I think Huckabee does a very good job of helping analyze this question.
Dear God,
Why do you allow such violence in schools?
Sincerely, Concerned Student
Dear Concerned Student,
I'm not allowed in schools.
Love, GOD
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Connecticut Shooting: Where Was God?
A lot of people have been asking me that if God is loving and merciful, then why is there such violence and suffering like the shooting in Newtown Connecticut. The shooting where 7 staff members and 20 young students were killed.
I think Huckabee does a very good job of helping analyze this question.
I think Huckabee does a very good job of helping analyze this question.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Is Jesus A False Idol?
One of the ten commandments is:
"Thou shall have no other God before me."
God commands us to worship Him and Him alone. We aren't supposed to worship what the Bible refers to as false idols. No, I don't just mean little statue 'idols' and I don't mean the contestants on American Idol. Though those do fall into the category of false idols, God refers to other false gods.
This topic goes back to the 'potted plant' reference I used in a previous post. If you have mountains of faith in a potted plant, it will get you nowhere. However, if you have only an ounce of faith in God, you can move mountains! It's not how much faith you have, it's what you have faith in.
Don't put all your faith in trust in that celebrity you think is 'so hot'. Believe me, I know. I used to be obsessed with Ricky Ulman (You know..Ricky?...Phil of the Future?.....Oh come on!). They aren't going to be there for eyou in your time of need. Don't worship the girl in your choir who can sing with the voice of a goddess. She may sound like an angel, but that doesn't mean she is one.
Now, I have heard some people pose the following argument:
"God says to not have any other Gods before him and that we are supposed to only worship Him. If that's the case, then isn't Jesus a false idol? Jesus isn't God, is he? He's His son, right?"
This is an interesting point, I'll give it that, but let me put it into perspective.
Think of water. Basic as it appears, it is actually a very complex system of molecules. Now, I'm not going to try to bore you with science, so I'll make it easy for you. Water has three basic forms: solid, liquid, and gas. Ice, water, or vapor. Well, God is the same way. He has three forms: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. Jesus, son who God sent himself as to die for our sins. Holy Spirit, the spirit that lives within us once we accept the Lord.
Truly an interesting argument, but I don't buy it.
So no, I believe Jesus is not a false idol.
"Thou shall have no other God before me."
God commands us to worship Him and Him alone. We aren't supposed to worship what the Bible refers to as false idols. No, I don't just mean little statue 'idols' and I don't mean the contestants on American Idol. Though those do fall into the category of false idols, God refers to other false gods.
This topic goes back to the 'potted plant' reference I used in a previous post. If you have mountains of faith in a potted plant, it will get you nowhere. However, if you have only an ounce of faith in God, you can move mountains! It's not how much faith you have, it's what you have faith in.
Don't put all your faith in trust in that celebrity you think is 'so hot'. Believe me, I know. I used to be obsessed with Ricky Ulman (You know..Ricky?...Phil of the Future?.....Oh come on!). They aren't going to be there for eyou in your time of need. Don't worship the girl in your choir who can sing with the voice of a goddess. She may sound like an angel, but that doesn't mean she is one.
Now, I have heard some people pose the following argument:
"God says to not have any other Gods before him and that we are supposed to only worship Him. If that's the case, then isn't Jesus a false idol? Jesus isn't God, is he? He's His son, right?"
This is an interesting point, I'll give it that, but let me put it into perspective.
Think of water. Basic as it appears, it is actually a very complex system of molecules. Now, I'm not going to try to bore you with science, so I'll make it easy for you. Water has three basic forms: solid, liquid, and gas. Ice, water, or vapor. Well, God is the same way. He has three forms: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. Jesus, son who God sent himself as to die for our sins. Holy Spirit, the spirit that lives within us once we accept the Lord.
Truly an interesting argument, but I don't buy it.
So no, I believe Jesus is not a false idol.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Can I Be TOO Bad?
A lot of people have told me that one of the reasons they will not accept Christ is because they fear they are 'too bad' or 'not good enough' for the Christian faith.
This is ENTIRELY a myth!
Once you accept Jesus into your life, you are forgiven for all you have done, are doing, and will do. There is no such thing as being 'too bad' for God. That's why God's grace is so important. It's universal! Take the story of the sinful woman in the house of the Pharisee:
"Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, [38] and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is -- that she is a sinner.'
Jesus answered him, 'Simon, I have something to tell you.'
'Tell me, teacher,' he said.
'Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?'
Simon replied, 'I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.'
'You have judged correctly,' Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven -- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.'
Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'
The other guests began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?'
Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'" ~Luke 7:36-50
This woman was known to be a destitute, terribly sinful woman. Yet because of her acceptance and love of Christ she was redeemed and forgiven for her sins. She shows her love by wetting Jesus' feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair, kissing them, and pouring perfume on them. Back in those times, washing the feet of house guests was only for the lowest servants in the house. Even Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to show his love for them before the last supper! It just goes to show you how powerful the love of God truly is.
So no, there is no such thing as 'too bad' or 'not good enough' for God. God accepts, forgives, and loves everyone. All you have to do is accept those things he has to offer.
This is ENTIRELY a myth!
Once you accept Jesus into your life, you are forgiven for all you have done, are doing, and will do. There is no such thing as being 'too bad' for God. That's why God's grace is so important. It's universal! Take the story of the sinful woman in the house of the Pharisee:
"Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, [38] and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is -- that she is a sinner.'
Jesus answered him, 'Simon, I have something to tell you.'
'Tell me, teacher,' he said.
'Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?'
Simon replied, 'I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.'
'You have judged correctly,' Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven -- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.'
Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'
The other guests began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?'
Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'" ~Luke 7:36-50
This woman was known to be a destitute, terribly sinful woman. Yet because of her acceptance and love of Christ she was redeemed and forgiven for her sins. She shows her love by wetting Jesus' feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair, kissing them, and pouring perfume on them. Back in those times, washing the feet of house guests was only for the lowest servants in the house. Even Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to show his love for them before the last supper! It just goes to show you how powerful the love of God truly is.
So no, there is no such thing as 'too bad' or 'not good enough' for God. God accepts, forgives, and loves everyone. All you have to do is accept those things he has to offer.
Once Saved, Always Saved
Contrary to popular belief, your salvation cannot be taken away from you by doing something bad. Sin may not be a good thing, but it's natural. It's almost impossible to not sin. Imagine someone who could go a full 24 hours without thinking something negative, saying something hateful, or imagining something lustful! Think of all the things that would have to be removed from your mind, your heart, and your life in order to achieve the biblical description of perfection. This is where God's grace and our salvation comes into play.
God knows that we aren't perfect, which is why he forgives us for all of our sins that we have committed, are committing, and will commit. He knows that it is impossible for as to attain perfection. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we accept God's forgiveness. However, a lot of people think that salvation means you must, from then on, be perfect.
NO! NO! NO!
This is not true! Salvation does not equal perfection. Even after you are saved, you will continue to sin. Hopefully you will sin significantly less, but you will still sin. It's practically inevitable. Just because you are saved doesn't mean you have to be perfect.
Once you are saved and have accepted Christ, you are always saved. You're salvation cannot be taken away from you simply because you have sinned. Everyone sins, including those who are already saved. The only way you can lose your salvation is if you forfeit it. Unless you disown God and refuse his forgiveness, you will forever and always be saved.
Once saved; always saved.
God knows that we aren't perfect, which is why he forgives us for all of our sins that we have committed, are committing, and will commit. He knows that it is impossible for as to attain perfection. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we accept God's forgiveness. However, a lot of people think that salvation means you must, from then on, be perfect.
NO! NO! NO!
This is not true! Salvation does not equal perfection. Even after you are saved, you will continue to sin. Hopefully you will sin significantly less, but you will still sin. It's practically inevitable. Just because you are saved doesn't mean you have to be perfect.
Once you are saved and have accepted Christ, you are always saved. You're salvation cannot be taken away from you simply because you have sinned. Everyone sins, including those who are already saved. The only way you can lose your salvation is if you forfeit it. Unless you disown God and refuse his forgiveness, you will forever and always be saved.
Once saved; always saved.
Not What You Know; WHO You Know
It's not the amount of faith you have that makes a difference; it's what you put your faith into.
A lot of people turn their heads from the Christian faith because they have met one too many extremists who try to shove doctrine and scripture down their throats. Extremists who overdo their witnessing and over step the boundries of personal space in order to spread the gospel. I admire their determination, but there is a time to draw the line.
Even the Bible says in scripture not to waste your breath on those who will not listen.:
"Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words." ~Proverbs 23:9
If you know for a fact that the person you are witnessing to or would like to witness to is not/will not listen to anything you have to say or take it to heart, move on. You can always come back to them later on if their heart softens up. However, if they refuse to hear you out, do not let your pleas fall on deaf ears. If you give valuable words of wisdom to someone who won't listen, they will walk right over them as if they have not been heard. Or they may retaliate with doubt and new age skepticism.
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." ~Matthew 7:6
You don't have to put every ounce of faith you have into God; though I highly recommend it. I believe that a small amount of reasonable doubt is healthy to a strong faith. If one cannot confront and examine his/her own doubts, how can they confront the skepticism of others?
Take this piece of advice: it is better to have faith the size of a grain of sand in God than it is to have mountains of faith in a flower pot.
If you have all the faith in the world and put it into a potted plant, where will that get you? Nowhere, becasue the potted plant cannot do anything for you. You can pray to it and praise it all you want, but nothing will come from it. However, if you have just a tiny bit of faith in God, you can move mountains!
The main take away from this post I would say can be summarized to three main points:
1) Don't waste your breath on those who refuse to listen.
2) It's not how much faith you have, it's WHO you have faith in.
3) Please tone it down on extremist-ness, it gives Christianity an overbearing, nazi-like name.
A lot of people turn their heads from the Christian faith because they have met one too many extremists who try to shove doctrine and scripture down their throats. Extremists who overdo their witnessing and over step the boundries of personal space in order to spread the gospel. I admire their determination, but there is a time to draw the line.
Even the Bible says in scripture not to waste your breath on those who will not listen.:
"Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words." ~Proverbs 23:9
If you know for a fact that the person you are witnessing to or would like to witness to is not/will not listen to anything you have to say or take it to heart, move on. You can always come back to them later on if their heart softens up. However, if they refuse to hear you out, do not let your pleas fall on deaf ears. If you give valuable words of wisdom to someone who won't listen, they will walk right over them as if they have not been heard. Or they may retaliate with doubt and new age skepticism.
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." ~Matthew 7:6
You don't have to put every ounce of faith you have into God; though I highly recommend it. I believe that a small amount of reasonable doubt is healthy to a strong faith. If one cannot confront and examine his/her own doubts, how can they confront the skepticism of others?
Take this piece of advice: it is better to have faith the size of a grain of sand in God than it is to have mountains of faith in a flower pot.
If you have all the faith in the world and put it into a potted plant, where will that get you? Nowhere, becasue the potted plant cannot do anything for you. You can pray to it and praise it all you want, but nothing will come from it. However, if you have just a tiny bit of faith in God, you can move mountains!
The main take away from this post I would say can be summarized to three main points:
1) Don't waste your breath on those who refuse to listen.
2) It's not how much faith you have, it's WHO you have faith in.
3) Please tone it down on extremist-ness, it gives Christianity an overbearing, nazi-like name.
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