Scriptural Reference:
The Beginning
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Journey through the Wilderness
First, God confronted Moses and arrested his attention at the scene of the burning bush (Exod. 3:2-5)

Post Christian Attitudes

"My deeply held belief is that if a god of anything like the traditional sort exists, our curiosity and intelligence were provided by such a god 
... on the other hand if such a god does not exist then our curiosity and intelligence are the essential tools for survival. In either case the 
enterprise of knowledge is essential for the welfare of the human species"
Carl Sagan

"It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere"
Voltaire

"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him"
Volataire

“Religion is an illusion of childhood, outgrown under proper education.”
Auguste Comte

The Romans Road
"As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned 
away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
Romans 3:10-12

"For the wages of sin is death"
Romans 6:23

"but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:9

Reflection:

Where did we come from?

• A beautiful beginning:
  • Imagine waking up to picture perfect garden. The weather is warm and balmy. Scattered clouds drift across a blue sky. Animals wandering around without fear and without any signs of aggression. There's plenty of fruit and vegetables. The water is always flowing cold and refreshing Welcome to Eden. A unique garden created by God for two very special people. Who represent humanity as it began all humanity. This is the place we all were meant to live. In harmony with our God our Creator.
• A tragic fall from God's Grace:
  • Yet something went terribly wrong. The stage was set for perfect harmony and a life of peace, Yet it was broken by the choices made by Adam and Eve. The choice prompted by the serpent who enticed Eve to question God's intentions when He told her and Adam not eat eat from a particular tree. It was by Eve's choice to test the fruit and to tempt and encourage Adam to eat the fruit as well. Seeking to challenge God and to believe they would know right from wrong.

What have we been doing?

• God selects a people to be His
  • From the beginning of time God had chosen a people for his own. It was God who chose Abram to journey into a new relationship between them and God. God called him from his home in Ur of the Chaldees, an area steeped in idolatry. Abram had no knowledge of the true God or His plans to choose a special people for Himself, nor did he know that the Saviour of the world would be among his offspring. Genesis 12:1–2 says, “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonours you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” In these verses, we see God’s reasons for choosing Abraham.
  • It was Gods grand design and desire to work with creation. To bring them to a point when they would be completely reunited with Him in paradise. This is why He chose first the Isrealites and later all of humanity. By creating the world and all that is in it and then selecting a people to call His own; God laid the foundations for all of humanity.
• Mention the love~hate relationship with God
  • The love hate relationship that people have had with God does all the ways back the Genesis. From the first challenge by Eve and Adam to Gods authority in the Garden to many ongoing rebellious acts by His people. God's chosen people have strayed over and over. Yet as many times as they left Him God would return and rescue them. A sort of spiritual game of tug a war. His people would promise to be faithful. They would later return to their idolatrous ways. Soon a threat would arise and they would cry out to God for salvation. God would intervene and save them. Sadly His people would become lulled into a sense of self righteousness and return to their ways.

How did we get here?

• The age of enlightenment and discourse
  • We may attribute many good things to the Age of Enlightenment. Yet not everything that was developed was to the benefit of all mankind. It is true that during this period ,any scientists and thinkers who contributed to the Enlightenment were Christians (Newton for one). However, as a whole, the movement became about rejecting Christian ideas in favour of classical philosophy (ancient Greek, Roman, etc.) and the idea that one did not need faith in God to explain the world. It was through this physical philosophy that many were lead to believe that humanity was independent of God. People became more obsessed with their own existence than those around them. The world became more divided then ever. With any form of religion being derided to fairy tales and folklore. Oddly though Christianity became the focus for most rationalist and humanist groups.
• Mention the self righteous attitudes of humans
  • Cogito, Ergo Sum, (Latin: “I think, therefore I am) is a dictum coined by the French mathematician and philosopher René Descartes in his Discourse on Method (1637). A favourite of many humanists and rationalists. The beginning of rational thought seems to originate from within. Not from a greater source but from the human ego. For many who deny Gods existence they will seek to create an inner god. Self righteous attitudes create a negative reaction to any form of spirituality. From the beginning of the age of enlightenment to today; people have been openly rebelling against God. Moving further away from Him. In fact, we live in an age when there has been a generation that has had no experience of a church community. We have entered what may be called Postchristianity. Which is the era in which Christianity is no longer the dominant civil religion of a society/ Being replaced by a range of emotions, feelings and quasi truths.

Where can we go from here?

• The stage is set for dark times ahead
  • Christianity depicts the end time as a period of tribulation that precedes the second coming of Christ. Where Christians will face the rise of the Antichrist along with his dark forces openly waging war against God. As Christians we have been called to be ready to face this challenge when it occurs. Yet there will be many who will deride us and say that it hasn't happened. Or why would it happen now. The truth is in the Bible. For those who are willing to study the Bible they will learn some of the signs that will reveal what is expected in the end days. We are told that the world will become even more hostile towards Christianity as it starts to clamp down on all forms of religious faith and belief. That a world power will take control and force people to take a mark whereby they are able to buy and sell. Anyone who refuses this mark will be starved or arrested.
  • Our world is slowly moving towards what is called a cashless society. We have also experienced a pandemic with the Wuhan virus that has begun to impact on our health and our freedoms. Many are now excluded from working or associating with others due to the fact they are not vaccinated. I am one of these people. I am not allowed to do my volunteer work visiting nursing homes as part of a community visitors scheme. I am also not permitted to work in a local nursery with others who are vaccinated. As I am deemed to be unclean. Yet humanity has been conditioned to deem me as the problem.
• The End of Times and the coming struggles
  • As expressed, the world is going through a dark time. A period in history that is setting us all up for more hardship and threats. Christians need to rely on God more then ever. We need to attend a foundational Bible believing church where the Word of God, the Bible, is preached as 'the word of God'. And not, as in many diluted churches these days, as maybe having gods words. Along with words that can be ignored. As they conflict with people personal lifestyle choice. Christians need to return to God as the only source of their salvation. Each day we will struggle more and more with those who will mock and laugh at our faith. People who are challenged by our very trust in the saving Grace of Jesus the Christ.

Prayer:

• Heavenly Father,
  • I am not good by instinct,
  • My thoughts betray me
  • My choices lead me astray
• It is in this time of upheaval,
  • When the world is hostile
  • When family friends turn against me
• I will stay focused on you,
  • On your amazing Grace
  • On your steadfast love
• Keep me strong to face the future,
  • As I praise your name
  • As I share the Gospel

Amen