How to Pray - Matthew 6:5-15

Jesus continues in His Sermon on the Mount with another act of righteousness - Prayer. In Matthew  6:5-15, Jesus tells us the manner in which we should pray, where we should pray and He even offers us an example of how we should pray. The model is beautiful in its simplicity. It does not try to drown God in words. It does not try to manipulate Him or ingratiate Him to the pray-er.

Prayer

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.^[b]’

¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Questions

Jesus says not to pray like the hypocrites that make a show of it. Aside from what Jesus offers here, in what ways does prayer become a show; A work to be done so that everyone will know you are righteous? 

-We've all heard windy, flowery prayers offered in King James English. Then there are the prayers that are not so much prayers to God as they are sermons to others that may be listening. Both kinds of prayers can go on and on. It's like the pray-er needs to inform God of things He did not know or advise others present of the pray-er's close relationship with God. These kinds of prayers are probably not what Jesus had in mind when He was teaching.

Jesus also indicates that private prayer is the best policy. So, why do we even offer public, corporate prayer in gatherings of the Church?

-This is a rhetorical question. You figure it out. I know what I think. I'm not sure there is a place for  corporate prayer inside the meetings of the church or outside. Prayer is personal. Where in the Bible do you see an example of corporate prayer? Seriously. It just is not there - especially in the New Testament.

The model prayer that Jesus offers is interesting. It honors God. It asks that His will be done. It asks  that our daily need for food be met and it acknowledges God as the giver. It asks for forgiveness. And it asks for protection from temptation and its source - the evil one. It is at once, simple straightforward and brief. Why do we not pray in this fashion? Why do we take this simple outline of a prayer and hang every last little request on it's parts?

-As Jesus said, God already knows what we need. We need to keep it simple. Keeping the line open is one thing. Jabbering on and on about the least little things that God already knows about is quite another. The Lord does not need it. We must not confuse our needs with the reasons for prayer. If we want to talk to Him about the issues of our day, perhaps that helps us more than Him? Maybe God does not mind that. Maybe He can work through that to help us. Maybe he would just like us to use the brains He gave us? Who is to say? I know we do not see prayer like ours today recorded in scripture. Do you really think there was a prayer list in the early churches? I wonder.

Before Jesus gave them this example, do you think anyone ever taught the people of His time to pray?

- I am thinking not. At least not like this.

The line in the prayer about debt is interesting. Do you think it's about monetary debt or something else? If so, what?

Here's a clue - the answer lies in vss 14 and 15. 
  

Matthew 6:1-4

Jesus continues preaching on the mountainside in Matthew 6. In this chapter He addresses sermon to several acts of righteousness and how they should be practiced. In verses 1-4 Jesus talks about giving to the needy.

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Jesus assumes that his listeners will be giving to the needy, but He want them to know that the manner in which they give makes a difference, particularly to God. Giving should not be motivated by a desire for self aggrandizement or the approval of other. Instead, it needs to be done as an act directed toward God and in private. If we give because we love God, then the giving should be between the giver and God alone.

Back in the day, the Pharisee would walk into the temple with his money bag on his belt, fully loaded with change. He would slowly dump the contents in the poor box. The noise of the coins falling would echo throughout the house, drawing the attention of worshipers to the man's alleged generosity. Swelled with pride, the Pharisee would do his victory walk to the gate, having impressed the rank and file with his generosity.

Jesus says that people like this have already received their reward for giving. However, those that give in secret, without making a show, will receive God's approval and eternal rewards await these people.

Questions

So, what are some contemporary ways that people "blow trumpets" to call attention to their giving?

-Have you ever seen a memorial plaque on an object at church? That's one way. Others will designate their gifts. In the world, politicians and philanthropists just call a press conference. 

What does "do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" mean in vs 3?

-It means that giving behavior should be something that is automatic, perhaps done without thinking about anything other than the need. It should be a natural spiritual response produced in us by God, that we do not even notice. 

What is the best way of ensuring secrecy in giving?

-Simple. Keep it quiet. Don't talk about it except to God.
  

Attitude is Everything - Matthew 5:21-48

In the pursuit of righteousness, it's not just what you do that matters. What you do is always proceeded by thoughts and attitudes. Those thoughts are capable of producing actions. Some of those thoughts and actions could produce sin under the right circumstances.

You may never murder anyone or commit adultery or fornication...but did you think about it? Did you consider, if only briefly, that some people just need killin and this guy (whoever he might be) is pushin all the right buttons for that? What about that scantly clad young lady moving her way down the sidewalk ever so seductively? Did you ever think for a minute that it would be nice to spend the afternoon with her discussing her finer points? Maybe it was a car that caused the desire or the top was down and the woman inside had managed to sell the whole package to you all in a flash in your mind. 

When we dwell on things, when we get angry or or we covet or we lust; this is when the process of sin and unrighteousness starts. Our attitude in a given situation can produce a harvest of sin. What does Jesus say? 

Murder

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,^[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister^[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’^[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
²⁵ “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Anger is akin to murder. If someone is angry with us or we with them; the whole thing can escalate out of control. It might start with an off hand remark about their intelligence or maybe something stupid like a small financial debt. The result could be violence or a lawsuit or worse. Instead of letting things get out of hand, we need to find ways to make the peace, particularly if we are the ones in error. We have to do what we can to keep the peace with our neighbors and with God. The issue, whatever it may be, has to be settled with as little acrimony as possible. Vengeance and loss of control are not godly behaviors and they can lead to violence and murder.  

Adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^{[e] 28} But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Lust is a bad habit. It's a luxury we cannot afford to be burdened with. If we allow it to rule us,   serious consequences will abound. Adultery is just one result. We can lust after all kinds of things that have nothing to do with sex. It's possible to lust over a plate of bacon or your neighbor's lawn mower. Lust, unbridled desire and covetousness can lead to all kinds of sins that bring very serious consequences. Broken families, sexual disease, obesity and thievery are a few; not to mention separation from God or at least a major dent in that relationship.

Divorce

³¹ “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’^{[f] 32} But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

In the old days, men were kings and women were property. Under the Law, you could divorce your wife for burning the toast. And I am sure there were hard hearted men that did just that. The same is true today. There are men and women in marriage relationships that are abusers and philanderers and whatever else you might care to name. Forgiveness is needed. The desire to change negative behaviors must prevail. Love should rule over both husband and wife so that things to not get to this point. Selfishness must be put out of the house. The needs of your partner must always take precedence. 

Jesus does not want divorce. He is opposed to it. He offers only one valid reason for it - infidelity. He goes so far as to say that anyone who divorces for any other reason forces their partner to commit adultery. This is because it is almost inevitable that the couple will marry other people...and in God's eyes, you are still and always married to you original wife or husband. God does not believe in divorce, hence, remarriage is adultery.    

Oaths

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ ³⁴ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶ And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

^{The bottom line here is....if you always tell the truth, then oaths will not be necessary. Simple eh?}

Eye for Eye

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’^{[h] 39} But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ⁴¹ If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Someone said if we all operated under the "eye for and eye" principle, we would all be blind and toothless. This is probably very close to the truth. I'm not sure I will be hanging around for the second slap though. 

I think that the idea behind Jesus' advice here is to avoid conflict and show your tormentor that you are of better character than they are. In time they will find no satisfaction in their bad behavior and it will stop. 

Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[i] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Really, love my enemies? This is hard. Praying for them is easier than loving them. Nonetheless we are commanded to do both. Why? Maybe because they too were created by God and despite their unrighteousness, God loves them too and wants them to draw close to Him. Showing love toward them might eventually enable that possibility.

Verse 48 caps off a list of things that are nearly impossible with one that is completely impossible. Jesus says to be perfect like our heavenly Father.

Some try to say Jesus meant that we should be perfect in love like God, but really, is that not just as impossible? And the text does not say that anyway.

And that may be the point. Jesus, in this sermon, is taking the high bar of the law and raising it even higher. He knows that we will not be able to keep the law under either His interpretation or even that of the Pharisees. What I think Jesus is really teaching us about in this sermon is the character of God, His Father. 

It will not be the works of the law that saves us. It will be being born again in His Spirit; regenerated, reformed and able to change our attitude. Self control of outward acts is something most all of us can do. Changing our spiritual nature is something only God can do for us. We just have to surrender our wills. Sounds easy - takes a lifetime. That's my experience anyway. Maybe you are already perfect like our heavenly Father. If so, you can come over and walk across my swimming pool. 

Wait...I don't have a pool. We will have to go to a pond. I will drive. OK? 

Hard to Get

In the midst of our efforts to remain faithful and be obedient to our Savior sometimes we get distracted and frustrated because we do not understand why things are the way they are. We wonder why we are faced with certain life challenges. We do not see the purpose or even the cause of the things we suffer through. We actually feel a sense of divine injustice. Some will lose faith. Others will question their Creator.

I have been both places. More often than not though, I am a questioner. I don't know if that's appreciated in the heavenly realms, but God did let Job rattle on for 38 chapters. Oh to be as sound in my thinking as Job. Do you remember what God said to Job in chapter 38 after all his entreaties?

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

² “Who is this that obscures my plans
    with words without knowledge?
³ Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
    Tell me, if you understand.

God went on like that with question after question for two chapters. Job, of course, had no answers and you know what? He never got any from God either. As our modern philosophy so tritely puts it, "it is what it is". There are things that, even if explained, we would never understand. This does not stop the questions of course. Like two year old's, we want to know the "why", even if there is no way we will comprehend what is in the mind of God. 

This is maybe why Paul says in Romans 9:

 ¹⁴ What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! ¹⁵ For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

and again...

 
¹⁹ You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” ²⁰ On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?

God's mercy is at once a glorious and terrible thing. It can be received like a cool drink of water on a hot day when we need it or as a gross miscarriage of justice when applied to someone else we have judged as undeserving. The fact is though, we all need His mercy and His grace. We should accept that gift and move forward regardless of who we are and we should not pass judgement on God when He gives it to people we have deemed unworthy. Who are we to do the "deeming" anyway?

So question away. God is bigger than you know and he can take it. What you need to consider is this....are you big enough to withstand his reply? 

Again, to close, I will turn to another song by Rich Mullins. In his song, "Hard to Get", he gives an apt description of our sometimes attitude and a reminder of what His mercy cost.

   

You who live in Heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt

Do you remember when You lived down here?
Where we all scrape to find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did You forget about us after You had flown away?
Well I memorized every word You said

Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While You're up there just playing hard to get

You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then

Did You ever know loneliness, did You ever know need?
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on and Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat

Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?

And I know You bore our sorrows
And I know You feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained

And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow
All I really need to know

Is if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret

I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get

The last stanza says it all. The Lord does understand us. He knows we have questions. This is why we must be faithful and obedient. We will probably not understand while we are here. But someday, I think it will be clear. We will know. And it will have been worth the stress.

Keep walking Christian. He's just ahead of you. You might even be able to see Him smiling as He looks over His shoulder. He is taking you to a wonderful place. If you fall down, He will come back for you. You are not alone!   

It's Hard

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, “For faith is only real when there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience.”

This is the great truth of the Christian faith. God loves our obedience to His precepts. It's faith and obedience that produce trust in our relationship with God. This has been true since the days of our spiritual ancestor, Abraham, and it continues to be true today. We evangelicals and fundies tend to get all excited about His grace and love, but I think sometimes we use it to rationalize behavior that might not be considered Christ-like.

In our world, this kind of faith laden obedience can be...is...hard. Life in the 21st century bombards us with moral and spiritual temptations and there is also the things that we do not do - that we omit from our behavior - things that those of faith should be doing.

It's hard. Still the call remains loud and clear. Obey. Love. Serve. Do.

As we age in the faith, matters of obedience should become second nature to Christ followers. We should do the will of God without even thinking about it. As Jesus would have said, we should not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. Obedience should be automatic and without much thought.

Even so, we will find ways to make our lives seem OK with God. We have middle age crises. We behave as teenagers when we are in our 50's. We long for the days of youthful hedonism. We seem to forget that we are mortal and the days of wine and roses have past.  We forget that we will one day meet Jesus.

Bonhoeffer wrote the quote above in the midst of a holocaust that he refused to participate in. He saw the godless Nazis for what they were and he stood firm firm in his faith and the will of Christ to the end. His faith produced a harvest of obedience among nameless faithful Germans of the time that stood firm in the face of all kinds of persecution. I wonder if we would do so well? Will we be strong enough to stand when the gathering storm overtakes us? It's hard to say. It's hard to do. It's hard to be like Jesus.

Maybe this is why Rich Mullins wrote and sang:

Well, I am a good Midwestern boy
I give an honest day's work if I can get it
I don't cheat on my taxes, I don't cheat on my girl I've got values that would make the White House jealous
Well, I do get a little much over-impressed
'Til I think of Peter and Paul and the apostles
I don't stack up too well against them I guess
But by the standards 'round here I ain't doing that awful
Lord, it's hard to turn the other cheek
Hard to bless when others curse you
Oh Lord, it's hard to be a man of peace
Lord, it's hard, oh it's hard,
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard, oh it's hard,
Oh Lord, it's hard to be like Jesus
And it's hard to step out on them waves
Hard to walk beyond your vision
Oh Lord, it's hard to be a man of faith
Lord, it's hard (hard), Lord, it's hard (so hard),
Oh Lord, it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard (hard), oh it's hard (yeah hard),
Oh Lord, it's hard to be like Jesus
Well, His eye's on the sparrow
And the lilies of the field I've heard
And He will watch over you and He will watch over me
So we can dress like flowers and eat like birds
And it's hard when your soul had been stripped bare
Hard to lift your eyes toward Heaven
Oh Lord, it's hard to be a man of prayer
Lord, it's hard, oh it's hard,
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Lord, it's hard to be a man of peace
But it's hard (so hard), ain't it hard (hard),
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard (hard), and it's hard (yeah hard)
To be a man of peace (hard, so hard)
But it's hard to be like Jesus
And I'm trying, trying, try
Oh Lord, I try so hard
Don't you know it's hard
Oh glory, oh gracious
But ain't it hard to be like Jesus   

Lord please give us the strength to stand, whether the tempest is personal or all encompassing. We must never forget what you did for us and that remembrance must translate through our faith to behavior and a trustful knowing that you do indeed walk with us. Some of us think you actually meant what you said in Your Sermon on the Mount. It scares us because, it's hard. Help us to find joy in the challenge Lord! In your gracious Name we pray....Amen 

Can You See?

My friend and local God botherer helped me wake up with a text message of the words spoken to blind Bartimaeus on the day he received his sight from the Lord. Mark 10 is a good chapter, but this incident speaks volumes to what Jesus came here to do for us. It goes something like this:

Mark 10: 46-52


^"46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
⁵² “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."

My friend texted me a portion of verse 49, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's Calling you."

My cynicism immediately set in. I was getting ready for work. I was trying to tell Dad what was available to eat throughout the day in my absence and the last thing in my head was a call from the Lord. I was not hearing it...frankly, I'm still not hearing it. My faith is weak today.

Fact is - I have longed for His healing for decades. I have wanted to speak up. I have spent years sitting by the spiritual roadside begging. I want to see! I have no doubt He can do it! But He seems to have some spiritual purpose in keeping me blind. He has not told me or showed me what that purpose is. I hope He does not expect me to see it. I can't! Sometimes He is just hard to get.

My blindness is more like a case of cataracts. I can see dimly. I can make out shapes and forms and come close to the truth about the real visage, but I cannot confirm anything.  Perhaps His purpose in my continuing blindness is so He can be my guide. Doesn't explain why He lets me wander off from time to time, but it does teach me to cling to Him, I guess. 

Lord, I can hear you, but I can't see you yet. I know you are there. Please open my eyes. I think I'm ready. Show me what may be ahead.

I Sensed a Foul Spirit...Wickedness in Habitation

I was reading an old friend's blog today and she was talking about how empty houses seemed souless. I don't disagree with this generally, but I have been in empty houses that were anything but souless. I have sensed evil in empty houses - maybe even evil spirits. I have also sensed evil in houses I have lived in - mostly as a child.  My sense for that sort of thing was much sharper back then.

I have also been in one cemetery that seemed to have an evil spirit. I have been in many cemeteries in the day and in the night and sensed nothing out of place, but this one particular cemetery on the northwest side of Des Moines had something going on the night I was there. There was an evil presence that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck and I had quite a lot of hair in 1978. I was out walking with a different friend that night. We entered the cemetery in the course of the walk. It was small, gated and fenced with wrought iron. Not a lot of headstones, but many were ornate and the graves were very old - some to the mid 19th century. I felt a presence that seemed both evil and happy at the same time. It would stay behind me. I could almost hear it's foot steps. I looked at my walking companion and she seemed to be completely insensitive to it. I wanted to leave immediately, but she was distracted by the old stones. When we finally left and got passed the end of the wrought iron, the oppressive, mocking spirit departed. I felt the relief sweep over me like a storm had passed. It was a kind of 'scared' that I had not experienced since I was a child. I asked my friend if she felt anything in that cemetery and she laughed at me. She felt nothing.

Are you familiar with night terrors where you are asleep, maybe having a bad dream and you try to scream, but you can't and then suddenly you sit up in bed wide awake and maybe sweaty or breathing heavily? It's that kind of scared.

Anyhow, I commented on the blog post that I thought some empty houses were anything but souless and I also mentioned that I thought there were evil trees. I cannot explain it, but there are some trees, particularly in the oak family, that seem to have some vile spiritual component. I do not know how to explain it. Perhaps it comes from their appearance, but there are some trees that just seem evil to me. There is an oak across the road from where I currently live that kind of creeps me out. I do not have a picture of it, but I do have a couple of examples of what I mean below.

This tree is vile. It is monstrous and if it were in my yard, it would strike fear in my heart. It is a genuinely creepy tree. It is a sick and twisted oak tree. Can you see how nothing grows around it? It's sucking the life right out of it's environment.

Yes, I know it's very old and probably rare because of it, but I would bet money that it's rotten inside and probably even gives off an odor. I am reminded of the tree in the Old Forest outside the border of the Shire where Tom Bombadil lived with Goldberry. Do you remember the tree that captured Merry and Pippin and was gradually enclosing them in its trunk? That was Old Man Willow. Tom had to talk the tree into giving them up.

Trees can be scary things as well as beautiful...

Evil resides in weird places. Old trees. Empty houses. Cemeterys. Even certain people. You can say this is all in my head if you like, but I'm telling you I can sense these things. It ain't just my imagination.

Just let me say one more thing. I do not think this evil is ghost activity. I believe it to be demonic. There is a reason the old Druids worshiped trees...the really old ones have evil spirits in them.

All right, I will stop now. I'm sure this will be used some day to commit me to a nursing home or something. I think I'm about ready.

Profitable Genocide

If you knew your doctor or the personnel at your clinic or hospital were more interested in selling your organs and body parts than they were in making you well, how would you respond? If you knew that they were actively in the business of selling human body parts and organs for research and profit, what would you think? Finally, what if you learned that they were actively and covertly encouraging death choices over life choices simply to make money?

Well, that day is here. Apparently it's been going on for awhile, but now proof is available. Every one is familiar with Planned Parenthood right? It seems that these purveyors of death are actively engaging in the sales of aborted human fetuses and their various parts for medical research and consumer medical products. Turns out they are in agreements with a company called Stem Express. According to Breitbart

"The undercover journalist who videotaped a Planned Parenthood senior medical officer talking about how to buy and sell fetal body parts derived from aborted babies says Planned Parenthood is lying in their response to his video.

Planned Parenthood said Tuesday that it does not make money from selling fetal body parts to companies like StemExpress, and any revenues received are related strictly to expenses.
David Daleiden of the Center for Medical Progress said the abortion provider is lying: “Planned Parenthood makes two key admissions in their statement today; first, that aborted fetal parts are harvested at their clinics, and second, that money is exchanged in connection with this.”
He also says Planned Parenthood is lying by insisting it gets “proper consent” from its patients,” and “Planned Parenthood does not make money off the body parts.”
In response, Daleiden produced an online ad from StemExpress, Planned Parenthood’s partner in the body-parts business, that “advertises 4 different times the financial benefit that Planned Parenthood clinics can receive from supplying fetal tissue with the words, ‘Financially profitable,’ ‘Financial Profits,’ ‘financial benefit to your clinic,’ and ‘fiscal growth of your own clinic.'” The ad has the endorsement of Planned Parenthood Medical Director Dr. Dorothy Furgerson."

This is monstrous. This is is the kind of behavior that the Nazis engaged in, but with a difference....we volunteer for this behavior. Expectant women deliberately choose to destroy their unborn and then allow a quasi governmental entity like Planned Parenthood to profit from their heinous decision. I would imagine that the next step in this 'for profit' scheme will be the inclusion of the expectant mother in the profit scheme. It will be just like donating plasma. Go to the clinic, give up your fetus, get a check. PP and Stem Express will probably invest in fetus farming so they can harvest the cells they need for research and product.

Is this what we have been reduced to? Are we really this hard hearted? Apparently we are. Can the age of Soylent Green be that far off?

Fishing Porn

My friend Steve is back from Canada (I think). He is pictured below with a 10 lb+ Muskie. The length is still in debate...mostly because I am extremely jealous. Way to go Steve. You made me sin. :^))) There is another picture of him standing in the middle of the mess he made while in Canada. I think he is looking for breakfast. His gull friend seems unphased by his presence. Nice fish Steve! I do mean that. I hope it bit you. This is not to say that I am not extremely happy for you. I just want you to have some pain to go with the joy....I'm like that you know!

Obesity Has a Sexual Preference

 
To  date, it has cost the US taxpayer 3.5 million dollars, but, by golly, they are making progress. According to MRC TV :

"A U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) study to understand why lesbians are fat has now cost taxpayers over $3.5 million to-date.
The study, “Sexual Orientation and Obesity: A Test of a Gendered Biopsychosocial Model,” seeks to determine why there is a disparity in the obesity rates between straight women and lesbian women and straight men and gay men.
According to the study, “It is now well-established that women of minority sexual orientation are disproportionately affected by the obesity epidemic, with nearly three-quarters of adult lesbians overweight or obese, compared to half of heterosexual women. In stark contrast, among men, heterosexual males have nearly double the risk of obesity compared to gay males.”"

So gay women and straight men tend toward lardassery. This is important I suppose, especially to the actuaries and rate setters in the health insurance industry. I mean, how can we keep "Affordable Health Care ", i.e, "Obama Care", affordable if lesbians and white male couch potatoes are not cooperating?

In light of this problem, I am going to suggest a lesbian tax to fight this issue. Every lesbian that is two or more points over their appropriate BMI should pay an extra 15% income tax to compensate for their abuse of the health care system.

I am going to suggest further that white male heterosexuals be given a 15% reduction in their taxes to compensate for how they have been robbed blind for the last 50 years. My thought is, if they have money, they will get up off the couch and do something besides watch TV. They can take their straight fat wives to the mall and do a little shopping. All that walking is bound to help their weight issue.

Some will say this is not fair.

So...?

A Puzzling Situation

Does the fact that something is illegal make it more appealing or desirable? Do rules against certain human behaviors make us more curious about the activity and entice us to try them?

I think this is true much of the time with us. Why is it that if something is forbidden, we almost automatically set out to learn more about it and consider doing whatever it is ourselves?

Now I know some of you are saying to yourself, "what is he talking about? If something is forbidden then I do not do that. There are reasons why it's forbidden. I would not even consider it."

To that I would say, "well good for you. maybe you can come over and walk across my swimming pool."

I do not have a swimming pool. I lied. Do not come over even to try.

Seriously though, you know what I'm saying. Maybe we would not try murder, but we might smoke a doobie or drive too fast on the interstate (preferably not at the same time). I have done both in the distant past. One deed was never punished, but I had to move to another state to get a new driver's license because of the other. And, by the way, people have been surveyed about the murder question. It seems that if they were guaranteed to get away with it, they would consider murdering someone. What is up with that? Human beings are really screwed up.

Rules invite scrutiny. Scrutiny can lead to questions about the legitimacy of the rules themselves. If we do not see the sense in the rules, sometimes we disobey...simply because we want to, or it suits a need or it serves a purpose. We weigh the potential outcomes and we decide we will deal with it when it actually transpires...or maybe we just throw caution to the wind and do what we want because we want to do it.

When you were a kid and you did something that was against the rules and suffered the consequences, did you ever say to yourself, "it was soooooo worth it!"

It's a fact. Laws and rules invite disobedience. It's why we have jails and courts and prisons. Rules and laws have penalties.

And that brings me to yesterday's sermon on Romans 7. Thanks Dave for that.

Even the likes of the apostle, Paul of Tarsus, understood the nature of law and how it can incite disobedience in the human mind. Even Paul struggled with the principles of life that God has set before us. Paul does not let us off the responsibility hook for our failures, but he does tell us that when we fail in our walk with God, it is God we must turn to in repentance. At the high point of our rebellion for whatever it is, we need to turn ourselves in and throw ourselves on the mercy of the court. It seems that someone else has already taken up our sentence for whatever it is and we can rely on Him for that mercy. That person is none other than His Son, Jesus Christ. Paul describes the situation thus:

Romans 7:15-25  


¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature^[d] a slave to the law of sin.

And Romans 8:1-12
 

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you^[a] free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.^[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[d] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of^[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

So, if you are a Christian and you are thinking that some rules just don't apply to you, think again. Then do your best to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. If you fail, turn yourself into the Judge. Make a deal. The civil authorities may lock you up, but the Eternal Judge of us all has mercy for those that seek Him..and if you are truly seeking Him, you probably would not be in trouble anyway right? He loves you. Just obey Him. It's easier that way. Really - it is. Take it from someone that knows.    
   

Jesus and The Law - Matthew 5:17-20

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

This section of the Sermon on the Mount could be called "Jesus and The Law". Before He could go further in His sermon, Jesus needed to clarify where He stood with regard to the Law of Moses.  Many eyes were watching Him - powerful eyes - the scribes and teachers of the law, the Sadducees and Pharisees, the High Priests - they were all suspicious of Jesus and His teachings. 

The religious authorities thought that Jesus' attitude toward the Law might reveal His intentions. Did He want to set aside the law? Did He want to add to the law? Where did He stand?

Jesus clarified these questions for them immediately. His purpose was not to abolish the Law and the Prophets or add to to them. He came to fulfill them. Indeed, as long as heaven and earth exist, God's word - the Law - would continue to exist and never pass away.

Jesus then reinforced His point by pronouncing the fate of those seeking to change or disobey the law.  He said that those who break the least points of the law or teach others to do so would be counted the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

This is ironic because this is exactly what the religious leadership of the time did. While they would make great public shows of their own righteousness, they ignored what they considered to be the least of the commandments and they taught others to do the same.

Jesus then closes this section with a call to extreme righteousness. He raises the bar for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven by demanding a righteousness greater than that of the Pharisees. This must have seemed amazing to the crowds as well as impossible, but eventually He would show them the way to it.

Questions:

So what did Jesus mean when He said He came to fulfill the Law?

-He meant that He would not only keep the law perfectly Himself, but that He would bring out the real meaning of it - what God had intended -  that the religious authorities were conveniently ignoring. The Law was  and is not just about what you do or do not do. It is about what is in your heart. Intention and faith. The Law was supposed to teach the people about the character of their God and His intentions for them in regard to faith and attitude and how that should translate to behavior. The religious leadership in Judea at that time were completely missing the point and they were not sharing the real intent of the Law with the people that needed it most. 

So how can we exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees? How is that possible given the fact that human nature is at best bent toward sin and at worst, totally broken?

-There is only one way to do this. We must have faith in Christ. Our faith will be counted by God as righteousness and then we can move forward in the sanctification process to higher levels of obedience. This obedience does not save. It is our faith that saves us by His grace. See the entire book of Romans and Ephesians 2:8,9.

Jesus would go on from here in less than 3 years time to offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the rebellion of mankind against God. He would die and then walk away from the grave in victory over sin and death, having defeated them both. He would then offer the same kind of victory for all of us if we only believe. Through these acts, Jesus truly fulfilled the Law and set aside its condemnation and penalty for those of us that believe in His power. It can be ours if we just quit struggling and believe.          

Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

By now, Jesus' ministry was well underway. He had called His first disciples together. They had traveled throughout Galilee preaching, teaching and healing. His work and ministry was beginning to draw large crowds. People from as far south as Jerusalem came to hear Him as His notoriety grew.

And so it was at this time that Jesus chose to present His most important sermon; a sermon that would set the tone for His entire ministry and redefine God's law in the Spirit that was intended. It would lay aside the shallow, superficial and legalistic interpretations of the law promoted by the religious leaders of the day and replace them with an internal call to true obedience.

Jesus began simply enough. He sat down on the mountainside surrounded by the crowds in a sort of natural amphitheater setting and His opening words were at once poetic and baffling. In nine stanzas Jesus lists nine groups of people who, because of their spiritual state, their character or their condition in life, were to be blessed or rewarded. And these were not usually people we would think of as "blessed" or "happy". Some of them might even be considered weak and puny by the world's standards. Nevertheless Jesus called them blessed.

He began with the poor in spirit. Who are they anyway? They are the ones that have reached the bottom of their spiritual barrels. In their spiritual destitution they have no where else to turn. They are totally dependent on God. They have no one else and no other choices. They know they have no righteousness of their own, so they must turn to Him to supply it. And so they cling to Him in their need and desperation. And for this...the Kingdom of Heaven will be their reward.

Next are those that mourn. They are blessed because they too are dependent on God. Life can bring many sorrows. Financial loss, disease and death of loved ones - even regret over sin and its consequences. Those who mourn these things can be blessed by turning to God for comfort, both now and in the eternal sense.

Jesus also said that the meek would be blessed. Meekness is a characteristic of many of God's servants. The KJV refers to Moses as the meekest man on the face of the earth. What is meekness? It's a kind of humility under pressure; a way of tempering emotional swings in times of trouble. Meekness creates an equanimity of attitude. It controls anger and restrains excess joy. It is strength without pride. It's a personality trait that great leaders possess in abundance and this is probably why the meek will inherit the earth.

Next, Jesus blesses those that desire righteousness. They long for it in the same way some might want food or drink. For them, righteousness is an appetite that can only be filled by seeking God. These people long for spiritual justice and obedience to God's will. And though they may fail - with God's grace, they keep on trying.

The fifth group that Jesus blesses are those with the characteristic of mercy. This is also a characteristic of God. The merciful show compassion to those that are hurting and they show forgiveness to those that sin against them. The merciful are those that see themselves in others and treat them accordingly. And for this, they receive mercy from God.

Jesus also blesses the pure in heart. It's a difficult matter to be pure in heart because this characteristic deals with our personal motives and most secret desires. The pure in heart are honest and genuine people. They have no guile, no agenda, no secret motives or hidden desires. They do not use others for their own ends. They are as you see them and for these reasons, they will see God.

The seventh group that Jesus blesses are the peacemakers. These are not the people that negotiate self serving treaties between nations. Rather, they are the ones who bring peace with them through their actions towards others and with others. They do good things, they know when to keep their mouths shut and they know what to do when others will not keep their mouths shut. For this, they will be called sons of God.

Jesus also blesses those who are persecuted for their righteousness. Sometimes doing the right thing can carry with it a price. Depending on where you live, you might be mocked and laughed at for your faith and actions. You could be demoted or fired from your job. You could even be tortured and killed for doing the right thing - standing firm on the principles that God gave us to live by. this is why the Kingdom of Heaven is promised to those that are persecuted for being righteous. 

The ninth and last group that Jesus blesses are those that are persecuted specifically because they follow Him. If we suffer insults or persecution or accusations about our character due to following Christ, our reward in heaven will be great. All the greatest servants of the Lord were treated in the same way.


Questions:

So how do the Beatitudes stack up against the values of the world? What values are honored in the world and what values are honored in the Beatitudes?

-The values of the world are external, fleeting and tend to be coercive. Things like physical strength, beauty, natural talents, money, wealth, political power, youth, freedom to do as you please - all these things are highly valued in the world, but they are not permanent or lasting.

-The values honored in the Beatitudes tend to be internal and non coercive. They reflect where most of us are in life and how these things can bring us closer to God if we will let it happen. Things like poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, pursuit of righteousness, mercy, purity, love of peace and spiritual strength to face personal persecution and persecution for our faith. These things can draw us closer to God and deeper into relationship Him if we handle them correctly in our lives. Most of these could be called spiritual disciplines that should be practiced by all believers.

Why would people that possess the characteristics of the Beatitudes be considered blessed? I mean, don't they seem like signs of weakness at first glance?

-These people know who they are in the great scheme of things. They have a strength and beauty of character that is lacking in many people.  They are not deluded by personal fame or fortune or power or beauty. They do not have these things and they know it. They know that they must be dependent on God and rely on his strength and His blessings. Reliance on God can yield enormous power in one's personal life, creating a permanent joy that can only come with the peace of knowing God. 

How do the values of the American Dream stack up against the values expressed in the Beatitudes?
Things like Life, Liberty and Property (Happiness).

-Someone once said "the American Dream is to reach a point in your life where you don't have to do anything that you don't want to do and you can do everything that you want to do." This does not seem to be in line with what we see expressed in the Beatitudes. Life, liberty and property seem to be geared to more material pursuits. Most people in the world cannot live in this modality. It is impossible. If you stop and think about it, it is also a drain on natural resources. Could the entire world live as Americans do today? What would happen? Would it be a good thing that everyone worked daily for stuff, for material pleasures? There is a lot to be said for working and paying your own way, but at whose expense does that come? We like to think we did these things ourselves, that we raised ourselves up by our own bootstraps, but more often than not, we will find that we did it on the backs of others. We need to be careful when we tell others to embrace the principles in the Beatitudes and then fail to embrace them ourselves.

Why does Jesus always seem to take the side of those who are struggling spiritually and materially?

-I think it's because, in God's Kingdom, there really should be no one struggling. If there are people struggling, it's because others among God's people have failed to help them with whatever issues they may be having. Material poverty is one thing, but spiritual poverty is another. People want the help of their God with these issues. Sometimes we have to be the hands of God; His instruments that bring blessing to those in need, both materially and spiritually. We need to be like God, giving a hand up to those that need it.    

  

A Local Sky Deity

Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews and the Christians, has been described as a local sky deity invented by Abraham, built into a religion by Moses and transformed by Jesus Christ into Christianity.

Yahweh is anything but a local sky deity. Someone yesterday suggested that beings from other places in the galaxy and even the universe might have a different perspective on who God is or even if there is a God. My thought is that Yahweh is the creator of the entire universe. He is the God of everything. If sentient life exists elsewhere, then He created it and He would have found a way into their culture and life.

It's true that our Bible is earth centric, but that's because we are earth centric. It's words were intended for us. The day may come when we take the Bible to other worlds, but that time is not now. I am sure that the Lord God will have provided His other peoples elsewhere (if they exist) with their own book that is localized to their needs. The Lord loves variety. Who knows what He did or what He had to do on these other worlds. Was a plan of salvation necessary? Who knows any of these things? I do not.

God does as He pleases. The universe is His.

On another subject, it was asked yesterday if the existence of God is the only thing science can't prove. My thought was that it's God's non-existence that science can't prove.

There are many things that science cannot prove through the scientific method. The scientific method is the much abused process through which scientists, in their various fields of endeavor, attempt to prove or advance our understanding of the processes of the universe, life and our physical existence. I say it's abused because private organizations and governments use it to prove the creation and necessity of their agendas. Never mind the facts. Find a way to show scientifically that this or that needs to be done. Call it advocacy science if you like. Global climate change is one such pseudo scientific cause. Commercial entities need it to sell products and governments need it to tax us for prevention. It's all based on lies and computer models created from falsified data, but never mind the truth. We need the tax money and we need to be able to force you to buy our products. We want your money and we do not have the balls just to steal it.

There are other examples of the abuse of the scientific method, but whenever you see a hypothesis backed by "scientific testing" designed to prove the hypothesis, then you know the game is fixed.

Beyond that, even though history is replete with scientists that also believed in and worshiped God, modern science wants nothing to do with Him. Things that are spiritual cannot be measured or quantified or studied under a microscope or through a telescope and so, they must not exist.

When modern science, as a community, final realizes that there are things that cannot be studied with the present scientific method, then they will be on the right track. If they are honest, the intelligent design of the universe should reveal the designer to them. But they are blind to it...for now. Someday they will know.

Governments of the world, and especially our own, have come close to discovery of the spiritual world. The intelligence agencies of the US have looked into paranormal human capabilities as a means spying on other countries from afar. If you saw the film, "Men Who Stare At Goats", this is a humorous look at such studies. Remote viewing, ESP and astral travel are all, to my mind, spiritual in nature. I believe such things are real and that many humans can do these things. They are, most likely, God given gifts that get abused by the lower spiritual powers, but they are God given.

The government's interest was to use such paranormal capabilities to their advantage for national security. It was not their thought to discover an entire spiritual world let alone seek out God, but it is a step in the right direction if you are looking. In the Bible such practices are referred to as sorcery and are sinful. We are to leave the future in the hands of God because such gifts, if they exist, are clouded now by the "bentness" of all creation.

The point I am trying to make here is that there is a spiritual world. There is a God. If Modern Science, as a community would simply pull their heads out of their collective asses and re-evaluate their methods, they might be able to find God and what is spiritual in their investigations. They miss so much of what is reality when they deny the existence of the spiritual.

Come on guys. Get your act together.          

Shades of Belief

In our time, people are all over the board with regard to a belief in a God or gods. There are the firm religious adherents in Christianity, Islam and Judaism that believe in only one God. The Buddhists don't really believe in a god or many gods, but they do have a life philosophy. The Hindus have many gods they revere. If I'm totally honest, I have no idea what the Sikhs believe and there are many other faiths and philosophies that I have never fully investigated;Wicca, Druidism, Shamanism and animism to name a few.

Then there are those that subscribe to no organized religions. They are certain there is no God or gods and so they do not bother. Of all the faiths, theirs has to be the strongest. I am talking about the atheists here. Since they cannot quantify or measure in any empirical way what is spiritual, they choose to deny the existence of the spiritual world altogether. To them, everything is material. There is nothing beyond it and there is nothing to transcend to.

Atheists have a second cousin in agnosticism. Agnostics are not sure there is a god, but they are not sure there is not a god either. They have no faith and no god, but they lack the certainty of their atheist cousins and they wonder about the faith of their  believing friends. I'm thinking they just don't want to commit to anything, but an investigation of that is beyond the scope of this blog post.

As I Christian, I can tell you this. My scriptures say this:      

Psalm 14 1-3

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
    there is none who does good.

² The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
    to see if there are any who understand,^[a]
    who seek after God.

³ They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
    there is none who does good,
    not even one.

Romans 1:18-22

 

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,^[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

I do not offer these as an apologetic to those that do not believe. I offer them because I believe they are true. Those that refuse faith in God are fools. Everything in the universe gives credence to the notion of an intelligent designer. Creation is waaaaay too complex to have simply happened. There at least had to be some kind of beginning and a spark that lit that fire. Who had the matches? Where did all matter originate from? There has to be a cause to realize the effect.

I think the reason so many refuse to believe in something higher and grander than themselves is that they believe they are the highest and the grandest. They worship at the altar of self and they believe that, if anything will save them, it will be their own works. Humanism is the new religion. 

Many of the faithful buy into humanism. Let me tell you, when you do that, you practice syncretism. You cannot worship yourself and your own needs and deeds while adoring the one true God of creation. Yahweh does not like to share His worship.  

I do not know what to tell people that do not believe in God. I can make them aware of what I believe. I can tell them all about Jesus and the Bible. I can serve them personally until the cows come home. What I cannot do is make them believe. I am powerless to make them see the spiritual side of life. Only the Spirit of the Living God working through His Word can do that.

So I leave you with this.

God wants you to be in His family. He loved you so much that He sent a part of Himself, His only Son, to save you from yourself and the evil spiritual powers of this world. Grab a Bible. Sit down and read the gospel of John. Read through the book of the Acts of the Apostles. See for yourself the fire of the early church and read the words of those that witnessed the life of Jesus Christ while He was here. Learn what you have to do to become part of His family. Find a believing, God loving and fearing church and obey Jesus. It will be the best thing you ever did for yourself and for your family.

Seed planted. It's all I can do for you. If you seek Him, you will find Him. It can happen. Just step away from your doubts and believe.

Take care. I love you. If you want to talk....groundhog001@gmail.com

I will try to help.