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As a pastor for almost 30 years, it was my privilege to speak with all kinds of people on a variety of topics. I listened to heart-wrenching stories of disappointments, of hurts, of heartaches. This has led me to an interesting conclusion.

It is my belief that there are very few intellectual atheists in the world.

There is just too much rational, sane evidence for God and belief in God for someone to honestly be an intellectual atheist.

Furthermore, I have never met a four year old atheist. It is the most natural thing in the world for a young child to inherently know that there is a Creator, and to believe in Him.

But what happens is that this same child prays for something - perhaps a loved one to be healed, or a pet to survive, or for friends. He or she does not sense anyone is listening because what was prayed for did not become a reality. Experience did not match expectation. Disappointment. Discouragement. Perhaps even a little despair.

In order to protect the heart from further disappointment, intellectual fortresses begin to be built. It is a subtle slide - but an extremely dangerous one. Now the person has been disappointed by God. He or she hides behind the wall of arguments to protect the heart from further disappointment. Couple this person’s experience of disappointment with the world, the flesh and the devil using every means possible to draw him or her away from God and an emotional atheist hiding behind intellectual arguments results. We recently read an article where a very small group of atheists are getting “de-baptized.”

That’s why God reminds us,

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NIV)

Every thought is taken captive to someone or something.

Practical Atheists

As someone who has studied the Bible for many years now, I am troubled by many verses in which my experience has not met expectations:

"Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?"
(Lamentations 3:37-38, NIV)

"Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him." (Psalm 115:3, NIV)

According to these verses, even harsh, unkind words from others and actions that discourage, disappoint and even depress us first cross God’s desk for His approval first?
He allows it to happen?
But, why?
I thought God loves everyone! Especially those who are trying to please Him.

Job loss?
God allowed it?

Being diagnosed with AIDS?
Went across God’s desk for approval first?

Hurricanes? Earthquakes? God ordained?

Now before you put this book down because you think, “God had nothing to do with that. "That was all Satan, or nature, or fate,” think through that reasoning for a moment. If there is one stray atom in the universe outside of God’s ultimate control, then we cannot trust Him in that area. Furthermore, Scripture says,

"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." (Hebrews 1:3, NIV)

God holds everything together. The reason the sun rose this morning is because God said, “Let there be light,” and He has never said, “Let there not be light.” God is in complete control of His universe.

What about this troubling verse in Psalm 103:3,

“who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”

We prayed for a healthy child - as every parent does. Our oldest son was born with Cystic Fibrosis. We prayed for healing. I even pleaded with God to put whatever punishment he had coming to him on me and my health because I love my son. (Before you write me and assure me that God does not work that way, please bear with my babbling for a moment as a young, immature father.)

We called for the elders of the church to pray for our son’s healing, according to God’s Word:

"Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:14-16, NIV)

We prayed for healing, even claiming verses like this one.

But the healing did not come.

Disappointment comes when our experiences do not match our expectations.

We can become “Practical Atheists.” These are people who would intellectually assent to belief in God, perhaps even attending church on a regular basis. But, looking at their lives as an outside observer, we would conclude that they do not really believe in God.

God does not exist in real life to them.

After I met with one such person in the mountains of North Carolina, he told me in a matter of fact tone of voice,
"I swear there ain't no heaven and I pray there ain't no hell."

• How about you?
  What is your response?

I'd love to hear!

Rejoicing, On the Victory Side!

Beau

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