THE ATHEIST: defined is the perputual and perenialcynic and skeptic who suppress the "TRUTH" inunrighteousness.He will not be convinced of DIVINITY, AUTHORITYOF DIVINE SCRIPTURE, THE CREATION STORY [ FACTS ]Romans chapter one informs us that the invisiblethings of HIM - are clearly "SEEN" and knownAND known by ...the things that are - " MADE "Even his eternal GODHEAD and eternal POWER areclearly manifest and known - and so the atheistis declared by Scripture to be with-out - excuse.Take my friends for instance the glory and powerof the planet called the "sun" and the miracleof how it works - giving us unending light and heat !! and moreover it's never ending combustionfires that blaze away continously - and yet forall that the sun's fires never dwindle or burn outThe atheist wrongly accuses christiaity ofteaching a "flat earth" because scripture references many times this expression of theinhabitatants of the earth - are spread abroad on all the [face of the earth] and so they in theirminds find fault and accuse the "word" of GOD of preaching a ... ( flat earth ) :-( Of course the world is round when it spins on itspillars and axis - no one disputes that, howeverwe know that the expression of the face of the earth speaks of " the parallel " we live in and walk in " we don't walk vertical or perpendiculardo we ??When an ocean cruiser sails across the ocean does not 20/20 peripheral vision see the ocean bed itself - in a flat straight line ?? Or is the ocean bed itself at an elevated 45 degree angle??...when one voyages across ?? nayOr does it have an uneveness, hills, steep climbs and ascents ?? or is GOD'S plumbline straight, and does peripheral vision see a straight surface as it looks across the ocean from the place of the stern ?? The atheist as Paul said become vain in his imagination and the foolish heart becomes darkeneddue to the willing ignorance that is in them.And nearly everything is reduced to a scientificequation or formula, and in their mind can be ( easily ) explained away. :-o so he says and thinks - to himself !!Let's stay with the psalms: The "fool" has said in his heart - their is [no]....GOD.THE WORD OF GOD CALLS THEM ....FOOLS !!THE ANTAGONIST: can actually be found in either camp - that is amongst the believer, and amongst the non- professing !!He loves a good argument, he loves to debate things, he can be contentious, and strive a lot.He frequently engages contrary discussions and holds to opposing view for the sake of being contrary and argumentative.He dabbles in semantics and camelswallowing over non-essentails of...doctrine.He spiritualizes what is literal and vice-versa and splits hairs over why King david picked up 5 stones and not four ( 4 ) against the philistine.Jesus was right they strain at knats and swallow camels - force and strain that camel DOWN now. :-? THE APOLAGIST: am i against good apolagetics ??no not really: as long as we don't become pre-occupied in it !!Meaning ive seen web-sites where they don't do anything, and i mean anything but - refute error.NOWHERE in romans twelve and 1 corinth twelve, or ephesians four - have i found this ministry of "apolagetics" yet ??If you find it let me know - okay ?? ;-) Their is a place for sounding trumpets and refuting errors and heresy - i fully agree and endorse that !!But please don't obsess or become pre-occupied with error itself !! ( that too is a snare )Paul told the believers in corinth that it is en-evitable that heresies will come - it's meant to happen in other words !!ANd why ?? so we can see who is approved of God and who isn'theresy identifies and seperates true and false brethren and therefore in one sense heresies are meant to be a distinguishing point and a clarifying issue for us to clearly see who has divine favour and who does'tAnd it is impossible to right all the wrongs anyway !! so don't obsess over errorPreach the truth and take a stand for truth :yesbut to focus all your energies on error and all your doing is highlighting and further advertising - the wrong.It's like rival network T.V STATIONS IF THEY HIGH-LIGHT THE WRONGS IN A SHOW THEY DIS-AGREE WITH, ALL'S IT DOES IS DRAW MORE ATTENTION AND GIVE FURTHER PUBLICITY TO ERRING STATION AND PROGRAMME IN QUESTION ( AND SO THEW ERRING T.V STATION MILKS THE EXTRA MILAGE AND CONTROVERSY )THAT SAID THERE IS A PLACE FOR TOUCHING ON ERROR AT TIMES, AND OVERTHROWING THE INSIDIOUSDOCTRINES THAT COME FORTH !!
_________________Bro Stephen