An Atheist in the Woods

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods, admiring all that the "accident of evolution" had created. "What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!" he said to himself. As he was walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He ran even faster, so scared that tears were coming to his eyes. He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run even faster. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant the Atheist cried out, "Oh my God!....." Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. Even the river stopped moving. As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky, "You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others I don't exist, and even credit my wonderful creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?"

The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps could you make the bear a Christian?" "Very well," said the voice. The light went out. The river ran again. And the sounds of the forest resumed. And then the bear dropped his right paw .....brought both paws together and bowed his head and spoke: "Lord, for this food which I am about to receive, I am truly thankful."

This joke was sent to me by my cousin, Jason Hinds. He and I are closer than cousins. I really feel more like he is my brother than my cousin.

I thought it was really funny, so I thought that I would share it with you today. However, I started to think about the premise. People who do not believe in God, Atheists, they do give the credit of God’s creation to another. They believe that "The god of Evolution" created all that we see before us.

Why do you think that many people today do not believe in God? I think that there are obviously many factors. One of the biggest reasons in my opinion is false teachings of religious leaders of the world. When the modern churches decided to adopt the New Testament of the Bible and leave out that "Old" Testament, the problems began.

Out of this error arose a modern day thinking that says, " the old testament God was harsh and cruel and the New Testament God, Jesus Christ is nice and forgives everything no matter what. The Old Testament God gave us a bunch of rules that were too tough. Jesus, as New Testament God taught only one thing, love thy neighbor."

This may seem unimportant until you begin to truly contemplate the nature of God. God, through the sending of Jesus Christ to die for us, did not change at all. He had planned that from the beginning.

Revelation 13:8: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Jesus brought no new teachings to us. He came to reveal the true nature of the Father to his people and to die as an innocent, sinless man so that his blood would cover our sins.

God has loved us since the day that he breathed life into Adam’s lungs. He has done everything to reach out to us. We rejected God. He has never rejected us.

As I sat this morning with my little daughter Hannah on my lap I began to think about God. The love that I feel for her is a shadow of the love that God has for us. We are God’s children. When I say that my love is a shadow of God’s, I mean that even our undying love for our children cannot match the love that God has for us.

To truly understand God we have to grasp this concept. God throughout the entire Bible, has never changed at all.

Malachi 3:6-18

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not..

Hebrews13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

In four separate scriptures in the Book of Revelation, Jesus is referred to as Alpha and Omega. The beginning and the ending. How do you interpret this if you think that Jesus did not come onto the scene until the book of Matthew.

John 1:1-12

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

The scriptures plainly tell us that Jesus, the Word of God, made all things. "All things" plainly would include human beings. These scriptures are so straightforward that even a young child should be able to understand them. However, the spiritual implications are quite profound. These simple words teach us that Jesus was the God mentioned in Genesis 1:1.

John:6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

I hope that I am not making a leap here, but this scripture seems to indicate to me that Jesus is the only man to have seen the Father. If this is the case, who did Abraham talk face to face with and prepare a meal for just before the destruction of Sodom? Who did Moses speak face to face with? Who’s backside did Moses see?

Exodus 33:17-23

And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock. And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by.: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

It seems to me, that through the scriptures that we can deduce that Jesus is the member of the God family who has been dealing with man from the beginning. So the incorrect teaching that God has somehow changed his entire plan through the gift of Jesus Christ falls flat on its face in light of the scriptures.

Once you grasp this, then understanding that God loves us like little children should be easy. He always has, even in the scriptures prior to the book of Matthew, the only Scriptures known or quoted by Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, John and the other "New Testament" writers.

When modern religious leaders discount teaching the Old Testament in favor of teaching about Jesus, they are really missing the point. Yes Jesus is wonderful and Yes our salvation does hinge upon the forgiveness of sin through his shed blood. Yes Grace is the only way to salvation. But to truly understand Jesus and the Father study of the entire Bible is necessary.

Isaiah 43:1-28

But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.

Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.: Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me. Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.

When we truly take the entire picture of the Scriptures in, we see that God the Father, through Jesus Christ has loved us like children from the beginning. He gave us his commandments, not to punish us but to teach us the best ways to live in this world. He forgives our sins for "his own sake". He wants to be reconciled to us. It is man who rejects God. It is not God who rejects man.

Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The atheist in the joke we started with, may not be to blame for his beliefs. The false teachings that permeate our modern world have misled many. Evolution is a false teaching that has sprung up to take the Glory from God for his wonderful Creation. It robs Jesus Christ of his true magnificence. When you fail to realize that Jesus created the world then you fail to understand his true sacrifice.

The modern theologians have separated the scriptures into Old and New. This plan, originated by Satan, has been a powerful cog in the engine that has begun to blot out the truth of God. It is easy for many people today to reject the truth of God. What most people see today as religion seems contrived or hokey. It is too easily put aside as mythology. Modern Christianity seems as foolish as Greek and Roman mythology to modern atheists and agnostics. When you delve into it it is. Modern "Christian" theology has as much basis in mythology as it does in scripture.

Let us remember the joke we heard today. We know that humans learn and remember things better through humor. When you think of the joke remember today’s lesson. The great creation of the universe, who many atheists attribute to the accident or chance of evolution, belongs to your saviour Jesus Christ.

Most importantly, he loves us like we love our children and he always has since the creation of the world. It makes him most happy when we learn and grow before his eyes.