Little Devil (referred to in yesterday's posting) replied to me with an email containing a link which took me to a site comprised of a lot of writings which attempted to shred the Bible. As noted in my reply, this kind of stuff has been going on for centuries. Please note especially the quote from John 3 at the end of my response which clearly explains such shenanigans as these taking place!
Dear little devil:
I checked the link you sent me in regard to what certain reputed “scholars” have to say about the Bible.
As I moved about in those statements I was reminded of an observation made in the book of Ecclesiastes by King Solomon that there is nothing new under the sun!
Down through the centuries a two-pronged assault has been focused on the Person of Jesus Christ and the Scriptures which bear witness to Who He is, why He was born into this world, what He accomplished, and what He is scheduled to do in the future.
At times there is clearly a fiendish delight coming forth from that crowd which has totally rejected the claims and demands of Jesus as they indulge in their feeble efforts to shred the inspired Record that provides all the information necessary for a person to become personally acquainted with God.
The one thing they cannot explain is the miracle of transformed lives which have been touched by this Jesus of Whom the Bible speaks in the most explicit terms!
We can make reference to one such as Paul the apostle – a religious zealot who was determined to destroy Christianity and all who were identified as Christians in faith. But then after a personal encounter with Jesus this same Paul was just as zealous in declaring Jesus to be God in human form and the only way of salvation and hope.
Centuries later there was John Wesley, an Anglican clergyman, who testified to a “heart warming” experience in trusting Jesus alone for his salvation from sin and eternal hell. He and others began preaching Christ-centered messages that resulted in what came to be known as the “Great Awakening” which impacted England in the 18th Century. At least some historians agree that the revival may well have saved England from a bloody revolution similar to that which took place in France in those days when human blood ran by the gallons due to an apparatus called the guillotine!
And we need to consider a man by the name of John Newton. He was the vulgar captain of a slave ship and it was reported that when he got mad and the profanities spewed forth from his mouth that his sailors trembled, fearing that Almighty God would strike them all dead. But a mighty miracle took place as John Newton’s life was turned around 180 degrees when He repented of his wicked way of living and received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of his life. His testimony in part is revealed in a song which he wrote. The title is, “Amazing Grace,” and has been a great favorite among Christians for decades.
Time and space do not permit reference to so many others from all walks of life who have been miraculously transformed by Jesus Christ and who live with daily assurance of His presence with them as based on promises given through His Word.
I close with a quote from an unknown African pastor as he faced the year 2006:
December 31, 2005
I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me - my banner will be clear!
Anonymous African pastor –- statement was nailed to his wall.
I rest my case!
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." --- John 3:16-21
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