Still really excited

Today Pads' cold bloomed but he's still really excited about getting through the final injection of his chemotherapy tomorrow.

Tomorrow it's my turn to speak at the third meeting of our Friday Fellowship, for the young folk of the church. We're following Jill Masters' series, 'Why Believe in God?' My topic is: 'because how else can I explain the birth, miracles and resurrection of Christ? While preparing, I came across this (old) news about Anthony Flew explaining his turn to deism.



I concluded a while ago that there are at least three types of believing. The first, based on evidence and observation is not really belief. For example, I believe that the chair I'm sitting on will hold firm, this is more a working out of probablilities. Then there's believing things because they're obvious, like natural selection in biology and that the world shows clear evidence of intelligent design. This is the kind of thing so obvious that children have to unlearn it, the sort of believing that devils do, but at least they also 'tremble'!. But that is still quite different from the believing that is 'saving faith'. This latter quality of faith is essential. It is essentially spiritual, the casting of body and soul on the Lord Jesus Christ as your only hope for salvation. Comparing 'saving faith' with 'believing' is a bit like comparing 'holy matrimony' with what the world understands as 'marriage' (i.e., I like you enough to give living with you for a while a go and I'm prepared to enter some kind of contract to say so).
It is 'saving faith' that...

in darkest days shines with brightest glow. In the wild storm it looks to God and sings. No weapon can succeed against it. God, even God Himself, surrounds His children as a shield. The shaft of which touches them must pierce through God. Welcome, too, reproach and obloquy and scorn. No disgrace can soil their name. They are renowned among the sons of men. Their glory is their God. No billows can submerge them. God, even their own God, lifts up their heads. From deepest waters Jesus rose to God's right hand. Where the Head is, there too shall the members be.
(Henry Law, p13)

You need saving faith.