Are we supposed to Believe in God, Believe God or Follow God?

This article starts with:

Are we supposed to believe in God – believe God – or follow God?  Are those three sets of words all different?  Or do they all mean the same thing?  Well, it depends.  When were you born?  What culture do you live in / come from?  Most important, are you willing to learn what they meant when they were said?  In some cases, that’s almost two thousand years ago.  In others, several thousand years ago.  We need to look at what they meant when they were said, in order to understand what they mean today.

It looks at fig trees in the Bible – both Old and New Testaments – to see that they represent us.  It also looks at the culture of Biblical times and what believe, believe in, and follow meant when Jesus walked this earth.

Towards the end, it says something that may be surprising to us today:

What we see here in John’s Gospel is Jesus starting with someone who hears His words.  Maybe we believe them – maybe we don’t – but we heard them.  Those who do believe Jesus’ words believe in Him.  Finally, He moves on to “keeping” those words – following and living by them.

There’s that process we saw earlier.  We hear Jesus’ words.  We want to become a believer.  We are a true believer when we reach the point of believing in Jesus and following Him.  And yet, all along, regardless of what our culture says today – Jesus and the people of His time saw all three of those as one continuous process.  We really should believe that the same is intended for us today.  Believe / believe in / follow – all are part of one thought.  One process.  Growth.

It reaches this conclusion about the importance of knowing what those words mean – and living like we know.

Returning one last time to the fig tree analogy – it’s only by remembering God, walking in His ways, and revering Him – that we can produce good figs.  And it’s only by doing that same thing – believing / believing in / following Him – that we can save ourselves and others.

By believing / believing in / following Him – anything is possible.  Because it’s not us doing the impossible, but God Himself working through us.  
If we don’t give Him the chance to work through us – He won’t.
If we do give Him the chance – then we get the promises from Revelation –

The statements from each of the seven churches in Revelation are then presented – the ones to those who overcome.

And it has this final conclusion:

Yes – many people think of Revelation as a book of doom and gloom.

I think of Revelation as a book of incredible hope – incentive to do the impossible – not only for myself, but for others.
It’s a reason to want to be the best fig tree possible.  With God – we can be the fig tree of the Promised Land.  We can bring health to other fig trees.  And we can all look at Revelation not as a book of horrors – but as the book of hope.

How about you?

You can read the whole thing at:

Are we supposed to Believe in God, Believe God or Follow God? — God versus religion

Rule over the earth: climate change, lies and money.

This article starts off with:

Rule over the earth: climate change, lies and money. Genesis says we are to rule over the earth. Republicans say there is no climate change problem. Republicans want to spend $12 Billion to protect Texas oil from climate change. Does no one see the problem here? Is someone telling lies?

Rule over the earth: protect business from a climate problem that doesn’t exist?The party of the conservatives wants to spend money on a problem they claim doesn’t exist. The party of the conservatives wants to spend money to protect the oil companies equipment from a problem caused by their own product. And let’s not forget, the party of the conservatives includes the religious right, who are supposed to believe this:

Ge 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

The religious right is supposed to be taking care of the earth for God. Be His representative. But instead, we seem to be working for the god of government. Is this for real? Is it fake news? $12 Billion sounds pretty real. And it’s just one of a number of projects with the same goal – protection from climate change.

After looking at both things from the news and relevant Bible passages, it reaches the following conclusion:

Think how much could be done with all the wasted money.  Think what they, as Christians, could accomplish if they actually lived like the Christians they claimed to be.  Think what “we the people” could do, if we actually lived like the Christians that most of us claim to be – and if we voted like the Christians most of us claim to be.

I know – there’s a problem with that voting part.  This particular article is about certain Republicans.  But the alternatives aren’t any better.  Not right now.  But even that is our fault.  We get the candidates we get because they tell us what we want to hear.  We listen to them, instead of to Jesus.  

In a section the NIV subtitles The Cost of Being a Disciple,  we read this:

Lk 14:34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. 
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

We vote like we’re ready, maybe even wanting, to be thrown out.  Because we have ears for the candidates we get – instead of ears for Jesus.

But then, Jesus also said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

If we would stop taking what is God’s and giving it to Caesar – but instead give it to God – I think we’d get a very different kind of candidate.  But we don’t.  We give too much to Caesar.  And nowhere near enough to God. 

And then we reap what we sow.  Then we get global warming.  We get lies.  We get rich people getting richer.  And poor people getting poorer.  And since we have neither ears to hear nor eyes to see, we wonder why isn’t God taking care of us.  All the while, we should be wondering, how can we claim to be Christian, and yet ignore Christ?

 

To read the entire article, please see:

Rule over the earth: climate change, lies and money.

Is Darwinism really about racism and misogyny?

Spoiler alert – yes, it is.

The article starts off with this quote from one of Darwin’s books:

“Man scans with scrupulous care the character and pedigree of his horses, cattle, and dogs before he matches them; but when he comes to his own marriage he rarely, or never, takes any such care. He is impelled by nearly the same motives as the lower animals, when they are left to their own free choice, though he is in so far superior to them that he highly values mental charms and virtues. On the other hand he is strongly attracted by mere wealth or rank. Yet he might by selection do something not only for the bodily constitution and frame of his offspring, but for their intellectual and moral qualities. Both sexes ought to refrain from marriage if they are in any marked degree inferior in body or mind; but such hopes are Utopian and will never be even partially realised until the laws of inheritance are thoroughly known. Everyone does good service, who aids towards this end.

Later, we read this:

After what we’ve just read, we now know that the “favoured race” isn’t by natural selection.  We would certainly expect it to be that, based on the commonly used titles of his books.  Also by the things people generally talk about related to Darwinism.  But it’s not about natural selection at all.  It’s about who happened to be the favoured race.  And, that favoured race is going to be chosen by the government.  Haven’t we had enough of that already?

A bit later – it continues with:

There’s problem with that one statement – Darwinism’ was always intended to explain human society.  If it was meant to explain human society, then it should be a history class.  And even that’s questionable, given that we now know Darwin’s theory is not only unproven, but wrong.  By moving it into science, we perpetuate history.  Instead of the adage about learning from history in order to not repeat it – we’re learning from history in order to repeat it.  Worse yet, now that we know Darwin’s theory is wrong, we’re learning from it in order to actually try to become the lie that is being taught!

 

You can read the entire post at:

Is Darwinism really about racism and misogyny?

Why were Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden of Eden?

The article starts with this:

Why were Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden of Eden?  Because they didn’t listen.  Adam didn’t listen to God.  Eve didn’t listen to Adam.  And then, Eve didn’t listen to the serpent.  And finally, Adam didn’t listen to God. Got all that?

And we still don’t listen today.  You can tell that we don’t listen , or read, merely by looking at the image to the right.  So many people think Eve ate a forbidden apple.  But the Bible never says what the forbidden fruit was.  Only that it was from a specific tree – the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  

We then see several examples of “we don’t listen”.

Then we read:

She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Adam was right there for the whole time!  We tend to overlook this.  Maybe especially men?  That way, we can blame Eve.  Just like Adam did.

Yet another example of “we don’t listen”?

You can read the entire post at:

via Why were Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden of Eden? — God versus religion

Should we respond to hate with more hate?

The article is about the war of words between Donald Trump and Maxine Waters.  It starts off with –

Should we respond to hate with more hate?  I dare say, most people know the answer to this question.  It’s generic.  It doesn’t specify what kind of hate.  So chances are, most people would say “no, we should not respond to hate with more hate”.  The problem is, in the back of our minds, there’s an “unless it’s ______”.  If we’re talking about the specific kind of hate that pushes our buttons – the answer is quite different.  Even if we don’t like to acknowledge it.

After some introduction, we read this –

There is at least one other thing the two have in common.  Donald Trump claims to be Presbyterian, according to an interview that CNN did with his pastor.  Maxine Waters claims to be Christian, according to pewforum.org.   No denomination for her – just Christian.  So both claim to be Christian.

Which begs a question as to whether or not — or how — this verse from Hebrews applies to Waters and Trump, both professed Christians –

Heb 13:7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Please read the whole article, to see how this conclusion is reached:

Why should we pray for Donald Trump and Maxine Waters?  Because, as we’ve seen, they are mistreating us.  Whether we voted for them or not, since they are professed Christians holding a public office as a result of an election, they are mistreating us.  Yes, as a result of their actions and also the resulting  failure to act on other important things, they are mistreating us.  And Jesus told us, pray for those who mistreat you.  

Don’t respond to hate with more hate.

Do respond to hate with love.  In fact, with more love than the hate that was shown.

Do pray for those who mistreat you – even, or especially, for our leaders who mistreat us.

The original article is at:  Should we respond to hate with more hate?

A trip to Hell – on the way to Heaven — God versus religion

via A trip to Hell – on the way to Heaven — God versus religion

The post starts off with this:

What if we’re on the way to Heaven – and we have to take a detour?  A trip to Hell.  Some think the Bible says Jesus went to Hell during the time between His death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day – what we now know as Easter.

It continues with:

Think about this as part of our trip to Hell.  Not after we’re dead – not while we’re on the way to Heaven – because that’s too late.  I say, think about it right now.  Well, how about after you finish reading this.

While we’re “visiting” in Hell, we’ll see all of our friends and loved ones who’ve died, and didn’t make ti to Heaven.  Now, think about how many of those friends we reached out to while they were alive.  How many of them did we share the Gospel with?  How many of them did we try to steer away from Hell, but instead put them on their way to Heaven?

And ends by asking some questions:

Is failing to fulfill the Great Commission really any different that violating any of God’s other commandments? 

When someone we know is on the path to Hell, and we fail to tell them about the way to Heaven, are we not playing at least some role in possibly keeping someone from changing – become like the child Jesus spoke of – and therefore they fail to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?  

To the extent that we fail to fulfill the Great Commission, are we not also telling God – in effect – thanks for saving me, but I don’t appreciate it enough to go out and tell others about it?  It’s too hard for me, so I’m not going to do it.

But still – in His grace – God doesn’t subject us to this trip to Hell.  Even though we don’t keep up our part of the agreement by helping other people – God’s creation, just like us – to find the way to Heaven.

You can read the whole article at:   A trip to Hell – on the way to Heaven

 

Say bad things about me and I’ll destroy you

The post starts out with:

I ‘destroy’ careers of Republicans who say bad things about me.

Say bad things about me and I’ll destroy you.

This was said by our president – Donald Trump.  But it’s OK.  (no, it’s not OK.)  As he went on to explain:

“I only destroy their career because they said bad things about me and you fight back and they go down the tubes and that’s OK,” he added.

After examining Evangelical Christian support for Trump, it closes with a tough question that I believe Christians need to think and pray about:

What do you think?  Is “Say bad things about me and I’ll destroy you” a Christian mindset and way to live?

 

You can read the entire article at via Say bad things about me and I’ll destroy you.

Is quantum computing the new Tower of Babel?

Is Quantum computing the new Tower of Babel?  Don’t worry if you’re not sure what a quantum computer is.  Even if you know nothing about quantum computers, this is an interesting question.  I’ll even give you the answer tight up front.  It’s no.  And it’s yes.  No and yes at the same time.  Which, not coincidentally, is a big part of what quantum computers are about.  Up until quantum computing, everything about computers was based on something being on or off.  True or False.  One or zero.  Now – with the wonderful world of quantum computing, it can be yes, no, and maybe – all at the same time.  via Which God Saves? — Which God Saves? We all hope ours will – but are we right?

Forgiving the 50 and the 500 – A Parable from Jesus

Forgiving the 50 and the 500.  A very short parable.  About forgiveness and love. Two verses.  But it’s embedded in an actual event.  It must be very important.  This parable ended with a question from Jesus to a Pharisee named Simon.  (Not Simon Peter, the disciple.)  Jesus told Simon, “You have judged correctly”.  Jesus told the woman who was the “target” in the event, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”  Yes, it seems we can learn much from the parable of Forgiving the 50 and the 500.

Let’s start with the parable, then move on to the event which prompted the parable of Forgiving the 50 and the 500.

You can read the rest at:

Forgiving the 50 and the 500 – A Parable from Jesus — God versus religion

The Wise and Foolish Builders – A Parable from Jesus

Many people think that hearing the words of Jesus and then saying the sinner’s prayer is all that’s needed for salvation.  However, the Parable of The Wise and Foolish Builders certainly seems to tell a different story.

As the image says – we are under construction.  Physically, we grow.  Mentally, we grow.  Spiritually, hopefully we grow.  BTW – by spiritually, I mean our relationship with God – not that spiritual but not religious stuff that doesn’t have anything to do with God.

Anyway – the bottom line in this parable from Jesus has to do with whether or not the things we do in this life will lead us on the narrow path to Heaven – or the wide path to Hell.

The parable of the wise and foolish builders is intended to get us to ask a very important question about ourselves.  A question that requires much soul-searching and honesty to really answer correctly.

Please follow the link below to read the rest of this post:

via The Wise and Foolish Builders – A Parable from Jesus — God versus religion