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"O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name;
for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and
truth" - Isaiah 25:1
The battle is 2000 years old. The players have changed but the contest has not. One side will claim that the other is close minded, while they rest upon their own laurels without full investigation of the truth. From the very lips and actions of one of the most revered missionaries of all time, Saul of Tarsus (Paul the Apostle), to the Jewish religious leaders of the 1st century AD, to the Roman Empire through the 4th century AD, and from Islam from the 7th century on - the Christian church has suffered persecution, torture and even death. Through the years, other religions have come along. Some sustained time others did not; some denying the very existence of this man Jesus Christ, others acknowledging him as a great prophet or kindly man, but denying His deity. The question(s) have never really change; “Prove that He lived”; “Prove that He was born of a virgin”; “Prove that He died, rose again and ascended to heaven.”; “Prove that He is the Messiah foretold about in the Prophecies.”
Many have now resorted to disputing the very existence of God at all, and thereby deducing that there is no Son of God. Atheism, is defined as the rejection of belief in deities. The first known acknowledgement of atheism came in the late 16th century. It actually has some scriptural reference as far back as 62 AD, by Paul in his letters to the Ephesians (2:12), where he clearly calls out those that believe that there is no God within the world. It’s evident that even in the days of Jesus followers in Colosse, Ephesus and Corinth there were those who also believed in a world without God.
So, for all of these years the growth of Christianity has spread into countries all around the globe. People of every race, creed, culture and economic class are following this One called Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their life. What is it that ties all of these believers, including myself, together? The stories of Jesus paint a picture of a loving God, a compassionate lover of the oppressed and helper of the weak. A miracle maker who could turn water to wine, raise the dead, heal the lame and even forgive sins. The scriptures tell of His glory, His demeanor and His mercies. His wisdom is evidenced through His teachings and knowledge of the scriptures and customs of the time, well before He was mature. He wasn’t educated in the Universities like the Sadducees’ and Pharisees, nor was he skilled in money collection like those who worked for Rome. His knowledge was far superior and came from somewhere beyond human capabilities. This is the man Jesus Christ that the scriptures tell us about. So to deny Jesus Christ means two things: A) the person has no belief that the scriptures are truth, and B) the person has no ability for faith in things unseen/unproven.
Some are looking for facts, proof of this man’s existence and position in God’s Kingdom. Yet, to what benefit is there in proving these things? Christianity is a monotheism, indicating that there is one and only one way to God the Father and that is through Jesus Christ the Son, as stated plainly in the scriptures in John 14:6. What is required then is to have faith in something that you cannot see, and hope in something beyond our understanding. People continue to look for proof though – the Shroud of Turin, the tomb of Mary or Veronica’s veil as examples. These people are seeking verification that A) their heart is not lying to the them; and B) substantiation that their hope is well founded.
By nature we are constantly looking to solve life’s mysteries so we can check that box and move on. I think there are those in life that would like to put a checkmark in the salvation box and then get on with living their life unchanged, unmotivated to pursue righteousness and satisfied that they would still receive heaven in the end. This is not following the Savior and Lord of our life. Faith and Hope are often tied together as basic tenants of Christianity along with love, because it is beyond our perception and physical acceptance. Hope is essential. It keeps us focused on the end game. It gives us reason to wake up and live one more day to fulfill God’s plan for that day. Faith is essential. It provides the confidence that what we know in our heart is truth and without proof we are still willing to accept it and live up to the expectations therein. Love is essential. Christ loved us through His redeeming grace and suffering on the cross. Likewise we are to love others as He has loved us. FAITH – HOPE – LOVE; the building block of your walk with God begins here.
PRAYER:
Almighty God,
We have faith that Your word is true. We have faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We have faith that You have a plan and are working in this world today to expand Your Kingdom. We have a hope that Jesus Christ will return and deliver us from this world to join You in heaven. We have a hope that our sins are redeemed by His blood and that we are presented blemish free on that day. We have built a faith and hope that rests on the truth of Your promises and scriptures. In Your heavenly name we pray - Amen
The battle is 2000 years old. The players have changed but the contest has not. One side will claim that the other is close minded, while they rest upon their own laurels without full investigation of the truth. From the very lips and actions of one of the most revered missionaries of all time, Saul of Tarsus (Paul the Apostle), to the Jewish religious leaders of the 1st century AD, to the Roman Empire through the 4th century AD, and from Islam from the 7th century on - the Christian church has suffered persecution, torture and even death. Through the years, other religions have come along. Some sustained time others did not; some denying the very existence of this man Jesus Christ, others acknowledging him as a great prophet or kindly man, but denying His deity. The question(s) have never really change; “Prove that He lived”; “Prove that He was born of a virgin”; “Prove that He died, rose again and ascended to heaven.”; “Prove that He is the Messiah foretold about in the Prophecies.”
Many have now resorted to disputing the very existence of God at all, and thereby deducing that there is no Son of God. Atheism, is defined as the rejection of belief in deities. The first known acknowledgement of atheism came in the late 16th century. It actually has some scriptural reference as far back as 62 AD, by Paul in his letters to the Ephesians (2:12), where he clearly calls out those that believe that there is no God within the world. It’s evident that even in the days of Jesus followers in Colosse, Ephesus and Corinth there were those who also believed in a world without God.
So, for all of these years the growth of Christianity has spread into countries all around the globe. People of every race, creed, culture and economic class are following this One called Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their life. What is it that ties all of these believers, including myself, together? The stories of Jesus paint a picture of a loving God, a compassionate lover of the oppressed and helper of the weak. A miracle maker who could turn water to wine, raise the dead, heal the lame and even forgive sins. The scriptures tell of His glory, His demeanor and His mercies. His wisdom is evidenced through His teachings and knowledge of the scriptures and customs of the time, well before He was mature. He wasn’t educated in the Universities like the Sadducees’ and Pharisees, nor was he skilled in money collection like those who worked for Rome. His knowledge was far superior and came from somewhere beyond human capabilities. This is the man Jesus Christ that the scriptures tell us about. So to deny Jesus Christ means two things: A) the person has no belief that the scriptures are truth, and B) the person has no ability for faith in things unseen/unproven.
Some are looking for facts, proof of this man’s existence and position in God’s Kingdom. Yet, to what benefit is there in proving these things? Christianity is a monotheism, indicating that there is one and only one way to God the Father and that is through Jesus Christ the Son, as stated plainly in the scriptures in John 14:6. What is required then is to have faith in something that you cannot see, and hope in something beyond our understanding. People continue to look for proof though – the Shroud of Turin, the tomb of Mary or Veronica’s veil as examples. These people are seeking verification that A) their heart is not lying to the them; and B) substantiation that their hope is well founded.
By nature we are constantly looking to solve life’s mysteries so we can check that box and move on. I think there are those in life that would like to put a checkmark in the salvation box and then get on with living their life unchanged, unmotivated to pursue righteousness and satisfied that they would still receive heaven in the end. This is not following the Savior and Lord of our life. Faith and Hope are often tied together as basic tenants of Christianity along with love, because it is beyond our perception and physical acceptance. Hope is essential. It keeps us focused on the end game. It gives us reason to wake up and live one more day to fulfill God’s plan for that day. Faith is essential. It provides the confidence that what we know in our heart is truth and without proof we are still willing to accept it and live up to the expectations therein. Love is essential. Christ loved us through His redeeming grace and suffering on the cross. Likewise we are to love others as He has loved us. FAITH – HOPE – LOVE; the building block of your walk with God begins here.
PRAYER:
Almighty God,
We have faith that Your word is true. We have faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We have faith that You have a plan and are working in this world today to expand Your Kingdom. We have a hope that Jesus Christ will return and deliver us from this world to join You in heaven. We have a hope that our sins are redeemed by His blood and that we are presented blemish free on that day. We have built a faith and hope that rests on the truth of Your promises and scriptures. In Your heavenly name we pray - Amen
© Sondove
Enterprises, 2013
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
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For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
If you would like to be added to the email distribution please click here: Daily Thoughts
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