We classify people. It helps our mind to deal with complexity.
For instance, you can divide the world up by nationality, religion, age, sex and the like. Often these types of classifications are not very helpful.
Here is a world classification I used yesterday. There are "glass half full people" and "glass half empty" people. The glass half full person sees the bright side of things. People like Brokerbelle, Princessbelle, and my assistant PollyAnna are all glass half full people. Some of us are slightly more negative and we are the glass half empty people. Some of us like myself are glass half empty people that want to become glass half full people. No true glass half full person wants to ever become a glass half empty person. It is not in their nature to desire such a change.
Another classification are the yes, no, I don't know people. Yes people are positive. That is the first thing out of their mouth. There are no people. That is the first thing out of their mouth. H.D. being a glass half full person is also a no person. So my family and friends wait for the no then wait a bit longer until I can finally work myself into saying yes. Finally, there are the "I don't know people." They are the undecided.
God however is a yes person. Scripture says that his promises are Yes and Amen!
Many, but not all of us, translate this over to the spiritual side of our lives. We say yes to faith and God. Others say no to faith and God. Others still don't know. Sometimes we know and we wrestle with God.
The Bible tells about an individual in Genesis, Jacob, who was tricky. He tricked his father, his brother, his father in law and others. He also got a few tricks played on himself as well. But in his life he encountered God. The Bible relates that at one point the Angel of the Lord came to him and he wrestled with him all night and when morning came simply touched Jacob on the thigh and left him limping for the rest of his life. At that point Jacob's name became Israel.
Many of us wrestle with God. We wrestle about faith and we wrestle about life. We wrestle about our children, our destiny, God's calling and involvement in our life. Our struggles are unseen by those that surround us. Finally we are touched by God, and our wrestling on an issue is through. We find ourselves, weak, marked by God and not able to deal with all the problems that so easily beset our lives. We are marked like God and by God. And like Israel of Old, we lean upon our staff still wondering about our struggles with God but admitting that when the struggle was over we had been outclassed by God but our lives indelibily marked by the struggle.
H.D.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Snake-Bitten 2
Snake-Bitten 2
Bad things happen to bad people; good things happen to good people. WRONG!
John 9:1-4:
As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.
And his disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”
Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
“We must work the works of Him, who sent Me….”
We want to know the cause of evil, why people are snake-bitten. We like to believe somehow that it is because of their bad choices or the bad choices of those around them. Sometimes, bad things just happen. In the instance above, the disciples gave Jesus a choice-blindness because the man was bad or blindness because his parents were bad.
Jesus’ answer was out of the box. In this instance, Neither answer was correct.
The one who brings sunshine on the good and the bad, would bring sunshine into this sick person’s life and the one born blind would see. This is the uncorrupted goodness of God invading a world that is both corrupt and blinded.
As we submit the wounds of our life, our failures, our faults, and even just the plain old hurts that we neither deserved or asked for, to God -He brings sunshine into our lives to give us light instead of darkness. He brings the soothing rains that anoint our arid and cracked wastelands. We do not always receive the instant relief from our problems (although sometimes we do). However, we just as often find something working deeper in our lives.
In our hurts, we experience an opportunity to do the works of God. Those who stand near those who are hurt and afflicted have an opportunity to help with good words, contributions, prayers, and encouragement. Those of us, who for the time are among the afflicted, may also experience the works of God in our life. Those works may be healing. They, however, also may be grace, endurance, perseverance or love.
In 2nd Corinthians 7-10, Paul complained about a thorn in the flesh. He asked God three times that the thorn might be removed. The answer of God in this instance is found in verse 9:
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
We don’t always get the immediate deliverance we want. Even Jesus before the cross prayed in Matthew 26:39 :
My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will but as You will.
Three times Jesus prayed this. But the cup could not pass from Him and He would be forced to drink the cup of suffering and death to the bitter end. But on the otherside of the bitter end was resurrection life.
Resurrection life would crush the power of the Serpent. And that crushing occurs not only by feet of Jesus, but by the feet of the suffering seed of Eve, you and me.
Romans 16:20 says:
The God of peace shall soon crush Satan under your feet.
So if you have been snake-bitten ( and haven’t we all), we will someday have the opportunity to join in with the Messiah as the Snake is crushed.
A lot of time has passed since the crucifixion, and the seed of Eve continue to fight against the evil that so persistently inhabits this world. Regularly the people of God are delivered from the power of evil; but some are so wounded or attacked that they become the martyrs of God. They are the ones who are faithful to death. Theirs is a special place and a special award. And one does not become a martyr by killing the innocent or even the guilty for that matter.
But on a regular basis the followers of God deal with evil receiving deliverance more often than not. We find promises such as :
Mark 16:18—They will pick up serpents and if they drink any poison, it will not hurt them.
Luke 10:19—Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.
On a daily basis, many of us experience the deliverance of God from evil about us. We are even taught in the Model Prayer in Matthew 6:13: “Deliver us from the evil one.”
As we experience evil in the world, we the Children of Eve (and especially we who are also children of Christ), keep moving on.
There is a great story about “moving on” in the face of adversity in the Bible. It is the story of a snake-bitten Christian who had his full share of adversity. He had been beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked and jailed. The story is found in Acts 28:1-6:
When they had been brought safely through, then we found that the island was called Malta.
The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.
But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.
When the natives saw the creature hanging from is hand, they began saying one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.”
However, he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.
But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they waited a long time, nothing unusual happened to them, they changed their minds and began to say he was a god.
Well, Paul went on to heal the father of Publius, the leading man of the Island and many other sick on Malta. And Malta would have a thriving Christian population thereafter.
So sometimes, when we are snake-bit”, we simply shake the snake off and move on with what God has called us to do.
H.D.
Bad things happen to bad people; good things happen to good people. WRONG!
John 9:1-4:
As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.
And his disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”
Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
“We must work the works of Him, who sent Me….”
We want to know the cause of evil, why people are snake-bitten. We like to believe somehow that it is because of their bad choices or the bad choices of those around them. Sometimes, bad things just happen. In the instance above, the disciples gave Jesus a choice-blindness because the man was bad or blindness because his parents were bad.
Jesus’ answer was out of the box. In this instance, Neither answer was correct.
The one who brings sunshine on the good and the bad, would bring sunshine into this sick person’s life and the one born blind would see. This is the uncorrupted goodness of God invading a world that is both corrupt and blinded.
As we submit the wounds of our life, our failures, our faults, and even just the plain old hurts that we neither deserved or asked for, to God -He brings sunshine into our lives to give us light instead of darkness. He brings the soothing rains that anoint our arid and cracked wastelands. We do not always receive the instant relief from our problems (although sometimes we do). However, we just as often find something working deeper in our lives.
In our hurts, we experience an opportunity to do the works of God. Those who stand near those who are hurt and afflicted have an opportunity to help with good words, contributions, prayers, and encouragement. Those of us, who for the time are among the afflicted, may also experience the works of God in our life. Those works may be healing. They, however, also may be grace, endurance, perseverance or love.
In 2nd Corinthians 7-10, Paul complained about a thorn in the flesh. He asked God three times that the thorn might be removed. The answer of God in this instance is found in verse 9:
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
We don’t always get the immediate deliverance we want. Even Jesus before the cross prayed in Matthew 26:39 :
My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will but as You will.
Three times Jesus prayed this. But the cup could not pass from Him and He would be forced to drink the cup of suffering and death to the bitter end. But on the otherside of the bitter end was resurrection life.
Resurrection life would crush the power of the Serpent. And that crushing occurs not only by feet of Jesus, but by the feet of the suffering seed of Eve, you and me.
Romans 16:20 says:
The God of peace shall soon crush Satan under your feet.
So if you have been snake-bitten ( and haven’t we all), we will someday have the opportunity to join in with the Messiah as the Snake is crushed.
A lot of time has passed since the crucifixion, and the seed of Eve continue to fight against the evil that so persistently inhabits this world. Regularly the people of God are delivered from the power of evil; but some are so wounded or attacked that they become the martyrs of God. They are the ones who are faithful to death. Theirs is a special place and a special award. And one does not become a martyr by killing the innocent or even the guilty for that matter.
But on a regular basis the followers of God deal with evil receiving deliverance more often than not. We find promises such as :
Mark 16:18—They will pick up serpents and if they drink any poison, it will not hurt them.
Luke 10:19—Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.
On a daily basis, many of us experience the deliverance of God from evil about us. We are even taught in the Model Prayer in Matthew 6:13: “Deliver us from the evil one.”
As we experience evil in the world, we the Children of Eve (and especially we who are also children of Christ), keep moving on.
There is a great story about “moving on” in the face of adversity in the Bible. It is the story of a snake-bitten Christian who had his full share of adversity. He had been beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked and jailed. The story is found in Acts 28:1-6:
When they had been brought safely through, then we found that the island was called Malta.
The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.
But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.
When the natives saw the creature hanging from is hand, they began saying one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.”
However, he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.
But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they waited a long time, nothing unusual happened to them, they changed their minds and began to say he was a god.
Well, Paul went on to heal the father of Publius, the leading man of the Island and many other sick on Malta. And Malta would have a thriving Christian population thereafter.
So sometimes, when we are snake-bit”, we simply shake the snake off and move on with what God has called us to do.
H.D.
Snake-Bitten
Snake-Bitten. It’s a term that means unlucky or repeated series of bad events has occurred.
It seems like a lot of good people are “snake bitten.” A good example of being snake-bitten is being forced to leave your home in New Orleans because of a hurricane and evacuating to Houston. Then you have to leave Houston because of a threat of a hurricane. That’s snake-bitten.
Then there is my daughter Princessbelle. She is sick and has to have her tonsils out. While she is recuperating in bed, she gets a high fever. The doctors claim that she was bitten by one or more spiders in bed causing very serious damage, in fact damage much more severe than having her tonsils out. Who knows if they are correct. But it is what I call “ Snake-bitten.”
An unfortunate work event, causes stress that results in an individual’s heart attack. The heart attack puts pressure on a marriage and ultimately results in a divorce. Snake-bitten again.
It seems to me a lot of good people are going through some mighty hard things. There are good people all around me, many of whom are Christians, and they seem to be going through a lot of suffering, suffering way out of proportion to the evil or bad things that they may have done. I call it Snake-bite.
Despite of living in a universe where people are degenerate and sometimes even nature is “fallen” I believe in the goodness and mercy of God. Now I am not smart enough to explain why bad things happen to good people, why children die, why there are concentration camps, and criminals that hurt others. I can not explain satisfactorily why good people get cancer.
In life, one has to come to some articles of faith that one believes in-and from time to time that belief may be above reason. Two of these beliefs are that there is God, and God is good. Period.
I also believe that the cause of snake-bite, is the Snake, an independent evil that exists in the Universe. The Snake is called many things-the Serpent, Evil, Satan, the god of this world. Most of the people I know freely admit that there is an independent evil that exists and works in this world. They are freer to admit the reality of evil than even the reality of good. It is my belief that this evil is not equivalent to God and the goodness of God but the relationship of good to evil, again, is far to complicated for me to have the ability to understand.
The Snake first makes his appearance in the Third Chapter of Genesis when he comes into the Garden of Eden and tempts Eve, mother of mankind, to eat of the fruit of the tree located in the center of the garden, with the result that man becomes aware of good and evil. Aware of evil, not only from eating of the fruit, but for listening to the lies of evil. God had said Eve that if they ate from the tree they would die. Satan told Eve: “Surely you will not die.” And the lies began.
So the power of evil grows, as we , the children of Eve, listen to evil and act upon it. We all have heard these whispers. Whispers, of hatred, jealousy, anger, desire, and doubt of ourselves and others about us.
In Genesis, God makes a judgment about all of this. That judgment is played out in the Old and New Testaments and continues to be played out today. God puts a curse on the Serpent of Old. That curse is found in Genesis 3:15 and reads as follows:
And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head
And you shall bruise him on the heel.
These are mysterious words. Who is “He” that is born of the offspring of woman. This individual will bruise the Ancient Evil on the head; but the Ancient Evil will bruise this “He” on the heel. Many Jews believed that the “He” would be a Jewish Messiah. Christians believe that the Messiah is Jesus Christ.
Satan is a thief. He steals from us the good things of God. Jesus said in John 10:10:
The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.
Most of us have experienced snake-bite. Despite the poison introduced into our lives, we seek the healing of God, the work of the Messiah, and recognize that a more abundant life is our birthright, and we seek it here and in eternity.
For years, I have admitted that both the just and unjust experience the blessings of God and some of the cursings of evil in this world. I have often misquoted John 5: 44 and 45 which reads:
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes his sun to rise on the evil, and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
I have often misread this to mean that God sends the sunshine (good things) on all of mankind and God sometimes sends the rain (bad things) on all of mankind. A better reading, I believe, is that God sends sunshine (good things) on all of mankind and God sends more good things (the rain) on all of mankind. In short, God sends blessings and good things to all of us. And we should do the same thing. To the person living in an arid climate, rain is a good thing.
Returning to Genesis 3, we find that not only are we snake-bitten but the Messiah the seed of woman, would be snake-bitten as well or at least snake-bruized. The prophet Isaiah in the 53 chapter describes this Messiah with such words as “despised, forsaken, crushed, chastened, scourged, afflicted, oppressed, grieved, cutoff and dying.” All of these are snake-bite words. The Messiah without sin, bore the curses of Satan and man in order that all the seed of women might be offered the freedom to escape from the control of Satan, the bad choices of our ultimate parents, and even death itself. Yes, the Messiah, Himself, would have His heel bruised, he would suffer even as the Prophets predicted and He would die. But wound was only a “flesh” wound so to speak. The flesh would die, but the Spirit would live. And in a mystery of God even a resurrection of the flesh at the end of the story. A resurrection of the Messiah. And our resurrection as well.
This resurrection of Christ, and the freeing of the bondage of the seed of Woman from the power and captivity of Satan is a head wound to Satan. Ultimately it is a wound that is fatal to Satan. Each of us is back in the garden. We are not bound by the choice of Mother Eve or Father Adam. We are free to choose to follow Christ or not too, of course. The tree of Life is replaced with a cross. We can embrace it and die to our own choices and our own will, even our own life, or turn away from it. When we embrace the cross we find it to be a tree of life, bringing healing to all nations. Not just one color or one nation –but to all who embrace it, whatever their background, whatever their nationality, sex, race or background. They are the seed of woman who have chosen to accept God and embrace the goodness of God. That same goodness that is offered with the sunshine and the rain to all of us.
H.D.
It seems like a lot of good people are “snake bitten.” A good example of being snake-bitten is being forced to leave your home in New Orleans because of a hurricane and evacuating to Houston. Then you have to leave Houston because of a threat of a hurricane. That’s snake-bitten.
Then there is my daughter Princessbelle. She is sick and has to have her tonsils out. While she is recuperating in bed, she gets a high fever. The doctors claim that she was bitten by one or more spiders in bed causing very serious damage, in fact damage much more severe than having her tonsils out. Who knows if they are correct. But it is what I call “ Snake-bitten.”
An unfortunate work event, causes stress that results in an individual’s heart attack. The heart attack puts pressure on a marriage and ultimately results in a divorce. Snake-bitten again.
It seems to me a lot of good people are going through some mighty hard things. There are good people all around me, many of whom are Christians, and they seem to be going through a lot of suffering, suffering way out of proportion to the evil or bad things that they may have done. I call it Snake-bite.
Despite of living in a universe where people are degenerate and sometimes even nature is “fallen” I believe in the goodness and mercy of God. Now I am not smart enough to explain why bad things happen to good people, why children die, why there are concentration camps, and criminals that hurt others. I can not explain satisfactorily why good people get cancer.
In life, one has to come to some articles of faith that one believes in-and from time to time that belief may be above reason. Two of these beliefs are that there is God, and God is good. Period.
I also believe that the cause of snake-bite, is the Snake, an independent evil that exists in the Universe. The Snake is called many things-the Serpent, Evil, Satan, the god of this world. Most of the people I know freely admit that there is an independent evil that exists and works in this world. They are freer to admit the reality of evil than even the reality of good. It is my belief that this evil is not equivalent to God and the goodness of God but the relationship of good to evil, again, is far to complicated for me to have the ability to understand.
The Snake first makes his appearance in the Third Chapter of Genesis when he comes into the Garden of Eden and tempts Eve, mother of mankind, to eat of the fruit of the tree located in the center of the garden, with the result that man becomes aware of good and evil. Aware of evil, not only from eating of the fruit, but for listening to the lies of evil. God had said Eve that if they ate from the tree they would die. Satan told Eve: “Surely you will not die.” And the lies began.
So the power of evil grows, as we , the children of Eve, listen to evil and act upon it. We all have heard these whispers. Whispers, of hatred, jealousy, anger, desire, and doubt of ourselves and others about us.
In Genesis, God makes a judgment about all of this. That judgment is played out in the Old and New Testaments and continues to be played out today. God puts a curse on the Serpent of Old. That curse is found in Genesis 3:15 and reads as follows:
And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head
And you shall bruise him on the heel.
These are mysterious words. Who is “He” that is born of the offspring of woman. This individual will bruise the Ancient Evil on the head; but the Ancient Evil will bruise this “He” on the heel. Many Jews believed that the “He” would be a Jewish Messiah. Christians believe that the Messiah is Jesus Christ.
Satan is a thief. He steals from us the good things of God. Jesus said in John 10:10:
The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.
Most of us have experienced snake-bite. Despite the poison introduced into our lives, we seek the healing of God, the work of the Messiah, and recognize that a more abundant life is our birthright, and we seek it here and in eternity.
For years, I have admitted that both the just and unjust experience the blessings of God and some of the cursings of evil in this world. I have often misquoted John 5: 44 and 45 which reads:
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes his sun to rise on the evil, and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
I have often misread this to mean that God sends the sunshine (good things) on all of mankind and God sometimes sends the rain (bad things) on all of mankind. A better reading, I believe, is that God sends sunshine (good things) on all of mankind and God sends more good things (the rain) on all of mankind. In short, God sends blessings and good things to all of us. And we should do the same thing. To the person living in an arid climate, rain is a good thing.
Returning to Genesis 3, we find that not only are we snake-bitten but the Messiah the seed of woman, would be snake-bitten as well or at least snake-bruized. The prophet Isaiah in the 53 chapter describes this Messiah with such words as “despised, forsaken, crushed, chastened, scourged, afflicted, oppressed, grieved, cutoff and dying.” All of these are snake-bite words. The Messiah without sin, bore the curses of Satan and man in order that all the seed of women might be offered the freedom to escape from the control of Satan, the bad choices of our ultimate parents, and even death itself. Yes, the Messiah, Himself, would have His heel bruised, he would suffer even as the Prophets predicted and He would die. But wound was only a “flesh” wound so to speak. The flesh would die, but the Spirit would live. And in a mystery of God even a resurrection of the flesh at the end of the story. A resurrection of the Messiah. And our resurrection as well.
This resurrection of Christ, and the freeing of the bondage of the seed of Woman from the power and captivity of Satan is a head wound to Satan. Ultimately it is a wound that is fatal to Satan. Each of us is back in the garden. We are not bound by the choice of Mother Eve or Father Adam. We are free to choose to follow Christ or not too, of course. The tree of Life is replaced with a cross. We can embrace it and die to our own choices and our own will, even our own life, or turn away from it. When we embrace the cross we find it to be a tree of life, bringing healing to all nations. Not just one color or one nation –but to all who embrace it, whatever their background, whatever their nationality, sex, race or background. They are the seed of woman who have chosen to accept God and embrace the goodness of God. That same goodness that is offered with the sunshine and the rain to all of us.
H.D.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
More on Princessbelle
Princessbelle met with the physician/surgeon on Friday morning. Some improvement noticed in the areas of skin affected. I went into the office about 5 a.m. and then to medical appointment at 11 a.m. Poison oak was in the blood system and I was given medication.
Took a half day off and went to Branson. We took Princessbelle (after consulting with her and Brokerbelle) and fixed her a bed in the back and drove easy to Branson. After two weeks confined to the house through the tonsils removal, new fever and triple brown recluse bites or spreading infection from surgery Princessbelle and Brokerbelle were ready to get some fresh air.
At Branson I went out for a three hour boat ride as Brokerbelle and Princessbelle rested at the Condo. I went down the White River and then there was a beautiful sunset that we all got to see. I am posting a couple of pictures on out Branson Blog and would encourage you to link to it. You can do a direct link by clicking on here.
H.D.
Took a half day off and went to Branson. We took Princessbelle (after consulting with her and Brokerbelle) and fixed her a bed in the back and drove easy to Branson. After two weeks confined to the house through the tonsils removal, new fever and triple brown recluse bites or spreading infection from surgery Princessbelle and Brokerbelle were ready to get some fresh air.
At Branson I went out for a three hour boat ride as Brokerbelle and Princessbelle rested at the Condo. I went down the White River and then there was a beautiful sunset that we all got to see. I am posting a couple of pictures on out Branson Blog and would encourage you to link to it. You can do a direct link by clicking on here.
H.D.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Health Notice--Princessbelle
Princessbelle has medical problems. Less than two weeks ago she was in the hospital to have her tonsils removed. Now there is a another health problem. Her fever is high, and there is an infection; however we do not yet know if there is any connection with the tonsils, if there has been one or more spider bites or what. She was in the emergency room last night with three doctors consulting. Tissue samples from bad tissue are being checked but that takes up to 48 hours.
She has received two types of antibiotics indicating that the doctors aren't sure exactly what the problem is-but they know it is serious.
The ImpQueen and Consort came from Ozarklandia to visit Princessbelle.
More later.
HarleyDad
She has received two types of antibiotics indicating that the doctors aren't sure exactly what the problem is-but they know it is serious.
The ImpQueen and Consort came from Ozarklandia to visit Princessbelle.
More later.
HarleyDad
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Some Similarities and Some Differences
Interestingly, there are some similarities between Hinduism and Christianity and some differences.
Some similarities are the following. Both believe that there are spiritual realities that transcend physical life. Both believe that the spiritual is more important than the material in life. Both believe that death is not the end. Both believe in a good and evil. Both believe in meditation and prayer.
There are also profound differences. Hinduism sees salvation being worked out through repeated good choices in a series of reincarnations. Christianity sees salvation as being something provided by God to man through the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus said : "I am the way, truth and life and no man comes to Father except through me." (John 14:6). In short there are not many paths to salvation, according to the Christian believer, but one way which is through Jesus Christ.
The vast majority of Christians do not subscribe to reincarnation. Our belief is that we die physically and are not physically reborn. Hebrews 9:27 says: "...it is appointed for man to die once and after this the judgment." Hinduism sees a judgment being worked out through reincarnation, where Christians see good and evil being rewarded and punished at the great Judgment at the end of time and salvation being procured by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The concept of being born again was discussed by a Jewish ruler, Nicodemus, with Jesus. Their discussion is reported in the third chapter of John:
Jesus answered and said to Nicodemus: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unles one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I said to you, "You must be born again." ...(13) No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man...(15,16,17) so that whoever believes will in Him will have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
This short blog on the similarities and differences between Hinduism and Christianity are not definitive or exhaustive but just a simple attempt by the writer who is Christian and freely accepts his biases in that regard to help his friends, both Hindu and Christian to understand themselves and their faiths better.
HarleyDad
Some similarities are the following. Both believe that there are spiritual realities that transcend physical life. Both believe that the spiritual is more important than the material in life. Both believe that death is not the end. Both believe in a good and evil. Both believe in meditation and prayer.
There are also profound differences. Hinduism sees salvation being worked out through repeated good choices in a series of reincarnations. Christianity sees salvation as being something provided by God to man through the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus said : "I am the way, truth and life and no man comes to Father except through me." (John 14:6). In short there are not many paths to salvation, according to the Christian believer, but one way which is through Jesus Christ.
The vast majority of Christians do not subscribe to reincarnation. Our belief is that we die physically and are not physically reborn. Hebrews 9:27 says: "...it is appointed for man to die once and after this the judgment." Hinduism sees a judgment being worked out through reincarnation, where Christians see good and evil being rewarded and punished at the great Judgment at the end of time and salvation being procured by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The concept of being born again was discussed by a Jewish ruler, Nicodemus, with Jesus. Their discussion is reported in the third chapter of John:
Jesus answered and said to Nicodemus: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unles one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I said to you, "You must be born again." ...(13) No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man...(15,16,17) so that whoever believes will in Him will have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
This short blog on the similarities and differences between Hinduism and Christianity are not definitive or exhaustive but just a simple attempt by the writer who is Christian and freely accepts his biases in that regard to help his friends, both Hindu and Christian to understand themselves and their faiths better.
HarleyDad
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
What Comes Around-Goes Around
You have heard it. What comes around, goes around.
This saying takes on new meaning when looked at in terms of comparative religion. Recently I returned from India. There I met a number of wonderful people who were Hindus and Sikhs. These people were open, and good hearted. As preparation for my visit to India, I reread the Bhagavad-Gita and a portion of the Upanishads. There are between 850 million to 1 billion Hindus in the world.
Hinduism is a pluralistic religion. Some have described it as the umbrella over all religions. Hinduism teaches that there are many paths to Reality. When Hinduism came into contact with Islam in the course of its development , there was conflict. Islam taught that there was one God and Mohammed was his Prophet. Many of the adherents of Islam, but not all, were in the North India and eventually the Northern Islamic portion of India became known as Pakistan. The conflicts between Islam and Hinduism are deep much like the conflicts between Islam and Judaism in the Mid-East.
At the heart of Hinduism are the concepts of karma, dharma and samsara. Dharma refers to fate, one's role in life, one's essential attributes. Your role in your life is your dharma. Karma is the measure of how well you fulfill your role in life.
According to Hinduism , this role in life is played over and over. You can improve your lot in life by playing the game of life well. You can can also be demoted in life or the next life by not playing it well. Your essence is reincarnated over and over until you get so high in the game of life, that it is no longer necessary to be reincarnated.
Some statements from Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita are:
Just as the embodied self enters child-hood, youth, and old age,
so does it enter another body. (Second Teaching.)
Men who are lucid go upward;
Men of passion stay in between;
Men of dark inertia,
Caught in vile ways, sink low. (Fourteenth Teaching.)
In the Upanishads, it is written:
As a heavily laden cart creaks as it moves
the body groans under its burden when
a person is about to die. When the body grows weak
through old age or illness, the Self
separates himself as a mango or fig or banyan fruit
frees itself from the stalk,
and returns the way he came to begin another life.
In India there is great poverty. There are also those who are vastly wealthy. The teachings of Hinduism help to promote the acceptance of one's lot in life. In essence, you experience your lot in life because of your past actions. Every action has a reaction in this life or the next. You are poor because of the choices in your past life. You can improve your lot in the next life by accepting your proper lot in this life.
If the teachings of Hinduism were not accepted, there might be a revolution. The poor would not wait until the next life. Was it Marx or Hegel, who said that "religion was the opium to the people." Nonetheless, Hinduism give hope to many Indian people who believe that if they play the role of life well in this life, their lot will be improved in the next life.
HarleyDad is a follower of Christ. Therefore, I see many differences between Christianity and Hinduism. At the same time, I have Hindu friends that I respect. And that is the reason that I write what I do. Most Christians do not understand the beliefs held by vast numbers of the world's population. It is my hope that Christ will birth in us a love for people.
In the Indian tradition, there is the belief that one of the Apostles made it to India and died there. That apostle was St. Thomas. Therefore Christians in India even believe that they have an early connection to the early church. More about that later.
This saying takes on new meaning when looked at in terms of comparative religion. Recently I returned from India. There I met a number of wonderful people who were Hindus and Sikhs. These people were open, and good hearted. As preparation for my visit to India, I reread the Bhagavad-Gita and a portion of the Upanishads. There are between 850 million to 1 billion Hindus in the world.
Hinduism is a pluralistic religion. Some have described it as the umbrella over all religions. Hinduism teaches that there are many paths to Reality. When Hinduism came into contact with Islam in the course of its development , there was conflict. Islam taught that there was one God and Mohammed was his Prophet. Many of the adherents of Islam, but not all, were in the North India and eventually the Northern Islamic portion of India became known as Pakistan. The conflicts between Islam and Hinduism are deep much like the conflicts between Islam and Judaism in the Mid-East.
At the heart of Hinduism are the concepts of karma, dharma and samsara. Dharma refers to fate, one's role in life, one's essential attributes. Your role in your life is your dharma. Karma is the measure of how well you fulfill your role in life.
According to Hinduism , this role in life is played over and over. You can improve your lot in life by playing the game of life well. You can can also be demoted in life or the next life by not playing it well. Your essence is reincarnated over and over until you get so high in the game of life, that it is no longer necessary to be reincarnated.
Some statements from Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita are:
Just as the embodied self enters child-hood, youth, and old age,
so does it enter another body. (Second Teaching.)
Men who are lucid go upward;
Men of passion stay in between;
Men of dark inertia,
Caught in vile ways, sink low. (Fourteenth Teaching.)
In the Upanishads, it is written:
As a heavily laden cart creaks as it moves
the body groans under its burden when
a person is about to die. When the body grows weak
through old age or illness, the Self
separates himself as a mango or fig or banyan fruit
frees itself from the stalk,
and returns the way he came to begin another life.
In India there is great poverty. There are also those who are vastly wealthy. The teachings of Hinduism help to promote the acceptance of one's lot in life. In essence, you experience your lot in life because of your past actions. Every action has a reaction in this life or the next. You are poor because of the choices in your past life. You can improve your lot in the next life by accepting your proper lot in this life.
If the teachings of Hinduism were not accepted, there might be a revolution. The poor would not wait until the next life. Was it Marx or Hegel, who said that "religion was the opium to the people." Nonetheless, Hinduism give hope to many Indian people who believe that if they play the role of life well in this life, their lot will be improved in the next life.
HarleyDad is a follower of Christ. Therefore, I see many differences between Christianity and Hinduism. At the same time, I have Hindu friends that I respect. And that is the reason that I write what I do. Most Christians do not understand the beliefs held by vast numbers of the world's population. It is my hope that Christ will birth in us a love for people.
In the Indian tradition, there is the belief that one of the Apostles made it to India and died there. That apostle was St. Thomas. Therefore Christians in India even believe that they have an early connection to the early church. More about that later.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Update
Brokerbelle and I are trying to sell some of my photography from her flea market booth. We took a number of pictures to Branson to see if there is any interest.
Currently, I am not posting pictures due to some defects in my edition of Hello which keeps telling me to reinstall the program and when I reinstall the program, it tells me to reinstall again. Notices to the "Hello" help desk have gone unanswered.
Well, it looks like I will need to write for a while rather than photoblog.
Brokerbelle began a new series at church entitled: "Living Beyond Yourself" by Beth Moore. It looks like it will be a good series.
Today, Princessbelle breaks boards at karate. It looks like it will be a high stress night for HarleyDad.
H.D.
Currently, I am not posting pictures due to some defects in my edition of Hello which keeps telling me to reinstall the program and when I reinstall the program, it tells me to reinstall again. Notices to the "Hello" help desk have gone unanswered.
Well, it looks like I will need to write for a while rather than photoblog.
Brokerbelle began a new series at church entitled: "Living Beyond Yourself" by Beth Moore. It looks like it will be a good series.
Today, Princessbelle breaks boards at karate. It looks like it will be a high stress night for HarleyDad.
H.D.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Katrina and New Orleans
Things continue to be desperate in New Orleans. I have been monitoring many of the e-mails from my High School Class in New Orleans.
Please read the following Yahoo News Item: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050902/ts_nm/weather_katrina_wrap_dc
Pray for the people there. Desperate circumstances bring out both the best and worst in all of us. There is a deep abiding anger by the many people who have not received help. Pray that help will come quickly.
A friend forwarded the following letter. Read it. It will give you a feel for what is going on by people participating in the rescue operations. Pray for them as well.
Pray for the National Guard and the rescue workers . The letter sent to me reads as follows:
"Little did I know what I would be doing following Hurricane Katrina's>aftermath but as I type right now, there won't be a more gratifying or>more surreal experience I went through tonight. We went up to the office>today and held a press conference regarding the postponement of the game>and it was the right decision. As the PMAC and Field House are being used>as shelters we decided as an office to do everything we could to help the>situation.>At first, we were just supposed to make copies of this disaster relief>form for all of the people. The copiers will never print a document more>important than that. It's weird. Nearly 12 hours ago we were running off>copies of game notes for a football game that is now meaningless. We>printed the copies and carried them over to the Field House at 6:30 p.m. I>wouldn't leave the area for another 8 hours.>On the way back to the PMAC in a cart, it looked like the scene in the>movie Outbreak. FEMA officials, U.S. Marshalls, National Guard, and of>course the survivors. Black Hawks were carrying in victims who were>stranded on roofs. Buses rolled in from N.O. with other survivors. As>Michael and I rode back to the PMAC, a lady fell out of her wheelchair and>we scrambled to help her up.>We met Coach Miles and Coach Moffiit in the PMAC to see all the survivors>and it was the view of a hospital. Stretchers rolled in constantly and for>the first time in my life I saw someone die right in front of me. A man>rolled in from New Orleans and was badly injured on his head. 5 minutes>later he was dead. And that was the scene all night. What did we do, we>started hauling in supplies. And thousands of boxes of supplies. The CDC>from Atlanta arrived directing us what to do.>One of the U.S. Marshalls was on hand so the supplies could not become>loot. I asked him what his primary job was. He serves on the committee of>counter terrorism, but once he saw of the disaster, he donated his forces>to come help. He said the death toll could be nearing 10,000. It was>sickening to hear that.>After unloading supplies, I started putting together baby cribs and then>IV poles. Several of our fball players and Big Baby and Tasmin Mitchell>helped us. At the same time, families and people strolled in. Mothers were>giving berth in the locker rooms. The auxiliary gym "Dungeon" was being>used as a morgue. I couldn't take myself down there to see it.>I worked from 8 pm until 2:45 am. Before I left three more buses rolled in>and they were almost out of room. People were standing outside, the lowest>of the low from NO. The smells, the sights were hard to take.>A man lying down on a cot asked me to come see him. He said,"I just need>someone to talk to, to tell my story because I have nobody and nothing>left. He turned out to be a retired military veteran. His story was what>everybody was saying. He thought he survived the worst, woke up this>morning and the levees broke. Within minutes water rushed into his house.>He climbed to the attic, smashed his way through the roof and sat there>for hours. He was completely sunburned and exhausted. Nearly 12 hours>later a chopper rescued him and here he was.>We finished the night hauling boxes of body bags and more were on the way.>As we left, a man was strolled in on a stretcher and scarily enough he>suffered gunshots. The paramedic said he was shot several times because a>looter or a convict needed his boat and he wouldn't give it to him.>Another man with him said it was "an uncivilized society no better than>Iraq down there right now." A few minutes later he was unconcious and>later pronounced dead. I then left as they were strolling a 3 year old kid>in on a stretcher. I couldn't take it anymore.>That was the scene at the PMAC and it gives me a new perspective on>things. For those of you who I haven't been able to get in touch>because of phone service, I pray you are safe. Send me an email to let me know. God bless.>Bill Martin>LSU Sports Information"
H.D.
Please read the following Yahoo News Item: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050902/ts_nm/weather_katrina_wrap_dc
Pray for the people there. Desperate circumstances bring out both the best and worst in all of us. There is a deep abiding anger by the many people who have not received help. Pray that help will come quickly.
A friend forwarded the following letter. Read it. It will give you a feel for what is going on by people participating in the rescue operations. Pray for them as well.
Pray for the National Guard and the rescue workers . The letter sent to me reads as follows:
"Little did I know what I would be doing following Hurricane Katrina's>aftermath but as I type right now, there won't be a more gratifying or>more surreal experience I went through tonight. We went up to the office>today and held a press conference regarding the postponement of the game>and it was the right decision. As the PMAC and Field House are being used>as shelters we decided as an office to do everything we could to help the>situation.>At first, we were just supposed to make copies of this disaster relief>form for all of the people. The copiers will never print a document more>important than that. It's weird. Nearly 12 hours ago we were running off>copies of game notes for a football game that is now meaningless. We>printed the copies and carried them over to the Field House at 6:30 p.m. I>wouldn't leave the area for another 8 hours.>On the way back to the PMAC in a cart, it looked like the scene in the>movie Outbreak. FEMA officials, U.S. Marshalls, National Guard, and of>course the survivors. Black Hawks were carrying in victims who were>stranded on roofs. Buses rolled in from N.O. with other survivors. As>Michael and I rode back to the PMAC, a lady fell out of her wheelchair and>we scrambled to help her up.>We met Coach Miles and Coach Moffiit in the PMAC to see all the survivors>and it was the view of a hospital. Stretchers rolled in constantly and for>the first time in my life I saw someone die right in front of me. A man>rolled in from New Orleans and was badly injured on his head. 5 minutes>later he was dead. And that was the scene all night. What did we do, we>started hauling in supplies. And thousands of boxes of supplies. The CDC>from Atlanta arrived directing us what to do.>One of the U.S. Marshalls was on hand so the supplies could not become>loot. I asked him what his primary job was. He serves on the committee of>counter terrorism, but once he saw of the disaster, he donated his forces>to come help. He said the death toll could be nearing 10,000. It was>sickening to hear that.>After unloading supplies, I started putting together baby cribs and then>IV poles. Several of our fball players and Big Baby and Tasmin Mitchell>helped us. At the same time, families and people strolled in. Mothers were>giving berth in the locker rooms. The auxiliary gym "Dungeon" was being>used as a morgue. I couldn't take myself down there to see it.>I worked from 8 pm until 2:45 am. Before I left three more buses rolled in>and they were almost out of room. People were standing outside, the lowest>of the low from NO. The smells, the sights were hard to take.>A man lying down on a cot asked me to come see him. He said,"I just need>someone to talk to, to tell my story because I have nobody and nothing>left. He turned out to be a retired military veteran. His story was what>everybody was saying. He thought he survived the worst, woke up this>morning and the levees broke. Within minutes water rushed into his house.>He climbed to the attic, smashed his way through the roof and sat there>for hours. He was completely sunburned and exhausted. Nearly 12 hours>later a chopper rescued him and here he was.>We finished the night hauling boxes of body bags and more were on the way.>As we left, a man was strolled in on a stretcher and scarily enough he>suffered gunshots. The paramedic said he was shot several times because a>looter or a convict needed his boat and he wouldn't give it to him.>Another man with him said it was "an uncivilized society no better than>Iraq down there right now." A few minutes later he was unconcious and>later pronounced dead. I then left as they were strolling a 3 year old kid>in on a stretcher. I couldn't take it anymore.>That was the scene at the PMAC and it gives me a new perspective on>things. For those of you who I haven't been able to get in touch>because of phone service, I pray you are safe. Send me an email to let me know. God bless.>Bill Martin>LSU Sports Information"
H.D.
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