Let’s Just Chat

We've got the fire going and it's cold outside. Hot chocolate anyone? (Franklin Delano would be proud of us. (I'm not sure if that's a good thing.))

That is actually my fireplace burning my wood, and I am sitting too close. The right distance would be somewhere in the next room, maybe with the door shut. That's a high efficiency fireplace and it's proving that right now.

That is a good thing because it's 16° outside right now. There's also some snow. When I say some, I mean an amount such that if I lived in, say Minnesota, I would be embarrassed to even mention its existence. But here in Alabama, everyone is quite excited, especially the tow truck people, and the collision repair people. Anyway, let's just chat.

When I started this blog (only 4 months ago) my goal was to provide content covering a wide range of topics, centered on God and His word, that would be helpful in bringing people closer to God, no matter what their relation with Him might be at the moment. If a reader was a nominal Christian, I hoped to give them incentive to become active in God's kingdom. If they were active, I hoped to interest them in feeling that activity more deeply, or maybe broaden into other areas of activity in God's kingdom as well. If they were a leader in the church, I hoped to cause them to meditate deeply on the reason for being a leader and what they should be trying to accomplish in that position. If a reader was an atheist, I hoped to present thoughtful arguments which would lead them to question atheism and embrace Christianity.

Those are still my hopes and I admit they are ambitious. I think some who were aware of this effort expected me to be a little more direct and forceful in my approach than what they have detected to this point. On the other hand, many have told me they enjoy and profit from these articles.

To those who are hoping to have me pounding my fist and typing in all caps, I'm not here to disappoint you but I fear I will, anyway. That just is not my nature. There may be a few times when I lean that way just a little bit, but it won't happen much and I am not really comfortable with it. I'm more into a calm, well-reasoned and persuasive argument, and I suppose because that's who I am, that will most likely be the nature of the people I reach as well (assuming I reach any.)

So, no hyperactive jumping up and down on the stage. But some may be disappointed that I haven't shifted into high gear and started answering the Phillipian jailer's question in Acts 16. "What must I do to be saved." This is the question of all questions. I believe I am answering it.

People hear a lot of half truths and semi truths and falsehoods in regard to it. Satan has filled the world with confusion and noise regarding it. Trying to Walk is trying to answer that question and many others by providing an authentic background for answering it and exposing erroneous ideas that have crept into the world's discussion of it by championing the truth. But everything leads to achieving eternal salvation.

From the first, with articles like "Rational? Or Irrational?", "Is Anything RIght, Or Is Everything Right?", "I Am", and "A Rationale for Belief", Trying to Walk has offered thought provoking arguments against atheism and evolution, two philosophies the basis of which is to remove God from the picture. In "For the Love of God", "Which "god" is God", "Mono Times Three", "Connecting With God (#1)", "Wonderful Story of Love", and "On Being God", Trying to Walk has attempted to help people see God's true nature, to see Him as someone who cares about them, has sacrificed for them and is not at all what many of the modern myths portray Him to be.

"Thankful for Thanksgiving" would actually fit into that group as well, but it also portrays this country as having come from the hearts of people who believe in God. The four Christmas related articles in December served the purpose of showing that Christians need not be narrow minded contrarians but that there is a way to praise God and bring glory to Him, and also bring people to Him, through Holiday related activity.

"Starting All Over Again" is a challenge to renew ones efforts to follow God, Try to Walk, if you will. "There Is No Other Way", and "Here Is Water", point out some important salvation truths in a way that people should not miss if they are honestly seeking. "God's In Control" seeks to keep people from believing things about God that He has never claimed, and not to be presumptuous in our understanding of how God works behind the scenes.

These are areas in which, I believe, people make a left or right turn when they should continue in a straight path if they are Trying to Walk with God. Misunderstandings that cause people to go astray must be dealt with. Truths of salvation issues must be stated unequivocally. All this will be done at Trying to Walk. It just takes time to fit everything in.

Keep reading. Keep sharing. Help me reach as many people as we possibly can. Keep praying because God can do this better than either of us.

I appreciate (and need) your support more than you will ever know. Thank you.

• Next week we'll look at how an unchanging God has changed his methods of dealing with people from Genesis through Revelation. (Some good hearted people are not aware of and/or do not understand the dispensations of God's relations with mankind.)