My Weekly Devotional

[GeoFee]

Hi,

Ten were expecting the immeadiate coming of God's intervention. These failed to realize that the coming of God's redemption might lead through an extended period of waiting and watching. The other ten prepared themselves for going the distance.

Slight error here. Should be five and five, not ten and ten. Not a big deal but I like to catch my shortcomings as they appear or are pointed out.

And...

Making sure people go to Heaven is the Real Agenda

For some this is the case. I do not see this as the main thrust of the biblical revelation. For me the key is located in the change from Old Adam to New Adam, fallen human being to risen human being. In our fallen human being we are lost. We are not able to experience and express the love of God for creature and creation. We become self absorbed individuals seeking our personal advantage at the expense of the larger picture. Being awakened, born again as some put it, we are restored to our birthright as the children of God. So we begin to follow the way of God in and through all of our relations, with persons as with the natural world. We seek to do all that we are able to include the lost in the gracious goodness of God. This is what I see in the Nazareth synagogue, where Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah and states that the message of Isaiah is being expressed in his words and deeds. Words and deeds bringing comfort to the afflicted, release to the oppressed and life's basic needs for those in lack.

I once thought I was the master of my own life with the power to do as I wished. Now I know myself to be among you as one who serves. This is what I see in Jesus. Though he has no claim on the earth's powers and benefits, he brings the love of God into the lives of all whom he meets along his way. I do all that I am to follow in this way. And, just like any servant, when my work is done I will trust God to include me in whatever is to come following my life on earth. I have no fear of death or judgement. These were put behind me in the day of my decision, when I decided tp step out of the Christian religion and into the way of life revealed in the testimony of those who walked with Jesus.

Perhaps, unsafe, you could say a little about how we are to live our lives while on this earth? For me, and many like me, this is the core question.

George

 

[unsafe]

Waterfall ---your quote ---A kind an loving disposition towards others, that follows Jesus' teachings would reveal more of an indwelling of the HS to me, rather than mere words spoken and false testimonials.

Unfortunately Behaviour by itself will not get us to our right destination when we die and self driven behaviour only provided the ego with it's rewards ----we don't know the day or hour of our death ----We are so prompted to prepare for a secure future while we are here on this planet ----get an education to secure a good job so we can provided for our future family --- prepare for retirement years in the future -----

Now here is the thing -----We have a Book from God to tell us how to prepare for the future of our Eternal life ---it gives plain instructions and we like to down play ---sugar coat or ignore all together or say it is not an important issue to plan for where our eternal home for good will be ----We are only here on this earth for a short time and we plan and plan and plan for the future here but totally deny our plan for where our eternal home will be in the end ----

This to me makes no sense and shows just how we humans are so afraid to address our future death and where we will end up that we just shrug it off and focus on our behaviour here on our own power ----deceiving ourselves and others if we encourage them in our delusion that by presenting good behaviour we will be accepted by God in the end as He is a Loving God and would not send anyone to a place of torment -----

This is simply not True according to scripture ---God is a Loving God and does Love all People even in their sins but He is a Righteous and Just God who will judge in the end and Love His people even as they themselves have made the Choice to Reject His Son and send themselves to eternal torment -----There is no excuse for anyone on this Planet not to plan for their future eternal home -----

God did His Part People ----it is now up to us to do our Part --Plan for the Future of our eternal home ----Receive God's free gift of Salvation ----or Reject it -----Rejection has it's consequences and it is all on us ------

 

[Waterfall]

@unsafe, IMO If one is living a holy life it should be evident to others. Our lives speak to others through how we represent God. Having the HS within us creates a light for others to see and to want it also.

 

[revjohn]

To continue my above thoughts, I think this is were we "Christians" have a problem in the world. We do not stand out as exceptionally holy to the the rest of the world.

Not as a whole we don't no. Part of that is attributable to the fact that we tend to operate as hyphenated Christians (Canadian-Christians or American-Christians) rather than simply Christians. In our hyphenated state we tend to place a value on Canada or America as agents of God rather than that part of the world God calls us out of.

In fact, I often have to think of the Amish to see some of the best Christlike behaviours.

The Amish are also Christian. They do not tend to hyphenate or divide their loyalties. Desmond Tutu is a rather positive example of Christianity. Nelson Mandela is widely regarded as a Christian though it is hard to find any evidence of any denominational leaning. His mother was a Methodist, his first wife belonged to Jehovah's Witnesses (cue argument about whether that qualifies as Christian).

And while Trump and Graham the Inferior (Franklin) are the most prominent displays of visible Christianity in the American media they are not necessarily the norm for American Christianity either. The most vocal Evangelicals possibly though some Evangelicals like Campolo are working in a very opposite direction to the way Franklin Graham has chosen to operate.

 

[Mendalla]

In our hyphenated state we tend to place a value on Canada or America as agents of God rather than that part of the world God calls us out of.

And I have a problem with that even without being Christian. Nationalism and putting the state ahead of the species (or God or other broader values) is the source of a lot of problems in our world. States have their place in terms of providing a manageable administrative unit but the notion that a state is God-ordained and must be protected at all costs, even the deaths of millions, has to go if humanity is to truly survive and advance morally. I'd put the survival of homo sapiens ahead of the survival of Canada if given the moral choice, even though I prefer not having to make the choice.

 

[Waterfall]

And I have a problem with that even without being Christian. Nationalism and putting the state ahead of the species (or God or other broader values) is the source of a lot of problems in our world. States have their place in terms of providing a manageable administrative unit but the notion that a state is God-ordained and must be protected at all costs, even the deaths of millions, has to go if humanity is to truly survive and advance morally. I'd put the survival of homo sapiens ahead of the survival of Canada if given the moral choice, even though I prefer not having to make the choice.

I think state and church should be separate IMO. Just wondering how merely the survival of homo sapiens becomes the moral choice....whose morals?

 

[revjohn]

And I have a problem with that even without being Christian. Nationalism and putting the state ahead of the species (or God or other broader values) is the source of a lot of problems in our world. States have their place in terms of providing a manageable administrative unit but the notion that a state is God-ordained and must be protected at all costs, even the deaths of millions, has to go if humanity is to truly survive and advance morally. I'd put the survival of homo sapiens ahead of the survival of Canada if given the moral choice, even though I prefer not having to make the choice.

I agree. I'm not advocating for the hyphenated Christian approach which feels that Jesus would have been a proud Canadian/American/ TakeYourPick. Christ clearly says, "My Kingdom is not of this world." Canada, The United States of America and other nation states clearly are of this world which sets up a conflict that some deal with better than others.

I expect most of it comes down to which of the five options Niebuhr articulates of Christ and Culture resonates. Some reject culture others embrace it uncritically while the others say they exist together in tension or that Christ overcomes Culture in some way. Certainly cannot argue that some believe Christ would happily side with earthly authority that makes no bones about throwing its weight around.

That you would then think that any Republican is automatically a better Christian option than any Democratic rival requires serious blinders. And vice-versa

And Canada is going to face that issue relatively soon since several Conservative leaders have rather strong ties to decidedly racist groupings.

 

[Luce NDs]

It's kind of funny we're all focusing on the oil and the lamps and not about being a virgin.

What do virgins and virtue know about the evils of cults and sex? Then we are told these are not to be taught ... thus naïveté ... resembles a metaphor for dense ... stuff that forms holes in space ...

Always look at things the alternate way ...

 

[Luce NDs]

Only five had ADDITIONAL oil. The other five had brought enough oil to keep a light lit long enough for a wedding feast. As I said, I'd be more inclined to blame the groom than the bridesmaids (which is the NSRV translation). Where's the bride in all this? If she's responsible for their dresses, shoes, meals, etc., you'd think she could get her s**t together around extra oil. If this is like an uber "be prepared" message, okay then, the boy scouts are all just fine with god. Wait - what happened to all of the "all faith, no works required" stuff?

The consumption part of the wedding should be conjugated in the dark? Thus the mystery factor that drives people this way ...

 

[Luce NDs]

I think state and church should be separate IMO. Just wondering how merely the survival of homo sapiens becomes the moral choice....whose morals?

These morals are not that vast ... compared to the Prince of darkness ... the one buried by Roman-Jude's ... kind 've Tomas or Thomist in a alien way ... word is like that ... more buried in the veil of mystery ... tis dark, occult and non-see thro' ...

 

[Luce NDs]

Christ is out of here (not my domain) and thus earth is left to reflect what falls upon it ... satirical?

 

[Mendalla]

I think state and church should be separate IMO. Just wondering how merely the survival of homo sapiens becomes the moral choice....whose morals?

Is there a higher goal that you can think of? If we go extinct, every single one of us is f***ed regardless of where we live, who we are, and what we believe. And the universe won't give a damn. The dinosaurs went extinct. The trilobites went extinct. We will just be one more mass extinction. If we want to live, we need our species to survive and we need to be the ones to ensure its survival.

While I'm sure I could find some folks who would argue that our demise would be a good thing given our mishandling of the world, I doubt you'd get many in that camp. Well, and those who are of the "better dead than Red" (or whatever people don't want to be these day) attitude. But nuking the world because you don't like a rival ideology that might beat yours seems very shortsighted to me.

I suppose one could go cosmic and say that the universe is more important than anything on Earth and the fact that Earth itself is ultimately doomed (sun going red giant in 4 billion or so years) means we're just another blip on the cosmic radar but, again, I don't think most human beings are going to base their decisions on a cosmic horizon.

So our survival is the goal here and if we take the attitude that this nation-state or that nation-state is more worth of survival than others, then we just increase the likelihood of the whole thing going down.

 

[airclean33]

Only five had ADDITIONAL oil. The other five had brought enough oil to keep a light lit long enough for a wedding feast. As I said, I'd be more inclined to blame the groom than the bridesmaids (which is the NSRV translation). Where's the bride in all this? If she's responsible for their dresses, shoes, meals, etc., you'd think she could get her s**t together around extra oil. If this is like an uber "be prepared" message, okay then, the boy scouts are all just fine with god. Wait - what happened to all of the "all faith, no works required" stuff?

--
Look at your Post. Do you not understand" who the Bride," is Bette? You seem not to understand "WHO The Bride Groom "is". Or The wedding feast", and where it take's place, at". Or what would happen to the other five , who had to and get oil . They would return to earth . They would die in the flesh , they would have there Head's cut off. For preaching of, Jesus The Christ." Rev 20: 4. you may still, not understand". That is my fault" ,I believe you may not be that far yet". Peace and God" be with you . airclean33-Gord.

 

[unsafe]

unsafe said: ↑
Making sure people go to Heaven is the Real Agenda

GeoFee ----your quote -----For some this is the case. I do not see this as the main thrust of the biblical revelation.

To me with this statement here you make -----all you see is your own Agenda not God's ----- And you proclaim to be a Minister of Christ ------

You Are an Ordained Minister Preaching to a Church and your Judgment will be greater because of your position ----James 3:1----so good luck with your own Agenda GeoFee

Romans 1:16-17 ---this scripture is the essence of True Christianity ----and this is what the Church should be hearing -----

 

[Luce NDs]

Do such dark dialogues enlighten someone?

 

[BetteTheRed]

Right, airclean, because I base my belief system on what it is possible to know in the here and now. Any speculation about afterlife is just that - speculation, and hardly productive speculation, since the 'answer' is absolutely un-knowable.

There are so many things that humans can do about reality that chiding other humans about their likelihood of ending up in an imaginary hell seems...petty, futile, pointless.

 

[GeoFee]

Hi,

And you proclaim to be a Minister of Christ

I claim to be nothing more, or less, than an ordinary person. All who know me know this.

So, what is our responsibility while on this earth?

George

 

[Waterfall]

Jesus tells us, "to seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you" and claims this is the primary reason He has been sent. Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom above all else..The message of salvation is called "the word of this Kingdom" in Mathew.

Unsafe you speak of salvation through faith and Geo speaks of salvation through God's kingdom on earth. Does one not need faith and belief for God's Kingdom to come? I think you both might be saying the same thing.

 

[Waterfall]

Is there a higher goal that you can think of? If we go extinct, every single one of us is f***ed regardless of where we live, who we are, and what we believe. And the universe won't give a damn. The dinosaurs went extinct. The trilobites went extinct. We will just be one more mass extinction. If we want to live, we need our species to survive and we need to be the ones to ensure its survival.

While I'm sure I could find some folks who would argue that our demise would be a good thing given our mishandling of the world, I doubt you'd get many in that camp. Well, and those who are of the "better dead than Red" (or whatever people don't want to be these day) attitude. But nuking the world because you don't like a rival ideology that might beat yours seems very shortsighted to me.

I suppose one could go cosmic and say that the universe is more important than anything on Earth and the fact that Earth itself is ultimately doomed (sun going red giant in 4 billion or so years) means we're just another blip on the cosmic radar but, again, I don't think most human beings are going to base their decisions on a cosmic horizon.

So our survival is the goal here and if we take the attitude that this nation-state or that nation-state is more worth of survival than others, then we just increase the likelihood of the whole thing going down.

But would we survive without some form of morality. Just having the grid go down would probably cause riots, looting and killings.

 

[Mendalla]

But would we survive without some form of morality. Just having the grid go down would probably cause riots, looting and killings.

Where did I say we didn't need some form of morality? I am saying that our survival as a species needs to be a pillar of that morality. That's what the peace and environmental movements are really all about. Treating each other as individuals with love and respect ("Loving our neighbours as ourselves" as Jesus put it) would be another pillar that might actually contribute to realizing that one.

Nationalism (since that's where this discussion began), I would argue, has generally not contributed to either of those. It has divided us into camps, been an excuse for violence and murder, been use to target the "other" (ie. those of other nations or those seen as outsiders). We saw it in the two World Wars. We saw it in the Holocaust. We saw it in the Cold War and the various American foreign interventions during and since the Cold War. We even see it in the scorn and prejudices Canadians sometimes heap on the US and Americans. Nationalism divides people and encourages an "us" and "them" mentality and so it is inimical to both survival of the species and the promotion of treating each other as "neighbours".