Forward By the Author

Hi there! You found the 'book blog'. Congratulations! Hope you enjoy it. Wherever you are in the reading, you can click on the menu to the left and pick up in the next chapter.

This post will be the fixed greeting, so don't look here for updates. They will be on your left. And they are in chronological order by chapter.

That ugly symbol in the upper left hand corner is like a copyright protection. If you click on it, you will see what you can and cannot do with the info from this site. Thanks and enjoy!

Oh, and throw the trash from your snacks away. I have enough to do without cleaning up after readers. ;0)

Enjoy!

Chapter Sixteen

A man in a suit walked to the podium and handed the preacher a glass of water. The old gentleman smiled and thanked him. He took a long drink before continuing.

“Thanks Brad. Now, as you all know, we’re starting our faith building series this month. The upcoming sermons are designed to help you, as followers of Christ, know why you believe what you believe.”

Sarah shifted in her seat. Maybe this was a bad idea. This lecture focused on Christians. She didn’t even own a Bible. Sarah looked over at Tyler who was pulling a pen and small notebook from the zippered case his Bible was in. Maybe she could bum some paper off him and doodle. She leaned over and whispered “Hey, can I have some paper?”

Tyler smiled and quietly separated a few sheets from the perforated edge and handed them to her. She whispered thanks to him and looked down at the paper. She leaned over to him again and whispered “Um, how about a pen?” She smiled in embarrassment and fanned her lashes at him.

Tyler reached into the front pocket of his case and handed her his spare pen. He smiled then turned back to his Bible. Sarah didn’t want to seem rude by drawing immediately, so she looked up to the stage.

A screen lowered and the title for the lecture was projected onto it. “How do we know the Bible is true? Well, that’s what I aim to share today.” The preacher glanced at the screen behind him and gestured toward it. “This is the first step in knowing what you believe. If the Bible isn’t true, then all the doctrines we gain from it are worthless. Shall we begin with a word of prayer?” The preacher bowed his head and grasped the podium with both hands.

Sarah sat up straighter. She couldn’t believe it. Hadn’t she just been wondering this very thing? She quickly wrote the title for the lecture at the top of her paper, then the date. She settled back in her seat and prepared to take notes. Sarah hoped he wouldn’t use the Bible too much, or else she wouldn’t be able to keep up.

The preacher finished his prayer and glanced at the screen again. “Now, some of you may expect a whole slew of verses to prove the truth of the Bible. Well, we’ll get there eventually. Trying to prove the Bible is true by using verses from it is like trying to define a word by using it in your definition.

“For now, we’ll focus on outside proofs, or external evidence. This means we’ll look to other sources that help prove the Bible is true. Let me give you the man points we’ll try to hit today, then I’ll go more in depth with each.”

Sarah copied every fact on the list. She wanted to take good notes so she could review later and check things out on the internet. Some of the things the preacher planned to speak about surprised Sarah, since they were things that fit within the scientific community.

“Let’s begin with fulfilled prophecy. Hundreds of prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled down to the letter. Many of these prophecies weren’t fulfilled until long after the writer had died.

The preacher went on sharing examples, and Sarah took detailed notes. She wished they left the information on the screen a little longer so she could write more. The Pastor shared how Christ’s coming to earth fulfilled three hundred prophecies. There were a few more examples comparing the Bible’s one hundred percent accuracy to modern day so-called prophets like Jeanne Dixon and Edgar Cayce. They didn’t even compare.

The preacher clicked a button on the small remote in his hand, and a new slide came up on the screen. “Some of you may be surprised to find there are a lot of verses that show science in the Bible. Now, it’s not always stated in scientific jargon, but it’s the same facts. Let’s take a look.”

He pressed the little button again and the screen filled with verses. Sarah wasn’t really listening to what he was saying, because she was frantically trying to copy every word she saw on the screen. She only hoped she would later understand the abbreviations she scrawled.

Tyler tapped her forearm and leaned over. He had circled something on the back of a paper one of the ‘greeters’ had handed them as they entered the auditorium.

All sermons and sermon notes are
available as free downloads from our
website: http://www.grace-in-gatlin.net.

Sarah laughed in relief. Whew! All the furious writing could stop for now. She leaned back and really started to listen. She smiled at Tyler and mouthed a thank you. She purposely put the cap on her pen and folded her papers.

The scientific findings in the Bible amazed Sarah. Dozens of verses pointed out things writers in the Bible knew thousands of years before ‘modern’ science discovered them.

The facts had Sarah totally drawn in. Until a few days ago she had never even read the Bible. Now she found herself fascinated with the knowledge it contained about the world. The life of Jesus had her interested as well.

The preacher next hit on archaeological evidence, the proof of historians, the proof of people living at the time of Christ, the Bible’s internal consistency, its unique structure, and finally its transforming affect on people’s lives.

When the lecture was over, Sarah was convinced the Bible was true. And if it were true, then all the stories about Jesus were true. She couldn’t wait to read more about Him. Light piano music drew Sarah out of her thoughts.

“Now, maybe you’re here today and you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior. If what the Bible I hold in my hand says is true, and I believe we’ve proven that here today, then we know His purpose for coming to this Earth was to give His life in exchange for ours. He knew all the sins we would ever commit, and still decided we were worth leaving Heaven for.”

The preacher continued to speak. Sarah couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was it possible that Jesus died for her? Could she really have forgiveness of her sins? She had carried such a burden for so long, that guilt was all she knew. What would it be like to have peace?

“If you want to speak with someone who can show you more of what the Bible has to say about Christ’s sacrifice for you, then come to the altar. We have men and women who would love to share with you what Christ has done in their lives, and show you what He can do in yours.”

Sarah didn’t know how it happened, didn’t even feel herself moving, but suddenly found herself led by a woman with a cane into a small room off the back of the auditorium.

The woman, who Sarah guessed to be in her forties, motioned for Sarah to have a seat. There were two chairs and a small wooden table in the room. In the center of the table sat a vase of pale peach carnations, and a box of tissues. After closing the door, the woman sat in the chair across from Sarah.

She held out her hand and introduced herself. “Hi. I’m Nancy. And you are?” Sarah put her hand in Nancy’s. She stated her name. “How can I help you today Sarah?” Nancy smiled, and Sarah could see the genuine desire to help reflecting in her eyes.

“Well, um, I guess I want to know how to have peace in my life. See, I don’t have a great past.” Sarah looked down at her lap, not sure she could tell this stranger the intimate details of her life.

Nancy smiled in an understanding way. “I know what you mean. I don’t have a great past either. None of us do. Sin has separated every one of us from God. We desire peace but are unable to gain it on our own. Would you like to hear how I came to Christ? It might make you feel a little better.”

As Nancy spoke, Sarah’s eyes widened with the sad circumstances of her life. She was pregnant at thirteen and had run off with the baby’s father. They never married, and by the time she was fifteen he ran off with another woman. Nancy was too young to work, and couldn’t support herself, let alone a child. She eventually had her child taken from her. Nancy hadn’t turned to drugs like some had. However, she had become a prostitute to support herself.

Nancy said she had only intended to do it until she had enough money saved up for a car and a deposit on an apartment, but the man who controlled her ‘jobs’ wouldn’t let her go. She eventually ran away from him and ended up in the hospital from a gunshot wound to her left thigh. That was the reason for the cane.

It was during her recovery that she came to Christ. One of the nurses was extremely kind to her, and told her every day that she was praying for her and knew God had big plans for her life.

“I was very stubborn and prideful. Proud of what, I don’t know. There was nothing good in me. But that nurse continued to show me kindness, and the Word of God. The day before my release from the hospital, I accepted Christ as my Savior. My nurse friend took me in and helped me get a job. Slowly my life began to turn around.

“The ground that had been burnt to ash in my past slowly began to sprout with new life. I had hope for the first time in years. Christ became my Rock, my Protector, and my Comforter. Once I knew that my past didn’t matter to Him, I was free. I could finally let go of the weight I had carried. I was indeed a new creature.

“This cane serves as a reminder to me of how God spared my life, and of all that He has forgiven. Christ hasn’t done this for me alone. He’s waiting for you, Sarah, to let Him take that weight from you. Whatever is in your past, Christ has already forgiven it. You just need to accept His gift.”

Sarah thought for a few moments. She wanted to tell Nancy about her past, in case there was something that made her exempt from Christ’s gift. Sarah started at the beginning; from as far back as she could remember. The story poured out of her more easily than she anticipated. She felt clean just sharing with someone else. When she was finished, she looked hesitantly up at Nancy.

Tears filled Nancy’s eyes. “I’m very sorry that happened to you. I want to remind you that you didn’t choose the abuse. You have to know that in no way was any of that your fault. Your Mother is obviously a very troubled woman who has been hurt deeply. However, the stealing and the lying you chose. The hatred you have in your heart for your Mother and those men, that breaks God’s law.”

Sarah hung her head in shame. “I know those things were wrong. It’s just really hard to let it go. Well, thanks for listening. I knew somehow this was not meant for me. I’m sorry I wasted your time. I’ll go now.” She moved to stand.

Nancy took her arm and held it. “No, honey, you don’t understand. It’s your realization that you chose to break God’s law that makes you a perfect candidate for His grace.”

Nancy took her Bible from the table and pulled out a paper with the Ten Commandments on it. Then she opened to verses in the book of Romans. She shared how all people had sinned ever since Adam and Eve had disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. That sin, the breaking of God’s law, separated us from God and we deserved the punishment of Hell.

Jesus had come to reunite us with God. When He shed His blood on the cross, He was the one perfect sacrifice for all sin forever.

Sarah took in every word. It made perfect sense. She was ready to let Christ renew her life. She knew now that all people needed Him as much as she did. She bowed her head, confessed and repented of her sin, and asked Christ to be her Savior.

A deep feeling of peace filled her. She was overwhelmed, and wept quietly. Several emotions were at war inside her. She shed tears in regret of her sin, for her Mother and the life she was trapped in, and for the relief of the burden she had carried.

She wept for the father she had never known, and for the Father she now had. She couldn’t describe how she felt, but she thought it must feel like love. Yes, she felt loved. She kept her eyes closed, and took it in. She didn’t remember ever feeling this way. God cared about her, and now she knew it.

After a few minutes she opened her eyes. Nancy was crying too. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I still think it’s amazing that God could love me. However, He does. Isn’t that wonderful?” Sarah could only nod in agreement. Nancy handed her a tissue, and they both wiped their noses.

“So what do I do now?” Sarah asked. Nancy laughed. “Well, first of all you need a Bible. If you’ll come with me to the book store, I’ll be happy to get you one. And don’t worry- you look fine.” They both giggled, and walked out of the room together. Sarah couldn’t wait to tell Tyler.

2 comments:

Janice said...

'Nancy took her arm and held it. “No, honey, you don’t understand. It’s your realization that you chose to break God’s law that makes you a perfect candidate for His grace.” '

This part is so powerful! I cried! I must be near my feminine time or something! No, I really believe God will use this as a tool to transform peoples lives!

Keep praying for inspiration, and type on!

WendyMom said...

Amen Janice.

And, amen.