Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Bumper Sticker

I saw this bumper Sticker... had a good laugh...we think the freedoms we enjoy flow to us from some unknown vacuum...what a joke!

"Except for ending slavery, Fascism, Nazism & Communism,
War has never solved anything."

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Jesus...THE TRUTH

There may be some who say "what's good for the goose is good for the gander". If the Buddha couldn't really know if he came upon ultimate reality...then how could Jesus claim that He was ultimate reality. The difference is that Jesus is the God who created and intimately governs all of history...everything is a part of His plan. This means that there is nothing in the universe by mere chance. God created everything and has planned everything. This means that ultimate knowledge...ultimate reality flows from Him...because He is God...He is LORD!

The Buddhist religion doesn't teach of God...or of creation...and the Buddha didn't claim to be the creator God. This is why he had to search for truth.

Jesus never searched for the meaning of life...because He was the meaning of life.

Jesus did make a journey for the meaning of our lives though. This journey lead Him to a hill where He would suffer and die...so that all who come to Him and trust in Him will never have to taste "eternal" death...but will have resurrection and life everlasting.

How do we know this? Jesus rose from the grave on the third day...never to die again!

Monday, May 21, 2007

All In A Day Of Mr. Orwell

Bonita and I have been watching the fourth season of "24". I have been enjoying the action and the different cat and mouse scenarios.

But as I watch this season I have noticed a couple subtle messages being taught over the electronic air waves.

First, I noticed that whenever electronics and technology were used it was usually for the purpose of taking away peoples privacy...but it doesn't come across like this openly.

What we see is the marvel of tracking devices...Satellite cameras tracking citizens who have not yet been proven guilty of any crime...phone taps...tracking bugs...traffic cameras that take pictures of everyone's licence plates...and vehicle movement.

...Mr. Orwell's 1984 has nothing on this show.

Second, notice how many times American citizens are brought into CTU's dark room in the back, to give information or make confessions by the use of torture.

So much for pleading the 5th in these back rooms...no phone call, no lawyer...no innocent until proven guilty...just good ol' fashioned torture until you get what you want.

They must be reading up on their Stalin and Hitler handbooks for effective interrogation.

Are we being taught that the end justifies the means?

Even though torture is usually wrong...it becomes right when it is used for the right end?

I have been reading a book on Stalin...he tortured and killed millions of people to bring about his ideal of communism...the torture and death of all these people became "good" because it was used for the purpose of achieving his goals.

One of the subtle tricks that television plays on us is that it gives the viewer a type of divinity.

We watch the behind the scenes "dirty stuff" that even the characters in the show are not privy to. This means that "we" know that the dirt bag in the back room is guilty...we saw him in the last episode planning to plant the bomb or whatever slime ball activity he was doing...so when we see the torture instruments getting pulled out...we tend to justify it...because...hey the guy is guilty...right?

But in the eyes of Jack Bauer...or the other CTU agents...they didn't see the guy planning...they are just assuming his guilt...and violating his rights as a U.S citizen...as most of the viewers [many who are U.S citizens] nod their heads in approval...

I enjoy the show...I just despise the mental conditioning that comes along with the fourth season.

Friday, May 11, 2007

The Buddha Reached Enlightenment...or did he?

The following short history of Buddhism is from Wikipedia;

According to the Buddhist tradition, the historical Buddha Siddharta Gautama was born to the Shakya clan, at the beginning of the Magadha period (546–324 BCE), in the plains of Lumbini, in what is now southern Nepal. He is also known as the Shakyamuni (literally "The sage of the Shakya clan").
After an early life of luxury under the protection of his father, Śuddhodana, the ruler of Kapilavastu (later to be incorporated into the state of Magadha), Siddharta entered into contact with the realities of the world and concluded that real life was about inescapable suffering and sorrow. Siddharta renounced his meaningless life of luxury to become an ascetic. He ultimately decided that asceticism was also meaningless, and instead chose a middle way, a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification.
Under a fig tree, now known as the Bodhi tree, he vowed never to leave the position until he found Truth. At the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment. He was then known as Gautama Buddha, or simply "The Buddha", which means "the enlightened one".
For the remaining 45 years of his life, he travelled the Gangetic Plain of central India (region of the Ganges/Ganga river and its tributaries), teaching his doctrine and discipline to an extremely diverse range of people.

Let's just stop for a moment and reflect...if Siddharta vowed to sit under the Bodhi tree until he found the truth...then this means at the time when he sat down he didn't yet know what 'that' truth looked like...right?


But we are told that he did find or reach this truth...that he was 'enlightened'...Wikipedia gives us a definition of 'enlightenment'... click on 'Enlightenment' above.


So here is my question...if Siddharta didn't know what ultimate reality was before he began his search for truth...then how did he know that he actually found this ultimate reality?

What standard or gauge would he use to test if he really reached full enlightenment...partial enlightenment or even no enlightenment at all...how could he know that he wasn't duped?

Wouldn't you have to first know the fullness of truth and reality to know if you actually reached that marker?

If you didn't first know what ultimate truth was then you could be deceived by any number of counterfeits...and only think that you found "the truth."

This is exactly what happened to Siddharta...he was deceived.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Happy Birthday Mom

If my dear sweet mom was alive...she would be 79 today.

Happy birthday Mom!

It has been 10 years since she past away...it is amazing how fast time goes by.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Growing in God's Likeness

If your wife came up to you and said "Let's grow in God's likeness", what would you say?

Would you say "forget it"?

Now, keep in mind that God has put this wonderful woman into your life as a helper...and this is not a demeaning title or role since God the Holy Spirit takes this title and role for Himself.

And as your helper she wants your marriage with her to mirror that of the relationship within the Persons of the Godhead.

Even though the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct persons...they are not individuals in the way that we think of it.

The thoughts of each person in the Trinity are open and known to the others...there are no secrets.

So, when your wonderful wife asks you, "what are you thinking?", she is wanting you two, who are now one...to be open and known more and more to each other...just like the Person's in the Godhead.

...and when you say... "Nothing"...when in reality you are thinking of something...what you are really saying to her suggestion that you two grow more and more into God's likeness...is...

... "forget it"

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

A Good Night

We had a good night last night at the Young Offender center. We are going through the book of Luke, last night we went through chapter 16. When we present the gospel we always want to encourage the young men to respond. Last night we had six of the young men respond to the gospel.

I never want to put unnecessary obstacles in front of those seeking Jesus...but at the same time I don't want people to think that Jesus is merely their "fire insurance" to protect them from hell. Once they receive their "fire insurance" they can fold it up, put it in their pocket, and forget about it.

The Bible doesn't speak about asking Jesus into your heart...nor do we see the "sinners prayer".

I do lead the young men in a prayer to God, but I strongly teach them that this is NOT a one time event.

I know that in the systematic theologies, justification IS a one time thing. A person trusts in Jesus and their sins are forgiven.

But the Bible doesn't separate justification and sanctification. The Bible no where teaches that a person is justified before God without their also being a change of heart and life.

When God changes the sinner's heart to trust in Jesus...that same changed heart begins to cling to Jesus and submit to Jesus...day by day...as weak and stumbling as that is at times.

Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, salvation is a relationship with Jesus Christ.

He is Lord, they are His subjects...they are to trust Him and love Him all their lives.

God receives sinners...Praise His holy Name!

Praise God for lovingkindness!