Friday, April 5, 2024

if faith in God is personal, then why are there so many religions?


The internet has answers for everything--even "if faith in God is personal, then why are there so many religions?" Here's what the internet says:


19 For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them.

20 Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse;

21 for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.
Romans 1: 19-21


"Do all religions lead to God? No. All people—religious or otherwise—will stand before God some day (Hebrews 9:27), but religious affiliation is not what determines your eternal destiny. Only faith in Jesus Christ will save. “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). It’s as simple as that. Only Christianity—faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—leads to God’s forgiveness and eternal life. No one comes to the Father except through the Son (John 14:6). It does make a difference what you believe. The decision to embrace the truth about Jesus Christ is important. Eternity is an awfully long time to be wrong."



attribution: Martin LaBar and flickr



Tuesday, April 2, 2024

faith vs. religion




I no longer associate myself with a religion. It's a long story.

I am a Christian. I believe in the Trinity: Almighty Creator God the Father, Jesus, God the Father's only Son, and God the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised will be an advocate for faithful Christians until the end of the world when God's plan will be fulfilled.

I believe that God speaks to us through our conscience, prayer and the bible. 

I believe that God loves His creations, including humans. I believe that God wants us humans to believe in God and to love God with all our heart and soul and to love our neighbor. 

I believe that if we are faithful to God, love God and are sorry for our sins that God will forgive us and will provide for us according to God's will after we die.



attribution: Sharon Tate Soberon and flickr



Saturday, March 30, 2024

Matthew 28: 1-10, The Resurrection of Jesus


1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.

3 His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow.

4 The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men.

5 Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.

6 He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.”

8 Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples.

9 And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”



attribution: Noel Coypel, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons



Friday, March 29, 2024

Holy Saturday prayer


O Lord Jesus Christ, for our sins you endured the cross and the grave, and on the third day you rose again from the tomb.

Just as you have cleansed us from our sins by your blood, and as we are buried with you in baptism, so by your grace, let us share in your resurrection; through your mercy, O our God, you are blessed and live and govern all things, now and forever. Amen




attribution: Fritz Liess and flickr



Monday, March 18, 2024

"Take up your cross, and follow Me."


24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 16
 
also found in Mark 8:34 and Luke 9: 23-25

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Matthew 21:22

(Jesus said): "Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”


attribution: Tito & Eva Marie Balangue & flickr



Saturday, March 9, 2024

psalm 62

the world is a mess:
  • war
  • tyranny
  • genocide
  • persecution
  • racism
  • hunger
  • disease
  • greed
  • extortion
  • dishonesty
  • hate
  • crime
  • injustice
  • pollution
  • natural disasters
  • etc.

question: is there hope? 

answer: there is! psalm 62:


1 For the leader; ‘al Jeduthun.* A psalm of David.


I


2 My soul rests in God alone,
from whom comes my salvation.

3 God alone is my rock and salvation,
my fortress; I shall never fall.

4 How long will you set yourself against a man?
You shall all be destroyed,
Like a sagging wall
or a tumbled down fence!

5 Even highly placed people
plot to overthrow him.
They delight in lies;
they bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse.


Selah

II

6 My soul, be at rest in God alone,
from whom comes my hope.

7 God alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not fall.

8 My deliverance and honor are with God,
my strong rock;
my refuge is with God.

9 Trust God at all times, my people!
Pour out your hearts to God our refuge!


Selah

III

10 Mortals are a mere breath,
the sons of man but an illusion;
On a balance they rise;
together they weigh nothing.

11 Do not trust in extortion;
in plunder put no empty hope.
On wealth that increases,
do not set your heart.

12 One thing God has said;
two things I have heard:
Strength belongs to God;

13 so too, my Lord, does mercy,
For you repay each man
according to his deeds.





attribution: Martin LaBar and flickr



Thursday, November 16, 2023

Is God benevolent or malevolent?

Is God benevolent or malevolent? 

Islamic terrorists believe that murdering infidels is God's will.  

Christians believe that God is benevolent--Psalm 23, the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15: 11-32), Jesus redeeming us from our sins (gospels), etc. 

Praise God that we are Christians!



Tuesday, June 20, 2023

matthew 11: 28-30



We are not the answer. Jesus is the answer. 

We must have faith. We must always believe that only in Jesus will we find answers to our prayers.

We must always believe that God answers our prayers even when it appears that God isn't answering us. We must have faith. We must be patient. 

We must always have faith to believe that God hears our prayers and be patient enough to wait for God's answers.




Monday, January 2, 2023

difference between faith and religion

faith is personal. it's what you believe. faith is between you (only) and God. 

religion has human fingerprints all over it. 


public domain
attribution: Jan Evangelista PurkynÄ› (Life time: 1787–1869)




Friday, December 9, 2022

religious acronyms

during the 1990s a popular acronym among Christians was WWJD--What Would Jesus Do? It was coined to remind Christians "of their belief in a moral imperative to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through the actions of the adherents.[1][2]
What would Jesus do? - Wikipedia 


attribution: I, CrazyLegsKC, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

WWJD has lost its steam since the 1990s--so much for "moral imperatives". 

perhaps a better acronym for the 2020s would be LLGL--Love Like God Loves. faith, hope and love: Love Like God Loves  


what a wonderful world it would be if we all loved like God loves.



Sunday, November 20, 2022

Divine Mercy in Scripture

 "... It showed itself as what it was at the beginning, that is, as love that gives, love more powerful than betrayal, grace stronger than sin."


The world gives us many reasons not to trust: lies, fraud, scams, hate, war, greed, oppression, deprivation, betrayal, etc.

Trust in God's infinite Divine mercy.



attribution: Dr. Michael D. Evans




Friday, May 6, 2022

on the road to Emmaus

"Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. 

He asked them, 'What are you discussing as you walk along?' They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, 'Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?' 

And he replied to them, 'What sort of things?' They said to him, 'The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.' 

And he said to them, 'Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?' Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. 

As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, 'Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.' So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, 'Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?' 

So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, 'The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!' Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread."  

Luke 24: 13-35


Risen Lord, Who met two travelers on the road, contemplating the events that occurred,

When I feel disappointed, please meet me and open my heart to your word.

Loving Savior, Who stayed alongside the travelers, for sorrow prevented them seeing,

When I fail to understand, please stand by me as I continue seeking.

Amen