Favorite Books
I have so many "favorite parts" of the bible, it's hard to pick a top ten or whatever, but the Book of John ranks right up there with any of them, for several reasons.
First, John was written by one of the disciples, a man who lived and walked with Jesus during His life and ministry. Of the other gospels, only Matthew's gospel can make the same claim. Second, John reports things that were not described in any other gospel. For example, turning water into wine isn't found anywhere else; the conversation with the Samaritan woman isn't found elsewhere; the raising of Lazarus isn't recorded in any other account! Third, and perhaps most important to me, John's gospel deals with matters spiritual more so than any other account. Since Jesus' message and ministry was all about the coming Kingdom of God, John gives us a first-hand account of what must be done to inherit the Kingdom!
John
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
In only three verses, truth is revealed that isn't spoken anywhere else! First, Jesus is "the Word" and He was in the beginning, with God and He WAS God! How do we know Jesus is "the Word?" Compare scripture with scripture! In Revelation 19, this truth is revealed:
11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.
John also tells us that Jesus created all things in the beginning and that nothing was created without him. Think about that! We know that the entire Bible is about Jesus and that, over and over, prophecy after prophecy speaks of Him, but right from the beginning (In the beginning, God said, "Let there be light.") Jesus was there creating and letting Himself be known! How do we know He was revealing himself? John 1:4! "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men." So, "Let there be light" essentially means "let there be life" and Jesus IS that life!
Is that awesome, or what?
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
My testimony
Today in church, one of the good brothers from the congregation preached again this morning. Our preaching minister left for another calling a couple of months ago and we've been without a pulpit minister since that time. Elders and brothers from the church family have been filling in during the interim. Before today's sermon, one of the elders made a point to thank all of those who've filled in while we search for a pulpit minister. At that, I thought to myself, "I wonder if I should volunteer?"
If I did, I think this is what I would share:
I was raised in the Lutheran church and I never really took my faith too seriously. Lutheran theology teaches that your baptism is your salvation and, once you're baptised, the devil cannot snatch you away from your salvation. Once, while attending confirmation classes, our pastor actually told us that if we came upon a wreck and found people unconscious, we should baptise them quickly to ensure their salvation if they should perish from their wounds.
What?
Well, that is in fact what we were told and, since then, I've visited the Lutheran church from time to time (my mother still attends a Lutheran church) and have heard that very same message from the pulpit. In addition, Lutherans were big on "works" and, even though I cannot recall ever hearing that salvation depends upon doing good works, I always got the impression that works were important primarily for that reason.
Works earn salvation, that was the message I was left with!
As I grew and got married as a young man, I began to attend the Catholic church with my new wife at her insistence. Over the years, we attended many different churches, all Catholic, attempting to find one where people seemed excited to be there.
With the exception of the Catholic Charismatic Center in Houston, I can't say that we ever found one. That facility was just too far for us to drive very regularly, so it wasn't a possibility. All the while, I had that nagging voice in the back of my head telling me that I had to earn my way into heaven somehow and another nagging voice that told me that I could NEVER be that good!
Then, a Christian brother who happened to be involved in the same youth sports league as myself and my boys were involved in invited us to his church to see an evangelist who was visiting. We took him up on it! The church was an Assembly of God church, a fellowship I'd never attended before. The first thing we noticed was that everyone seemed really glad to be there and went out of their way to make us feel welcome! As the service started, the music and singing was absolutely infectious! People were actually singing instead of the quiet mumbling I'd grown used to! Words to the songs were projected on a large screen, so there was no fumbling with books or trying to read music. When it came time for the message, the evangelist started by reading a scripture from Galatians as everyone in the assembly followed along. He read from Galatians 2:16
"knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."
There was the word I'd been looking for my whole life! Man is NOT justified by works but by faith alone! You'd have thought that a man raised Lutheran would know this since this revelation was the very one that Luther had found, causing him to challenge the theology of the Catholic church of his day, but the Lutheran church has strayed from this simple truth and it has been obscured by the strange "saved by baptism" stance I described earlier! In any case, the truth of the word shook me to my very core and made me realize that I COULD be saved if only I would trust that Jesus died for me to pay my sin debt!
When the invitation was given, I stayed in my seat, but I prayed the prayer of salvation along with the preacher and felt an instant change in my soul! I was a new creation in Christ!
I immediately had a thirst for the Word of God, so I started reading the Bible daily until I'd read all the way through it. The first time I read through it, I read the original King James, then I read the NIV all the way through! As I read, the truth of the Word came to life in my soul! I learned why I'd never really understood the Bible before (the Word is spirit and it is life! John 6:63) and I learned that every word of the Bible is true, breathed into people by the very Spirit of God! (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Finally, I learned that works are important, but that works are the fruit of salvation not the way TO salvation! Jesus said that we would know other Christians by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-17). James said that faith without works is dead! (James 2:14-17), so the Gospel had come full circle for me! Works ARE important, but works are the natural result of a person living in God's grace! Works that are done to EARN salvation are done in vain because God said that all of our righteousness is like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6)! The bottom line: we can NEVER earn our way into heaven! Only faith in Jesus can save us! Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life! No one comes to the Father except through Me! (John 14:6)
As far as I'm concerned, the Gospel is pretty simple but we need to PREACH the Gospel if people are to hear it!
Today in church, one of the good brothers from the congregation preached again this morning. Our preaching minister left for another calling a couple of months ago and we've been without a pulpit minister since that time. Elders and brothers from the church family have been filling in during the interim. Before today's sermon, one of the elders made a point to thank all of those who've filled in while we search for a pulpit minister. At that, I thought to myself, "I wonder if I should volunteer?"
If I did, I think this is what I would share:
I was raised in the Lutheran church and I never really took my faith too seriously. Lutheran theology teaches that your baptism is your salvation and, once you're baptised, the devil cannot snatch you away from your salvation. Once, while attending confirmation classes, our pastor actually told us that if we came upon a wreck and found people unconscious, we should baptise them quickly to ensure their salvation if they should perish from their wounds.
What?
Well, that is in fact what we were told and, since then, I've visited the Lutheran church from time to time (my mother still attends a Lutheran church) and have heard that very same message from the pulpit. In addition, Lutherans were big on "works" and, even though I cannot recall ever hearing that salvation depends upon doing good works, I always got the impression that works were important primarily for that reason.
Works earn salvation, that was the message I was left with!
As I grew and got married as a young man, I began to attend the Catholic church with my new wife at her insistence. Over the years, we attended many different churches, all Catholic, attempting to find one where people seemed excited to be there.
With the exception of the Catholic Charismatic Center in Houston, I can't say that we ever found one. That facility was just too far for us to drive very regularly, so it wasn't a possibility. All the while, I had that nagging voice in the back of my head telling me that I had to earn my way into heaven somehow and another nagging voice that told me that I could NEVER be that good!
Then, a Christian brother who happened to be involved in the same youth sports league as myself and my boys were involved in invited us to his church to see an evangelist who was visiting. We took him up on it! The church was an Assembly of God church, a fellowship I'd never attended before. The first thing we noticed was that everyone seemed really glad to be there and went out of their way to make us feel welcome! As the service started, the music and singing was absolutely infectious! People were actually singing instead of the quiet mumbling I'd grown used to! Words to the songs were projected on a large screen, so there was no fumbling with books or trying to read music. When it came time for the message, the evangelist started by reading a scripture from Galatians as everyone in the assembly followed along. He read from Galatians 2:16
"knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."
There was the word I'd been looking for my whole life! Man is NOT justified by works but by faith alone! You'd have thought that a man raised Lutheran would know this since this revelation was the very one that Luther had found, causing him to challenge the theology of the Catholic church of his day, but the Lutheran church has strayed from this simple truth and it has been obscured by the strange "saved by baptism" stance I described earlier! In any case, the truth of the word shook me to my very core and made me realize that I COULD be saved if only I would trust that Jesus died for me to pay my sin debt!
When the invitation was given, I stayed in my seat, but I prayed the prayer of salvation along with the preacher and felt an instant change in my soul! I was a new creation in Christ!
I immediately had a thirst for the Word of God, so I started reading the Bible daily until I'd read all the way through it. The first time I read through it, I read the original King James, then I read the NIV all the way through! As I read, the truth of the Word came to life in my soul! I learned why I'd never really understood the Bible before (the Word is spirit and it is life! John 6:63) and I learned that every word of the Bible is true, breathed into people by the very Spirit of God! (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Finally, I learned that works are important, but that works are the fruit of salvation not the way TO salvation! Jesus said that we would know other Christians by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-17). James said that faith without works is dead! (James 2:14-17), so the Gospel had come full circle for me! Works ARE important, but works are the natural result of a person living in God's grace! Works that are done to EARN salvation are done in vain because God said that all of our righteousness is like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6)! The bottom line: we can NEVER earn our way into heaven! Only faith in Jesus can save us! Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life! No one comes to the Father except through Me! (John 14:6)
As far as I'm concerned, the Gospel is pretty simple but we need to PREACH the Gospel if people are to hear it!
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Yesterday on "Dan's Place," I wrote a post about Revelation and how it seems to be coming true before our eyes.
I'd like to expound a bit more here.
First, the scripture:
Revelation 6
The Seals 1I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. 3When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. 5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
7When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth."
The four horsemen of the apocalypse; they're the stuff of legend, and few if any of us have not heard of them, either from direct study of the scripture or from exposure to popular culture, but how many of us have REALLY thought about their ride?
The first horseman, riding a white horse, is given the power to make war. Uhhhh......a world leader with the power to make war? ANY American president could fit the bill; as an office, THEY were given the power to make war after 911 and, since then, we've made war twice. Does this horse yet gallop? When combined with the others, it very well may! Many scholars believe that the rider of the white horse is the antichrist since he is "given a crown" and rides the white horse of a commander, but who really knows? Could the crown mean that he is simply a world leader, given a crown by divine providence? Since scripture says that all leaders are empowered by God, couldn't this be said of any leader? Frankly, in the context of the rest of the passage and the gospel itself, I'd have to say that the rider IS the antichrist and his ride starts the clock described by Daniel the prophet. Just for a moment, though, examine the possibilities. What if the rider of the white horse IS an American president? How would we know? Well, lovers of the "Left Behind" series know; the "Abomination that causes desolation" will broker a seven year peace deal with Israel and it is that act that starts Daniel's tribulation clock ticking.
Naturally, we'll know for sure if we've seen the white horse ride when we see the red horse emerge. What is the red horse? Violence! Mayhem! People killing each other for no apparent reason. Nations rising against each other and making war with one another for seemingly trivial reasons. Have we seen a rise in violence of this nature? Anyone out there watch "Gangland" on the History Channel? Gangs like MS-13 perpetrate violence "just because." They and other gangs use random acts of violence as initiation rituals and to avenge perceived "slights." Sounds like the red horse riding to me! If nothing else, the existence of such violence tends to desensitize us to it so that, when we see the red horse, it won't seem like much of a change from what we've seen before.
The black horse? Are you kidding me? Shortages of food? High prices for food? Who would be surprised by more of that in the current climate? I mean, even before hurricane season, fuel prices were making food costs exorbitant and now, after gulf rigs have been shut down and restarted several times this year, who's really surprised anymore? Do we even have to talk about the current banking crisis and what its done to credit markets and cashflows for small businesses? Does anyone else see higher prices coming from all of this? What about the ramifications of an Obama presidency? He's ONLY going to tax incomes of above $250,000. Any small business worth its salt out there NOT making that? What's THAT going to do to prices? Is there any question? The small business owners will pass on the additional expense to their customers in higher prices! Inflation, anyone? Today's food prices will seem absolutely bargain-basement in comparison! I'm sorry; I've seen the black horse riding for some time now, but it's going to pick up the pace very soon I fear!
Does anyone see how these things go together? Are well-nourished people apt to get sick as easily as poorly-nourished people? What does the pale horse portend? Is it the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of staph and strep, or the inception of exotic viruses like HIV, Hepatitis, and Ebola, or is it just a combination of contagions from all of the above?
Frankly, I think it's the latter. We know that our use and overuse of antibiotics has given rise to a new generation of resistant strains that have medical science stumped. We also know that the lowering of our moral guard has enabled formerly unheard of viruses to run rampant in the human population and these are able to mutate into new strains that we can't stay ahead of no matter how hard we try! Increased use of drugs of all kinds, illegal and prescription, has led to all sorts of problems that our grandparents could never conceive of! People of vision have been warning of water shortages for decades! T. Boone Pickens, he of the Pickens energy plan, has been buying water rights in mid-America for years, fully expecting to cash in in his own lifetime. But what does that trend predict? We're running out of fresh water, that's what! You want disease and sickness? Make people drink tainted water!
I could go on and on, but you get the point (hopefully). We are at a crossroads and everything I see suggests that we are on the downhill side of the slope, beginning the slide toward the time when the four horsemen start their ride for real. When they saddle up, is it too late? That's the good part! Right NOW, it's NOT too late! Anyone reading here can accept Jesus as Lord and Savior right NOW just by praying a simple prayer like this one:
Lord Jesus, I can't do it on my own; I've tried it my way, but I've been left empty and wandering still. Lord, forgive me my sins, come into my heart and be the Lord of my life! Help me to be more like You each day, Lord, and help me to live in Your will. Thank You, Jesus for You sacrifice for me and thank You for hearing my prayer! In Your holy, precious name I pray, amen!
Hopefully, more and more will come to know Him as the days to the end grow shorter!
I'd like to expound a bit more here.
First, the scripture:
Revelation 6
The Seals 1I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. 3When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. 5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
7When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth."
The four horsemen of the apocalypse; they're the stuff of legend, and few if any of us have not heard of them, either from direct study of the scripture or from exposure to popular culture, but how many of us have REALLY thought about their ride?
The first horseman, riding a white horse, is given the power to make war. Uhhhh......a world leader with the power to make war? ANY American president could fit the bill; as an office, THEY were given the power to make war after 911 and, since then, we've made war twice. Does this horse yet gallop? When combined with the others, it very well may! Many scholars believe that the rider of the white horse is the antichrist since he is "given a crown" and rides the white horse of a commander, but who really knows? Could the crown mean that he is simply a world leader, given a crown by divine providence? Since scripture says that all leaders are empowered by God, couldn't this be said of any leader? Frankly, in the context of the rest of the passage and the gospel itself, I'd have to say that the rider IS the antichrist and his ride starts the clock described by Daniel the prophet. Just for a moment, though, examine the possibilities. What if the rider of the white horse IS an American president? How would we know? Well, lovers of the "Left Behind" series know; the "Abomination that causes desolation" will broker a seven year peace deal with Israel and it is that act that starts Daniel's tribulation clock ticking.
Naturally, we'll know for sure if we've seen the white horse ride when we see the red horse emerge. What is the red horse? Violence! Mayhem! People killing each other for no apparent reason. Nations rising against each other and making war with one another for seemingly trivial reasons. Have we seen a rise in violence of this nature? Anyone out there watch "Gangland" on the History Channel? Gangs like MS-13 perpetrate violence "just because." They and other gangs use random acts of violence as initiation rituals and to avenge perceived "slights." Sounds like the red horse riding to me! If nothing else, the existence of such violence tends to desensitize us to it so that, when we see the red horse, it won't seem like much of a change from what we've seen before.
The black horse? Are you kidding me? Shortages of food? High prices for food? Who would be surprised by more of that in the current climate? I mean, even before hurricane season, fuel prices were making food costs exorbitant and now, after gulf rigs have been shut down and restarted several times this year, who's really surprised anymore? Do we even have to talk about the current banking crisis and what its done to credit markets and cashflows for small businesses? Does anyone else see higher prices coming from all of this? What about the ramifications of an Obama presidency? He's ONLY going to tax incomes of above $250,000. Any small business worth its salt out there NOT making that? What's THAT going to do to prices? Is there any question? The small business owners will pass on the additional expense to their customers in higher prices! Inflation, anyone? Today's food prices will seem absolutely bargain-basement in comparison! I'm sorry; I've seen the black horse riding for some time now, but it's going to pick up the pace very soon I fear!
Does anyone see how these things go together? Are well-nourished people apt to get sick as easily as poorly-nourished people? What does the pale horse portend? Is it the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of staph and strep, or the inception of exotic viruses like HIV, Hepatitis, and Ebola, or is it just a combination of contagions from all of the above?
Frankly, I think it's the latter. We know that our use and overuse of antibiotics has given rise to a new generation of resistant strains that have medical science stumped. We also know that the lowering of our moral guard has enabled formerly unheard of viruses to run rampant in the human population and these are able to mutate into new strains that we can't stay ahead of no matter how hard we try! Increased use of drugs of all kinds, illegal and prescription, has led to all sorts of problems that our grandparents could never conceive of! People of vision have been warning of water shortages for decades! T. Boone Pickens, he of the Pickens energy plan, has been buying water rights in mid-America for years, fully expecting to cash in in his own lifetime. But what does that trend predict? We're running out of fresh water, that's what! You want disease and sickness? Make people drink tainted water!
I could go on and on, but you get the point (hopefully). We are at a crossroads and everything I see suggests that we are on the downhill side of the slope, beginning the slide toward the time when the four horsemen start their ride for real. When they saddle up, is it too late? That's the good part! Right NOW, it's NOT too late! Anyone reading here can accept Jesus as Lord and Savior right NOW just by praying a simple prayer like this one:
Lord Jesus, I can't do it on my own; I've tried it my way, but I've been left empty and wandering still. Lord, forgive me my sins, come into my heart and be the Lord of my life! Help me to be more like You each day, Lord, and help me to live in Your will. Thank You, Jesus for You sacrifice for me and thank You for hearing my prayer! In Your holy, precious name I pray, amen!
Hopefully, more and more will come to know Him as the days to the end grow shorter!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Gimmick Religion
I don't hate anything or anyone, but I have a real problem with what I call "gimmick" religion.
Here in Houston, unfortunately at my previous church, I've recently been exposed to still more "gimmick" religion. Yes, my former church, Grace Community, is busy erecting a 150' cross to tower over Houston.
For what purpose?
I thought that the church was supposed to preach the gospel of Jesus and His crucifixion and resurrection. Could the funds used to erect two giant crosses be used to greater advantage elsewhere?
I don't know. But I DO know that stuff like giant crosses rub me the wrong way. Last time I read the 10 commandments (NOT "suggestions," BTW), there was one in there about not having any gods before THE God and NOT erecting any graven images to worship. (3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. - Exodus 20). Hmmm....what happened to the "no graven images" philosophy, I wonder?
Another former church adopted the slogan "2k by Y2k," meaning that the goal was 2000 tails in the pews on Sunday morning by the year 2000.
I have a feeling that it was the preacher's way to boost the old retirement fund, but I cannot say for sure.
Here's the deal. When we start delving into "gimmicks" to put people into the pews, it dilutes the message of the Gospel and puts us into a competition with "the world," IMHO. Romans 12 says that we are not to conform to the world, so why would we hold a competition with it?
What Jesus did for us on the cross is sufficient! We don't have to elaborate, or pontificate, or try to "fancy it up," or do anything else to it except ensure that people hear the message!
Okay.....I'll shut up now!
I don't hate anything or anyone, but I have a real problem with what I call "gimmick" religion.
Here in Houston, unfortunately at my previous church, I've recently been exposed to still more "gimmick" religion. Yes, my former church, Grace Community, is busy erecting a 150' cross to tower over Houston.
For what purpose?
I thought that the church was supposed to preach the gospel of Jesus and His crucifixion and resurrection. Could the funds used to erect two giant crosses be used to greater advantage elsewhere?
I don't know. But I DO know that stuff like giant crosses rub me the wrong way. Last time I read the 10 commandments (NOT "suggestions," BTW), there was one in there about not having any gods before THE God and NOT erecting any graven images to worship. (3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. - Exodus 20). Hmmm....what happened to the "no graven images" philosophy, I wonder?
Another former church adopted the slogan "2k by Y2k," meaning that the goal was 2000 tails in the pews on Sunday morning by the year 2000.
I have a feeling that it was the preacher's way to boost the old retirement fund, but I cannot say for sure.
Here's the deal. When we start delving into "gimmicks" to put people into the pews, it dilutes the message of the Gospel and puts us into a competition with "the world," IMHO. Romans 12 says that we are not to conform to the world, so why would we hold a competition with it?
What Jesus did for us on the cross is sufficient! We don't have to elaborate, or pontificate, or try to "fancy it up," or do anything else to it except ensure that people hear the message!
Okay.....I'll shut up now!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Does God really care about physical things?
The last time, I responded to an article about people's beliefs regarding God's ability to heal dying or terminally ill people. According to the article, a LOT of people think that God does just that in response to prayer on behalf of the dying. My question was this; is it always a good idea to ask for God's intervention? Biblical evidence suggests that asking God to reverse His will and extend our lives doesn't go well for us!
So, after that brief review, another question arises; does God really care all that much about our condition here on earth? I mean, what is God's primary concern? Does He care more about our physical well-being, or our spiritual well-being? Well, IMHO, it's important to phrase it just that way, as a matter of priority, because God apparently cares about every aspect of us, period!
What does that mean? Well, what it says is... 9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So, God apparently cares for our physical well-being enough that He will provide those things that we need when we ask. But what is God's deepest heart-felt concern about us? Does he care more about those sorts of physical needs, or does He care more about spiritual concerns; those things that will have everlasting impact?
I'd have to say that God cares a great deal more about matters of the spirit!
In John 3, Jesus teaches us about the importance of the spirit:
"I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
Speaking to a Samaritan woman, Jesus added to this thesis:
"Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
The last time, I responded to an article about people's beliefs regarding God's ability to heal dying or terminally ill people. According to the article, a LOT of people think that God does just that in response to prayer on behalf of the dying. My question was this; is it always a good idea to ask for God's intervention? Biblical evidence suggests that asking God to reverse His will and extend our lives doesn't go well for us!
So, after that brief review, another question arises; does God really care all that much about our condition here on earth? I mean, what is God's primary concern? Does He care more about our physical well-being, or our spiritual well-being? Well, IMHO, it's important to phrase it just that way, as a matter of priority, because God apparently cares about every aspect of us, period!
What does that mean? Well, what it says is... 9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So, God apparently cares for our physical well-being enough that He will provide those things that we need when we ask. But what is God's deepest heart-felt concern about us? Does he care more about those sorts of physical needs, or does He care more about spiritual concerns; those things that will have everlasting impact?
I'd have to say that God cares a great deal more about matters of the spirit!
In John 3, Jesus teaches us about the importance of the spirit:
"I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
Speaking to a Samaritan woman, Jesus added to this thesis:
"Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
So, if God is a spirit, doesn't it stand to reason that God would care more about matters of the spirit?
I started this post a couple of weeks ago. Since then, a major hurricane struck our very area and now there are people in the thousands who are homeless, without jobs, and doubtful about God's intent for their lives.
The bible says that God will not test you beyond your limits, but a lot of people have been tested beyond the limit of their faith and they now ask, "How can a loving God allow these sorts of things to happen?"
The bible says that God causes rain to fall on the just and unjust alike. Sometimes, bad things happen to good people for the same reason. Frankly, some of the best lessons I've ever learned came from things that I wouldn't have wished for on the front end. Since Sunday, I've listened to a lot of people whine about not having power.
Uhhh.....that's what happens in hurricanes, people! If you don't like the consequences of hurricanes, move someplace where it's not one of your worries!
Instead of complaining, I praise God for sending us really cool weather to follow the storm! I praise God for leaving our house with relatively minor damage and for getting us through our evacuation and return with no incidents! I thank God for health, food, a good job, the most wonderful wife any man has ever had, and every other good thing that has ever happened to me.
But God has sent me some less than favorable things as well and I praise Him for those things as well. Each has made me stronger.
Bottom line; God cares about every aspect of our lives, but He cares more about the destination of our eternal souls than those things that are here today and gone tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Be careful what you pray for!
According to a recent article, 50% of the people surveyed believe that God can save the dying and 20% of the doctors surveyed said that God can reverse a fatal prognosis.
Really?
Uhhh....God made all of us and He has brought the dead back to life; I don't think that curing a little disease is a hard thing for Him!
Here's the dilemma: is it always wise to ask for God's healing? God is compassionate and He hears the cries of our hearts, but should we always make that cry?
Here's why I ask:
Isaiah 38: 1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." 2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city. 7 " 'This is the LORD's sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: 8 I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.' " So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down."
Now, that would seem to be a good thing, no? 15 years of life is a great blessing, is it not? Well, I guess that depends on the price, doesn't it?
Isaiah 39:1 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. 2 Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oil, his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. 3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, "What did those men say, and where did they come from?" "From a distant land," Hezekiah replied. "They came to me from Babylon." 4 The prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?" "They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them." 5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD Almighty: 6 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. 7 And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."
So, Hezekiah was allowed to live....just long enough to see his people carried away to Babylon in captivity and his sons castrated (remember, the thought of not being able to carry on with your family line was the WORST thing that could happen to you in biblical times!). It was surely not a life he would have chosen had he known. Despite this, he rejoiced and counted the blessing he WAS given, thanking God that his people would know peace in his lifetime:
Isaiah 39: 8 "The word of the LORD you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my lifetime."
I said all of that to say this; should we not trust in God and ask only that His will be accomplished when we pray? I have to admit, it's not an easy thing! As much as I believe it, I ask for selfish things and forget to ask that only God's will be done.
I guess that's about as bad as it gets. I mean, a REAL Christian trusts God fully and asks only that His will be done in evidence of that trust, right? I wish it were that simple! The fact is, we're human and we have mistrust at the core of our being!
I love Jesus with my whole heart, so why is it so difficult to trust that His will for my life is what's best? Why would that be hard for any believer to believe?
It's not.
Lord, help me avoid the trap of my own humanity and help me come to trust You fully in every aspect of my life! Lord, exercise Your will in my life, I pray!
According to a recent article, 50% of the people surveyed believe that God can save the dying and 20% of the doctors surveyed said that God can reverse a fatal prognosis.
Really?
Uhhh....God made all of us and He has brought the dead back to life; I don't think that curing a little disease is a hard thing for Him!
Here's the dilemma: is it always wise to ask for God's healing? God is compassionate and He hears the cries of our hearts, but should we always make that cry?
Here's why I ask:
Isaiah 38: 1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." 2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city. 7 " 'This is the LORD's sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: 8 I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.' " So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down."
Now, that would seem to be a good thing, no? 15 years of life is a great blessing, is it not? Well, I guess that depends on the price, doesn't it?
Isaiah 39:1 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. 2 Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oil, his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. 3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, "What did those men say, and where did they come from?" "From a distant land," Hezekiah replied. "They came to me from Babylon." 4 The prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?" "They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them." 5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD Almighty: 6 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. 7 And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."
So, Hezekiah was allowed to live....just long enough to see his people carried away to Babylon in captivity and his sons castrated (remember, the thought of not being able to carry on with your family line was the WORST thing that could happen to you in biblical times!). It was surely not a life he would have chosen had he known. Despite this, he rejoiced and counted the blessing he WAS given, thanking God that his people would know peace in his lifetime:
Isaiah 39: 8 "The word of the LORD you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my lifetime."
I said all of that to say this; should we not trust in God and ask only that His will be accomplished when we pray? I have to admit, it's not an easy thing! As much as I believe it, I ask for selfish things and forget to ask that only God's will be done.
I guess that's about as bad as it gets. I mean, a REAL Christian trusts God fully and asks only that His will be done in evidence of that trust, right? I wish it were that simple! The fact is, we're human and we have mistrust at the core of our being!
I love Jesus with my whole heart, so why is it so difficult to trust that His will for my life is what's best? Why would that be hard for any believer to believe?
It's not.
Lord, help me avoid the trap of my own humanity and help me come to trust You fully in every aspect of my life! Lord, exercise Your will in my life, I pray!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
The Sin of Balaam
Here's one that I've never quite understood. Beginning in Numbers 22, the bible tells the story of the prophet Balaam and his very surprising donkey. You can read it for yourself, but from my reading, it seems to me that Balaam was faithful to do only what God told him to do and he gave God the glory for whatever he was able to discern.
That's why I don't understand how it is that poor old Balaam gets slammed so badly in the New Testament:
2Peter 2:15 "They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness."
Jude 1:11 "Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion."
Revelation 2:14 "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality."
The only problem I can see for poor old Balaam is in Numbers 22:20-22:
20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” 21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. 22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the LORD took His stand in the way as an adversary against him.
What's the problem? Well, God said that IF the men come for you to go but Balaam got up and went before that happened. Where all of the other stuff mentioned in the three texts above came from, I have no idea!
If anyone reading has any idea where the charges mentioned came from, I'd like to know!
Here's one that I've never quite understood. Beginning in Numbers 22, the bible tells the story of the prophet Balaam and his very surprising donkey. You can read it for yourself, but from my reading, it seems to me that Balaam was faithful to do only what God told him to do and he gave God the glory for whatever he was able to discern.
That's why I don't understand how it is that poor old Balaam gets slammed so badly in the New Testament:
2Peter 2:15 "They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness."
Jude 1:11 "Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion."
Revelation 2:14 "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality."
The only problem I can see for poor old Balaam is in Numbers 22:20-22:
20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” 21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. 22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the LORD took His stand in the way as an adversary against him.
What's the problem? Well, God said that IF the men come for you to go but Balaam got up and went before that happened. Where all of the other stuff mentioned in the three texts above came from, I have no idea!
If anyone reading has any idea where the charges mentioned came from, I'd like to know!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Forgiveness Part II
Dear blogfan,
If you read the previous post about forgiveness, you know that, in order to be forgiven, we must first forgive. You also know that the whole concept of forgiveness is against our all too human nature and the act of forgiving someone is a difficult thing to do. It IS our assignment as Christians though, isn't it?
So, we're just supposed to be punching bags for the rest of the world, right? If we're wronged, we're just supposed to take it with a smile on our face as we get abused over and over again, right?
Not so much!
The fact is, Jesus told us to forgive those who treat us wrongfully, but He did NOT say that we are to forgive infinitely.
Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
Some translations say "seventy times seven," but the point is clear. Forgiveness is to be abundant, but there is a FINITE number assigned to the depth of forgiveness that is to be alloted to those who seem to enjoy mistreating those around them!
So, what's to be done? Should we keep a tally and when we've forgiven someone 77 times, cut them off at #78? Hopefully, it never gets that far!
We are definitely to forgive, but not indefinitely!
Dear blogfan,
If you read the previous post about forgiveness, you know that, in order to be forgiven, we must first forgive. You also know that the whole concept of forgiveness is against our all too human nature and the act of forgiving someone is a difficult thing to do. It IS our assignment as Christians though, isn't it?
So, we're just supposed to be punching bags for the rest of the world, right? If we're wronged, we're just supposed to take it with a smile on our face as we get abused over and over again, right?
Not so much!
The fact is, Jesus told us to forgive those who treat us wrongfully, but He did NOT say that we are to forgive infinitely.
Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
Some translations say "seventy times seven," but the point is clear. Forgiveness is to be abundant, but there is a FINITE number assigned to the depth of forgiveness that is to be alloted to those who seem to enjoy mistreating those around them!
So, what's to be done? Should we keep a tally and when we've forgiven someone 77 times, cut them off at #78? Hopefully, it never gets that far!
We are definitely to forgive, but not indefinitely!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Devil is a liar, and God is NOT!
I occasionally like to watch the History Channel, or Discovery, or one of the other "educational" channels on television. Most of what they have to say is valuable and totally worthwhile, but I occasionally hear something that contradicts the Word of God as expressed in the bible and I wonder what they base their conclusions upon.
It basically boils down to this; either what's in the bible is true and we are wise to base our lives upon it or it's NOT true and we who base our lives upon it are fools!
I choose Curtain #1, Monty!
So, what does it mean when a program on television alleges that the nation of Israel was NOT enslaved in Egypt and basically ransacked the nation of Egypt by force of arms on their way out the door as was alleged on a History Channel program I saw recently? Does it mean that God was mistaken when He said, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:2-3) Was the entire book of Exodus a huge fabrication? The word "bondage" or a reference to Israel being held in slavery is mentioned 13 times in Exodus! (Exodus 1:11, 2:5, 2:23, 3:7, 5:6, 5:10, 5:13, 5:14, 6:6, 6:9, 13:3, 13:14, and 20:2) Oops! That silly God! He made a boo-boo!
Uhhh....NOT!
Whoever might think that there are 13 references to Israel being held as slaves in Egypt by accident, you may as well call God a liar!
Uhhh....God's not the one who's being disingenuous:
John 8:43 "Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!"
So, according to Jesus, the devil is the source of every lie which means that, if you say God lied in Exodus, He and the devil are one.
Big mistake......HUGE!!!
Maybe the History Channel people ought to go back to the drawing board on that one; their research is lacking in my mind!
I occasionally like to watch the History Channel, or Discovery, or one of the other "educational" channels on television. Most of what they have to say is valuable and totally worthwhile, but I occasionally hear something that contradicts the Word of God as expressed in the bible and I wonder what they base their conclusions upon.
It basically boils down to this; either what's in the bible is true and we are wise to base our lives upon it or it's NOT true and we who base our lives upon it are fools!
I choose Curtain #1, Monty!
So, what does it mean when a program on television alleges that the nation of Israel was NOT enslaved in Egypt and basically ransacked the nation of Egypt by force of arms on their way out the door as was alleged on a History Channel program I saw recently? Does it mean that God was mistaken when He said, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:2-3) Was the entire book of Exodus a huge fabrication? The word "bondage" or a reference to Israel being held in slavery is mentioned 13 times in Exodus! (Exodus 1:11, 2:5, 2:23, 3:7, 5:6, 5:10, 5:13, 5:14, 6:6, 6:9, 13:3, 13:14, and 20:2) Oops! That silly God! He made a boo-boo!
Uhhh....NOT!
Whoever might think that there are 13 references to Israel being held as slaves in Egypt by accident, you may as well call God a liar!
Uhhh....God's not the one who's being disingenuous:
John 8:43 "Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!"
So, according to Jesus, the devil is the source of every lie which means that, if you say God lied in Exodus, He and the devil are one.
Big mistake......HUGE!!!
Maybe the History Channel people ought to go back to the drawing board on that one; their research is lacking in my mind!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
A lot of people get really exercised when the subject of the Ten Commandments comes up. They insist that they be removed from public places because their freedom of religion (or lack thereof) is infringed by the mere presence of the Commandments.
I guess those same people would like to rewrite history so that the Jews and their history would disappear as well.
As for me, I find that much, if not all of the rest of Judeo-Christian faith rests on those few words of Law and that our entire system of Justice is in one way or another founded upon it.
I wonder if those "church and state separatists" would like to see our legal system fade into memory as well?
Without getting too political, God said quite plainly "2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me."
Now, what did He mean by that? Well, here's my belief: we should put God first and love Him entirely, serve Him to the best of our ability, and keep Him in our thoughts continually. If we make God an afterthought, ignore Him in all but the worst of times, and serve Him only when its convenient, how can we expect Him listen to us?
What sort of gods could we put before THE God? You name it! We could put material possessions first; we could put relationships first. We could put drugs or alcohol first; we could put career first. We could put power first; we could put money first. We could put ALL of those things first! The fact is, God doesn't want us to put ANYTHING else ahead of Him!
Tough to do, but they're not called "commandments" for nothing!
Jesus had a thing or two to say on the matter. When questioned about "the greatest commandment," Jesus said, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)
Did you get that? Everything else in the bible, i.e., in all of God's Word, is based on these two commandments! So, if you "get" this one little passage, everything else makes sense and will fall in line!
So, if it's that simple, why did we need Jesus to pay our sin debt and rescue us?
That one's a little tougher! The fact is, we're not CAPABLE of following the commandments without divine help! None of us, not even one of us, can keep from straying from God!
Romans 3:10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." 13"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." 14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." 15"Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16ruin and misery mark their ways, 17and the way of peace they do not know." 18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
The good new is this: God DID send us help! He sent the only sacrifice that He would accept; His only Son! If we will accept His free gift and ask Jesus to live in us and help us, He is faithful to do just that and THEN following the commandments isn't such a hard thing after all!
And seeing them in a public place isn't offensive any more, either!
I guess those same people would like to rewrite history so that the Jews and their history would disappear as well.
As for me, I find that much, if not all of the rest of Judeo-Christian faith rests on those few words of Law and that our entire system of Justice is in one way or another founded upon it.
I wonder if those "church and state separatists" would like to see our legal system fade into memory as well?
Without getting too political, God said quite plainly "2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me."
Now, what did He mean by that? Well, here's my belief: we should put God first and love Him entirely, serve Him to the best of our ability, and keep Him in our thoughts continually. If we make God an afterthought, ignore Him in all but the worst of times, and serve Him only when its convenient, how can we expect Him listen to us?
What sort of gods could we put before THE God? You name it! We could put material possessions first; we could put relationships first. We could put drugs or alcohol first; we could put career first. We could put power first; we could put money first. We could put ALL of those things first! The fact is, God doesn't want us to put ANYTHING else ahead of Him!
Tough to do, but they're not called "commandments" for nothing!
Jesus had a thing or two to say on the matter. When questioned about "the greatest commandment," Jesus said, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)
Did you get that? Everything else in the bible, i.e., in all of God's Word, is based on these two commandments! So, if you "get" this one little passage, everything else makes sense and will fall in line!
So, if it's that simple, why did we need Jesus to pay our sin debt and rescue us?
That one's a little tougher! The fact is, we're not CAPABLE of following the commandments without divine help! None of us, not even one of us, can keep from straying from God!
Romans 3:10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." 13"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." 14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." 15"Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16ruin and misery mark their ways, 17and the way of peace they do not know." 18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
The good new is this: God DID send us help! He sent the only sacrifice that He would accept; His only Son! If we will accept His free gift and ask Jesus to live in us and help us, He is faithful to do just that and THEN following the commandments isn't such a hard thing after all!
And seeing them in a public place isn't offensive any more, either!
Saturday, August 09, 2008
A recent survey suggested that most Americans believe in God but relatively few of those thought that their own beliefs represented the only way to heaven. In fact, as few as 30% of the respondents thought that their own belief system was the best or only way to heaven.
Uhh.....why do they waste their time believing what they believe, then?
Another question; how can any person who calls him or herself Christian say that they think there are many ways to heaven? Jesus had a lot to say about this!
First, He said that it's not easy to get to heaven:
Matthew 7:13, 14 - "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
So, what does that mean? Well, quite honestly, eternal life isn't SUPPOSED to be easy! Of course God loves everyone, but HE HATES SIN and will NOT coexist with it! By accepting Jesus' sacrifice for us, His payment of our sin debt, we can find righteousness that God will accept, but THAT'S IT!!! Not by simply "being good" or by doing good works. The Word says (Isaiah 64:6) that all of our good deeds (attempts at righteousness) are like soiled toilet paper in God's eyes! We simply cannot be good enough on our own!
Secondly, Jesus said that there is no other way to heaven than through him (John 14:6). To quote: " 6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Now, that's pretty unequivocal. NO ONE get to heaven except through Jesus. He said it, not me!
So, if you're part of the 70% out there who thinks that there are multiple ways to heaven, you didn't hear that from Jesus! HE said that there isn't another way! It's Him and only Him! I didn't read how many of that 70% were Christian, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were the majority. After all, most Americans, whether they truly ARE Christian or not, will give themselves that label when asked. I'd like to know how many of that number are church-going, supposedly "bible-believing" Christians. As before, it wouldn't surprise me if it was a majority.
There are a couple of problems there. First, a lot of so-called Christians have no idea what's in the bible. Sure, they go to church on Sunday most of the time, but they never open their bible for themselves, leaving it to their three scripture readings each Sunday to provide their bible education for them. Second, a lot of Christians are "cafeteria Christians." They pick and choose the scriptures that they like and discard the ones they don't care for. Uhhh.....I don't think God would have breathed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit into someone and had them write down His Word if He didn't want us to believe ALL of it! Oh....I KNOW there's some stuff in there that's pretty hard to take but, with God's help, it IS possible! (remember point #1? It's not SUPPOSED to be easy!!!) The bottom line here is pretty simple. If you decide to discard John 14:6, you have to call Jesus a liar.
Not a wise thing to do, my friend!
Uhh.....why do they waste their time believing what they believe, then?
Another question; how can any person who calls him or herself Christian say that they think there are many ways to heaven? Jesus had a lot to say about this!
First, He said that it's not easy to get to heaven:
Matthew 7:13, 14 - "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
So, what does that mean? Well, quite honestly, eternal life isn't SUPPOSED to be easy! Of course God loves everyone, but HE HATES SIN and will NOT coexist with it! By accepting Jesus' sacrifice for us, His payment of our sin debt, we can find righteousness that God will accept, but THAT'S IT!!! Not by simply "being good" or by doing good works. The Word says (Isaiah 64:6) that all of our good deeds (attempts at righteousness) are like soiled toilet paper in God's eyes! We simply cannot be good enough on our own!
Secondly, Jesus said that there is no other way to heaven than through him (John 14:6). To quote: " 6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Now, that's pretty unequivocal. NO ONE get to heaven except through Jesus. He said it, not me!
So, if you're part of the 70% out there who thinks that there are multiple ways to heaven, you didn't hear that from Jesus! HE said that there isn't another way! It's Him and only Him! I didn't read how many of that 70% were Christian, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were the majority. After all, most Americans, whether they truly ARE Christian or not, will give themselves that label when asked. I'd like to know how many of that number are church-going, supposedly "bible-believing" Christians. As before, it wouldn't surprise me if it was a majority.
There are a couple of problems there. First, a lot of so-called Christians have no idea what's in the bible. Sure, they go to church on Sunday most of the time, but they never open their bible for themselves, leaving it to their three scripture readings each Sunday to provide their bible education for them. Second, a lot of Christians are "cafeteria Christians." They pick and choose the scriptures that they like and discard the ones they don't care for. Uhhh.....I don't think God would have breathed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit into someone and had them write down His Word if He didn't want us to believe ALL of it! Oh....I KNOW there's some stuff in there that's pretty hard to take but, with God's help, it IS possible! (remember point #1? It's not SUPPOSED to be easy!!!) The bottom line here is pretty simple. If you decide to discard John 14:6, you have to call Jesus a liar.
Not a wise thing to do, my friend!
Friday, August 08, 2008
Jesus was pretty clear about the topic of forgiveness and judgement. I cannot help but link those two topics together, because that's what Jesus did!
Matthew 6:14/15 - "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Matthew 7:1/2 - "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Now, that's pretty clear, right? Forgive others if you want to be forgiven and do not judge others or the very yardstick you use to judge will be used to measure you and your deeds! Wow!
Sadly, like most of Jesus' teachings, this one goes so far against our nature that it's very hard to accomplish! When we watch a Charles Bronson film, we get up and cheer as the vigilante exacts his revenge! It's our gut instinct; "instant justice" prosecuted with lightning speed! It makes us feel good when we believe things are being made right. However, God says that it's not our place to "make it right," but His! God sees all time at once. He knows the decisions that person will make and He knows whether that person will come to believe and seek forgiveness or if he will not; WE can never know that!
Such being the case, we should spend less time (MUCH less!) worrying about what others are doing or saying and spend a lot more of it trying to "be perfect" (Matthew 5:48).
Lord, I'm a flawed human being and I make more mistakes than I can count. Father, I thank You for forgiving me of my shortcomings. Lord, "be perfect" is impossible in and of myself, but I know I can attain it in Your eyes through the forgiveness you gave me in Jesus. Help me to be more like Jesus this day and help me to forgive others as You forgive me. Father, thank You for watching over us and guiding us! Protect us and make us whole, I pray! Lord Jesus, we love You and we praise You! In Your holy, precious name we pray, amen!
Matthew 6:14/15 - "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Matthew 7:1/2 - "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Now, that's pretty clear, right? Forgive others if you want to be forgiven and do not judge others or the very yardstick you use to judge will be used to measure you and your deeds! Wow!
Sadly, like most of Jesus' teachings, this one goes so far against our nature that it's very hard to accomplish! When we watch a Charles Bronson film, we get up and cheer as the vigilante exacts his revenge! It's our gut instinct; "instant justice" prosecuted with lightning speed! It makes us feel good when we believe things are being made right. However, God says that it's not our place to "make it right," but His! God sees all time at once. He knows the decisions that person will make and He knows whether that person will come to believe and seek forgiveness or if he will not; WE can never know that!
Such being the case, we should spend less time (MUCH less!) worrying about what others are doing or saying and spend a lot more of it trying to "be perfect" (Matthew 5:48).
Lord, I'm a flawed human being and I make more mistakes than I can count. Father, I thank You for forgiving me of my shortcomings. Lord, "be perfect" is impossible in and of myself, but I know I can attain it in Your eyes through the forgiveness you gave me in Jesus. Help me to be more like Jesus this day and help me to forgive others as You forgive me. Father, thank You for watching over us and guiding us! Protect us and make us whole, I pray! Lord Jesus, we love You and we praise You! In Your holy, precious name we pray, amen!
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Welcome to "Dan's Christian Place," which I decided to create so I'd have a place to share Christian thoughts and ideals. If you came from Dan's Place, you already know about it, but that site has become more of a daily chronicle than anything else and it seems that part of what I thought it would be, a place for Christian discussion, got kind of pushed off to the side. So, I decided to dedicate an entirely separate blog to Jesus and bible discussion.
One of the best websites in the world is Bible Gateway. It has an awesome search engine and every translation of the bible imaginable, which makes it invaluable for this sort of forum. I use it all the time.
I have several favorite verses from the bible. I like 2Kings 6:8-23 (especially verse 16, but you can't get the context without reading the additonal verses), Isaiah 53 (the whole chapter), Galatians 2:15-21, and Hebrews 10:26-31.
I feel sorry, and pray often, for people who do not know Jesus. Oh, I know that sounds silly to someone who does NOT know Him (I used to be one of those and, until I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I used to scoff at the notion of someone being able to "know" Jesus), but when a person accepts Jesus as Lord, the very Spirit of God opens your spiritual eyes so that you may see the truth of His holy Word (John 6:63/64 - " It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.”)One of the most famous verses of the bible, John 3:16, immediately follows a conversation between Jesus and a Jewish elder named Nicodemus. Jesus tells him that he must be born again to inherit the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus does not understand, so Jesus explains that spirit is spirit and flesh is flesh; unless one is born again in his/her spirit, he/she cannot inherit the Kingdom. As with the "know Jesus" concept, that one doesn't make a lot of sense until you're on the other side of the fence looking back, either!
I don't know how to reach people who don't know Jesus. I've always avoided the old "in your face confrontation" because that method ALWAYS turned me off HUGELY when I was an unbeliever. Such being the case, I've always been more passive, sharing my beliefs more from the prompting of the Holy Spirit and those special "Holy Spirit moments" than anything else. That said, I DO believe that some of my efforts on the internet have yielded fruit, so I pray that this forum will bear fruit as well.
God bless you as you read this. May you come to know Jesus if you do not, and may your walk be ever enlightening if you are a born-again believer.
One of the best websites in the world is Bible Gateway. It has an awesome search engine and every translation of the bible imaginable, which makes it invaluable for this sort of forum. I use it all the time.
I have several favorite verses from the bible. I like 2Kings 6:8-23 (especially verse 16, but you can't get the context without reading the additonal verses), Isaiah 53 (the whole chapter), Galatians 2:15-21, and Hebrews 10:26-31.
I feel sorry, and pray often, for people who do not know Jesus. Oh, I know that sounds silly to someone who does NOT know Him (I used to be one of those and, until I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I used to scoff at the notion of someone being able to "know" Jesus), but when a person accepts Jesus as Lord, the very Spirit of God opens your spiritual eyes so that you may see the truth of His holy Word (John 6:63/64 - " It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.”)One of the most famous verses of the bible, John 3:16, immediately follows a conversation between Jesus and a Jewish elder named Nicodemus. Jesus tells him that he must be born again to inherit the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus does not understand, so Jesus explains that spirit is spirit and flesh is flesh; unless one is born again in his/her spirit, he/she cannot inherit the Kingdom. As with the "know Jesus" concept, that one doesn't make a lot of sense until you're on the other side of the fence looking back, either!
I don't know how to reach people who don't know Jesus. I've always avoided the old "in your face confrontation" because that method ALWAYS turned me off HUGELY when I was an unbeliever. Such being the case, I've always been more passive, sharing my beliefs more from the prompting of the Holy Spirit and those special "Holy Spirit moments" than anything else. That said, I DO believe that some of my efforts on the internet have yielded fruit, so I pray that this forum will bear fruit as well.
God bless you as you read this. May you come to know Jesus if you do not, and may your walk be ever enlightening if you are a born-again believer.
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