Things Hidden From the Learned and the Clever

Every once in a while, I will spot a great column in the Faith and Values section of our local newspaper. Last month, I cut out such an article that was dated July 15, 2011 and meant to share it here at Talk Wisdom. Since I didn't get around to it during the month of July, I thought that I would find a copy of it online to copy and post here. Better late than never, right? But a funny thing (actually, it's kinda sad) happened during my search for the column at the newspaper's archive site. I could not find it! I tried everything. I used the search tool for the author. Only three links showed up and they weren't what I was looking for. Next, I typed in the date and went through page after page of articles to no avail. Finally, I decided to search online via Bing for the author's name, hoping that he had a website. Fortunately, I found the website. I searched under "archived articles" and found it. I will now present it to readers here. I think that you will find it quite thought provoking.


~ Christine

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Things Hidden from the Learned and the Clever
2011-07-10


I've lived and worked within academic circles for most of my adult life, studying in various universities, teaching within university circles, and having university professors as close friends and colleagues. What's that world like? What kind of folks inhabit academic circles?

Perhaps my experience is atypical because most of the scholars under whom I studied and most of the theologians and other scholars who have been my colleagues became professors and university lecturers in function of ministry, as a vocation, rather than as a career. Thus, instead of struggling with faith and church, they were driven to become academics in function of their faith and church commitments. In some ways, professors in theology schools and schools of ministry aren't typical of academic circles.

But an academic is an academic and graduate and post-graduate studies, whatever the motivation for doing them, have some of the same effect on people. And so I suspect that the circles I have been part of, in the end, are more typical than atypical. And what is typical?

Academics, scholars, and university professors, like any segment of society, are a complex mix: In university circles you will find some of the most humble, gracious, faith-filled, and genuinely good people you will ever meet; just as you will also find some of the most arrogant, self-absorbed, amoral, and cynical people in the world. The academic world looks like the rest of the world.

Given that truth, I have long been haunted by a saying of Jesus that, often times, the deep secrets of life and of faith are hidden from the learned and the clever and revealed instead to children, to those of a less-complex mind. I don't doubt the truth of this; I wonder why.



Why? Clearly intelligence and learning are good things. Intelligence is the gift from God that sets us apart from animals and access to learning is a precious right given us by God. Indeed, ignorance and lack of education are things every healthy society and every healthy individual strive to overcome. Scripture praises both wisdom and intelligence and the health of any church is partly predicated on having a vigorous intellectual stream within it. Every time in history that the church has let popular piety, however sincere, trump sound theology it has paid a high price. The Reformation arose out of just that and one of the first things that the Council of Trent mandated for Roman Catholics was that its priests be better trained intellectually.

Intelligence and learning are good things. God did not give us intelligence and then ask us not to use it. Naiveté is not a virtue and should never be confused with innocence. So why is being "intelligent and clever" something that can work against our understanding of the deeper secrets within life and faith?

The fault is not with intelligence and learning, both good things in themselves, but in what they can inadvertently do to us. Intelligence and learning often have the unintended effect of undermining what's childlike in us, that is, the very strength that they bring into our lives can allow us to unconsciously claim a superiority and have us believe that, given our intelligence, we have both the need and the right to isolate ourselves from others in ways that the natural neediness of children does not permit them to do. Children are not self-sufficient even though they fiercely want to be. They need others and they know it. Consequently they more naturally reach out and take some one's hand. They don't have the luxury of self-sufficiency.

When we are "learned and the clever" we can more easily forget that we need others and consequently don't as naturally reach for another's hand as does a child. It's easier for us to isolate ourselves. When we are less aware of our contingency we more easily lose sight of the things to which God and life are inviting us. The very strength that intelligence and learning bring into our lives can instill in us a false sense of self-sufficiency that can make us want to separate ourselves in unhealthy ways from others and understand ourselves as superior In some way. And superiority never enters a room alone, but always brings along a number of her children: arrogance, disdain, boredom, cynicism. All of these are occupational hazards for the "learned and the clever" and none of these helps unlock any of life's deep secrets.

But we must be careful not to misread the lesson. Faith does not ask us to not stretch our minds. Neither ignorance nor naiveté serve faith. Faith not only doesn't fear the hard questions it invites us to ask them. The depths of infinity are never threatened by finite intelligence. And so it's never a bad thing to become learned and sophisticated; it's only a bad thing if we remain there. The task is to become post-sophisticated, that is, to remain full of intelligence and learning even as we put on again to the mindset of a child.

Written by Ron Rolheiser

Hat Tip: Ron Rolheiser.com

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Tonight, I present another great song by Brandon Heath - "Only Water."

When we think about all the references in the Bible about water, we can see the miracles and power that Jesus Christ gave during his ministry on this earth. Water refreshes us. We cannot live for more than several days without drinking water. Water cleanses us, both physically and spiritually via baptism. Jesus turned simple jugs of water into the finest wine that anyone in attendance at one particular wedding in the Bible ever tasted! As Brandon Heath reveals in the lyrics:

And it washes over me
Like a single river stone
Changes everything
But has no power on its own

On its own
It's only water.

Jesus speaking:

John 7:38 - He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

Through the Lens Of God's Word [Update]

Received the March issue of Coral Ridge Ministries' "Impact" newsletter in the mail yesterday. These newsletters are brief but often very informative.

This morning, there was a spam post in my comment box. It was an invitation to link my blog with someone who posts about astrology. I politely declined the invitation, but welcomed the spammer to continue reading here at this blog. It is my hope that she, perhaps, will be inclined to read the Bible and learn about Jesus Christ.

On the back of the Impact newsletter, there was a commentary that was adapted from Dr. James Kennedy's (who is now deceased) message entitled: "The Christian World and Life View." I would like to share that message with readers today.

In the center of the essay, there is a box that reads:

"A biblical worldview is one in which all of life is viewed through the lens of God's Word."

What a great quote! And you will most likely notice my title for this post came from that quote.

As you read Dr. Kennedy's message, I would like to challenge you to think about all of the turmoil that is now going on here in the United States as well as all around the world. Also, for those who have been following the Glenn Beck** program and conservative talk radio, see if you don't see a distinct repetition of a pattern emerging from what Dr. Kennedy mentions in history. Has communism suddenly become "cool" to our young people who have been brainwashed by liberal/progressive/socialist/communist "red diaper doper babies" of the sixties who became today's majority of professors in thousands of liberal colleges and universities around our nation? Can you recognize how being "divorced from God" has created a moral vacuum in the hearts and minds of many people today?

I can't even imagine living apart from God in today's world of chaos. The Bible has warned us of what is to come "at the end of the age" and we are witnessing an enormous amount of Bible prophecy coming to fruition over the past 60 years. Israel rising again as a nation was prophesied in the Bible hundreds of years before it happened. Almost all of the 300 or so prophecies which were given by the Old Testament saints in reference to the coming Messiah were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The remainder of those prophecies will be fulfilled at His Second Coming.

The Bible tells us:

Mat 28:17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

Jesus informed us:

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.


Mat 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,


Mat 28:20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

What could be better than knowing that Jesus Christ, is "with you [us, me] always, even to the end of the age?"

In contrast, the non-believer, who lives apart from God often experiences what Dr. Kennedy describes here:

"...man finds himself in a state of morbid decay and despair. He becomes nihilistic as he becomes aware of the logical consequences of his view. He concludes that life is not worth living. There is a deep void in the pit of his soul."

But let's start at the beginning of Dr. Kennedy's essay:

The Christian World and Life View
Commentary from Dr. Kennedy

Weltanschauung--that is probably not a phrase one would be intimately familiar with, and yet everyone has a "Weltanschauung." It's a German term which means world and life view. Simply put, a world and life view, or worldview, is a set of assumptions or presuppositions that determine the way we look at the world and our place in it. It determines how we view reality and everything that comes down our path.

A biblical worldview is one in which all of life is viewed through the lens of God's Word. There are many worldviews arrayed against this Christian view.

Naturalism, for instance, is the idea that nature is all there is--that there is nothing in the universe but matter (materialism). This worldview was promoted by Carl Sagan, an evolutionist and naturalist. On his famous ten-part educational TV series entitled Cosmos, Sagan made this clear statement: "The cosmos is all there ever was, or is, or is to be." That worldview is purely naturalistic, materialistic, and atheistic.

Chuck Colson in his book, How Now Shall We live? says that many of the battles in our culture stem from a conflict between worldviews. He says, "The culture war is not just about abortion, homosexual rights, or the decline of public education. These are only skirmishes. The real war is a cosmic struggle between worldviews -- between the Christian worldview and the various secular and spiritual worldviews arrayed against it."

One worldview that rages against the Christian view, and which has arisen since the French Enlightenment of the 1780's, is rationalism*--the idea that reason is the only source of knowledge and understanding. It rules out entirely any faith in God or His Word.

Additionally, Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species, published in 1859, provided a comprehensive worldview in evolution that made atheism palatable for the first time. Darwin's evolutionary view has been promulgated in Western society in the last 150 years like few things have.

This Darwinian worldview helped set off World Wars I and II; gave rise to communism, which, according to The Black Book of Communism, put to death some 100 million people, and fueled Nazism and Fascism.

While the atheistic worldview says "down with God," humanism says, "up with man"--but the end is the same: man is elevated in place of God, and God is abased.

That counters what Christians have always believed--that God is the measure of all things; that God tells us what is good and bad, right and wrong. He directs the very course of our life. In humanism, man is divorced from God. And that has led to catastrophic consequences.

Because he lives apart from God, man finds himself in a state of morbid decay and despair. He becomes nihilistic as he becomes aware of the logical consequences of his view. He concludes that life is not worth living. There is a deep void in the pit of his soul.

How far removed that is from the Christian world and life view, which says God has made us in His image; that He has placed eternity in our hearts and has given His own Son to redeem us from our sin. We have a glorious calling "to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever," and to be co-workers of Christ in the redemption of the world. Life is filled with meaning and purpose. This Christian worldview is glorious beyond understanding. I pray it is yours.

- Adapted from Dr, Kennedy's message: "The Christian World and Life View."

Hat tip:

Coral Ridge Ministries

* Some thoughts to consider about "rationalism." Logical reasoning is not an absolute law which governs the universe. Logic is not a set of rules which govern behavior. When one's view only explains how to use logic, you must decide whether logic is the right tool for the job. There are other ways to communicate, discuss, and debate.

** Some of my Christian friends have expressed some concern about my interest in Glenn Beck's TV program. There is no need for this concern. I am well aware that Glenn is a Mormon (and as Brannon Howse in this video link states), could also be guilty of EMBRACING NEW AGE THEOLOGY and possibly be deemed as A UNIVERSALIST.

I see Glenn as a news analyst who has an uncanny ability to discover and share what is going on in our current political world. I DO NOT EMBRACE HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.

But at the same time, Beck has given a voice (on several episodes of
his show) to some genuine biblical Christian leaders, pastors, and authors (for
example, promoted Dr. David Jeremiah's book "The Coming Economic Armaggeddon").
At least that is one good thing that is happening as a result of his large TV
audience.

However, the fact that he also embraces Ghandi and universalistic
ideas shows that he himself is probably not a biblical, born again Christian.

We can continue to pray for genuine salvation through Jesus Christ for Glenn. We can also appreciate what he contributes to our nation through sounding the alarm bells about Obama's dangerous socialist agenda and why we cannot let such terrible policies stand or continue past 2012.

I am grateful to Brannon Howse and his indepth analysis and warnings about Glenn's religious beliefs in the video he created at the above link.

In 2011 - Apply Our Hearts to Wisdom

Happy New Year everyone! Let us hope and pray, ever so fervently, that the year 2011 will be a turning point away from the awful and subversive progressive train wreck of socialism being inflicted upon our beloved nation back towards what our Founding Fathers created through their undeniable Christian faith and hope in God.

The United States of America is a Constitutional Republic!
- Christine

Now to our devotional for the day:

Top Tens: atTENtion

The days of our years are threescore years and ten . . . so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.Psalm 90:10, 12 (KJV)

Recommended Reading
Psalm 90:1-12

Ever since God issued ten commandments, we’ve understood there’s something special about that number. It serves as the base of our numerical system. Ten is the sum of the first four numbers (1 + 2 + 3 + 4) and the first two-digit number. It brings us full circle. We view ten as complete and perfect, which is why we often say, “On a scale from one to ten. . . .”

Ten years make a decade. And since we only have about seven of those, that should get our atTENtion. Verse 10 of Psalm 90 says that our current earthly lives are zipping by. Our years are “soon cut off and we fly away.” But God is from “everlasting to everlasting,” our “dwelling place in all generations” (verses 1-2).

Starting the year without Christ is like jumping into a dark, unknown patch of the future. But with our Lord, it’s like taking a step with Him who holds the future.

Lord, remind us that You are our eternal life. Turn our atTENtion to the importance of each day—each year—each decade, and to make our lives count for Christ.

O Father, let Thy watchful eye still look on us in love, that we may praise Thee year by year, with angel hosts above.

From the eighteenth-century hymn, “The Year is Gone, Beyond Recall.” Francis Pott, lyrics


Read-thru-the-Bible
Genesis 1:1 – 3:24; Genesis 4:1 – 6:22

Hat Tip:

David Jeremiah.org

Creative Thinking and the Invisible and Eternal God

It's very late for a new post, but since I fell asleep on the couch while watching T.V. earlier this evening and then awoke a few hours later, I decided to read some email before closing my browser for the night.

One of my favorite Christian bloggers has a new essay up. I found it in my email box tonight and I encourage readers here to go check it out! Charlie at Another Think has written and excellent and thought-provoking essay entitled "An Uncertain Reality"

Brief excerpts:

The great scientific project at the dawn of the twentieth century was to expose the hidden mysteries of the atom.

[W]hat made this investigation remarkable, and maddening, was the inaccessibility of the systems they were trying to understand. Using only the crudest experimental devices combined with ingenious thought experiments and audacious hunches, these young scientists tested theories and conducted their research in the blind. To make matters worse, Werner Heisenberg theorized that the nature of atomic particles was such that they could never be measured or probed by any traditional methods, because the very act of observing them would change them in unpredictable ways.

His insight was roundly dismissed at first, but grudgingly came to be accepted and formalized as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.

Quoting Bernice Eiduson again: "Creative thinking demands seeing things not seen previously... and taking risks by departing from reality."

Faced with an unknown and uncertain reality at the sub-atomic level, these scientists dared to depart from accepted conventions and imagined a world that broke the known rules, something the scientific establishment of the day did not quickly accept.

As I've been thinking about this remarkable scientific era, I have noticed similarities between the challenges and creative demands required to uncover the secrets of the atom, and the creative leaps and risks inherent in belief in the invisible and eternal God.

Read the entire essay HERE



I wrote a comment there, but must have copied the text in the spam preventing box wrong so I got an error message when I tried to post the comment!

*Sigh*

Anyway, here is a copy of the comment:

Hi Charlie,

What an excellent and fascinating essay! As usual, you make the connections that a non-believing scientist might want to ignore or even shun (because of purposeful disbelief in God), and turn it into a better explanation of reality because of your skill as a scientist utilizing your faith in the God of the universe, Jesus Christ!

What you have written triggered some thoughts I recently contemplated.

My 86 year old mom has often stated how wonderful the "discoverers" of prescription drugs are in sustaining and prolonging the lives of people who might have suffered more, and/or died at younger ages without the use of such drugs.

We know that many drugs can be used for good (and helpful) purposes - as well as for evil (and addictive) purposes.

I was thinking the other day that since we are always only "catching up to God" in the scientific realm of this life on earth, how awesome it might be to one day discover (in eternity) that we probably had the "tools" here on earth all along to cure any and every physical, mental, and emotional ailment? Yet, because of our fallen, sinful nature such discoveries had been made by scientists in a gradual and incomplete way? Hope those last two sentences made some sense!

One example. A relative of mine succumbed to Alzheimer's disease and her mind deteriorated at such a rapid pace back in the 80's because no drugs were yet created to halt the progression of that devastating disease. Today, there are drugs that considerably slow down the progression of the disease and patients often get to live close to normal lives for many, many more years than previously ever imagined. That's not a small or insignificant miracle!

Your entire essay displays the "wonders of the Lord" and I love your final paragraph:

So too with faith. God invites us not to abandon reason, but to give up our iron grip on what we think we know, what we think must be true. The Christian faith invites us to open our minds to the possibility of a different reality than we have ever imagined.

Beautiful!

God bless,
Christine

Hat Tip:

Another Think

Update:

Yay! Tried to post the comment two more times over at Another Think and the third try (currently in moderation) was the charm! ;-)

What Shall I Render to the LORD?

When situations get tough or a crisis happens within a family, it is so easy to worry, wail, and cry, "Why me Lord?" This is especially true whenever health issues pop up in our lives. Been there, done that....many times.

But how often do we, as believers in Jesus Christ, stop and consider the immense blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon us during our lives? How many times do we thank Him? At dinner each night? At church each week? Once a year at Thanksgiving?

A Bible verse comes to mind.

What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me?
Psalm 116:12

Even though we can give our heartfelt thanks for all that Jesus Christ has done for us, the question that Psalm 116:12 is asking is "what shall I render...?"

At Dictionary.com there are a LOT of definitions and descriptions for the term "render."

What can we learn from the Bible about this term and verse?

The Blue Letter Bible provides a Treasury of Scripture Knowledge page that gives us additional passages that can be studied regarding answering such a question:

Psa 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

No matter what happens on this earth, no matter how long each of us lives, no matter what obstacles are thrown in our path - we can always have the joy of God's salvation in our hearts, minds, and spirits! If we let Him uphold us by His generous Spirit - He most certainly will!

Psa 51:13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.

When we are filled with the joy of the Lord and His provision of salvation through Jesus Christ, we can then "teach transgressors" (all have sinned) His ways, and sinners (we all qualify for that title) shall be converted to God!

Psa 51:14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

Once we know that we are delivered from all of our sins - even the heinous sin of bloodshed by "the God of my salvation," we can then sing the praises of the righteousness of Jesus Christ! It isn't our righteousness that saves - it is His!

Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:

Is this verse telling us that blessing the LORD via our souls in prayer helps to remind us of all of His benefits?

Isa 6:5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts."

The Old Testament prophets, such as Isaiah, looked forward to the coming of the Messiah to save them from their sins. Meanwhile, they sacrificed unblemished animals for the temporary forgiveness of sins - a foreshadowing of what Christ's sacrifice would accomplish in the final act of redemption for all of mankind. Isaiah prophesied much of what the coming Messiah would endure for our salvation. Seeing the King, the LORD of hosts was frightening indeed because of his sinful condition. But that's not the end of the story!

Isa 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.


Isa 6:7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged."

Another symbolic act where in the OT, the prophet Isaiah was assured that his iniquity is taken away by God and his sin purged from remembrance. In the next verse, look at Isaiah's huge change in attitude!

Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."

Isaiah changed from the frightened sinner into a man that God could use! He enthusiastically answered "the voice of the Lord" by saying, "Here am I! Send me."

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

When we get to the New Testament verses from this list, we see that the "brethren" were to present their bodies as a living sacrifice - meaning that they would gladly obey God's commands and be holy and acceptable to God while doing service for Him in spreading the Gospel of Christ.

1Cr 6:20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

And why would we become "living sacrifices" for God? This verse answers that question - because "we were bought at a price" through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross! We are now called to glorify God both in body and spirit!

Now we get to the crux of the matter and can answer the question in Psalm 116:12 - What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me?

2Cr 5:14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;


2Cr 5:15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Hat tips to all links.

Sodium Saints

In late October, a new commentator arrived at this blog and chastised me in the comment section for my post against Obama entitled Talk Wisdom Reports - You Decide: White House Scandal to Break Soon?

Donna60 wrote:

donna60 said...
I understand that not everyone who calls themselves a Christian believes that the bible has to be obeyed. As a member of the "restoration movement." I cannot have any other authority on earth that supercedes scripture. That being said, no person who believes in and lays their hopes in the perfection and completeness of NT scripture, can trash-talk our president or any lawfully elected leader of our United States. Romans 13:1-2 "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves."

1 Peter 2:17 "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."

October 28, 2010 8:21:00 AM PDT

You can follow the rest of the comments here.

Now, although Donna60 ended up veering a bit off topic, she certainly had a lot of good and correct things to say. However, I don't think that she handled her position about "governing authorities" in the biblical way.

For example. Paul points out that we have both a duty to obey governing authorities when they are following God's laws and not to obey when evil is being proposed by them. As Christian believers we have the duty to disobey when any leader is involved in immoral behavior or governing practices.

As Donna60 had pointed out, Paul DID instruct Christians in Rome to "be subject to the governing authorities" (Romans 13:1) and to pay their taxes. Those who disobey the state, he wrote, resist "the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves" (Romans 13:2).

The kind of "judgment" rendered could include the temporal kind (i.e. punishment while here on this earth); or, the eternal type (i.e. White Throne Judgment in eternity) at the culmination of all history.

However, what I think was sorely missing in Donna60's arguments in the comment thread is the fact that the Bible also demonstrates that unrighteous decrees are not to be obeyed. For example, recall that the Hebrew midwives feared God more than the king of Egypt so they disobeyed his murderous and absolutely cruel order to kill all newborn Hebrew boys. God blessed them for disobeying this evil leader's mandate and as a result, note what happened: "And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them" (Exodus 1:21).

When I read Donna60's reply, her belief that evil dictators like Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, and Mao "should be obeyed" shocked me! It was then that I realized that she was making a common mistake that Christians sometimes do (been there, done that!) while reading the Bible. She took one Bible verse (Romans 13:2) and applied it incorrectly to mean that in ALL instances, one should obey one's leader of the state. That is NOT what the Bible tells us!

I am currently reading a little booklet that has been given out by Coral Ridge Ministries called "Ten Truths About Christians and Politics." Truth #3 discusses that the Bible gives guidance for governments and citizens. The following excerpt gives specific Bible verses and commentary that upholds my position in this discussion:

Shortly after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, Jewish authorities grew troubled at the growth of His followers and strictly instructed Peter and the other apostles against teaching about Christ. The apostles refused, telling the high priest, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

Along with the duty to disobey unrighteous commands, the Bible indicates that God's people have a duty to control political authorities who stray from God's moral standard. The Old Testament often recounts how the prophets confronted the Jewish monarchs with God's verdict upon their unrighteous behavior. The prophet Samuel announced God's judgment on Kin Saul for his disregard of God's word to him (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Elijah challenged wicked King Ahab over his Baal worship and was called the "troubler of Israel" for his effort (1 Kings 18:17). Nathan confronted David for his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah (2 Samuel 12).

Besides confronting evil and refusing to go along with it, there is another role outlined for the saints in both the Old and New Testament - to be "salt and light." God, through Jeremiah, told the Jewish exiles in Babylon to "seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace" (Jeremiah 29:7). The exiles were not to withdraw from their ungodly environment into a cultural enclave, but rather to seek its peace or shalom - a Hebrew term also translated as "welfare."

Sodium Saints

Jesus calls his people to be like salt in their influence on the world around them (Matthew 5:13). Just as salt was used in first century Israel to flavor and preserve food or to cleanse wounds, Christ's followers are to bring the flavor of God's grace and the healing and preserving power of His Word into every area of life - including the world of politics.

It is important to remember that when salt is used to cleanse wounds, it stings! When Jesus calls us to be "salt" in this world, I'm sure that pointing out the fact that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" stings the heart, soul, mind and body of every person who then comes to the realization that his/her need to confess sin and repent (turn away) of them HURTS.

But the healing power of the Gospel is worth the initial pain brought to the minds of those who humble themselves before the cross of Christ at Calvary. Our pain is NOTHING compared to the pain and suffering that Christ endured for our sakes on that cross.

Being a Christian often means that not everyone is going to like you. In fact, Jesus warns us that many will hate you (us) because "they first hated Him."

We cannot shy away and shrink away from our Christian duty in the world of politics because people will hate us for speaking out against the evil, sin and death that is often imposed upon us by the unbelievers in this world. We are to stand up and share the truth!

Ephesians 6 instructs us on how to prepare ourselves for this type of spiritual battle. Whenever someone challenges me for my beliefs and how, when or why I share them at this blog I remember these verses:

Eph 6:6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,


Eph 6:7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,

Ephesians 6 tells us to arm ourselves with:

* The belt of truth girded around your waist.

* The breastplate of righteousness.

* Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

* Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

* And take the helmet of salvation.

* And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Prepared with such equipment we also need to be:


Eph 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—


Eph 6:19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,


Eph 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Hat Tips:

Coral Ridge Ministries

Blue Letter Bible

In The Mirror of God's Eyes

Written by Guest Blogger Rocky Chambers

1 Cor 13:12 - For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

This world is full of smoke and illusion. Like Paul writes, we see through a glass darkly. While this world seems painfully real it is only a manifestation of the world that truly lies beneath, the spiritual world. Everything has a spiritual root.

From time to time we get a glimpse into this real world beneath. We see it in an act of kindness, a gesture of peace, a sacrament of love, an act of faith, or in hoping against hope. Still, we see darkly. Our vision is clouded. Our view obscured. By what? By the darkness of our own minds.

We sometimes pride ourselves in the fact that we at least are a good person. I didn’t commit this sin or that sin. While perhaps you are better than others, there is always somebody better than you. And if we examine ourselves closely enough we will find a word spoken in hate, a grumbling that led to strife or a doubt that blossomed into the sin of worry! Yes, worry is a sin, doesn’t the scripture tell us not to worry! Doesn’t Jesus Himself express this when He says, ‘why do you give thought to what you will wear, what you will eat, do not worry for your Father in heaven knows you need these things!’

What we often view as sin, adultery, murder, theft, and so on, are really the manifestations of sin. They are the dark fruit of evil seed that has matured and given birth to death. The scripture says do not covet, but what is at the root of your coveting? Why do you desire to have what somebody else has? What is the seed of this sin? Is it jealousy? Is it fear? Is it doubt?

But love conquers all. But too often we try to manufacture love rather than allow God to grow it. But I get ahead too much.

The darkness of our minds leads us astray. This darkness is a cloud of dark thoughts, wrong thoughts, lies we believe and hold on to. When we see the fruit of these dark thoughts as evil then we are faced with the choice of seeking to weed our garden on our own, or seeking the help of God. This is the moment when we can come face to face. We know in part, but we do not know fully until He reveals us to our self! THEN I shall know as I am fully known!

The only power the enemy truly has is the corruption of faith hope and love. Every sin has at it’s root this corruption. And as Jesus reveals to us the truth, the darkness we have fallen into, we suddenly see clearly.

Everyone has had at least one of these moments. They may not admit it was God who opened their eyes, but it was. You can call it an epiphany, an inspiration, an ‘a-ha’ moment when the light went on. It is a moment when the smudge on that dark glass was cleared for a moment for you to see through, to see clearly.

We can rub on that glass ourselves and only smudge it up more. Or we can call on Christ to clean it for us. It may take effort on our part. Effort in prayer, effort in listening, effort in studying the scriptures, effort in waiting patiently. But we are promised if we will seek we will find. Most importantly, keep looking in that mirror. It may be dark and you may not see yourself as well as you think you do. But if you gaze steadily into it with the help of Christ…you will see face to face and you will know even as you are known. The mark of a saint is not in his good deeds. Nor is it found in his goodness. It is found in his determination to look into that glass to see face to face.

Don’t allow the illusions of this darkened world divert you but rather pierce the darkness with the help of the Lord. Let Him teach you who you really are. Only then can you be light to others. But be warned, many will see your light as darkness because they do not see what you see.

Gaze into the dark glass and you will find yourself gazing upon Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. He longs to show you who you really are, that you are worthwhile to Him. Enough so that He would give Himself for you. As you see that, it will change you, transform you.

Often God is seen as a potter, and we are the clay. This is how He molds us, forms us, into an image He has in His own heart. That is the you He wants you to know, it’s the one He knows.

I think, no I know, that is why John often referred to himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’. He saw himself in God’s eyes. Yeah, now isn't that a beautiful thought…to see yourself in the reflection, the mirror of God's eyes. Face to face, to know as I am known.

Hat Tip:

Rocky Chambers via email.

Thank you so much Rocky! This is beautifully stated!

Koran Burning? A Teachable Moment. [Update 2]

A strange thing happened as I attempted to close my browser this evening. I am using my husband's laptop tonight and I couldn't get the Sprint connection to "disconnect!" I tried it nine times!

Hmmm....I thought. Is the Lord trying to give me a little message here?

I had just read a blog post over at On The Right Side of Life about the pastor who is planning to do a Koran book burning on 9/11/10.

There is a particular nagging question that each Christian believer must ask himself or herself. That is, with which position do you side?

Do you want to answer in the flesh and say in a revengeful tone "burn baby burn" or answer in the spirit? Which will you choose? Just as Phil asks within his blog post - think about this question: Koran burning? What would Jesus do?

Well, I was tired and just wanted to think about that post for a while. But when my browser refused to disconnect, I went back to my blog list and found that my friend Steve had also posted about the Koran burning debacle on his blog.

While reading his post, the answer came to me.

Mercy is God withholding what we all deserve. Grace is God giving us what we all don't deserve. As born-again, Bible believing, Christ honoring sinners in desperate need of the Savior, how should we apply such thoughts in response to the Koran burning?

Could be quite the teachable moment...

Hat Tips:

On The Right Side of Life

Stevex09

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More good reads on the controversy:

Michele Malkin: The Koran - Don't burn it - read it.

Sharp Right Turn: The Koran, General Petraeus, Dhimmitude and American Values

Sarah Palin's Facebook Page

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Update:

Apparently, Pastor Jones has listened to the voices of wisdom and reason and announced that he is not going to follow through on the burning of the Koran.

But can this debacle get any crazier? Answer: YES!

The loony-bin Westboro "church" plans to carry out the Koran burning since Pastor Jones will not do it.

Westboro Baptist Church will Burn Korans if Florida Church Does Not
posted by (Maggie Thornton) at Maggie's Notebook - 1 hour ago
The vile Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka says if Florida's Dove World Outreach Center calls off the Koran burnings, they will pick up [the] slack and do it themselves. Dove's Pastor Terry Jones has just an...

But of course, the mosque developers won't change THEIR minds [as has been announced on several news programs today] about the location too close to Ground Zero, despite the fact that Donald Trump has announced that he would pay 25% more than the terrorists er...imams and their supporters...paid for the location.

Koran Burning Halted: Mosque Stays at Park 51
posted by (Maggie Thornton) at Maggie's Notebook - 1 hour ago
Florida Pastor Jones will halt the burning of Korans on Saturday and the Pastor says he will fly to New York City instead, to meet with the mosque developers. Jones seems to believe the mosque will not b...

Good luck Pastor Jones. It doesn't appear that the muslims are likely to show any tolerance towards the 70% of Americans who are pleading that they move the mosque away from the Ground Zero site. Apparently, tolerance is a one-way street for them...and that street is named Islam/Sharia law...or else!

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Update 2:

I am making the rounds to several Christian blogs in my blogroll and I am finding some absolutely awesome essays out there! Be sure to visit:


Stevex09: The Threats Begin … Ground Zero Mosque … Burning The Koran

CultureWatch: Christianity, Other Religions, Islam and Terrorism

Rejection Of Need For Repentance & Redemption Of One's Soul

Consider this a different kind of blog post. I want to make some statements and then ask some brave readers to give examples in the comment section. With your agreement to participate (please make a note that it is O.K. with you to have your comment re-published in this post), I will copy and paste your comments into this original blog post. Also, feel free to share a link to a blog post that you may have written that coincides with this subject matter.

If you just want to sound off (please, no cursing, swearing or taking the name of the Lord in vain) on the topic, please indicate that you only want your comment to remain as a comment.

My statement:

There appears to be a recurring theme of rejection by the liberal, progressive left towards recognizing the need for repentance of sin and thus redemption of one's soul through God.

Take almost any issue heralded by the left as "good," which at the same time is opposed by Conservative Christians who follow Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible, and you will see that the rejection of the need for repentance of sin and the rejection of the need for redemption of one's life and eternal soul is one of the big reasons why the left will inevitably always clash with the right.

Agree or disagree?

Care to share some examples?

Christine

The Word of God -

Ephesians 1:7 - 23

Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;


Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;


Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:


Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; [even] in him:


Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:


Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.


Eph 1:13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,


Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.


Eph 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,


Eph 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;


Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:


Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,


Eph 1:19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,


Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],


Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:


Eph 1:22 And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church,


Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

The Heart of the Wise

I have often wondered why it is that the conservatives are called the"right", and the liberals are called the "left."

Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NIV) "The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left."

Mystery solved!

Hat Tip:

My hubby via email!

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Also, witness one of God's little miracles at the Restore Honor Rally:



And don't miss Dr. Alveda King's message at the rally! [See videos at bottom of Youtube post.]

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Update 2:

Speaking of foolishness, check out the misspelling of SEIU's "American Dream" sign:

Big Government: SEIU Misspells 'American Dream' at Rally

To Him That Overcometh

The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony.--Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? [It is] God
that justifieth. Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us.

Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it.

--That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

--In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.--Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. . . . And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.--But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Re 12:10,11 Ro 8:33,34 Col 2:15 Heb 2:14,15 Ro 8:37 Eph 6:11,17 1Co 15:57



Evening

The tree of life.

God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.--He gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.--As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth [them];
even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. . . . As the Father hath life in
himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the
midst of the paradise of God.--In the midst of the street of it, and on either
side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of]
fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were]
for the healing of the nations.

Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom. . . . Length of days [is] in her right
hand. . . . She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy
[is every one] that retaineth her.--Christ Jesus . . . is made unto us wisdom.

Ge 2:9 1Jo 5:11 Joh 3:16 5:21,26 Re 2:7 22:2 Pr 3:13,16,18 1Co 1:30

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Daily Light on the Daily Path Devotional
Saturday August 28, 2010
http://bible.christiansunite.com/devotionals.shtml
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Pluralism and Interfaith Consciousness? Or THE TRUTH!

In the comment thread section of my previous post, "Anonymous" came along and wrote the following:

Anonymous said...
Eboo Patel's placement is no accident. He has direct ties with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and Rick Warren. Patel is founder and Executive Director of the Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based institution building the GLOBAL interfaith youth movement.


Now check over
http://interfaith2010.naz.edu/
Notice again Obama's Eboo Patel who sits on his Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Eboo is working to realize the President's priority of interfaith cooperation.(coming in through faith-based initiatives and youth community service) Listed speakers have all the connects. There is BeliefNet , owned by Rupert Murdoch. TED talks and-the (New Ager) Karen Armstrong, Bill Gates (population control), Amy Gutmann (transgender sex change funding college), etc. the whole futurist platform. Mentioned also is the Charter for Compassion and The Clinton Global Initiative...How fast can you list the UN's Millennium Goals?

Last April's conference covered:

4/11 - "The Art of Dialogue: Interfaith Dialogue Across the Generations"
4/11 - "The Divine Feminine: The Foundation of the Abrahamic World"
4/12 - "Acts of Faith: Interfaith Leadership in a Time of Global Religious Crisis"

Listen to the words of Patel himself speaking at the radically left Tides Foundation(which features a Buddhist-type altar and hosts other environmental, spiritual, educational, and governmental organizations sharing a common crusade of building a unified, earth-friendly GLOBAL civilization based on "new" universal beliefs and values. Listen carefully to his diversity speech on "democracy and pluralism" and "interfaith consciousness."

http://www.momentumconference.org/speaker-presentation/speaker/eboo-patel/presentation/religious-pluralism-in-a-democracy/index.html

As the world quickly moves towards the one world religion and interspirituality decide for whom you will serve. Our youth are being seduced away. Have you warned them to beware? How many are in God's word to discern truth and error? Who will stand fast for Jesus Christ, LORD and Savior?

Ephesians 5:6-11

July 27, 2010 12:38:00 PM PDT

If you visit those links, you will find out much more information about Eboo Patel and his involvement with the Obama Administration's Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

In response to Anonymous's post and links I wrote:

Christinewjc said...
Checked this one out: http://interfaith2010.naz.edu/
and the symbols of different religions in the avatar at the top of the page reminds me of the "coexist" symbols I have seen on cars. The word starts with the symbol of Islam (crescent and star) for the "c" in coexist, and ends with the "t" for the cross at the end of the word. Hmmm...kinda shows which one is valued more - doesn't it? The letters in between represent other religions.

I know. Non-Christians who often post here and hate my religious beliefs of Biblical Christianity will surmise that I'm intolerant - or worse. Well - Jesus was certainly intolerant and CLEAR when he said:

Jhn 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

People can be namby-pamby about religion all they want. But the truth is - not all religions can possibly be correct. That's the truth of the matter! The "can't we just all get along" ideology doesn't work when it comes to the decision on faith and salvation.

Jesus asks each of us, "Who do you say that I am?" Each of those other religions could only answer that he is a "good teacher," or "a great prophet," or "a good man" etc. In order to believe in an interfaith type of gobbledy-gook. Are you thinking what's so wrong with that? I will tell you. They will lead people astray! They would need to leave out what Peter (correctly) answered:

Mat 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Why?

Because if they did include that answer - then all of the other religions would be proven false!

God is not a God of confusion! He gave us His Written Word - the Bible, and His Living Word - Jesus Christ and I believe that Jesus is who He says He is! The Holy Spirit of God brings back to our minds what God has told us in His Word - and leads us into all understanding of the Scriptures. Those who are born-again in Christ will not be fooled by those who preach a different gospel - a false gospel which only leads the hearer into spiritual oblivion.

We were warned that the closer we get to the end times, there will be:

Mat 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

You will notice that "the elect" WON'T be deceived! And we aren't deceived by groups like the one at that link!

July 27, 2010 3:55:00 PM PDT

Apparently, Kevin didn't like my response and he wrote:

Kevin said...
Hi Christine,
You state: "Hmmm...kinda shows which one is valued more - doesn't it?"
Actually Christine, being the first C in the word Coexist does not mean that the religion is more important! It is a symbol of all the religious symbols and the hope that we can all get along without killing each other. There is no conspiracy theory here.
Wouldn't it be nice if all the various religious would just let people make up their own mind which religion they wanted to follow? Just think how many lives would be saved if we stopped fighting over that.

July 27, 2010 5:26:00 PM PDT

So I replied:

Christinewjc said...
Kevin,

The various religions do already [have the opportunity] to all get along here in the U.S. But when one religion chops off the heads of the "infidels" and straps bombs to their bodies and blows themselves up at a Jewish wedding, market, or school; and when that same religion hijacks planes and crashes them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and one that was aimed for either the White House or Congressional building but landed in a field in Pennsylvania because some brave passengers charged the cockpit and wouldn't let the radical Muslims carry out their evil deed; then the "wouldn't it be nice" mantra that you obviously believe in doesn't recognize an evil religious belief when it is right before your very eyes!

People CAN make up their own minds which religion they want to follow in America. But just think how many lives would be saved if we stopped radical Islam from fighting their jihad and forcing their Sharia law and hard-core beliefs upon the world?

July 27, 2010 7:28:00 PM PDT

Kevin hasn't responded yet, but as I awoke this morning several verses came to my mind. I have expanded upon them here:


Isa 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.

Isa 55:9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Although secular man values "pluralism" and "interfaith consciousness," the Lord God requires truth. Those two so-called values may sound nice to the ear, look pleasant to the eye, and satisfy the flesh, but they are worthless spiritually.

Earlier verses in Isaiah give those who have strayed from God through "pluralism" and "interfaith consciousness" the way of return:

Isa 55:6 Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.


Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

It is important to read all of Romans 1, however, for the purpose of this particular discussion, I have selected certain verses that can be applied here:

Rom 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."


Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,


Rom 1:19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.


Rom 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,


Rom 1:21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.


Rom 1:22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,


Rom 1:23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

Rom 1:24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,


Rom 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

The "pluralism" and "interfaith consciousness" is a form of "exchanging the truth of God for the lie." What the people who are doing this are actually accomplishing is "worship and serv[ing] the creature" [i.e. man, beast, idol (like the golden calf of the Old Testament), false prophets (Muhammad), false christs (eg. making Christ in their own image like the homosexual "bishop" Gene Robinson and other do)], etc.

In the following list of those who "God gave over to a debased mind" we see examples of those that could be applied to the ideas of religious pluralism and interfaith consciousness:

Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;


Rom 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, [fn] wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,


Rom 1:30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,


Rom 1:31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, [fn] unmerciful;


Rom 1:32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
[Note: Bold mine]

Oftentimes, people focus on the sins that aren't in bold. However, notice that according to the righteous judgment of God - those who practice any or all of those things are deserving of death. What's more, Paul mentions that "those who approve of those who practice them" are also deserving of death. This reiterates that all sin is punishable by death. That is why Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross at Calvary and subsequent resurrection from the dead is the ONLY way to be forgiven and reconciled back unto the Father.

These people can dance around their religious pluralism and interfaith consciousness, celebrating it in their own minds (just like the Israelites danced around the golden calf "god" of their own making while their leader out of captivity - Moses - was away receiving the Ten Commandments from God); but as the previous verses point out, "their thoughts are not God's thoughts."

Since every word of the Bible is for reproof and correction, those who would violate God's Word with their own humanistic wisdom are guilty of "exchanging the truth for the lie."

Notice that the word "the" is before the word "lie." What is the lie? Why, it's the same lie from old that Jesus warns us about time and time again in the Scriptures:

Jhn 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

1Jo 2:4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Hat Tip:

Blue Letter Bible

The Grace To Trust God in Adversity

Just before signing off from FaceBook last night, I noticed a post that read, "Actually, life DID come with an instruction manual. It's called the Bible."

How true! The limited knowledge of any secular, worldly-minded humanist, psychiatrist, psychologist, politician, teacher, college professor, business person, physician, nurse, scientist etc. could not possibly compare to the wisdom and knowledge of God contained within the Bible.

I have been thinking about how chaotic our world continues to be. It is only growing worse. The confidence that we once had in our government here in the United States has been shattered. We see so much corruption going unpunished that it could be easy for us to lose heart.

I know that the majority of Americans are deeply alarmed over ObaMarxist, the progressives in Congress and the unelected lunatic-leftist czars who are writing all the damaging legislation that will further hurt our economy, freedoms, and liberty. They look forward to the 2010 election - with millions of conservatives hoping and praying for the removal of the corruptocrats in Congress through the victory of Tea Party candidates and conservative Republicans. Such a victory would make Obama a lame duck pResident until the new presidential election in 2012. Hopefully, the new Congress will be taken over by Republicans and the checks and balances against the far left Marxist policies of Obama that are damaging our country so badly will be stopped. Some (like government-run healthcare) may even be overturned.

No matter what happens, as believers in Jesus Christ and his eternal promises, we are given the grace (through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit) to trust God in adversity.

In his book "Trusting God," Jerry Bridges had this to say about troubled times: "The moral will of God given to us in the Bible is rational and reasonable. The circumstances in which we must trust God often appear irrational and inexplicable...It is only from the Scriptures, applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit, that we receive grace to trust God in adversity...The faith to trust God in adversity comes through the Word of God alone."

This is what it means to set our minds on God through His Word. As Bridges affirms, the Scriptures often turn worldly logic on its head. People may think we are unreasonable. The truth is that only those with their minds set on God know what reason really is; only God's course is the course that will ultimately prevail.

Thinking about how chaotic our world is today brought back to mind one of the best book that I have ever read on this topic - "Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World" by Dr. David Jeremiah. [Note: The above quote is taken from this book.]

One bookmarked page in Chapter Five, entitled "Stay Connected", has suggestions for three ways to stay centered in Christ.

After Dr. Jeremiah discussed the importance of staying centered in Christ he goes on to describe just how do we go from being earth-centered to being heaven-centered?

Here are three suggestions to help you in your quest for Christ-centeredness.

Seek God's Will. "but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).

I had to chuckle when I read what Dr. Jeremiah states next. It seems to meld with the thoughts of those whose eyes are only on this world - and not God's heavenly kingdom.

What is it about this verse? People insist on reading it backwards, as though from some spiritual strain of dyslexia: "Add all these things unto you, then seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness in whatever time is left."

Doesn't that describe today's worldly-minded people? I like that phrase, "from some spiritual strain of dyslexia." It proves how true the Bible is when we read:

1Cr 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Dr. Jeremiah:

Blessed are those who read it as written, as intended, as the truth happens to be. One missionary rephrased it well: "Take care of the things that are important to God, and He will take care of the things that are important to you."

That is good advice for every single individual on earth. No one else can take on YOUR PARTICULAR responsibility (whatever that may be) in order to "take care of the things that are important to God" in your own life. Thus, God taking care of the things that are important to you cannot follow without first trusting in God and having faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.

I have seen this scenario played out over and over again in my own life as well as in other's lives. I can discuss this kind of advice freely with my Christian friends because they believe in Christ and agree that the Bible is God's Word and contains absolute truth. However, non-believers often take offense at such a notion.

The second way to stay centered in Christ:

Search God's Word.

This is how Christians can keep their sanity in the midst of all the chaos going on in the world today. Sometimes, I wonder how non-believers can keep it together. If they are paying attention and are seeing all of the evil, corruption and sin being unleashed - without the perpetrators receiving their due punishment for it - how do they hold out any hope? If their hope relies only on the "things of this world," they will continue to be sorely disappointed throughout their entire lives. The things of this world only end up falling to dust and blowing away because reliance on such things do not last. Only God's eternal Word and His Kingdom through Jesus Christ will last for all eternity. Remember, the Bible tells us that one day "every knee will bow" before Christ, and "every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" - which means even the non-believers and followers of other pagan religions - will one day realize who Christ is when He returns to this earth.

Phl 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,


Phl 2:6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,


Phl 2:7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.


Phl 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.


Phl 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,


Phl 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,


Phl 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Also take note of what is written in Romans:

Rom 14:11 For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God."


Rom 14:12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

The book of Isaiah in the Old Testament is filled with prophesy, as well as prophetic verses. Take note of this wisdom:

Isa 45:20 "Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, You who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, Who carry the wood of their carved image, And pray to a god that cannot save.


Isa 45:21 Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me.


Isa 45:22 "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.


Isa 45:23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.


Isa 45:24 He shall say, 'Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him.


Isa 45:25 In the LORD all the descendants of Israel Shall be justified, and shall glory.'

Dr. Jeremiah:

Jesus was a guest in the home of Mary and Martha one day, as Luke's gospel tells us. He found Himself caught in the crossfire of warring priorities. Martha was playing hostess and housekeeper, while Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened intently to His teaching. It didn't seem fair to Martha, and she told Jesus so -- Mary, she said, should do her part. As always, Jesus gave the least expected response: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42).

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we ALL need to be focused on what Jesus has instructed and "chose that good part" daily.

It's fine to be involved in family [I believe in God first, family second, job (or other interests) third], work, politics, and any other activity as long as it doesn't compromise what the Bible teaches as truth. However, when we seek and study God's Word on a daily basis, it helps us stay focused on Jesus - the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Hbr 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,


Hbr 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.


Hbr 12:3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

Dr. Jeremiah:

We face this choice every single day. Staying centered on Christ requires us to stay focused on God's Word. Geoffrey Thomas has written, "The love of Christ is the strongest constraint to knowing the Scriptures, and if we have little desire for the Bible, we should ask if we indeed know the Savior." In other words, our relationship with the Bible mirrors our relationship with Christ."

The third secret to staying centered in Christ is so simple, so powerful, and so often forgotten.

Support God's Work.

Simply go where His action is--and if you can't go there, find other ways to get involved.

The Sermon on the Mount instructs us:

Mat 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;


Mat 6:20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.


Mat 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Dr. Jeremiah:

Pour yourself into eternal things, things that affect the invisible world; things that change the population of heaven.

Jesus says that our hearts naturally follow our treasures. What we value most is a magnet for our thoughts and emotions. Therefore we must learn to value God's things the most. The more we give ourselves to His purposes, the more centered on Christ we will become.

Amen!

Dr. Jeremiah:

There are many other means of staying centered on Christ in chaotic times. But if we start with seeking Him first and searching for Him in the Scriptures, if we remember that our heart follows our treasure and we invest that treasure in things above, we will be well on our way toward starting centered in Christ.

Hat Tips:

Reference: "Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World" by Dr. David Jeremiah, published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, 2009 pp. 128-132.

Blue Letter Bible

Why Muslims Don't Worship the Same God as Christians

While sharing comments at Sarah Palin's Face Book page, I pointed out to a young man who had written that "Muslims, Jews, and Christians all worship the same God" that he is incorrect. I referred him to an essay I had written back in 2006 at my Talk Wisdom Discussion Forum. I thought that it might be a good idea to share it on this blog so that when you encounter people (even some Christians!) who state that "we all worship the same God," you can be armed with the truth.


Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?

The short answer is no! The bottom line is this - Hal Lindsey does not believe that Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews and I agree with him and his reasoning on the subject.

However, I also realize that some Christians do differ on this issue. In fact, President Bush once stated (incorrectly, IMO) that Islam worships the same god as Christians and Jews. I disagree and I will share many reasons that will explain to you why this is not possible.

First, a summary:

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heavens glory and will return again, to earth, to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; John 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13.)

The Koran denies that Jesus is the Son of God although it describes the virgin birth in a passage similar to Luke 1:26-38 (Surah 3:45-47) (Note: Surah is in the Koran).

The Koran calls Jesus a prophet, equal to Abraham, Jonah and others, but places Him in rank far below Muhammad. Surah 4:171 says that "Jesus...was only a messenger of Allah...Far is it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son."

Muhammad totally ignored the claims that Jesus made about Himself. Jesus said, for example:

"I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).
"Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).
"Before Abraham was born, I am" (John 8:58).

The Bible also states that God Himself called Jesus His Son (see Matthew 17:5).

Demons trembled as they recognized the Son of God (see Matthew 8:29).

Doubting Thomas acknowledge Him as "my Lord and my God" (John 20:28).

John identified Christ as the author of creation (John 1:1-5); so did Paul (Col. 1:15-17) who also said, "In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Col. 2:9).

The only way to deal with this kind of evidence is to do what Muhammad did - simply ignore or deny it. Islam denies Jesus Christ's Deity so they do not worship the same 'god' in their god of Allah.

Next, a response to someone who thinks Allah and Yahweh are one in the same.

In response to an individual who was attempting to equate Allah with Yahweh, I wrote the following response and included some comments from others who agree with my stance:

What Muslims believe:

"Christ, the son of Mary [note: not as the "son of God"], Was no more than A Messenger; many were Messengers that passed away Before him [here, equating Jesus with mere Messengers, or perhaps prophets, but certainly not the Son of God]. Sura 5:75, Abdullah Yusef Ali, 10th ed. reprint, 2001.

"The similitude of Jesus Before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust . . . ". Sura 3:59. A subsequent "created" man, like Adam. Not God.

What Christians believe:

However, "And the angel [being Gabriel, the same angel that allegedly dictated the "Holy Koran" to Muhammad] answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35, KJV).

The Scriptures refer to Christ as "the seed of the WOMAN," knowing that no woman has any seed. The seed has to come from the male; Christ, as the Word incarnate (John 1:14), in an INCORRUPTIBLE SEED (1 Pet. 1:23) not like unto "corruptible MAN" (Rom. 1:23). Not like Adam, a created man who was not the son of God.

Thus, it comes down to a choice between these two disparate positions.

Either God showed up in the flesh, or he did not.

At this point in history, that makes you either believe God's inspired Scriptures testifying of himself in the flesh, or Allah's declaration that he did not visit in the flesh nor will he return once again.

The Koran indicates there WAS AND IS NO SON OF GOD in the flesh at any time. Muhammad thus cuts off the Isaac line through David to Jesus by God acting through Mary, and substitutes the illegitimate Ishmael to substitute himself for Jesus Christ as the New Testament "Comforter".

Jesus would then have been the son of Joseph (a corruptible man, dead and buried without resurrection), and therefore could not be the Son of God.

What does that make Muhammad?

I realize that some readers will regard this as harsh. I am just sharing the truth of the matter.

We are warned about such non-scripture by Paul when God cursed Muhammad (and any angel with whom he was consorting) for preaching "another gospel" (Gal. 1:8-9).

Below, are more differences that I have gathered through other's postings. (I will include first names or screen names only)

1. Muhammad sought earthly power and riches, including women from conquest. Jesus taught us that the Kingdom of Heaven is not of this world, and he gave up His life, via a gruesome Roman execution, so that we all might live again in the Kingdom of heaven, with all the angels and saints. And a final human act of murder and self-destruction will not gain one access to that Kingdom of Heaven, much less 72 dark-haired perpetual virgins. No, allah and God are quite different beings, with different requirements for believing in them. (contributed by John)

2. No Muslim believes that Jesus Christ in the trinity is one with God and God. Therefore they do not worship the same God. Allah does not reflect John 1:1 at all. Hence the reason one can not preach the teachings of Christ around Mecca. (contributed by Merle)

3. It is TOTALLY ILLOGICAL to say the god of Islam and God of the Jews and Christians are one and the same. Islamic scripture KORAN and Hadith is rife with Allah's disdain and hate of the the Jews and Christians. It is IMPOSSIBLE for God to hate the people (Jews and Christians) He created. Therefore Allah of Islam and God are not the same. (contributed by Paul)

4. To base arguments on the superficial use of the word 'God' misses the mark entirely. Even cults use the word 'God'. It is true that Judeo-Christian and Islamic beliefs have Abraham in common. From there though, Islam takes every Judeo-Christian belief and turns it upside down. (contributed by Terry)

5. Perhaps I can fill you in on some key points as to why I have trouble (with anyone who holds the opinion) that Allah is the same God of the Bible - God of Christians and Jews. First we need to be careful to resist our natural urge to claim common ground for the sake of unity and peace. Instead we need to look at historical facts and religious aims to see whether such commonality is possible. And we need to proceed LOGICALLY. The question we are asking is : Who is Allah? Here we are asking who Allah, the God of Islam is. We are asking who is the Allah god muslims worship to?

The Koran points out that Allah is the same as the God of Jews and Christians ( "the People of the Book") And muslims claim their faith as "the faith of Abraham" in one Creator God. So the question is settled? Well, not so fast!

As well meaning religious people, we like to see unity and peace. And we like to establish commonality with our neighbors. However to answer this key question, we need to be more objective. So let's clear up our mind and approach this question from the standpoint of a new muslim convert who is being introduced to Islam. What is the most important statement of Islam? It is the Shahada: That there is no deity but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet. This all important pledge states that Allah is the only God there is and Muhammad is his prophet. If you say this before two witnesses, you become a muslim. This all important claim of Islam DEFINES Allah.

Note that there are two parts to Shahada - "Allah is [the] only God that exist[s]" and "Muhammad is Allah's prophet". In other words, Shahada states "There is only Allah" but who is this god, Allah? "Allah is Muhammed's God" because Muhammad is his spokesman (prophet).

So the fundamental axiom of Islam DEFINES who Allah is. Allah is the God Muhammad worshipped! And this is a point that ALL MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS, AND JEWS CAN AGREE ON.

Allah is the god Muhammad worshipped. This is how we should clarify who Allah is. This statement: "Allah is the God Muhammad worshipped daily" is a statement we all agree on.

Now we examine cold and hard historical facts.Was Muhammad ever a Jew? Nope. Was Muhammad ever a Christian? Nope. In fact, historians would agree that Muhammad was an Arab pagan who worshipped at Kaaba temple of Mecca. And he worshipped the supreme deity of Arab paganism - Allah of Mecca. We know that there is connection between the God of Christians and the God of Jews BECAUSE JESUS HAS BEEN A JEW AND SO WERE ALL EARLY CHRISTIANS. We can safely say that Christianity is a branch, if you will, out of Judaism because all early Christians were Jews and Christians accept Jewish Old Testaments VERBATUM.

By the same key criteria, we cannot say that Islam is a growth out of Judaism nor Christianity. Muhammad had never been a Jew nor a Christian and muslims do not accept the Bible verbatum. Instead Islam AIMS TO REPLACE THE BIBLE WITH THE KORAN. Because they believe that the Bible is full of errors while the Koran is the perfect book from the Heaven.

So let us summarize the above point why Allah is not the same as the God of Christians and Jews.

a. "Allah is the God Muhammad worshipped." If you want to talk Islam, you have to start from the Shahada. If you are unwilling to see the meaning of Shahada, we are talking at cross purpose. Shahada says that Allah is the God Muhammad worshipped and he is the only God there is. All other deities are idols to be denied and oppressed. (This is a point that all muslims, Christians, and Jews can agree on. )

b. Muhammad was an Arab pagan who worshipped at Kaaba temple of Mecca. (This also is a point that all can agree on. ) He was and never had been a Christian nor a Jew.

c. Therefore, Allah is NOT the God of Christians and Jews. (contributed by Jay)

I am very politically aware of what is going on in the world today. In fact, here in America, as long as your god is just a word, the world has no problem with you. However, mention the name of Jesus Christ and they do have a problem. Why is that? Why is Jesus so offensive to those who do not believe in him?

Perhaps you already agree that we Muslims and Christians do not worship or serve the same God.

Christians believe in the Trinity (I John 5:7). God the father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).

"If you have seen me you have seen the Father" (John 14:9).

In non-theological words, Jesus is God revealed to us in the flesh. Muslims do not believe in the same god, that is the God of the New Testament Bible. Let's just call it like it is. People must not try to trivialize our differences for the sake of peace.

When I was debating an individual about this topic, at the very beginning I had stated, "Since you are using a book - Koran - that I view as an improper addition to the Bible, anything I might say to rebut your allegations will probably not be accepted by you.

I do not say that the Koran is an improper addition to the Bible with a mean-spirited goal, it is just the truth as I see it being a born-again Christian. The Bible gives us a double warning in Revelation 22:18,19 not to add nor subtract from what is written, therefore, any book written after Revelation would be adding (and, in some cases subtracting, according to what is written in them) to God's Word which we are told not to do according to these verses."

With that said, I will share a few points regarding his dismay when I called Ishmael illegitimate.

I am currently in the middle of a Bible study on the book of Genesis. Here is a partial recap of chapter 16:

Here we find Sarai and Abram frustrated by the passing years without a son. So they devise their own strategy for "fulfilling" God's promise--and reap the consequences. Read Genesis 16.1.

It has been ten years since Abram and Sarai entered Canaan. What action does Sarai how suggest (16:1-2)?

Suggested Abram sleep with her maidservant to build a family through her.

2. What do you think this indicates about their trust in God?

They doubted that His promise would be fulfilled without them stepping in and "helping it along" the way. Sarai influenced Abram to commit adultery. (Another point to recognize is the name changes of both Sarai and Abram to Sarah and Abraham before Isaac was born; but even more significantly this occurred after Ishmael was born. A name change in Scripture is quite significant in that it indicates a great change in the path of the person. We see this in the New Testament when Saul was renamed Paul after his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and thus his conversion from not only just Judaism, but from being a persecutor of Christians to becoming one of the greatest apostles for Christ!)

3. How can our impatience with God's timetable lead us into unbelief and even disobedience?

It led to the sin of adultery in order to get the child they so desperately wanted. In fact, God did come through later with the conception and birth of Isaac.

7. Ishmael means "the God who hears." What does that reveal about the outcome in 16:15-16?

The Lord heard the child and Hagar's misery. Even though He told her the good news that He would increase her descendants so that they would be too numerous to count, He also told her the bad news; that Ishmael would be Gen 16:12- "And he will be a wild man; his hand [will be] against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."

This is indicative of the hostility we have seen between Arabs and Jews throughout the centuries. We also see it in the radical fringe of Arab/Muslim terrorism going on around the world. (This is not to say that ALL Arabs/Muslims are terrorists because of course they all are not, but to point out that the hostility predicted in this Biblical account has come to fruition down through the generations and can be seen today as a result of this prophetic description of Ishmael in Genesis 16:12.)

I WILL REPEAT FOR ABSOLUTE CLARITY. I AM NOT SAYING THAT ALL MUSLIMS/ARABS ARE TERRORISTS!

In Chapter 17 we see that God's one and only covenant is revealed through Isaac. I have already included the Bible verses in previous posts.

Lastly, at my Bible study this past Tuesday, we ran across the following verse that reveals an astonishing truth about which son God Himself recognized as Abraham's "only son."

In Genesis Chapter 22 verse 2 we read:

"Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

Of course, we know that God provided a substitute for Isaac at the last moment by providing a ram caught in in a thicket by its horns (verse 13). This was a foreshadowing of the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of mankind at the cross.

But notice also that God said that Isaac was Abraham's only son. Thus, we recognize Isaac's line in succession to Jesus Christ, not Ishmael's line of descendants.
__________________
Christine

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8

The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

*******

Update:

My Face Book friend, who happens to be a Christian biblical scholar from Australia - Bill Muehlenberg - has written two excellent essays on this topic. Please read them and be educated on this issue!

Culture Watch Blog: No, We Do Not Worship the Same God

Culture Watch Blog: What to Make of Allah