THREE DETECTIVES IN AUTUMN
SARDINE PEAK TRAIL
Jack lead detective, Gloria, and Valerie hike up Ogden Canyon Overlook trail to the ridge, meeting four mountain bikers taking a break. Sunday at 12 noon.
Jack asks the mountain bikers, saying, "How long did it take you to bike up here from Snowbasin?"
Tony answers, "Less than a half hour."
Sue smiles, "I had to walk my bike a few times around the curves."
Jack begins, "I'm Jack the lead detective, this is Gloria my note taker, and Valerie shoots our videos. If you have a several minutes, we would like to ask you an important question."
Robbie giggles, "Three detectives! OK, what is your question?"
Jack says, "We're investigating, why people don't attend church anymore and losing their faith."
Valerie adds, "My pastor and everyone who attends my church takes vacations. It's not a sin to miss a church service and be with family or friends."
Gloria speaks, "Do you believe in Jesus?"
All four mountain bikers say, "Yeah!
Sue answers, "I like watching the TV series about Jesus, because he is more human and down to earth."
Valerie asks, "Anyone here attend a church?"
Bill answers, "Yeah, Easter, Christmas, weddings and funerals. Jesus is just another superhero like in the movies."
Tony adds, "Church is for religious people who have nothing to do. Sunday is my day off, to mountain bike, golfing, pickleball, go fishing, camping, kayaking, hiking, and swimming."
Gloria adds, "I gave Jesus 1 1/2 hours this morning, and now I have the rest of the day to play too!"
Sue speaks, "My parents don't go to church. All my friends don't attend either. Every Christian I know is imperfect, just like the rest of us. Why should I attend church?"
Robbie adds, "What turned me off is media preachers begging for money and promising riches to those who give, and later being exposed for their scandals."
Jack smiles, "You're right, Christians are not perfect, only Jesus is perfect!"
Valerie says, "Not everyone who calls himself a Christian is a true believer."
Gloria reads, "Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
Sue replies, "Are you saying there are fake Christians? Jesus called these people Tares."
Gloria smiles, "He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
(Matthew 13:37-43 NKJV ~ New King James Version)
Tony answers, "Science and the Bible disagree with each other."
Jack speaks, "There's Christians who are scientists, geologists, biologists, and paelontogists with PHD's that believe God created our universe."
Bill replies, "Historic science teaches us life began by the big bang. And we are a product of natural selection and evolution."
Gloria smiles, "Historic scientists?" Like Sir Issac Newton who formulated the laws of motion and gravitation."
Valerie adds, "Robert Boyle, the father of chemistry?"
Jack adds, "Johannes Kepler, who discovered the laws of planetary motion?"
Gloria speaks, "Michael Faraday, phyicist who discovered electromagentism."
Robbie smiles, "Yeah, they're great scientific men. Case is closed!"
Jack replies, "These men were all devout Christians who believed in the creator God!"
Bill remarks, "What about all the errors in the Bible? "
Valerie talks, "People copying manuscripts sometimes made errors. But translators today can compare the 5,856 new testament manuscripts can find what the orginal authors wrote."
Bill adds, "What about the Old Testament?"
Jack speaks, "The Great Isaiah Dead Sea scroll written in 125 BC, compares 95% to our modern book of Isaiah."
Valerie adds, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV - English Standard Version)
Sue speaks, "What about this error. In one account Judas hangs himself and another account Judas' guts burst opens. How did he really die?"
Tony adds, "Explain that one!"
Jack reads "Matthew wrote: " And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself."
(Matthew 27:5 ESV)
Later Luke being a doctor added medical details of Judas death: "Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out." (Act 1:18 NASB - New American Standard Bible)
Gloria adds, "Judas hanged himself, he fell and his guts burst open killing him."
Bill frowns, saying, "What about Jesus meal of bread and fish to a multitude. Did he feed 4,000 or 5,000?"
Jack answers, "Andrew a disciple of Jesus finds a boy carrying his lunch of 5 loafs of Barley Bread & 2 fish. Jesus prays and God feeds 5,000 hungry souls.
Gloria continues, "A second time a crowd of people needing healing follows Jesus for 3 days without eating. His disciples find 7 loafs and a few fishes. God feeds 4,000.
Valerie adds, "These are two different events, not an error."
Sue speaks, "How did they know it was exactly four or five thousand people?"
Gloria adds, "They sat in groups of fifty and hundreds."
Jack replies, "You're right, we don't have an exact number. People move around and it's possible they didn't count all the women and children."
Valerie adds, "Most likely an historic estimation. Can you count how many attend a football game sitting in a stadium?"
Gloria speaks, "We're not looking for people who missed church today and putting a guilt trips on them. We want to talk to people who have left their Christian faith and find out their reasons for leaving."
Jack speaks, "Do you know what Apostasia means? Greek word means, 'defamation, revolt or standing away from. Deserters in the military were called apostates."
Sue smiles, "I call that my religious deconstruction from Christianity. People on social media are telling their stories of losing their faith."
Valerie adds, "Apostasy is a total rejection, not a temporary struggle with personal doubt or a simple crisis of faith."
Gloria replies, "We call it turning your back on Jesus. If you don't want to be with Jesus in this lifetime, why would you ever want to live with Him for all eternity! Jesus loves you!"
Valerie reads, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 ESV)
Bill adds, "What is your true motive being here? Does your church need more members?"
Valerie replies, "Jesus has only one church, for those who believe in him and are born of the Spirit."
Jack in serious tone, "We believe there's a 7 year tribulation coming to the earth. Jesus' church, his bride will be raptured to heaven. Those remaining on earth will be going through a period of great sorrows and trials."
Gloria reads, "Let no one in any way deceive you, for it has not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the sanctuary of God, exhibiting himself as being God." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-5 LSB - Legacy Standard Bible)
Valerie adds, "The apostasy happens first before the antichrist is revealed. People will lose their faith in God, turn away from Jesus and refuse to fellowship with Christian believers."
Gloria adds, "Jesus said, 'For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20 LSB)
Jack says, "If Jesus was standing before you right now and he said, "Follow Me," what would you tell Him? Would you like to go to heaven with Jesus and have everlasting life?"
Gloria says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
(Acts 4:12 NIV - New International Version)
Sue raises her hand saying, "Yes, I will follow Jesus!"
All the guys agree too. "OK, what do we need to do?"
Jack speaks, "If you're willing to repent from your sins, believe, trust, and follow Jesus, I can lead you in prayer. And he'll will make you a new person in Christ Jesus and you'll receive God's Holy Spirit."
After they pray everyone smiles.
The guys mount on their bikes and ride off up the Sardine Peak trail, saying "Thank You!"
Sue smiles in tears, "Everything is brand new in Jesus! I thought it was all about religion. I never knew it was all about life with Jesus!"
