The Reason For God: Belief In An Age Of Scepticism Order Printed Copy
- Author: Timothy Keller
- Size: 1.97MB | 266 pages
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About the Book
"The Reason for God" by Timothy Keller addresses the common doubts and questions surrounding Christianity in a modern, sceptical society. Keller argues that belief in God is rational and provides thoughtful responses to common objections, ultimately presenting a compelling case for faith in God. Through engaging with both believers and sceptics, Keller invites readers to consider the reasons for belief in God in a thoughtful and respectful manner.
Evan Roberts
Evan Roberts’ childhood
Evan Roberts was born and raised in a Welsh Calvinist Methodist family in Loughor, on the Glamorgan and Carmarthenshire border. As a boy he was unusually serious and very diligent in his Christian life. He memorised verses of the Bible and was a daily attender of Moriah Chapel, a church about a mile from his home.
Even at 13 years of age he began to develop a heart for a visitation from God. He later wrote “I said to myself: I will have the Spirit. And through all weathers and in spite of all difficulties I went to the meetings… for ten or eleven years I have prayed for revival. I could sit up all night to read or talk about revivals. It was the Spirit who moved me to think about revival.”
Bible College and an encounter with the Spirit
After working in the coal mines and then as a smithy, he entered a preparatory college at Newcastle Emlyn, as a candidate for the ministry. It was 1903 and he was 25 years old.
It was at this time that he sought the Lord for more of His Spirit. He believed that he would be baptised in the Holy Spirit and sometimes his bed shook as his prayers were answered. The Lord began to wake him at 1.00 am for divine fellowship, when he would pray for four hours, returning to bed at 5.00 am for another four hours sleep.
He visited a meeting where Seth Joshua was preaching and heard the evangelist pray “Lord, bend us”. The Holy Spirit said to Evan, “That’s what you need”. At the following meeting Evan experienced a powerful filling with the Holy Spirit. “I felt a living power pervading my bosom. It took my breath away and my legs trembled exceedingly. This living power became stronger and stronger as each one prayed, until I felt it would tear me apart.
My whole bosom was a turmoil and if I had not prayed it would have burst…. I fell on my knees with my arms over the seat in front of me. My face was bathed in perspiration, and the tears flowed in streams. I cried out “Bend me, bend me!!” It was God’s commending love which bent me… what a wave of peace flooded my bosom…. I was filled with compassion for those who must bend at the judgement, and I wept.
Following that, the salvation of the human soul was solemnly impressed on me. I felt ablaze with the desire to go through the length and breadth of Wales to tell of the Saviour”.
Two visions
Needless to say, his studies began to take second place! He began praying for a hundred thousand souls and had two visions which encouraged him to believe it would happen. He saw a lighted candle and behind it the rising sun. He felt the interpretation was that the present blessings were only as a lighted candle compared with the blazing glory of the sun. Later all Wales would be flooded with revival glory.
The other vision occurred when Evan saw his close friend Sydney Evans staring at the moon. Evan asked what he was looking at and, to his great surprise, he saw it too! It was an arm that seemed to be outstretched from the moon down to Wales. He was in no doubt that revival was on its way. If you are in the market for clothes, https://www.fakewatch.is/product-category/richard-mille/rm-005/ our platform is your best choice! The largest shopping mall!
The first meetings
He then felt led to return to his home town and conduct meetings with the young people of Loughor. With permission from the minister, he began the meetings, encouraging prayer for the outpouring of the Spirit on Moriah. The meetings slowly increased in numbers and powerful waves of intercession swept over those gathered.
During those meetings the Holy Spirit gave Evan four requirements that were later to be used throughout the coming revival:
1. Confession of all known sin
2. Repentance and restitution
3. Obedience and surrender to the Holy Spirit
4. Public confession of Christ
The Spirit began to be outpoured. There was weeping, shouting, crying out, joy and brokeness. Some would shout out, “No more, Lord Jesus, or I’ll die”. This was the beginning of the Welsh Revival.
Following the Spirit
The meetings then moved to wherever Evan felt led to go. Those travelling with him were predominately female and the young girls would often begin meetings with intense intercession, urging surrender to God and by giving testimony. Evan would often be seen on his knees pleading for God’s mercy, with tears.
The crowds would come and be moved upon by wave after wave of the Spirit’s presence. Spontaneous prayer, confession, testimony and song erupted in all the meetings. Evan, or his helpers , would approach those in spiritual distress and urge them to surrender to Christ. No musical instruments were played and, often, there would be no preaching. Yet the crowds continued to come and thousands professed conversion.
The meetings often went on until the early hours of the morning. Evan and his team would go home, sleep for 2–3 hours and be back at the pit-head by 5 am, urging the miners coming off night duty to come to chapel meetings.
Visitation across Wales
The revival spread like wildfire all over Wales. Other leaders also experienced the presence of God. Hundreds of overseas visitors flocked to Wales to witness the revival and many took revival fire back to their own land. But the intense presence began to take its toll on Evan. He became nervous and would sometimes be abrupt or rude to people in public meetings. He openly rebuked leaders and congregations alike.
Exhaustion and breakdown
Though he was clearly exercising spiritual gifts and was sensitive to the Holy Spirit , he became unsure of the “voices” he was hearing. The he broke down and withdrew from public meetings. Accusation and criticism followed and further physical and emotional breakdown ensued.
Understandably, converts were confused. Was this God? Was Evan Roberts God’s man or was he satanically motivated? He fell into a deep depression and in the spring of 1906 he was invited to convalesce at Jessie Penn-Lewis’ home at Woodlands in Leicester.
It is claimed that Mrs Penn Lewis used Evan’s name to propagate her own ministry and message. She supposedly convinced him he was deceived by evil spirits and, over the next few years co-authorised with Evan “War on the Saints”, which was published in 1913. This book clearly delineates the confusion she had drawn Evan into.
It left its readers totally wary of any spiritual phenomena of any kind or degree. Rather than giving clear guidelines regarding discerning satanic powers, it brought into question anything that may be considered, or that might be described, as Holy Spirit activity. Within a year of its publication, Evan Roberts denounced it, telling friends that it had been a failed weapon which had confused and divided the Lord’s people.
Evan Roberts the intercessor
Evan stayed at the Penn-Lewis’ home for eight years, giving himself to intercession and private group counselling. Around 1920 Evan moved to Brighton and lived alone until he returned to his beloved Wales, when his father fell ill in 1926. He began to visit Wales again and eventually moved there in 1928 when his father died.
Nothing much is known of the years that followed. Evan finally died at the age of 72 and was buried behind Moriah Chapel on Jan 29th 1951.
May his life be both an example and a warning to all those who participate in revival to maintain humility; keep submissive to the Spirit; be accountable to godly men and women; remain true to their calling; use the gifts God has given, but be wise in the stewardship of their body.
Bibliography An Instrument of Revival, Brynmor Pierce-Jones 1995, published by Bridge Publishing (ISBN 0-88270-667-5).
Tony Cauchi
"Do You Ever Think About Heaven"
Do you ever think about Heaven? The beauty, and how it will be to live in eternity with Jesus? No one knows all about Heaven. And I believe even if we were to see it in person it would be like attempting to define God; overwhelmingly magnificent in so many ways that it would be beyond description. However, some fascinating information about Heaven is in the Bible. So, with the Holy Spirit's prompting, I began to search the scriptures. What I found was a captivating spiritual glimpse of Heaven that I would like to share with you.  Mansions I genuinely believe God has provided a home for us in Heaven “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you,” (John 14:2). There were "many mansions" in Heaven when Jesus made this statement, and He promised to create more. I believe there will be a place prepared for every child of God. Giving up this body will be painful only so far as it pertains to our earthly life, and even that is not as fearful as is typically portrayed, at least not for Christians. The answer is to have absolute belief in God. Having full confidence in His Word brings freedom, and a new dimension to life, and allows us to look forward to whatever He has for us on this earth and for the rest of eternity. The Beauty of Heaven The earth is beautiful with flowers of every color, and symmetry beyond imagination; beautiful fishes in the sea, and the mountains, valleys, rivers, a fantastic variety of animals, birds, seasons of the year, and yes, people, and they are all beautiful. Sunrises and sunsets, so many things we take for granted. But the beauty of the earth cannot compare with the magnificence of Heaven. When we think of Heaven, gates of pearl often come to mind. Pearls can consist of every color. The streets in Heaven are gold, and there is a crystal river flowing from the Throne of God. Biblical descriptions and experiences of those who have visited or received visions of Heaven report a scene of unimaginable beauty. Colors conveying incredible spiritual sensations, and music of another dimension. Heaven will not be a strange experience, but more natural than life on earth; because our citizenship is in Heaven. This earth is not our home. Our home is in Heaven with our Father and our brothers and sisters, with whom we will spend eternity. "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ," (Phil 3:20. NKJV). The Father and Son will be there, and our family members and friends who have passed on. There will be Bible people and prophets and Apostles of the Old and New Testament, angels, and other heavenly beings gathered around the Throne of God, (another beauty beyond description). How Will it be to Live in Heaven? I see death as a door we pass through and on the other side a beautiful new way of life beyond comprehension. I believe when we begin to experience the glory of God, we will surely say, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Cor 15:55). I believe we will have a real lifestyle in Heaven, a home, and that we will know one another: "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known," (1 Cor 13:12, NKJV). There will be no sickness, heartache, pain, or tears because: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away,” (Rev 21:4). Although no one can say with certainty how we will spend our time or what our responsibilities will be, we know that both Jesus and God work, so I believe we will have exciting work: But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working,” (John 5:17). I am sure we will not be sitting on clouds with our feet dangling. I believe we will be busy, and that we will worship God alongside the angels. "And all the angels were standing around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God," (Rev 7:11-12). There are many things the Bible does not tell us about Heaven. But I am convinced that our lifestyle will be like the other Gifts of God, far beyond anything we can ask or think, and that the parts we have not been told will be the best of all. New Heaven and New Earth "For here we have no lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come," (Heb13:14). At some point, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. We will have much to do, and I believe it will be enjoyable and that we will remain young and energetic forever. “In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells,” (2 Pet 3:13). “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.” (Isa 11:6). The Apostle Paul's Heavenly Visit The Apostle Paul, speaking of himself in 2 Cor 12, said: "And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure," (2 Cor 12: 3-4, 7) Later, the Apostle Paul said that he was torn between leaving and staying; and that his only desire for remaining on earth was to tell others about the good news/Gospel, so they could also be with the Lord. "But I am hard-pressed between the two. I have the desire to leave [this world] and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; yet to remain in my body is more necessary and essential for your sake, (Phil 1: 23-24, AMP). Thoughts of Heaven should persuade those who hope for eternal life to follow God’s plan of salvation, and to do everything possible to bring their loved ones and others with them to a Heavenly Home prepared just for them. Jesus is With Us All the Way It is impossible to understand eternity. Even a thousand times ten thousand years will hardly be a mark in eternity. God considered it so valuable that He sent His only begotten Son to give His life so that anyone who was born-again would spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Like John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," the Christian journey to Heaven, except for the Holy Spirit, would be extremely challenging. However, we are not without the Holy Spirit, and Jesus promises to be with us all the way. “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matt 28:20). The sorrows, hardships, disappointments, and pain suffered on earth will be of little importance when we receive the first glimpse of our heavenly home. I often visualize my time of transition into Heaven as an experience so beautiful, fantastic and life-changing that it is difficult to think or concentrate on the troubles that plague humanity. I see my life as a journey, or time of preparation for a big event, the greatest adventure of my life. Although Jesus told us it would be a difficult journey, He also said we should continue and that someday we would hear these beautiful words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” (Matt 25:21, NLT). Samuel Mills
