• About
    • Welcome
    • Prayer Partners
    • Ministry Partners
    • Angel Partners
    • How to Promote
    • Crowdfunding
    • Statement of Faith
    • The Desert Warrior
    • The Temptations of the Cross (A Novel)
    • Jesus was an Alien (and Other Stories of Faith)
  • Desert Warrior
    • Tears of the Desert Warrior – The Absurdity of an Abnormal Existence
      • Prologue
      • Introduction
      • 1. The Secular Problem of Evil
      • 2. The Essence of Religion
      • 3. The Heart of the Human Experience
      • 4. The Moral Interpretation of Religion
      • 5. Finding Life in the Face of Death
      • 6. Reality, Language and Meaning
      • 7. The Myth of Human Morality
      • 8. The Dangers of the Divine Ethic
      • 9. The Religious Problem of Evil
      • Conclusion
    • Whispers of the Desert Warrior – Evidence of the God who is There
      • Prologue
      • Introduction
      • 1. The God Who is There
      • 2. The Breath of Life
      • 3. Pride and Prejudice
      • 4. The Divine Perspective
      • 5. Return to Babel
      • Conclusion
    • God of the Desert Warrior – Evil and the Goodness of God
      • Prologue
      • Introduction
    • The Desert Warrior – Finding Strength in Difficult Times
      • Series Introduction
      • Prologue
      • Introduction
    • The Way of a Desert Warrior – How the Desert can give you Courage
      • Prologue
      • Introduction
    • The Heart of a Desert Warrior – How Reality can set you Free
      • Prologue
      • Introduction
    • The Life of a Desert Warrior – How a Conversation can Change your Life
      • Prologue
      • Introduction
  • Family Secrets
    • Family Secrets – Chapter One
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Two
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Three
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Four
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Five
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Six
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Seven
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Eight
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Nine
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Ten
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Eleven
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Twelve
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Thirteen
    • Family Secrets – Chapter Fourteen
  • Jesus was an Alien
    • Preface
    • Created For His Pleasure
    • 1. Charles Benton. Neighbor.
    • 2. The Wedding
    • 3. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
    • 4. Truth in Flip Flops
    • 5. Jesus was an Alien
    • 6. Lucifer at the Cross
    • 7. The Way of the Desert Warrior
    • 8. The Anointing
    • 9. The Tower of Babel
    • 10. The Eight Year Old Evangelist
    • 11. Dr. House. Brilliant. Idiot.
    • 12. The Old Lady and the Giant
    • Return of the Prodigal
  • Seeking Jerusalem
    • Seeking Jerusalem – Days 1 to 10
      • Day 1 – The Plan
      • Day 2 – The Confession
      • Day 3 – The Rebuke
      • Day 4 – The Denial
      • Day 5 – The Judgment
      • Day 6 – The Power and The Glory
      • Day 7 – Holiness
      • Day 8 – The Cost (1)
      • Day 9 – The Cost (2)
      • Day 10 – Transfiguration
    • Seeking Jerusalem – Days 11 to 20
      • Day 11 – Desert Warriors
      • Day 12 – Revealing the Glory
      • Day 13 – Maturity
      • Day 14 – Spiritual Conversations
      • Day 15 – Hard Questions
      • Day 16 – The Weakness
      • Day 18 – Your Life Ministry
      • Day 19 – The Gift of Significance
      • Day 20 – Joshua
      • Day 17 – Spiritual Warfare
    • Seeking Jerusalem – Days 21 to 30
      • Day 21 – True Confessions
      • Day 22 – The Courage of Confession
      • Day 23 – Brokenness
      • Day 24 – The Culture of Grace
      • Day 25 – FaithWalk
      • Day 26 – Dr. House. Brilliant. Idiot.
      • Day 27 – Healing Power
      • Day 29 – Spiritual Unity
      • Day 28 – Spiritual Trust
      • Day 30 – The Anointing
    • Seeking Jerusalem – Days 31 to 40
      • Day 31 – The Sanctification Gap
      • Day 32 – The Sweet Spot
      • Day 33 – Hosea and Gomer
      • Day 34 – The Wedding
      • Day 35 – The Delivery
      • Day 36 – The Struggle
      • Day 37 – The Helper
      • Day 38 – The Secret
      • Day 39 – Messianic Prophesy
      • Day 40 – The Gathering Darkness
    • Seeking Jerusalem – Days 41 to 50
      • Day 41 – Dark Night of the Soul
      • Day 42 – The Divine Irony
      • Day 43 – Truth on Trial
      • Day 44 – The Descent into Hell
      • Day 45 – Death Comes in Darkness
      • Day 46 – The Divine Sting
      • Day 47 – Divine Visitation
      • Day 48 – The Kingdom Come
      • Day 49 – Transformation
      • Day 50 – The Road to Jerusalem
  • Temptations
    • Prologue
    • 1. Death of a Warrior
    • 2. The Old Man in the Temple
    • 3. Memories from the Past
    • 4. Battle Over Jerusalem
    • 5. Passover in the Holy City
    • 6. The Shedding of Blood
    • 7.Messianic Prophecy
    • 8. Ten Divine Words
    • 9. The Days of Artistry
    • 10. Breaking the Alliance
    • 11. The Covenant of Promise
    • 12. Birth Pangs
    • 13. Temptation in the Desert
    • 14. Prophet, Priest, and King
    • 15. Mobilizing the Forces
    • 16. The Gathering Darkness
    • 17. The Dark Night of the Soul
    • 18. The Divine Irony
    • 19. Truth on Trial
    • 20. The Descent into Hell
    • 21. Death Comes in Darkness
    • 22. The Divine Sting
    • 23. Divine Visitations
    • 24. Thy Kingdom Come
    • 25. Transformation
    • Epilogue
  • The Roman Road
    • Walking the Roman Road of Salvation – Days 1-10
      • Day 1 – All Roads Lead to Rome
      • Day 2 – “Let me Introduce myself….”
      • Day 3 – “….and my Ministry”
      • Day 4 – The Fight with Peter
      • Day 5 – Getting our Hearts in the Right Place
      • Day 6 – Getting our Heads on Straight
      • Day 7 – ……and the Demons tremble.
      • Day 8 – The Five Pillars of Evangelism
      • Day 9 – Truth in Flip Flops
      • Day 10 – A Conversation with Jesus
    • Walking the Roman Road of Salvation – Days 11-20
      • Day 11 – Jesus Was An Alien
      • Day 12 – Don’t Kill the Messenger
      • Day 13 – The Holy Hiatus
      • Day 14 – The Dilemma of Love
      • Day 15 – The Enigma of Evil
      • Day 16 – Dr. House. Brilliant. Idiot.
      • Day 17 – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
      • Day 18 – No Wonder God is Upset
      • Day 19 – Suppressing the Truth
      • Day 20 – A Law Unto Themselves
    • Walking the Roman Road of Salvation – Days 21-30
      • Day 21 – Intelligent Design for Stupid Fools
      • Day 22 – Evil is it’s Own Punishment
      • Day 23 – The Revelation of Wrath
      • Day 24 – But for the Grace of God
      • Day 25 – I’m A Good Guy
      • Day 26 – The Sin of Jonah
      • Day 27 – Reality is the Ultimate Judge
      • Day 28 – Obedience is the Ultimate Goal
      • Day 29 – The Heart is the Ultimate Standard
      • Day 30 – Blasphemer or True Heart
    • Walking the Roman Road of Salvation – Days 31-40
      • Day 31 – Sin Addiction
      • Day 32 – Friendship with God
      • Day 33 – Breaking the Alliance
      • Day 34 – Religious Virtues
      • Day 35 – Spiritual Warfare
      • Day 36 – The Path
      • Day 37 – The Holy Guarantee
      • Day 38 – Charlie Benton. Neighbor.
      • Day 39 – The Sacred Moment
      • Day 40 – The Nature of Our Struggle
    • Walking the Roman Road of Salvation – Days 41-50
      • Day 41 – The Quality of Our Struggle
      • Day 42 – Walking In The Spirit
      • Day 43 – More Than Conquerors
      • Day 44 – Living Sacrifices
      • Day 45 – Love Must Be Sincere
      • Day 46 – The Secret
      • Day 47 – Resurrection Maturity
      • Day 48 – Kingdom Evangelism
      • Day 49 – Seeking Jerusalem
      • Day 50 – Walking with Purpose

Desert Warrior Ministries

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Category Archives: A Conversation with God

A Conversation with God 10

08 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by Bert Amsing in 2. Whispers of the Desert Warrior, A Conversation with God, a) The God Who is There, Desert Warrior Series

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agnosticism, Church and Science, classic singularity, Darwinism, god of the gaps, intellectual honesty, leap of faith, purpose of life, Science and God, scientific humility, Scientific progress, the scientific method

“So, the intelligence and design of the universe gives men pause to think.  Good.  Anything else, son of Adam?”

“Well, human beings for one thing.”

“Yes, the crown of my creation.  I did my best work on my son and daughter.  It was very good.”  He looked at me with those dark blue eyes which flashed with something fierce.  “You think they came from monkeys?”

“Well, that’s the point isn’t it?” I said, with a tremble in my voice.  “It is hard to believe.  Where did intelligence come from, and personality and morality?  Where did this self-awareness come from?  Animals don’t have these qualities but man does.  How did we bridge that gap?”

“I thought that Mr. Darwin and his followers had all the answers to those questions.”

“Not even close.”  I said.  “There are theories, of course, but nothing definitive.  It always seems to be a bit of a circular argument.  Because it exists, it must have evolved.  Because it evolved, there is no God.”

“Apparently, the mind is now dimmer than I originally created it.  Why not argue it the other way around?  Because there is a God, man was created.  Because he was created, he exists?”

“That would presuppose a belief in a personal God and science does not think that is appropriate to a study of the natural sciences.”

“There is nothing more natural than the One who created the world,” he said.  “But I take your point.  Of course, if I created the world, then science is simply the discovery of what I put there.  There is no argument between me and science.  We are in perfect harmony.  It is the scientists themselves who are the problem.  They lack the humility of partial and incomplete knowledge.”

“That’s true,” I said, “but many scientists believe that you get in the way of good science.”

“How so?”

“Some people call it the “god of the gaps” problem.”

“The god of the gaps?”

“Well, throughout history whenever mankind didn’t understand something, he would attribute it to you and settle it that way.  It was not very conducive to the scientific process and basically kept mankind in the dark about a lot of things for centuries.  Imagine where we could be today if the scientific method had been discovered much earlier?”

“So, by ascribing things to me, scientific progress was thwarted, perhaps even stopped at times.”

“Yes, the church has not always been open to scientific advancement.”

“And that’s bad because……”

“Well, science is good.”  Isn’t it?“  It has advanced civilization,” I said. “It has cured   diseases, battled poverty, made life more comfortable for millions of people.  Who knows what we will be able to do in the future?”

“Yes, science is good because it is the discovery of what I put into the creation I have made.  But that is not the question.  The question is whether science – without me in the picture – is good, or even possible, or even the point.”

The point?  “What do you mean?” I said.

“In a world full of evil and suffering and death, science has provided some comfort but it has also obscured the essential issue.  Science in the context of redemption can bring great healing but science without redemption is merely a band-aid on a festering wound – no, even worse, a band-aid claiming to be the cure.”

“Most scientists today are trying to stay away from the philosophical and metaphysical questions altogether.”

“Is that possible?” he said.

“Frankly, I’m not sure,” I said.  “On the other hand, there are many scientists today that are Christians and they seem to be able to do very good work while still believing in you.”

“How do they do that exactly?  Can they really be good scientists if they already know that I am the One who created everything?”

“From what I hear, they make a distinction between the who and the how.”

“Go on.”

“Science describes the laws that govern the way things happen in the world and even in the universe but Christians believe that a description of how things work doesn’t mean that there is nobody behind it or involved in it.”

“Good.  That’s a start in the right direction.  Simply because I choose to act in consistent ways, so much so that they appear to be laws to you, that does not mean that I am not intrinsically involved in the very foundations of the world and how it interacts.  How could it be otherwise?”

“That’s true,” I said, “once a person believes that you are there.”

“Exactly.  It is the “who” not the “how” that is at issue.  What was I supposed to say to mankind six thousand years ago?  Explain creation through quantum physics and the difference between a classic singularity of general relativity and a quantum singularity?  Even that doesn’t quite say it.  The point is that they did not need to know the “how” but rather the“who” and that was what I told them.  Even today, if I tried to explain the quantum dynamics of the split second after my power was released when I separated the forces of gravity from the strong and weak nuclear forces and the electromagnetic force with the necessary infinite precision so that life would result, or the creation of matter and the clumping of matter, exotic and ordinary, into galaxies and the solar system and earth itself and the life that it produced, how could you even hope to understand it all.   A few of you, perhaps, but not most of you.  The purpose of the world is not to understand it, as beautiful and helpful as that might be.  The purpose of life is to have a relationship, a renewed relationship, with the “who” behind creation, the one who sustains creation and you within it.  The one who created this world for you and you for this world.  Without the “who,” the “how” is empty and hollow.”

“I see your point.  Most people, even today, don’t understand scientific language.”

“That doesn’t mean it isn’t true, at least so far as it goes.  Rather, it means that the focus and purpose of my message is different than what a scientist is looking for.  He must make a distinction between his life and his work, between his process and his purpose.  Only then can he have the humility to accept a reality beyond his ability to study or understand.”

“But what difference does it make?” I said.  “It doesn’t affect their ability to study reality and determine the causes of things.  A non-Christian scientist can come up with good science just as well as the Christian.  In that sense, it makes no difference.”

“It may make no difference to science, but it does to the scientist.”

I shifted nervously in my seat.   “I’m not sure what you mean,” I said.

“It’s obvious that science has gone beyond describing how things work and explaining cause and effect.  It has made statements about the origin of life, about the purpose and meaning of life, about the sufficiency of science as a way of looking at the world and fully describing reality.  It has created a predisposition in many people against the supernatural, against me.  Many have made science their god.  It explains life to them without requiring anything in return.”

“Well,” I said carefully, “they certainly wouldn’t see it that way.”

“Of course not.  They would call it intellectual honesty.  But when science becomes the ground for philosophy and philosophy evaluates metaphysics and all three take the place of theology, there is no room for me and therefore science has become their god.  It has become more than an issue of intellectual honesty.  Agnosticism would be more honest even if it isn’t more accurate.”

“They would say that you aren’t even an option in the scientific method.  The natural world doesn’t need a supernatural explanation.”

“I am nothing more than an explanation?”  He sighed.  “And yet, they are saying something more, aren’t they?”

“Yes, most people have taken it a step further and claim that you are therefore not necessary to life.  Natural explanations for life are enough.”

“That is a leap of faith.”

“They don’t see it that way.”

“Of course not.  But the question remains whether that leap of faith is because they have honest questions about me or whether it is a way to protect themselves from the claims of a God who is there.”

“That’s a good question but I’m not sure that they are even thinking on that level.  People tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to their deepest motivations and views of life and themselves.” 

“That is true for all of you, don’t you think?  Perhaps it is time to reveal the scientist to himself.  He may yet turn to me and be saved.”

“How will you do that, Lord?”

“I already have.”

 *****

Click here to read more…….

A Conversation with God by Bert A. Amsing.  Used with permission.
Excerpt from Tears of the Desert Warrior by Bert A. Amsing.
Copyright © 2012 by vanKregten Publishers.  All rights reserved.
http://www.desertwarrior.net    info@desertwarrior.net

Footnotes and references included in original manuscript.

A Conversation with God 9

06 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by Bert Amsing in 2. Whispers of the Desert Warrior, A Conversation with God, a) The God Who is There, Desert Warrior Series

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Chance, Intelligent Design, The Next Question

“There is the argument from the appearance of life on our planet and the exact circumstances that had to appear for it to exist.  For many people, that is a clue to intelligent design but for others it is merely an impersonal act of chance in an amoral world.  It has no meaning and no purpose, though we are thankful that it happened.”

“It sounds depressing,” he said.

“It is.  If we exist by chance, then there is no purpose and without purpose there is no meaning to life. But it is a circular argument as well.  Life exists.  We are here.  It’s an amazing one-in-a-billion chance, a truly long shot possibility but the proof is in the pudding.  We are here after all, so it must have happened.”

“Obviously, it happened,” he said.  “The question is how it happened.  They must have theories about that too, I suppose.”

“Yes, of course, but nothing approaching certainty or proof.”

“That doesn’t sound like much to build a life on.”

“It’s all they have and I’m not sure that any of them really want to take a close look at the alternative,” I said.  “After all, as soon as they admit that you are there, they have to ask the next question.”

“What’s the next question?” he asked, turning to look at me.

“The obvious question is, what do you want?  If you are God and you are there, you are also in charge.  You are the Creator, after all.  If you are in charge, you could ask us to do things we don’t want to do.”

“Exactly,” he said.  “They don’t trust me.”

*****

Click here to read more……

A Conversation with God by Bert A. Amsing.  Used with permission.
Excerpt from Tears of the Desert Warrior by Bert A. Amsing.
Copyright © 2012 by vanKregten Publishers.  All rights reserved.
http://www.desertwarrior.net    info@desertwarrior.net

Footnotes and references included in original manuscript.

A Conversation with God 8

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by Bert Amsing in 2. Whispers of the Desert Warrior, A Conversation with God, a) The God Who is There, Desert Warrior Series

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Big Bang Theory, Bouncing Universe, Continual Creation, Einstein, Evolutionary Chance, Metaphysics, Predisposition against the supernatural, Repulsive Force, Steady State Universe, Unified Field Theory

“I think you have something more than traces and clues,” he said.

“Maybe so,” I said.  “At first glance it would seem to indicate your presence rather strongly.  But many scientists simply don’t want to go there and they come up with all sorts of other explanations.”

“Really?  Like what?”

“Well, it started with Einstein’s repulsive force, which simply didn’t stand up to scrutiny and then the steady state universe or “continual creation” theory and even the “bouncing universe” idea where the universe reduces to zero volume and then bounces back.”

“What makes it bounce?”

“Exactly.  It puts you right back to the question of a creator, or bouncer, I suppose.  But anyway, those were mostly attempts before the final elements of the Big Bang theory were confirmed in 1992.  Now it seems that most people are maintaining a “wait and see” attitude.”

“What are they waiting to see?”

“I think that they are hoping to find a unified field theory that can describe exactly what happened in that first split second when you released your power.”

“How will that help them figure out what happened “before” the power was released?”

“I don’t think they really know.  They are just hoping for some kind of breakthrough,” I said.

“It sounds like they have a lot of faith that science will come up with something.”

“One thing is for sure,” I said.  “The shoe is on the other foot now.  Science is not so sure of itself anymore.  Scientists are more careful about making sweeping conclusions about their view of the world.”

“Well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” I said.  “Their predisposition against the supernatural has been put to the test and more scientists are making a distinction between their science, their philosophy and their metaphysics.”

“Metaphysics?”

“Beyond physics.  About you, and the origin of the universe, and whether or not we have a purpose or meaning.  All of the big questions in life.”

“So everything is as it should be then?”

“Well, not quite.  There’s still the other side of the picture.”

“You mean there’s more?”

“Well, just the design and intelligence that the world seems to have.  It seems hard to believe in the kind of evolutionary chance that could result in the world as we see it and experience it.”

“Ah, yes,” he said.  “The alternative.”

“Only if there is no God.  If you speak up, they would be completely discredited.”

“But I did speak up.”  He paused.  “What more could I say?”

I shook my head.  It was hard to accept.  But he was right.

“So, again, it is not a question of doubt in my existence,” he said, “or knowledge about me but one of trust.  Just as it was at the beginning.”

His teaching was gentle, but insistent.

*****

Click here to read more…….

A Conversation with God by Bert A. Amsing.  Used with permission.
Excerpt from Tears of the Desert Warrior by Bert A. Amsing.
Copyright © 2012 by vanKregten Publishers.  All rights reserved.
http://www.desertwarrior.net    info@desertwarrior.net

Footnotes and references included in original manuscript.

A Conversation with God 7

03 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by Bert Amsing in 2. Whispers of the Desert Warrior, A Conversation with God, a) The God Who is There, Desert Warrior Series

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Birthday Present, Copernicus, Discovery of Eternity, Eternity in their hearts, Intelligent Design, Scientific Method

“Tell me about these traces and clues and traces of clues,” he said.

“Well, many people believe that creation itself is evidence of something more, something transcendent, maybe even divine.”

“You’ve been reading my book.”

“Yes, but even outside of the Bible, people have come to that conclusion.”

“Well, that makes sense,” he said.  “Creation was the first book I wrote but most have lost the ability to read it.”

“Yes, I can see that.”

“It was a birthday present, you know.”

“A birthday present?”

“Yes, for Adam and for you.  For each one of you on the day of your birth.”

“I don’t know what to say.  Thank you, I guess.”

“Yes, not knowing what to say seems to be the appropriate response,” he said, “especially given what you’ve done with it.”  A holy sigh slipped into the night.

I still didn’t know what to say but, after a moment, I continued anyway.

“The sheer beauty and grandeur of the world we live in seems to speak of something more, perhaps somebody, behind it all.”

“Beauty and grandeur?” he said.  “It doesn’t sound very scientific.”

“Maybe not, but science isn’t everything.”

“Really?  Do you really believe that?”

“I don’t know.  Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t.  The world was a lot simpler, more mysterious and awe inspiring, before Copernicus.”

“Copernicus?  The polish astronomer?”  he said.  “He did some good work in biology as well as astronomy.  Why do you blame him?”

“He also proved that the earth rotates around the sun and not the other way around.”

“He was right, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, he was.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“Well, before Copernicus, we believed that the earth was the center of a universe you created and that everything existed for our benefit and your glory.”

“Well, that’s true, too.”

“But after Copernicus, science systematically explained how the world worked and the laws that govern it and we found out that we were just a ball of dirt caught in the grip of a star much larger than our planet in the midst of a vast universe seemingly without end.”

“But that’s true too.  Without the “just” part.”

“What do you mean?”  I said.

“You are not just a ball of dirt.  You are my children.”  He stood up and walked over to the tree, looking up into the night.  Then he turned toward me and said, “Perhaps you needed to learn the difference between understanding the world, the way I have created it, and jumping to conclusions about who was behind it all and the role that humans play in the drama of the cosmos.”

“Yes, I see what you mean.”

“Now it appears that your scientific method has brought you in recent years to the far reaches of the universe as well as the intricacies of the smallest atom.  And what did you find there?”

“Science has discovered eternity,” I said.

“Discovered eternity.  That sounds exciting.  What do you mean?”

“We discovered time before time and space outside of our three dimensions at the very beginning of the universe.”

“Impressive.  I want to hear more.”  He looked out at the expanse of the stars.  “I was hoping that mankind would also discover eternity in their own hearts.  That would be a discovery that could change everything.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I kept quiet.  But he wasn’t finished.

“What else did your scientists discover recently?” he asked.

“Apparently, there is very strong scientific evidence for intelligent design in creation and the belief that the entire universe was created for the purpose of sustaining human life on earth.”

“Amazing,” he said.  “So we are back, full circle, to Copernicus.  Now mankind realizes again that the universe is about them and that everything exists for your benefit and my glory.”

It was a statement not a question.

“In the meantime,” he said quietly, “you lost hundreds of years in doubt and unbelief and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people lost their faith in me.”

I could not answer.  I didn’t know what to say.

“You were right,” he said.  “Science isn’t everything.”

*****

Click here to read more……. A Conversation with God by Bert A. Amsing.  Used with permission. Excerpt from Whispers of the Desert Warrior by Bert A. Amsing. Copyright © 2012 by vanKregten Publishers.  All rights reserved. http://www.desertwarrior.net    info@desertwarrior.net Footnotes and references included in the original manuscript.

A Conversation with God 4

02 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by Bert Amsing in 1. Tears of the Desert Warrior, A Conversation with God, Desert Warrior Series, e) Finding Life in the Face of Death

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A God who Weeps, Freedom of the Forbidden, Science and Technology, Support of God, The Divine Perspective, Uneasy Truce

“Why are you weeping?”  I said.

He turned his head slightly to look at me and then turned back to look into the night sky. He was seated on a log freshly cut down. “My children have been snatched away.  They are in grave danger.  Most of them I will never get back.  I know each one of them by name.”  His voice was a whisper in the night air.

“What do you mean?  Kidnapped?”

“In a way of speaking.”  His back was still turned toward me, the side of his face visible in the light of the full moon.

“But can’t you just go and get them back?”

A deep sigh escaped into the night.

“They went willingly,”  he said quietly.

“Willingly?”  That didn’t make sense.  “Didn’t you throw them out of the garden?”

“I meant before that,” he said, “when they threw me out.”

I was still getting used to this conversation and I wasn’t sure that I heard him right.  I forced myself to relax and took a deep breath.  He turned his head to look at me, the deep blue of his eyes rooted me to my place, though he looked at me with sadness and his voice was gentle.

“Do you think for a moment I would throw them out of my garden, away from their home, if it wasn’t absolutely necessary and for their own good?”

I could not answer.  The divine perspective was overwhelming in its simplicity and depth of feeling.  I ventured another question, carefully.

“Did they know what they were doing?”

“Yes,” he said, “and no.  They were deceived, it is true, but I warned them of the danger.”

“Maybe they will find a way back by themselves?”  I said.

“No, they don’t even want to come back.  Once you’ve tasted the freedom of the forbidden, no one can come back or even wants to.”

“Freedom,” I said, “well, that’s not so bad.  Maybe you just have to let them go?”

“I cannot let them go.  There is no freedom from me that doesn’t end in evil, and suffering and death.”

“I’m not sure I understand.  We seem to be able to survive.”

“There is no evil in your world, no suffering, no death?” he asked, turning to look at me, his eyebrow arching.

“Well, yes there is,” I said.  I stopped, trying to put it all together. “Sometimes we think we have a handle on it and other times it seems to spin out of control almost as if it has a mind of its own.”

“A mind of its own, that’s an interesting way to put it.”

“But what I wanted to say is that we mostly think that we can handle it.  Science and technology are providing new solutions every day.”

“And creating new problems, perhaps bigger problems, as well.”

“Maybe, but there is sense that we will get through.  The indomitable human spirit and all that.”

“Let me assure you,” he said.  “that the problem is within you, even though the solution is not.  It is not within your grasp.  It is not possible in your own strength alone.”

“Many people don’t believe that.  Especially the leaders and philosophers.”

“Yes, I know.  They think that they can manage or, at least survive, without me but in fact, I continue to support them and make it possible for them to manage and survive.  There is no such thing as “without me” until I create such a place, and, believe me when I tell you, you don’t want to go there.” His face was tight.

“You have been supporting us all this time?” I said.

“I cannot let you go.  I told you that.  There is no freedom from me that doesn’t end in evil and suffering and death.  Eternal death.  It is the nature of things.  It is who I am and it is how I created you.  We were meant to be together. It’s what makes it all worth while.”  He paused thoughtfully.  “But let me ask you a question.”

A question?

“Would you rather manage and survive without me – even with my help – or live with me, under my authority, as my children?”  He wouldn’t look at me.  His face was turned away.

Did the answer matter so much?

I was silent.  I could answer for myself easily enough but I knew that many others would answer differently.  That’s always the question, isn’t it?  What do you want?  Do you want a relationship with God?

That’s a question for lovers, even friends, a question every heart asks of another, a foundation for community, for fellowship, for a life lived together.

“I know your heart, my son,” he said.  “But now you know why I grieve for all the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve.”  He sighed heavily.  “I have opened up a temporary space and time for each of them to answer that question for themselves.  I will support them long enough to give me an answer but, in the end, I will give them what they want.”

“What do you mean, give them what they want?”  Somehow it sounded dreadful and my chest began to squeeze my heart in a vice.

“Those who want me will find me, if they want me with all their hearts but those who want nothing to do with me will also get what they want.”

“What are you saying, that you won’t…..support them anymore?  Will you turn away from them completely?”

“I cannot support evil and rebellion forever. This uneasy truce that I have established is unnatural and unsustainable.  The very foundations of creation groan and cry out for a return to paradise.  It is because I love them that I give them this brief space and time to respond.  And if, after everything is said and done, they want nothing to do with me – that, too, can be arranged.”  His face was dark, unreadable.

“But will they understand the question?  Will they know what is at stake?”

“I will go personally and speak to them and I will show them without question that I want them back and that I would die for them.”  His eyes narrowed with thought, reaching far into eternity.

“If that isn’t enough,” he said finally, “then nothing is.”

*****

Click here to read more……

A Conversation with God by Bert A. Amsing
Excerpt from Tears of the Desert Warrior by Bert A. Amsing
Copyright © 2012 by vanKregten Publishers.  All rights reserved.
http://www.desertwarrior.net      info@desertwarrior.net

Footnotes and references included in the original manuscript.

A Conversation with God 6

01 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by Bert Amsing in 2. Whispers of the Desert Warrior, A Conversation with God, a) The God Who is There, Desert Warrior Series

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Hiddeness of God, Proof, Whispers

“There isn’t much direct evidence for you, you know.”  I said.  “I mean all we have are traces and clues.”

“Yes, whispers of my presence.”

“But, you whisper very quietly.  It’s almost as if you’ve withdrawn from the world.  Many wonder if you were ever here in the first place.”

“Withdrawn?  No,” he said.  “Hidden.  Yes.”

“Hidden?”

“I am deeply present in all of creation.  Without me and my active involvement, nothing could exist or continue to exist. Yet, to mankind, I am hidden.  Our conscious bond, our daily, practical, intimate relationship is broken.  So I am hidden from man.”

“But why?”  I said.  “Why not show yourself to the world?  That would solve everything.”

“If that were so, it would be done immediately,” he said.  “But doubt isn’t the problem, trust is.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You will,” he said.  “You have all the proof you need.”

“That’s the point.  Traces and clues but nothing concrete that we can point to as a definitive proof that you are there.”

“Nothing?”

*****

Click here to read more……

A Conversation with God by Bert A. Amsing.  Used with permission.
Excerpt from Whispers of the Desert Warrior by Bert A. Amsing.
Copyright © 2012 by vanKregten Publishers.  All rights reserved.
http://www.desertwarrior.net      info@desertwarrior.net

Footnotes and references included in the original manuscript.

A Conversation with God 5

01 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by Bert Amsing in 1. Tears of the Desert Warrior, A Conversation with God, Desert Warrior Series, e) Finding Life in the Face of Death

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Freedom of Choice, Image of God, Knowing Good and Evil, Slavery of Love

“Adam and Eve wanted to be like you, knowing good and evil.  Why is that so bad?”

“Because those are two entirely different things, being “like me” and “knowing good and evil”.  They knew evil by experiencing evil.  They participated in evil but there is no evil in me.  So, it wasn’t an innocent desire to be like me.”  He looked up into the night sky for a long moment and then spoke again.

“They were already created in my image,” he said.  “They are like me in many ways.  This was something more.  They wanted the knowledge of good and evil, thinking that they would have the power to decide between the two, to choose for themselves what they wanted, as if evil was an option for them, even if I didn´t like it.  They made the freedom of their choices more important than the slavery of a loving  relationship with me as their Father and Creator.  They wanted to take my place, to decide things for themselves and thereby make me irrelevant.”  He paused, the look on his face unreadable.  “They kicked me out.”

“They wanted to take your place?”

“In relation to their lives, yes.  Often in relation to others as well.”

“Is that so bad?”  I said.  “Don’t you want them to make their own decisions?”

“Yes, of course.  Decisions and judgments and choices but in the context of a relationship with their Father, their Creator.”

“So, this was a way of saying that they didn’t want you in their lives at all anymore.”

“Exactly.  But that is impossible.  It simply isn’t an option.”

“Why not?”

“For one thing, that is the point of being the Creator.  I am essential to life.  Even more, a conscious relationship with me is essential to their natures, to their eternal lives.  That’s how I created them.  But there is another reason.”  He paused.  “Even if I was prepared to remain on the sidelines – which I’m not – it still wouldn’t work.”

“Why not?” I repeated.

“Because they weren’t created to make the ultimate decisions about right and wrong.  That’s my job.  Only I can see the consequences of every action, only I have all of the pertinent information and can process it appropriately, only I have the ability to control events and protect them so that the intended consequences of their actions are accomplished.”

“I never thought of it that way before,” I said.

“They need me whether they like it or not.  I am essential to life in every way imaginable.”  He stopped for a moment and looked at me curiously.  “But there is one more reason, the essential reason, why life and morality does not work without my active involvement.”

“What is it, Lord?”  I was truly entranced.

“Because morality is intrinsic to the structures of the world, and the structures of the world are a reflection of my nature.  It is my fellowship within the divine that is the ground and the pattern for good and evil.  There can be no other.”

*****

Click here to read more…….

A Conversation with God by Bert A. Amsing.  Used with permission.
Excerpt from Tears of the Desert Warrior by Bert A. Amsing.
Copyright © 2012 by vanKregten Publishers.  All rights reserved.
http://www.desertwarrior.net    info@desertwarrior.net

Footnotes and references included in the original manuscript.

A Conversation with God 12

18 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by Bert Amsing in 2. Whispers of the Desert Warrior, A Conversation with God, b) The Breath of Life, Desert Warrior Series

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America, Intentions, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, Life, Promised Land of Opportunity

He knew my heart.

The realization struck me like a blow.

“Lord, you know us better than we know ourselves, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course.  I made you.  Each one of you a miracle which has become a horror.”

“Those are strong words,” I said.

“But true.”

“I don’t think most people would agree with the horror part.  They think that mankind is essentially good.”

“Originally good, yes, but now?”  He stood up and walked over to the tree of life and reached up to caress one of the fruit hanging there.  It looked ordinary and dull.

“Now?  Yes, well, there are some problems, of course, but when we look at people’s intentions everyone is basically the same.  We all want the same things.”

“What do you want?”

“Well, we want safety and protection on the one hand and provision, resources on the other.”

“Why?”

“So that we can take care of the ones we love and provide for them and have the freedom to pursue the expression of our individuality and create a future for ourselves.  Like in America.”

“Oh, yes, the Promised Land of opportunity.”

“Yes, that’s it.  We want opportunity but in the context of safety and protection.  Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Yes, that about sums it up.”  I was pleased with myself.

“But without me.”

Was that a question?  “Well, no, not exactly,” I said.  “America is one nation under God, with freedom and justice for all.”

“That sounds better,” he said, turning toward me again.  “How’s that working out for you?”

“What do you mean?” I asked weakly.

“How’s that working out?” he asked again.  “How is your average, middle class American who has his or her life, liberty and pursuit of happiness guaranteed by the constitution, how are they doing?  Are they prosperous, happy?  Are marriages enriched and families flourishing?  Are people demonstrating sacrificial love for one another and being a light to the nations, a city on a hill?”  He paused.  “After all, it is one nation under me, isn’t it?  What a glorious place it must be.”

“Lord, you know better than that,” I said with my head hung low.  “We had good intentions but somehow we couldn’t sustain it, at least, not as a nation.”  I looked up.  “There are still pockets of light, you know.  It isn’t all bad.”

“Yes, and I know each one of those pockets of light by name,” he said gently.

I looked down at the dirt, my arms resting on my knees, leaning over, dejected.  “You know, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between those that go to church and those that don’t.  Half the marriages, even in the church, end in divorce.”

“Even yours,” he whispered gently.

I hesitated.  “Yes, even mine.”

He was silent.

*****

Click here to read more…….

A Conversation with God by Bert A. Amsing.  Used with permission.
Excerpt from Whispers of the Desert Warrior by Bert A. Amsing.
Copyright © 2012 by vanKregten Publishers.  All rights reserved.
http://www.desertwarrior.net    info@desertwarrior.net

Footnotes and references included in original manuscript.

A Conversation with God 11

16 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by Bert Amsing in 2. Whispers of the Desert Warrior, A Conversation with God, b) The Breath of Life, Desert Warrior Series

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Divine Interference, Eternal Privacy, hell, Man is a mystery to himself, Sin, The heart of the problem

“Man is a mystery to himself,” I said.

“Yes and more than a mystery.”

“What do you mean?”

“The question you must ask yourself,” he said, “is why man is a mystery to himself.  That answer will reveal everything.”

“Why is even harder than the what.  If we can’t do more than guess at what is going on within us how will we ever know the why of it all?”

“Exactly,” he said.  “How, indeed.”

“So, again, there is no hope,” I whispered.

“And again I tell you that with my help there is always hope,” he reminded me.

The silence thickened between us.

“It seems as if we are forever and always dependent on you in all things,” I said.

“Yes.”

“It’s not an idea that most of us like.”

“I know,” he said, his gaze unreadable.  “That is the heart of the problem.”

I couldn’t look up much less hold that holy gaze.  I felt a reluctance, a barrier spring up between us and it made me feel dirty.

“It’s called sin,” he said gently as if he knew my innermost thoughts, which, of course, he did.  “Sin is first and foremost rebellion and disloyalty to God.  It’s the ‘not wanting God in my life’ attitude.  It is always a barrier between us.”

I still could not look at him and my gaze was fixed on the trunk of a tree hewn down in the center of the garden.  “Is there no privacy, then?  Must everything be revealed?  Is there no place where we can be free from the divine interference?”  What was wrong with me?  It just seemed to well up and spill over – these thoughts and words which were not mine – they are not mine, I refuse them, I deny them.  I looked up quickly to search his face, to apologize, to seek again his favor.

He smiled and put his hand on my shoulder.  “All is forgiven, don’t worry.  You are mine and I am yours for all eternity.”  Then he shifted in his seat to face me squarely.

“Listen, my son,” he said, the intensity of his words were filled with love.  “How could there be any privacy?  I am God, not your mother.  And why would you want privacy from me unless you intend to do something I disapprove of?  Besides, I have given you, each of you, even that privacy, temporarily, for some even eternally.  Each one of you has a right to go to Hell in your own way.”  He paused.  “You want to be left alone, without any ‘divine interference’ as you call it?  Fine.  There is a place.  You forced me to create it.  You won’t like it there.”

I could hardly breathe.  “Not me, Lord, not me.”  It came out in a hoarse wheeze.

“No, not you,” he agreed.  “I was talking to all of you.”  He shifted closer to put an arm around my shoulder and grasped me tightly, securely.  “But you still have that reluctance towards me.  There are still barriers to our relationship.  Sin and rebellion is still a force in your life, but it only has the power now that you give it.  Remember that.  It has no power of its own, no matter how hard it seems to overcome it.”

I could only nod in agreement.  I wasn’t sure I understood any of it but I knew that I wanted a relationship with him free of barriers, free of any reluctance whatsoever.  He knew that.

He knew my heart.

 *****

Click here to read more……

A Conversation with God by Bert A. Amsing.  Used with permission.
Excerpt from Whispers of the Desert Warrior by Bert A. Amsing.
Copyright © 2012 by vanKregten Publishers.  All rights reserved.
http://www.desertwarrior.net    info@desertwarrior.net

Footnotes and references included in original manuscript.

A Conversation with God 2

14 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by Bert Amsing in 1. Tears of the Desert Warrior, A Conversation with God, Desert Warrior Series

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1. Tears of the Desert Warrior, desert, Existence of Evil, Hard questions, Mystery of Life, Promised Land

The desert can be a forbidding place.  Bedouins survive there, scorpions and snakes, thorns and thistles thrive.  Water is scarce, the sun intense and the wind irritating.  Temperatures often plunge below zero at night and predators lurk in the darkness.

Of course, there are many different types of deserts and some are harsher than others but, any way you look at it, a desert experience will be one of scarcity, loneliness and difficulty.

For many people, that also would describe life – or at least their life.  Scarcity, loneliness and difficulty characterize the lives of the majority of people on planet earth, even in this modern age.

Even the experience of plenty (instead of scarcity) in the context of friends and family (instead of loneliness) and in the comfort and convenience of our own homes (instead of difficulty) can be invaded by disease, accidents and painful suffering.  One of the great mysteries of life is the existence of evil and the seemingly blind, amoral forces of life that affect the just and the unjust alike.

And these are not mere words.  Lives are lost, suffering is inflicted on children and the innocent, relationships are broken.  Life hurts.  We live in the matrix of a paradox.  Both paradise and paradise lost.  Both desert and promised land.  Both good and evil.  What goes on here?

Tears of the Desert Warrior attempts to give some perspective on this painful paradox and what, if anything, we can do about it.  Above all, the idea is to stay real – not to minimize the horrible nature of what goes on in this life but also not to take lightly the answers that God has for us, difficult though they may be to accept.

Not difficult because they are hard to understand but rather because His answers will force us to take a good, hard look at ourselves and our role in the tragedy that is this world.

Yes, we need to talk to this divine being we call God, the Creator.  We need to know who he is and what his role is in all of this, and ask him some hard questions.

No doubt.  But be prepared.

He has some hard questions of his own.

*****

Click here to read more.

A Conversation with God by Bert A. Amsing
Excerpt from Tears of the Desert Warrior by Bert A. Amsing
Copyright © 2012 by vanKregten Publishers.  All rights reserved.
http://www.desertwarrior.net      info@desertwarrior.net

Footnotes and references included in the original manuscript.

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The Desert Warrior

Artwork by Astray-Engel.

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© 2012 vanKregten Publishers and Desert Warrior Ministries. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to vanKregten Publishers, Desert Warrior Ministries and/or Bert A. Amsing with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Specific reprint permission will be granted upon request via email for inclusion in digital and print media.

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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2012 by vanKregten Publishers. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

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