May 2015
I read this! ‘An atheist was spending a quiet day fishing when suddenly his boat was attacked by the Loch Ness monster. In one easy flip, the beast tossed him and the boat high into the air. Then it opened its mouth to swallow both. As the man sailed head over heels, he cried out, “Oh, my God! Help me!” At once, the ferocious attack scene froze in place and as the atheist hung in mid-air, a booming voice came down from the clouds, “I thought you didn`t believe in me!” “Come on God, give me a break!” the man pleaded. “Two minutes ago I didn`t believe in the Loch Ness monster either!”’
I then saw the following quote; “An atheist hopes God will do nothing to disturb his disbelief.” How often do we allow a persons deep-seated unbelief as a barrier to not witnessing? Not to be challenged and got over but instead it stops us in our tracks. In Romans 1:14-15, Paul says “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.” In other translations it says “I am a debtor” . In what sense is Paul a debtor to the Romans? Timothy Keller used the following illustration of a financial debt. ‘First, you may have lent me £100—and I am in debt to you until I pay it back. Second, someone else may have given me £100 to pass on to you—and I am in debt to you until I hand it on.’ It is in this sense that Paul is a debtor to them. Each of us, who have believed in Christ, are indebted to God for giving us the gift of eternal life. A debt that we can never repay, but he has also made us debtors to everyone we meet, in making us witnesses. If, for whatever reason, we shirk from this responsibility then we are not discharging the debt or fulfilling our obligation to share the gospel.
He secondly says, “to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.” We shouldn`t let anyone`s great learning, or lack of it, put us off. Remember the blind man, who Jesus had healed, standing before the Sanhedrin. What did he say? “I was blind but now I see!” We are called to be witnesses to what God has done in our lives which should be confirmed by the change that is evident in our life. Remember, we are witnesses of what we know, not what we don`t know, it is God who does the saving!
Every blessing be yours in Christ Jesus. John & Hilary
Scartho Celebration Church 