This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at USC. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. For twenty years, he had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever 'really gone against him' (you'll see what I mean later.) Nobody would go against him because he had reputation. At the end of every semester, on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that he is God, and yet he can't do it." And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the floor of the class room and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students could do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students were convinced that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for twenty years, they had been too afraid to stand up.
Well, a few years ago, there was a freshman who happened to get enrolled
in the class. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about this
professor. He had to take the class because it was one of the required
classes for his major. And he was afraid. But for three months that
semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to
stand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought.
Nothing they said or did could ever shatter his faith, he hoped.
Finally the day came. The professor said, "If anyone here that still
believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of 300 people
looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom.
The professor shouted, "You FOOL!! If God existed, he could keep this
piece of chalk from breaking when it hits the ground!" He proceeded to
drop the chalk but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his
shirt cuff, onto the pleats of his pants, down his leg, and off his
shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away, unbroken. The
professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the
young man and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had
stood up proceeded to walk to the front of the classroom and share his
faith in Jesus for the next half hour. 300 students stayed and listened
as he told of God's love for them and of his power through Jesus.
"Yet to all who receive HIM, to those who believe in HIS name, He gave the right to become children of God--children not born of natural descent,nor of human decision or a husbands's will, but born of GOD."
"But He knows the way that I take. When He tests me, I will come forth as gold."
**WOULD YOU HAVE STOOD UP?**
Job 23:10
