Dealing with Atheists (Unbelievers)

 

I would be fooling myself or denying the fact if I’d say it didn’t affect me looking into most of my students’ spiritual relationship with God. Most of them claimed that they don’t need to have since they don’t even believe there is.

I onced asked my student his opinion about criminals and their ends. He said they deserve to go to jail to be punished and to die for their crimes.

I asked in return, “Isn’t it possible for them to be forgiven or aren’t they deserving for second chance if they asked forgiveness or had reformed?”

And his answer was, “No! Certainly not! Once a criminal, always a criminal!”

Though I may sound like a fool for him since he is an atheist, I still boldly shared to him this scripture: Luke 18:27 “What is humanly impossible is possible with God.” and Luke 19:10 “The

Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”

Aren’t the criminals considered the lost? Yes, they are but those who don’t believe Christ are also considered lost.

“But we have different cultures and I don’t have any religion,” his defensive response and the rest is history.

Another experienced out from more than a dozen and counting similar experiences was when my middle-aged foreign student asked me about afterlife. I was glad that he opened up that kind’a topic since oftentimes, it’s a conservative/complicated issue; must be avoided to be talked about in a seemingly earthly rules suited for unbelievers. So, right then, I promptly shared about Heaven and Hell base on the Biblical perspective. I technically demonstrated it the simplest way I could like, “Anyone who doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ as his/her personal savior will surely go to hell.” as my own summary to the memory verse I first learned since childhood: John 3:16-18. In response, he boisterously laughed at me and said, “After life, nothing else..the end.” I understood his reaction. For so long he regarded me to be witty. Thus, believing this Heaven and Hell thingy is part of my joke so he laughed and laughed continuously. He only stopped after I said, “I’m serious.” Hence, no words came up from his mouth except “Wow….” while laughing from amazement and disbelief. He may not utter any word that time fearing that he would never ever see me smile again, but had told the other teachers about me and our story telling, “Teacher Jenny said that I’ll go to hell.., ” which showed that he indirectly admitted his guilt for unbelieving both heaven and Hell.

Until now, my heart is bleeding and I literally cry everytime I realized how many souls don’t recognize Jesus as the son of GOD. I was in the middle of licking the gloom not for me but for him laughing at the thought when God rescued me. My eagerness to share to them is like a bomb ready to explode, thus how likely I get disappointed everytime they shut their eyes and ears. I know God has a purpose why He gave me this kind of job and put me in this kind of situation. Sometimes, I am discouraged by the thought. You are surrounded by unbelievers and they are ready to declare their authority. However, I grab the chance of celebrating that I can be the salt and the light to them. I may have my own plans and human desires but it is really hard to go against God’s plan. Every thing you do without consulting the Father first would only lead you in vain. It’s proven and since He’s so prompt in answering prayers. He pointed me at all times to use  the Bible as the sacred weapon for winning souls, but this time, He added another weapon when He directed me to read the book “HEAVEN IS REAL” by Choo Thomas.

I continually am asking God to knock their hearts, to at least widen even an inch the narrow passage towards their closed and napping hearts. We must not lose hope. There are many lost and scattered sheep, however as the scripture says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me”, says the Lord. (John 10:27)

She Yelled and Called Me Names

I can relate to this…
Like, some people (co-workers and relatives) had asked me why I could barely understand such person/people when they couldn’t. Simply because, they only see the outside.
Book is created not for outer covering alone. It serves most of its readers its inside.

Everyday Grace

Pulling my car into the drive-thru line at Starbucks, I wondered why it was a dozen people deep. It wasn’t raining, yet it seemed everyone was driving through today. I was transporting three dogs to the groomer, and there was no way I could leave two wild Shih-tzus and one crazy Bichon alone while I went inside for my daily dose.

Millie, the Bichon, sat on my lap licking the window.

As I peeled her away from the glass, I saw the woman.

She sat across the parking lot, leaving just enough room for a thoroughfare, as she too was waiting in the Starbucks line. I smiled, and gestured to her. It went something like this: “Are you next, or am I?” Really, I was fine either way.

She was not.

Thinking I was trying to snag her spot of next up, she gunned her Suburban, rolled down the window…

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Is God Good All the Time? (Confessions of a former widow)

I was touched by how you said God whispered these words, “You can trust me.” into your soul. Yes HE can be trusted even in times of discouragements, depressing moments, when we doubt of HIS existence or HIS goodness and mercy. He is merciful and is willing to listen to our cry. I firmly believe in HIS words and promises…Let’s sing Psalms 138:1-8 in our own soul’s melody. Great is thy faithfulness!

Dancing On My Ashes

by Heather Spring {Gilion}
(Blog post originally appeared on JCaro.com.)

I cried through most of my twenties.

Who am I kidding? I’m still crying in my thirties, but for very different reasons.
Thirteen years ago, dreams were coming true. I had my college diploma in hand, the handsomest fellow by my side, and a wedding ring on my finger!
“God is good!” said the preacher. “All the time!” said the congregation.

I grew up in a church that said it a lot. We were taught when anyone from the pulpit said, “God is good…” in response, the congregation should echo back with exuberance “All the time!” 

As my life of ease and dreams was on its way to “happily ever after”, I easily joined the echo: Yep, God is good… all the time! (Even if I didn’t chant it out loud, I gave the pastor a good head nod.)

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Out With the Old (9/16/13)

Many times I doubt and worried and had reached the heights of my fear. . .though, I choose to follow you Lord.

THE RIVER WALK

Read: Isaiah 22:1-24:23, Galatians 2:17-3:9, Psalm 60:1-12, Proverbs 23:15-16

“Yes, I will drive you out of office,” says the Lord. “I will pull you down from your high position. And then I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah to replace you.”
(Isaiah 22:19-20)

So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:19-20)

Relate: Saul was once an underdog. Way back when his story is first introduced in the Bible he was a nobody sent out on a mission to find some missing donkeys. Now, I’m not a farmer and don’t know all that much about country life but I’m pretty sure donkeys are neither fast nor sneaky. Sheep are famous for wandering off. I’m pretty sure this is…

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Fear Is Not A Factor (9/18/13)

Amen!

THE RIVER WALK

Read: Isaiah 28:14-30:11, Galatians 3:23-4:31, Psalm 62:1-12, Proverbs 23:19-21

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)

Relate: When God called Gideon to rescue Israel from the Midianites, the man was threshing wheat inside a wine press. He was camouflaging his work out of fear that the enemy might come and take his wheat and he would go hungry. An angel comes to him and calls Gideon a mighty man of valor. So mighty he waits until everyone’s asleep before casting down the idol. So mighty that his dad then had to stick up for him. So much valor that he put out a fleece because of his doubts… twice. And after that, God had to give him another confirmation through an enemy’s dreams. Gideon wouldn’t be at the top of…

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ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE

(Ecclesiastes 11:9-10):
“Young people, enjoy your youth. Be happy while you are still young. Do what you want to do, and follow your heart’s desire. But remember that God is going to judge you for whatever you do. Don’t let anything worry you or cause you pain. You aren’t going to be young very long.”

(Ecclesiastes 12:1-5; 12;13;14):
“So remember your Creator while you are still young, before those dismal days and years come when you will say, “I don’t enjoy life.” That is when the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars will grow dim for you, and the rain clouds will never pass away. Then your arms, that have protected you, will tremble, and your legs, now strong, will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to chew your food, and your eyes too dim to see clearly. Your ears will be deaf to the noise of the street. You will be barely be able to hear the mill as it grinds or music as it plays, but even as the song of a bird will wake you from sleep. You will be afraid of high places, and walking will be dangerous. Your hair will turn white; you will hardly be able to to drag yourself along, and all desire will be gone……

…My child, there is something else to watch out for. There is no end to the writing of books, and too much study will wear you out.
…After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.
…God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret. “

Love

phototakenbymeCy2013

READ:Song of Songs 8:6-7

“Love is as powerful as death;
Passion is as strong as death itself.
It bursts into flame
And burns like a raging fire.
Water cannot put it out;
No flood can drown it.
But if any tried to buy love with their wealth,
Contempt is all they would get.”