I have sort of felt Compelled by one of my Commenters to do this Post, so as not to Appear a Coward if I do not Post and Respond to all that she says. In what Follows, I've decided to Post and Respond to her Comment, One Paragraph at a Time.
This First Paragraph is in Response to something I had said in relation to someone's Idea that Krishna and Jesus are the same Person:
Paragraph #1
Satyavati Said - "oh no... Krishna and Jesus are NOT the same person. Srila Prabhupada
said: 'Jesus is our Guru.' ...did you not get the comment I tried to
post several days ago when you were talking about how reincarnation is
meaningless? (It isn't.) Krishna, if you'd like to put this into
Christian terms, is the Father. Jesus is His son. No conflict there."
Response: No, I did not get the Comment you Posted a Few Days ago about Reincarnation. If Jesus is Teaching something different than Lord Krishna, there is a Conflict.
Paragraph #2
Satyavati Said - "Jesus also said, as I mentioned in my comment (the one that I guess you
didn't get), that He had not told His disciples everything, because they
weren't ready for it. Paul essentially said the same thing when he
said he was giving the Christians milk and not meat because they weren't
ready for it. So right there you've got essentially a double-dilution
of teachings. Jesus Himself said there was more that He wasn't telling."
Response: We can Debate about what Jesus meant when He said that He was not telling them everything, yet what Christians believe is that these things were Revealed later to the Disciples after Christ's Resurrection and then Written about by them in the the rest of the New Testament, including the Letters Written by Paul. Here is the Verse you are Speaking of...
"12) I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13) Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come." (John 16:12-13, KJV)
The Context of the John Scripture is the Guidance and Revelation of the Holy Spirit, which was Received by the Apostles at Pentecost, which Occurred shortly after Christ's Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven, yet there were no such Revelations about Reincarnation and the Like given later to the Apostles. What was Revealed to them instead was the Meaning of Christ's Death and Resurrection, which the Disciples did not fully understand Prior to the Occurrence of these two events. There were also things revealed to them about the Christian Life and about Christ's Return.
The other Scripture that you are Referring to is in 1 Corinthians and Refers Specifically to the Corinthians, which was a rather immature Church that Paul was having Trouble with. In fact, this was the Church that was involved in all that Disunity and Quarrels, which is even evidenced within the Context of the Milk and Meat Passage that you were referring to. In 1 Corinthians 3:1, Paul does not even Address the Corinthians as Spiritual, but as Carnal "Babes in Christ". The NASB and the NIV versions of the Bible translates this as "Infants in Christ" and "Mere Infants".
"1) And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2) I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye' were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye' able. 3) For ye' are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye' not carnal, and walk as men? 4) For while one saith, 'I am of Paul'; and another, 'I am of Apollos'; are ye' not carnal? 5) Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye' believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7) So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." (1 Corinthians 3:1-7, KJV)
You are Taking Verses Out of Context, Satyavati, in order to make your Points.
Paragraph #3
Satyavati Said - "Now, as far as 'your scriptures and mine would be the same'.... the
Vedas are the oldest scriptures on earth. Everything else comes after
them; so you can take that for what it is. And as far as God being
consistent... you don't need to be a Biblical scholar to see the glaring
and overwhelming difference between the God of the OT and Jesus in the
NT. I don't know if 'consistency' is a good word in this case."
Response: The Reason why there appears to be inconsistencies between the God of the Old Testament and Jesus is because they represent an Old & a New Covenant. In fact, that is what the Word Testament means; Covenant. In the Old Testament, they were Under the Law, but in the New Testament, we are Under Grace.
When I made the Statement about our Scriptures being the same, I was not actually making a Validity of Scripture argument. I'll get to that later. Instead I was making an argument against your God and the God of Christianity being the same Person. Without Pointing out too large a number of Contrasts, I'll just start with one. If I understand it right, Hare Krishna is a Vegetarian and does not approve of Animal Sacrifices. Ok, just based on that One alone, how can the Yahweh/Jehovah of the Old Testament, that instructed the Jews to Sacrifice Bulls, Lambs and Goats, Possibly be Lord Krishna? Yet the God that Jesus continually spoke of was none other than the God of Abraham. That is the God of the Old Testament.
"31) But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32) I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." (Matthew 22:31-32, KJV)
Paragraph #4
Satyavati Said - "Now, as far as this goes: 'If your Scriptures say one thing and mine another, then one of them is Inaccurate. There can not be two Truths. What is True is True and what is False is False.' ...haven't we just finished a discussion on how two things can be perceived differently and yet both be true? Or was I asleep during that whole conversation? Either way, if we want to get into denying one in favor of the other (which I am not personally advocating), it still comes back to the Vedas are oldest, and everything else came as an afterthought."
Response: In the Discussion that you are Referring to, we were talking about the Reality of both Relative Truth and Absolute Truth, not just the Reality of Relative Truth. Apparently you were only asleep during the half of the conversation that you were not in agreement with. :) You are making it sound as if Scripture is about Perception and Relative Truth and not about Absolute Truth and this is something that I can not Agree with.
As to the Validity of the Scriptures Issue, Accuracy can not be established simply based on something Age and nothing else. If it could, then it would be well established that the World is Flat and that the Earth is the Center of the Galaxy, rather than the Sun, and any Further Knowledge that we have Accumulated on the Subject would be disregarded as an "After Thought".
Paragraph #5
Satyavati Said - "Did you know that in the Vedas, at the end of Kaliyuga, the fourth age (the one we are now living in, which will go on for another 427,000 years), it states that Lord Kalki will come, on a white horse and with a sword, to devastate everything? Does that sound the least bit familiar to you? And yet there it is, in the Vedas, thousands of years prior to any Hebrew, Jewish, Christian scripture. I'm not knocking the Bible. We respect all scripture; the Bible, the Quran, and so on. I'm just pointing out, there it is."
Response: To Compare these two Scriptures in more Detail, would require more Study, yet even if they did sort of Match, that doesn't Matter because there are other forces out there besides God that may be privy to Future Events. At first Glance, though, it would seem that since there are 4 Horsemen Listed in Revelation, not only one, that in order for all four to do their Part, the First one is not going to be able to Devastate and Destroy everything.
As to the Koran, there is a Conflict here because the Koran says "Allah Forbid that He Bore a Son." Well, the Bible says that Jesus is God's "Only Begotten Son". Both of these Statements can not be True. One of them is False. You can respect all of the Scriptures if you want to, Satyavati, but my Point is that since they do not agree with each other, they can not all be true.
Paragraph #6
Satyavati Said - "Also, your comment that Jesus said 'no one comes to the Father except
through Him'; we understand Jesus to be Guru (which means teacher, which
is the same as Rabbi, which is what the disciples called Him), and true
enough, no one comes to Krishna except through Guru. So I don't see a
problem there."
Response: Well, Ok. Though I don't agree with the Argument, at least you do have one besides just that Jesus is a Liar. There is one other Statement that He made, though, that goes against the "All Paths Lead to God" Idea and that is...
"13) Enter ye' in at the strait gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat, 14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14, KJV)
The Biggest Problem, though, is simply that since the various different Scriptures do not agree with each other, they can not all be True.
Paragraph #7
Satyavati Said - "We are not sectarian. We don't tell people to stop being Christian, or Muslim, or whatever they are. There is no difficulty. You can very happily be Christian and chant Hare Krishna. Is it a problem? Does it impose? It's a very simple thing. No one has to 'stop' being whatever it is they are...why should they? The goal of all religions is the same."
Response: "Why Should They?" Well, now let's see. Since the Scriptures do not match each other and therefore, can not all be true, those who are True Seekers of the Truth are going to have to Leave or "Stop" that which is not True. Is it really such a great Value to Prevent the Truth from "Imposing" on our Lives?
The Goal of all Religions, Satyavati, is NOT the same. The Goal of Christianity is Heaven. The Goal of Buddhism is Nirvana, which in it's Original Form involved a Reuniting with the Cosmos and achieving a State of Nothingness.
Paragraph #8
Satyavati Said - "I'm not about this 'it must be yours or mine and thus one must be real
and one must be false' mentality. I don't see any problem whatsoever. It's not a 'religious' thing. Krishna says to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita,
'Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.'
'Religion' is an external concept. Just surrender, that's all. Is it
difficult?"
Response: The Only Way to Escape the "This is True and This is not" Mentality is to not Believe in the Existence of any Absolutes. If we were to walk up to a field of Grass and one Person says that the Grass is Green and the other says that it is Hot Pink, sure Both People have the Right to their Opinion, but only one of these Opinions is a Reflection of what is True.
Christians will also tell you that their Faith is really more of a Relationship than a Religion and those who are the most Connected to the Relationship, rather than to the Religion, or any of the Rituals, are the ones who are the True Believers. This does not change, however, the fact that there is such a thing as Absolute Truth and therefore, when Various Religious Texts do not Agree with each other, they can not all be True.
I guess what it comes down to is what is it that we should Value more. Unity or Truth. Yes, Truth can be Sacrificed for the Sake of Unity, yet what Good is Unity if the Final Destination ends up being something other than Heaven? I will Give you One Last Verse and then I'll Close and this may seem like a rather difficult one to Ponder, but here it is... Jesus said...
"34) Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35) For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36) And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37) He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:34, KJV)
As odd as it may seem to some of my Readers, Peace and Unity with all of the Various Religions of the World was not Christ's Goal. That is not what He was about. He Believed in Truth and felt that it was of even Higher Value than Peace. In fact, He Believed in Truth so Strongly, that He Stirred up enough Conflict (No, not Peace, but Conflict) to cause Himself to be Crucified and in doing so brought Salvation to the World.
Showing posts with label Spiritual Writings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiritual Writings. Show all posts
Monday, April 8, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
When to Think & Reason & When to Seek God's Voice
I Guess I have been Picking up the Pace of my Blog and maybe I should and maybe I shouldn't. It's just that the Blogging World in General seems to have slowed down so much, that I actually have extra Computer Time that I don't know what to do with.
Lord Please Guide and Direct my Blog and Please Guide and Direct what I Read.
Maybe I'll just make this Post a Short One. Pentecostals and Charismatics are even more into Following the Inter Voice of God's Spirit on a Moment by Moment Basis than the rest of the Church. I have this One Girl Friend that even so much as Asked God to help us in our Decision of whose house to meet at in order to rehearse our Music for the leading of the worship at an Aglow Meeting. This is a meeting of Intercessors that Occurs once a Month and I was asked to Lead the Worship. God was Slow in Answering it, yet right at the Last Minute, I said, "Oh Come on up. We'll do it here at my house."
Then when she arrived, she asked me where I wanted her to sit and I said "I don't care. We can either pull some chairs together over here, or we can both sit over there on the Couch." When she realized my Indecision, she immediately Prayed and Asked God where He would like us to sit. I just sort of Chuckled as I was Wondering if this person actually asks the Lord each morning what Cloths she should put on.
Should we actually Ask the Lord to Help us with every single decision in our lives, no matter how Small? She has challenged me, though, for the whole idea sort of Makes me Pause and I do Wonder if I should be seeking the Lord's Direction even more often then I do, so I asked God if I should actually do this Post and what He said was "You may if you wish, but Keep this one Short." So here it is. Now give me your thoughts on the Matter.
Lord Please Guide and Direct my Blog and Please Guide and Direct what I Read.
Maybe I'll just make this Post a Short One. Pentecostals and Charismatics are even more into Following the Inter Voice of God's Spirit on a Moment by Moment Basis than the rest of the Church. I have this One Girl Friend that even so much as Asked God to help us in our Decision of whose house to meet at in order to rehearse our Music for the leading of the worship at an Aglow Meeting. This is a meeting of Intercessors that Occurs once a Month and I was asked to Lead the Worship. God was Slow in Answering it, yet right at the Last Minute, I said, "Oh Come on up. We'll do it here at my house."
Then when she arrived, she asked me where I wanted her to sit and I said "I don't care. We can either pull some chairs together over here, or we can both sit over there on the Couch." When she realized my Indecision, she immediately Prayed and Asked God where He would like us to sit. I just sort of Chuckled as I was Wondering if this person actually asks the Lord each morning what Cloths she should put on.
Should we actually Ask the Lord to Help us with every single decision in our lives, no matter how Small? She has challenged me, though, for the whole idea sort of Makes me Pause and I do Wonder if I should be seeking the Lord's Direction even more often then I do, so I asked God if I should actually do this Post and what He said was "You may if you wish, but Keep this one Short." So here it is. Now give me your thoughts on the Matter.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Easter 2, Jesus Knew in Advance, He would Suffer.
I don't Know why I'm up at this Hour. I just don't feel all that Tired somehow. The Blogs have all been Pretty Quiet, including this one. Do you know that out of the 20 Blogs that I used to Follow, just before I stopped Blogging for awhile between March 5 of last Year and February 18 of this one, there are Only 7 of the 20 that are Still Active.
I was Reluctant at First to Venture Out much in Commenting on the Blogs because I've found some of the Arguing that Takes Place on the Blogs to be quite Tiring. Even on my Own Blog, it can be Tiring being continuously Challenged to Defend every singly thing that I say. I Lament about it, yet you know what? Feeling a little Tired at times is nothing compared to what Christ Suffered.
I'm still thinking about Easter, since that is what my Last Post was about and somehow Easter is still on my Mind. Christ Suffered quite a lot for our sakes and I really wonder at times how People can miss realizing that. As I am now Thinking about the Gospels and what can be said from Jesus' own Words that Explains what He did, Right now the Scriptures that come to Mind are...
"19) Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' 20) Then said the Jews, 'Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?' 21) But He spake of the temple of His body. 22) When therefore He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said." (John 2:19-22, KJV)
"39) But He answered and said unto them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. 40) For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.'" (Matthew 12:39-40, KJV)
"Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye' shall seek Me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come." (John 13:33, KJV)
And...
"Simon Peter said unto Him, 'Lord, whither goest thou?' Jesus answered him, 'Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.'" (John 13:36, KJV)
In all of these Verses, Christ is Talking about His Death and Resurrection. He Knew what was going to happen before it actually took Place. He even knew how Peter was going to Respond.
"Jesus answered him, 'Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 'The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.'" (John 13:38, KJV)
And here is Evidence that He did it Willingly.
"Saying, 'Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.'" (Luke 42:22, KJV)
And you know what? This is another Evidence of His Suffering that is not Mentioned quite as Often as the Crucifixion on the Cross...
"43 And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44) And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45) And when He rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping." (Luke 22:43-45, KJV)
Wow!! I don't Know why this Message came to me after Easter, but here it is.
I was Reluctant at First to Venture Out much in Commenting on the Blogs because I've found some of the Arguing that Takes Place on the Blogs to be quite Tiring. Even on my Own Blog, it can be Tiring being continuously Challenged to Defend every singly thing that I say. I Lament about it, yet you know what? Feeling a little Tired at times is nothing compared to what Christ Suffered.
I'm still thinking about Easter, since that is what my Last Post was about and somehow Easter is still on my Mind. Christ Suffered quite a lot for our sakes and I really wonder at times how People can miss realizing that. As I am now Thinking about the Gospels and what can be said from Jesus' own Words that Explains what He did, Right now the Scriptures that come to Mind are...
"19) Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' 20) Then said the Jews, 'Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?' 21) But He spake of the temple of His body. 22) When therefore He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said." (John 2:19-22, KJV)
"39) But He answered and said unto them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. 40) For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.'" (Matthew 12:39-40, KJV)
"Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye' shall seek Me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come." (John 13:33, KJV)
And...
"Simon Peter said unto Him, 'Lord, whither goest thou?' Jesus answered him, 'Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.'" (John 13:36, KJV)
In all of these Verses, Christ is Talking about His Death and Resurrection. He Knew what was going to happen before it actually took Place. He even knew how Peter was going to Respond.
"Jesus answered him, 'Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 'The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.'" (John 13:38, KJV)
And here is Evidence that He did it Willingly.
"Saying, 'Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.'" (Luke 42:22, KJV)
And you know what? This is another Evidence of His Suffering that is not Mentioned quite as Often as the Crucifixion on the Cross...
"43 And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44) And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45) And when He rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping." (Luke 22:43-45, KJV)
Wow!! I don't Know why this Message came to me after Easter, but here it is.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Easter Post - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem
Is there any way for me to Make my Blog more Peaceful. I don't feel like Debating right now. It's Easter. Christ Loves you and has Died for your Sins. That's What Christians Teach. It is a Very Special and Meaningful Message that can Change the Lives of those who Believe it. Perhaps I will one day be willing to Debate with the Non-Believers who wish to Discredit this message, but that is not the Reason for this Post. It's Easter. It's a Holiday. It's Time for a Truce.
Here is a Passage about Christ's Love that is a Little Different than just the General Easter Message that He died for you...
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:37, KJV)
Or do you Prefer it in the NIV?
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37, NIV)
I'm even going to allow you to Read the Entire Chapter if you Like and in Three different Translations, so Take your Pick which of the three you wish to read. Matthew 23 NASB, NIV, KJV.
Interestingly, the First Part of this Chapter is about Religious Hypocrisy. It's not Actually just about those who do not Believe, but also about those who are already Religious, but do not really Know God. These are Like Wolves in Sheep's Clothing. They are Religious, but not really Followers of God. This Same Phenomena Exists in the Current Christian Churches and Unfortunately, is the Reason Why some of you Have Chosen not to believe in Christ.
Huh. I was just reading this Passage just now and Thinking about how it is Perfect for at least one of the Things that I have been Wanting to say to those who Follow my Blog. No Wonder God Brought it to my Mind.
You see there are Eight Woes, in which Jesus is coming down very Hard on the Religious Leaders of His Day. One of my Favorite of the Verses is...
"You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:24, NASB)
And there also is a Warning...
"You serpents, you brood of vipers, how [y]will you escape the [z]sentence of [aa]hell?" (Matthew 23:33, NASB)
All This Strong Language spoken to the Religious Leaders of the Day. No Not to the Basic Every Day Sinner, but to the Religious Leaders, yet after this comes the Lament...
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." (Matthew 23:37, NASB)
Don't you see? Jesus Loves all People and wants to save all People, including the Hypocrites that have Hurt some of you and He also Loves You. Please Remember, though, you have not been Hurt by Jesus, but by Hypocrites, much like those that Jesus is Speaking out against in this Passage.
Here is a Passage about Christ's Love that is a Little Different than just the General Easter Message that He died for you...
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:37, KJV)
Or do you Prefer it in the NIV?
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37, NIV)
I'm even going to allow you to Read the Entire Chapter if you Like and in Three different Translations, so Take your Pick which of the three you wish to read. Matthew 23 NASB, NIV, KJV.
Interestingly, the First Part of this Chapter is about Religious Hypocrisy. It's not Actually just about those who do not Believe, but also about those who are already Religious, but do not really Know God. These are Like Wolves in Sheep's Clothing. They are Religious, but not really Followers of God. This Same Phenomena Exists in the Current Christian Churches and Unfortunately, is the Reason Why some of you Have Chosen not to believe in Christ.
Huh. I was just reading this Passage just now and Thinking about how it is Perfect for at least one of the Things that I have been Wanting to say to those who Follow my Blog. No Wonder God Brought it to my Mind.
You see there are Eight Woes, in which Jesus is coming down very Hard on the Religious Leaders of His Day. One of my Favorite of the Verses is...
"You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:24, NASB)
And there also is a Warning...
"You serpents, you brood of vipers, how [y]will you escape the [z]sentence of [aa]hell?" (Matthew 23:33, NASB)
All This Strong Language spoken to the Religious Leaders of the Day. No Not to the Basic Every Day Sinner, but to the Religious Leaders, yet after this comes the Lament...
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." (Matthew 23:37, NASB)
Don't you see? Jesus Loves all People and wants to save all People, including the Hypocrites that have Hurt some of you and He also Loves You. Please Remember, though, you have not been Hurt by Jesus, but by Hypocrites, much like those that Jesus is Speaking out against in this Passage.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
God Guides through Rational Thought & also People
Hi you guys,
Do you Know that at Times I Write Best in Letter Form? Perhaps I shouldn't be starting a Post out this way, yet this is how so many of my Posts begin. I Start Writing to Individuals and then later Change what I have Written into a Post. My Previous Post was about God's Guidance, yet quite Often God Guides me through my Interaction with others, so in a since, you could say that I am guided, at least in part, by you guys, my Commenters. That is not to say that if you tell me or suggest that I write about a certain thing that I will do so, yet if you say just the Right Thing to me, you will likely Inspire me.
This Post is, at least in Part, a response to the two Last Commenters who Wrote below my Previous Post, as of the Date and Time in which this Post was Posted. Among other Things, Z-man has Expressed that he has become Tired of his own Blog because he is not only Disagreed with, but also Misinterpreted because his Style is to "Think Out Loud". From that, I was inspired to write about how so many People are quite set in their own Way of Thinking and are not Persuadable.
I just don't have the Interest in Arguments that Lead no where any more. I just don't and though I really do not want to Abandon the Original Audience that used to Follow my Blog, my Interest in Arguing has Changed and I want to Figure out a Way to Draw an Audience that is Truly interested in what I have to say.
This got me Talking all about the Question of who my Target Audience should be if I choose again to Blog, which I will get into in just a Minute.
Aside from this, Z also brought to my mind a couple of other interesting Questions in relation to what should be our Approach to Blogging. The first of which is "Should we really 'Think Out Loud' on our Blogs, or should we do that with a Pen Pal and then write something on our Blogs that is a little more Polished?" I have Struggled with this Question quite a lot myself and am not sure if I know the Answer.
Another Question that I have been Asking is whether or not I should Still Blog about Politics and as I was responding to Z-man, I got thinking about how so many People, just as I mentioned above, are quite set in their own Way of Thinking and are not Persuadable and you see, here is the thing.... There are such a large Number of Obama Supporters on the Web that are not Persuadable that I'm feeling led away from discussing it. To those who do not Agree, it just sounds like Obama Bashing and that's not what I want my Blog to be. Perhaps there will come a time in which the Political Harvest will be more Ripe for Reaping, yet I do not feel that now is that time.
The other person that has recently Commented in the Below Post is Satyavati. From her, I have felt Inspired to Think and Write about another Question relating to "Feeling Led", or more precisely, the Idea of just Waiting for God's Voice or Well, more Actively Pursuing the Answers to the Questions that are in my Mind. This is what Led me to the Title of this Post in that God Guides through "Rational Thought" and not just the Act of Waiting for Him to Answer.
In the End, I know that it will be, at least in part you, the Commenters, who are going to help me to Find the Answers to what it is that I should be Blogging about. I've never felt that God Communicates that Often in a Crystal Clear way within a total Vacuum of our own Thoughts and the Thoughts of others. I've always felt that we find our Answers, at least in Part, through the Information that we Acquire from our interaction with those who we Communicate with and this is why God's Voice is so Rarely ever Immediate.
The Impatient do not make very good Christians because God has a Tendency to Take His Time. When He does Speak, it can be quite clear what He is saying, yet this Clarity is often quite Long in Coming and that is just the Way it is at times.
Here is my Dilemma...
A lot of Christians do not Understand the Intellectual. They are able to Accept Things just based on Faith and will often present as their Argument, nothing more then "Well, because the Bible Says so". This is not enough for some people.
There are actually times in which I feel like a Half Breed, for if I take an Intellectual, Thinking, sort of Approach to my Interactions with Non-Christians, there are Actually quite a lot of Christians who will tell me that I am Wasting my Time, yet if I take the Approach of just Talking about the Scriptures, though this will Draw more Christians to my blog, I also know for a Fact that I will lose a good part of my Non-Christian Audience.
It is really Hard to reach both Audiences at Once and, In fact, very Possibly, it is not even Possible. So the Question that I have to Answer is "Do I want to Lose a good Portion of my Non-Christian Audience, or a Portion of my Christian Audience?" and in Truth, I am leaning towards the Later, instead of the Former.
Yeh, here I go "Thinking Out Loud" again and in all reality, sometimes the more Polished is a long time in Coming, just as also is God's Guidance. I have problems with the Idea that is pushed by some Christians, which is "Don't Think About it, just Pray and Wait for God's Guidance." What I am trying to Illustrate in this Post, however, is how aside from just the Waiting on God for the Answers, there is also a Thought Process that goes on that will lead to our eventual Conclusions and God's Guidance will come in the Midst of that Process.
Do you Know that at Times I Write Best in Letter Form? Perhaps I shouldn't be starting a Post out this way, yet this is how so many of my Posts begin. I Start Writing to Individuals and then later Change what I have Written into a Post. My Previous Post was about God's Guidance, yet quite Often God Guides me through my Interaction with others, so in a since, you could say that I am guided, at least in part, by you guys, my Commenters. That is not to say that if you tell me or suggest that I write about a certain thing that I will do so, yet if you say just the Right Thing to me, you will likely Inspire me.
This Post is, at least in Part, a response to the two Last Commenters who Wrote below my Previous Post, as of the Date and Time in which this Post was Posted. Among other Things, Z-man has Expressed that he has become Tired of his own Blog because he is not only Disagreed with, but also Misinterpreted because his Style is to "Think Out Loud". From that, I was inspired to write about how so many People are quite set in their own Way of Thinking and are not Persuadable.
I just don't have the Interest in Arguments that Lead no where any more. I just don't and though I really do not want to Abandon the Original Audience that used to Follow my Blog, my Interest in Arguing has Changed and I want to Figure out a Way to Draw an Audience that is Truly interested in what I have to say.
This got me Talking all about the Question of who my Target Audience should be if I choose again to Blog, which I will get into in just a Minute.
Aside from this, Z also brought to my mind a couple of other interesting Questions in relation to what should be our Approach to Blogging. The first of which is "Should we really 'Think Out Loud' on our Blogs, or should we do that with a Pen Pal and then write something on our Blogs that is a little more Polished?" I have Struggled with this Question quite a lot myself and am not sure if I know the Answer.
Another Question that I have been Asking is whether or not I should Still Blog about Politics and as I was responding to Z-man, I got thinking about how so many People, just as I mentioned above, are quite set in their own Way of Thinking and are not Persuadable and you see, here is the thing.... There are such a large Number of Obama Supporters on the Web that are not Persuadable that I'm feeling led away from discussing it. To those who do not Agree, it just sounds like Obama Bashing and that's not what I want my Blog to be. Perhaps there will come a time in which the Political Harvest will be more Ripe for Reaping, yet I do not feel that now is that time.
The other person that has recently Commented in the Below Post is Satyavati. From her, I have felt Inspired to Think and Write about another Question relating to "Feeling Led", or more precisely, the Idea of just Waiting for God's Voice or Well, more Actively Pursuing the Answers to the Questions that are in my Mind. This is what Led me to the Title of this Post in that God Guides through "Rational Thought" and not just the Act of Waiting for Him to Answer.
In the End, I know that it will be, at least in part you, the Commenters, who are going to help me to Find the Answers to what it is that I should be Blogging about. I've never felt that God Communicates that Often in a Crystal Clear way within a total Vacuum of our own Thoughts and the Thoughts of others. I've always felt that we find our Answers, at least in Part, through the Information that we Acquire from our interaction with those who we Communicate with and this is why God's Voice is so Rarely ever Immediate.
The Impatient do not make very good Christians because God has a Tendency to Take His Time. When He does Speak, it can be quite clear what He is saying, yet this Clarity is often quite Long in Coming and that is just the Way it is at times.
Here is my Dilemma...
A lot of Christians do not Understand the Intellectual. They are able to Accept Things just based on Faith and will often present as their Argument, nothing more then "Well, because the Bible Says so". This is not enough for some people.
There are actually times in which I feel like a Half Breed, for if I take an Intellectual, Thinking, sort of Approach to my Interactions with Non-Christians, there are Actually quite a lot of Christians who will tell me that I am Wasting my Time, yet if I take the Approach of just Talking about the Scriptures, though this will Draw more Christians to my blog, I also know for a Fact that I will lose a good part of my Non-Christian Audience.
It is really Hard to reach both Audiences at Once and, In fact, very Possibly, it is not even Possible. So the Question that I have to Answer is "Do I want to Lose a good Portion of my Non-Christian Audience, or a Portion of my Christian Audience?" and in Truth, I am leaning towards the Later, instead of the Former.
Yeh, here I go "Thinking Out Loud" again and in all reality, sometimes the more Polished is a long time in Coming, just as also is God's Guidance. I have problems with the Idea that is pushed by some Christians, which is "Don't Think About it, just Pray and Wait for God's Guidance." What I am trying to Illustrate in this Post, however, is how aside from just the Waiting on God for the Answers, there is also a Thought Process that goes on that will lead to our eventual Conclusions and God's Guidance will come in the Midst of that Process.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Religious Views, World Views & Environmental Issues
I guess in time, I will need to get back to the Subject I was Previously Focused on, which is Libertarianism, yet since I have such a diverse Audience, something New has come up in the Mean Time.
Since our Spiritual Beliefs have an Effect on how we View our World, this can not help but to have an Effect on our Politics. Many Environmentalists are overly Zealous in their Cause Primarily because they have a Very Different View of the Relationship between God, Man and Nature then Christians do.
First, I will Explain the Christian View on God, Man and Nature and then I will be Explaining the Political Implications. Please Bear with me as I Explain a Religious Idea, for I will not be Explaining why this Idea is also a Political One until the End. For now, let me just say that we all have World Views and that the Christians are not the Only Ones who have such World Views.
Here is the Christian View on how God Feels about His Own Creation...
"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.'" (Genesis 1:26, KJV)
According to the Bible, the Main Difference between Animals and Man is in the Fact that unlike the Animals, Man is Made in God's Image and this is the Reason why man has been Given dominion over the rest of God's Creation. There are some who have Reacted Negatively to this Verse because they Feel that it Gives us License to Ravish and Abuse the Earth, yet I do not at all believe that this was God's Intent.
In the Comment section of another Blog, I recently said this...
"Certainly Man is expected to Treat God's Creation with at least some level of Respect and not Ravish her until she is Totally Barren and Empty of her ability to Sustain Life. Such a Level of Disrespect should not even be given to that which we have been Given Dominion Over. Certainly we should be Better Stewards of that which God has Entrusted to us."
The Very Fact that Man has the Power to be so Destructive in Relation to Nature is Evidence of the Dominion that he has been Given, yet just because we are the Ones who have the Dominion does not Mean that we have the Right to Ravish and Trample on that which has been Entrusted to our care.
Here is another Verse that Shows that God does indeed Value His Creation...
"26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27) Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28) And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; 29) And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30) Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31) Therefore take no thought, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or, 'What shall we drink?' or, 'Wherewithal shall we be clothed?' 32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:26-33, KJV)
And also...
"29) Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." (Matthew 10:29, KJV)
If God did not Value His Creation, He would not take so much Care to Nourish her and "Cloth" her, yet...
"30) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31) Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:30-31, KJV)
So we are Clearly the Favored of God's Creation and are most Precious to God. Here are a few more Verses...
"35) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35, KJV)
This Exact Statement is also Repeated in Mark 13:31 & Luke 21:33. Also see II Peter 3:10, which Adds more Detail.
Which Leads us to the Next Thought...
"18) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (II Corinthians 4:18, KJV)
To Keep this in Balance, I must add that somehow there are those who have Gotten the Impression that Christians require that we "Renounce this natural world". The Word "Renounce", though, is a Little too Strong, for this Implies Abandoning and Refusing to Acknowledge. Even God does not do that. Instead He "Feeds" and "Cloths" His Creation. We are just not Supposed to Value it above other Things that are Spiritual in Nature. It is more of a Priority thing, than a "Renoucing" thing.
On the Other Hand, if we Value Nature so much, so as to View it as God and thus, Worship it, then we end up Renouncing God Instead.
The Last Couple of Verses that I want to share may come across as Confrontive to those who love Nature, yet do not Acknowledge the Creator, yet without these Last Verses, the Discussion of the Biblical View on the Issue is not Complete.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork." (Psalm 19:1, KJV)
"19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 20) For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:19-20, KJV)
And...
"25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 1:25, KJV)
The First two of these verses talks about how there is Evidence of God in His Creation and the Second describes the Worship of the Creation as is Viewed in Christianity as a Form of Idolatry, just as the Bible also says...
"3) Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." (Exodus 20:3, KJV)
Ok, now for the Political; Like Usual, it all comes down to Balance. Protecting the Environment is Important, but not at the Expense of the Livelihood of Man. Plants and Animals are Important, but not more Important than Man.
By now, you may be saying that we should Keep our "Religious Views" out of Politics, yet in this case it is not Possible to entirely Remove our "World View" from our Political Views. Either you Believe that Man and Nature are Totally Equal, or you do not. There are no other Options, and to Believe that Man is not Created in God's Image and is nothing other then another Animal is no less a Spiritual Opinion, than to believe that Man is Created in God's Image.
There is an Inequality in this Country based on the Fact that Atheism is not Viewed as a Religious Idea, yet how can the Belief that there is no God not be a Belief about the Nature of God? So you see, Atheism is a Religious Opinion as well because it is an Opinion about God. Quite Apart from that, though, there are Religions that Teach the Belief that Animals are equal to People because of the Reincarnation Cycle, thus Making this a Religious Idea.
No matter how you turn this Issue, the Underlying Factor that Drives our Environmental Politics is Religious in Nature and to Deny this Only Confuses the Issue.
As you can see, the Christian View of the Relationship Between Man and Nature is quite Different than the View held by Buddists and Hindus, yet again we need to Understand this is Accordance to Balance, for it is not Correct to Assume that Christians do not Value Nature, cause we do and we are Required of God to be good Stewards of that which He has Entrusted to us.
Consider this, for Example, if a Dog Owner Trusts someone to care for their Dog, can the one who has been given the Responsibility for the Dog Neglect to take care of the dog? No One Argues against the Idea that People are the "Pack Leaders" and not the Dogs, yet if you Neglect to meet the Needs of that which you are in Charge of, you are Behaving Irresponsibly.
Things need to be kept in Balance, though, for Nature does not Rule over Man, and therefore, what Man Needs in order to Exist, should not be Disregarded when Making Environmental Decisions. This is Why Economy and Jobs is just as Important as the Environment and Why things must be kept in Balance when making these Decisions.
Interestingly, the Comment Section has Taken Off more in the Direction of a Validity of Scripture Discussion, rather then a Discussion about Environmental Issues.
Since our Spiritual Beliefs have an Effect on how we View our World, this can not help but to have an Effect on our Politics. Many Environmentalists are overly Zealous in their Cause Primarily because they have a Very Different View of the Relationship between God, Man and Nature then Christians do.
First, I will Explain the Christian View on God, Man and Nature and then I will be Explaining the Political Implications. Please Bear with me as I Explain a Religious Idea, for I will not be Explaining why this Idea is also a Political One until the End. For now, let me just say that we all have World Views and that the Christians are not the Only Ones who have such World Views.
Here is the Christian View on how God Feels about His Own Creation...
"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.'" (Genesis 1:26, KJV)
According to the Bible, the Main Difference between Animals and Man is in the Fact that unlike the Animals, Man is Made in God's Image and this is the Reason why man has been Given dominion over the rest of God's Creation. There are some who have Reacted Negatively to this Verse because they Feel that it Gives us License to Ravish and Abuse the Earth, yet I do not at all believe that this was God's Intent.
In the Comment section of another Blog, I recently said this...
"Certainly Man is expected to Treat God's Creation with at least some level of Respect and not Ravish her until she is Totally Barren and Empty of her ability to Sustain Life. Such a Level of Disrespect should not even be given to that which we have been Given Dominion Over. Certainly we should be Better Stewards of that which God has Entrusted to us."
The Very Fact that Man has the Power to be so Destructive in Relation to Nature is Evidence of the Dominion that he has been Given, yet just because we are the Ones who have the Dominion does not Mean that we have the Right to Ravish and Trample on that which has been Entrusted to our care.
Here is another Verse that Shows that God does indeed Value His Creation...
"26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27) Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28) And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; 29) And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30) Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31) Therefore take no thought, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or, 'What shall we drink?' or, 'Wherewithal shall we be clothed?' 32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:26-33, KJV)
And also...
"29) Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." (Matthew 10:29, KJV)
If God did not Value His Creation, He would not take so much Care to Nourish her and "Cloth" her, yet...
"30) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31) Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:30-31, KJV)
So we are Clearly the Favored of God's Creation and are most Precious to God. Here are a few more Verses...
"35) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35, KJV)
This Exact Statement is also Repeated in Mark 13:31 & Luke 21:33. Also see II Peter 3:10, which Adds more Detail.
Which Leads us to the Next Thought...
"18) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (II Corinthians 4:18, KJV)
To Keep this in Balance, I must add that somehow there are those who have Gotten the Impression that Christians require that we "Renounce this natural world". The Word "Renounce", though, is a Little too Strong, for this Implies Abandoning and Refusing to Acknowledge. Even God does not do that. Instead He "Feeds" and "Cloths" His Creation. We are just not Supposed to Value it above other Things that are Spiritual in Nature. It is more of a Priority thing, than a "Renoucing" thing.
On the Other Hand, if we Value Nature so much, so as to View it as God and thus, Worship it, then we end up Renouncing God Instead.
The Last Couple of Verses that I want to share may come across as Confrontive to those who love Nature, yet do not Acknowledge the Creator, yet without these Last Verses, the Discussion of the Biblical View on the Issue is not Complete.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork." (Psalm 19:1, KJV)
"19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 20) For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:19-20, KJV)
And...
"25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 1:25, KJV)
The First two of these verses talks about how there is Evidence of God in His Creation and the Second describes the Worship of the Creation as is Viewed in Christianity as a Form of Idolatry, just as the Bible also says...
"3) Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." (Exodus 20:3, KJV)
Ok, now for the Political; Like Usual, it all comes down to Balance. Protecting the Environment is Important, but not at the Expense of the Livelihood of Man. Plants and Animals are Important, but not more Important than Man.
By now, you may be saying that we should Keep our "Religious Views" out of Politics, yet in this case it is not Possible to entirely Remove our "World View" from our Political Views. Either you Believe that Man and Nature are Totally Equal, or you do not. There are no other Options, and to Believe that Man is not Created in God's Image and is nothing other then another Animal is no less a Spiritual Opinion, than to believe that Man is Created in God's Image.
There is an Inequality in this Country based on the Fact that Atheism is not Viewed as a Religious Idea, yet how can the Belief that there is no God not be a Belief about the Nature of God? So you see, Atheism is a Religious Opinion as well because it is an Opinion about God. Quite Apart from that, though, there are Religions that Teach the Belief that Animals are equal to People because of the Reincarnation Cycle, thus Making this a Religious Idea.
No matter how you turn this Issue, the Underlying Factor that Drives our Environmental Politics is Religious in Nature and to Deny this Only Confuses the Issue.
As you can see, the Christian View of the Relationship Between Man and Nature is quite Different than the View held by Buddists and Hindus, yet again we need to Understand this is Accordance to Balance, for it is not Correct to Assume that Christians do not Value Nature, cause we do and we are Required of God to be good Stewards of that which He has Entrusted to us.
Consider this, for Example, if a Dog Owner Trusts someone to care for their Dog, can the one who has been given the Responsibility for the Dog Neglect to take care of the dog? No One Argues against the Idea that People are the "Pack Leaders" and not the Dogs, yet if you Neglect to meet the Needs of that which you are in Charge of, you are Behaving Irresponsibly.
Things need to be kept in Balance, though, for Nature does not Rule over Man, and therefore, what Man Needs in order to Exist, should not be Disregarded when Making Environmental Decisions. This is Why Economy and Jobs is just as Important as the Environment and Why things must be kept in Balance when making these Decisions.
Interestingly, the Comment Section has Taken Off more in the Direction of a Validity of Scripture Discussion, rather then a Discussion about Environmental Issues.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Part 2 - Sin, Karma, Santification, Laws & Grace
This is a Continuation of the Previous Post. The First was about the Definition of a Few Salvation Words and how the Focus of Christianity is not on Works, but on the Condition of the Heart. This Post will Explain Sanctification, as well as the Natural Reap What you Sow Law, Contrasted with the Law of Grace. Here is the Comment from Satyavati again that I have been Responding to. This Time, I will Quote it in it's Entirety. The Bold Emphasis was Added by me.
Satyavati devi dasi said...
"That would imply that the process is such:
"1. Admit or confess
"2. Get cleansed from sin (karma is a different thing and for me it is more accurate to use the original words)
"3. Everything's hunky dory.
"Now, this would imply that you can go on and do whatever you like now and it'll all be just washed under the bridge, no problem.
"Of course this isn't true. In fact, according to the Bible, it's basically impossible NOT to sin, if you're human, so at this point, I have to ask what happens to all those post-salvation sins? Do you just keep claiming Jesus over and over? Does he come back endlessly and wash it all up? Personally, I'd think eventually he'd get pretty tired of that; salvation is not cheap and not to be used as an excuse to go on and do whatever awful things you want to do.
"The way we view karma is as a law, independent of other things. Consider the law 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction'. The thing with laws is that they operate regardless of belief so that part doesn't really come into it.
"There's different kinds of karma, and they all carry their own baggage. That's too involved for here.
"There are instances in the Bible that point to a belief in reincarnation. People asked John the Baptist whether he was Elijah. Of course, Elijah was dead and gone, so that would mean that they believed that he could be reborn again in a different body. Also, the man who was born blind: they asked who had sinned, he or his parents, that caused him to be born blind. Asking whether the man had sinned would presumably imply a previous lifetime, unless you'd like to posit that he sinned whilst still in utero."
Satyavati devi dasi said...
"That would imply that the process is such:
"1. Admit or confess
"2. Get cleansed from sin (karma is a different thing and for me it is more accurate to use the original words)
"3. Everything's hunky dory.
"Now, this would imply that you can go on and do whatever you like now and it'll all be just washed under the bridge, no problem.
"Of course this isn't true. In fact, according to the Bible, it's basically impossible NOT to sin, if you're human, so at this point, I have to ask what happens to all those post-salvation sins? Do you just keep claiming Jesus over and over? Does he come back endlessly and wash it all up? Personally, I'd think eventually he'd get pretty tired of that; salvation is not cheap and not to be used as an excuse to go on and do whatever awful things you want to do.
"The way we view karma is as a law, independent of other things. Consider the law 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction'. The thing with laws is that they operate regardless of belief so that part doesn't really come into it.
"There's different kinds of karma, and they all carry their own baggage. That's too involved for here.
"There are instances in the Bible that point to a belief in reincarnation. People asked John the Baptist whether he was Elijah. Of course, Elijah was dead and gone, so that would mean that they believed that he could be reborn again in a different body. Also, the man who was born blind: they asked who had sinned, he or his parents, that caused him to be born blind. Asking whether the man had sinned would presumably imply a previous lifetime, unless you'd like to posit that he sinned whilst still in utero."
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sin, Karma, Salvation Words & Condition of Heart
This Post, as well as the Next One, will be Written in Response to a Comment that was Submitted in the Comment Thread of the Next Post Down and here are the First Few Lines of that Comment...
Satyavati devi dasi said...
"That would imply that the process is such:
"1. Admit or confess
"2. Get cleansed from sin (karma is a different thing and for me it is more accurate to use the original words)
"3. Everything's hunky dory.
"Now, this would imply that you can go on and do whatever you like now and it'll all be just washed under the bridge, no problem."
(The Rest of this Comment will be Addressed in my Next Post, for this will be a Two Part Response.)
July 21, 2011 3:28 PM
For now, my Goal is to Respond to Satyavati's Statement, "Now, this would imply that you can go on and do whatever you like now and it'll all be just washed under the bridge, no problem."
What she is Saying is Implying the Absence of Effort, yet the Bible Actually has Two Key Words that are Used in Relation to Salvation. One is "Confess", which is from the Greek Word "Homologeo", which not Only Means "Confess, Acknowledge and Profess", but also "Covenant and Promise".
In Part, this is just a Covenant Sealed in Christ's Blood, that if we Believe in Him, He will Forgive us of Our Sins, yet there are Other Words that Imply Man's Side of the Covenant.
The Word, "Repent", for Example, in the Greek ("Metanoeo"), is a Military Term that Means "About Face", or "a 180 Degree Turn in the Opposite Direction". "Repent" also Means to Think Differently, Reconsider or "Change Ones Mind" and in the Context of Salvation, this Means to Change One's Mind about Our Sin and Agree with God that this Behavior is Wrong.
Satyavati Requested Original Language, so here it is. Besides, my Entire Audience is Intelligent, so why not do this in a more In Depth and Intelligent Manner?
Another Word that Needs to be Defined is the Word "Believe". In the Famous John 3:16, the Word, "Believe" is from the Greek Word, "Pisteuo", which Means not Only Believe, but also "to have Faith in, Entrust or put in Trust with (espec. one's Spiritual Well-Being to Christ)".
The Truth of the Matter is that a lot of these Words have been Watered Down.
And then there is another Famous Passage in Ephesians...
"8) For by grace you have been saved THROUGH FAITH, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God--, 9) not the result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, NRSV)
So Often the Focus is on the Words "Grace" and "Gift", rather then on "Faith".
"Faith" is from the Greek Word "Pistis", which Again means not Only "Persuasion, and Conviction of Truth", but also "Reliance Upon" and not Only "Assurance, Belief and Faith", but also Loyalty or "Fidelity".
The way I have Heard Concepts such as Belief, Trust and Faith Explained is with the Illustration of Someone with a Wheel Barrel on a Tight Rope. You Can Believe all that you Want to that this Person can Wheel the Wheel Barrel Across the Tight Rope, but you don't Really Believe until you are Willing to Get into the Wheel Barrel.
What Ephesians 2:8-9 Actually Means, though, is that it is "Faith", a Heart Attitude, not "Works", the actual Actions, that Saves us. In my Opinion, what is at the Heart of the Gospel is the Idea that Heart Attitudes are what Count, not the Perfection of our Behavior.
Other Verses that Bring this to Light are the Ones that Focus on the Mind, rather then on Behavior, for it is Impossible to Change or even Improve on Behavior in any Lasting Way without Dealing with the Condition of the Heart and Mind…
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed, by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good, and acceptable, and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, NRSV)
“To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6, NRSV)
And the Salvation Message is not Complete without also Looking at Verses such as...
"because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9, NRSV)
It is not Correct to Focus on the Second Part of this Verse and not the First. Lord is a Title of Great Respect and Authority. Some Other Verses to Consider are in James...
"17) So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.......20) Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren?.......26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead." (James 2:17, 20, & 26, NRSV)
Read the Entire 2nd Chapter of James for the Context.
Also, Even Paul Said, “1) What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2) By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?” (Romans 6:1-2, NRSV)
To Further Complicate the Issue there is a Group of Christians, Known as Calvinists, who Focus on Grace, as well as Predestination (God's Part) and another Group of Christians, Known as Armenians, who Focus on Faith (Man's Part). Satyavati may not have Realized that her Arguments are Mainly Against the Calvinists, not the Armenians.
Both of these Ideas Need to be Kept in Balance, for Man can not Live a Perfectly Holy and Pure Life without God's Help (God's Grace), yet God will not Force Purity on someone who is not willing to Accept His Help (Man's Choice).
More will be Coming Later in Response to the Rest of Satyavati's Comment.
Satyavati devi dasi said...
"That would imply that the process is such:
"1. Admit or confess
"2. Get cleansed from sin (karma is a different thing and for me it is more accurate to use the original words)
"3. Everything's hunky dory.
"Now, this would imply that you can go on and do whatever you like now and it'll all be just washed under the bridge, no problem."
(The Rest of this Comment will be Addressed in my Next Post, for this will be a Two Part Response.)
July 21, 2011 3:28 PM
For now, my Goal is to Respond to Satyavati's Statement, "Now, this would imply that you can go on and do whatever you like now and it'll all be just washed under the bridge, no problem."
What she is Saying is Implying the Absence of Effort, yet the Bible Actually has Two Key Words that are Used in Relation to Salvation. One is "Confess", which is from the Greek Word "Homologeo", which not Only Means "Confess, Acknowledge and Profess", but also "Covenant and Promise".
In Part, this is just a Covenant Sealed in Christ's Blood, that if we Believe in Him, He will Forgive us of Our Sins, yet there are Other Words that Imply Man's Side of the Covenant.
The Word, "Repent", for Example, in the Greek ("Metanoeo"), is a Military Term that Means "About Face", or "a 180 Degree Turn in the Opposite Direction". "Repent" also Means to Think Differently, Reconsider or "Change Ones Mind" and in the Context of Salvation, this Means to Change One's Mind about Our Sin and Agree with God that this Behavior is Wrong.
Satyavati Requested Original Language, so here it is. Besides, my Entire Audience is Intelligent, so why not do this in a more In Depth and Intelligent Manner?
Another Word that Needs to be Defined is the Word "Believe". In the Famous John 3:16, the Word, "Believe" is from the Greek Word, "Pisteuo", which Means not Only Believe, but also "to have Faith in, Entrust or put in Trust with (espec. one's Spiritual Well-Being to Christ)".
The Truth of the Matter is that a lot of these Words have been Watered Down.
And then there is another Famous Passage in Ephesians...
"8) For by grace you have been saved THROUGH FAITH, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God--, 9) not the result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, NRSV)
So Often the Focus is on the Words "Grace" and "Gift", rather then on "Faith".
"Faith" is from the Greek Word "Pistis", which Again means not Only "Persuasion, and Conviction of Truth", but also "Reliance Upon" and not Only "Assurance, Belief and Faith", but also Loyalty or "Fidelity".
The way I have Heard Concepts such as Belief, Trust and Faith Explained is with the Illustration of Someone with a Wheel Barrel on a Tight Rope. You Can Believe all that you Want to that this Person can Wheel the Wheel Barrel Across the Tight Rope, but you don't Really Believe until you are Willing to Get into the Wheel Barrel.
What Ephesians 2:8-9 Actually Means, though, is that it is "Faith", a Heart Attitude, not "Works", the actual Actions, that Saves us. In my Opinion, what is at the Heart of the Gospel is the Idea that Heart Attitudes are what Count, not the Perfection of our Behavior.
Other Verses that Bring this to Light are the Ones that Focus on the Mind, rather then on Behavior, for it is Impossible to Change or even Improve on Behavior in any Lasting Way without Dealing with the Condition of the Heart and Mind…
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed, by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good, and acceptable, and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, NRSV)
“To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6, NRSV)
And the Salvation Message is not Complete without also Looking at Verses such as...
"because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9, NRSV)
It is not Correct to Focus on the Second Part of this Verse and not the First. Lord is a Title of Great Respect and Authority. Some Other Verses to Consider are in James...
"17) So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.......20) Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren?.......26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead." (James 2:17, 20, & 26, NRSV)
Read the Entire 2nd Chapter of James for the Context.
Also, Even Paul Said, “1) What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2) By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?” (Romans 6:1-2, NRSV)
To Further Complicate the Issue there is a Group of Christians, Known as Calvinists, who Focus on Grace, as well as Predestination (God's Part) and another Group of Christians, Known as Armenians, who Focus on Faith (Man's Part). Satyavati may not have Realized that her Arguments are Mainly Against the Calvinists, not the Armenians.
Both of these Ideas Need to be Kept in Balance, for Man can not Live a Perfectly Holy and Pure Life without God's Help (God's Grace), yet God will not Force Purity on someone who is not willing to Accept His Help (Man's Choice).
More will be Coming Later in Response to the Rest of Satyavati's Comment.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Why do Bad Things & Suffering Happen to Christians?
Today I'm Thinking about one of Radar's Posts again...
Do Bad Things Happen to Christians because they are Bad?
He was Trying to Lead into a Discussion that is a Little more Deep and Personal, yet the Commenters on his Blog at Times Tend to be a little Rude and Insulting and do not Appear to have the Emotional Strength and Maturity to Handle Subjects that are Deeper then that of either an Intellectual Competition or a Brutal Insulting Match. At Least that's how it Seems. You will see what I Mean, if you Read the Comments.
My Blog is Safer. I Assure you that, especially on this Post, I will not allow any Insulting. If any come in, I will simply not Post them. Discussion about Emotional Issues can not be Allowed to be Diluted in that Way.
I Liked Radar's Post and also his Closing Comment, which I will Share in a Minute. I'm Going to have to Go and Read that Post Again now, since I've Made my Own Post of it. For Now, I just Remember him saying... (The Bold Print Emphasis is Mine.)
"We live in a world that is full of sin. Because Adam and Eve sinned, then sin and death came to the world and we all must suffer from this. There will be accidents and there will be evil. There is a law of reaping and sowing - if you work hard, you most likely succeed, if you goof off, you probably don't. If you are faithful in marriage, you will not get an STD, as long as your mate is also faithful. If you drive carefully you probably won't be in an accident - unless some careless person smashes into you. Sometimes while driving down a highway, I consider that each new car coming down the road could suddenly swerve into my path and quite possibly kill me and everyone with me. Usually we all stay in our lanes and avoid smashing each other."
Here is the Clincher in Relation to the Question of Suffering. Pain is in the World because God Allows Free Choice and yet the Consequence of that Privileged is that Sometimes we Suffer Because of Someone else's Sinful Choices, Carelessness and at Times, even Cruelty. Why does God Allow Cruel People to Exist? To Really make this Question Complete, we have to Include the Pain that is caused Deliberately by those who have no Conscience, Murderers, Rapists and the Like and not just the Pain of Cruel Speech or Careless Driving.
I've often been Frustrated myself with the Fragile Way in which we are Created. Emotions are Far too Strong and Hearts are Far too Easily Broken. Why, for Example, should the Crime of another Create Scars that will Last a Life Time. Perhaps the Sexual Abuse of Children should not have this Effect and yet it does. There is Very Little that can be Said in Order to Answer this Question, except that Life on Earth is Temporary and Life in Heaven will be Eternal. I do Know One Thing. Being Continually Angry about the Issue does not Cause it to go Away.
That's what I have to say in Response to Radar's Post.
Radar's Post, itself, is Very Good and I also Liked what is so Far, his Closing Comment. Here is a Quote of the Last Four Paragraphs of this Comment, which I Felt were Truly Excellent. The Bold Emphasis is Mine and I Added Links to some of the Scriptures that he Suggested...
"So meet God while you are alive and find out how great He really is...or meet Him after you have died and find out how righteous He really is. A Just God must punish sin. You want Jesus to pay that price for you or will you take it upon yourself?
"See, the above is what bringing the Bible into the discussion is all about. Read Romans chapters 4-10 and John from the beginning to say the end of chapter 10. Consider what Jesus said in John 3:16-18 and what Paul wrote in Romans 10:9-13. What did Romans 5:1 say? Romans 6:23? How about Romans 8:1? Does the Son of God come to Earth and perform miracles, teach the Gospel, accept punishment and shame and death for no reason? Why would God's Son separate Himself from a supernatural existence and live in a human body for 33-some years unless it was critically important? We know when Jesus lived and died and we have eyewitness accounts of His miracles and his resurrection.
"Nothing is what naturalistic materialists give credit to for the existence of the entire Universe and everything in it. The concept of nothing in place of God doesn't seem reasonable to me.
"Not for nothing did God's Son die for you."
Thanks, Radar. I Could not have Said that Better myself.
Do Bad Things Happen to Christians because they are Bad?
He was Trying to Lead into a Discussion that is a Little more Deep and Personal, yet the Commenters on his Blog at Times Tend to be a little Rude and Insulting and do not Appear to have the Emotional Strength and Maturity to Handle Subjects that are Deeper then that of either an Intellectual Competition or a Brutal Insulting Match. At Least that's how it Seems. You will see what I Mean, if you Read the Comments.
My Blog is Safer. I Assure you that, especially on this Post, I will not allow any Insulting. If any come in, I will simply not Post them. Discussion about Emotional Issues can not be Allowed to be Diluted in that Way.
I Liked Radar's Post and also his Closing Comment, which I will Share in a Minute. I'm Going to have to Go and Read that Post Again now, since I've Made my Own Post of it. For Now, I just Remember him saying... (The Bold Print Emphasis is Mine.)
"We live in a world that is full of sin. Because Adam and Eve sinned, then sin and death came to the world and we all must suffer from this. There will be accidents and there will be evil. There is a law of reaping and sowing - if you work hard, you most likely succeed, if you goof off, you probably don't. If you are faithful in marriage, you will not get an STD, as long as your mate is also faithful. If you drive carefully you probably won't be in an accident - unless some careless person smashes into you. Sometimes while driving down a highway, I consider that each new car coming down the road could suddenly swerve into my path and quite possibly kill me and everyone with me. Usually we all stay in our lanes and avoid smashing each other."
Here is the Clincher in Relation to the Question of Suffering. Pain is in the World because God Allows Free Choice and yet the Consequence of that Privileged is that Sometimes we Suffer Because of Someone else's Sinful Choices, Carelessness and at Times, even Cruelty. Why does God Allow Cruel People to Exist? To Really make this Question Complete, we have to Include the Pain that is caused Deliberately by those who have no Conscience, Murderers, Rapists and the Like and not just the Pain of Cruel Speech or Careless Driving.
I've often been Frustrated myself with the Fragile Way in which we are Created. Emotions are Far too Strong and Hearts are Far too Easily Broken. Why, for Example, should the Crime of another Create Scars that will Last a Life Time. Perhaps the Sexual Abuse of Children should not have this Effect and yet it does. There is Very Little that can be Said in Order to Answer this Question, except that Life on Earth is Temporary and Life in Heaven will be Eternal. I do Know One Thing. Being Continually Angry about the Issue does not Cause it to go Away.
That's what I have to say in Response to Radar's Post.
Radar's Post, itself, is Very Good and I also Liked what is so Far, his Closing Comment. Here is a Quote of the Last Four Paragraphs of this Comment, which I Felt were Truly Excellent. The Bold Emphasis is Mine and I Added Links to some of the Scriptures that he Suggested...
"So meet God while you are alive and find out how great He really is...or meet Him after you have died and find out how righteous He really is. A Just God must punish sin. You want Jesus to pay that price for you or will you take it upon yourself?
"See, the above is what bringing the Bible into the discussion is all about. Read Romans chapters 4-10 and John from the beginning to say the end of chapter 10. Consider what Jesus said in John 3:16-18 and what Paul wrote in Romans 10:9-13. What did Romans 5:1 say? Romans 6:23? How about Romans 8:1? Does the Son of God come to Earth and perform miracles, teach the Gospel, accept punishment and shame and death for no reason? Why would God's Son separate Himself from a supernatural existence and live in a human body for 33-some years unless it was critically important? We know when Jesus lived and died and we have eyewitness accounts of His miracles and his resurrection.
"Nothing is what naturalistic materialists give credit to for the existence of the entire Universe and everything in it. The concept of nothing in place of God doesn't seem reasonable to me.
"Not for nothing did God's Son die for you."
Thanks, Radar. I Could not have Said that Better myself.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Spiritaul Pause - Only God Can Change Hearts.
Since my Previous Post has Reached 41 Comments and I Often Try to Limit the Length of my Comment Threads to..., Oh, I don't Know. I guess to 50..., And since some Time has Passed since I Last Posted anyway, it is Time for me to Post Again.
As I Pause Briefly from Politics, it is not as if I do not Know What I want to Post about Next. I Imagine my Next Post after this One will be Based on the Last Link that was Posted in the Comment Section of my Previous Post, yet for some Reason I Feel the Need to Pause before I Continue with that Subject.
There are Still Things that Over Whelm me at Times and I am Gradually Learning how to Manage the Stress. One Thing that I Keep Forgetting is the Need to Stop and Ask God for his Help, which I am Doing Right Now. Sometimes it just Feels more Right to Pause Briefly from Politics and Say Something that is more Spiritual.
Funny. I didn't Know that I was Going to be Posting what I am Actually Thinking about Right Now and yet this is the One that Feels Right to me and it is Something that I Wrote Earlier Today in the Comment Thread Below a Post at Someone Else's Blog. The Subject was Sociology, Behaviorism, Psychology and Control and not Politics, yet at the End, I'm Going to also Make a Statement about Politics as well. Whatever is not in Italics was Added Later for the Purpose of this Post. Here's what I Wrote...
"I Find it Interesting that you are Criticizing Sociology and when I Think about Sociology, Especially that which is Connected to Behaviorism, I Find that I have Issues with it Myself and the Reason is because it is all about Control, that is the Controlling of People's Behaviors through Rewards and Punishments.
"The Problem is that Some People Simply can not be Controlled and the Reason Why is because there are People who are Willing to Make whatever Sacrifices Necessary for the Sake of what they Believe and they will Endure the Punishment and/or Lack of Reward for the Sake of those Beliefs. This is the Reason why Most Psychologists (Non-Behaviorists) realize that it is Necessary to Change the Way People Think and not just the Way in which they Behave. Only this can Result in a Change that will Actually Last.
"Changing Beliefs, though, is Difficult as Well. In Christianity, we are Taught that it is God who Changes the Hearts of Men. In Light of this, any Real Change has to Come from God, so the Best that any of us can do is just Submit to Him and Pray for those who are Caught up in an Error.
"Neither Government, nor Sociology, nor even Psychology can Change the Hearts of Man. Only God can do that."
These are the Sort of Spiritual Thoughts that Make me Wonder if even the Practice of Blogging About Politics is Worth it. Though when I Originally Wrote this, it was about Sociology and Psychology, the Idea that it is God who Changes Hearts is also Connected to the Fruitlessness of Political Debate. I don't know that Debate is Necessarily Fruitless, yet what I do Know is that if there is Any Chance at all that the Debate is not Entirely Fruitless, it is the Pausing and Focusing on God that will Make the Difference.
It is for This Reason that I Deliberately Slow Down my Blog and am not in a Hurry.
As I Pause Briefly from Politics, it is not as if I do not Know What I want to Post about Next. I Imagine my Next Post after this One will be Based on the Last Link that was Posted in the Comment Section of my Previous Post, yet for some Reason I Feel the Need to Pause before I Continue with that Subject.
There are Still Things that Over Whelm me at Times and I am Gradually Learning how to Manage the Stress. One Thing that I Keep Forgetting is the Need to Stop and Ask God for his Help, which I am Doing Right Now. Sometimes it just Feels more Right to Pause Briefly from Politics and Say Something that is more Spiritual.
Funny. I didn't Know that I was Going to be Posting what I am Actually Thinking about Right Now and yet this is the One that Feels Right to me and it is Something that I Wrote Earlier Today in the Comment Thread Below a Post at Someone Else's Blog. The Subject was Sociology, Behaviorism, Psychology and Control and not Politics, yet at the End, I'm Going to also Make a Statement about Politics as well. Whatever is not in Italics was Added Later for the Purpose of this Post. Here's what I Wrote...
"I Find it Interesting that you are Criticizing Sociology and when I Think about Sociology, Especially that which is Connected to Behaviorism, I Find that I have Issues with it Myself and the Reason is because it is all about Control, that is the Controlling of People's Behaviors through Rewards and Punishments.
"The Problem is that Some People Simply can not be Controlled and the Reason Why is because there are People who are Willing to Make whatever Sacrifices Necessary for the Sake of what they Believe and they will Endure the Punishment and/or Lack of Reward for the Sake of those Beliefs. This is the Reason why Most Psychologists (Non-Behaviorists) realize that it is Necessary to Change the Way People Think and not just the Way in which they Behave. Only this can Result in a Change that will Actually Last.
"Changing Beliefs, though, is Difficult as Well. In Christianity, we are Taught that it is God who Changes the Hearts of Men. In Light of this, any Real Change has to Come from God, so the Best that any of us can do is just Submit to Him and Pray for those who are Caught up in an Error.
"Neither Government, nor Sociology, nor even Psychology can Change the Hearts of Man. Only God can do that."
These are the Sort of Spiritual Thoughts that Make me Wonder if even the Practice of Blogging About Politics is Worth it. Though when I Originally Wrote this, it was about Sociology and Psychology, the Idea that it is God who Changes Hearts is also Connected to the Fruitlessness of Political Debate. I don't know that Debate is Necessarily Fruitless, yet what I do Know is that if there is Any Chance at all that the Debate is not Entirely Fruitless, it is the Pausing and Focusing on God that will Make the Difference.
It is for This Reason that I Deliberately Slow Down my Blog and am not in a Hurry.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Perfect Christmas Gift, Down Romans Road.
You Know, it is the Strangest Thing. I had all these Thoughts of Posts that I was going to do and yet as I Sit here and the Christmas Music Plays in the Background, I Realize that Politics and Christmas are Two Entirely Different Moods and I just Can't Keep Throwing Christmas Off and Focusing on the Political. It Just Doesn't Feel Right to do so.
Even the Links that I was Going to give you Relating to Extremism just don't Feel Right to me Right Now. You can Find these Links on Dave's Blog at The War on Extremism. One is in the Post itself and the Other is in the Comment Section; a Link Left by BB-Idaho. At Least one of the Themes Mentioned is how Extremism can Even be Present in the Churches and this Prevents us from Really Hearing and Responding Lovingly Towards those who have Differing Opinions than Our Own. I was Going to Comment even Further on these Two Links, yet the Mood of it is Confrontational and though I do not Believe that Confrontations are Wrong, Christmas is more a Time of Unity, rather than Confrontation, so I Find Myself Putting all Sorts of Things Off During the Holidays.
Perhaps the Entire Christmas Season is a Time For Celebration and Peace. Perhaps it is a Good Time for Peace and not Conflict, Truce and not Argument. And as to the Church, Perhaps it is a time to Focus in on what we Agree on, rather than what Brings Conflict Between us.
The Pastor Gave a Rather Interesting Message Today. He was Suggesting that we Find 7 People that we Know to not be Christians and Write the Following Words in the Card.
"This Year I would Like you to Walk with me down the Romans Road to Receive the Perfect Gift of the Season."
"Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-10, Revelation 3:20, John 3:16"
That's it. That's the Entire Message. He Suggested not Even Quoting the Verses, but just Allowing those who Receive the Cards to Go Get a Bible and Look these Verses Up and so that is all I'm Going to do here as well. I guess if Questions Come Up, I Will Answer them in the Comment Section and may Even Type Out the Quotes Eventually. I'll just See how the Lord Leads.
All I Want to say for Now, though, about these Verses is that they not Only Describe the Perfect Gift of the Season, but also the Central Theme of Christianity and that which We Agree on. So my Message for Today is Let's Focus on what we Agree on and if any of you Feel so Inspired, you Might Even Consider doing that which My Pastor has Suggested.
Perhaps I should Add that There is One Other Message that the Pastor Gave that was Interesting. He Does a Short Spontaneous Sermon for the Kids in Response to an Object that they give him. The Object today was a Frog and here is what he Said about it.
Apparently, when you Shine a Light on Frogs then Freeze and do not Jump, yet when the Light is Turned Off or Removed, the Frogs will Jump Right Up into your Face. This is a Good Illustration of how it is with God. If we Keep Our Eyes Focused on the Lord (The Light), we will be more Calm and will not Offend, yet when we Get Our Eyes Off of the Him, that is when we Jump Up into People's Faces and this does not Accomplish much Other then Offense.
So Let's Try to Focus on Love and Peace this Season and may you all have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Even the Links that I was Going to give you Relating to Extremism just don't Feel Right to me Right Now. You can Find these Links on Dave's Blog at The War on Extremism. One is in the Post itself and the Other is in the Comment Section; a Link Left by BB-Idaho. At Least one of the Themes Mentioned is how Extremism can Even be Present in the Churches and this Prevents us from Really Hearing and Responding Lovingly Towards those who have Differing Opinions than Our Own. I was Going to Comment even Further on these Two Links, yet the Mood of it is Confrontational and though I do not Believe that Confrontations are Wrong, Christmas is more a Time of Unity, rather than Confrontation, so I Find Myself Putting all Sorts of Things Off During the Holidays.
Perhaps the Entire Christmas Season is a Time For Celebration and Peace. Perhaps it is a Good Time for Peace and not Conflict, Truce and not Argument. And as to the Church, Perhaps it is a time to Focus in on what we Agree on, rather than what Brings Conflict Between us.
The Pastor Gave a Rather Interesting Message Today. He was Suggesting that we Find 7 People that we Know to not be Christians and Write the Following Words in the Card.
"This Year I would Like you to Walk with me down the Romans Road to Receive the Perfect Gift of the Season."
"Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-10, Revelation 3:20, John 3:16"
That's it. That's the Entire Message. He Suggested not Even Quoting the Verses, but just Allowing those who Receive the Cards to Go Get a Bible and Look these Verses Up and so that is all I'm Going to do here as well. I guess if Questions Come Up, I Will Answer them in the Comment Section and may Even Type Out the Quotes Eventually. I'll just See how the Lord Leads.
All I Want to say for Now, though, about these Verses is that they not Only Describe the Perfect Gift of the Season, but also the Central Theme of Christianity and that which We Agree on. So my Message for Today is Let's Focus on what we Agree on and if any of you Feel so Inspired, you Might Even Consider doing that which My Pastor has Suggested.
Perhaps I should Add that There is One Other Message that the Pastor Gave that was Interesting. He Does a Short Spontaneous Sermon for the Kids in Response to an Object that they give him. The Object today was a Frog and here is what he Said about it.
Apparently, when you Shine a Light on Frogs then Freeze and do not Jump, yet when the Light is Turned Off or Removed, the Frogs will Jump Right Up into your Face. This is a Good Illustration of how it is with God. If we Keep Our Eyes Focused on the Lord (The Light), we will be more Calm and will not Offend, yet when we Get Our Eyes Off of the Him, that is when we Jump Up into People's Faces and this does not Accomplish much Other then Offense.
So Let's Try to Focus on Love and Peace this Season and may you all have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
God's Voice Takes Time (Gentleness & Force)
You know, as soon as I finished Posting the Previous Post, I right away started thinking of what I wanted to say in this one. As a quick recap, Yesterday Morning, I felt one of my Posts Blocked "in my spirit" and so I prayed and God told me "In order to really listen, we have to stop talking." Along with that thought, I also realized that it is not just what others are saying that we need to listen to, but we need to Listen to God. For more detail, see the below post, or click on the Link above.
There was also another thought that I got on that day. As I was thinking about our struggle to train our very Stubborn and Strong Willed Dog, the thought that came to my minds was "We can not Get Tired. We can not Quit and we can not Give In." This was different than the "Still Small Voice" that God usually speaks in. This voice was Louder. It was more like a Strong Dictator sort of Voice and that is not usually the way in which God speaks to me.
A couple of paragraphs down, I said something that is More Balanced...
"When it comes to Relationships, though, there is a time for Stubbornness and also a time to Give In. Politics involves a Relationship between the Strong and the Weak and the Rich and the Poor. Somehow we need to find a way to meet the needs of both."
I guess it's like I already sensed on some level that there was another side to the Never Getting Tired, Quitting or Giving In Idea, though it hadn't fully germinated yet. Moving right along to the subject suggested in the Title of this Post, sometimes there is a time delay in the complete revealing of God's Voice. Even though I prayed, a good part of the answers relating to what I should write didn't come until the next day and for me, this really isn't that uncommon.
This Morning, I woke up thinking about the Dog Training again and about something that the trainer said. She was wondering if our Dog, Shasta, responds better to my husband (Ray) than to me. Well, that seems odd, because he is not the one who is the most Forceful. Even now, I'm not sure whether or not she was having a Senior Moment when she said that and didn't really remember how much Ray struggled with the dog the last time it was his turn to work him at the class a couple of weeks ago.
I could never figure out who the dog was responding better too. At times it would appear that he was responding better to Ray, but that is only because he was reluctant to try and do the things that were difficult for our dog and that would cause him to act up and rebel if Ray had tried it. Ray is more Gentle. He is reluctant to really yank on the Choke Collar to the extent that is necessary to "Force" the dog to behave and he is even reluctant to really use his strong masculine voice. When he gives commands, he isn't even really that "Forceful" in his tone.
I am actually the one who is more willing to apply the type of "Force" that the Dog Trainer has suggested, just as she keeps saying to Ray, "Don't worry about it. You are not going to Hurt Your Dog." Well, I take those words more to heart than Ray does and I am harder on him, than Ray is. The Dog Trainer, of course, is even harder on him than me.
Keeping this in mind, it is quite interesting if it is indeed true that the Dog is responding better to Ray than to me, yet it is only in relation to things such as Heal, Sit, Stay, etc.
There are still things that the dog is reluctant to do. He Sits quite well, but he seems to have a mental block in relation to the Down Command. He will do it for a treat, but I can't get him to do it without a treat, while on the lease. Ray, in his Gentleness, has only tried a few times and than stopped trying because he doesn't like being "so hard on the dog". I'm not afraid to be a little more forceful, yet when I do, Shasta jumps up on me and fowls the lease by deliberately tangling his paw in it and yes, the trainer has confirmed that this action is deliberate. This starts a struggle in which I have to yank him down really hard with the lease, while saying a very firm NO!
The dog trainer has struggled with him too, but gets him under control because she is even more Firm and Forceful than me. Ray hasn't been able to enforce this command because he is not even willing to apply this type of Force. I'm willing to be more Forceful, but still can't get the desired result. Maybe I'm not as strong as the trainer. I don't know what it is.
If, in fact, it is true that Shasta responds better to my more Gentle, Easy Going Husband, at least in the things that he is willing to do, than that is quite interesting, because what it tells me is that for the most part, the Dog responds better to Gentleness, than to Force and the Down Command, that he for some reason has an aversion to, will come in time. Apparently, sometimes "Force" doesn't even work on Dogs, to the extent that Dog Trainers think it should.
So what does this say about the original statement "We can not Get Tired. We can not Quit and we can not Give In."? Is this actually always true? And another question that comes to my mind is "Is it actually even possible to 'Not ever Get Tired'?" Let's try and be at least a little more realistic. Shall we?
There was also another thought that I got on that day. As I was thinking about our struggle to train our very Stubborn and Strong Willed Dog, the thought that came to my minds was "We can not Get Tired. We can not Quit and we can not Give In." This was different than the "Still Small Voice" that God usually speaks in. This voice was Louder. It was more like a Strong Dictator sort of Voice and that is not usually the way in which God speaks to me.
A couple of paragraphs down, I said something that is More Balanced...
"When it comes to Relationships, though, there is a time for Stubbornness and also a time to Give In. Politics involves a Relationship between the Strong and the Weak and the Rich and the Poor. Somehow we need to find a way to meet the needs of both."
I guess it's like I already sensed on some level that there was another side to the Never Getting Tired, Quitting or Giving In Idea, though it hadn't fully germinated yet. Moving right along to the subject suggested in the Title of this Post, sometimes there is a time delay in the complete revealing of God's Voice. Even though I prayed, a good part of the answers relating to what I should write didn't come until the next day and for me, this really isn't that uncommon.
This Morning, I woke up thinking about the Dog Training again and about something that the trainer said. She was wondering if our Dog, Shasta, responds better to my husband (Ray) than to me. Well, that seems odd, because he is not the one who is the most Forceful. Even now, I'm not sure whether or not she was having a Senior Moment when she said that and didn't really remember how much Ray struggled with the dog the last time it was his turn to work him at the class a couple of weeks ago.
I could never figure out who the dog was responding better too. At times it would appear that he was responding better to Ray, but that is only because he was reluctant to try and do the things that were difficult for our dog and that would cause him to act up and rebel if Ray had tried it. Ray is more Gentle. He is reluctant to really yank on the Choke Collar to the extent that is necessary to "Force" the dog to behave and he is even reluctant to really use his strong masculine voice. When he gives commands, he isn't even really that "Forceful" in his tone.
I am actually the one who is more willing to apply the type of "Force" that the Dog Trainer has suggested, just as she keeps saying to Ray, "Don't worry about it. You are not going to Hurt Your Dog." Well, I take those words more to heart than Ray does and I am harder on him, than Ray is. The Dog Trainer, of course, is even harder on him than me.
Keeping this in mind, it is quite interesting if it is indeed true that the Dog is responding better to Ray than to me, yet it is only in relation to things such as Heal, Sit, Stay, etc.
There are still things that the dog is reluctant to do. He Sits quite well, but he seems to have a mental block in relation to the Down Command. He will do it for a treat, but I can't get him to do it without a treat, while on the lease. Ray, in his Gentleness, has only tried a few times and than stopped trying because he doesn't like being "so hard on the dog". I'm not afraid to be a little more forceful, yet when I do, Shasta jumps up on me and fowls the lease by deliberately tangling his paw in it and yes, the trainer has confirmed that this action is deliberate. This starts a struggle in which I have to yank him down really hard with the lease, while saying a very firm NO!
The dog trainer has struggled with him too, but gets him under control because she is even more Firm and Forceful than me. Ray hasn't been able to enforce this command because he is not even willing to apply this type of Force. I'm willing to be more Forceful, but still can't get the desired result. Maybe I'm not as strong as the trainer. I don't know what it is.
If, in fact, it is true that Shasta responds better to my more Gentle, Easy Going Husband, at least in the things that he is willing to do, than that is quite interesting, because what it tells me is that for the most part, the Dog responds better to Gentleness, than to Force and the Down Command, that he for some reason has an aversion to, will come in time. Apparently, sometimes "Force" doesn't even work on Dogs, to the extent that Dog Trainers think it should.
So what does this say about the original statement "We can not Get Tired. We can not Quit and we can not Give In."? Is this actually always true? And another question that comes to my mind is "Is it actually even possible to 'Not ever Get Tired'?" Let's try and be at least a little more realistic. Shall we?
To Listen, We Must Stop Talking.
In order to really listen, we have to stop talking.
That was the first thought that came to my mind as I prayed Yesterday Morning and asked the Lord to remove the writers block. It's not really that I don't have anything to say. I've actually got a number of Posts that are stored as drafts on the Blogger.com server. The most recent one is one that I really thought I was getting ready to post, yet for some reason, I felt it being blocked in my spirit Yesterday.
The odd thing about the sentence that came to mind when I inquired from the Lord about the Writers Block, or actually the Blocked Post, is that my first reaction to it was to make the decision to try and read a few of the other Blogs out there, for if I'm not supposed to talk, than I should read instead. Right? Yet as I began to do this, I realized that I didn't really feel like reading either and let's face it. When I read, it always makes me feel as if I want to talk and actually as I write these words, I realize that I am talking right now.
So what is God trying to say to me when He says "In order to really listen, we have to stop talking."?
One hint is that sometimes when I just Ramble, as I am doing right now, I have moments in which I pause and pray as I do so. In this way, I am really trying hard to Listen as I Speak and I am also very keenly aware right now that when we listen, it is not just what others are saying that we need to listen to, but we need to Listen to God.
Sometimes we get to the point in which we speak out of our Passion and out of our Strong Desires to be heard. We listen to our own Frustrations and to our own Anger, yet there is something available that is deeper than that. There is a quietness. It is so quiet, in fact, that sometimes one really has to listen in order to figure out what it is saying.
Maybe I shouldn't call this presence "It", yet there are so many people out there that are not really all that Spiritual and these people may decide to tune me out if I call this quietness; this Small Still Voice; the Spirit of God. This is the Voice that both Christians and non-Christians alike are so reluctant to actually listen to.
Aside from the Initial Sentence that I based the Title of this Post on, there is something else that I was thinking a lot about Yesterday. As we've been struggling to train our very Stubborn and Strong Willed Dog, all that I keep thinking is how we can not Get Tired. We can not Quit and we can not Give In.
This can be so hard at times, especially when it comes to life in general. For Life itself can be quite Stubborn at times, as it Refuses to Bend in the ways we need it too in order to make things easier for us.
When it comes to Relationships, though, there is a time for Stubbornness and also a time to Give In. Politics involves a Relationship between the Strong and the Weak and the Rich and the Poor. Somehow we need to find a way to meet the needs of both.
Getting back to the Theme and Title of this Post, though, in our Stubbornness, who are we listening too? Are we Stubborn because of our own Passion and Anger? Are we Stubborn because of what we ourselves want, or are we Stubborn because we are protecting that which we continue to believe in even after speaking continually to God? Also, does God want us to push our ideas on others right now at this time, or are there moments in which we just need to be silent and allow God to work on people's hearts?
There are times in which I actually feel God blocking me from Posting things and it is not because I do not believe in what I'm about to say. How about the rest of you? Do you ever allow God to stop you and say, "Stop!" or "Wait! This isn't the right time."
Sometimes, in order to really Listen, we need to Stop Talking. That's all I'm supposed to say for now, but I'm sure we will be talking quite a lot more later.
That was the first thought that came to my mind as I prayed Yesterday Morning and asked the Lord to remove the writers block. It's not really that I don't have anything to say. I've actually got a number of Posts that are stored as drafts on the Blogger.com server. The most recent one is one that I really thought I was getting ready to post, yet for some reason, I felt it being blocked in my spirit Yesterday.
The odd thing about the sentence that came to mind when I inquired from the Lord about the Writers Block, or actually the Blocked Post, is that my first reaction to it was to make the decision to try and read a few of the other Blogs out there, for if I'm not supposed to talk, than I should read instead. Right? Yet as I began to do this, I realized that I didn't really feel like reading either and let's face it. When I read, it always makes me feel as if I want to talk and actually as I write these words, I realize that I am talking right now.
So what is God trying to say to me when He says "In order to really listen, we have to stop talking."?
One hint is that sometimes when I just Ramble, as I am doing right now, I have moments in which I pause and pray as I do so. In this way, I am really trying hard to Listen as I Speak and I am also very keenly aware right now that when we listen, it is not just what others are saying that we need to listen to, but we need to Listen to God.
Sometimes we get to the point in which we speak out of our Passion and out of our Strong Desires to be heard. We listen to our own Frustrations and to our own Anger, yet there is something available that is deeper than that. There is a quietness. It is so quiet, in fact, that sometimes one really has to listen in order to figure out what it is saying.
Maybe I shouldn't call this presence "It", yet there are so many people out there that are not really all that Spiritual and these people may decide to tune me out if I call this quietness; this Small Still Voice; the Spirit of God. This is the Voice that both Christians and non-Christians alike are so reluctant to actually listen to.
Aside from the Initial Sentence that I based the Title of this Post on, there is something else that I was thinking a lot about Yesterday. As we've been struggling to train our very Stubborn and Strong Willed Dog, all that I keep thinking is how we can not Get Tired. We can not Quit and we can not Give In.
This can be so hard at times, especially when it comes to life in general. For Life itself can be quite Stubborn at times, as it Refuses to Bend in the ways we need it too in order to make things easier for us.
When it comes to Relationships, though, there is a time for Stubbornness and also a time to Give In. Politics involves a Relationship between the Strong and the Weak and the Rich and the Poor. Somehow we need to find a way to meet the needs of both.
Getting back to the Theme and Title of this Post, though, in our Stubbornness, who are we listening too? Are we Stubborn because of our own Passion and Anger? Are we Stubborn because of what we ourselves want, or are we Stubborn because we are protecting that which we continue to believe in even after speaking continually to God? Also, does God want us to push our ideas on others right now at this time, or are there moments in which we just need to be silent and allow God to work on people's hearts?
There are times in which I actually feel God blocking me from Posting things and it is not because I do not believe in what I'm about to say. How about the rest of you? Do you ever allow God to stop you and say, "Stop!" or "Wait! This isn't the right time."
Sometimes, in order to really Listen, we need to Stop Talking. That's all I'm supposed to say for now, but I'm sure we will be talking quite a lot more later.
Friday, April 3, 2009
God's Guidance/Decisions in Life & in Blogging
I first wrote this Post Yesterday morning and now I'm wondering if I should Post it or not. At the time in which I wrote it, the comments on my Previous Post had slowed down quite a bit and I was wondering if I should just keep Rambling for the sake of keeping my Blog moving and I also wanted to Expand on what I had just said in that Post.
In my last post, I was sort of hoping for comments relating to Experiences within our lives that actually have Life verses those that make us feel as if we are Going Through the Motions, but that subject didn't seem to move anyone to comment on it. I've seen a Parallel to this in Blogging, such as when I Post just to Post, verses when I sort of Feel Led to Post by something deep inside of me. Such Inspirations come occasionally, but not anywhere close to daily.
I guess I didn't want to just let the subject drop because I do sort of want the chance to answer some of my own Questions.
It is the Spirit of God that brings me Life and when I sense His guidance and Inspiration, I feel very much Alive. In my Previous Post, I asked the question "How do I keep a feeling of Life and Energy in the things that I do throughout the day and how do I keep Life and Energy in my Blog?". Usually the answer to this is to remain as connected as possible to God, because He is where my Energy and Life comes from, especially when it comes to Writing Inspiration.
So I guess that this Post is just an expansion of my Previous Post. I expanded on it a little in the comment section and I am doing so again now.
When I made the Statement in that Post that "Some of the Questions that I keep asking myself just don't seem to have answers.", I was thinking about an issue that reflects my continuous struggle with simply making up my mind, such as "Should I or shouldn't I Post to my Blog?". I talked about this in one of the comments that I made beneath my Previous Post and the Post itself addressed the Question of "Significance verses Posting Speed".
I wonder if I should just repeat some of what I said in one of the Comments below the Previous Post. The Question "Should I or shouldn't I Post to my Blog?" comes up often and quite often it relates to whether or not I feel that what's on my mind at the moment is "Significant" enough to be "Worthy" of Posting and thus the Question, "Is it more important to Post often or to Post something that's 'Significant and Meaningful'?" and I continue to be Indecisive on the issue and may never fully figure it out and/or decide which the most matters to me.
The Bottom Line is that when I sense God's Direction and Guidance in my writing, my Blog really Comes to Life, but when God doesn't appear to be saying anything to me that's specific, I have trouble making up my mind what to say.
For some people, God's Guidance is more on going and continuous. For me, it is more occasional than continuous. When I'm not sensing anything that strongly, it's as if God is saying, "I don't care. Do what ever you want" (aside from sinning of course), yet when left on my own like that, I have trouble making decisions.
When I originally wrote this Post, I was feeling as if my most recent Post wasn't really that Significant and perhaps neither is this one, yet I may have at least one Thesis Statement that has meaning. The answer to the Questions "How do I keep a feeling of Energy and Life in the things that I do throughout the day?" and "How do I keep Life and Energy in my Blog?" is to "remain as connected as possible to God".
Anyway, when I originally wrote this Post, it contained the below links because when it feels as if I'm not Posting anything that's really that Significant, I feel tempted to tell my fans what Blogs I've been conversing on, so that they can find me if they want to, for just because I'm not Posting on my Blog does not mean that I'm not writing interesting things somewhere. So here's where I have been lately if anyone is interested. The links are listed in the order of the most recent comment that was below them at the time that I collected the Links some time Yesterday morning.
Which is Most Likely to be True? (Z-Man's Blog) (Among other things - a UFO discussion)
Socialism, Exploitation of the Worker? (Griper's Blog)
Abstinence is Not "Realistic" (Lastrow's Blog)
Thou Shall Not Covet Thy Neighbors' Goods (Beth's Blog)
Who Defines Marriage? (Kris' Blog) (A Discussion about Homosexuality)
Moral Instruction (Z-Man's Blog) (A Discussion about Romantic Love, Soul Mates and Love at First Sight)
In my last post, I was sort of hoping for comments relating to Experiences within our lives that actually have Life verses those that make us feel as if we are Going Through the Motions, but that subject didn't seem to move anyone to comment on it. I've seen a Parallel to this in Blogging, such as when I Post just to Post, verses when I sort of Feel Led to Post by something deep inside of me. Such Inspirations come occasionally, but not anywhere close to daily.
I guess I didn't want to just let the subject drop because I do sort of want the chance to answer some of my own Questions.
It is the Spirit of God that brings me Life and when I sense His guidance and Inspiration, I feel very much Alive. In my Previous Post, I asked the question "How do I keep a feeling of Life and Energy in the things that I do throughout the day and how do I keep Life and Energy in my Blog?". Usually the answer to this is to remain as connected as possible to God, because He is where my Energy and Life comes from, especially when it comes to Writing Inspiration.
So I guess that this Post is just an expansion of my Previous Post. I expanded on it a little in the comment section and I am doing so again now.
When I made the Statement in that Post that "Some of the Questions that I keep asking myself just don't seem to have answers.", I was thinking about an issue that reflects my continuous struggle with simply making up my mind, such as "Should I or shouldn't I Post to my Blog?". I talked about this in one of the comments that I made beneath my Previous Post and the Post itself addressed the Question of "Significance verses Posting Speed".
I wonder if I should just repeat some of what I said in one of the Comments below the Previous Post. The Question "Should I or shouldn't I Post to my Blog?" comes up often and quite often it relates to whether or not I feel that what's on my mind at the moment is "Significant" enough to be "Worthy" of Posting and thus the Question, "Is it more important to Post often or to Post something that's 'Significant and Meaningful'?" and I continue to be Indecisive on the issue and may never fully figure it out and/or decide which the most matters to me.
The Bottom Line is that when I sense God's Direction and Guidance in my writing, my Blog really Comes to Life, but when God doesn't appear to be saying anything to me that's specific, I have trouble making up my mind what to say.
For some people, God's Guidance is more on going and continuous. For me, it is more occasional than continuous. When I'm not sensing anything that strongly, it's as if God is saying, "I don't care. Do what ever you want" (aside from sinning of course), yet when left on my own like that, I have trouble making decisions.
When I originally wrote this Post, I was feeling as if my most recent Post wasn't really that Significant and perhaps neither is this one, yet I may have at least one Thesis Statement that has meaning. The answer to the Questions "How do I keep a feeling of Energy and Life in the things that I do throughout the day?" and "How do I keep Life and Energy in my Blog?" is to "remain as connected as possible to God".
Anyway, when I originally wrote this Post, it contained the below links because when it feels as if I'm not Posting anything that's really that Significant, I feel tempted to tell my fans what Blogs I've been conversing on, so that they can find me if they want to, for just because I'm not Posting on my Blog does not mean that I'm not writing interesting things somewhere. So here's where I have been lately if anyone is interested. The links are listed in the order of the most recent comment that was below them at the time that I collected the Links some time Yesterday morning.
Which is Most Likely to be True? (Z-Man's Blog) (Among other things - a UFO discussion)
Socialism, Exploitation of the Worker? (Griper's Blog)
Abstinence is Not "Realistic" (Lastrow's Blog)
Thou Shall Not Covet Thy Neighbors' Goods (Beth's Blog)
Who Defines Marriage? (Kris' Blog) (A Discussion about Homosexuality)
Moral Instruction (Z-Man's Blog) (A Discussion about Romantic Love, Soul Mates and Love at First Sight)
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To Pick Up where I Left Off, I will now be Responding to this Quote...
"so at this point, I have to ask what happens to all those post-salvation sins?"
The Process that Occurs after Salvation is Called Sanctification and is a Process in which we are Gradually Being Cleansed and Washed of our Sins. This is Illustrated in Romans “For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are PUTTING TO DEATH the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13, NASB)
In this Verse, Deeds or Actions are Mentioned, yet the Phrase, “Putting to Death”, is from the Greek Root, “Thanatoo”, which Means to Mortify, Kill or Put to Death, yet in this Verse, the Tense Used Contains an Implication of a Process. The New American Standard Bible is the One that the Most Got this One Right, by Using the Correct Tense of the Word, “Putting to Death”, rather then "Put to Death" (NRSV & NIV) or “Mortify” (KJV)
Quoting Satyavati again...
“Do you just keep claiming Jesus over and over? Does he come back endlessly and wash it all up? Personally, I'd think eventually he'd get pretty tired of that.”
My Response:
In a Sense, Yes. He does Keep Cleaning it up, but He doesn’t get Tired of it, because He Loves us and if we are Willing to Submit to the Sanctification Process, then Over Time, there will be Improvement.
Satyavati:
"Salvation is not cheap and not to be used as an excuse to go on and do whatever awful things you want to do.”
Me:
That is Absolutely Correct and also Biblically Accurate, just as I Explained in the Previous Post.
Satyavati:
“The way we view karma is as a law, independent of other things. Consider the law 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction'. The thing with laws is that they operate regardless of belief so that part doesn't really come into it.”
Me:
There is such a Law that is Described in the Bible...
“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.” (Galations 6:7, NRSV)
As to the Second Part of your Words, though, Satyavati, Laws do not Actually "Operate Regardless of Belief". For Example, Once when we were Shoveling Snow off of the Roof of my In-Laws, I Slipped and Feel off a Ladder. According to the Laws of Slippery Ice and Gravity, I should be Dead Right now, or at the Very Least, Seriously Injured, yet somehow, Miraculously, the Ladder was Caught on the Step. To Better Picture this, the Ladder Slipped Off the Deck and was Caught on a Step. That is, One of the Legs of the Ladder was Caught on the Step and the Other was Still Suspended in the Air. With Ice that Slippery, there is no Way that the Ladder should have Remained Up Right and yet it did. I Ended Up Up Side Down with one of my Legs Caught in One of the Rungs of the Ladder. The Ladder Remained Up Right, I did not Hit the Ground, aside from Shock and Fear, I was Unharmed.
This Experience Defied the Laws of Gravity and Slippery Ice and most Spiritual People would Consider this an Act of a God or some sort of Guardian Angel. For some Reason God Decided to Spare me.
There is another Law at Play here, which is the Law of Grace, yet Grace is not for Everyone, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5b, NRSV). For some Reason, God Extended Grace to me and Spared me from the Natural Laws of Gravity and Ice, so you see, Satyavati, it is not True that Things such as Belief and also Grace do not “Come into Play”. The Law of Reaping and Sowing is Similar, for Sometimes God Steps in and Offers Grace. Does this Always Happen? No. Sometimes God Allows us to Experience the Natural Consequences for Our Actions.
Here is another Example from my Own Life. Earlier in my Life, I was Caught up in a Certain Sin. In my Sin, I was Taking Considerable Risks that should have come with Far Greater Consequences then they did, yet Somehow I was Spared and my Consequences were Minimal. Why? I Think it was because God Knew some of the Insinuating Circumstances, as well as my Own Level of Maturity at the Time. In Time, through the Process of Growth and Sanctification, I Improved in my Ability to not Sin. There was a Time, though, in which I “Back Slid” and Regressed into some of my Old Ways. This Time, though, God decided not to Protect me from some of the Consequences that are more Serious. Why? Because I should have Known better. This was an Old Lesson that I should have Left in the Past and I was a Fool to Return to this Old Pattern of Sin.
I’ll Deal with the Reincarnation Issue Later. I’ve Said Quite a Bit for now.