A post circulated on the social media told the story of a little girl witnessing her father killing her mother then turning the gun on himself, as she sits behind the couch crying. The police came and took the little to a new family member, afterward, she went to her first Sunday School at church. She walks into the building and saw a picture of Jesus on the cross. In Sunday School, the little girl ask the teacher, "how did that man get off the cross?" The teacher replied, "He never did." The little girl argued, "Yes he did. Because the night that my mommy and daddy died, he sat next to me behind the couch telling me everything was going to be alright.
A simple story posted on the social media can provide many of us with a deeper understanding of God's love and how it is manifested towards us. That same story also provided fuel for the detractors, who responded with, "if Jesus was present when the little girl lost her mother and father, why didn't he stop the killing?" The indoctrination of Christianity has digressed from the days of John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul to the days of Moses and the Children of Israel. This was a time when God actively fought for his chosen people. Failure to understand ages and dispensations of the Holy Scripture have tainted our ability to interpret or understand the Word of God. How often do we pray for peace in the world, when Jesus said, "there will be wars and rumors of wars" (Mark 13:7). We are comfortable with the ideology that contrary to what is taking place all around us, God is just standing by to make things come out right regardless of what we do. When the drunk driver causes an accident that kills an entire family, we are tempted to ask, Where was God?"
It's about the sellability of God and the attraction of follower. It becomes easy when God is presented as a lawyer in a courtroom or a doctor in a sick room. The use of certain phrases in a sermon or message can bring an assembly to and emotional climax that is defined as the spirit of God. If God were presented as a God who was standing by while the storm or chaos erupted around us, church attendance and the offering take would suffer. To facilitate the feel good moments we have prophets, preachers and ministers offering healings and financial blessings. Too many sermons of today are motivational messages that have little to do with salvation or the Kingdom of God. Emphasis is placed upon living in God's favor which is defined as worldly richness and glory. Going to church is the place to go looking for the blessing. Is going to church nowaday akin to going to a football game or night club, where the word "party" or "touchdown" is our cue to 'just let go'?
When sickness, death or the fear death invades our structured world we tend to draw closer to God through prayer. We do not hesitate to invoke the healing virtues of God or even rebuke the hand of death. Yet, it does not seem to matter how much we try even the most righteous among us are touched by sickness and death. Miracles and blessing are our mainstays and they are the drawing force behind a successful assembly. We cannot entertain the question of what God is not doing because we have the scriptures to support our belief of what he is doing or promise to do. James 5:14-15 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Did we overlook or miss something in the translation and interpretation?
When I was informed of a needed surgical procedure and the level of expected success for the given procedure, I turned to prayer as my source of support. I entreated those whom I felt was close to God to join me in prayer. Leading up to the surgery my faith grew stronger and stronger as I began to believe that God was going to touch and heal me. Durning many of my prayer sessions I even tried to visualize the finger of God touching me. Test after test showed a deterioration in my status and the day of my surgery drew near. As the spirit of desperation began to set in I began to cry out to God, begging him to just speak to me. My prayers turned from "Lord heal me" to "Lord speak to me". In the midst of my crying, in the midst of my tears, God was silent. The silence of God was something I was not prepared for, after hearing so many others testify of how God spoke to them. Yet, in my condition, I am praying but why is God not talking to me?
We are often condemned by sickness or diseases entering our body. This teaching is based upon a pronouncement made unto the children of Israel. Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt gives ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. When we combine that with 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Thus, we have the scenario of a righteous people praying, free of sickness living in a land that flowing with milk and honey, (figuratively speaking). Condemnation and confusion abound when we take verses out of their context, presenting them as complete thoughts, without regard to who is talking, what is being address and who is being spoken to.
Late one night, in the midst of my pain and suffering, whether it was real or in my mind, I know not, I saw Jesus sitting at my bedside, I think he was smiling, but he was silent. Awaking from my vision or dream, I understood the words of David. Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. On the morning of my surgery, while the nurses prepped me for my procedure, I closed my eyes and reflected not on what I wanted God to do, but being a part of the Kingdom of God. The prick of the needle in my arm caused me to open my eyes. To my right where the nurse was standing I saw a representation of a metaphysical being (colorless) that I shall refer to as the Christ sitting beside my bed silently watching, but smiling. The nurse said, now I want you to count backward from one hundred.
Believing once was simple, we believed because we were taught to believe. It was not a question of what we could prove. The knowledge of good and evil is powerful and dangerous. It is the thirst for this knowledge that led Eve and Adam down the road of disobedient. Why do I believe in the God of the Hebrew Bible? Even stating the question in that manner may not be explicit enough. There are those who proclaim that there are many gods, but the Holy Bible proclaim that there is only one God. The question would be appropriate, I suppose if I asked, why do we believe as we do? In Bible study groups we are encouraged to get into the Word and study. I pose the question, is this enough to foster a firm belief in God. If our belief is fostered thru Indoctrination, then our belief will often suffer when the method of indoctrination is exposed to the light of day. How often do we encounter Bible teachers that teach a different ideology or concept of the scripture than the one we have been exposed to?
How many times in bible study or a sermon have you been asked a rhetorical question and even after focusing on the correct answer, a type of questioning still existed? You were like the disciple Thomas, you were a follower, but there were questions you needed answers to (John 20:24-29). John 20:25 The other disciples, therefore, said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. Cliches and soundbite were not enough to quell his inquisitive spirit. What Thomas needed was a personal contact with the Christ. The purpose of the assembly, the purpose of the Word of God should lead one to a personal contact, not a type of relationship where you do what I say and everything will be all right.
In a church service designed to teach the believability in God, a selected list of questions were asked. How many of you believe that God can do anything but fail? Do you believe God Can put money in your bank account? Do you believe that God can give you a brand new car? In a group setting, the self-adulation that follows is faith building to some, but a stumbling block to many. Often, to entice the crowd to follow, miracles and blessing are often promised. It becomes a simple pronouncement, God is going to do these things for you, all you got to do is believe. Here again, the predicament of Thomas manifest itself and is there one to guide us
My first encounter with the Christ, whether I was in the body or out I don't know, but it is my belief that I was out of the body. The events that took place is referred by me in my writings as, "Two Hours at The Gates of Hell." In that encounter, I learned of the separation of the three entities of man, the soul, the spirit and the body. When the spirit and soul depart the body, the body dies, once the body dies the spirit is next, but the soul never dies. the true meaning of Mercy in the face of Judgement.
A simple story posted on the social media can provide many of us with a deeper understanding of God's love and how it is manifested towards us. That same story also provided fuel for the detractors, who responded with, "if Jesus was present when the little girl lost her mother and father, why didn't he stop the killing?" The indoctrination of Christianity has digressed from the days of John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul to the days of Moses and the Children of Israel. This was a time when God actively fought for his chosen people. Failure to understand ages and dispensations of the Holy Scripture have tainted our ability to interpret or understand the Word of God. How often do we pray for peace in the world, when Jesus said, "there will be wars and rumors of wars" (Mark 13:7). We are comfortable with the ideology that contrary to what is taking place all around us, God is just standing by to make things come out right regardless of what we do. When the drunk driver causes an accident that kills an entire family, we are tempted to ask, Where was God?"
It's about the sellability of God and the attraction of follower. It becomes easy when God is presented as a lawyer in a courtroom or a doctor in a sick room. The use of certain phrases in a sermon or message can bring an assembly to and emotional climax that is defined as the spirit of God. If God were presented as a God who was standing by while the storm or chaos erupted around us, church attendance and the offering take would suffer. To facilitate the feel good moments we have prophets, preachers and ministers offering healings and financial blessings. Too many sermons of today are motivational messages that have little to do with salvation or the Kingdom of God. Emphasis is placed upon living in God's favor which is defined as worldly richness and glory. Going to church is the place to go looking for the blessing. Is going to church nowaday akin to going to a football game or night club, where the word "party" or "touchdown" is our cue to 'just let go'?
When sickness, death or the fear death invades our structured world we tend to draw closer to God through prayer. We do not hesitate to invoke the healing virtues of God or even rebuke the hand of death. Yet, it does not seem to matter how much we try even the most righteous among us are touched by sickness and death. Miracles and blessing are our mainstays and they are the drawing force behind a successful assembly. We cannot entertain the question of what God is not doing because we have the scriptures to support our belief of what he is doing or promise to do. James 5:14-15 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Did we overlook or miss something in the translation and interpretation?
When I was informed of a needed surgical procedure and the level of expected success for the given procedure, I turned to prayer as my source of support. I entreated those whom I felt was close to God to join me in prayer. Leading up to the surgery my faith grew stronger and stronger as I began to believe that God was going to touch and heal me. Durning many of my prayer sessions I even tried to visualize the finger of God touching me. Test after test showed a deterioration in my status and the day of my surgery drew near. As the spirit of desperation began to set in I began to cry out to God, begging him to just speak to me. My prayers turned from "Lord heal me" to "Lord speak to me". In the midst of my crying, in the midst of my tears, God was silent. The silence of God was something I was not prepared for, after hearing so many others testify of how God spoke to them. Yet, in my condition, I am praying but why is God not talking to me?
We are often condemned by sickness or diseases entering our body. This teaching is based upon a pronouncement made unto the children of Israel. Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt gives ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. When we combine that with 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Thus, we have the scenario of a righteous people praying, free of sickness living in a land that flowing with milk and honey, (figuratively speaking). Condemnation and confusion abound when we take verses out of their context, presenting them as complete thoughts, without regard to who is talking, what is being address and who is being spoken to.
Late one night, in the midst of my pain and suffering, whether it was real or in my mind, I know not, I saw Jesus sitting at my bedside, I think he was smiling, but he was silent. Awaking from my vision or dream, I understood the words of David. Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. On the morning of my surgery, while the nurses prepped me for my procedure, I closed my eyes and reflected not on what I wanted God to do, but being a part of the Kingdom of God. The prick of the needle in my arm caused me to open my eyes. To my right where the nurse was standing I saw a representation of a metaphysical being (colorless) that I shall refer to as the Christ sitting beside my bed silently watching, but smiling. The nurse said, now I want you to count backward from one hundred.
Believing once was simple, we believed because we were taught to believe. It was not a question of what we could prove. The knowledge of good and evil is powerful and dangerous. It is the thirst for this knowledge that led Eve and Adam down the road of disobedient. Why do I believe in the God of the Hebrew Bible? Even stating the question in that manner may not be explicit enough. There are those who proclaim that there are many gods, but the Holy Bible proclaim that there is only one God. The question would be appropriate, I suppose if I asked, why do we believe as we do? In Bible study groups we are encouraged to get into the Word and study. I pose the question, is this enough to foster a firm belief in God. If our belief is fostered thru Indoctrination, then our belief will often suffer when the method of indoctrination is exposed to the light of day. How often do we encounter Bible teachers that teach a different ideology or concept of the scripture than the one we have been exposed to?
How many times in bible study or a sermon have you been asked a rhetorical question and even after focusing on the correct answer, a type of questioning still existed? You were like the disciple Thomas, you were a follower, but there were questions you needed answers to (John 20:24-29). John 20:25 The other disciples, therefore, said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. Cliches and soundbite were not enough to quell his inquisitive spirit. What Thomas needed was a personal contact with the Christ. The purpose of the assembly, the purpose of the Word of God should lead one to a personal contact, not a type of relationship where you do what I say and everything will be all right.
In a church service designed to teach the believability in God, a selected list of questions were asked. How many of you believe that God can do anything but fail? Do you believe God Can put money in your bank account? Do you believe that God can give you a brand new car? In a group setting, the self-adulation that follows is faith building to some, but a stumbling block to many. Often, to entice the crowd to follow, miracles and blessing are often promised. It becomes a simple pronouncement, God is going to do these things for you, all you got to do is believe. Here again, the predicament of Thomas manifest itself and is there one to guide us
My first encounter with the Christ, whether I was in the body or out I don't know, but it is my belief that I was out of the body. The events that took place is referred by me in my writings as, "Two Hours at The Gates of Hell." In that encounter, I learned of the separation of the three entities of man, the soul, the spirit and the body. When the spirit and soul depart the body, the body dies, once the body dies the spirit is next, but the soul never dies. the true meaning of Mercy in the face of Judgement.
