Atheist Proclaims Africa Needs God

Matthew Parris, of Times Online, describes his thoughts of returning after 45 years to his boyhood home in Africa. He shares that his current travels in Malawi has ‘renew[ed] [his] flagging faith in development charities,’ but also another belief he acknowledges having tried to remove completely from his life; for it ‘confounds [his] ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit [his] world view, and has embarrassed [his] growing belief that there is no God.’ He now confirms that he must confess, as ‘a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa.’

He freely admits, as Christianity has long affirmed, transformation will not come forth from ‘the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts’ alone. ‘Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.’ Though he denies the faith of salvation, he realizes ‘only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it.’

What a way to end my blogging for 2008, but with a Times Online article entitled, ‘As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God.’ This reminds me of Paul’s witness to King Agrippa in Acts chapter 25.

Agrippa said unto Paul, ‘Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.’
And Paul said, ‘I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.’

Take a moment to read his article.

Blessings from Singing Carols of Christ

This past Friday night, December 19th, around 6:30pm, a group of close to sixty persons met in one of the nearby neighborhoods to go Christmas caroling. One of our men in the church showed up with his mule and trailer, with blankets laid out for everyone to sit on. We had the trailer and a diesel truck loaded down with about twenty-five children, sixteen youth, along with sixteen college/career and adults. It was amazing to see how many persons (fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters – by blood and in Christ) came out.

We had a list of names of persons and families from our church that lived in this particular neighborhood, and our plan was to visit and sing at each home. We also sung the familiar tunes of Joy to the World, O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark the Harold Angels Sing, Silent Night, Away in the Manager, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and a few more that escape my mind at the present while driving down the streets. To see the bright eyes and smiling faces of the singing children was beautiful, having their fathers and mothers along with their older brothers and sisters joining in chorus with them.

It is no stretch of the truth to proclaim that each and every visit was exciting and enjoyable to us all. From the singing to those persons we passed on the streets, to those snuggled in their homes who came out to see who sung, to the doors of our church members we knocked, to all did we gleefully give remembrance to the birth of Christ. For what greater love is there, than the love of God in sending His Son Jesus into this world, and in the Savior giving Himself to redeem fallen man? There is no greater!

One of the persons we visited and had the opportunity of singing was a dear soul who has seen this world through her eyes for a hundred years. We can scarcely imagine the changes she has witnessed during her lifetime. Whether it be of the world, of politics, of people, or the church, surely there is much insight and wisdom she has gleaned through the years. To sing the marvelous song of our Savior Jesus Christ and to have her and her family join in harmony with us was truly a blessing one is not often given in this world of instant everything.

On this night, God allowed us the privilege of presenting the good tidings of the birth of our great Savior Jesus Christ to a family none of us knew. As we drove down the street caroling we saw a home with children, young people, and adults standing outside. They seemed to walk out to listen, so we stopped to share the songs of our heart with them. One of the ladies walked over to us and asked if we could all come inside to sing to her father. He is terminally ill, and lay upon a hospital bed so very weak looking. It can hardly be written concerning the site of the home, the family, the father, and his weeping daughter who had asked us to come in to sing to him.

A couple of the good men we have, who had driven us so far, guided the children and us all into the home. The children could not have stood straighter or sung more beautiful. It would have been impossible for any person to have beheld such a sight without ones heart sending forth springs of compassion through their eyes. We were able to pray with the daughter and her father, for which she was so grateful we had given but a small measure of our time and talents. Truly we were unworthy to have had that very moment to share in song and the moving of the Holy Spirit in the midst of that home and persons.

I pray that the Blessings from Singing Carols of Christ will live forever in the hearts and minds of our dear children, young people, and adults who gave of themselves this night. I know they will stay with me.

I appreciate the young persons (our youth) and the college/career who gave great testimony to our children, that singing and witnessing Christ is not merely for little children but for all who proclaim to know Him as Lord and Savior. And to the parents and adults who not only promote the life of Christianity by mouth, but also by deed in their daily lives.

May God bless His children during this season, and may His Spirit continue to enlighten those who do not yet trust in Him.

Woe Unto Them That Call Evil Good

Well, those who oppose Biblical Truth to embrace the transgression thereof are at it again. It simply amazes me at the lengths some persons will go to in trying to justify their depravity. It is one thing to do what one will claiming Scripture holds no rule over them, but quite another for one to try to use God and Scripture to support their iniquity.

Lisa Miller of Newsweek has apparently written an article entitled, ‘Our Mutual Joy’, stating, ‘Opponents of gay marriage often cite Scripture. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side.’

R. Albert Mohler Jr. of Baptist Press gives a lengthy, but worthy rebuttal entitled, ‘Newsweek turns Bible on its head.’

Mrs. Miller is not the first to attempt such, for there have been others such as Ray Boltz, Peggy Campolo, President Elect Obama, the writers/authors of For the Bible Tells Me So, and even the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America which have tried to justify the immorality of homosexuality by use of Scripture.

Yet, this misuse of Scripture to try and justify ones sin is not limited to just homosexuality, the same thing has been done regarding abortion also. It can also be found in ones desire to leave their family and turn their backs to their wedding vows even in the marriage of Christians.

Why must we as Christians or non try to corrupt the very Word of God to seemingly justify our degenerate minds and actions? This will in no way make us less guilty before the One True Holy God. Sin is sin, whether we accept it, repent, and receive forgiveness from it, or merely try to rationalize it, embrace it, and die lost in it.

Isaiah declared, ‘Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!’