Skip to main content

Demanding a Sign


                He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away. (Matthew 16:2-4)

            If you talk to an atheist or even an agnostic about God, chances are pretty good that at some point in the discussion, they will charge that if God appeared where, when, and how they dictate, that they would never doubt again. They somehow think that they are wiser than the Israelites who made an idol at the foot of the mountain on which God and Moses were talking. What had them so frightened they couldn't endure it became so ho hum that  even thought it was still doing on, they walked away.
          The atheists and agnostics either haven't thought the matter, and human nature, through, or they're lying. If God were to appear in accordance with their dictates, almost immediately after He ceased manifesting Himself, they would begin to doubt. It was an unexplained phenomena but they don't buy the "god of the gaps" idea. Science will someday explain it. They were temporarily insane. They hallucinated. It was a prank. Further proof would be demanded. Scientific proof would be demanded - observable, measurable, repeatable. Ultimately, the only way to prove to these people that God exists is for them to become God's god.
           Jesus knew this. He told those demanding a sign that the only sign they would be given is the sign of Jonah. He was crucified, buried, spent three days in the belly of the earth and rose again. The proof of God is not scientific (though science does point toward Him.) It is historical and legal. It is found in fulfilled prophecy, in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in  and through the lives of those who have trusted in Him through the ages and their influence on society.  

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In the Sky:
Pink/Pascal Moon
Lyrids Meteor shower
On the Calendar
Earth Day
Birthday of
Henry Fielding
Immanuel Kant
Nicholai Lenin
J. Robert Oppenheimer

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Pure...

            The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (I Timothy 1:5)   I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) I’m probably cheating - or mishandling the Bible, but earlier I was thinking about love being pure and purifying. And hatred being pure and purifying. And anger…joy…patience… fear… jealousy… courage…lust… and other strongly felt feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. Today’s verse brings purity and love together, so it’s the verse of the day, but it’s not really the focus. That means my motive for sharing it with you probably isn’t pure. As you read through my list, you   probably thought, “Yeah” about some, and “What’s she on?” about others. But consider how much hatred, a...
Post a Comment
Read more