There are many people (countless, actually) who have found the Bible comforting, enlightening, a friend in times of need, a wonderful challenge, spiritually speaking (especially the sections that encourage agape love—or Christ-like forgiving love—even when the worldly thing to do would be to hate and seek revenge). These people, who have loved the Bible, had a mindset of reverence for the book that has been so helpful for so many people through the ages. Keep in mind that in that mindset of reverence, and in their hunger for God, they find the help they pray for. Can the same thing be said when one believes in tangible-ism and himself only?

I've given enough information in this book to show why an atheist may not respect, let alone revere, the Bible. His faith in the tangible, rather than the spiritual, makes the Bible appear foolish to him. Just as the atheist has faith that all the tangible-istic mysteries will one day be solved, so, too, does the Christian believe that the Bible is the unerring Word of God and that one day all its confusing passages will be cleared up. The atheist may say that anyone who just believes in something without proof is foolish, but there are many things in the material world that are mysterious and may even never be resolved. Time and space are two of them. When did time begin? What was time like before time? Should atheists just throw their watches away at that mystery, or do they have faith that one day their study of the material universe will solve that mystery? What was space like before the Big Bang (if that is what they believe occurred)? Was there no space?

With our faith in the Bible (coupled with its incredibly good track record of helping people) we, too, won't throw away our Word just because there are confusing passages in it. One thing we have going for us that the atheist doesn't have, is the profound help we receive, when we sincerely pray for help in understanding and interpreting Scripture. It is not foolish to consider and accept that the Word has almost an incomprehensible number of levels in the writings. This confuses the atheist, making it appear as just plain gibberish to him. He does not understand that God may use anything from a phrase in His Word, to a whole book of the Bible to reach His individual children with His truth concerning their hearts and lives.

Co 1:27 God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…(MKJV)

The Bible can, just like the world, reflect our beliefs. Just as the world is often neutral, allowing everyone to paint what they will on its pallet, so, too, can the Bible, in its complexity, allow people to see what's in their hearts, by the way they read it, and by the passages they "cherry pick". The truth is there, but God's wisdom to help find it may be unavailable, if a person refuses to believe in God. Our deluded minds will have a deluded understanding of God's Word. (Our beliefs are the lenses we see through, as we live in this world. By our beliefs we can block out the light and believe in darkness only, but always a little light shines through, beckoning to people who have even the most gruesome beliefs).

God's light, as found in His Bible, DOES appear ridiculous to the high minded atheists of today—but they need to realize they are merely witnessing a mirror of themselves, reflecting their own limitations of thought. Nevertheless, God will bless them in time, if they can drop their preconceived notions about everything. There is hope that the deepest wisdom can be imparted by God to even those wallowing in dark and ominous belief systems. There are many prayers storming heaven that this will be so.

The scientific atheist who must have everything figured out within the framework of the five senses, misses the spirituality present in God's Word since, in his mind, there is no spirituality. How can one acknowledge what he doesn't believe is there? His life must be built, then, on the miniscule chance that certain chemicals were combined exactly a certain way, eons ago, which developed into life, of which he just happens to be an involuntary participant. There must be no accounting for his own breath and feelings and memories and appreciations or loves. He is not really an entity, but merely the evolution of this chemical combination which was accidentally created in a volcanic mud pot in the formative days of our world. I can understand the resentment that would come from this view. One might say, "I can feel, and think, and breathe, and emote, and yet I am nothing more than the result of a mere chemical combination that has, through time, evolved, producing me. Am I not more than this? Why am I so complex, both physically and mentally? How am I able to even comprehend myself, let alone the galaxies?"

One of the things I appreciate about the Bible is its humanness. Even the most spiritual of giants, in God's Word, show their human flaws. This gives us hope, not despair. We, too, we admit, are flawed, and with the exception of Christ Himself, we could walk in the shoes of any other Bible heroes and identify with their carnal traits—because we have them, too. And Christ Himself, has encouraged us to even reach for His ideals, despite our flaws, and be perfect, even as our heavenly father is perfect. He is not a stern taskmaster, critically prodding us into a deeper relationship with God, but, by His parables and His healing ability, He encourages us to think out of the box, to have a hunger for God and His righteousness. It is this hunger that enables God's Holy Spirit to touch our minds and hearts, as we read God's Word. We come away with tears of joy streaming down our cheeks. What is this flood of amazing grace we feel, that starts at the crown of our heads and goes to the sole of our feet, filling and thrilling us with a love we find difficult to put into words? Is it the mere result of a random chemical combination eons ago? We of the Christian faith cannot, in all honesty, buy into that mindset.

God's Word says that God is love. None of us can live without love. Even atheists, therefore, must acknowledge the existence of love, which is an invisible spiritual attribute of God. There is a love that goes beyond the lust that manifests in sexual pleasure—which is all the non-spiritual thinker could acknowledge. This love is found in the deepest friendships and, though it is from God, it turns right around and goes back to Him, manifesting as devotion that comes from His very own created beings. Isn't that incredible? God showers His love on His people and most of them send love right back to Him. When they reach for God, He reaches for them. What a miracle! Those who are devoted to God, are treated to His all-encompassing love, every day. Those who deny this very same God, will be out of favor as they fumble through their days, having only their pitiful selves for comfort—and then, according to their belief, nonexistence to look forward to.

Our beliefs tell us what we see, not the other way around. We have all splintered into many different groups since the Fall of Man, and we have built our towers of Babel, unable to communicate with one another anymore since we tried to usurp God's authority. We were confused. But God loved us so much that He sent His very own Son to earth to teach us the incredibly challenging morality of laying down one's life for another. And not only that, but to die for us, redeeming our souls and eliminating our sins (and even our sinful nature) if we only believe. If we choose not to believe He did this for us, it doesn't change the fact that He did. Belief is a choice and God truly encourages belief in Him…but you won't know this until you have believed, also.

In this world, God puts both believers and non-believers through the fire. This fire burns out the dross, the impurities, in our hearts. It can leave some bitter and disappointed, even to the point of denying the existence of God, or it can drive some to their knees, as they storm heaven with their anguished cries to God. I recently read a wonderful interpretation of Scripture stating that men shall storm heaven with their violence (found in Matthew 11:12). It means that with their hearts laid bare, their fists clenched, their heads prostrate on the floor, their tears streaming down, they shall implore of God—and God will answer by His peace through their souls and the mountains moved in their lives. Storming heaven with our prayers is a wonderful image to retain, for it produces the results you would expect of a powerful God.

The church today is awfully weak, very involved in the world, and not much of an example of the challenge to be "in the world, but not of it." (That means to exist here, but not give it any more attention than is needed, because our focus needs to be on God and His kingdom). The church of Christ (sometimes called the Bride of Christ) should be a group that has no worldly goals, no extra-curricular activities (to borrow a school term), but be entirely focused on the equipping of the saints. It should be training people to have their own ministries (ministry being a specific work for the Gospel, not a corporate kingdom). The work of the Church is to help people to find the hope that is theirs in Christ Jesus, and minister to the needs of members of the Body and others, in Jesus name. All God's children should selflessly set apart their lives for doing the work God has for them to do and help people walk as Jesus commanded us to walk (if we love Him). That is all.

The priest, the minister, the preacher should not have goals other than these. They should not strive for security in this world (for there is no security in this world), they should not strive for personal gain and have goals that taint people's view of God's kingdom. If God asks us all not to lay up treasures on earth, for instance, how can we teach that, while we hypocritically lay up treasures on earth for ourselves? Jesus had no place to lay His head. If no servant is greater than his master, what minister can honestly justify having wealth, while members of the church are struggling to pay their bills?

The Word asks the church to be without blemish. And yet, as this carnal world has edged itself into the congregation and the pulpit, we find the church with a watered down message, drawing people who feed on watered down messages, who would not think of storming heaven for anything, unless they are in a personal emergency. But the Church IS in a state of emergency that should be personal to us all. Disillusioned souls are becoming disciples of unbelief and the Way is losing credibility. The church encourages the propagation of atheism, by its weakness, worldliness and lack of genuine love for one-another and the lost. There seems to be no difference between the church and the world, so why should anyone seek God? Where are the saints, who walk the earth with Jesus, firmly entrenched in their hearts, loving, living, helping the lost find Christ for their lives? Where are the miracles, not so much to help people believe, but that come as a result of many sincere and compassionate prayers storming heaven?

No wonder God is not respected in schools and universities (and prayer has been banned). No wonder people have decided to take charge of their own lives and weed out God from civil institutions—for He has become a weed to many, very weak and not worthy of our attention. God, though, is not weak, but He is quite misrepresented. The church must make a comeback and be God's untainted representatives here on earth. The church is to blame for people's unbelief. I fervently claim it is the church, and not the atheist, who has produced the God delusion.

Oh, Father, awaken we Christians to Your true potential in each of us. Awaken in us a desire to tenderly nurture the inquisitive lost within our circle, and, by our love, draw them to You. Oh, Father, instill in the lost a hunger for You and help them know that something wonderful awaits them as they partake of the blood and body of You, Lord, and finally see the world with the eyes of Christ. Amen.

11. "The literary material of the Hebrew Bible is some of the most ancient of the Western literary tradition, but this does not mean it is primitive or artless. Its writers were often masterful in utilizing a rich repertoire of literary techniques, including hyperbole, metaphor, symbolism, allegory, personification, irony, wordplay, and parallelism." Reading the Old Testament (an introduction to the Hebrew Bible) by Barry L. Bandstra. http://hope.edu/academic/religion/bandstra/RTOT/INTRO/INT_3A.HTM. Back.

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