In the late 19th and early 20th century there was an evangelist named Harry A. Ironside. He preached in San Francisco and Oakland, but he was also on the early faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary and was pastor Moody Bible Church. Interestingly, he died and was buried in New Zealand while on a preaching tour there. His life has a lot of touchpoints with our family history.
I heard a story about him a couple of days ago that is worth passing on. Once he was challenged to a debate by an atheist. Ironside agreed to the debate on one condition. He asked the atheist to bring two particular people with him to help prove his argument that atheism is a worthwhile position. He asked him to produce a man who had left drunkenness and a woman who had left prostitution because of the power of atheism. They say that debate never took place.
This story made me stop and think about the countless people I have known in my life who have been changed completely by knowing the living God. I do know men who have left drunkenness and women who have left prostitution. I know people who have stopped being addicted to drugs and who have replaced rage with peace in their hearts. I have seen marriages saved and children restored to their parents. Isn't it miraculous that just by living this life of faith I have had the great privilege of knowing so many healed and restored people?
I honestly don't know of a single person whose testimony is that atheism changed their lives for the better. I have heard people say they found peace in resorting to atheism as a way to stop dealing with God, but I don't think they would say that atheism brought them deep, settled peace. At best, atheism is a wall behind which they hope to hide from God.
At this point in my life I have so much evidence that believing in God and living by the Bible brings success, peace and joy that I can never be convinced otherwise. If I had only the book of Proverbs to live by, my life would be richly rewarding, but I have all 66 books of the Bible from which to mine truth, comfort and wisdom. I have the stories and teachings of Jesus, the only perfect man, to guide me through life. I have a relationship with the author of the Bible, not because I made Him up, but because He made me and invited me into relationship with Himself.
If there truly is no God, there is no reason for atheism either. Atheism is denial of the existence of God and that in itself implies the possibility of His existence. Those who have sincerely sought to know Him, have known Him. Those who sincerely deny His existence, must go on day after day denying it, something that, ironically, is evidence of the possibility of His existence.
I doubt that miracles are very much a part of that journey, and I think it would take a lot of energy to live in resistance to God. He is everywhere. Where can anyone go and live with full assurance that there is no God? People are constantly testifying to His presence in their lives and the difference He has made to them. I am sad for those whose choice has been to live without the God of blessing and peace. I pray for them! In the end, we are all going to have to deal with God, even those of us who are trying to hide behind our walls of denial.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Ironside
Friday, March 13, 2009
Brighter and Brighter
Yesterday I heard Beth Moore speaking from Deuteronomy 3, at our women's Bible study. That's the passage that tells how Israel finally crossed the Jordan River to get to the Promised Land, after forty years in the desert.
In those days the Jordan was a significant river and crossing it could be treacherous. God held back the waters upstream, and gave them dry land to walk on, but the people had to have courage and faith to cross on over. To make it more challenging, after the whole nation had crossed over, twelve men were told to go back into the middle of the river and collect a big rock to use in making a monument on the other side.
I was struck by the fact that the middle of the river is not only the deepest and most treacherous part, but also the farthest point from each shore. If the water suddenly rushed in at that point, it meant death for each man who had obediently picked up his rock. The twelve men, who had already crossed over once with their families, needed a lot of courage to go back and get those stones. They did it out of sheer obedience to God who wanted that memorial to stand forever as a testimony to what He had done for Israel.
Another thing that strikes me is that anyone in Israel who refused to cross the Jordan that day, on the dry river bottom, would never have that opportunity again. There was only one chance to cross under God's provision, and the crossing was necessary to get into the wonderful land that had been promised to them. I sure wouldn't want to have missed my opportunity to cross in the midst of the miracle of God's provision for me if I had been among them.
I kind of feel like I have come to my Jordan lately, moving from the first half to the second half of my life. I have crossed over from one big part of my journey into another. Now I can either stand on the shore looking back, lost in memories of what was, or I can step into the riverbed, gather up some memorial stones and set up a monument to how the Lord has led me until now.
The temptation is to stand on the new shore gazing back at what used to be. The Lord knows that. I think that is why He had Israel pause on that shore and build the monument. It was better to have the monument to look at than to keep trying to gaze back into the land from which they came.
I know that one of the promises of this life with the Lord is that it grows brighter and better each day, but also that my human mind is limited in its understanding of that. Transitions are hard--all of us know that. I think the thing we have to do is gather enough memorial stones from where we have been to build a monument that will tell of the great work of God in our lives until now.
Israel's monument was meant to provide answers to the generations that would follow. That's another thing I want to keep in mind. In case my children or grandchildren ever ask about my life, I want there to be a monument to God standing in the middle of the story.
Once that monument is in place I can turn toward the Promised Land. Who knows what is waiting for me on the next leg of the journey?
Proverbs 4:18
"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day."
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Conversation in the virtual classroom
"I want to know what my classmates think about what the true definition of "knowing God" is. It's something I've been meditating on for the last several weeks and I want to know what you think.
In Hosea 6:6 says, "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."
In John 17:3 says, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
For a Christian to just go to a church and to attend Sunday services, or just knowing that God exists somewhere is not truly knowing God. At the same time, as imperfect humans beings and as his creations, we cannot perfectly fathom everything about him. I find myself constantly asking God what it means to truly KNOW him.Tell us what you think, classmates."
Here is how I responded:
Cheryl Thompson
1 Mar 09 10:45 PM MST
My word, J., you ask deep questions! Of course, the quick answer is no one can ever really KNOW God, but I will try to move past that.
Speaking experientially, I believe that what I know of Him has come from progressively realizing how deeply I am known by Him. Maybe this is the advantage of having lived a pretty long life, but I have had many, many encounters with God where I was forced to confess my sin, my anxiety, confusion or broken dreams and plead for His help because I simply couldn't go on as I was. The relief I have experienced and the wisdom I have gained from the Lord following this kind of honesty has taught me much of what I know of Him.
I have also found that my knowledge of Him grows deeper each year simply because I continually read through my Bible. Reading and meditating upon scripture on a daily basis, and incorporating what I read into my prayer life, has enabled me to converse with God on His terms (remember "coming to terms with the author" [Adler/Van Doren]?).
I realized many years ago that the Holy Spirit attends each time I read the Bible and the comfort of that nearness has really blessed me. Whether I am up in the night because I am too troubled to sleep, or sitting peacefully in my backyard with a cup of tea, the Lord is always there with me. I know He is there because He speaks to me through His word and in the silence of my heart when I pray.
Years ago my dad showed me what Jeremiah 29:12-13 says, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Dad said that was a promise from God and that He cannot lie. I have clung to that promise all of my life, and now I share it with you.
Seek Him. It takes years to know Him, but He will let Himself be known by you if you seek Him.
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