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Reason to Follow Jesus: Event Evidence

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Another Monday morning. Already pushing hot in Tucson. The forecast? Afternoon high 104 with no possibility of rain.

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Not wanting to work up a sweat Ernie and I slowly walked to the bus stop to catch the ride which would take us to our downtown jobs. That’s when Ernie asked, Why are you a Christian?

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I stumbled, caught my balance, and said. “Well, I guess because I’ve always been a Christian?”

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Ernie glanced at me. “Yeah, but is there any other reason?”

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I glanced back at him. I felt a little exposed and annoyed as I said, “Uh, another reason? What other reason do I need? No, I just believe it.”

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“Okay, so you’re a Christian because you’ve always been a Christian is that it?”

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“Yep, my grandma is a Christian. My mom and dad are Christians. Therefore, I’m a Christian.”

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“Fine so you’re saying you’re a Christian because they are?”

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“Well, how about I’m a Christian because God called me to believe?” I said this although I didn’t want to admit I really hadn’t spent time reflecting on why I’m a Christian.

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Ernie knew I was offended but he challenged me with, “How about you’re a Christian because it’s true?

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I jumped on that. “Right, I’m a Christian because of the Bible.”

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“I said because it’s true. I didn’t say anything about the Bible. What if there was no Bible?” “Would you have any well-founded evidence for the truth of Christianity without the Bible?”

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Totally miffed I said, “Where are you going with this Ernie?”

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We stood beside the bus stop bench. Ernie turned to me and said, “OK, listen, a Buddhist can say ‘I’ve always been a Buddhist because my family is Buddhist therefore I’m a Buddhist.’ Or, a Buddhist could claim ‘I just believe! I don’t have to have any other reason.’ Wouldn’t this amount to blind faith or accidental faith or faith founded on someone else’s experience?”

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I was reluctant to agree. “I guess, maybe.”

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“Muslims could say the same things. Atheists could say the same things. Any religion could say the same things. Their proof is based on what? Could any of these substantiate, ‘Because it’s true,’ with reasonable evidence?”

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“Uh, I don’t know. What do you think?”

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“Well, how about Christianity?” Ernie said. “Why is it true? Is there any solid proof Christianity is true?”

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My face flushed. “Yes, I believe so.”

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 “What would you offer as evidence? Why do you believe Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life?”

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I felt set up. I said, “The Bible tells me so.”

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“OK the Bible, that’s another discussion, but what besides the Bible?”

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“Wait a second that’s twice you dissed the Bible. Isn’t the Bible admissible?”

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“What if it isn’t? What would you say?”

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“I don’t know … I’d probably walk away.”

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“And how would that be helpful to the person asking you why you are a Christian?”

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Losing it I said, “OK, OK, what would you say?”

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“Let me offer this, Jesus predicted his death and resurrection and it happened. Lots of people saw Jesus alive after his death and burial. That makes Christianity true. Jesus was dead and then alive.”

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“That’s it?”

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“That’s more than enough because it’s legitimate proof backed by eyewitnesses who were there when it happened.

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“Wow! Really?”

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“This is ample intelligent evidence for why I am a Christian. Someone can easily fact check me if they have questions or doubts. This event didn’t take place in secret.”

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I began to see Ernie’s point. “Yeah, Okay.”

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I was sweating as our downtown bus stopped for us. The driver scanned our passes. We sat down. The A/C felt good. We were on our way to work.

 

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Music:

Plumb Need You Now

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Resurrection Evidence

Walking Through the Door of Opportunity

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KNOCK-KNOCK

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Your mission today if you decide to accept it is to open and walk through a door of opportunity.

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Will you?

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It may cost you some inconvenience.

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Even so …

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Will you do it?

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WHO’S THERE?

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Sometimes I’ve ignored the knock-knock on the door.

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(Haven’t you?)

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Because I don’t want to get involved.

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Sometimes I’ve mistakenly thought I should only be concerned with “big opportunity”

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However, maybe I oughta be thinking “small opportunity.”

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YOUR OPPORTUNITY

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Truth is, I often stand on the threshold of what I see as small opportunities.

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This morning, for example, I called my brother-in-law who recently had surgery.

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My call didn’t take much effort

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Mostly I listened to him talk about his recovery.

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He told me my listening encouraged him.

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What door of opportunity will you walk through today? 

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Seeing Everything with Fresh Eyes

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(Conversation w/ Ernie)

We’re a few weeks into the New Year and the three of us are back to work after the holidays and carpooling again.

We drew straws. I drew the short straw so, I’m driving first, then Ivy, and third is Ernie.

Leaving from my garage on Monday morning I decided to pick up Ivy first even though Ernie lives closer to me than Ivy.

“Good morning Ivy. Happy New Year.” Ivy slid into the back seat on the right side. I guess she did it out of habit because Ernie likes to sit in the passenger seat when he’s not the driver.

“Yes thanks,” she said. “Happy New Year to you, too.”

The traffic was still fairly light and it took me less than five minutes before I pulled up in front of Ernie’s place.

Ernie was waiting in a chair on his porch. He stood up when he spotted me, walked to my car, and climbed into the passenger seat.

We all exchanged greetings and I drove toward our work places downtown. Things were quiet and uneventful for maybe two minutes when Ernie said, “I’ve been thinking about seeing things with fresh eyes.”

I said, “What do you mean? Are you thinking about buying new glasses?”

“Yeah, something like that,” Ernie said. “Do this, visualize the Creator looking over everything created.”

“OK, where are you going with this?” I asked.

Ernie ignored me and said, “Now imagine 2000 some years ago God sent Jesus to the world.”

“The Christmas story!” Ivy piped in.

“Right,” Ernie answered. “2000 years ago seems like along time, doesn’t it?”

A little annoyed I said, “It is a long time Ernie!”

“Yes, but not to God.”

Ivy asked, “Why’s that? Can you give an example of what you mean?”

“Because God invented time,” Ernie explained. “2000 years isn’t a long time for God. 5000 years isn’t a long time for God. 10,000 years isn’t a long time for God. Why? Because God exists inside and outside of time. No matter how big the number, it doesn’t matter God isn’t affected by a number in time.”

Annoyed I said, “Ernie everyone knows that.”

Ernie kept on talking. “What’s more, God is able to do a lot with a little amount of time or a big amount of time. For instance God said in Genesis ‘Let there be … ‘ and it happened instantly.”

“Yeah that’s what it says. Can you give another example of what you mean?” asked Ivy.

“Absolutely. The Apostle Paul understood this concept of time. In 1 Corinthians 15:52 he wrote, ‘It will happen suddenly, quicker than the blink of an eye. At the sound of the last trumpet, the dead will be raised. We will all be changed so that we will never die again.’

We were almost downtown. I asked, “Why is this important?”

Ernie shifted his body to the left so he could look at both Ivy and me and said, “We need to see time with fresh eyes.”

Ivy answered, “OK, so …”

“To me this means seeing things differently.”

“What things?” I asked as I pulled into the parking garage.

“Everything. Marriage. Church. Friends. Enemies. Life. Death. This happens as I view things with fresh eyes. Everything changes when we see things with fresh eyes.”

“Yes,” Ivy said. “I I think you might be right.”

Ernie finished his thought with “The challenge is to view our circumstances and world with fresh eyes.”

I backed into a parking space. We opened the car doors, slid out of our seats, and, in silence, walked toward our work places.

As I walked, I was thinking, God is everywhere present. There is no where I can get to that God isn’t there. What time it is doesn’t matter. God is alive in every moment.

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Bonus Song:

Give Me Your Eyes Brandon Heath 

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