By Jim Towers
I was lying on the hospital bed when the phone rang. A man from the church asked if he could pray for me over the phone. I had suffered a heart attack, but I hadn’t panicked; as a matter of fact I was calmly ready to meet my maker, and have been for over forty years. I told the man that I’d prefer he didn’t. I had already cleared the table and made up my mind to let God’s will be done and I didn’t want this man, however good his intentions, to intervene on my behalf.
I was to have open heart surgery early the following morning and after I showered in preparation I laid there in the dark searching for any un-confessed sin, reaching back as far as I could remember. After taking care of that matter I wondered if God would be disappointed in me if I underwent the operation for lack of faith, faith that He could and would heal me, if only I would ask. At that point I almost got up to put my clothes and shoes on and walk home by faith. But it was about midnight and I lived about twenty miles away, so I was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Then Logic began to set in. This was no big deal, I told myself. I’ve been through worse, since heartache and heartbreak had plagued my life. “Piece of cake,” I thought to myself. This is a win-win situation. If I die on the operating table I’ll instantly be with the Lord, never to suffer again. However, if I pulled through I could maybe complete my film and finish my book.
It also occurred to me that since God created the human mind, surely a learned surgeon would put forth his best efforts in helping me recover, regardless of his motives.
As much as those two things mattered to me, I resigned myself to any eventuality. After all, I’d lived life to the full and overflowing the brim. There wasn’t anything I regretted and everything I’d accomplished worked out for the best in my rich and exciting existence.
I began thinking of all the blessings and miracles I’d seen God work out in my life. It was as if I had lived two lifetimes, during which I ran with the big dogs in society. I’ve done and experienced things other people only dream of.
Still, I find talking and sharing Christ and praying for others my greatest delight. Being the most interesting creatures on the planet, people have always been a treasure to me. I have prayed for the hurting, laughed with the happy and danced with the joyful – literally. If I died I would miss the give and take of conversation and the psychology of understanding a person’s innermost thoughts. With all our faults and idiosyncrasies what glorious beings people can be, especially when we have Christ living in us and through us.
Thoughts continued running through my mind causing laughter, tears and sighs and I finally went to sleep. What a life I’ve lived! Everything worked out. I’m still vibrantly alive and I continue to pursue my ever elusive objectives, and that is to reach as many people for Christ as possible before time runs out and we take flight out of here in the rapture.
As I look back on things I realize that there is a fine line between logic and faith. God gave us logic to be able to function as human beings and we should make good use of it. Nevertheless, there are times when logic doesn’t work. Sometimes, even tough-minded people come to the end of their rope, so to speak. Then what? Then we need to take stock of the situation looking at the problem or situation through spiritual eyes. In doing so we realize our limitations and cry out to our maker, God, HELP! After all, He asks us to do just that. “Call out to me in your time of trouble and I will hear and help you, and you will give me praise.”
We aren’t to be timid, shy or fearful as a result of human logic. Christians are called to live by faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Fear of man is a dangerous trap and so we must use faith coupled with concern in dealing with non-believers.
Below, are some of my favorite scriptures which pertain to faith.
“God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.”
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
“Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
“The just shall live by faith.”
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
“You are saved by faith through grace and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God lest any man should boast.”
Use logic in every situation and determine how to proceed, always keeping God in the equation, that way you will be content with the outcome no matter how hard the trial. Use logic saturated by faith and give it a go, trusting that God is in control, knowing that “All things work together to those who love God and are the called unto His purpose.”
Catholics – Roma Downey and her husband have done it again, in spite of faulty doctrine they manage to produce quality movies. Although the critics panned it, I found the re-hashed movie Ben Hur quite entertaining. The stunts were terrific and most of it was life like. (I did a couple of stunts for my own movie trailer recently and injured both shoulders, but am recovering just fine.) There wasn’t an “F bomb” in the entire movie and no sex or full frontal nudity. Oh yes, and Jesus Christ was also in a couple of scenes. Perhaps that’s why the critics panned it.
YBIC
Jim Torres “Towers”