Steven Colborne's Blog, page 27

My Latest Book for Free

This weekend only, I am offering my latest book Christianity, Islam, and the One True God for free as an eBook from all leading digital retailers (worldwide). All I ask in return is that if you read the book and enjoy it, you would leave a review on the relevant retailer website.

View the book and retailers here: https://geni.us/onetruegod

All the details concerning the book’s content can be found on the retailer product pages, via the above link.

Thank you for your interest in my work! I hope you will enjoy the book.

Blessings,

Steven

You’re Never Prepared

All of us have had the experience of feeling anxious before a meeting. Our minds are flooded with thoughts concerning how things will go and what we will say. The funny thing is, meetings almost inevitably unfold in a completely different way to how we anticipated.

God has knowledge of all things, and I believe it’s God who causes thoughts to arise in our minds. God can draw from His infinite wisdom and immense memory to bring any thoughts to our minds that He chooses. Sometimes things can feel incredibly complex, though they are not, and sometimes things can feel incredibly simple, though they are complex. God can make any situation or discussion complex or simple.

I was reading a book today about the history of a common (a kind of park) not far from where I live. It is a beautifully produced book, full of incredible historical insights, and I found reading it to be very humbling. It left me with a feeling of, “How could I ever be so knowledgeable?” and “Will I ever be able to fully understand these things?” The book was written be experts, and I think everyone is an expert in some way, whether they are a parent, a teacher, an author, a disabled person, or a philosopher.

I also remembered that there is a Bible passage (Matthew 10:19) when Jesus is speaking with the apostles, and the advice he gives is not to worry about what you will say when you stand in a court room or in front of a governer or other authority — God will give you the right words to say in order to achieve His purposes. This gives me a great deal of comfort and we can hold onto this wisdom in our daily lives, to prevent us from feeling anxious when we face meetings and other situations where we are unsure about how things will go.

I suppose another way of putting it is, ‘live in the present’.

In my own life, I feel God is teaching me and training me to trust in Him and increase my faith that He will unfold things in accordance with His masterful divine plan, and hopefully in a way that is in my best interests. We need not fear any circumstances if God is on our side.

I pray that God would always keep me from feeling anxious about unfamiliar situations and circumstances, and that He would use me as a vessel for spreading love, wisdom, and goodness. I pray that He would always give me the right words to say at the right time. Lord, in your mercy, hear my prayer. Amen.

Thanks be to God.

Trusting

I’m outside a local cafe, doing some brainstorming. It’s a hot and sunny day, thanks be to God. I’m grateful that I found some discarded pizza for breakfast and I’ve had some coffee. God is in control and He does whatever He will. We have to trust in Him and press on, even when things are unclear. Thanks be to the One True God.

A Song

Hello, friends. I’m sat alone in a park in the shade. Earlier I was having a tea (ginger and lemongrass, try it!) and I updated some lyrics to a song I wrote many years ago. I thought I would share them here.

Every day is like today

It makes him sad that he’s this way

He can’t express, he’s all a mess

He’s in that awful place again

He tries, tries so hard to be wise

But the truth is lost in lies

And spirits haunt the depths of his soul

He fears he’ll never be free.

In the end, it’s up to God

Who has the whole world in His hands,

And all the stars, and all the lands,

He changes fates with just a nod,

With mercy, grace, He breaks every chain,

One day, we all will be free.

©️Steven Colborne 2022

Towards a Deeper Understanding of Justice

I have always struggled with the idea that God would punish people in hell for eternity, for perhaps a single misdemeanour. I cannot bear the idea that simply because someone didn’t make a commitment to Jesus Christ (which, after all, would have been a decision that was God’s will, because God is in control of everything that happens), they would suffer agonising torment for billions and billions of years.

Surely, God is not a monster. Christians repeatedly insist God is good, and I believe He is, but this doesn’t chime with the notion that God punishes people dreadfully and endlessly.

Our criminal justice systems on Earth often lead people into a life of crime. People end up so broken by the system that they suffer terribly for the rest of their lives. I’m a big believer in counselling and rehabilitation, because I think anyone can be caught up in circumstances that lead them to break the law. One thing I believe is that counselling should be compulsory in schools from a young age, because it is often things that people experience early in their life that lead them towards misbehaviour.

The law in Western democracies is very much rooted in Christian theology, and the idea that some deeds are righteous and some deeds are wicked. But perhaps we need to be more understanding and recognise that fear itself causes people to commit crimes, and that fear is bound up with religious doctrine that is enshrined in our legal systems.

With less fear of eternal punishment, we might be less judgemental of people who have fallen upon hard times. We shouldn’t dismiss criminals as wicked people — no human being wants to suffer and nearly all crime is committed due to a fear of suffering. For example, someone may steal from a shop because they need money to eat and are afraid of suffering the discomfort of dying of hunger. Arguably, if governments provided everyone with enough money to eat, there would be no stealing.

I think we need societal reform that places more emphasis on the absolute sovereignty of God — that life is God’s grand game and that He is unfolding all events in accordance with His will. Christians nearly always defend the idea of free will, but free will is not something I believe in. I think Christians often contradict themselves when they defend free will, and yet pray for God to unfold their circumstances (or global circumstances) in a particular way. There is a clear contradiction here, and the ultimate truth is that we do not have free will — God is in control.

Without justice systems, would there be anarchy? Or would there simply be less fear, and therefore less reason for people to commit what are considered to be crimes?

I hope this offers some food for thought.

The Age of God

The hymn I got baptised to is Abide With Me, a truly beautiful song with very emotive lyrics. I particularly like the phrase “Oh though who changest not” which we sing in the song in reference to God.

God’s attribute of aseity leads us to understand that God is eternal. Unfortunately, the word eternal has connotations of time, but really, it doesn’t make sense to attribute age to God, because time is God’s creation and He existed before time (I’m aware that language fails to capture this truth entirely).

Even if we were to say God is millions or billions of years old, this would not do God justice. To say God is the Alpha and the Omega is also somewhat problematic, because God is without beginning or end, though of course the phrase could be interpreted metaphorically — simply a way of respecting the fact that God existed before this creation and will continue after this creation.

I’m not particularly fond of the saying that God is outside of time (which you hear theologians say a lot), because God is also in time, and is unfolding time. Do you believe it’s possible that God has been manifesting different creations for billions of what we would call years? I think it’s logical that He has. This experience God has of manifesting creations means He is wonderful, powerful, masterful, and truly great, in ways we can barely begin to fathom.

I was speaking with a Christian friend today and he insisted to me that Jesus Christ created the universe. This is terribly confusing to me, and I see it as evidence of the confusion that arises when Christians hold fast to the doctrine of an eternal Trinity. I cannot help but believe God alone created our universe and any other creations He has ever brought forth.

Sometimes when we get immersed in devotion to our chosen religion, we can lose sight of the immensity of God. We hold fast to dogma, with the best of intentions, but sometimes forgetting that a few thousand years is but a moment, or less, to God.

Thanks be to God for His immeasurable vastness.

Being More Compassionate

God has been showing me how I need to be less judgmental of people who have suffered with prison sentences, addictions, homosexuality, broken marriages, etc. It’s not so much that I was being judgmental, more that in my fervent desire to help others not go to hell I wasn’t taking enough time to understand their burdens and the troubles they have been through.

The justice systems on Earth are based on religious texts which discuss the severity of heaven and hell. Unfortunately, this can lead to a huge amount of fear, and make us think God is a monster who would torture human beings endlessly even for relatively minor misdemeanours. While it’s possibly the case that God would do this, I’m less convinced of it than I used to be.

I think the religions that God has manifested on Earth have been an important part of His grand game, but we cannot neglect the fact that religion has caused a huge amount of suffering through fear and guilt (not to mention bloodshed). Even those who believe Jesus has washed away their sins still live a life of struggle against fear and guilt. Catholics go to confession, and then they still struggle with ‘sin’ again within a short period of time. It’s like religion is a constant battle.

I understand why some people turn to science. But I need to be more understanding concerning what makes different people tick when they profess to not believe in God. Everyone’s life has been unfolded by God in every moment, so would God really punish people in hell for things that He has caused them to do?

Some say all bad deeds are the responsibility of Satan, but I struggle to believe this because I have a very high view of the sovereignty of God. To say Satan is responsible for all ‘evil’ and that God has nothing to do with it feels too simplistic and dishonest to me.

I don’t think God is a monster. If God doesn’t suffer Himself — if He is a perfect being who is complete within Himself — it makes much more sense to me that He would never cause any of His creatures to suffer too much than that He would make them burn in hell for eternity.

There is one God, who is in control of everything that happens, and He does whatever He will.

This is the crux of what I believe.

Prayers for America

Friends, I am deeply troubled by the gun violence in the States at this time and I hope that finally a clear path to resolve this will emerge soon. My prayers are with all the American people who are suffering as a result of these terrible incidents. May God bless all and may those at the root of the problem turn to God and repent, as this is surely undemocratic in some way.

Is the American constitution enough, I wonder? Just a thought to put out there. Change is always possible, however admirable it is to be proud of our heritage.

Sorry for my absence, I have been working through some issues. I am no longer homeless, thanks be to God. I also have some good people in my life and I am hugely grateful for that.

Peace be with you! Will post again soon, God willing.

Photo by gazali marimbo on Unsplash

Lord of Mercy and Justice

I remember a few years ago when I first became aware of the vast scale of the corruption that is alleged to be happening among those in positions of power in the world. It was hard to stomach; that the world could be evil to the extent that I was reading about. Of course, we have all done wrong. I have done things in my life of which I am deeply ashamed and I have confessed my sins to God and repented, asking for His mercy and forgiveness.

I make sense of global politics in light of my understanding of sacred Scripture, especially the Bible and the Qur’an. In the Qur’an, it is said that you will find no change in the way God administers justice — He lets communities deteriorate into profound evil for some time, often allowing extra time for people to turn to Him in repentance, and then He administers judgement decisively. In the age of Noah, God’s justice was the flood. In the days of Moses, it was the drowning of Pharoah’s army. In Lot’s time, it was fire and brimstone. And there are many other examples of the way God chooses to demonstrate justice that are recorded in Scripture.

So, what will God’s judgement be in our time? And when will God act?

For years now, so many people having been suffering. Readers of this blog know about my personal struggles, but my story is merely a drop in the ocean; there has been severe hardship in society for very many people. I have been so desperate, even suicidal, in recent weeks, and I have spoken with others who have felt a similar way. Psychiatric wards and A&E departments are overflowing, people are feeling irritated and helpless and it can often feel as though there is nowhere to turn for comfort.

I try to count my blessings, of course. Things could always be so much worse and God is merciful to all of His creatures every day. But the emotional and psychological struggles of our present day are very hard to bear, and I do hope God will be merciful and restore peace and justice to the world very soon.

I will end this article by sharing two Scriptures that came to mind that feel relevant. One is from the Qur’an and one from the New Testament.

God’s judgement is coming, so do not ask to bring it on sooner.

Surah 16:1

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3-10

Please be mindful of God, go to Him in prayer and ask for His mercy and forgiveness. God asks people to repent, Christians and Muslims would agree. Truly, God is our only hope, so we should never be too proud to fall to our knees and cry out to Him.

An Audiobook Snippet For You! (2 mins)

In a previous post I discussed the recent technological developments that have made creating audiobooks much easier for authors who are on a tight budget. I remarked that after I converted one of my books to audio using Google’s new text-to-speech technology, I was surprised by how good the AI narration was.

I’d love to throw this over you to you and see what you think. Below you will find a short extract from my book An Almighty Predicament: A Discourse on the Arguments For and Against Christianity, which was created using Google’s AI narration.

It’s obviously not perfect narration, and I feel that this type of narration wouldn’t work well for every one of my books, but I think that the quality is high enough that I’m considering doing this for at least some of my books.

Please let me know what you think in the comments! Would you consider purchasing an AI-narrated audiobook? Did you find the narration easy to follow? I look forward to your thoughts!