James, I heard; I listen; now, I speak.  

	God gave you the power to rationalize because of a couple of
reasons :  First, we are created in His image.  I do not know what
God looks like, but I doubt that He looks like a standard human.
What I mean by His image is the ability to make decisions and
rationalize.  Second, why would God create a bunch of "robots" and
simply play with the remote.  God rewards those who are truly faithful.
God rewards those who truly want Him.  God wants those who will
consciously choose Him.  God wants sacrifice, servitude, discipleship,
and love.  You said that we could never know, that all we can do is
believe. That is exactly what people need to realize.  Intellect will
not save us; sometimes it endangers us.  Believing saves.  Faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ is the key to salvation.

	Next, you ask : "How can you accept something if you don't
know that it exists?"  James, how do you know that Moon Landing
occurred in 1969?  You weren't even born yet.  How do you know that
the U.S. didn't stage that in Hollywood or something?  Your answer
will be that people told you or you read about it.  You believe it
happened.  People have told you about Jesus.  You have been reading
the Bible.  Now, just like 1969, believe it happened.  One may say
that there are photographs and films of the Moon Landing.  That
was physical.  We see the Moon Landing footage with physical eyes.
It is possible to see God's presence through miracles or actions.
Just like we acknowledge such things as the Moon Landing with
physical eyes, so we must look for and see Jesus with our spiritual
eyes (senses or gifts or FAITH).  This brings us into the next
paragraph.

	James, if I tell you about all the elements about my personal
relationship with Jesus, I will use up all of your quota, but I can
tell you some events.  Every morning and night when I am all alone, I
am not.  There is a presence--the presence of God.  I can pray to Him.
I see results.  I can ask for something in His name and I get results.
Sometimes, I have to wait, but He is faithful even when I am not.
Sometimes, the still small voice of the Holy Spirit (we can go into
detail about the voice some other time) gives me a revelation.  I will
find myself writing down all that has been laid upon my heart.  About
a week ago, I wrote a revelation in the middle of the night. When I
had finished, I was amazed.  I read it again and again.  I spent a
lot of time looking for the passages where parts of it could be found.
I found probably 20 passages--most of them I don't even remember like
I do other verses.  James, when I have talked/typed to you, I have
learned as I talk/type.  Sometimes I wonder(maybe you do, too) how I
can answer some of the questions I answer.  The Lord gives me wisdom
and strength.  With the postings I have posted on the bb, I have
prayed about them.  I go back and read things that I have written and
I learn from them.  In 1989, I was an antisocial and depressed boy.
I was insecure.  I had no worries and I had whom I thought was the
girl of my dreams.  I still felt a void in my life.  In 1990, I sank
further into that depression and I lost that girl.  I became vengeful,
hateful, violent, and every other word that came from my mouth was a
foul phrase produced by the flames of hell which motivated my tongue.
I was lost.  I thought I believed in God (since then, I have discovered
true believing).  I continued to sink into misery and I looked only at
myself and took it all out on others.  My friends couldn't help.  My
family couldn't help.  Professional help didn't work.  Finally, I was
at work one night tossing things and cursing. A guy who worked with me
talked to me and ended up praying with me for a couple of hours.  The
next day, I met my new girlfriend.  There were many blessings.  Since
that day, I have been changing.  Now, I am very social.  I still mess
up and still have tough times.  A relationship breaks up.  I smile.
A loved one dies.  I cry, but then I smile.  I encounter a big trial
of faith and I make it through, and I smile.  I have a test tomorrow,
a paper, and a messed up program and it is nearly midnight, but I smile.
I have prayed about this very message prior to its existence.  I even
talk to the Lord when I drive down the road in my car.  It may look
like I am singing or something, but I talk to Him, and I get this
good feeling.  Oh that is emotion one may say.  Well, I will tell you
that I cannot begin to name the many times that I have felt the power
and presence of the Holy Spirit in a way that seems or is physical.
Praying to God in thought is just as effective.  God can read your
mind.  Satan cannot. Satan is just an angel. God is God!  Tonight,
I will pray again.  Praying is just as much part of my day as eating.
Reading the Bible, absorbing it, and praying are food for my spirit.
My flesh will pass away, but my spirit will live on.  James, basically,
I have told you (just on the surface) about my relationship with God
and how it initially changed me.  The relationship with Jesus gives
assurance in letting me know that in the end, it will all pay off and
everything will be new and good.  In the walk of faith, there are
seemingly endless opportunities to grow spiritually.  Each day for me
teaches me something.  To know what that something is, I must rely on
God.  I must have a personal relationship with Jesus.

	I accept no credit for the great events mentioned and
unmentioned (there are events much, much greater than these I have told.
Sometime, I can share them with you).  All praise and glory, wisdom and
thanks, honor and power and strength be to the Living God forever and
ever.
        
	James, keep on driving, but drive on the right side of the road.
You don't have to buy fuel, but you have to stop for it. The good thing
is that the fuel is limitless and free.  That is the analogy; here's
what it means : We do not have to pay the penalty for our sins, but we
have to yield and submit to God. The good thing is that Jesus is always
there with infinite power and for no price.  It all comes down to the
choice.

	If one relies on the fuel of this world, his tank will go empty,
his car will die (literally), and he will be stranded.

				OR 	

	On one of those miles, the person will come upon a Hitchhiker.
The person will stop, and the Hitchhiker will get into the car, but
the Hitchhiker will drive and the Hitchhiker will know where He is
driving to.  Then, there is no worry about fuel.

I drove for a long time in the dark on a bad road without headlights.
I did, however, see the Hitchhiker, or He saw me.  I thought about
driving on, but I yielded.  I stopped.  I made the choice.  Now, I can
let go of the wheel and let Him drive.  Sometimes, I mess up the trip,
but He always gives me another chance.

James, right after that paragraph, my disk quota exceeded.  I made a
phone call to fix that, but it wasn't to the help desk.  Do you
understand the things mentioned in this message?  If there are any
questions or comments, E-mail me. In the meantime, I will keep this
situation in my thoughts and prayers.  It is almost 1:00 AM.  I need
to go and get my knees dirty (I can explain later) with some quiet
time.  James, I have hope for you.  If anyone gives up on you, or I
give up on you, or you give up on yourself, remember the following:
Jesus will not give up on you.  2 Timothy 2 : 13a : "If we are
faithless, He will remain faithful."

				With a light of hope, 
			     Jamie the Beacon Deacon