Atheist & the Religious bear

Atheist & the Religious Bear

Submitted by Missionary Rick Jones

Encarta dictionary defines “Atheist” as someone who does not believe in God or deities. Recently, I attended the Big Bear Creek Association of Missionary Baptists in Northern Alabama. Brother Harlan in his work pants with a bib (loved by all the Sunday school kids) greeted everyone with a holler (in a southern drawl) “Hi Y’all.”

Brother Harlan is quite a storyteller and told me of this atheist feller’ who went hunting in the woods. He came across a large Bear. As it stood vertical the atheist feller’ froze in his tracks. His fear moved him to prayer “Lord” I know you and I have not talked, not even a smidgen; but Oh Lord! please make this Bear be a Christian.” “Brother Harlan said with a grin "that old bear folded his paws and prayed with his ferocious jaws and said" Thank you Lord for this bountiful meal I’m about to eat.

Brother Harlan remarked with a sparkle in his eye “Brother Rick I ain’t seen a feller’ yet get in some trouble that he don’t call on his maker.”

I often mused in my heart there are more atheists then not; for the Lord said “many (unbelievers) are called but few chosen” Matthew 20:16. As Brother Harlan would say “Thar’ be more religious folks whose salvation is a joke; whom like them thar’ Pharisees failed to believe and “bring fruits meet for repentance.”

There is no difference in the atheist and the religious deceiver, both are unbelievers.  One makes a public claim of his/her agnosticism. The religious Pharisees in Christ’s day are in no way different now, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in” Matthew 23:13.

As a replacement for a sinner becoming a mourner and drawn by the Holy Spirit; the seeker is not allowed to repent from a heart broken whose spirit is made contrite so they might “feel haply after the Lord and find him.”

Easy believesim has replaced the grace of God and the wisdom or personal knowledge of salvation. “Accept Christ as your personal saviour” spoken as a lip profession among the religious has become the norm, substituted for a born-again heart-felt experience, and a personal testimony by the recipient of eternal life.

In Romans 2:16 “The Apostle Paul warns of a day, God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” The wrath of God spoken of in (John 3:36) will by far be worse to face on Judgment day (as Brother Harlan would say) “than that ornery bar’ (Bear) in the woods of sweet home Alabama.”

Examine your own salvation … have you a time and place where you found grace in the eyes of the Lord and know for yourself your salvation is real by the love of God you can feel in your heart. True salvation is a heart-felt know-so experience of God’s love, joy and peace.

Printed in Linn County News