Disclaimer: This is not an attempt to write a professional book review. This is my way of helping me retain and meditate on what i've read. Consider my opinions, but remember they are opinions. I take the time to weigh the good with the bad, measure and seek for truth. My word is no final authority
One Heartbeat Away by Mark Cahill
With the purpose of presenting God as he truly is and ultimately work for a desire of evangelism to be instilled in Christians, Mark Cahill starts at the very beginning where most of the world writes of the truth of the Bible, that is Creation. It is practical to start with proving the existence of a creator and then proceed to prove that this Creator is the God of the Bible.
Creator- within the first two chapters of One Heartbeat Away Cahill uses scientific and philosophical arguments and knowledge to prove the necessary existence of a creator. Similar to many of the facts Strobel presents in Case for a Creator, this text uses well quoted field experts to present the case. Cahill’s first premise is that since the universe “displays creation, design, art, and order” and since the statistics are so improbable that this could happen by chance (in fact, so improbable it is actually impossible!) there must be a creator. A second strong idea is the presence of a moral law. However, he goes beyond the “simple thinking” of what we see to the knowledge of what scientists know- sharing what science has revealed to support creation.
I have heard so much of this before, but I can rarely pinpoint the knowledge within my mind- but for the sake of review, here goes nothing. First, something can never originate from nothing, scientifically, that’s the law of the Conservation of Matter, Energy, etc…so all that is could never have come from nothing without cause, the cause would naturally be a “something” unless it were not within the bounds of the ‘nothing’ but in a realm of its (His) own. Other evidence includes specific animals that could not have evolved, irreducibly complex organs (organisms), and the separable consciousness of man.
I’m convinced there is a creator, not necessarily by all the evidence Cahill provides, because some of it in my mind seems weak, but maybe that’s the skeptic in me. Once I have a creator where does this bring me, how does this move me? This Creator is a personal being, shown by creation. We look for this God where truth is clearly shown. The Bible contains scientific truth that has not until recently been discovered. The Bible contains predictions about the future and their coming true (which history also supports)- only God could do this. God has chosen to reveal himself through the Bible.
Now, believe it or not, everything up til this point is still progressing to Cahill’s main purpose, which is to present the Gospel, the reality of Heaven and Hell and God’s salvation. He goes through all of this to bring the reader to a point of understanding that there is a personal Creator who reveals himself through the Bible, so this is where we seek truth… TRUTH IS. The Message is that people are dying and going to Hell every second. What am I going to do about it? My position in Christ has changed me, I am a new Creation. I want to share that with others, but pride gets in the way. Pride? I allow pride to stop a soul from entering God’s salvation? The answer is yes. How do I change this? Cahill quotes an atheist who said that if what we are believing in is the truth, then we are so selfish in keeping it to ourselves.
Personal reflections
It is so convicting, but I feel so far away from it. It’s like there is spiritual battle going on within in me, but I’m not here. My witnessing is non-existent and my prayer life is miniscule. Being bold comes from putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6), facing the battle and “speaking as I ought to speak.” It is no joke that people are dying without Christ. Why aren’t I in tears? Why haven’t I wept? Is my heart hardened, and if so by what? I am a hypocrite for being a silent witness. “Relational Evangelisms” we call it, but like Blake said (paraphrase) “so you think that way, but how many people have actively sought to relationally witness to? If none, then it’s just an excuse not to witness”
So what am I scared of? I think the solution is just to get out and witness. That may be why so often I feel spiritually dead. What good will it does my brother if when he is cold and hungry I say “go be ye warmed and filled?” Faith without works is dead. My actions reflect what I think about God, and my actions show that I don’t really think God is serious about Hell, but HE IS serious. This is my crisis of belief, where God is calling me to action. He HATES! HATES! HATES! Sin, but is not willing any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.
Let me check myself: I am a Saved.
I have been living too much in the flesh- I don’t have to sin anymore! Stop that! “Why should he who is dead to sin, continue to walk in it?”
I have un-confessed sin bearing down on my conscience
My Witness is dead.
I need to be living to reflect the holiness of God. My desires need to be re-directed.
I’ve allowed a lot to enter my mind that I shouldn’t have.
Wow, all of this from this book. Will I allow this to be a change for God’s glory?