In my other life, when I am not here at Helping Up Mission, I work as an archaeologist with the Associates for Biblical Research. While the connection between archaeology and spiritual recovery might not be apparent at first glance, I have found the connection to be exciting and powerful. As an archaeologist, I excavate in Bible lands and find things which are supportive of the historical reliability of the Bible. These things don’t prove the Bible, they just point out that we can trust it for history.
What really proves that the Bible is God’s Word is not what archaeologists dig out of the ground, as interesting as those things may be. The real proof of the Bible is the difference it makes in people’s lives. Here at Helping Up Mission, we get to see the Bible’s message provide hope, answers and change in the lives of the men we serve. The changes that men in our Program are experiencing and the miraculous things that happen in their lives can only be explained by a supernatural God who is interested in them. Real proof that the Bible is God’s Word is not what archaeologists dig up from the ground, but the transformation it brings about in our lives.
Yet, that doesn’t mean that archaeological research is not important. Archaeology demonstrates that I can trust the Bible for history. And, if I can trust it for the past, I should also be able to trust it for the future (for my eternal destiny). And, if I can trust the Bible for both the past and the future, I should be willing to trust it for today – living it one day at a time.
That logic has worked very well for me over a couple of decades now. This Book has changed my life and it is my privilege to pass it on to men who are interested and looking for answers. Hope, answers and change are the basis of spiritual recovery and I am happy to report that it is alive and well at Helping Up Mission.
Sincerely,
Pastor Gary Byers
Spiritual Life Director