Dumb & Ignorant Statements

In the United States a young boy had a near-death experience and testifies of having visited heaven.  He says he met the Lord Jesus there.  His testimony landed him a book deal, it’s now published and has become a best-seller.  In her introduction to the interview with him and his parents, the television presenter said, “Have you ever wondered if heaven is for real?  After a brush with death, a young boy may have the answers millions of us are looking for.”  A migrant lady from Thailand phoned a popular radio announcer here in Australia.  She talked of a cultural practice and then said, “I’m hoping to get to heaven, you see.”  He laughed and replied, “I think we’re all hoping to get to heaven, whatever we believe our version of it to be.”

After hearing such dumb & ignorant statements coming from the TV and Radio people, who gave the impression of thinking themselves to be anything but dumb & ignorant, I am yet again left to ponder the horrendous price that people are paying all over the world for not simply their ignorance of the Bible, but more importantly their rejection of the Bible.  What are they left with?  This is what they’re left with … “I think” “I wonder” “I’m hoping” “I hope” “I wish” “May be” Might be” “Could be” “Don’t know” “Not sure” “Hope so”  And so, with those thoughts and opinions underpinning them, such thinkers then go on to follow others like-minded who are verbalizing the same dumb stuff.

On the other hand, they appear to be so sure of themselves with their beliefs.  That is, until some personal, national or world tragedy and disaster strikes … then it’s a different story.  Fear then manifests in their being which is always discernible in their eyes if not in their speech.  Someone reading this post may be asking themselves if the writer of it has any compassion in his heart for such people.  Yes, lots for the people, but not for their dumb statements.  Think about it.  How dumb is it for someone to say in relation to heaven, “a young boy may have the answers millions of us are looking for.”  How dumb is it for someone to say in relation to heaven, “whatever we believe our version of it to be.” ?

It’s all good stuff for people’s emotions and itching intellect, but it’s powerless for anything else; it can never bring change to a person’s being.  Besides, if these people refuse to believe the word and witness of Jesus Christ, they are not going to believe the word and witness of anybody else.  That’s what Jesus was on about with His parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31.  Another dumb & ignorant statement was made recently by a woman on TV.  She’s a strong advocate for the elimination of all prayer and Bible teaching from the schools here in the State of Victoria, “leaving the children free to make up their own minds about religion without having it forced down their throats.”

Think about the dumbness of that statement … and now apply it to reading, writing, mathematics, science etc.  Imagine her reaction to you or me wanting to get rid of these so as they can be, “free to make up their own minds, without having it forced down their throats.”  If it were within her power we would quickly be processed for the mental home.  More than one influential media person is against the Bible and Christianity being taught in public schools, yet at the same time they are scratching their heads in wonder as to why we have such an increase in violence and breakdown in today’s society.

They point the finger of blame to who and whatever, but they have no solutions.  How dumb!  How ignorant!  Oh yes, many of them in their patronizing do acknowledge the existence of a “higher being.”  Some will even call Him God … but, “the (true) Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile (profitless, vain, empty)“ 1 Corinthians 3:20.  They become just as Romans 1:21 says – vain in their imaginations with foolish, darkened hearts.  This is applying even to church people.  I was sitting talking to a lady in her early 70’s, a faithful practitioner of her religion since she was a young child.  Baptized in her church, confirmed, married for well over 40 years, putting all her kids through the same stuff etc.

She asked about the change she saw in me in comparison to what she remembered from years ago.  I told her it was the Lord Jesus who did that but that it had nothing to do with faithful, religious practice and all to do with practicing faith in the Lord Himself, embracing the promises revealed from His word, the Bible.  She frowned at that statement, rejected the Bible and tried to relate my experiences to those taught in her church … “I think” “I wonder” “Might be.”  I said, “No, I’m speaking about the reality of Jesus, not religion; have you ever experienced the reality of Jesus?”  She said, “No, I never have.”  I said, “That’s the problem with religious practice it gets in the way and blocks one from encountering the Lord.”  More, “I think” “Don’t know” etc.

This same lady is closely related to a man soon to die from a terminal illness.  He is of the same denominational persuasion as her and has been equally as faithful to his church, plus equally as ignorant of the Bible, except as it is taught in his church.  I asked the lady how he was handling his impending death and she said, “He’s not handling it very well.”  Question is, how could he?  The god he’s relied on all these years is failing to turn up when he needs him most.  The same goes for the lady.  I shared with her some of my physical healing experiences and she told me she’s had severe back pain, “for years and years.”

She asked me how I knew it was Jesus Who healed me and I responded by saying that on the first occasion, I simply asked Him for it based on what I had read about Him from a book.  In later times I asked for it based on the Bible promises.  I also shared of some times when God used me to pray for others and they too got healed.  She then said, “So you’re telling me that if you pray for me I’ll get healed?”  I said, “No, it depends on God, His leading and His timing and, it may well depend on how much you’re willing to believe.”  I made that last remark based on the skepticism I discerned from the tone of her voice in that question.  She then said, “Ok.  That’s enough.”

I love it when religious people say to me, “Ok. That’s enough.”  It allows me to make one final statement to them … which is, “I’m not asking you to believe a word I said – that’s the difference between me and your religious people.”  Often it makes them angry, but it always disarms them.  After that lady confessed to never having experienced the reality of God in her long religious life, I lay awake nearly all that night grieving in prayer saying, “Lord, they don’t know You.  What a waste; what a tragedy!”  But what’s never a waste is the opportunity to stand and proclaim the biblical Jesus in spite of all the devil’s fiery darts.

Besides, I have spoken to many religious people devoid of Scripture but filled with “I think” “I wonder” Don’t know” “Not sure” etc, and whilst they may not have turned away from their religious upbringing, some of them did turn to the biblical Lord Jesus and got to experience His reality.  With continued prayer there’s every chance the same will happen for her. The Lord knows who He’s drawing to Himself and it won’t surprise me if I find out later that her back pain has now become a thing of the past.  Whilst lying awake in the middle of the night alone with her thoughts, doubts, confusions and fears plus the endurance of her physical pain, “that’s enough” is never going to be enough!

Another dumb & ignorant statement … “the Bible is an outdated piece of ancient literature used by the religious to control the ignorant, the superstitious or otherwise.”  So say the ignorant, the superstitious – or otherwise.  In my post:Just about everybody was an expert I make mention of the fact that most of the people who shared that belief with me had in fact never read the Bible, they had simply parroted the viewpoints and opinions of others.  How dumb is that when in fact, the Bible is the only book to contain living and active power and  authority to effectively release people from their ignorance, superstitions – or otherwise.  And as for heaven, there’s no other book in all the world to tells us accurately what it is and how to get there.

As well as being, ‘a personal view, attitude or appraisal’, the dictionary tells us an Opinion is: ‘a belief based on grounds short of proof.’  Or: ‘a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.’  How about that?!  I believe that most people who hold to them so tightly and dearly have never ever gone to a dictionary to check out the correct meaning of that word!  If they had done so, perhaps they would now hold them very loosely, as they diligently continued checking out the facts on them.  You see, that’s what separates the Holy Spirit-led, Jesus Christ-centered, Bible-based believer from the rest of the crowd.

People accuse us of being brainwashed and blind-faith followers, but no no no … those labels belong to followers of man-centered religions, secular philosophies and evolutionary humanist beliefs.  Biblical Christians speak the same language as their Leader – “God says….” “I say to you” “I know” “Assuredly so.”  And they’re hated for it!  Why?  Because he or she is a powerful threat to the one who can only say, “I think” “I wonder” “I’m hoping” “I hope” “I wish” “May be” Might be” “Could be” “Don’t know” “Not sure” “Hope so”  As well, Biblical believers don’t care who thinks of them as being dumb & ignorant … that label doesn’t stick, it simply rolls off like water off a duck.

Jesus has told us that He is the light of the world and those who follow Him have the light of life.  We do not stumble around in darkness and confusion as the rest of the crowd does John 8:12.  What’s the alternative?  It is to allow yourself to follow blind leaders – religious or otherwise.  If you do that, you will end up becoming as blind as he is and both of you will fall into a ditch Matthew 15:14.  Now, if it was only a ditch Jesus was talking about, the worst that can happen is you’ll get a broken leg.

But He’s not talking about a ditch, He’s talking about that which will defiles your innermost being.  If you allow that to continue, then it doesn’t matter how many young boys write books  about heaven; it doesn’t matter how many versions of heaven you dream up, there is still only one … and you won’t make it there.  I say this with love. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15.