There are thousands of websites devoted to Christian beliefs. Some are good and teach what the Bible teaches. Others fail to meet the test when comparisons to the scriptures are made. At the very core of this site are my beliefs. Convictions that have been bolstered by a life of reading the Bible, observation and asking a lot of questions of myself and everyone else. A faith tempered by failure and weathering storms of gale force winds only to get up and try one more time to do better and be better. Belief that admits my own limitations and the power of God to fill the gaps.
Simply stated I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he walked the Earth long enough to offer himself as a the only sacrifice for sins that would be acceptable to God. I believe that the providence of God is such that the Lord revealed His word and has protected it in the form that we have it today. The written word. Coming to these conclusions was not always simple.
In the early 80's I experienced a traumatic life crisis that revealed the world around me for what it was. Prior to a particular series of events I was naive, developmentally behind in social exposure and knowledge of the world around me. In the short span of three months I saw the ugliness of deception, the price of ignorance (mine) and the hypocritical nature of folks who claimed to be Christians. I had been criticized for growing a beard, seeking an education and generally being myself in many respects. When I lost a job based on a lie told by someone else to cover themselves and lost a relationship, I plunged into a pit of darkness I had no idea existed. Isolated and lost I really began to ask questions. The first of course was,"Why?"
Does God care about how we look? Can an education from a public institution destroy true faith? How can anyone call themselves a Christian and act in the ways that many do? Why do horrible things happen to people who are trying to live a righteous life? Those questions launched a soul searching exploration into my identity as a person and the nature of God. Had I inherited my parents' religion or did I really believe in a God who created worlds and could do anything? Let me tell you, those are good questions that we all need to ask no matter what we believe, who we are, where we come from or how we look.
In the midst of trouble and emotional turmoil, some of which was caused by my stupidity, and some by other Christians, I walked away from the church and God. I needed to clear my mind and get my bearings. I loved the Lord and the Bible so a lot of what was going on did not make sense. I plunged into a nightmare that eventually brought me to apply for grants and loans. I went to school and made it a point to take every class I could that was taught by rock solid atheists. Not to argue, but to listen and observe. I studied biology, psychology, sociology, mathematics and everything else. I devoured books and spent long hours researching, mourning and thinking. Eventually I came to some very startling and settling conclusions. I grew up.
I realized that we should never judge God on the basis of what His servants do, or don't do. Christians are people and some of them have never reached the point that they have left their old self behind. God can and should only be characterized by His word. The Lord's followers are many times less shining examples of what we need to be than atheists, agnostics or humanists who know that life means that we should do as little damage to others in order to lead a fulfilling life. Their only problem is that they have excluded God from their existence and therefore sentenced themselves to endless woe and regret.
In classes I learned that the ignorance of interpretation and presumption blinds researchers to the power of God revealed in the world. The admission of God into the equation of life does no injustice to the amazing discoveries of mankind. The Psalmist states that God has created man a little lower than the angels and given us control of the world to explore, learn, master and care for it. It is our home and will be until the insolence and impudence of unbelief robs us of the blessing in the sight of He who granted it.
If God is the god of the ignorant then there is no God. But education has not and cannot undermine the power of God's word. If God is real then education can only enhance our appreciation of the supreme being whose fingerprints linger on the fabric of substance and time. The books of Job and Psalms alone reveal information about the physical universe that took scientists thousands of years to rediscover for themselves. Job and James explore the complex psychology of the human psyche and affective energies more eloquently than one hundred volumes of psychiatric and psychological theory. God is all around us and when we stop trying to explain Him away we will see the magnificence of what surrounds us and the power of His word.
God is the Lord of the entire Earth and commands all men everywhere to repent. He loves everyone and through the sacrifice of Christ will save those that come to him in obedience. God's word should be treated like a prescription. It has a specific formulation, application and effect. When ignored or misused the results are life threatening and not reversible until we return to the purity of the written word and faith in complete obedience.
I believe that God is real. He is the creator and sustainer of life. He spoke worlds into existence, sent His son to save us. He is the avenger of evil and the rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Please enjoy my site but more importantly, read the word and do what it has to say. If I help you in some small way in that journey then please help someone else. If I have angered you with the above statements then know that it is out of concern for lost souls that this site exists. God loves everyone regardless of who we are, where we are from or what we look like. He does not however like everything that we do when we are straying from Him and heading for eternal destruction. The god of this world blinds us so that we cannot see the Lord but the glorious light of the Gospel shines from the pages of His word if we will only open our eyes.
God Bless - TLC