I have made a very important typo. Brethern should be Brethren. I will move my posting from this blog to the new one here. Hopefully now Google should be able to understand my site name a little better. ;)
God Bless!
Friday, February 23, 2007
Is there anything left we can trust?
This is a post in progress, as most of mine are. This post will talk about ways in which we can show the Bible to be true.
The Bible is true to itself - when rightly understood it has no contradictions, no conflicts of statement.
The Bible is true when it speaks about the natural and physical world - it was scientifically accurate far before the secular science "discovered" the things the Bible already stated. Examples: The world is round; the wind circles the earth in courses (that is the atmosphere) Ecc; others... Health principles
The Bible is true in it's prophetic statements - Every one of the Bible's time prophecy's have been fulfilled on time. All of it's prophecy's of the Messiah, of Christ, have been fulfilled right on time.
The Bible is true because of the change that it says will occur in the life will occur in the life when someone follows Christ.
The historical statements of the Bible can be verified by non-religious sources - cf. Michael Hasel's presentation at GYC 2005
The problem with proving the Bible is that the Bible says it can't be proved. It's a little like creation in the Bible: it doesn't prove creation, it states it. The Bible doesn't prove itself; it states that it is.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Heb 11:6
This brings up something that those of modernity often throw at Christians in particular and those of a religion in general: that Christianity requires faith and science doesn't. I just want to say here and now, "read my lips: they both require faith." For you to believe the Bible with all of it's proofs is as plausible and possibly more so than to believe science with all of it's proofs.
Communism was the acid test of secularism. One of it's basic philosophies was that there is no God. But it failed! It came to the test and it could not provide the utopia that the rationalist said it could. Not that I have anything against rationalists or thinking, Christianity is not a religion of bury-your-head-in-the-sand people. But the principles of thinking found in the Bible, those very principles are being used in a non-religious way and that is a recipe for disaster.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
I will continue this post on further mornings.
God Bless!
The Bible is true to itself - when rightly understood it has no contradictions, no conflicts of statement.
The Bible is true when it speaks about the natural and physical world - it was scientifically accurate far before the secular science "discovered" the things the Bible already stated. Examples: The world is round; the wind circles the earth in courses (that is the atmosphere) Ecc; others... Health principles
The Bible is true in it's prophetic statements - Every one of the Bible's time prophecy's have been fulfilled on time. All of it's prophecy's of the Messiah, of Christ, have been fulfilled right on time.
The Bible is true because of the change that it says will occur in the life will occur in the life when someone follows Christ.
The historical statements of the Bible can be verified by non-religious sources - cf. Michael Hasel's presentation at GYC 2005
The problem with proving the Bible is that the Bible says it can't be proved. It's a little like creation in the Bible: it doesn't prove creation, it states it. The Bible doesn't prove itself; it states that it is.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Heb 11:6
This brings up something that those of modernity often throw at Christians in particular and those of a religion in general: that Christianity requires faith and science doesn't. I just want to say here and now, "read my lips: they both require faith." For you to believe the Bible with all of it's proofs is as plausible and possibly more so than to believe science with all of it's proofs.
Communism was the acid test of secularism. One of it's basic philosophies was that there is no God. But it failed! It came to the test and it could not provide the utopia that the rationalist said it could. Not that I have anything against rationalists or thinking, Christianity is not a religion of bury-your-head-in-the-sand people. But the principles of thinking found in the Bible, those very principles are being used in a non-religious way and that is a recipe for disaster.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
I will continue this post on further mornings.
God Bless!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Philippians 4:11 - to be content
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11
My eyes focused this morning on the words "therewith to be content." What does it mean to be content? Are we who live in this western culture ever content? Consumerism runs rampant and for the most part is almost unnoticed because it is so common. We have all heard the statistics on how much the richest countries in the world spend compared to the poorest. There is a wide gap between those two numbers.
This discrepancy is mostly the fault of the marketing industry which has done a masterful job of promoting anything and everything to the point that we can never be content. It is ingrained in us from the time we first see an ad promoting whatever in their enticing way. Because of that we have become a nation and a society of unsatisfieds, people who are never happy with what they have.
It reminds me of Isaiah chapter 55, the second verse:
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
What is more concerning than the fact that people are unsatisfied is what they are unsatisfied with. It is not a life filled with physical hunger or a an abusive situation or a lack of spiritual life. It is the lack of things that do not matter, the things that are only temporary and non-essential. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs the items people are seeking today are very high. This is not the food, water, shelter things that every requires. People are seeking for that that does not satisfy.
Ultimately, what the world needs is Jesus, as the song says. "Just a glimpse of Him," a view that God has something better to offer. Something that does not pass away, something that is of eternal consequence, something to make a person content.
"I have learned in whatsoever state I am in" - "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?. . . Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35, 39
When we know that God loves us we can have that peace that passeth understanding (Philippians 4:7) and be truly content in the Lord
God Bless!
My eyes focused this morning on the words "therewith to be content." What does it mean to be content? Are we who live in this western culture ever content? Consumerism runs rampant and for the most part is almost unnoticed because it is so common. We have all heard the statistics on how much the richest countries in the world spend compared to the poorest. There is a wide gap between those two numbers.
This discrepancy is mostly the fault of the marketing industry which has done a masterful job of promoting anything and everything to the point that we can never be content. It is ingrained in us from the time we first see an ad promoting whatever in their enticing way. Because of that we have become a nation and a society of unsatisfieds, people who are never happy with what they have.
It reminds me of Isaiah chapter 55, the second verse:
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
What is more concerning than the fact that people are unsatisfied is what they are unsatisfied with. It is not a life filled with physical hunger or a an abusive situation or a lack of spiritual life. It is the lack of things that do not matter, the things that are only temporary and non-essential. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs the items people are seeking today are very high. This is not the food, water, shelter things that every requires. People are seeking for that that does not satisfy.
Ultimately, what the world needs is Jesus, as the song says. "Just a glimpse of Him," a view that God has something better to offer. Something that does not pass away, something that is of eternal consequence, something to make a person content.
"I have learned in whatsoever state I am in" - "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?. . . Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35, 39
When we know that God loves us we can have that peace that passeth understanding (Philippians 4:7) and be truly content in the Lord
God Bless!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Philippians 4:10
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Philippians 4:10
Paul here is praising the Lord for people of action. Not just people of belief but people of beliefs that motivated them to action. Too many people today believe that all God wants is a mental assent to a knowledge of Him. That is not enough; He wants more from you.
Anyone who has a real burden, a mission, for someone or something will work toward that end. Political groups know this and they campaign to get people more burdened, more conscious of their issue and then those people will get involved. People are willing to act for something they truly believe in.
It is the same with Christianity! People are willing to work when they truly believe.
God Bless!
Paul here is praising the Lord for people of action. Not just people of belief but people of beliefs that motivated them to action. Too many people today believe that all God wants is a mental assent to a knowledge of Him. That is not enough; He wants more from you.
Anyone who has a real burden, a mission, for someone or something will work toward that end. Political groups know this and they campaign to get people more burdened, more conscious of their issue and then those people will get involved. People are willing to act for something they truly believe in.
It is the same with Christianity! People are willing to work when they truly believe.
God Bless!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Throughly furnished unto all good works
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2Timothy 3:17
This verse was the study of this morning. I chose it because what I am attempting to do by going to college is to be thoroughly furnished. To be thoroughly furnished is to be equipped completely, to have the knowledge and the skills to tackle what tasks you will face in your life. It has the connotation or being able to accomplish a task or to be able to see how to accomplish it, at least as best I can find not knowing greek.
The question I had this morning is what all do you need to be equipped for? How much is enough? And what are the most important things to be equipped with?
I will consider the answer to that today and will post again tomorrow morning.
God Bless!
This verse was the study of this morning. I chose it because what I am attempting to do by going to college is to be thoroughly furnished. To be thoroughly furnished is to be equipped completely, to have the knowledge and the skills to tackle what tasks you will face in your life. It has the connotation or being able to accomplish a task or to be able to see how to accomplish it, at least as best I can find not knowing greek.
The question I had this morning is what all do you need to be equipped for? How much is enough? And what are the most important things to be equipped with?
I will consider the answer to that today and will post again tomorrow morning.
God Bless!
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