THE MEANING OF LIFE

THE MEANING OF LIFE

Friday, August 09, 2019

Genesis 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:

  When, if ever, did you begin wondering about the meaning of life, or put another way. “Why am I/we here?” My earliest memory is times with my young playmates. The question came up quite often, then as we aged was kept to one’s self. I can’t remember the last time that question has been posed in my presence. Instead, on occasion a somewhat similar statement (Not a question.), has been “I’m looking to find myself.”

  Trying to find yourself is a lost cause wasting life’s circulation. The reason being that God made us in His image. Though we resist as did Adam and Eve (Though with more sophisticated knowledge.), we’ll not find meaning and purpose within, but without, from God. Why? Because the One who created us knows what is ultimately best for us.

EBB4

DRAGGING OUR TALE

DRAGGING OUR TALE

Wednesday, August 07, 2019

Philippians [GW] 3:7-16These things that I once considered valuable, I now consider worthless for Christ. It's far more than that! I consider everything else worthless because I'm much better off knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. It's because of him that I think of everything as worthless. I threw it all away in order to gain Christ and to have a relationship with him. This means that I didn't receive God's approval by obeying his laws. The opposite is true! I have God's approval through faith in Christ. This is the approval that comes from God and is based on faith that knows Christ. Faith knows the power that his coming back to life gives and what it means to share his suffering. In this way I'm becoming like him in his death, with the confidence that I'll come back to life from the dead. It's not that I've already reached the goal or have already completed the course. But I run to win that which Jesus Christ has already won for me. Brothers and sisters, I can't consider myself a winner yet. This is what I do: I don't look back, I lengthen my stride, and I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God's heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus. Whoever has a mature faith should think this way. And if you think differently, God will show you how to think. However, we should be guided by what we have learned so far.

  No, I have not misspelled the old colloquialism “dragging our tail” speaking of tiredness. Though we do definitely suffer fatigue as a result of “dragging our tale”; an hindrance that Apostle Paul speaks to in his letter to the Philippians.

  To illustrate I share a driving story shared with me: Nancy, a fine Christian lady that inadvertently mentors me at times, yesterday told me of her son moving from warmer snowless climate to Omaha. Driving slowly and carefully in this hilly city as the flakes accumulated, he was surprised by the dreaded flashing red and blue in his mirror. Puzzled, he asked the OPD officer what he had done wrong as he thought he was being exceptionally cautious. The officer told him he had done nothing wrong, but that it might be a good idea to release his parking brake as he was dragging his rear wheels along in the snow. (Yes, Gracie, this can be and is done with front wheel drive vehicles.)

  “Never done that!” say many, but how many of us have or do drag along some good or bad tale hindering our progress?

  It matters not whether it’s a past success story or *cacogenic chronicle, or some sorry woulda-coulda-shoulda dramatic travelogue, dragging tales interfere with personal progress in maturation.

  Now before attempting movement toward present and eternal goal let us be certain in mature faith release the brake(s) in order to break with spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical hindrance past.

  May God bless you richly this day as you travel on His way.  EBB4  

*A word for vocabulary lovers: “pertaining to or causing degeneration in the offspring produced.”

PS. Suggest reading John Bunyan’s PILGRIM’S PROGRESS.

IDEAS? HUH!

WHOSE IDEAS ARE THEY ANYWAY?

Tuesday, August 06, 2019

  Genesis 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

  John chapter 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth [Jn.17:17].

  A professed Bible-believing Christian publically states that Jesus refuted ideas found in the Old Testament. Considering that Jesus was God Incarnate, what do you make of a statement declaring the Lord contradicts Himself? Then there’s the fact that the Bible is the book of God’s precepts, not a volume of His ideas for us.

EBB4

HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS AS THE PARENTAL GOAL?

HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS AS PARENTAL GOAL?

Monday, August 05, 2019

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

  What is the present day common primary goal in raising children?

  The common goal in contemporary times is “I just want my children to grow up to be happy successful adults.” When listening to conversations on the topic or asking to define “successful”, I most often hear terms having to do with wealth, position, recognition, accomplishment, able to well provide for and take care of self and family, et al . . . all accomplished with the lowest possible levels of stress and a large dose of happiness.

  This goal is both consciously and inadvertently taught by numerous parents, grandparents, educational institutions, and media including TV and cinema. This goal has and does permeate our USA culture, including many Christians.

  As Christian parents and grandparents this as paramount goal should never be ours in mind, emotion, vocalized or in action manifested.

·         It is contrary to God’s example.

·         It is contrary to the Word.

·         It is contrary to what our Lord expects of parents and grandparents.

·         It is contrary to what is absolutely best in child training.

·         It is and furthers the practice of idolatry. The idol being happiness and its underpinnings.

  If such happiness and successfulness are not the goal, then what is?

  God’s Word is very clear on this question: The end of the matter after all has been heard and read; Fear God and keep his commandments, serve Him now and forevermore for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. We are not to conform to this world’s essential life definitions. (Eccl.12:13-14; Rom.12:1-3)

  Another way to put this is we are to live a life of godly character according to His direction; this by His Word; the Bible and Christ’s example; guided by His Holy Spirit.

  When we as parents and grandparents demonstrate and promulgate happiness and success as life goal we are in diametric conflict with God (James 4:3-8) and confuse and mislead the children we hold great affection for. Teaching children Christian morality in home and church is controverted by the overarching teaching and manifestation of the goal of worldly happiness and success. (A question to illustrate: What is the base reason so many parents and grandparents want their children to go to college?)

  Let us beware how we by emotion, word, and deeds actually train up children. 

EBB4

Afterthoughts: The application of today’s truth includes practice by aunts, uncles, and elder children whether biological or otherwise. Also note that living life God’s Way may or may not result in worldly happiness and success.

LISTENING?

LISTENING FOR HIS VOICE

Psalm [MKJV] 19:1-3 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the expanse proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor are there words; their voice is not heard. [1Kings 19:11-12; Job 4:15-21; Rom.1:17-21]

  Years ago, out on the farm, my husband and I spent many quiet evenings lying on cots out in the yard looking at the night sky. On clear nights it seemed you could see forever and in the stillness, if we listened long enough, it seemed we could hear a sound that we never heard any other time. On stormy nights the blackness closed around us and at that time we could hear the sound of God’s handiwork without even trying.

  I have found it true in life – there are times when I have to stop and listen for the still small voice, but I know that if I am patient I will hear it!

Leslie Nivens

WAS JESUS AN AVATAR?

WAS JESUS AN AVATAR

Friday, August 3, 2019

"What is an avatar in Hinduism? Was Jesus an avatar?"
  In Hinduism, an avatar is the bodily incarnation of a deity on earth. The god can become incarnate in one place at a time as a full avatar or in many places simultaneously through partial avatars called amshas, such that the main form of the god can still communicate with the partial materializations. One could view avatars as embodying the concepts of pantheism (god is all) and polytheism (many gods).
  The belief in Hindu avatars is similar to the Christian heresy of Docetism, which is the belief that Jesus Christ only appeared to be human. Docetism teaches that Jesus’ body was spiritual, rather than physical; thus, He was unable to suffer physical pain. In Hinduism, the avatar appears to the devotee in whatever form the worshipper envisions, which, according to Hindu belief could be Mohammed, Krishna, Jesus, Buddha or any other personal god. An “unqualified” person would take the avatar to be an ordinary human.
  The purpose of the avatar’s manifestation is to restore dharma, or righteousness, to the cosmic and social order. Dharma encompasses behaviors such as duty, ritual, law, morality, ethics, good deeds, etc.—anything considered critical to maintaining natural order. That which is unnatural or immoral is called adharma.
  Avatars are most often associated with the god Vishnu, one of the members of the Hindu “Great Trinity” or Trimurti (although any Hindu god may manifest as an avatar). Vishnu is considered the maintainer or preserver, as opposed to the other members, Brahma the creator and Shiva the destroyer. According to the Bhagavata Purana, a book of Vedic Sanskrit traditions, Vishnu has incarnated as innumerable avatars in unlimited universes, though there are ten major incarnations, known collectively as Dashavatara.
  Some Hindus consider Jesus as an avatar and, more specifically, as the reincarnation of Krishna. However, Jesus was not reincarnated; He was resurrected. Jesus was not an avatar; He is fully human and fully God. Please read our article on the Trinity to better understand the relationship between the members of the Christian Godhead. After His crucifixion, Jesus was resurrected bodily.
  In some ways Jesus may seem to fit into Hindu avatar theism; for example, by bringing the restoration of righteousness, Jesus is, in fact, the only path to eternal salvation. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This coming to the Father is accomplished via belief (John 3:18) and repentance (Luke 13:3). The consequences of unbelief are harsh and eternal (Revelation 21:8). First Thessalonians 1:9-10 tells us to turn “from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”
  To find out how you can escape God’s wrath and live eternally, please read our article How can I be saved? For an interesting discussion regarding the specific differences between Christianity and Hinduism, please click here. GotQuestions.org

Recommended Resource: Jesus Among Other gods by Ravi Zacharias

PRESIDENT JESUS?

PRESIDENT JESUS?

Thursday, August 01, 2019

Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

  If Jesus was a candidate for USA president how many citizens of this “Christian nation” would vote for Him? I say not many after He publicly presented His views and policies in the debates and the media examined His life ad infinitum. Remember that questionable Mary Magdalene business, and all those other women that flocked after Him and financially supported Him. And then there’s His claiming to be Jehovah God in the flesh and that the Holy Bible is His Word, plus His claiming in His Word that He not only created everything but that He also sustains it! And then there’s His urging us to deny ourselves and follow Him as Lord!! And then there’s His preposterous statement that He will ruling us for a thousand years with a rod of iron in the future!!! Ha, doesn’t He understand who WE are?

EBB4