so whatever he does, must be very evil. Unless Obama has something up his sleeve, I doubt he is the false prophet.
The Antichrist: So, bottom line, who is “the” Antichrist? This is probably the Scarlet Beast. He and “Man of lawlessness” from 2 Thessalonians are probably describing the same person:
Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed–the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy every god there is and tear down every object of adoration and worship. He will position himself in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God… And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes.
For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them. So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies. Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do.
(2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 NLT)
In summary, probably not. Obama does not seem to fit the picture. At worst, it appears he may be be a forerunner — maybe like a “John the Baptist” for the antichrist. But I see no evidence at present that he is the man of lawlessness.
Tags: barack obama antichrist prophecy, is barack obama the antichrist, obama antichrist, obama beast
The End Times and the Rapture | A.L. Howard | June 27, 2009 4:21 pm | Comments (9)
By Shirley Thompson
When I think of alcohol I think of it as Satan being in a bottle & when you open it you are letting him out. But God is always there waiting to protect you if you’ll let him. We just need to turn to him and call on him and he will prevail. I thank God that even though the sickness was in my family both my parents loved God and taught us children to believe in him and to love him. Without God we would never have survived. God does not bring sickness, death, pain and suffering to us. All of that came about because of sin and we all know that Satan is the father of sin.
Alcoholism is a sickness that can destroy families, homes and lives if we let it. And it is not just the alcoholic it destroys. It also makes everyone else living around it sick. It starts with a genetic imbalance with a chemical that alcohol or drugs activates. It’s a chronic progressive disease and causes damage to body tissues, the brain and central nervous system and eventual death. It has no respect to age, sex, rich or poor. It claims millions of victims. It causes inflammation of nerves, depression of brain function leading to neuritis, stupor, hallucinations, loss of control and coordination. Causes inflammation and hardening of liver leading to cirrhosis. Also has a psychological factor such as feelings of personal inadequacy and self dislike. Causes loneliness, poverty and family and marital struggles. The alcoholic is unable to control his craving and will sacrifice his goals and values. The alcoholic is not a bad person. He or she is a sick person and needs help and understanding.
The active alcoholic may even be a Christian. Even when we are Christians our bodies are still weak. We still stumble and fall if we don’t keep holding on to Gods hand. When we have troubles we can’t be too ashamed or proud to ask for help and to accept it.
I said before that the family is also sick. When we live with an alcholic the disease progresses to us. The disease is inherited but even if we never start drinking or do not have the chemical in our brains that cause us to be alcoholics we are still affected by it. We love the alcoholic and hate the alcoholic. We may feel like we are to blame or that there should be something we can do to stop it. We feel insecure, afraid, depressed. We become Co-dependent. We become dependent on how the alcoholic acts to how we act.
My father was an alcoholic. Sometimes when he was drinking he was real mean. I grew up in a dysfunctional family. My father being an alcoholic and my mother a Co-dependent. There was always drinking, fighting, arguing, and confusion so in turn all the children developed Co-dependency behaviors. I learned how to be afraid, distrustful, insecure, angry, embarrassed, ashamed and confused at an early age. I say learned because we are taught to feel all these negative feelings by the environment we are in. Co-dependents learn not to trust good feelings and to be afraid of them because if you feel any of the good feelings they are soon snatched away.
I was so afraid of my father I ran away from home when I was 14. I had nowhere to go and of course no money. The first time I ran away I was gone 3 days. I spent those 3 days wandering the streets during the day and sleeping on benches in the bus station at night. I had a bottle of aspirin and I had heard that if you took too many aspirin you would die. I walked until I found some woods, ate the whole bottle of aspirin and laid down on the ground and waited to die. I didn’t die but I sure got sick. There are so many times that God heard my mothers prayers and took care of me.
From that time on I have run from one bad situation to another. I hated Daddy. I hated him because I was afraid of him. I hated him for all the things he had done. I hated him because I blamed him for me not being able to see my mother, brothers and sisters. I went home to visit when I was 17 and when I got there Daddy was in the hospital. I didn’t care that he was sick and I didn’t care about seeing him but I went anyway because the family was going and I wanted to be with them. When I walked into the room Daddy looked so pale and so pitiful lying in that hospital bed. I could see the pain in his eyes and the tears running down his cheeks and he said, “my baby did come to see me.” I felt my heart melt and the wall of hatred crumble and I started crying. At that moment I started loving my father. I am so thankful to God that I saw the love in Daddy’s heart and that I was able to forgive him for everything and was able to love him. We were very poor and never had a lot to eat and sometimes we only had cornmeal gravy but Daddy always made sure we had something to eat. There was a time when my Daddy was very well respected and owned a lot of property but with his drinking he lost everything. We didn’t get candy very often but when Daddy could he’d buy each of us a candy bar. There were six of us kids and Mama told me later that when I was gone Daddy would buy six candy bars and he would sit and hold mine and cry. So you see Daddy loved us but he was a sick man. I know now that he was a good tender hearted loving man. He kept drinking and things didn’t get any better but I never stopped loving him again.
Through the years I became more and more Co-dependent. I tried to be whatever would please someone else. I would act the way I thought would please someone else. I would dress the way I thought would please someone else. I would do whatever I had to, to please someone else. I became whatever would please others. I did this for so long I lost contact and knowledge of who I was. But no matter how hard I tried to please things continued to go wrong.
The man I had married at 17 had to be put in a mental institution. The weeks before he was taken away were weeks of fear and confusion. It was just me and my two little girls ages 3 and 4. We were in Oklahoma and I didn’t know where to turn or what to do. Again I ran taking the children with me. They were also confused and scared not knowing what was happening. Later he came and took the children away. It was 4 years until I was able to get them back.
Through my life I’ve went from one relationship to another. There were times I was out on the road alone, cold and hungry. The only feelings I knew were fear, pain, hunger, loneliness and weariness. Sometimes I even tried drinking to kill the pain and tried suicide twice more. I was sinking deeper and deeper into despair. My problem was I was trying everything except God. But I know that because of my mothers prayers and Gods great love he was there all along and watching over me and waiting for me to turn to him. At 24 years old I tried suicide for the third and last time. I locked myself in a room in Nashville and no one knew where I was. I took a bottle of sleeping pills and laid down on the bed to die. I was very calm no fear, no nothing, just a calm resignation. For three days I drifted in and out of consciousness. I saw people standing around my bed with a light surrounding their entire bodies watching me. They never spoke and I could not speak or move. I will always believe they may were angels watching over me. Whether it was angels or I was hallucinating I know that God spared me and after three days I came back to consciousness and knew I would never try to take my life again.
It was about two years later that I got down on my knees and gave up trying to control things and admitted defeat and begged God to forgive me and save my soul. Inside my chest was a big empty hole that ached and he filled that empty hole with such joy and peace that I had never known. Afterwards I was so excited and wanted to be baptized and start living for God. But because of the sickness and not knowing any other way of living I let Satan lead me instead of letting God. That’s why we also need Christian fellowship, help and understanding and guidance from our brothers and sisters in Christ.
In June 1989 me and Ricky left Bo and went to California. I guess you can say again I ran. But this time I had turned it all over to God and let him lead me because I was defeated again. I was miserable and sick in my mind. Bo went into a drug and alcohol treatment center and when he got out he came and got me. I was still sick and having panic attacks. But God had taken over and he wasn’t through yet. He was leading us to where we are today. Bo had gone through treatment so he was able to be a great help to me. He put me in the hospital where I could start recovering from Co-dependency. Sept 10, 1989 Bo was saved and we were both baptized Sept 17, 1989. Since then we have kept God in our lives and let him lead us. I am still Co-dependent and still recovering but with Gods help, the help and fellowship of our church our lives gets better and better and we get happier and happier. I shed a lot of tears now but they are tears of joy. Peace, love and joy fill the space now that only knew pain, hunger, loneliness and fear. These feelings didn’t know how to cry.
As I said at the beginning alcoholism is a progressive disease and makes the whole family sick. But we can be healed with Gods help. God does not force us to do anything. He has given us the ability to make a choice in our lives. Hate is cruel, pain, ugly and destructive and Satan is Hate. Love is good, kind, gentle, forgiving, and healing. God is love. In order to heal we must forgive. And one of the things that has been especially hard for me to do is we need to forgive ourselves. It has been much easier to forgive others than to forgive myself. One of the things about a co-dependent is we tend to take on all the blame for everything that goes wrong.
Alcohol is a problem. It’s tough to confront it. But it has to be confronted before anything can be done about it. The first step is to admit it exists. Remember it’s tougher to live with it. And if we let him – God will prevail.
Today I have so much to be thankful for. I thank God for my wonderful children. And although I know I have caused them pain because of my sickness I hope and pray that I too, like my parents did me, have planted a seed in their hearts the knowledge and faith that there is a God and love for God. I pray that they will seek salvation and let God guide them and I know that he will do for them what he has done for me. And I thank God for this church where we get so much love and support from you all. Thank you all so very much. We love you.
Thanksgiving day 1991
Shirley Thompson
Alcoholism and Christianity | Shirley | June 23, 2009 7:24 pm | Comments (1)
Let the Ayatollah Khomeini tell you in his own words
“…Islam makes it incumbent on all adult males, provided they are not disabled or incapacitated, to prepare themselves for the conquest of [other] countries so that the writ of Islam is obeyed in every country in the world. . . . But those who study Islamic Holy War will understand why Islam wants to conquer the whole world. . . . Those who know nothing of Islam pretend that Islam counsels against war. Those [who say this] are witless. Islam says: Kill all the unbelievers just as they would kill you all! Does this mean that Muslims should sit back until they are devoured by [the unbelievers]? Islam says: Kill them [the non-Muslims], put them to the sword and scatter [their armies]. Does this mean sitting back until [non-Muslims] overcome us? Islam says: Kill in the service of Allah those who may want to kill you! Does this mean that we should surrender [to the enemy]? Islam says: Whatever good there is exists thanks to the sword and in the shadow of the sword! People cannot be made obedient except with the sword! The sword is the key to Paradise, which can be opened only for the Holy Warriors! There are hundreds of other [Qura'nic] psalms and Hadiths [sayings of the Prophet] urging Muslims to value war and to fight. Does all this mean that Islam is a religion that prevents men from waging war? I spit upon those foolish souls who make such a claim.”
These are not the words of a “Wahhabi” extremist, but of a learned Shi’a theologian. He says nothing that does not have complete support in Islamic theology and ideology. No one has been able to show that Khomeini misuses the Qur’an, Hadith, or Sira — for he does not.
http://www.iranian.ws/cgi-bin/iran_news/exec/view.cgi/6/13539
Tags: about islam, christianity and islam, islam beliefs, islam religion of peace, islam teachings, islam terrorism, islam vs christianity, islamic religion, the truth about islam
Islam | A.L. Howard | June 20, 2009 4:52 pm | Comments (0)
The arguments have flaws, but it is a classic!
The story, below, was emailed to me. It has been circulating for years. I do not know who wrote it.
‘You’re a Christian, aren’t you, son?’
‘Yes sir,’ the student says.
‘So you believe in God?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Is God good?’
‘Sure! God’s good.’
‘Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?’
‘Yes.’
‘Are you good or evil?’
‘The Bible says I’m evil.’
The professor grins knowingly. ‘Aha! The Bible!’ He considers for a moment. ‘Here’s one for you. Let’s say there’s a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?’
‘Yes sir, I would.’
‘So you’re good…!’
‘I wouldn’t say that.’
‘But why not say that? You’d help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn’t.’
The student does not answer, so the professor continues. ‘He doesn’t, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?’
The student remains silent.
‘No, you can’t, can you?’ the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.
‘Let’s start again, young fella. Is God good?’
‘Er…yes,’ the student says.
‘Is Satan good?’
The student doesn’t hesitate on this one. ‘No.’
‘Then where does Satan come from?’
The student falters. ‘From God’
‘That’s right. God made Satan, didn’t he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Evil’s everywhere, isn’t it? And God did make everything, correct?’
‘Yes.’
‘So who created evil?’ The professor continued, ‘If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.’
Again, the student has no answer. ‘Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?’
The student squirms on his feet. ‘Yes.’
‘So who created them?’
The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. ‘Who created them?’ There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. ‘Tell me,’ he continues onto another student. ‘Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?’
The student’s voice betrays him and cracks. ‘Yes, professor, I do.’
The old man stops pacing. ‘Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?’
‘No sir. I’ve never seen Him.’
‘Then tell us if you’ve ever heard your Jesus?’
‘No, sir, I have not.’
‘Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?’
‘No, sir, I’m afraid I haven’t.’
‘Yet you still believe in him?’
‘Yes.’
‘According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?’
‘Nothing,’ the student replies. ‘I only have my faith.’
‘Yes, faith,’ the professor repeats. ‘And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.’
The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. ‘Professor, is there such thing as heat?’
‘Yes,’ the professor replies. ‘There’s heat.’
‘And is there such a thing as cold?’
‘Yes, son, there’s cold too.’
‘No sir, there isn’t.’
The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. ‘You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don’t have anything called ‘cold’. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees.’
‘Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.’
Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.
‘What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?’
‘Yes,’ the professor replies without hesitation. ‘What is night if it isn’t darkness?’
‘You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it’s called darkness, isn’t it? That’s the meaning we use to define the word.’
‘In reality, darkness isn’t. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?’
The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. ‘So what point are you making, young man?’
‘Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.’
The professor’s face cannot hide his surprise this time. ‘Flawed? Can you explain how?’
‘You are working on the premise of duality,’ the student explains. ‘You argue that there is life and then there’s death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought.’
‘It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.’
‘Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?’
‘If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.’
‘Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?’
The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.
‘Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?’
The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.
‘To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.’
The student looks around the room. ‘Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor’s brain?’ The class breaks out into laughter.
‘Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor’s brain, felt the professor’s brain, touched or smelt the professor’s brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.’
‘So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?’
Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.
Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. ‘I guess you’ll have to take them on faith.’
‘Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,’ the student continues. ‘Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?’
Now uncertain, the professor responds, ‘Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man’s inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.’
To this the student replied, ‘Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself.. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God’s love present in his heart. It’s like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.’
The professor sat down.
Is There a God? | A.L. Howard | 3:36 pm | Comments (0)
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