Category Archives: Religious

Most anything dealing with the religious nature of life. This could be interesting, or not, or enlighting, or perhaps, inbetween

Relationship versus Religion 2016-44

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Relationship versus Religion   2016-44

I feel I try to get “closer to Jesus Christ” in my relationship with Him. It is not easy for me and I am continually striving to do so. I wander and find myself straying away at times, even though I do not want to do so. Hey, “I am human” is my excuse, but a bad one.

What is Being Religious?

Anyhow, I have some points of view to think about. Someone told or actually asked me, “You are religious?” I thought and admitted to him that was so, probably. I stopped to think about the question. What is being religious? Is it being Lutheran, following doctrines of the church, going to church, doing the right things, being moral in my actions and thoughts, or WHAT?  Does God want me or us to be religious or does He want us to have a relationship with Him. Which is more important?

I refuse to say I should be less religious or not at all. I feel I am also Spiritual and perhaps that does shove me more towards having a better relationship with God; maybe….

Is it Enough?

Doing or being more religious does have problems for me at times.

Do I feel that when I am doing all the religious things I am on God’s “good side” and am saved because I am doing what I did or do for Him. Hmmm…. Then, if I do not pray enough, do enough service, attend church all the time; do I start to feel guilty? I would think then with this rationale, I can NEVER pray enough, read the Bible enough, and do enough for the church to earn God’s love.  Then I thought, God doesn’t love me for what I do, God loves me for what my Savior did for me… He loves me because of my relationship with Him not my obligations I feel I must do for Him. Another Hmmm… I read Romans 8:1 and that Scripture sort of sums it up for me.

Do I, or do others , censure others for not being or acting perfect? THEN, do we start to make comparisons with these same others? Does it become sessions of comparing our spiritual life to others and when we start to condemn ourselves do we then start to condemn others?  I think we should NOT compare ourselves to others but instead compare ourselves to Jesus Christ and in reality there is NO comparison in that comparison. All we have to do is accept His grace and allow Him to bridge the gap where we do not measure up.  In Romans 2:1 it states, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things”, which somewhat explains what I just said.

Does God Owe Us?

Being quite religious can make us feel like God “owes us”, which is not true. If we do all those religious things I mentioned beforehand, why would God allow all or anything bad to happen to us? This is where we feel that we can achieve righteousness, which is something we cannot do. In Romans 3:10-12 “ as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;   no one understands; no one seeks for God.   All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Anyhow, I believe that He has given us all that he has when he died on the cross for our sins, and owes us nothing more..

I do not want my ego to allow any of my religious ongoing dealings to make me prideful of myself and take my thoughts away from Jesus and my relationship with Him. As it states in one of my favorite books of the Bible, James 5:16, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” This idea may be what I want to do. Also, do I, or we, allow ourselves to think our being good is from US, instead of God’s grace alone, and if we do, we may become subjugated by this.

No Strings Attached!

Lastly, I think we should NOT be thinking about how much we pray, go to church, read the Bible, but instead, ponder and focus more on the who, instead of the how of being religious. By getting closer to Jesus Christ, this is more that really matters, the WHO of the One we worship, because God wants us to come just as we are, no more. He invites us to an abundant life, defined by relationship instead of just a religious setting. Religion doesn’t save, Jesus does. I do NOT feel that there is not a place in our lives for religion; just not allow it to rule us. Community is a part of showing our love for God and not to be excluded, but let it be part of the relationship.

Den Betts

 

 

I acknowledge Tyler Speegle for his comments that I used for info in the above. I made it more personable to me and not him for these views on religion and relationships.

Saint or Sinner???? 2016-38

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Saint or Sinner????    2016-38

I am NOT a saint and most definably AM a sinner. Let me define both. A Saint is, by definition, a person who has exceptional holiness of life and is recognized as such by the Christian Church and may be canonized as such. Well then, a sinner is probably the opposite in many ways, but is one that violates the will of God, or disobeys Him.

I would think that there are not many saints compared to the multitude of sinners around or have lived in the past. The Catholic Church has distinguished some saints, that is sure, and these people are indeed revered as such. So, we common people are in the groups that are not held in esteem by others as the saints are looked at in life.

I would think that all religions have people that could be looked at as saints. In the Lutheran religion, dear old Marty Luther could have been made one if Lutherans did these things. He was not a saintly person though, but I would guess he was a nice guy, regardless.

I believe that Theresa of Avilla of the Catholic Church deserved to be sainted as she was somewhat special for her time. I encourage anyone to read up on her.  Mother Teresa, of the 20th Century, whose real name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was nominated for sainthood and what she did probably will help her become one.   She was a nice old lady and supposedly did really great things in her life. There are those that think differently, but they don’t count in my mind. I wonder what God thinks about her?

I had to laugh (later) when someone told me they were not a sinner and followed a good life, even though they were not very religious (their words). At least they did not follow or practice any religious denomination at the time he said. I asked him, what he meant and he said, “I do not, and never did, any of those things in the Ten Commandments.” I just blinked and told him, I was happy to hear that; but thought to myself, he was full of self-righteous crap…

I believe that God of the Universe thinks ALL of us are sinners in some way. It really does NOT matter what WE think, it is what He knows. It is the same for me and for anyone. We might believe we are living a life in a good way, but if we look back we will probably see that there are some cracks in the veneer of life where we really are not spotless.

Guess what! God the Father, maker of Heaven and Earth STILL loves us; all of us. He might not LIKE what we do at times, but we, as His children, are loved by Him. Simple as that…. It is hard for me to fathom that He could love many of the humans on Earth, His children that do some of the things they do; but that it the way it is.

It does NOT give us a blank check to do what we want to do and expect Him to have a blind eye on what we do; just is NOT going to happen. I cannot tell you what will happen because every episode is different and He is the final say on whatever He decides. Sinners probably warrant a second look by Him perhaps and I guess that would be fair.

I also believe that any Saints are a creation of man and not of God. He may love those that mankind has decreed to be Saints, but that doesn’t cut the ice for how He comes to terms with them. We are ALL equal in His eyes and any judgements are His and not for us to decide the good and bad of what they have done. I would guess the Catholic hierarchy thinks different on this idea.

I guess, what bothers me is the feeling that many of us, just don’t give a crap about whether or not we are sinners, and instead just go about living and doing what we do without any thought of the repercussions. The feeling is to live life the way we do and sometime in the future we die; so what? OK, we might know we are doing bad things that are not good in the eyes of man or an unknown God, but so what? If we get away with it or don’t break the laws of mankind, so be it; let me alone. What I do is my business and not really anyone else’s, so, again, let me alone.

If I don’t fit the mold of others, that is their problem. I never promised great or think of myself as a Saint and know I am not close to being one, so let me alone. I may be looked at as a sinner in their eyes, but I will deal with that on my own and live with anything that comes down from my actions. So be it!!

The understanding that if God so decrees, I may have eternal life beyond the human existence is in the far future. Many of us look at that eternal life concept as the unknown and not really something to think about now in our human reality.

Eternal is a long time. It does not mean just 80 years on the average. To perhaps, get to see our parents again and kick around our memories, research our ancestry, question anyone of the past, and do an untold multitude of things is staggering to think about. Eternal, again, is a long time to be with God and those that have passed.

I am not a Saint but am a sinner and admit it. I join all the sinners of the world to contemplate my very survival of eternal life with God, His son Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit, now and forever more. I continually ask God for forgiveness of my sins here on Earth and ask that He consider me as one of His chosen ones to be with Him, again, forever, eternally.

Den Betts

If God Is Dead… 2016-37

Posted in Current Events, Religious by

I copied this from the Internet and am posting it today, 4-27-16. I liken this post to be like the canary in the coal mine, a means of knowing how things may or may not be. This is from, of all people, Pat Buchanan, who I thought was dead, but is very much alive. What he states is “possible” of the way religion is today and Christianity in particular. If so, we as a civilization should listen to the canary and see if it is still alive or dying and perhaps do something about it.

We, all of us, can look around and see how things are going. Look at our family, our friends, neighbors and fellow citizens and how we have strayed from belief in God to believing God is dead and why bother to practice any faith based on an unknown deity or a 2000 year old story of one man, so very long ago. Why bother; enjoy life for today and the hell with tomorrow. On the other hand, also look at our existence of what we do and do not do and contemplate our survival as a species without God..

I welcome you to critique Buchanan’s article and let it be known where he is not correct in his thinking. He is not offering solutions, I admit, but trying to show a trend and causes.

If God Is Dead…   2016-37

Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam.”

In a recent column Dennis Prager made an acute observation.

“The vast majority of leading conservative writers … have a secular outlook on life. … They are unaware of the disaster that godlessness in the West has led to.”

These secular conservatives may think that “America can survive the death of God and religion,” writes Prager, but they are wrong.

And, indeed, the last half-century seems to bear him out.

A people’s religion, their faith, creates their culture, and their culture creates their civilization. And when faith dies, the culture dies, the civilization dies, and the people begin to die.

Is this not the recent history of the West?

Today, no great Western nation has a birthrate that will prevent the extinction of its native-born. By century’s end, other peoples and other cultures will have largely repopulated the Old Continent.

European Man seems destined to end like the 10 lost tribes of Israel — overrun, assimilated and disappeared.

And while the European peoples — Russians, Germans, Brits, Balts — shrink in number, the U.N. estimates that the population of Africa will double in 34 years to well over 2 billion people.

What happened to the West?

As G. K. Chesterton wrote, when men cease to believe in God, they do not then believe in nothing, they believe in anything.

As European elites ceased to believe in Christianity, they began to convert to ideologies, to what Dr. Russell Kirk called “secular religions.”

For a time, these secular religions — Marxism-Leninism, fascism, Nazism — captured the hearts and minds of millions. But almost all were among the gods that failed in the 20th century.

Now Western Man embraces the newer religions: egalitarianism (is a trend of thought that favors equality for all people) , democratism (a project to make the priorities of the people the priorities of society, through a new political process), capitalism, feminism, One Worldism, environmentalism. (my bold print)

These, too, give meaning to the lives of millions, but these, too, are inadequate substitutes for the faith that created the West.

For they lack what Christianity gave man — a cause not only to live for, and die for, but a moral code to live by, with the promise that, at the end a life so lived, would come eternal life. Islam, too, holds out that promise.

Secularism, however, has nothing on offer to match that hope.

Looking back over the centuries, we see what faith has meant.

When, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the West embraced Christianity as a faith superior to all others, as its founder was the Son of God, the West went on to create modern civilization, and then went out and conquered most of the known world.

The truths America has taught the world, of an inherent human dignity and worth, and inviolable human rights, are traceable to a Christianity that teaches that every person is a child of God.

Today, however, with Christianity virtually dead in Europe and slowly dying in America, Western culture grows debased and decadent, and Western civilization is in visible decline.

Rudyard Kipling prophesied all this in “Recessional”:

“Far-called our navies melt away; On dune and headland sinks the fire: Lo, all our pomp of yesterday/Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!”

All the Western empires are gone, and the children of once-subject peoples cross the Mediterranean to repopulate the mother countries, whose native-born have begun to age, shrink and die.

Since 1975, only two European nations, Muslim Albania and Iceland have maintained a birthrate sufficient to keep their peoples alive.

Given the shrinking populations inside Europe and the waves of immigrants rolling in from Africa and the Middle and Near East, an Islamic Europe seems to be in the cards before the end of the century.

Vladimir Putin, who witnessed the death of Marxism-Leninism up close, appears to understand the crucially of Christianity to Mother Russia, and seeks to revive the Orthodox Church and write its moral code back into Russian law.

And what of America, “God’s country”?

With Christianity excommunicated from her schools and public life for two generations, and Old and New Testament teachings rejected as a basis of law, we have witnessed a startlingly steep social decline.

Since the 1960s, America has set new records for abortions, violent crimes, incarcerations, drug consumption. While HIV/AIDS did not appear until the 1980s, hundreds of thousands have perished from it, and millions now suffer from it and related diseases.(Numbers are not shown – my insert)

Forty percent of U.S. births are out of wedlock. For Hispanics, the illegitimacy rate is over 50 percent; for African-Americans, it’s over 70 percent. (This is reported by CNS News, a conservative American News website founded by L. Brent Bozell in 1998 –my insert)

Test scores of U.S. high school students fall annually and approach parity with Third World countries.

Suicide is a rising cause of death for middle-aged whites. (teen suicides are too ? my insert)

Secularism seems to have no answer to the question, “Why not?”

“How small, of all that human hearts endure, That part which laws or kings can cause or cure,” wrote Samuel Johnson.

Secular conservatives may have remedies for some of America’s maladies. But, as Johnson observed, no secular politics can cure the sickness of the soul of the West — a lost faith that appears irretrievable.

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Source URL: http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/patrick-j-buchanan/if-god-dead

Like many online services, I DO question the accuracy of the news and the people that write and present the information. I have always had a feeling of dislike for Mr. Buchanan, but thought I would present his thoughts about this subject of God. So, consider the source of who is saying the above and what is being said…………. Just a disclaimer, so go from there………

Hypocrites in Life 2016-36

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                                                Hypocrites in Life 2016-36

I AM a hypocrite!!!! That being said, let me define what that means. Per my trusty friend Danny Webster, 1.A person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.2.    A person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, esp. one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

OK, maybe I am one, or maybe this is not so. This is up to others to decide.

The thing is, it is probably true that we ALL are hypocrites in some way or at some time in our lives. IF we are so, I doubt if we will acknowledge the fact, but instead, rationalize our thinking to prove our not being so. I would think this is normal and if we are ourselves normal, then we go on with our lives living a lie, to a degree.

Then I also ask, “What is normal.” I would think that means we are free from any mental disorders or in any manipulative ways of expression. We could be described as average in any psychological traits, such as intelligence, personalities or emotional involvements. We would probably conform to the standards of what everyone else (?) is like, not unusual, and definitely not abnormal, but instead regular or natural in our thinking.

So, in a way, being a hypocrite is somewhat normal, if my thoughts that most if not all people are in fact hypocrites or act like Pharisee’s. Ha!!!

I went to a tavern not long ago and involved myself in what was called “Pub Theology”, where we discussed various aspects of religious philosophy. Actually, we just kicked around some opinions of different things regarding our two religions. I really was interested in what was being said and learned about the other religion of those attending.

One of the subjects discussed was where a church says, “ALL are welcome!” Does “ALL” really mean all or something different. Or, do we mean, all are welcome if you fit the criteria that I have made in MY thinking about various things in life. It created some good dialogue anyhow and I believe I will go back for another session of discussion.

I think of other areas in my life where I do have my beliefs on a subject and what I state is maybe different than my internal beliefs. Sometimes, keeping to myself what I really believe is better in the long run than stating or blurting out something else. In a way, this is common sense and prudent, plus is compassionate at times.

Therefore, in a way, being a hypocrite, sometimes, could be looked at is a good thing. Well, sort of anyhow!!!

The main thing is, if we KNOW we are hypocrites, then we can do something about it; or can we? I would imagine that if we are self-righteous, or sanctimonious it would be difficult to change and not be so. Nobody, and I repeat, NOBODY wants to admit certain things and being a hypocrite could be one of them.

I really enjoy looking at myself in a critical way at times and it is revealing to say the least. The guy in the mirror is not exactly like the guy looking in the mirror. IF we are honest with ourselves we will probably see things that could be changed.

This year, an election year, is a hypocritical one. The politicians are rife with hypocritical sayings on a regular basis. This is the nature of the beast and I really chuckle when a statement is made and something like “Fact Check” proves them as being outright liars or at least believing in the opposite of what they stated. It doesn’t appear to change the opinions of the people that believe in them though, which is sometimes a sad commentary of life.

IF you claim to be always truthful and NOT hypocritical, I really think looking into the mirror of life and examining oneself for what and how you might be in reality. If the look comes back and you are not, really NOT hypocritical in some way, God bless you.

Peace,

Den Betts

Knight Slayed 2016-28

Posted in Contemplation, Poems, Religious by

Where did this come from; don’t know. But do realize that the hero does not ALWAYS win in life. That is the way of life itself. When we wish upon a star for those things from afar, sometimes our wishes are not met.  Yet on the other hand when we do pray for something, sometimes our prayers are answered, but not at times, the way that we want them to be.

Knight Slayed 2016-28

Upon the mighty steed he went

looking forward, toward the fight.

Dressed in shining white he traveled,

to hunt, to make the dragon bleed.

With good intentions and mind naïve

a promise to save mankind, at least.

The people cheered and rallied him on,

to stay the course toward the beast.

 

He told them all he would not fail,

or fall from favor to them all.

His goal was honorable, or so it seemed,

the mission not quite the Holy Grail.

Truth shall win he yelled, so let us begin,

as he charged toward the fray.

A moments respite then the battle was begun,

no fun, but fair, he thought he knew.

A parry here, a jab there, a start;

a two way beginning of a witches brew.

No magic Merlin to help his cause,

only him to combat the brute.

 

In a second of time, an infinity to some,

the knight lay withered on the ground.

The dragon reared upon his legs, looked down,

and sneered at the puny form of man.

“How dare you fight the master of life,

the system always wins.”

Den Betts

In the Shadow of the Cross 2016-27

Posted in Current Events, Religious by

In the Shadow of the Cross  2016-27

The following post is about the time of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. It is after Jesus was tried by Pontius Pilate, scourged, and taken to Golgotha, the “Place of the Skull, and put on the cross.  It is from the mindset of the man Barabbas who was set free from being crucified, when his name was offered in place of Jesus.

From the mind of Barabbas:

I was freed! I fully expected to be hanging on the cross along with these other men that I am looking at. I was freed and did not expect this to happen! I stand now in the shadow of the cross and know where I ought to  be.

It is a fact that I should be up there and fully expected it; up until yesterday. When I heard that this man Jesus was to take my place and I was going to be set free, I could not believe it. I was let go with the warning that I would be soon hanging from a tree if I did not get out of Jerusalem   right away.

I, being myself, decided that this would not be the case. But, I just had to know more about the man that took my place.  I hacked my beard off, which changed my appearance greatly. I also stole some clothes from a yard on the outskirts of the city and I look much different. Just maybe, the Roman guards would not recognize me as I now appear..

The Passover was still going on and I blended in with the multitude of people reveling in the city. There were gatherings of people everywhere and I took advantage of them by selecting choice food to eat when they were not looking. I am a thief and know how to do these things well.

I am also a rebel and do not like the occupation of the Romans and their rules of governing. I cannot remember when I was not causing trouble with them and those that put up with their dictates of life. I hate them. I and others like me, are called zealots, and our goal is to eradicate them from our life in any way we can do so.

I was caught by a group of Roman Centurions after one of our group told them of our plans and we fell into a pitched battle with 3 or 4 of them. I killed the man responsible for telling them, and that is why I was sentenced to death by crucifixion. The fact that I was a rebel was enough for a death sentence anyhow.

So, I am now watching this man Jesus slowly die on the cross meant for me. As far as I could find out, He did nothing wrong that deserved his being put to death by crucifixion. He claims to be the Son of God and the religious leaders do not like his saying this, as it is blasphemy in their eyes.

I personally am not that religious and do not follow the Hebrew ways very much. I tell others I am a Jew, but in name only. Many of my group of zealots fill the same way, but we do ALL hate the Romans. In fact, as proclaimed zealots, we feel the Hebrew way is the ONLY way, and that makes us somewhat seem like hypocrites, but that is too bad.

One of the other Jews hanging with this man Jesus does not look good at all and I doubt if he will last very long. The other man yelled out to the man Jesus, ”Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”. But the other dying criminal rebuked him, saying   to him, “Don’t you fear God, he said, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” He continued, saying “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Then I heard Jesus tell this thief, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

I heard all this and trembled. Who, really; is this man who took my place and is dying on this cross? Who is he, to promise this other thief on the cross that he will be with Him in paradise?  This man Jesus has a sign above him on the cross that states, “Here is the King of the Jews”. If this is so, why then, did the High Priests plot to kill him? Why did they feel they had to put this man to death in such a horrible way?

There was talk in the dungeon, that a man named Jesus was upsetting tables in the courtyard where the money changers plied their trade at the Temple. They, the money changers, are the thieves if you ask me. Yes, word filtered down to us, but we made no stock to these sayings. We were waiting for our deaths by the hands of the Centurions, and it mattered not to us, who or what this man Jesus claimed or did.

Now I wonder!  If this man Jesus did what he did and the High Priests were so concerned, did the claims have any validity? I then ponder why am I alive? I am a nobody! I have no family, few good friends, and live off the land and steal from anyone I can. I do not have an allegiance to anyone, let alone the Romans or even to those of the Temple where the High Priests reign. Yet, I am alive.

I look up at the face of this man Jesus and can see the pain of the crucifixion in his eyes. He is suffering. He thirsts. This man is dying for me. I feel for him, but dare not say anything. I am a coward in my eyes and feel so very sad. I did not get what I deserved and this man Jesus did NOTHING wrong and is dying for me.  This man, Jesus, is dying for my sins. I have sinned, I still sin and he is dying for me; for me!!! What can I do for Him? What will I become? Can I eventually die and join Him in paradise for eternal life? How do I live my life now?

Den Betts

NOTE:

Now that I wrote the above I wonder, how many of us would leave “the shadow of the cross” and enter into a way of “carrying the cross” for Jesus Christ our savior. Easy to think about and yet, sometimes hard to do.  We are busy with our lives and that is a fact.

We have priorities of living here on Earth, and to include “living for Jesus Christ”, is on the back burner of life of appreciating God in the essence of Jesus. This is just a fact, no more and I point NO fingers at anyone, just myself. You, and only you, can answer this question of how much you want to include our Savior into your life.

Holy Spirit Mobile App 2016-21

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                         Holy Spirit Mobile App 2016-21

Wouldn’t it be great if we DID have a Mobile App to call up the Holy Spirit when we needed Him? Just open your I-Pad or other phone and push an icon and Voila; there He is, just like Johnny Carson’s time—- HEERRREEEE’S JOHNNNNY!!!!! Well, Johnny is dead, but the Holy Spirit IS ALIVE and waiting for our call.

The disappointment in our lives is that we can’t do that though.  It would be neat, it would be great, it would be very unusual, and something to experience, I am sure.

Too many of us want such an App. We expect God, in the Essence of the Holy Spirit or even God the Father Himself, to come sit with us and speak or identify Himself to us when we need Him, want Him, expect Him and many other times.

Some of us say Oh My God, (OMG) , and do NOT really expect God to come, it is just an expression of unbelief of what has happened at the moment, for instance. I wrote about this action before (OMG 2015—83) and will not expound on that post now, but say that is done in a nonsense way, but God still loves us, even though I think He shakes His head in wonder at times.

So, the Holy Spirit is now an App in my scenario of life for the moment. Would the Icon look like a ghost, because the Holy Spirit used to be called Holy Ghost at one time? It sounds like a very personal and close relationship with such an App. The ability to call up our personal God and have him listen to our request or actually act on it would be fantastic.

We could say, “Hey Spirit, please do this or that for me!” Almost at once, whatever we wanted would occur; OUTSTANDING!!!!   Wow, this sounds almost like a personal Genie that we have or get, by rubbing a bottle that He is in, just waiting for our request so it can fulfill our every need.

The Holy Spirit is not like that. He is not robed in fine dress with a turban on His head and He does not appear like a Persian apparition at our beck and call. Sorry about that; NOT going to happen.

He, the Holy Spirit, the Essence of God, the third part of the Triune God IS, repeat IS, there waiting for your call. You do NOT have to rub a bottle; you do not have to have an I-Phone type thing with an icon on it to summon Him.

No—— but you do have to have faith to believe in Him, to talk to Him, to ask Him for help, for comfort, for advice and all those things you would want Him for your needs. I have found that it takes work or time or perseverance, or this same faith to HEAR Him talk to us though. It is important to know that false sayings from the Holy Spirt would not be from the Spirit, but perhaps instead from our infernal mind or even more possible coming from “The Evil One”, that lurks around, waiting to snare us into what he wants us to believe. It is a quandary; I cannot speak about with any authority herein. I have written about this before, just cannot remember when and the subject at the time.

Anyhow, a Holy Spirit App is not going to come from Apple or Android in the future, so I can only suggest we try to hear the old fashioned way, with our mind and ears, keeping them open for the words from our God in His time and His way. It may not be a voice, but an action on His part, but you will know; you will know that it is Him………………..

Peace,

Den Betts

Getting Closer to Jesus Christ 2016-16

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                                          Getting Closer to Jesus Christ 2016-16

If we believe in Jesus Christ, we could do many things that would allow us to get “Closer to Jesus” in a way that would solidify our relationship with Him. Why use the word solidify? I do so; to say we could make our unity with Jesus stronger or to be reinforced in the process of our living as a Christian.

I can only express my own trials of doing so, to give others an idea of what it is like to do this. First off, it is NOT easy! It is a process to a degree. We are all, in some way, in different stages of being closer to Jesus.

I remember an exercise a number of years ago called REVEAL. This was something that was put out by a religious group, for many churches of different faiths to participate and find out where the church as a whole belonged, and, where as individuals at the church were in their relationship with Jesus.

I remember a chart that showed “stepping stones” for where each person was in life. Remember, we are ALL in various stages of growth and maturity:

Stages of Steps

First was a stone called “Exploring Christ” where people in this group had a basic belief in God, but they were unsure about Christ and His role in their lives.  I wonder how many of us have this way of thinking. I would think that a new member or a younger member would normally fit in this group, without any criticism at all about them.

The second stone was “Growing in Christ” and people in this group have a personal relationship with Christ. They had made a commitment to trust him with their salvation and for their eternity, but they are just beginning to learn what it means to be in a relationship with Him. I believe countless number of people are balancing on this stone, clinging and hovering at this junction of their lives.

Another group and thirdly, were those people that were “Close to Christ”. These folks depend on Christ daily for their lives. They see Jesus as someone who assists them in life. They turn to Him on a daily basis; they look to Him for help and any issues they face on a regular basis. Quite a number of people belong or believe they belong to this group and stand on this stone.

Lastly, the last stone are those that are “Christ Centered” and these people identify their relationship with Jesus Christ as the most important relationship in their entire lives. They see their lives as fully surrendered to Jesus and his agenda, subordinating everything to His will and His desires.  Actually, this stone is not crowded and probably the percentages of people on this stone are few or very low.

So, where do we belong on these rocks of life? The thing is, sometimes we change our position in life and where we stand. We move forward and backward and it depends on circumstances just where we are in our relationship with God and Jesus Christ. So, the stones or rocks remain in place, but we skip from one to another.

A Simile

I remember reading about Teresa of Avilla. She was a Roman Catholic nun who lived in the 16th Century from 1515 to 1582. She wrote an autobiography and what was called “The Interior Castle” which described SEVEN rooms in a mansion, which really somewhat parallel what the FOUR stepping stone segments.  If you get a chance, read about Teresa and her mansion with the SEVEN room concept.

I bring this up because Teresa of Avilla suggested that people go from one room of spiritual growth to another and sometimes back track to the previous room or to others they left behind. This is normal and the stone positioning is not linear and one way. Ultimately people in general tend to move toward a relationship with God and Christ. But, as individuals, their pathways can be very non-direct at times. Birds head south for the winter, but not necessarily in a straight line path and people do not take giant leaps from one stone to another in their faith either; it is a slow process at times with many ups and downs in the journey.

Where are We ?

I will leave you here to contemplate what I have stated. Think about it and try to understand where you are in life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. As you think, realize the following in your thought process of living as a Christian.

Now, in the Christian life the same stages of growth seem to apply for growing to Jesus Christ. People seeking to understand God and his plan come to a point of responding to the invitation to be born into God’s family. With the right nurturing (1 Peter 2:2), a newborn Christian becomes a spiritual infant. Jesus taught his early Kingdom converts and helped them grow into young disciples. He invited them to follow him and he would make them “fishers of men.” They had a time to learn and grow and begin to serve. Ultimately, as he was leaving this earth, he prepared his men for maturity by inviting them to remain in him.(John 15:7-8).These men went on to reproduce their lives and see many other new believers trust in Jesus and grow to maturity.

God’s Peace be with you,

Den Betts

Answers and Questions, plus Pascal 2016-15

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Answers and Questions, plus Pascal   2016-15

This may be a depressing post to some, but in reality I feel that it has an upbeat and positive thought process to it. It has a point, which should be evident at the end, hopefully…..

First question: What would you do, what would you say, what would you accomplish or, in general, WISH for,  IF you knew you had only 14 hours to live? See what I mean—depressing!

A convicted person, who is on death row, has to at least think about it if he/she has only so long to live, and they may not be able to do or say the things they would like to say or do anyhow……

But in my scenario, you DO have some time to do or say something, what or how would you spend your existing time. I realize, some exotic answers are on the minds of some.

Would you tell someone how much you love them? This would be the chance to do so or tell them again!

Would you let someone know how much you are sorry for your actions in the past? Hey, you might have been holding back for a LONG time, so now would be your chance.

Before I go on, let me say that I am NOT telling you to make a decision that would precipitate this action, this is just an exercise. You are not allowed, under a decent code of deeds to willingly do something to yourself. I think of some that are so depressed that suicide is their only recourse, but they do not think of those that are left behind and their actions are a somewhat selfish act for their own purposes, which is so very, very sad. That is the disclaimer for this posting, so understand it…..,please!

Onward!!! I probably can think of a good many things I would do or could say in the time period I would have left here on Earth. Death is a certainty for all of us at some time. We all think we will live forever, in our mind; especially this thought was true when I was much younger, and I believe this is a normal thought process.

Now to the crux of this discourse: Life on earth is usually less than 100 years.  That is such a small amount of time in the whole concept of how long Earth has been around. Modern conveniences are relatively new to us; again less than 100 years.  We will probably NOT see Mars being inhabited or a Star Trek type space ship being manned, going through space, so those things are future things beyond our reality of happening.

Next question— For those that have doubts or think they are certain and KNOW there is NOT a God,  I ask — REALLY, what IF they are wrong? Eternity of life is on the line!!!!

BUT, what is eternity? That is a very, very, very long time period. Some could say it is forever. IF those that do not believe in the hereafter or of a God that promises such a long life, then it does not matter to them. I brought this subject up before and will do so again, namely Pascal’s Wager.

A French philosopher (1623-62) Blaise Pascal came up with the thought that humans all bet with their lives, either that God exists or that he does not. Life ends abruptly or continues. If it is based on the assumption that the stakes are infinite if God exists and that there is at least a small probability that God, in fact, exists,  Pascal argued that the stakes are infinite IF God exists and that there is at least a small probability that God, in fact, does exist.  (Whew, long sentence!!!)

He argued that a rational person should live as though God exists and seek to believe in God. The neat thing is, if God does NOT actually exist, such a person will have only a finite loss (such as pleasures, luxury, etc.), whereas they stand to receive infinite gains (as represented by eternity in Heaven) and avoid infinite losses (eternity in Hell).

Pascal’s Wager was groundbreaking because it opened a new territory in the “Probability Theory”, but that is another matter for another time.

The possible answer could be in Pascal’s Wager where he used the following logic based on a God and used Christianity as a measure, but other religions also have the same thought process:

  1. God is, or God is not. Reason cannot decide between the two alternatives.
  2. A Game is being played… where heads or tails will turn up.
  3. You must wager (it is not optional).
  4. Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is. Let us estimate these two chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing.
  5. Wager, then, without hesitation that He is. (…) There is here an infinity of an infinitely happy life to gain, a chance of gain against a finite number of chances of loss, and what you stake is finite. And so our proposition is of infinite force, when there is the finite to stake in a game– where there are equal risks of gain and of loss, and the infinite to gain. Confusing? Think about it for a moment or so!
  6. But some cannot believe. They should then “at least learn the inability to believe…” and “Endeavour then to convince themselves!!!!”

That’s it!!   Choices in life; to actually believe or to at least wager if you have doubts and if all else fails convince yourself that you are taking a chance in a lifetime to live forever or not. When the time comes, the countdown time will end.

In the meantime, I pray that belief in the Triune God of the Father, The Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will be with you in the reality of your mind. I have a another question then: “If you do believe in the Triune God, how are you living your life to get Closer to God; and with that thought, I will be posting another blog to address this last question just made……………………………………………….

Den Betts

The Trinity 2016-011 (1x1x1=1 God)

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The Trinity 2016-011         (1x1x1=1 God)

OK, I believe in the Trinity, of a Triune God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Son, and the Holy Ghost or Spirit. It is what I believe and I am either right or wrong per others, but in that respect, I do not care what others believe.

Some would argue even about there being a God or a son who was God and came to give all people salvation. But some also are dubious about the Holy Spirit part in many ways. I understand this and at one time had questions about there being a Ghost or Spirit that lurked around me. I really think this is a normal and questionable concept for many to grasp and believe.

The Scriptures or New Testament of the Bible are, in most cases, the authority of anything relating to God. Some insist that the Bible IS the only final say of what is correct about God or anything else in relation to this subject. They may be right, but I have my thoughts about this fact and will not share them now.

About “The Trinity”! Much is in the Bible about The Father and The Son, Jesus.  The Holy Spirit is mentioned a number of times in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The idea of “The Trinity” was NOT mentioned in the Bible at all. The Holly Spirit was mentioned in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) as referring to the divine force and influence of the Most High God that ruled over the universe or it creatures. The doctrine of The Trinity, did not take its definitive shape until late in the fourth century.

Actually, Holy Ghost was the original Old English word that came from “gast” or “spirit” but most Christians use the words, “Holy Spirit” today. There are some Christian denominations that do NOT identify “The Holy spirit” as being part of “The Trinity”. The religion, Islam, acknowledges that there is a Spirit that is Holy, and it acts as an agent of divine action or communication to followers. Regardless, the best example of how the three Holy beings are represented by Christians is shown below, which may not show up on the blog. In short, The Father is NOT the Son or Spirit, but God, The Son is NOT the Father or the Spirit, but God, and the Spirit is not the Father or Son, but God. God is all encompassing, simple as that…..   Sometimes people of religion, or not, get hung up on what they believe or read and do not consider the actual meaning in a different way; too bad!!!!!  At times, it is not what is written or said, but what is believed and that is the hard thing to wrap yourself around too…….   Nobody promised easy!!!!!!!

 

Each depiction of the invisible Heavenly Spirit of God arose from different historical accounts in the Gospel narratives; the first being at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River where the Holy Spirit was said to descend in the form of a dove as the voice of God the Father spoke as described in Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, and Luke 3:21-23; the second being from the day of Pentecost, fifty days after Pascha where the descent of the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ, as tongues of fire as described in the Acts of the Apostles 2:1–31.

The doctrine of “The Trinity” did not take its definitive shape until late in the fourth century, as I said before. That being said, the first recorded use of this Greek word in Christian theology was by Theophilus of Antioch in about 170. He wrote: “In like manner also the three days which were before the luminaries, are types of the Trinity, of God, and His Word, and His wisdom. And the fourth is the type of man, who needs light, that so there may be God, the Word, wisdom, man.

Tertullian, a Latin theologian who wrote in the early 3rd century, is credited as being the first to use the Latin words “Trinity”, “person” and “substance” to explain that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are “one in Essence—not one in Person”.

I rather like the words “in Essence” rather than “in Person”. This somewhat makes it more clear that the Essence of God is comprised of the Father, the Son and the Spirit, and does not show them as three persons, but instead being of one Essence. When I pray to God, I feel that I AM praying to the Essence of God even though I say, Father in my particular prayer at the time.

At one time in my life I experienced the blessing of having contact and hearing God in the form of the Son. I later heard what I took as the Essence of God in the form of the Holy Spirit, and not long afterwards saw the Glory of God when I challenged Him for clarity of His expressions. Nobody can convince me that what I heard, I felt, or saw as NOT being or coming from the Essence of God in one of the three forms each time. Nobody!!!!

That is why I believe in “The Trinity”. That is why I believe in the Father, the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit that make up “The Essence of God”. A close and dear friend of mine said, “What I did experience was a miracle”, and perhaps he is correct; don’t know. What I had as “The Happening” was my happening and I could only wish and pray others could have the same thing occur to them. It might be a thing that COULD happen to others; don’t know.

I will leave you with this discourse about “The Trinity” and say this. “Believe what you want or NOT, that is up to you, but please consider, that I believe that “The Essence of God” is with you at all times and all places and circumstances”.

Peace Be With You,

Den Betts