
Colossians 2:8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
One day, an atheist was walking through the woods, admiring all the beauty that the “accident of evolution” had created. “What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!” he said to himself. As he strolled alongside the flowing river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. There he saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charging toward him! The man screamed in horror and ran as fast as he could away from the giant bear…As the bear's shadow fell over him, the man tripped and fell to the ground…
Feeling the hot breath of the terrifying bear on his neck, the man rolled over. The bear loomed large over him, raising its fierce paws to strike him dead. As the bear's shadow fell upon his face and its paws came down upon his chest, the atheist screamed, “Oh help me, God!” Time stopped. The river he loved suddenly stopped flowing... The trees stopped swaying…The bear froze. Then a bright light beamed down upon the man, a voice boomed all around him, “I am God, and even though you don't believe in me, I am here for all beings on this earth.” The atheist felt relieved and confessed to God, “I'm in a situation and wonder if you would get me out of it.”“You deny my existence your whole life, teach others I don't exist, and even credit creation to a ‘cosmic accident'. Yet still, you ask for my help. Am I to count you as a new believer?”The atheist looked directly into the light and replied, “It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian?”“Very well,” said the voice. The light went out. The river resumed running. And the sounds of the forest returned. Then the bear dropped down from its terrifying stance, clasped its paws tightly together... bowed its head and spoke: “Thank you, Lord, for this meal which I am about to receive. I am truly grateful. Amen.”
So what has our human knowledge gotten us? Confused!! So instead of using our brain to gain wisdom by reading God's Word, we take the brain and use it for useless thoughts that are birthed in a limited mentality that is totally based on our own experiences. So that knowledge is "relative" at best. The world we live in today seems to want to devour even the thought of being a Christian, much less the realization of a born again believer!! It seems the world is moving further and further away from even believing there is a "living" God. How ludicrous can the world get? Oh, this is only the beginning. The "natural" man will pursue those things he thinks are right and that pursuit will in the end leave out even the thought of God. It is important to remember at this juncture who is in charge of the whole thing, and that is God. The world and the god of this world will always push the Godless agenda and we know that agenda is a huge lie!! The agenda of the devil is what Jesus said in John 10:10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.
So what can be done to combat this assault on all believers and God's truth? Good question. All of the answers to this question are based on a spiritual response that is foolishness to the world, but life to true believers. So don't faint!! Don't fall away from the truth, but run to it and you will find the strength and wisdom you need to blow up your fears about the world we now live in. According to Paul in1 Corinthians 2:14 there is a huge chasm between the world and the believer. Here is verse 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The story of the bear surely helps us realize that the natural man will turn blind eyes and deaf ears to the Lord and His Word. The natural man will rely on his understanding of the whole story and will fall short at the point of faith. The natural man will even argue with God about what is true and what is false until......that dreadful moment when all of that man's arguments face the reality of eternity and the afterlife and then everything will change. The natural man will suddenly find a reason to reach out to God for help. In the clouded mind of the natural man he may not realize that God could still love him after he has denied that God even exists. But then find out that God's forgiveness is far beyond the depth of that man's sin. Paul said in Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
As you can see God's love is beyond comprehension because "GOD IS LOVE." So the guy in the bear story thought he was too far gone to even be made right with God. And in his attempt to be made right in his human intellect asked God to make the bear a Christian. Once again, the natural man cannot understand God's fortgiveness without the Spirit intervening in the process, by which all is understood and made right. It is time now for those who live by the "world's" reasoning to surrender to God's truth and give their lives and be saved by God's wonderful grace. Ephesians 2:8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. The rest is growing in your faith as Paul wrote in a few earlier verses in Colossians Chapter 2:6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Just a reminder to all those who follow the way of the world. God wins in the end and along with Him all those who know Him and call Him Lord and Savior will live in heaven for eternity. Don't despair. A place is prepared for all of us as Jesus said in John 14:“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.4 And you know the way to where I am going.” AIN'T NO BEAR GONNA EAT YOU AND ME!!! Don't fall into the world's bear trap anymore because it is a LIE!!!
The Pilgrimage continues.....
David Warren
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