The Meaning of Life

22. THE UNSEEN POWERS
COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.
Earlier, I referred to evil spirits, demonic powers, and spiritual forces. I have also mentioned angels and introduced a character called Satan, but thus far have not explained who or what these spiritual powers are. Therefore, it is important to develop a distinct picture of exactly how life relates to these spiritual beings. To have any chance of fully understanding the meaning of life it is essential we understand the unseen powers of life.

It is because most people in the western world have adopted a scientific approach to what they accept and believe, that we struggle to understand the invisible and more intangible aspects of life.

Now there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the scientific approach. It makes perfect sense and it is sound practice to investigate things from a scientifically rational point of view. Those things that have a verifiable quality, whether visible or invisible, can be examined and studied by scientific method and the evidence of their characteristics and effects can be readily documented and understood. Our modern technology and the wonderful scientific advances we have accomplished over the decades is manifest proof of the merit of this approach. In fact so successful has science become in our technological society that it has been elevated to the primary basis upon which we will believe anything.

This approach is fine to a point. But science can't prove love and love is surely one aspect of life we would all agree is indispensable. Science also struggles to adequately explain the paranormal. Yet there are certainly enough unexplained experiences in life, to establish beyond a doubt, that something more is going on around us that just can't be studied in a test tube or with any number of scientific methods.

Apart from our tendency to believe only what we can see or prove by scientific methodology, we must at least be prepared to consider that there is more to this life than what we know by scientific proof.

Well there certainly is, and it is only when we come to grips with the broader picture that we can begin to understand the world around us better.

Unfortunately, much of what I propose is not provable by scientific experimentation, however I believe the application of sound reason and logic will establish the validity of the propositions. In addition, some effects of spiritual interaction are observable in life, though often no more than a behaviour or feeling.

Scripture teaches us that this world consists of both visible and invisible elements. We have no difficulty accepting invisible elements such as electricity and radio/television waves. These invisible elements, among others, can be scientifically generated and measured.

However the world consists of more than the physical. There is a spiritual component to life that is far less understood yet is of equal, if not more significance, than the physical.

The fact that there is a spiritual component to life is evident in the experience of the paranormal and supernatural.

It is not for me to develop a detailed record of the vast range of paranormal incidences that have been reported and documented over time. I am confident that you will have heard of sufficient events that can only be classified as paranormal.

Therefore, it is only necessary to outline the scope of that which we classify as paranormal to justify a claim to its existence, and the obvious link to an unseen spirit realm.

Ghosts, apparitions, poltergeists, etc., extra sensory perception (esp.), séances, astrology, divination, demonic possession or manifestation, witchcraft, voodoo, astral travel, levitation and spiritual healing are all examples of the paranormal. These are merely examples of the more common types of paranormal activity but they are sufficiently widespread that they cannot be simply dismissed out of hand.

What then, is the nature of our world?

As mentioned above, this world consists of both the physical and the spiritual. The physical is generally visible and the spiritual is generally invisible. The physical is self-evident but the spiritual is not.

Many people accept that the spiritual consists of both good and evil, while others see the spiritual as an impersonal force. Throughout history, man has generally interpreted the spiritual component of life in terms of religion or gods, and through a wide range of material, we can study any number of approaches throughout the ages. It is therefore expedient to simply acknowledge that a variety of views exist on an interpretation of the spiritual.

The spirit world is all around us. It operates from another dimension that we cannot see but it is as real as the world we know. In this spirit realm exist spiritual beings both good and evil and they are capable of interacting with this world. Now just as this world is subject to the laws of God, so too is the spirit world.

One way of appreciating the effect of the spiritual is to consider our own thought processes. There are three sources from which a thought can come. These are from man, God, or Satan. It is in the spirit realm we find that both God and Satan exist.

Few people would doubt that both good and evil are real. The question is however, are good and evil personalities or powers, or merely a subjective moral judgement.

Certainly man can do both good and evil. We see the evidence of this in our natural world. Therefore, is it not reasonable to expect that in a spirit world, both good and evil also exist. We understand that God is invariably good so we can infer that evil has an alternative source. It is also reasonable then to expect that good has its source in a benevolent God while evil has its source in a malevolent Satan. The concept of an impersonal force where both good and evil maintain an equilibrium, may be interesting but is inevitably baseless.

The unseen forces of the spirit realm are naturally divided then into either good or evil - there are no neutral forces. The evidence for their existence is not just found in the biblical record, but most other religions acknowledge an unseen spirit realm, while the instances of unexplained and paranormal events also give credence to their existence.

The two kingdoms of the spiritual realm and the nature of these spirit beings are further explained in the following chapter, but before doing so there is one aspect of life that is important to understand in respect of human nature and the forces of good and evil.

At this point I simply want to introduce an element of life that is not well understood. That is the power of sin. ………

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23. THE TWO KINGDOMS

COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth - the universe we see about us. At some time either prior to His universe creation or immediately after the creation of the universe, God also created angels. It is however commonly accepted that the angelic creation was pre-man.

At this time there existed but one kingdom - the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is effectively the realm over which God has total governance. This is in actuality everything - both visible and invisible and of every dimension.

This realm of God is essentially spiritual - it is not visible in our natural world.

In the course of time a rebellion unfolded where Lucifer, one of three archangels, became filled with pride and decided to "be like the most high God". Consequently God cast him out of heaven and he became God's adversary Satan.

In Lucifer's demise from heaven, he took about one third of the angels with him into rebellion against God. This act established a second but inferior kingdom of Satan.

Therefore, the spirit realm consists of two distinct kingdoms and both good and evil beings.

It is worthwhile at this point to consider one or two things. Firstly, once Lucifer rebelled, God could have simply judged him and exacted punishment for his rebellion. Why God chose to defer his punishment is interesting. And angels, although not made in the image of God as man has been, do have freewill like man. God has probably allocated them a defined mandate, just as He has for man. It is possible then that by not judging Lucifer's rebellion immediately, God was allowing him to fulfill the mandate He had previously given him.

Secondly, God had not yet created man. I am sure God knew before He created angels that Lucifer would rebel, just as He knew the choices Adam and Eve would make before He made them. It is interesting to contemplate the plan of God here. God went ahead and made man knowing He had an adversary in Satan - an adversary that would actively seek to destroy God's creation, man.

These acts of God are strong evidence that He made man with full knowledge of the role Satan would play, and the outcomes that would be derived in the course of human existence. It is also strong evidence to support the concept that love demands alternative options, and that Satan was allowed of God to tempt man and give man a clear alternative in the course of life.

Despite the enormity of human suffering that has transpired over history, God's purposes and plan will accomplish such a fantastic outcome, the end will justify the means. I find comparisons so inadequate but perhaps the closest parallel I can use is from war. Throughout history, nations have sacrificed much to repel evil. Many lives and possessions have been lost fighting to retain liberty and justice. We look back on these events and acknowledge that the cost was worth it. In a similar way, I believe we will be able to do the same when God's purposes and plan have come to fruition.

Following Lucifer's rebellion, God proceeded to create life on earth where He made man and all that is in the earth. God then gave man dominion over the earth and all life on it.

We have from the outset of the creation of man, two kingdoms and two realms. There is the superior kingdom of God and the inferior kingdom of Satan. There is the invisible spirit realm and the visible physical realm we know as the world.

Both kingdoms and both realms operate under specific boundaries and laws of God.

To understand just how life works is something of a challenge but we have enough information to make good sense of it even if some of the specifics elude our comprehension. The critical thing to appreciate is that man has been given dominion in the world. That means that most of what happens in our lives is a direct result of the decisions and actions of man, or more specifically the society in which we live.

To better understand how this world works, we need to know the dynamics of it. To begin with we must acknowledge both the seen and the unseen worlds. All that we see with our eyes and experience with our senses or can detect with our technology is part of the physical world. This is God's creation, as we perceive it. It is real but we are told in scripture that it is temporal - it will not endure forever.

There is a realm that exists that we don't see that is the spirit world. It is in the spirit realm that both God and His adversary Satan inhabit. It is only in the spiritual world that the eternal exists.

Since the spiritual world is eternal, it is superior in nature to the physical world. Therefore it is able to interact with the physical world at any time.

If we understand that a lesser dimension cannot bind a greater dimension, we can better understand the superior nature of the spiritual world. Just as a two dimensional plane cannot hold a three dimensional object, our four dimensional world (the three dimensions of space + the fourth dimension of time), cannot hold anything from the greater dimensional world of the spiritual realm.

Once Jesus was raised from the dead, He was able to appear on earth, be touched, and eat. Yet He could also translate Himself from one location to another instantaneously, appearing to His disciples in a shut-up room in such a manner they thought He was a ghost. As an aside, although Jesus was still in His natural body, having been raised from the dead, He had not yet ascended to heaven (when He went up into heaven in a cloud), and so had not received His new glorified body - the kind of body every believer will receive at the resurrection of believers.

In the natural world man has dominion. God gave man dominion over the natural world at the beginning of creation. With both dominion and freewill, man must bear full responsibility for the state of the natural world. It was man's decision to reject God's authority as God and to take self-government upon himself. It was this act of freewill and a continual maintenance of the option of self-government that has perpetuated and exacerbated the corruption and degradation of the natural world.

Since the natural world and all that is in it is God's creation, He naturally retains ownership of it. Consequently, God has every right to exert His authority and His will upon this natural world as He so chooses. God does however remain true to His Word. If God has ordained something, He will not act contrary to what He has ordained.

Therefore, God has bound Himself to act according to His Word and He will not necessarily change things simply because they have not gone in accordance with man's wishes. This is particularly so when man's choice has been exercised and terrible consequences have eventuated. As terrible as they may be, man must bear the responsibility for his actions and wear the consequences of those actions.

Often times man's choices are contrary to God's will, yet God allows man to have his own way because He has ordained that man has dominion. This is understood to be God's permissible will.

In the spiritual world exists a place we know as heaven - God's dwelling place and the headquarters of His kingdom. Scripture tells us that there are at least three heavens as the apostle Paul was transported into the third heaven. We believe it is this heaven where God abides and reigns supreme. God is a triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and in the realm of heaven are the angels and other various beings of which we know just a little.

Also in this spiritual world, but outside this particular heaven, exist spiritual beings that are in rebellion against God. Leader of this rebellion is Satan and he has both angels and demons under his authority. Satan is not omnipresent like God - he can only be in one place at one time. His kingdom however is everywhere and it consists of hierarchies like any other kingdom. Scripture describes his hierarchy as "principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." When the term Satan is used it also conveys by implication his kingdom hierarchy. Obviously Satan personally can only be in one place at one time, so when you read or hear that Satan is doing this or that, it is by implication, his spiritual agents of evil undertaking that work on his behalf.

These forces create strongholds that exist in human thinking. Scripture makes clear that the greatest battle with Satan takes place in the minds of men. Philosophies, religions, arguments, and traditions founded on the basic principles of this world (regarded in scripture as empty deceit and false teaching) are the object of Satan's activity and it is this domain that Satan is engaged in contest with God

World conspiracies where Satanists are plotting to destroy nations, enclaves of Satanists scheming to infiltrate communities to ensnare and enslave vulnerable innocents, or covens of witches working spells among society, are the stuff of novels. Certainly evil seeks its expression wherever it can and Satan strives to have ascendancy at the highest level of human government and authority. However, the most obvious expression of evil triumphing is in the slaughter of so many lives in African conflicts, the ravaging of a nation like Afghanistan, and acts of terrorism like that perpetrated against the twin towers in New York city.

People who do not believe in God generally do not believe in Satan either. Interestingly enough there are people who do believe in God but do not believe in Satan. How they reconcile this when the scriptures have many references to him I can't fathom, but the invisibility of it all makes this kind of thinking possible. There are of course people who believe in Satan to the extent they become Satanists, but these are a very small minority in any society.

Scripture also tells us that Satan is the prince of the power of the air. We know too that Satan does not live on the earth, even though he does walk upon it often. If the heaven we see above the earth, the observable heaven with stars and all is the first heaven, then it is likely Satan's dwelling is in the second heaven. It is from here he commands his hordes to exact evil at every available opportunity.

While the spiritual realm exists in a greater dimension than those we are familiar with i.e. time and space, it is at the same time very much an active part of this natural world of ours. Because the spiritual world is integrated with the natural world, all spiritual beings have access to human affairs.

Therefore the dynamics of this natural world of ours is one where God acting for good seeks to influence man for good and Satan acting for evil seeks to influence man for evil. Since man has dominion in the earth, the choices he makes for either good or evil will have significant consequences in this world.

The structure of life and the dynamics of this world are of course all consigned under the pre-determined rules of God. In essence God has set boundaries and laws for this world of ours, which operate consistently, and even He only ever acts in accordance with these rules and boundaries.

Our responsibility is to learn these rules, laws, and boundaries that God has set, and to operate in accordance with them. When we do so, things go well for us. When we break them, the consequences are usually tragic or at least painful.

As Satan's rebellion against God resulted from his desire to be "like the most high God", it is not surprising that as a result of God using Satan to provide man with the alternative option love demands, that Satan tempted man to be "like God Himself". From this we should recognise pride as man's greatest nemesis.

Satan's kingdom consists not only of fallen angels, but also of demonic beings or spirits that are an integral part of his realm. Just how or where these originate from is unclear, but they are personalities that are able to invade the lives of human beings and effect varying degrees of bondage within the human condition.

When you hear someone say, "The devil made me do it", there may actually be an element of truth in such a statement. Many a person has committed acts of wrongdoing they never initially purposed to commit or perhaps went further than they had ever intended. In the heat of the moment, demonic forces can momentarily exert a measure of influence or even control over a person to act wickedly and to some extent that person can be powerless to resist.

This should not absolve them of responsibility, as personal accountability for every act of wrongdoing is fundamental for a just society. However, much as we recognize that an individual who has suffered abuse may well become an abuser, acknowledging spiritual influences should help us to better understand how people can do such wicked things.

Extreme cases of demonic possession can appear to be just like a severe mental impairment or even insanity, and in such circumstances, diminished responsibility may then be a reasonable defense. However, in most instances, demonic influence is generally a result of habitual wrongdoing or willful pursuit of occult practices.

Eastern and African cultures are far more ready to acknowledge this spiritual dimension to life than the West. In our society we invariably accord inexplicable or unnatural behaviour as mental illness. The fact remains that in certain such cases the problem is as much one of demonic oppression or possession as it is of mental illness.

Certainly not all mental conditions are the result of demonic activity, however the extent to which demonic activity has caused the mental illness is indeterminable, but ought not to be dismissed.

Demonic activity is not limited to mental illness but can also cause physical illness.

If we can grasp the concept of two parallel worlds, the natural world co-existing with a spiritual world, we are much better equipped to understand how life really works.

Because God gave man dominion over this natural world, its state is the direct result of mans' choices. From the outset this world was squarely in the kingdom of God. When man chose to accept Satan's proposition over God's Word, man effectively relegated earth to the kingdom of Satan.

Since the beginning of the creation when God spoke to man and then allowed Satan to speak to man, things have not changed. Throughout time, both God and Satan have continued to influence the decisions of man. ………

25. WHAT MAN IS

COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.

To better understand how life works, we need to more clearly understand our own make up.

The human is a complex being with exceptional potential and capability. Throughout history man has accomplished remarkable achievements in every field of endeavour, demonstrating tremendous feats of both mind and body - feats both incredibly noble and unbelievably despicable.

Man is truly an enigmatic creature as so much anthropological study confirms.

Modern science has still not been able to comprehensively explain how we work, the complex relationship between brain and body, psychology and physiology. We sure know a lot more than we used to and what we do know is exceedingly useful for both mental and physical health and well-being.

It is because man is more than just a brain and a body that he is so difficult to figure out. Advanced discoveries in genetics and quantum leaps in DNA research will certainly add further knowledge and understanding to knowing what we are and how we work, but until the spiritual aspect of man is taken more seriously, we will never get the full picture.

The human condition can be studied under any one of a number of scientific or medical fields. The objective of this chapter is to examine the constitution of man from a religious perspective - or more specifically from references to man as conveyed through the Christian bible.

What is evident in experience, yet not widely accepted scientifically, is that man is basically tripartite. Biblically speaking, man consists of three distinct parts - each independently distinctive, yet intrinsically interdependent. These are the spirit, soul, and body. In simple terms, we can divide the integrated human constitution into parts of a whole that we can recognise more easily. Just how each part works within the whole, where each resides, and how dependent or independent each is cannot fully be known, neither is it necessary that we do.

What we can know is how these three fundamental elements of the human being basically function, and how they fit into the purpose and meaning of life.

The body we know well. The anatomy of man has been intensively studied and is well documented in the records of medical science.

One aspect of the body's function is a communication system to the brain - the central nervous system. We are familiar with the five senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell, all of which are linked into this communication system to send appropriate messages to the brain.

The body however also operates another communication system that may or may not be linked to the same central nervous system. This particular communication system is concerned with the body's natural drives or appetites.

These drives or appetites are: hunger, thirst, sex drive, self-preservation, gain of possession and spiritual intuition. All these natural appetites implanted in us by God, are designed to be good and useful, but man has the capacity to use them contrary to what God has purposed them for.

Hunger, thirst, sex drive and self-preservation are readily familiar and most people would have a good understanding of how they affect us. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that these drives are essential for sustaining life yet can be used inappropriately. Wrong behaviours are manifest when these drives or appetites are misused or are out of control.

Hunger and thirst let us know when we need sustenance, but out of control they lead to gluttony and drunkenness. Without sex drive, God's command to man to multiply and fill the earth would be most difficult to fulfill. God designed sex to be enjoyable and pleasurable but set boundaries on it for good reason. When sex drive is misapplied, we have pornography, lust, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, rape, paedophilia, abuse, and even bestiality. Self preservation keeps us from taking undue risks and provides us with the "fight for life" needed to overcome threats of all kinds such as war, famine, sickness, danger, etc. Out of control it leads to suicide, anorexia, high-risk taking, and has been described for some people as having a death-wish.

Like these first four, gain of possession and spiritual intuition are natural drives or appetites that are necessary to sustain life but they are not as well understood.

Gain of possession is the inherent need we all have to gather possessions. These range from simple effects through to a home and other expensive accoutrements. It really is a challenge to live without actually owning anything of substance - it goes against our natural inclination. Gain of possession when misused or out of control gives rise to covetousness, greed, materialism, and theft.

You might think that spiritual intuition was a quality of the spirit but it is not. Man is capable of interacting with the spiritual realm on a physical level. Spiritual intuition is what many people understand to be the "sixth sense" and operates outside what we normally regard as the natural. Instances of premonition, déjà vu, esp., divination, fortune telling, channeling, and other forms of spiritism are in fact functions of this appetite of the body. When people talk of sensing a "cold shiver" when it isn't cold or they say, "Someone has just walked over my grave", they are experiencing the function of spiritual intuition.

Women seem to be particularly adept at functioning through this aspect of the body. Frequently women intuitively like or dislike something or someone for no obvious, evident, or logical reason. Women are certainly not more spiritual than men, it is just that their spiritual intuition functions more effectively than it does for men.

Twins too (particularly identical twins) seem to have a greater adeptness at operating with their spiritual intuition than the general population. You sometimes hear of twins who have been separated over time "sensing" the feelings or thoughts of the other twin. These twins will often buy the same make of car, choose the same colour of dress, and even marry someone of similar characteristics as their twin, at much the same time. Such "coincidences" are probably nothing more than their spiritual intuition being more finely attuned to one another.

Spiritual intuition can warn us of unseen danger and alert us to spiritual influences when applied appropriately. Misuse of spiritual intuition leads to occult practices and idolatry.

These drives or appetites of the body, when not applied in accordance with God's purpose for them, give rise to what scripture calls "works of the flesh". While works of the flesh incorporate active use of the mind and will of man, it is their root source in the body, which compels the mind and will to comply with its desires.

Scripture makes clear that the misuse of these natural drives, resulting in "works of the flesh", is sin.

While man is tripartite, it is his soul that makes him distinctly human. It is our soul that has been made in the image of God and it is our soul that is the ultimate objective in the contest between God and Satan. God wants to save our soul and give us eternal life where as Satan wants our soul destroyed forever.

We are our soul. It is not hard to imagine life without a body. Just think of what part of the body could not be replaced without a mechanical substitute? Only the brain, yet we are told that we use but 10% of it. There are remarkable incidences of people who have lost or damaged significant parts of their brain yet have regained virtually full function of their faculties and body.

Some think that our soul is our brain or our physical heart, but it clearly is not. ………

……… The God ordained way for man to function is as "spiritual" man. It is only by the spirit that we can commune with God and competently learn and know His Word. To be spiritually minded is life and peace. It is the spirit that transcends all of the natural desires of the soul and body, keeping them in harmony and balance. It is the spirit that keeps these desires in check and from falling into sin.

The hierarchal order of dominance then should be spirit, soul, and body. ………

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26. THE NATURE OF MAN

COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.

I believe the struggle we have in connecting with God and finding the meaning of life can be attributed to our lack of understanding of the nature of man. To examine our very nature is to begin to understand why we think and act the way we do.

From a young age we learn independence. We start by learning to feed ourselves, toilet ourselves, dress ourselves, and so the process continues until we reach full independence at adulthood. Although we learn independence, we also recognize the need to be interdependent. Interdependence is established in our relationships with others and the functioning of a healthy society.

From our independent state, we begin to examine the world around us and consider things like God and the meaning of life. More often than not, we are unable to do that objectively as the influence of our family, culture, and society dictates any number of pre-determined concepts, whether true or not.

Nevertheless, man has made a number of endeavours to address the existence of God, resulting in a plethora of religions and philosophies. This of course doesn't make the situation any easier for finding the truth. It is important to appreciate however, that the confusion created persists, because of the nature of man.

On one hand man wants to know God and to do what is right, but on the other hand man wants to retain independent authority and self-governance. Because the two are totally incompatible, confusion and turmoil emerge.

It has already been explained how man's choice to disobey God shortly after his creation lies at the very root of the problem. This one freewill act of disobedience establishing self-governance, brought an irreversible change to the nature of man, corrupting mankind's very being - body, soul, and spirit. Hence man became separated from relationship with God, inheriting sickness, sin, and death. Thereafter, every human being subsequently born in man's genetic line, inherited the sinful nature.

Our nature is what causes us to be the "way" we are, and it is our sinful nature that makes reconciliation with God a real challenge. In man's natural state, his sinful nature and inherent corruption prevents God from having the kind of relationship with man He has purposed. God cannot (will not) live with sin and corruption. Therefore, if we are to know God and discover the meaning of life, we must effectively deal with the sinful nature.

The sinful nature has three elements to it that need to be identified if we are to discern the problems it creates. The first is that it is subject to the power of sin and we can't help but do what is wrong. This is manifestly evident in young children. No child ever needs to be taught to do wrong - it just comes naturally. As we grow and mature, we learn to control the inherent desire to do wrong through discipline, reason, and the application of laws. The degree of success we attain in controlling our behaviour often determines how successful we will be in life. It is evident however, that we must consistently manage our propensity to do the wrong thing, or it will get us into trouble.

The second element is pride. Man's independence is rooted in his capacity to be able to do whatever he sets his mind or heart to do. Our sinful nature likes to believe that we can make it on our own, but God's Word is a direct challenge to that confidence. No-one is keen to admit they were wrong or that others are better than them - humility doesn't come naturally.

The third element to the sinful nature is the commitment to self-governance. Self-governance is our absolute determination to only do those things we choose to do. It also impacts on what we will believe. We want to be in control and we will employ almost any strategy to maintain the degree of control we believe we should have. Over history, man has oppressed, dominated, and subjected societies with the primary objective of controlling others. People will do the same to individuals, employing all manner of coercion, manipulation, and force to get them to conform to their wishes. While man may be subjected outwardly, he is seldom subjected inwardly, as his determination to be self-governing is resolute.

It is the failure of philosophies and religions of the world to neutralize the effect of the sinful nature that has rendered them ineffectual. Every shortcoming among religions can be directly attributable to the inability to restrain the sinful nature. Man wants to be in control and man wants to do what he wants to do. Consequently he will manipulate his beliefs and practices to accommodate these desires. Any serious study of the world's religions will reveal the extent to which man is able to maintain faith on his own terms and accommodate the expressions of the sinful nature.

God has always sought those who would invest faith in His existence, His power, and His goodness. I have claimed that anyone who sincerely and genuinely searches for God will find Him - and I believe this to be so. Embarking on such a spiritual journey must eventually lead to a discernible encounter with God. Such encounters persuade us of His existence and give us the motivation to pursue a life of devotion. Even so, without the appropriation of God's provision to deal with the sinful nature, our experience will be the cause of much heartache. ………

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