I took the time to listen to this video, and I enjoyed it. Hope you have the time too.
How did I run across this video? I read So God messsed up eh? | The Lions Den (wordpress.com). ColorStorm’s post was a commentary on this post, Oh, for gods sake! – A Tale Unfolds (wordpress.com). In the list of related posts, I saw Mel Wild’s picture. Curious, since Mel also writes interesting stuff, I clicked on Don’t fear the Reaper. – A Tale Unfolds (wordpress.com).
Ark provided this comment on the video above.
Listen from five minutes to around eleven minutes and he reveals the answer : Death Anxiety.
Dr. Francis Collins’ video was a response to this comment, Believing is a heart issue | In My Father’s House (wordpress.com). Ark apparently thinks that Collins actually said or implied that he became a Christian because he is afraid of death. I don’t think Ark is right about that, but judge for yourself.
Since I have banned Ark from this blog. I am not interested in an argument with him. This is just a H/T for pointing out an interesting video.
Why do some believe in Jesus, and why do some refuse to believe? Mel’s post provides a good discussion of the matter, but I think it is worthwhile to remember that it is beyond our power either to make someone believe or even to make our self believe.
New American Standard Bible
Words to the Jews
41 So then the Jews were complaining about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.” 42 And they were saying, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop complaining among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down out of heaven, so that anyone may eat from it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats from this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I will give for the life of the world also is My flesh.”
52 Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, the one who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread that came down out of heaven, not as the fathers ate and died; the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
To have eternal life, we must believe, but whether we believe — whether we can hear and see the Word — depends upon the Father. Either the Father chooses to make it happen, or He does not.
That creates a puzzle. What do we do we have to do with making our self or others believe in Jesus? Frankly, I don’t know. I just know Jesus wants us to believe and to spread His Gospel to others. I just know that God has given us the privileges of spreading His Word and believing in Him, but the Glory is strictly His, not of our own doing. He has left us nothing about which we can boast except Him.
Citizen Tom 
Thanks for sharing that
(Try again)
@ Ct
1st, in order of priority, WP has made it increasingly difficult to respond to your posts. Many times I messaged only to have it disappear. So it’s not a lack of interest to be sure- frustrating.
Collins reference to Jack Lewis (in the vid) as being foundational to his search for better answers was great. At the end of the day, we must decide what Kant observed re the starry skies and morality- and how Collins decided Christ only satisfies both. He is correct.
I think the hearts desire to annul faith is proof enough that God cannot be erased from the conscience.
To me though, as good as the content is- I raise an eyebrow when anybody speaks of 13. + billions of years/ I find that straining at evidence. Nobody knows- and we are more credible if we say so.
It is sooo easy to defend God and scripture- that’s why I do it- so thank YOU for the right hand of agreement- and of course for the link up-
All the best to you-
@ColorStorm
Sorry you are having so trouble posting here.
What about the 13 billion years? It is speculative, of course. Conventional wisdom because it can’t be refuted.
Tom,
Great post.
I linked your post to mine titled: Convoluted Times in Our Lives…or?, to add a King Solomon perspective to the message.
https://rudymartinka.com/2020/12/17/convoluted-times-in-our-livesor-king-solomon-blog/
Regards and goodwill blogging.
Reblogged this on boudica.us.
Thanks!