Describing the Unseen


I have heard people use the story of the blind men and the elephant as a way to describe our differing views of the nature of God.  I have known that there is something wrong with that approach.  And just this morning I have come to an understanding of why that story fails.

Man is the reason that story falls short.  In describing the elephant, the blind men are speaking of that which they are able to sense.  But God is not like man.  There is nothing about Him that we can speak with

Blind men and an elephant

Image via Wikipedia

certainty, except to say that He Is.  All true faith comes from Him alone.  And we are not to speak of Him in terms of man.  Our problem is that all our understandings come from the world experience.  And in this we are severely limited.

So, yes, we speak of Him as we are given to know.  But in this “knowing” we are to recognize our limitations.  Let us be very careful not to bring God down to our level.  Not one of us knows the Holiness that is God, yet.  If we speak of Him, let us speak the words of God.  Let us speak those words which are given to us by His Holy Spirit.  Who knows the mind of God but the Spirit of God?  And who can speak the Holy words of the Spirit but those who have the Spirit?

There is so much more to say regarding this.  But it is God who speaks the rest of this truth to all men.  So I will leave the “rest” to the Lord.

 

By His Grace.

Famous Bad Advice. Stupid is What Stupid Does.


Thinking RFID
Image by @boetter via Flickr

CAUTION:

WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ MAY OFFEND YOUR SENSE OF SELF WORTH.

MY INTENT IN THIS POST WAS NOT TO CONSOLE THE MASS OF HUMANITY.  I’VE REALLY TRIED HARD TO OFFEND EVERYONE IN THIS POST.  IF YOU FIND YOURSELF UNOFFENDED AFTER READING THIS, PLEASE INFORM GOD.  PERHAPS HE WILL REMIND ME OF SOME OTHER STATEMENTS. 

“You’re not in a boat that is sinking.  You’re getting ready to go swimming.”

“You’re not about to drown.  You’re about to drink a whole lot of water.”

“You’re not going to be eaten by sharks.  You’re helping feed the earth.”

“The world isn’t corrupt.  It’s only doing what it can get away with.”

“You wouldn’t have done that if you knew what was going to happen.”

“You’re not sinning.  You’re only doing what comes natural.”

“Liberal thinking isn’t wrong.  It’s simply questioning the definition of the word truth.”

“You don’t have to work for a living.  If you look pathetic enough long enough, someone else will feed you.”

“Nobody owns anything they weren’t given by the government.”

“If you do enough good deeds God will accept you.”

“The state of the world is God’s fault.  After all, He’s the one who put the two trees in the Garden of Eden.”

“I am not a liar.  I just don’t tell the truth sometimes.”

“Just because somebody asks you to stop doing something doesn’t mean they really mean ‘stop’.”

“Sexual immorality isn’t sin.  It’s just testing the waters.”

“I know you didn’t mean to kill him.  After you stabbed him the first time you were just being merciful to stab him the other hundred times.”

“It’s only a yellow light.”

“The cops won’t give you a ticket for only breaking the speed limit by 5 miles an hour.  Besides, you’re in a hurry.”

“Jesus isn’t the only way to God.  God just thinks of Him as His Son.”

“God watches to see how you dress, what kind of car you drive, how much money you can make, and how popular you are.  He uses those things to determine how good of a person you are.”

“You can make up your own rules about God.  It’s ok.  There’s too many versions to be sure anyway.”

“It’s ok to believe God is just a myth.  After all, no one has seen Him.”

“Panic on my part is justified if you failed to plan your life.  After all, I am my brother’s keeper, right?”

“Marriage isn’t restricted to a man and woman.  It’s the union of really good friends.”

“It’s ok to take that paper clip from work.  They’ll never miss it, and you need it more than the company.”

“You didn’t kill anybody.  You just caused them to cry a little bit.”

“You were only late for work because you over slept.  It doesn’t mean you don’t care.”

“It’s ok to not read the Bible.  After all, it only makes you feel bad.  And there’s just too much bad feelings in the world already.”

“You’re not a bad man.  You just get a little violent once in a while.”

“It’s ok to look down on the stupid people.  After all, you know what’s right.”

“Prayer isn’t all that important.  (shrug shrug)  God knows everything anyway.”

“If you do what everyone else is doing, God will forgive you.  After all, you’re only human.”

“When you find someone who’s done something worse than you, it’s ok to hate them.”

“Jesus is willing to forgive everyone’s sins (even the most horrible).  But your sins are too much.”

“You’re not going to be judged by the Most High God.  You’re only going to get a chance to see what this ‘Hell’ thingy is all about.

Eternity isn’t that long.

Taught by Snakes


A black and white icon of a teacher in front o...

Image via Wikipedia

The number of those who teach evil are far more than those who teach the Truth of God.  For the mature in Christ, this is no worrisome statement.  For those who are young in Christ, this statement must find a place of resound within their hearts, or they will be lead astray.  For the youth of this world, I caution you to invest a heavy amount of your time in the Bible and prayer.  For you are being taught by snakes in this world.  Millions of wicked men and women have set themselves over the young of the world.  They teach lies in such a format that the young are easily slipped into embracing those lies.

No Legs to Stand


You thought you were expected to right all wrongs.

You considered the power of God a “noneffect”.

It was written about you,

“They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.”

Then you will stand and present yourself for inspection.

You will give account of yourself and all the things you thought you did with righteousness.

But what will be said?

Perhaps you will say that you gathered all information and stood your ground against wrongs.

Perhaps you will point to others and say that they did not allow you to perform godly actions.

Perhaps you will render all your deeds and realize that God was not part of any of them.

When you are asked to give account of yourself, what pocket will you reach into to draw proof?

What chance will you have to say, “May I have a moment to reflect?”

Your tongue will betray your fear and words will come regardless your desire to stem their tide.

Before Him you are standing, on that day.

He who has provided the power to accomplish God’s will.

But you decided here to do all things according to your own imagination.

You read the Bible and determined that you could obey the Holy Law of God.

How’s that working out for you?

You see social injustice and take it upon yourself to correct the flood of lawless men.

You made a “good” life for yourself and your family.

And it is your hands which have constructed the house you now live in.

Have you never heard the Gospel?

Will you recount, on that day, that everything you have to present to the Holy Father has been done by Jesus His Son?

Perhaps you have not heard this:

 Unless the LORD builds the house,
   the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
   the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early
   and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
   for he grants sleep to those he loves.

May God grant you understanding before you stand before Him.

Pilgrim’s Progress, the Animated Version


Source: Drboisclair 13:17, 8 February 2007 (UT...

Image via Wikipedia

Pilgrim’s Progress, the animated version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz9QG2ifiWg&feature=colike

I’m a Bible Thumper!


open bible

Image by Hc_07 via Flickr

We who love Him, thump our Bible with a soft rhythm; a rhythm akin to a faint echo of a hammer striking a nail. We tap our fingers on the Bible for the sake of those who cannot yet listen. With the tender noise of a drop of Holy Blood impacting a harsh ground, thus we thump our Bible.  Such a faint thump. Yet witness the reaction. Is the music of salvation really so faint that human ears cannot hear it? Yet, what sound does a drop Jesus’ blood make when it falls on a baked hill top?

 

Perhaps they’ll listen now……………