8 years. That's how long it took Pantego Bible Church to get a sign up to let people know where we're located. Don't ask me about the obstacles. But, for 8 years, we've been "the best kept secret in Fort Worth." Now, we enjoy a beautiful new monument sign on I30 to point the way.
I recently had a conversation with a fellow who asked why God doesn't reveal Himself. God would attract more customers if He erected a monument marque with flashing lights and five foot letters that alerted the world driving by Him everyday. Perhaps God needs a marketing department to make Himself known.
Truth is, signs of God are all around us. The Bible points out several proofs of His presence and His person. First, the created order signifies the reality of an intelligent Creator [see "must see movie" post below]. God's Divine fingerprints are all over the beauty and majesty of the sun setting over the Rocky Mountains as well as the intricate mechanics of the human body [Darwin admitted that the sophistication of the eye was one of the obstacles to his own evolutionary hypothesis. See "Problems With My Theory" chapter in Origin of Species]. Psalm 91 affirms, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." In Romans 1:20, Paul writes that we know God by observing what God has made. Creation is a signpost to God.
Second, human morality points to God's existence. In Romans 2:14-15, the Apostle Paul notes that when non-religious folks do "good things" that they "ought" to do, they prove that there is a law scribed on their heart--a law not taught to them through Sunday school classes or Bible teaching, but an internal, universal law common to all people. Some will argue that this sense of "oughtness" is culture-bound, the product of each unique civilization. However, there exists a fundamental moral code which transcends all cultures at all times. Such laws include not stealing, not murdering, not being selfish and so on. Such morality cannot be the product of mere biology. It reflects a greater code, beyond our cultures and beyond individual selves. It must come from a God who reflects perfect morality, truth and life.
Third, basic science proves the reality of God. The problem with the Big Bang theory is that, while it attempts to answer problems relating to the generation of single-cell life and beyond, it doesn't deal with the first strike of the match. In other words, many scientists are content to assume that the "stuff" necessary to make a bang simply existed. No idea where that stuff came from. It just was. This proposition, of course, violates an important principle of science which states that every effect must have an equal and sufficient cause. In other words, everything that happens must have something that made it happen. So, a Big Bang must have a Big Bang maker. Without addressing the first cause, science is left hanging. The Bible begins with the words "In the beginning, God..." [Genesis 1:1]. This introduction takes us before the beginning. It points us to a "first cause." What you believe happened after God isn't nearly as important as your realization that nothing "banged" without a big God who "made the world and everything in it" [Acts 17:24]. The world itself is sign of the existence of God who has the power to call everything into being.
A fourth sign of God is God's people. You can learn alot about my family by watching my kids. Similarly, the world watches God's children and gets a glimpse of who God must be. My neighbors see my grace, forgiveness, joy, peace, hope, generosity and compassion and wonder about what's inside me. That's how I came to meet God personally--I noticed spiritual qualities in a friend which highlighted the undeniable reality of God. Our lives are proofs that God is and who God is.
Pantego Bible Church is no longer a secret, tucked back in the woods of east Fort Worth. The whole world can drive by a see where we are. And, if the world doesn't suppress God's signposts [cf. Romans 1:18-19], made plain since the beginning of time, they will see Him too.
4 comments:
I have a feeling when the last plant is in and the first night it is lit, the obstacles(some thorns) it took to get there will melt away and may even be looked at as blessings. Who knows, a parking lot expansion may be needed to hold all the new visitors.
I am expecting BIG THINGS to happen and for God to get the glory.
Thanks Scott! I know YOU want none of the glory....but, without you, we couldn't have done it. Thanks for all your help!
I can't wait to see how God uses that handsome sign for His glory. I can hear the stories now ..."i was near the end of my rope when i was driving down I-30 and saw a sign for Pantego Bible Church and decided God might have something for me by going to church. So i did..."
I still haven't seen the sign! Everytime I'm on 30 whizzing past it, I'm busy trying not to be killed. I am forced to choose between seeing the sign or hitting somebody. So far, I've made the appropriate choice. :-) A woman who I work with has seen the sign and thinks it's beautiful. She wants to know the significance of the leaf in our logo.
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