Dear Friends,
This week two men prayed with me according to the pattern of Luke 18:13 & Romans 10:9.
The first is a married man in his 30s, a biochemist working in drug design in the northeast. He wrote this:
Dear Dr. Tour,
I am reaching out to learn your views on the Resurrection. I came to you via your views on complexity, evolution, and CISS. I do not believe our science is sufficient to adequately describe biological complexity. And I agree that CISS is a key concept in biology. Your arguments have cemented this for me.
I was raised a Roman Catholic, but I lost my faith early on. Moreover, the Resurrection was taught to me at a young age, but I did not accept it. However, due to recent life events, I have developed more spiritual feelings and a sympathy with religious attitudes. As a result, I have been reading the Bible and attending a congregationalist church led by a charismatic minister. I have enjoyed participating in a community that provides a time and space to set aside worldly concerns and connect over higher order principles.
However, I do not believe in the Bible’s miracles. I identify with Thomas Jefferson’s approach whereby he admired Jesus as a philosopher but excised every mention of his divinity from his copy of the Bible. Despite my skepticism, since I greatly admire your rationality and insight, I am open to hearing your views on Christianity and the Resurrection.
Thank you,
We met and he listened intently and quietly. 75 minutes later he was confessing the resurrection and the Lordship of Jesus. He said the evidence for the resurrection was compelling. Like many ex-Catholics, it is not hard to see them back to faith. Truth is a sticky thing. He is now committed to daily scripture reading and agreed to the 13-week discipleship being scheduled through Chuck Lloyd.
I Cor 1 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
The next was a 23-year-old student living in Tanzania (West Africa) calling from his university hostel (dormitory). He wrote:
Subject: RESCUING AN UNDERGRADUATE FROM COMMITTING SUICIDE! Because the thoughts are dominant to my mind now!!!
I know u, replying my email it will be a miracle and it will really say something and prove that God really value me and that it’s true even if I were alone in the world he would still come to rescue me. My desire is to truly believe in Christian faith because it’s seems to make sense, and this has arised after realizing I can’t be stable and live in this world In harmony if there isn’t something I believe and hold tightly , am confused and perplexed and don’t even feel the taste of life and sometimes wish I weren’t present coz, church seems to be a place full of hope but when I return to university as an undergraduate physics and chemistry major I really struggle to blend them together even though I really desire one day to have such a confidence to stand help people who have also been in my situation, I know after getting out of this victorious, I know I will not be able to stop crying if I find someone especially a young person through the very similar situation that I ever had, please sir I need ur help coz I know what I have written doesn’t fully explain what am passing through because I run out of word due to the complexity of my situation it’s self..(do u think can it be possible to believe in jesus as though I have been with him and witnessed his resurrection like Thomas!?
When I responded a few hours later, he wrote:
Oh wow! I am from Tanzania sir! I really need ur help 😔
What an amazing miracle!!
We met by Zoom. I first said, “You will not commit suicide. Do you understand me?” He said, “Yes, sir. Okay.” Then I took him through the gospel and the evidence for the resurrection. He prayed, agreed to daily reading in the scriptures and weekly Bible study for 13 weeks. Chuck is arranging for that.
Acts 16: 9-10, 27-33
9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.
Lord, thank you!
God bless,
Jim Tour
