You can't mock God

I tried to make fun of God but he is too witty. Besides, it feels kind of like taking advantage of someone who is too kind to put you in your place. Even though you deserve it.

Making fun of his followers is a lot easier, because they tend to do really stupid things. But even then, it is a kind of hollow sport. Becuase you wind up seeing your own hypocrisy.

So you cannot mock God. But we still try.

Stop Judging Atheists (or Christians)

I was raised without a belief in God, by an agnostic. My father never believed there was a God; he said he was open to changing his mind, but never did. So for most of my childhood I thought that the belief in God was wishful thinking, superstition, even wrong.

Over the years I had many friends who found out I didn't believe in God, and immediately began to argue with me. We went round and round. My favorite argument went something like this.
"So how can you believe that all this just came from nothing?" they would say.
"What do you mean?" I would ask, knowing that they were going to say something like..
"well, look at how complex a cell on the human body is. You can't tell me all that happended without some kind of design."
"Oh" I would say "Then if God created it, where did God come from."

The arguments went on and on for years. I found grous of Atheists, Agnostics and other groups that I could sit around and talk about those simple minded Christians and how they believed in some fairy tale of eternal life granted by an all knowing guy with a white beard.

What I want to emphasize here is that when my Christian friends argued with me they did no good to their cause. Christians tend to look down on those who have no faith. You may want to rationalize this by saying "well, we have something good, and those poor atheists don't". But I don't believe that is our motivation. I hear an arrogance in Christiandom.

I believe this is what Paul was warning us about in Ephesians 2 8-9

"8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. "

So please don't feel sorry for Atheists, don't look down on them. You were given a gift, and you weren't given it because you are better, and it doesn't make you better than them. Paul knows what he is talking about. Remember that Paul didn't believe in Jesus either. Paul was a devout man with sincer beliefs, all the arguing and martyrdom in the world would not have changed his mind. It was only a direct revelation from God.

You will not change an Atheists, Agnostic or anyone elses mind if they don't believe. That is God's job. Or, as Paul says in the next verse.

"10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Now I am not saying we shouldn't discuss our faith. Luke 8:16 Jesus says

"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light."

I think some people have read this verse as "stick a lamp in peoples face and tell them that if they don't have a lamp like yours they will walk in darkness forever".

Who will listen to that? If you didn't have the light would you.

So what brought me around to believing in God, the Bible and Jesus' gift of salvation? I have to tell you that only God could do that. When god had prepared me, there was someone there who was willing to share their faith. They prayed with me, and for many years afterwords I am sure he prayed for me. It was that simple. Nothing he did, only God.

If you are an Atheist and you are still reading this, I will tell you that I believe in God. I believe that Jesus is your path to salvation. I don't expect you to believe this, but I would hope that you would keep an open mind about it.

I know many people have been arrogant about their beliefs. Some have tried to shove them down your throat. Others made laws that make it difficult or uncomfortable to believe what you believe. We, the Christians, should not have done this.

You should know, that, like you believe in what we believe. Like many Atheists we often get arrogant, rude and judgemental...don't tell me atheists don't get this way I know better, I used to be that way myself. But at our root we both want what is best.

If you ever want to discuss your beliefs, I advise you to try talking to that God you don't believe in. Ask God if God exists. I don't expect the heavens to open up, and a big white bearded dude to come down and say "HERE I AM!".

But I believe you will get an answer.

The Root of All Evil

We hear about many dangers in our lives. You might hear that stepping on that top step of the ladder is dangerous, and you might discount it. And every now and then someone steps on the top step of the ladder and WHAM! They fall off, break a leg, even die.

But if someone told you over and over that something you did every day was dangerous, wouldn't you listen. Sure ladders are dangerous, but if I drove around at 50 miles an hour, ignored traffic signals and didn't wear a safety belt you would think I was INSANE!

What if the automakers told you they didn't want to install safety belts, then talked about ladders every time you went to the dealership?

That is what this whole Gay Marriage debate is like to me. While we quibble over the fact that some people of the same sex want to get married, we support the root of all evil!

Throughout the Bible we see references to the dangers of living your life in the pursuit of material possessions. Jesus was quite clear about the dangers of being amored with riches and wealth.


In Luke 16 Jesus describes a man who is unscrupulous in his dealings with money. He is quite clear that these dealings with money are a direct blight on his spiritual well being. Luke 16.11 "So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?"

The root of dishonest dealings with money is a worship of worldly wealth (mammon). Jesus is clear, "You cannot serve both God and Money". I shouldn't have to tell a true Christian that those who serve money are not followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Another thing that struck me was how strongly the religious leaders of the day react. They sneer at Jesus. He replies in verse 17 "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight."

I ask you then. Are there leaders today who bask in personal wealth, while claiming to follow the Lord Jesus? Do they sneer at others? Decry the sins of gay people, drug users, unwed mothers while they wrap themselves in riches? Do some claim they are protecting marriage while they rob the public treasury? Do you see them on the TV? In the highest political offices? Do they get on the radio and tell you how to live their lives?

You may say this is a minor sin compared to homosexuality. Well, the bottom line is ANY sin is enough to send you to hell. We all believe that. But even if that weren't true the sheer number of times Jesus and others warn of the dangers of riches should cue you in to how serious this evil is.

Paul put it clearly, love of money is the root of all evil. (1 Timothy 6:10)

Now I know some people who will point out "the love of money" is not the same as saying "money is the root of all evil." They are right. Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money. Jesus admonishes worship of worldly wealth, not having it. Jesus' tomb was paid by a rich man.

But who can say they don't crave money? Who has not fallen victom to this sin. I confess I love my computer, my car, my house, and I want more. It is an easy sin to fall into. I have never been a homosexual, but I have definitely worshiped worldly wealth. I do it over and over.

I think this is why politicians like to decry gay marriage. Far easier to get on someone with a sin most of us don't have than to get to the root of all evil! And we who vote for these men who accumulate wealth while clothing themselves in rightousness at the expense of others...we ought to be ashamed.

Fear Not

The number one injunction the Lord tells us in the Bible is to Fear Not. God tells us not to fear 63 times. So I think we can guess that this is one of the most important things in the Bible.

Nor is this just something we are supposed to take comfort in. God expects us to have no fear, and having fear is a lack of faith in Him. Look at Jesus' reaction in
Matthew 8:23-27.

"When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep. They came to him, and woke him up, saying, "Save us, Lord! We are dying!"
He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.
The men marveled, saying, "What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

In the face of a storm that could have killed them all, the disciples weren't comforted by his statement. No, they were admonished for their lack of faith because they were afraid.

Fear is a form of defiance, and a lack of faith.

I hear a lot of fear. It didn't start September 11, but after September 11 fear is being used to justify actions which otherwise would not be tolerated. "We live in a dangerous world" some would say.

Maybe they are right, maybe the world is a dangerous place, but we have nothing to fear. And if we do become afraid, then we have lost faith.