How does that work? Scripture tells us that we have to believe it first (Mark 11:24). hmm. I don't know about you, but I can't seem to control the degree of my faith just because that's what I want to be able to do. I know I want to be all that God would have me to be, though. At least I think I do. Therein, a theory is born. It's a natural progression. First you follow God's commandments (because you love them and you love Him)...or at the very least...try your very best (and I mean very best) to follow God's commandments. Not short term, mind you. Long term....committed. Incrementally your faith is increased. At that point, though, what do you think you would be claiming? A new car? Prosperity? Somehow, I don't think so. Surely, you'd be claiming things a lot more righteous than that.
Miracles
Matthew 17:24-27 ¶ After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?" "Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?" "From others," Peter answered. "Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."
I love that scripture. I giggle when I imagine the collectors going with Peter to the lake, Peter catching a fish (the first one, mind you), opening it's mouth and pulling out the coin! Can't you just picture the look on the collectors faces?
Jesus did some amazing things (miracles). Things that cannot be explained via the natural no matter how creative you attempt to get. Miracles like walking on water (John 6:19), controlling the weather (Matthew 8:26), turning water into wine (John 2:7), raising the dead (John 11:43, Mark 5:35), giving sight to the blind (John 9:6), casting out demons (Matthew 17:18), feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:15), etc, etc, etc.
Jesus is Lord.
Hell
Can you imagine what the world would be like if God had not set eternity into the hearts of men (Ecclesiastes 3:11)? If the human race believed that there were no rewards and no punishments and no having to give an answer to anyone? If the human race believed that they only had this one life to live, and no matter how they lived this life, the only thing they could anticipate was the finality of death? What kind of race would we be? What kind of a world would this be? Do you think the suicide rate would increase or decrease? Do you think the murder rate would increase or decrease? Do you think violent crimes would increase or decrease? My Christian Interpretation would be that life on planet earth would take a nose dive.
Thank God that heaven and hell do exist! Thank God that He has put that knowledge in our hearts, and given us His Word to help us in our understanding. Thank God for the gift of His Son and the forgiveness of sins.
Favoritism
A few posts back I spoke a bit about the wisdom of God. God tells us not to show favoritism, that He doesn't show favoritism, and that showing favoritism is, in actuality, a sin. If you have ever been discriminated against, you probably understand why favoritism is a sin. It's a potential breeding ground for all kinds of negativity. It can cause division, hurt, anger, insecurity, depression, vindictiveness, bitterness, hatred, etc. Does God want you to suffer that? Does God want you to create an atmosphere conducive to generating those kinds of feelings and emotions? My Christian interpretation would be....nope...He sure doesn't.
I guess one question we have to ask ourselves is....are WE showing any favoritism? Do we treat one of our children a little better than another? Do we show one of our employees more respect? Do we treat a race or gender better than another? We may be making one person feel special, and without realizing it, causing someone else to feel insignificant and unloved.
The other question we might need to ask ourselves is....what is our responsibility if we are the subject of favoritism? If showing favoritism is a sin, what about willingly, knowingly, accepting favoritism?
What is the purpose of life?
The writer of Ecclesiastes says:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 ¶ Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
If the whole duty of man is to fear God and follow His commandments, then I suppose, my Christian interpretation of the purpose of life would be to learn that. The purpose of life, therefore, could be summed up by saying we are here to learn about God and have a relationship with Him (could it be that simple?).
God, therefore, designed us, life on planet earth, and for that matter, the universe, to be conducive to learning about Him.
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
So right off the bat, you are confronted with a mind boggling universe and an innate understanding that this was no accident. The stage is set, God exists.
As you observe life, as you live life, you begin to understand that those living are not in complete control of their destiny. In the world around you, you see mortality. At the same time, man does not see death as finality because God has set eternity into the hearts of men (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This understanding lends itself to the beginning of wisdom, the fear of God (Proverbs 9:10). After all, we are going to have to give an answer for the things we’ve done while in the body (2 Corinthians 5:10). This fear of God can motivate us to learn what we can about God, and potentially, come to the knowledge of Christ and a real relationship with God. And so it goes.
Valued
Everyone needs to feel that they are valued. They thirst for it like a dry parched land thirsts for rain. In our world, too many live in a drought that lasts a lifetime. They reach out their hand, they hope, only to be rebuffed and disappointed. Though I’ve heard it said that hope springs eternal, and that the human spirit is resilient, I worry that some will quit reaching out and quit hoping. If that happens, it’s a tragedy.
We are so quick to give counsel, but so slow to give encouragement by way of warm acceptance and positive responses. How often do you feel really loved and appreciated? How often do you make others feel that way?
When the rains return and the dry parched land is once again watered, the apparent desert wasteland is transformed and springs back to life. Know anyone that is showing signs of drought?
Jesus speaks of a time when the love of many will grow cold. My Christian interpretation is that we may be entering just such a time. I only hope that I am not one of the many.
Not so long ago...
It's amazing how quickly things change. Not so long ago, the verse below was far more puzzling...at least to me it was.
Revelation 13:16-17... He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no-one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
Now, I can see the virtual inevitability of a paperless currency. My Christian interpretation would be that currency will be digital at some point. Your ID will likely be some sort of technology implanted under your skin, probably microscopic. You won't need to carry credit cards, bank cards, drivers licenses, etc. All that information will be under your skin. Life in the real world will be a bit like surfing the internet is now. Everything you buy, everything you sell, and probably every place you go, will be able to be tracked. You will be a walking gps receiver.
Another interesting thing about this topic is that in some ways, the idea doesn't seem entirely bad. How convenient it would be to not have to carry a wallet, purse, etc around with you all the time. Everywhere you went, you would have access to your finances. Countries could eliminate the cost of running mints and printing money. Ecologically, it might be less of an impact. Being able to be tracked could have positives as well...such as if you got lost in the wilderness. Most likely, these implants could also have the ability to monitor physical vital signs etc. Undoubtedly, many would deem the benefits of such a system a blessing instead of a curse. Can you see it happening this way?
Ufos
Can the prospect of life on other planets live in harmony with Christianity? Currently, my Christian interpretation would be 'yes', but what is your opinion on this potentially controversial topic?
Toiling...
I'm a lover of the great outdoors. I've been hiking the hills and mountains since I was a child. I hike for a number of reasons. I love the quiet and privacy that being out in the middle of nowhere affords. I like spending that time in fellowship with God and in contemplation of the things of life. I like getting some exercise. I like to explore, to see what's around the next turn.
Recently I have been hiking in an area where there is a hawk nest along the way. Each and every time I stroll by there, at least one of the hawks is in the air. Usually both of them are. It doesn't matter the time of day, evening, morning, or afternoon, there they are soaring above. I presume they are looking for food and keeping an eye on their nest. I'm amazed at how hard they work.
This appears to be the fate of most that live on this planet. Virtually all life seems to be toiling to survive. I know that's no revelation, but planet earth is a pretty rough place to eke out an existence. Around every corner, and even up in the sky, there may be something hunting you and wanting to eat you, or in the case of man, maybe just to kill you for the fun of it. You have to work diligently to get enough to eat, which often requires you killing other things. Often times you have to come up with some sort of shelter as well. Then there are the invisible killers like diseases, etc. I guess it wasn't just Adam that was kicked out of the garden. This is a planet that requires you to work very hard at surviving.
The reason I mention all this is because on these very hikes that I often take, these very hikes where I observe the nature of life on this planet, I find myself asking God to help me to be more like Him. His Word says that He is love...and if you live in love, you live in Him. I'm asking that He help me to love like Him. And then I remember another part of His Word. It says that if you seek Him with your whole mind, heart, and soul, He will be found. I look up at the hawks...and there they are seeking to survive with all their hearts and all the effort that goes into it. I ask myself if I am striving that hard to be in God's presence...to love like He loves.
A Christian interpretation of dreams
I'm a Christian and I've analyzed my fair share of my own dreams as well as a number of dreams shared with me by others, and in so doing, I've come to one primary conclusion. Dreams are almost always about what has preoccupied ones thoughts during waking hours. The interesting thing to me is how the mind recreates those thoughts. In my opinion, the only possible way to interpret a dream accurately is to know what is preoccupying the dreamer's thoughts during those waking hours. If you can identify those conscious thoughts and concerns, then you can begin to identify the images and words in the dreams and how they relate. Here's a little example:
As a new Christian I began having dreams that had coins in them. I kept finding or noticing coins in my dreams. At first I did not understand, but later realized that the dreams weren't about coins, they were about 'change'. You see, every day I was trying to be Christ like. I was trying to change. I was looking to change. I wanted to change. I wanted to please God, I wanted to be a better man. Change was my focus and the key word in understanding those dreams.
In my experience, nothing is wasted in a dream. Every image and every word has some significance. In the end, though, I don't find the analyzing of dreams to be very useful because you already know what you are thinking about during conscious waking hours. Watching how your mind reinvents, recreates, clothes, those thoughts can be interesting and amazing, but not that useful in the final analysis.
Obviously, you don't have to be a Christian to interpret dreams. You just have to take the time to write them down in as much detail as you can recall. Then begin to look at them from the context of what has been going on in your own head and life. And don't forget to hear (as in words) what you may see in the dream.