From Atheism to Christ

In Deuteronomy Ch 4v29 it promises “You will find the Lord if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” The Lord promises that if an individual is truly sincere in their search for Him then He will reveal Himself to them. This is the common denominator which links all testimonies and conversion stories together. No matter what the physical circumstances of a person coming to faith maybe, whether they were a university professor, scientist or a drug addict, a young mum struggling to rear three kids or an elderly grandfather, the one thing they will all have had in common is a genuine heartfelt desire to find Almighty God. God is not interested in our educational status, our rank in society or the amount of money we possess. The only thing He is interested in is our sincerity in finding Him.

Recently I came across the testimony of journalist and author Lee Strobel. His background was one of being a confirmed atheist and it is fascinating to read of how he moved from this position of unbelief to one where he genuinely wanted to seek the truth about God. Strobel, who is a modern day CS Lewis has written numerous scholarly books about Christianity such as “The Case for Faith” and “The Case for Christ Study Bible” and he is a reminder that God can even be found by atheists provided they are genuinely seeking the Truth about Life.

Lee Strobel was the legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and described himself as a sceptical atheist. Using his own words; “I thought the idea of an all-loving, all-powerful Creator of the Universe was stupid. My background was in journalism and law so I needed evidence before I’d believe anything. I thought the Bible was a collection of myths and legends…and as an atheist I was convinced that God didn’t create people, but that people created God. In other words, they had been so afraid of death that they decided to manufacture a feel-good fairy tale about a benevolent deity and a blissful afterlife awaiting them on the other side of the grave. In spite of my sceptical predisposition, however, I eventually became a ‘seeker’, someone open-minded and inquisitive enough to sincerely investigate the claims of this bestselling Book of all time.

One day my wife, who had been an agnostic, told me that she had become a Christian. She informed me that after a period of spiritual investigation she had now decided to become a follower of Jesus Christ. I thought that this was the worst possible news I could ever get and wondered if it was the end of our marriage.

Over the ensuing months however, I saw positive changes in her values, in her character and in the way she related to me and the children. It was attractive and it made me want to check things out. And so I went to church one day; mainly to see if I could get her out of this ‘cult’ that she had got involved in. At that service I heard the message of Jesus explained properly for the very first time, in a way I could understand; that forgiveness is a free gift, Jesus died for our sins and we can spend eternity with Him. I walked out of church still an atheist but also thinking ‘if this is true, it has huge implications for my life.’

I decided to use my journalism training and legal training to investigate into whether there was any credibility to Christianity. At the outset I decided to follow the facts wherever they should lead. For nearly two years I studied archaeology and ancient history, interviewed scientists and scholars and combed the pages of the Bible with an attitude of curiosity. Putting my background in journalism and law into use, I scrutinized the words of the Bible and tested the evidence for and against it. What I found changed my mind and, ultimately, transformed my life. I discovered why Christians are convinced that science supports the belief in a supernatural Creator and that history points powerfully and persuasively toward Jesus as being His unique Son. I discovered facts that pointed a cynic like me, to the life changing reality of Jesus Christ.

On the 8th November 1991 I suddenly realised that in the light of the torrent of evidence flowing in the
direction of the truth of Christianity, it would require more faith for me to maintain my atheism than to become a Christian. To remain an atheist, I would have to swim upstream against all this evidence pointing toward the truth of Jesus Christ and I just couldn’t do that. I was trained in journalism and law to respond to the truth. And so on that day I received Jesus Christ as my Forgiver and as my Leader.

Just like my wife, my life began to change. Over time my values, my character and the purpose of my life began to be transformed. The path I was on before can’t be compared with the adventure, fulfilment and joy of following Jesus Christ.”

Strobel’s journey to faith is a “text book example” of the three distinct phases which can be seen in every conversion. First of all he became open minded with a genuine willingness to discover the Truth. In his particular case, the reason he became open minded was because he noticed how his wife had changed for the better and he attended a church service where the Christian message was explained in a way he could
understand. The cause of an individual becoming open minded will be different from person to person. For some it might be because they have become alarmed at the state of the world, for others it might be because they are beginning to find life a struggle and of course with many it will be because something major has happened to them such as bereavement, ill-health or relationship trouble. Then again with some, the reason is that they have become increasingly aware that there is something missing in their life and they can’t rest until they find out what it is.

The second stage of Strobel’s journey to faith was that of exploration and investigation. In 1st Peter Ch3v15 it states “always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” There are numerous reasons why Christians believe Scripture is true. This part of the journey is where an individual examines these claims and investigates them in depth. Never once does the Bible ask for “blind faith” but rather a “reasoned faith”, namely a faith that is built upon good sound reason and fact. This period of investigation can last for weeks, months or even years, depending very much on the “starting point” of an individual. The starting point for Strobel was as an atheist, so his investigation took longer than it would take someone starting off with a belief in God already settled in their mind.

It is during this phase of careful exploration that individuals are amazed by what they discover and numerous misconceptions are laid to rest. For instance, to their surprise, they learn that across the world there are millions of scientists who are devout Christians. Christian belief and science are not opposed to each other, instead God is actually the Ultimate Scientist. Science merely shows us how God makes things work. The Bible on the other hand tells us why He made us and the purpose behind our existence.

They also learn what the Bible teaches about suffering. As with science, it often comes as a complete surprise to them when they discover that the Bible fully explains why there is suffering in the world. The fact that we live in a Fallen World where God’s will is often not done is an entirely new concept to them.

And of course it is often a stunning revelation to them when they discover that one third of the Bible is composed of prophecy and predictions. When they carefully examine how these prophecies have been fulfilled many hundreds and sometimes thousands of years after they were written, it is clear proof of the Divine origin of Holy Scripture.

The final stage of Strobel’s journey to faith was accepting the Leadership of Jesus over his life. It’s all very well discovering that God exists and finding out that the Bible is true, but this knowledge demands a response. It calls for the individual to repent of their past sins and to start obeying the Lord Jesus in their daily life. God is Love, but He is also an infinitely Holy God requiring moral conduct and behaviour in keeping with His will. An individual makes Jesus the “Leader or Lord of their life” by truly putting His wishes and commandments before their own. When a person does this, they will start experiencing the Lord as their Best Friend and will begin a personal and living relationship with Him. Sadly, because many people refuse to put Him first in their lives, they don’t experience this joy. They continue to disobey Him somehow imagining that they can ignore God’s Holy will and yet still belong to Him. Scripture repeatedly warns however that “without Holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews Ch12v14) and “do not be deceived, because the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God...” (1st Corinthians Ch6 vs9-11).

To belong to the Lord, an individual must truly make it their aim and purpose to follow His commandments and wishes day by day. The following story is a vivid illustration showing just how important this obedience and loyalty really is. Some years ago retired astronaut General Charles Duke was talking about his experiences on Apollo 16. Shortly after he returned from the moon Charles himself, was converted and became a devout Christian. What he experienced on the moon is a reminder of our need to strictly follow the Lord’s Commandments and not deviate from them in the slightest.

As he was talking about his walk on the lunar surface, someone asked “Once you were there, weren’t you free to make your own decisions and carry out some of your own experiments…you know, sort of do as you pleased, maybe stay a little longer if you liked?” Charlie answered “Oh sure, if we didn’t want to return to earth!” He then described the intricate plan, the exact and precise instructions, the essential discipline and the instant obedience that was needed right down to the split second if they were to be saved and get back. They landed with exactly 60 seconds of fuel to get them away again. The audience was given the distinct impression that a rebel doesn’t fit inside a spacesuit. To be safe they needed total and complete obedience to the commands from Mission Control.

So likewise, there are no rebels or partial followers of Christ in the Kingdom of God. To belong to the Lord and be a member of His Kingdom requires genuine and wholehearted commitment to His will. Partial obedience or picking and choosing which Commands in Scripture to obey, will only lead to death. As we are plainly warned in 1st Peter Ch4v18 “If the righteous person is scarcely saved, what will it be like for the ungodly and sinner?” And in Hebrews Ch2vs 1-3 it implores; “We must give all the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we should drift away…for how shall we escape so great a Salvation?”

When an individual accepts the Lordship of Christ over their life, they are promised the help and strength of the Holy Spirit to enable them to walk in His ways and obey His Commandments. With His help they are required to bring every area of their lives under His authority and treat all His Commandments in Scripture as important. Genuine repentance must bring forth genuine obedience. If pickers and choosers have no place on the moon, how much more so, have they no place in the Kingdom of Heaven!

Beware of distractions

Sometime ago I came across a rather fascinating fable called “The Dragon of the Abyss”. Once upon a time a man was travelling to Syria, leading his camel by the bridle. For some reason the camel suddenly turned nasty and in a fit of bad temper started to bite him. As he sought refuge in a nearby valley he became so panic stricken that he fell over a precipice and down a cliff. Falling down the cliff he managed to grab hold of a shrub and started to cling on to it for dear life. After a few moments, he began to assess the situation; above him was the snarling camel and below him, in the abyss, he noticed a dragon with wide-open jaws, just waiting for him to drop!

As he was wondering what to do next, to his astonishment, he then noticed beside him, two mice, one white and the other black gnawing at the roots of the shrub which was holding him. He froze with terror seeing no means of retreat and no means of safety. As the minutes passed however, the man began to look more closely at the shrub. On one branch he noticed the most beautiful fruit he has ever seen. He popped this fruit into his mouth and found the taste so lovely that he completely forgot all about the danger he was in. Meanwhile the mice continued to gnaw!

So who is this foolish individual who could so quickly forget all about the danger he was in? Well, the answer is, every one of us at various times of our lives. The meaning of this unusual story is as follows; the man represents any ordinary human being living out their ordinary life. The dragon is the ever open abyss of death, while the bad tempered camel stands for the various sorrows and troubles of life which afflict us all from time to time. The two mice gnawing at the roots of the shrub, one black, one white, stand for night and day or the passage of time. The beautiful fruit represents any particular pleasure which distracts an individual and makes them forget the reality of the situation they are in. It represents anything that hinders them from dealing with the most important thing of all; preparing to meet our Maker.

The fable was written in this memorable way so as to remind people that they must never let worldly things distract them from the reality that one day “we must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ, so that each one may receive judgement for the things done in the body whether good or bad.” (2nd Corinthians Ch5v11).

Every person at some point in his or her life tries to distract themselves from the reality of our situation before God and some even try to do this all of their lives. Indeed, some individuals manage to distract themselves so successfully that the thought of needing a spiritual life remains buried in their subconscious right until the very end. But no amount of distraction, no matter how long it lasts, changes reality. The mice are still gnawing and the dragon is still there!

Sadly, some people treat Almighty God the way they treat the medical profession when they are ill. They will do anything they can to avoid having to go to see their doctor. They will allow themselves any excuse why they shouldn’t go and any distraction no matter how trivial. They will try and reason with themselves that it isn’t necessary. The fact remains unchanged however, that if they but swallowed their pride and went, the medical profession would help them, not harm them. The doctor exists for their benefit not their harm. The doctor is not there to be avoided at any cost and yet that’s what many do! It’s like “biting the hand that feeds you.”

So likewise, this is how many people treat “The Great Physician” Jesus Christ. Many individuals avoid going to God’s surgery “the Church” at all costs and make up any excuse why they shouldn’t see their Heavenly Consultant. They will allow themselves to be distracted from the reality of their situation by the most trivial of things and try to reason with themselves that God is not important! I sometimes wonder “what do they imagine is going to happen if they went to church?” Sick people go to “the doctor’s surgery” for help and the place sinners go to for help is “the Church”. If they but swallowed their pride and went they would find God is there to help them, not harm them! He is not some Being to be avoided at any cost; He is a Being so profoundly lovely and beautiful that He Died for us all on the Cross to save us from our sins.

In our material age there are many things that distract people’s minds from the reality of their situation before God. But distractions are just that; distractions. They actually hinder solving a situation rather than helping it and should be ignored. After all is there anything more important than a person’s soul? Is there anything more important than getting to know God so we’re ready to meet Him when the mice stop gnawing? Is there anything more important in this life than making sure we are worthy of eternal life? Let us make sure that we don’t ignore our spiritual welfare because of a few passing distractions. In Matthew Ch 16v26 Jesus warned “what does it profit a man if he should gain the whole world yet lose his soul, or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

We have a Heavenly Exam to pass and now is the time for earnest preparations.

The importance of listening to God

The humorous story is told of a hardened sceptic who one day decided to go and see the famous preacher George Whitefield. Whitefield was popular for his sermons and outreach work, and the sceptic was curious to see what this man looked like after hearing that the preacher was conducting an open air meeting nearby.

When the man arrived at the field, Whitefield was already  surrounded by hundreds of people so the only way to see him was to climb a nearby tree. The man climbed up, nestled in a branch and then put his fingers in his ears. He was determined to see the impassioned Whitefield but didn't want to be influenced by his preaching. The man watched for a while when suddenly an insect landed on his face. Precisely at the moment that he removed his hands from his ears to flick the insect away, the preacher shouted out to the crowd those famous words from Matthew Ch 11; "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Impressed by this coincidence the sceptic decided to listen to what he was saying.

Whitefield went on to speak of the wilful refusal of many to hear God's voice and pleaded with the crowd to search their conscience. The whole event profoundly impressed the sceptic to such a degree that he decided to explore spiritual matters with an open mind. After much soul searching and a great deal of investigation he finally embraced the Christian faith and became a devout Christian. He often wondered however, what would have happened if that fly hadn't landed on his nose!

Today, many people are similar to this man, in that they simply do not want to hear what God is saying to them or indeed hear what He is saying to the entire world. Oh they may not put their fingers in their ears, but they will use other methods of distraction to drown out His voice which are just as effective. Perhaps it will be a busy lifestyle with no time to stop and listen, or perhaps it will be too great an interest in some particular hobby or to too much devotion to business advancement. No matter what method of distraction is used the result is the same; God is speaking, but they aren't listening.

In reality, God has a personal message for every individual, but how many stop to listen? The message that God is trying to deliver to us is for our benefit and welfare, and so to ignore this message is akin to "biting the hand that feeds us."

If people listened to what God is saying to them, they would be amazed at the way He guides, prepares and sustains. One famous instance comes from the Times Square Church in New York. Over the years since 9/11 there has been much discussion amongst the American Security Agencies regarding "who knew what and when". Investigations reveal that this church had been waiting for the disaster and was actually ready and prepared to establish relief tents at "ground zero" to comfort survivors and rescue workers.

The pastor of the church David Wilkerson explained the reason for their readiness. He revealed that 6 weeks before the terrorist attack he and every member of his pastoral team were struck by a deep conviction that a tragedy was shortly to occur and that God wanted them to prepare for it. As a result of this conviction they cancelled all major church events in the weeks prior to 9/11 and replaced them with 4 prayer meetings per week. At these meetings the specific aim of their prayer was to plead that the effects of the coming disaster would be lessened from what might otherwise have been the case.

These individuals were listening and God was speaking. God wanted to prepare and forearm them. His message was for people's benefit not their harm. But just suppose they had made themselves "too busy" to listen? Suppose they had thought in their hearts "I don't want to hear what God is saying"?

When God speaks its always for our benefit, welfare and guidance so as to keep us away from evil, spare us from Judgement or protect us from trouble. It is sheer madness not to listen. Deep in your spirit are you listening to the personal message God has for you? Be sure that God has something to say which is for you benefit and blessing. Refusal to listen is like saying to God "I don't want Your blessing and help" and where is the sense in that?

Freedom to choose

The film “I Robot” was a major box office hit some years ago, with a very simple theme.  Set at some point in the future, the time came when artificial life – “androids” somehow developed a conscious freewill of their own and started to cause mayhem amongst the human population.  Of their own freewill these intelligent life forms rose up against their creators and defied the various “robotic commandments” set in place, such as a robot being forbidden to hurt human beings. 

If all of this sounds strangely familiar, then it’s because the theme is basically straight out of the Bible! Scripture teaches that God granted human beings freedom to choose how to behave and how to act.  He gave us Ten Commandments regarding the kind of conduct He wanted, but now instead of listening to our Creator we are causing mayhem on the planet assigned to us.  To be a real creation we had to be a free creation and had to be allowed minds and wills of our own so that we could decide for ourselves how we wanted to live. Anything short of this and we would have been just like puppets on a string, with God Himself  being a “Puppet Master”. 

By granting us freedom to choose of course means that choices, events and tragedies occur which are plainly against the will of God! With this in mind a woman called Cindi recently wrote an article about the troubles in the world entitled, “Where was God?”  “Why does He let bad things happen?”  “I allow it to happen because I allow you freedom.  I could have left you on a string and made you dance all day without getting tired.  I could have moved your mouth for you and made you sing all night without getting hoarse.  I could have pulled a wire that would have let you soar skyward and never fall.  I could have, but I didn’t because I love you so much.  I want you to have your freedom, I want you to be free to decide when to dance and sing.  I want you to be free to determine when you will come to Me in faith and hope.  Free to behave and act as you choose.”

“As you choose I watch; I do not disappear.  You ask, where Am I when people suffer? I Am right there with them. I whispered in the ear of a little girl; ‘don’t be afraid I Am with you always’.  I held the hand of a dying patient as tightly as she clutched Mine.  I cradled the bereaved as they wept on My shoulder.  I Am there just as I was there with My Son Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane amid the Unbearable pain .I was there as I was with Him as He was whipped.  I Am there as I was with Him as He hung on the Cross and asked, ‘My God why have you forsaken me?’  I had not forsaken Him and I do not forsake those who suffer now. I am there as they die and I will be there as they rise to eternal joy.”

Sometimes   people complain about the state of the world as though God is to blame for the actions we commit which are entirely of our own freewill.  Many of us would like to pass the buck, but Scripture teaches that the buck stops with us!  If we cause havoc in society, then it’s because that’s what we decided to do.  If the Commandment “not to kill” is broken then, that’s what we decided to do; if we refuse to follow the Makers Instruction Manual (the Bible) then it is our own choice and no one else’s.  The responsibility is ours and ours alone.

 The trend today is to blame someone else when we do wrong but Scripture teaches that in order to find God, the very first thing we need to do is “own up” to our sins, acknowledge our blame, and then of course repent.  If we keep on passing the buck, God will always seem distant and we will never build up a relationship with Him.  I came across this poem which although humorous ridicules the “escapism trend” so often adopted by people today. (It doesn’t fully rhyme but almost!)

Today I went to my psychiatrist to be psychoanalysed,

To find out why I killed the cat and blackened by husband’s eyes.

He laid me on a downy couch to see what he could find

And here is what he dredged up from my subconscious mind.

When I was one my mummy hid my dolly in a trunk

And so it follows naturally that I am always drunk

When I was two I saw my daddy kiss the maid one day

And that is why I suffer now from kleptomania.

At three I had bad feelings of ambivalence towards my brothers

And so it follows naturally I poison all my lovers.

But I am happy now I’ve learned the lesson this has taught:

That everything I do that’s wrong is someone else’s fault.

Finally, people often forget what it Cost God to grant us the gift of freewill. It came at a great Price; the Cross.  Scripture refers to “the Lamb being slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev Ch 13v8 and 1st Peter Ch 1 v20). In other words, God loved us so much He didn’t want to grant the gift of freewill without   also making forgiveness and redemption available to those who misused that gift. Truly God is love. “Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift” (2nd Corinthians Ch 9v15)