To upgrade or not to upgrade?

I laughed when I saw this one.  Nice play on words.  It does bring up an important topic, though.  Is the way to heaven a progressive revelation?  In other words, will we need to know more and more as time goes on to enter heaven?  We are so accustomed to constantly upgrading everything from our computers, our cell phones, our cars and numerous other devices... what about our religion?  Here are a couple of passages that address the issue and they were written about two thousand years ago....

Jude 1:1-4 (WEB)
1) Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
2) Mercy to you and peace and love be multiplied.
3) Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
4) For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:6-9 (WEB)
6) I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”;
7) and there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.
8) But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.
9) As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

I didn't take long for some to try to change the truth, but they did.  And there was a reaction; a strong one from the apostles.  Its interesting to me that both apostles use language that in most circles today would seem politically incorrect.  Who came up with "politically correct and incorrect" anyway?  Perhaps those who are related to those first century people who didn't like the truth and wanted to re-make it into something they could live with.  I only know that if God is eternal (rhetorical question) that the message HE would finish with would be one just like HIM, unchanging.  One last thing, perhaps just a foolish question... but, will there be computers in heaven?  If so, I just know they would operate on Linux... because ITS FREE!!!

Fix the mistake, now!!!

This is a tough one.  OK, all the numbers are there; they are in the right order and I don't see anything obviously wrong with them.  Since the word "mistake" is in BOLD, that is a clue, but what clue?  Perhaps its that the "9" seems a little larger and that may in fact be intent of whoever made the picture, but I have a different idea.  In our numbering system we have a zero, which serves as a placeholder.  Notice, its NOT on the list.  This missing identifier reminds me of the following passages...

Ephesians 1:3-14 (WEB)

3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ;

4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love;

5) having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,

6) to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely bestowed favor on us in the Beloved,

7) in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

8) which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

9) making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him

10) to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, in him;

11) in whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will;

12) to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:

13) in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

14) who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.

Acts 2:38 (WEB)
38) Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Last night we started a new study at church: What happens after you die.  There are a number of theories about this topic and I am sure its going to be an interesting study.  Even without participating in this study, almost everyone in Christianity knows that there will be a separation of good and evil people and a judgment.  So, the question naturally arises, How does God know who are HIS?  Simple, go to verses 13 and 14.  Those who obey Jesus and have their sins washed away by HIS blood are then SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE as a pledge (see also the passage from the book of Acts, above).  Now, you can see another human being study, you can see them confess Christ, you can see them be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, but you CAN'T see THE HOLY SPIRIT SEAL THEM.  But, GOD does and that is all that really counts.  So, to me its not what you can see that is important, but rather what you can't... our  placeholder for heaven (THE HOLY SPIRIT). We are all going to die and guess what is going to be important when you realize that its your turn... NEXT???  Trust me, you are NOT going to be thinking about numbers then!!!  For now, why not plan ahead and correct whatever mistakes (sins) you have made and get your heavenly placeholder NOW, BEFORE ITS TOO LATE???  Any questions???

The Turtle "defense"

This young lady has a problem.  The turtle is going "defense mode" and hiding in its shell, so she can't see it no matter how hard she tries.  A lot of things in life are like that; no matter what you do, you fail, period.  Some things can (and should) be corrected, however.  Here is one such example from the old testament book of Haggai...

Haggai 1:1-13 (WEB)

1) In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, the Word of Yahweh came by Haggai, the prophet, to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

2) “This is what Yahweh of Armies says: These people say, ‘The time hasn’t yet come, the time for Yahweh’s house to be built.’”

3) Then the Word of Yahweh came by Haggai, the prophet, saying,

4) “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies waste?

5) Now therefore this is what Yahweh of Armies says: Consider your ways.

6) You have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but you don’t have enough. You drink, but you aren’t filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm, and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes in it.”

7) This is what Yahweh of Armies says: “Consider your ways.

8) Go up to the mountain, bring wood, and build the house. I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified,” says Yahweh.

9) “You looked for much, and, behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says Yahweh of Armies, “Because of my house that lies waste, while each of you is busy with his own house.

10) Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.

11) I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on that which the ground brings forth, on men, on livestock, and on all the labor of the hands.”

12) Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of Yahweh, their God, and the words of Haggai, the prophet, as Yahweh, their God, had sent him; and the people feared Yahweh.

13) Then Haggai, Yahweh’s messenger, spoke Yahweh’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you,” says Yahweh.

They initially failed because they neglected God.  They failed to do HIS WILL and put themselves FIRST.  Sound familiar?  What is happening in this country?  God is being put on the sidelines; in public and in private.  And many wonder why we have the problems we do.  Every one of us who claims a relationship with the Almighty should act like our status with God would have us to do.  It is not enough to stumble blindly through life, ignoring the degradation of our country, we need to do something about it!!!   What, depends on who and where you are and what God has given you to work with.  We are not islands unto ourselves, we can't stick our heads in the sand or retract them into our  turtle "shell" of retreat.  We need to stick our neck out for God and do something, anything.  Pray about it; God will send you a message one way or another, although it won't be the prophet Haggai in person.  Who knows, perhaps this passage from the book that bears his name just might be enough to change things.  After all, that's why its there!!!

I wonder...

Everyone knows Albert Einstein.  This man went from being an unknown clerk in a patent office in Switzerland to a Nobel prize winner.  To many he is the father of modern Physics.  The man was genius personified, but a down to Earth person as this quote from Wikipedia shows: 

"In his lecture at Einstein's memorial, nuclear physicist Robert Oppenheimer summarized his impression of him as a person: "He was almost wholly without sophistication and wholly without worldliness . . . There was always with him a wonderful purity at once childlike and profoundly stubborn." 

Einstein was a very great man to say the least.  I have known many extremely intelligent chemists, but the vast majority of them were not down-to-Earth people, so I think I would have liked Einstein.  Not only for his personality, but for his view of imagination quoted in the above picture.  Obviously, he was a unique person; one who was blessed by God in a very special way.  This reminded me of another individual from the Old Testament who was blessed by God...

1 Chronicles 28:2-10 (WEB)
2) Then David the king stood up on his feet, and said, “Hear me, my brothers, and my people! As for me, it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and for the footstool of our God; and I had prepared for the building.
3) But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for my name, because you are a man of war, and have shed blood.’
4) However Yahweh, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen Judah to be prince; and in the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel.
5) Of all my sons (for Yahweh has given me many sons), he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of Yahweh’s kingdom over Israel.
6) He said to me, ‘Solomon, your son, shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.
7) I will establish his kingdom forever, if he continues to do my commandments and my ordinances, as at this day.’
8) Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Yahweh, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of Yahweh your God; that you may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever.
9) You, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Yahweh searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
10) Take heed now; for Yahweh has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, and do it.”

1 Kings 3:5-14 (WEB)
5) In Gibeon Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”
6) Solomon said, “You have shown to your servant David my father great loving kindness, according as he walked before you in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you. You have kept for him this great loving kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7) Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father. I am but a little child. I don’t know how to go out or come in.
8) Your servant is in the midst of your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9) Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this your great people?”
10) The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11) God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;
12) behold, I have done according to your word. Behold, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there has been none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like you.
13) I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like you, all your days.
14) If you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

As much as I think I would have liked Einstein, I think I would have liked Solomon more.  His attitude towards God and those under his control revealed a very caring heart; something to be admired.  The wisdom of Solomon is legendary as are his judgments.  I can not pretend to even remotely understand either of these two people, let alone their imaginations.  But God does.  And he knows everything about us as well.  I wonder what HE would say about the imaginations of our hearts; whether we are blessed with profound intellect or not? 

How to read a book...

Yesterday I went to Facebook as I usually do and I saw a picture that a friend of mine named Dawn had posted and here it is.  A clever picture, but one that does not HAVE TO BE TRUE.  Why?  Because it is all in the details of who is asking you to read.  Consider, God is in heaven and teaches you what you need to know.  It comes from heaven and down to you.  Now, read the picture from the top down.  Next, Realize picture Satan in HELL and looking up.  His message to you is designed to be the exact OPPOSITE of what God has said.  Read the message from the bottom UP.  This reminds me of something that was discussed in the Bible class last night.  When someone is baptized, Satan enters the picture and tries to turn the situation around.  This is what happened...

Matthew 3:13-17 (WEB)

13) Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.

14) But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”

15) But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.

16) Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him.

17) Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 4:1-11 (WEB)

1) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

2) When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.

3) The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

4) But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

5) Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,

6) and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”

7) Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”

8) Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory.

9) He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.”

10) Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”

11) Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.

Satan will look for the best moment to try to twist your thinking; when you are the most vulnerable and therefore the most susceptible to flawed reasoning.  He looked at Jesus' situation and saw danger, hunger and helplessness and attacked on all three fronts.  Satan knows that communication between married couples can be quite a problem and as a result attempts to twist the way God wants our lives to read.  Do your marriage a favor, listen to God.  You won't be sorry; on the contrary, you may wind up happily married for many decades.  Now, that's a book that I want to read!!!

Stay awake

I was tired and went to bed early.  I had some things to pray about and when I finished, I assumed I would go right to sleep; didn't happen.  Something in me was keeping me up, so I thought I would at least be productive and do the blog early in the morning.  I find that once in awhile this is a good thing, as just the act of writing makes me tired enough to sleep.  However, I need to be attentive long enough to complete what I started.  Which reminds me of this Bible passage...

1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 (WEB)
1) But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you.
2) For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.
3) For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape.
4) But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief.
5) You are all children of light, and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness,
6) so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober.
7) For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunk in the night.
8) But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9) For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10) who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Preparation, attitude and diligence are the stuff of faithfulness.  Along with consistency forged from a true love for the creator, these things will go a long way in helping us remember who we are and what we must do to get to heaven.  Oh, yes, the most important thing; always remember Jesus and what he has done for ME.  I really would like to write more, but my eyes are watering and I am so tired that I can't even read the above picture anymore.  Goodnight everyone!!!

Point of Reference

The Mona Lisa is a marvelous work of art.  It conveys a beauty though its subtlety and understatement. She seems to have a hint of a smile and you just know that she is thinking about "something"; but what could it be?  She seems almost "alive"!  I wonder, I wonder, Does art imitate life or does life imitate art?  What really is reality?  Since we are created beings and art is created, at what perspective do we understand the point of reference to be?  Today, I read that "performance art" is going to new "heights": a woman is actually going to have her baby in a public exhibition of "art".  Pretty messy performance!  Conceiving (no pun intended here) of art like this can lead to absurdity.  What's next, a hemorrhoidectomy at your local library?  Now, apply these things to the concept of religion and you come to this chapter of the book of Colossians.

Colossians 2:1-23 (WEB)
1) For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2) that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
3) in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.
4) Now this I say that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.
5) For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
6) As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him,
7) rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.
8) Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.
9) For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
10) and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power;
11) in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
12) having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13) You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14) wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;
15) having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16) Let no one therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,
17) which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.
18) Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19) and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth.
20) If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,
21) “Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch”
22) (all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?
23) Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

How do you balance what you do to serve God, how you feel about HIM and what you think about him?  People come up with all sorts of standards of behavior and make that the overriding feature.  Others say that the mind is everything and even the pain of something like the pain you experience with a broken leg is all imaginary.  A different group looks to the emotions we experience and place an emphasis on "speaking in tongues".  The correct balance is found in the example of Jesus.  Read Matthew chapters 5 to 7 commonly referred to as the "Sermon on the Mount" and you will see a logical progression of thought interlaced with both real life feelings and expected actions.  First the thought, second the feeling and lastly the action.  We are thinking, feeling, real life people.  God designed us this way.  Remember, Jesus told someone to Love God and your neighbor.  Both involve thought first and a decision (both mental and emotional) and then an action to be complete.  Jesus just didn't think about loving us, He taught us how to by his own example.  We are made in the image of God, so why not act like him?  What is reality and what is religion?  There is no difference.  What?  Think that doesn't make sense?  Look at Jesus, HE had a practical understanding of concept, feeling and action; and so should we.  People will come up with all sorts of Philosophies and ideas of how to please God (religion), but I say... listen to Jesus.... remember this:

Matthew 17:1-5 (WEB)
1) After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves.
2) He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.
3) Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.
4) Peter answered, and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let’s make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5) While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

Point of Reference is Jesus; listen, learn, do.  Enough said.