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Chapter 25

Shifting Our Lifestreams

The Almighty and Supreme God of the universe created mankind, who became a wonderful mix of people of all cultures, eating habits, beliefs, languages and races scattered all over the world. When the time came to reconcile fallen man, it would have been difficult, if not impossible to reach the diverse human race all at once. Would there be any way to go to everyone in the whole earth, all the different groups that had set themselves apart, and tell the leader of each one of them the news, providing, perhaps, many Sons of God so that each one could talk to a group of people? Or, perhaps, more efficiently, it would be best to single out one group, work with them to set up a moral system that they had to adhere to, set up the process of animal sacrifices so that they could begin to get the picture of what God was going to do for them. THEN it would be time to bring on a Savior, the Son of God, who could fulfill, not only the many prophesies foretold in the Old Testament, but, because a foundation of animal sacrifice for sins was in place, the MEANING of His sacrifice on the cross would be clear. This is exactly what God did.

Just as the animals had their blood shed for the sins of the people, so, too, would Jesus shed His blood for all people. Just as the early Jewish ceremonies required belief that the animal sacrifices were beneficial for all, so, too, does the Sacrificial Lamb (as Jesus is reverently called) atone for all by our belief that He did this for us. Belief is imperative to this process. In the early days of Jewish history, people blindly obeyed and believed that all the ceremonies were successful, when God's instructions were followed. Today, since we have entered into the age of "rationalism," we think we have to understand everything, but, to the chagrin of the tangible-ist, everything cannot be understood because God and His kingdom reside outside the box of the physical. God is spirit and, as I've stated before, essentially, that is what we are, too.

Rather than just follow God's instructions blindly, as was done in early Jewish history, we must follow God intentionally and purposefully and humbly, because things are a mess and we've fallen and can't get up—by ourselves. I'm terribly sorry that we have messed up so badly, but the fruit of that can clearly be seen today as we try to rule ourselves and keep ourselves under control. It just doesn't happen by our own strength. Columbine (and other school shootings), postal shootings (and other shootings in the workplace), racial prejudice and all of its violent ramifications, as well as the many violent events that are reported daily, merely mirror a depravity (or carnality) that remains just below the surface of all of us who rely only on ourselves. Anger can't help but rise when it lies just below the surface, ready to pounce on any poor soul who happens to inconsiderately do something wrong, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Anger, waiting like a lion hidden in the bush, pounces even when we think someone did something wrong, but they really did it right. All the whys and wherefores don't really matter, just the fact that anger comes is enough. Only Christ, as we sincerely and humbly believe in Him, become sheltered by His blood, and follow His behavioral lessons, can deliver us from our inner evil. He removes sin from our hearts, He encourages forgiveness of sin, manifesting from other hearts. These are what He does best in us.

When a tangible-ist observes the Christian religion, he may be perplexed, flummoxed, and dumbfounded that people would be so obsessed with following certain ceremonies or procedures to affirm or profess salvation, that seem to make no sense. What God requires of us, though, cannot be shuffled into our logical and rational life, which we attempt to have completely figured out and totally under our control. Belief in Him and what He did for us on the cross, as well as total willingness to follow His commands, regarding what He taught during His earthly ministry, seems ludicrous, laughable, and dismissible to the haughty tangible-ist. They are unable to see that we, both individually and as a race, are spiritually void and dysfunctional without God's intervention in our lives. Our belief in this intervention of God, by His Son, Jesus Christ, is our salvation.

God has another way of imparting information to us, which may seem quite outer limits to the skeptical, scientific atheist. God often supernaturally prepares the hearts for Himself through dreams and visions. I have read of many life-changing dreams and visions that were honestly written about and told with reverence to God and His mighty work being done on earth, confirmed by His Word. They were not hallucinations because the amazing results extended beyond the awareness of those who have experienced the Lord this way. I believe this literature would probably not be found to be worthy enough for a place in the scientific atheist's library, but, should that be the case? The atheists claim to be unbiased, but in reality, they are choosing blindness by throwing out large segments of viable information, regarding God's Spirit on this earth, disregarding it as untrue, simply because they say so. Is it really fair to discard everything that rings of a supernatural God because one doesn't agree that there is anything supernatural? I challenge the dubious atheist to take the time to read the following book, available to read free online. Read it from cover to cover. It is called The Jesus Vision and can be found here:

http://www.JesusVisions.org/content.shtml

It is a wonderful example of supernatural experiences that are quite convincing. Another book that I feel should be on the "must read" list is Heavenly Man by Brother Yun (with Paul Hattaway). It has many supernaturally incredible experiences that show the mighty power of God as well as examples of the depths of cruelty and evil that the godless can succumb to. Shouldn't the open-minded atheist be at least curious about this God he doesn't believe in? I thought the scientist was interested in relentless research until the truth, whatever it may be, is found. He should not twist everything to fit into his pre-established hypothesis. There are many more books that could be read, each of them wonderful witnesses to God's amazing grace, but those two will make a fine start. I am sure few, if any, atheists have read them, because they weren't looking for them. Look for them now and be prepared to stop applying the hallucination process to every supernatural experience anyone has ever had. It is almost embarrassing, and most certainly is absurd, that the atheist, like Dawkins, would explain away all supernatural experiences as mere hallucinations and yet claim his approach to whether God exists or not, is "honest."

Dawkins claims that if there were a sudden scientific breakthrough, and the theory of natural selection that he has adopted as his own, were to be made obsolete, he would happily adopt the new theory. He claims that fundamentalist Christians have closed their minds so tight, that a scientific crowbar cannot pry them open. I propose that if scientific atheists refuse to read the accounts of Christians, with a willingness to understand and believe, then their minds are closed so tight that our faith-made crowbar can't even seem to open them. It is all a matter of perspective, isn't it? It is not what we are seeing that we believe, it is what we believe that we are seeing.

Dear God, I don't want to appear closed-minded to the atheists of this world. Help me, Lord, to listen to them and pray for them and love them with the love of Christ. Father, I know that the annoying faults I perceive in them merely reflect the hidden faults I'm unable to see in me. So as I ask You, Lord, to reveal Yourself to them, I'm aware that You will help me know You in a greater way. Your creativity is immense and You are quite able to shift all of our life-streams currently running over the sharp rocks of bewilderment, professing no God (or a weak one) on which to depend. You, Lord, can shift our life-streams so that we encounter the 5 smooth stones14 of David (who defeated Goliath). Show us, Lord, that our minds are capable of slinging a stone dead on, slaying once and for all the awkward and lumbering power of self-sufficiency. Humble us, Lord, who are both Christians and atheists, and heal our life-streams. Change them, Lord, from the trickling streams of unbelief to the amazing and wonderful torrential ones of abundant life that comes only from belief in and reliance on You, Lord. In Your mighty name, I pray. Amen.

14. 1Samual 17:40. Back.


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