Savvy Sheep

Satan's Deadly 1-2-3 Punch

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:11:00 +0000

One of the main purposes of this blog is to point out or remind my Christian audience of all the tricks and traps the Devil uses to isolate us and destroy us apart from God. Today I was thinking of a common three-stepped attack that seems to work well against Christians. Using three arguments that I will analyze, Satan can erode away Christian faith, often without repair. The good news is that Satan is not too powerful for God, and God has given us a way of escape. This battle doesn't have to end in defeat!

Let God Fight the Battle

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.--Psalm 20: 7 NIV

A man named G. Campbell Morgan once said, "Satan's first choice is to cooperate with us. Persecution is only his second-best method." There is much wisdom in this. Satan cooperates with us sometimes by making us believe that his ways are righteous, God-sent, or practical. He convinces us that we don't have to call on God to solve every little problem in our lives, because, after all, God created this alternative source of help and meant for us to use it. We may not even realize we are listening to a different shepherd when we begin to go down that path.

Sometimes, without realizing it, we will find ourselves trusting in the power of ibuprofen to rid us of our backache, or in the power of a warranty to keep something from breaking down. I don't mean to speak against the miracles of modern technology and medicine, but I have to point out, again, that God is the power behind those miracles. It is God who ordained the natural laws by which everything "works." Nothing is more powerful than Him, and nothing can "work" without Him.

Therefore, God, not modern medicine or technology, should be trusted with every little problem. It is true that God uses modern technology to help us, but we should not think of it as an "alternative" help. Modern technology is not a call screening service that God uses to "deal with us" when our problems are too insignificant for a busy God's attention. Jesus personally assured us that God has time to deal with our little problems, and is, in fact, already involved, when He said, "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (Luke 12: 6-7 NIV). Don't let Satan fool you, isolating you from God with delusions of insignificance or beliefs in alternate sources of "salvation." Remember Who is your salvation, and trust in Him.

Behind the Scenes

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.--Ephesians 6: 12 NIV

Satan's second step, once he has edged God out of immediate action, is to convince us that not everything we encounter is of a spiritual origin. Satan especially likes to make us feel silly to think that he is behind the catastrophes that destroy our peace and productivity. Brand new car just broke down? You're just being paranoid....

Don't get me wrong. Sometimes, when our plans meet resistance, it is wrong to attribute that resistance to Satan. God can also foul up our plans when He knows they are against the plan He has for us (see Psalm 127: 1). Generally speaking, when you know you are doing what God has told you to do, and something goes terribly wrong, you can be pretty sure it is Satan trying to work against God by bothering you. When something goes wrong, but it opens the door for something better and more righteous to happen, it is more likely to have come from God.

There is a constant battle going on behind the scenes, between Satan's forces and God. Often, Satan uses people and circumstances to "strike out" at God through His children (see Matthew 10: 21-22). When he gets people to forget that he wants to use them as pawns in his personal campaign against God, he makes his campaign that much easier.

One more thing. Yes, Satan is working behind the scenes, but then again, so is God. As Paul reminded the Roman Christians, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8: 28 NIV). Satan may seem to be getting away with a lot of things, but God is stronger, and He has planned a victorious ending for all who trust in Him. David, remarking on the miraculous way God worked behind the scenes in his country's history, wrote, "Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen" (Psalm 77: 19 NIV). If you're dealing with this, you might also want to read my post, "Unseen Footprints" for more encouragement.

God Is Near

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. --Psalm 73: 26-28 NIV

If we let Satan convince us of his first two points, we will soon doubt that he even exists or acts at all, which works conveniently in favor of his third and final point of attack on our faith. Perhaps before we fully recognize what has happened, Satan will suggest that maybe God has abandoned us, or doesn't really exist. This lie, built on the "logic" of the previous two points, has destroyed countless numbers of people.

The good news is that God is not distant, nor is He unable to hear us when we ask Him for help. God is watching closely enough to keep track of the hairs on our heads; He is working every day on our behalf to bring us to Him or to bless our lives because of Him. God is not a friendly spirit cloud that *poof* is here one moment and *poof* is gone the next. He is a person who wants to know us, and wants us to know Him. God is real, and He is near.

If you have been led down this path, the easiest way to recover from your doubts is to retrace your steps, as I have tried to do in this post. How did you get here? Are all of the "logical steps" in agreement with the Bible? Can you prove any of them wrong? If, you ask God to help you, you will see the Devil's argument begin to crumble under the weight of proofs God sends your way. In that way, Satan will be defeated, and your faith in God will be restored. Furthermore, armed with such ammunition against Satan's trap, you will be able to withstand future attacks of that kind.

For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. --Deuteronomy 20: 4 NIV

Be restored, my friends, and be armed against Satan's lies. Trust in God, follow His directions closely, and share in His victory over every foe.

The Woman Jesus Called Daughter, Part 2, Healed and Saved

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:20:00 +0000

Today is the conclusion of my sister, Shannon's, devotional on the woman Jesus called "daughter." If you've been following along, these articles are guest posts on Savvy Sheep, and are taken from two notes she shared on facebook which she gave permission to be reprinted here. For those of you just joining us, you might want to go read part 1, which I shared earlier this week. If you've got any questions or comments to share, leave them in the comments section and I can pass them on if you wish. I'll be resuming the regular posting schedule next week. Without further ado...

Healed and Saved

A large crowd followed and pressed around him [Jesus]. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "
But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." -- Mark 5: 24-34 NIV

This note is part 2 of what God is showing me about this passage. I’ve repeated the story here (Mark’s telling rather than Luke’s this time) to get us into the right frame of mind. Read Part 1 first, because I’m continuing from where I left off!

Bold

“In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed” (Luke 8: 48 NIV).

Wait a minute—this woman just went from hiding in corners and crawling in dirty streets to boldly addressing a crowd?! In Jewish culture at the time, women usually weren’t permitted to speak in this way, and certainly not a woman in her circumstances. How could such a change happen so quickly? And she told not only that she had been healed but also what she had been healed from. Her sickness held no shame anymore because it had been transformed into a display of God’s glory. My sins and my old ways are a story I’ll gladly tell so that the difference He has made in me is clear.

Freed!

“He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering,” (Mark 5: 34 NIV).

Notice that Jesus didn’t tell her to wait seven days, bring a sacrifice to the temple, and have the priest make atonement for her (Leviticus 15: 28-30). Perhaps she did anyway, and we’ll never know until we meet her in heaven. But maybe He omitted this to show His authority as the Messiah (Luke 5:24) to heal and to save completely. And maybe He was pointing out that He would soon make atonement for her on the cross. According to the margin notes of my study Bible, the Greek word translated here as healed actually means saved. Hallelujah! Because of His sacrifice He is now our “high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:19-- Hebrews 7:28), with the power to declare her—and all who come to Him—cleansed and free not just physically but also spiritually!

Daughter

Although I’ve heard this story many times, as I read it anew the word stood out to me. What a term to use for someone who was unclean, who had no right to be there, who was penniless and broken! Her circumstances were such that her biological family would probably have denied knowing her. But Jesus called her daughter, perfectly willing to bear the shame of the association. As the Sanctus Real song on the radio goes, "There is no one too lost for Him to love/ No one too low for Him to serve."

From Weed to Rose

Printed in the margin of my study Bible is the fact that this woman was the only person in the four Gospels whom Jesus addressed as daughter.

Why her? Why not someone respectable, someone who didn’t need much “fixing up” when she came to know Him? If you’re acquainted with my Savior, you should know that He loves to turn the misfits into miracles. She is an example for all of us that we can never fall too far for Him to catch us, and that our failings are no obstacle to His strength. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV)!

It was the night before Father’s Day when I rediscovered this passage. Maybe you have a great relationship with your dad like I do, or maybe things aren’t going so well. Maybe you never even knew him. Isn’t it comforting to know that you have a heavenly Father too, who is never ashamed to call you His child, and who will never let you down? “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1 NIV).

Sister

I can’t help but realize how much my story resembles hers. Like my sister in this passage and in the kingdom, I came to Jesus not just bleeding but dead in my sins. My soul, not just my hand, was unclean before Him (Isaiah 64: 6). I put my faith in Christ as the Messiah, my Redeemer, who saved and healed me. And although my past gives me so much to be ashamed of, I’m willing to stand center stage so that the whole world will know what His power has done in me.

Are you tired of carrying wounds that won’t heal? Have you tried everything in your own power to feel better? How long will you wait? She waited twelve years for a Healer to come. But now He is come—He’s knocking at the door of your heart and you don’t have to wait another minute. Maybe you feel as if you’ve messed up so badly you aren’t worthy to speak to Him. Guess what? That isn’t possible. He’s always willing to receive you. Come to Him, broken as you are. He is longing to say, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (Mark 5: 34 NIV).
If you want to receive Christ as your personal Savior, read how at the end of this post.

The Woman Jesus Called Daughter, Part 1, A Beautiful Mystery

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:57:00 +0000

Today we have a guest writer--my sister, Shannon, who is currently studying to be an electrical engineer (I had to brag on her a bit). This Bible study was originally shared on Facebook, as a result of some of her personal reading about the healing of the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9: 20-22; Luke 8: 42-48). I asked her if it would be okay if I shared it here, and she agreed. She also requested that I somehow include a comment I left on that Facebook note, so I have copied it, with revisions for brevity, and set it apart in italics.

So, without further ado, here is the devotional that my sister shared. Hope you enjoy it! Feel free to leave comments, and if you want, you can address her rather than me (I'll let her know).

A Beautiful Mystery

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
"Who touched me?" Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."
But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."
Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."--Luke 8:42-48

God made this passage stand out to me a few weeks ago, and He just won’t leave me alone about it. I’ve heard or read the story many times, but this time the meaning was fresh and new. God’s word is a well so deep that I can always keep drawing from it and never reach the bottom! When I found myself in tears over these six verses for the second night in a row, I knew I had to share what Jesus has been showing me.

God’s Timing

First, the setup. Jesus was in the middle of performing another miracle! He was on His way to the home of Jairus, the synagogue leader, to heal the man’s daughter (Luke 8: 41, 42). Presumably Jairus and the disciples were in a hurry to reach the house before she died, and from a human point of view, certainly Jairus should have been given precedence over this lowly woman—but God’s timing isn’t like ours. Jesus knew that He would take the time for this poor woman as well, because raising the little girl from the dead was not too hard for Him, and would build more faith than just a healing in those who saw it.

Faith

Jesus was moving through a crowd that “almost crushed Him.” The whole town had come out to see what He would do—either out of curiosity or hope for their own healing. As Peter pointed out, dozens of people were pressing in around Him as He passed by. What made this one woman believe that just touching the dusty hem of His robe would heal her (Mark 5:28)? This was the first recorded instance of anyone being healed in this way. Many asked Jesus to touch them and were healed by His hands (Luke 4:40), but who else had this kind of faith? It’s humbling to ask myself…am I just one of the curious crowd, or will I reach out to Him in faith when I need healing?

Unclean

According to the Law, the “issue of blood” made the woman, and anything she touched, unclean (Leviticus 15: 25-30). Originally, the unclean could not live inside the camp (Leviticus 13: 45, 46); and later could not enter the temple (2 Chronicles 23: 18, 19). She was used to being shunned, and had been unable to participate in the temple festivals and sacrifices for twelve long years. “She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse” (Mark 5:26). Maybe she approached Jesus in the way she did because she felt unworthy to ask His attention, but she was about to receive it anyway.

A Beautiful Mystery

“She came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering,” (Mark 5: 27-29 NIV).

This miracle went against everything the Israelites had been taught. A touch like this was supposed to make the clean things unclean. Any other man would have been considered ceremonially unclean until sundown because of the brush of her hand (Leviticus 15: 27). But instead Jesus’ power flowed through her fingers and cleansed her, while He remained clean! This was no ordinary prophet. How could His holiness cover sin and shame? It’s still a beautiful mystery to me.

Facebook comment from Rachel: I think can help a bit on that question, based on a radio sermon I heard one afternoon on a drive to my college campus. She believed so firmly that touching the hem of Jesus' robe would heal her because of an ancient Jewish tradition, and another verse in the Bible. In Numbers 15: 37-39, the Israelites were instructed to put tassels on the hems of their garments. Each tassel must include a blue thread (blue was the symbol of God's divinity and majesty). The tassels were to help them, "remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes," (v. 39). The tassels were to remind them of God's holiness and His commands to them about holiness!

As you pointed out, she was not considered pure or holy by the people because of her issue of blood, so symbolically, she was asking Jesus to make her holy. This shows that she not only believed that Jesus was sent by God and made holy by Him, but also that she believed He was God, and had the power to fulfill her request.

Now, the word for the hem of the garment in Hebrew is often also translated "wings" (also explained on this website). So she literally touched Jesus' "wings" to get her healing. In the Old Testament, God repeatedly says that He wants to hide Israel in the shadow of His wings (that is, to protect them like an eagle does her young). David also says, in the Psalms, that he sought refuge under God's "wings." Another very significant use of the Hebrew word is Malachi 4: 2, a prophecy about the Messiah, that says, "But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall" (read the full prophecy here). So, by this gesture, she was calling on Jesus as her refuge, and claiming her promised healing from her Messiah.

It was a timid gesture, but it was based on a bold faith. This woman had done her reading! Hope this comment adds to your appreciation of the story.

Seen and Known

“’Who touched me?’ Jesus asked,” (Luke 8:45).

He already knew who had touched Him! We have to realize at some point that essentially all of the questions Jesus asked in the Bible were rhetorical—He was fully God and fully man, and therefore all-knowing! So why did He ask? Did He want to single her out in her shame? No—He treated her with gentleness and respect. He wanted her to feel worthy again of being seen and known, because she was acknowledged by the Messiah himself!

Notice the disciples’ incredulous reaction. Sometimes I laugh at them for still questioning His reasons after all that they had seen, but then I look in the mirror…. He didn’t rebuke them for their doubts, but allowed them to watch and learn.

Invisible

I try to put myself in her shoes, and imagine how she must have felt. We have just a few words to describe what she was going through. “Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet” (v. 47).

The reader’s first reaction might be that she should have been eager to thank the one who had healed her. But the habits she had formed over twelve years of uncleanness made her shy away from this idea, no matter how her heart may have been overflowing with gratefulness. She wanted to “go unnoticed”—she was used to being invisible.

Trembling

Of course—after twelve years of bleeding, she would be physically weak, right? Wrong. She had been instantly healed, not just a little but completely. “Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering” (Mark 5:29). God doesn’t fulfill His promises halfway; He doesn’t pour a scant measure, but opens the floodgates of blessing when we submit to Him. She wasn’t trembling with physical infirmity. She was trembling with emotion.

At His Feet

She fell at His feet not out of weakness but in worship. Whether she knew the fullness of who Jesus was or not, she knew that the one who had redeemed her from all her pain deserved all her adoration. What has He redeemed you from? When was the last time you fell at His feet in praise?

Weekly Trivia Files: "Possessed" by the Holy Spirit?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 22:15:00 +0000

Someone once asked me what it was like to be "posessed" by the Holy Spirit. I was taken aback at first, because such a statement is practically blasphemous in Christianese--a language I thought this person (a lifetime churchgoer) was familiar with. Apparently, not so. Since I've been explaining various examples of Christianese (terms Christians commonly use which are baffling to others) each week, I thought I'd give some special attention to this one. So, first, the difference between "possessed" and "filled."

Possessed--Used in the term "demon possession." Refers to complete control over an individual's mind and body by a supernatural evil entity, that is, a fallen angel (aka a demon). This spirit literally assumes control of a person and forces them to do what it wants (like a puppet). Some examples in the Bible are the demon who threw a boy into fire and water (to burn or drown him) (Matthew 17: 13-18), and the demon who forced a man to live as an outcast among the tombs and scream and cut himself all night (Mark 5: 1-20). Common to these examples (and others I haven't cited from the Bible) is the demonic agenda. Demons hate God's creation, and want to destroy it. Demon possession brings suffering, fear, and chaos to those affected (Matthew 15: 22). They speak against the things of God, and mock the things of God, though they acknowledge God's power (Luke 4: 32-34; Acts 16: 17-19).
Filled--The infilling of the Holy Spirit is a doctrine that many denominations don't teach, except to agree that it happened at one time, to the early church, in the book of Acts. We'll not go into this discussion in this brief post. The term "infilling" or the phrase "filled with the Spirit" is used to denote the Holy Spirit's power coming upon a person, enabling that person to work miracles, prophesy, etc. through God's power and on His behalf. The differences between "infilling" and "possession" are clear. God does not take away our free will; that would be against the whole body of Scripture, since Christ's sacrifice would have been unnecessary if God could just choose to make us obey. Also, God does not speak against Himself or contradict Himself (see 1 Samuel 15: 29; Luke 11: 14-20), and His nature is not characterized by fear and disorder (Romans 8: 15; Romans 15: 5-6; Ephesians 4: 2-6). The infilling of the Holy Spirit is to give believers "extra strength," that is, God's strength, to do the tasks He has set before us. This power that believers have been given is not to be used to glorify or serve anyone besides God, and that includes ourselves (Acts 8: 8-25). By these and other, similar signs, we can tell the difference between "filled" and "possessed."

Hope that clarifies this issue a bit for my readers. I have a lot of other things on the "to do" list, so I'm ending it here. If you have anything to add, feel free to leave me a comment! I'll be back here in a few days.

He Wants Your Best

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 03:09:00 +0000

Call it a crisis of teen-age proportions, but I was feeling pretty rattled that night. I had just mailed off an essay for a scholarship contest, and I was certain that I had no chance of winning. I was really doubting myself, and having a good cry about it. If I couldn't write a decent essay on Shakespeare, what made me think it was a good idea to go to college to major in English?

"I don't stand a chance....that essay was garbage...why would God ever want me to be a writer?" I said to my bedroom ceiling.

"Did you do your best?" a voice out of nowhere suddenly asked me. It wasn't an audible voice, but rather a still, small voice in my head that I knew didn't come from me.

"What?" I asked out loud. I was suddenly thinking of Samuel's calling in the Bible. Was this God speaking?

"I said, did you do your best?" the voice asked again.

I sat up a little straighter in my chair. Though it seemed odd to do so, I answered the question. "Yes....God, if that's you. I gave it my all, but it was still terrible."

"Your best is all I wanted from you," the voice stated flatly. "That's enough for me."

Give God Your Best

The Apostle Paul wrote, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10: 31 NIV). Ever since that little heart-to-heart with God, this verse has had new meaning for me. If I'm supposed to glorify God in the mundane tasks of eating and drinking, doesn't this apply to everything, even essay contests?

Jesus even backed this idea. When asked what He thought should be the greatest commandment, He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," (Matthew 22: 37 NIV; an echoing of Deuteronomy 6: 5). God wants the best part of our love, that is, our undivided love. He wants the best part of our attention, which is our undivided attention. Furthermore, God wants the best part of our thoughts and decisions, which means He wants us to consider Him and what would please Him in every decision we make. In the end, God wants more than our obedience; He wants us to love Him, and express that love for Him by making Him the most important person in our lives.

In ancient times, when God gave Moses His laws concerning sacrifices, God specifically said that the animals to be sacrificed must be "without defect or blemish" (Leviticus 22: 21; Numbers 19: 2), or they would not be pleasing or acceptable sacrifices. God never asked for our three-legged, one-eyed gifts; He wanted the best we could offer, because that meant that we actually valued His blessing more than any other consideration. This, too, was to be an expression of love, to show God how important He was to us. God demonstrated this for us, so we could understand it more clearly, by sending His only son, not His least-loved or least-wanted son, to be the ultimate atoning sacrifice for us (John 3: 16; Hebrews 9: 14).

Now, when I say that God asks for our best, I have to point out that He isn't asking for something unreasonable or beyond what we could give Him. First, God isn't demanding that we perform beyond the best of our abilities; that would be cruel (see Matthew 23: 13). One precedent for this is found in the requirements for sacrifices from the poor among the nation of Israel. If they couldn't afford to offer larger and more valuable animals for sacrifice, a less-valuable sacrifice would be acceptable (see Leviticus 5: 7-11). Even Joseph and Mary had to take this option when they presented Jesus at the temple (Luke 2: 22-24). Secondly, God isn't demanding that we accomplish our best on our own. He will help us to obey Him, and will equip us with the knowledge and abilities that we need (see Hebrews 13: 20-21). God makes it easy for us to give Him our best!

Are You Giving God Your Best Today?

I am not suggesting to any of my readers that we have to be perfect, or that God expects perfectionism; however, God does want us to give Him our best. If your best means studying hard enough for that test that you make an "A," then do so; however, if your best effort doesn't earn an "A," don't worry about it. It's between you and God, not between you and any other person, and you have truly done all you could. Your efforts are equally commendable in either outcome. The same goes for a work situation or something in your personal life; if you've done your best, trying to please God in the situation, He will not frown upon your efforts. He is looking for your obedience and your honesty.

On the other side of the coin, God knows when you have given Him second-best, even when by all appearances your performance was flawless. As I've said before, it is between you and God, not between you and another person. You know when you didn't give priority to something, even if you managed to conceal it from everyone around you. The Bible says, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16: 7 NIV). God sees what others don't. I say this because God has dealt with me personally on this issue on a few occasions.

Wrapping up my message today, I want to leave my readers with a reminder to give God your best, not your second best, in all that you do. Remember that His requirements are not extreme, and that He will even help you meet them. Finally, when you've given God your best, don't be ashamed of it, no matter how small it may seem to the world.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6: 9 NIV).

Weekly Trivia Files: More Christianese

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 05:24:00 +0000

For the past few weeks, I've been trying to explain terms that tend to get tossed around in a religious discussion, but often aren't well-defined. Last week I decided to touch upon a few terms that are often called "Christianisms" or "Christianese," because they mean something deep and important to those who are familiar with them (especially those who grew up in church) but they sound awfully strange to those who are new to Christianity. If you are one of the confused ones, don't worry. Keep reading. Maybe these next three will help.

The cross and the fish symbols--Most people have probably heard that Jesus was crucified on a wooden cross, which looks like the lowercase "t" symbol in the Greek alphabet. The cross was a form of tortuous death that the ancient Roman Empire dealt out to criminals and those who opposed its rule. Victims of crucifixion didn't usually die of the wounds to the hands or arms and the feet (a long nail was driven through their limbs into the wooden cross), but they did die of suffocation, because they had to pull themselves upright in order to breathe (the position stretched their chest muscles and restricted breathing). Jesus was not the first to die of crucifixion, and He certainly wasn't the last. Suffice it to say, early Christians would have been no more likely to wear a cross on their jewelry than we would now be willing to wear a hangman's noose or a guillotine pendant. Instead, they often used the fish symbol as their emblem, in part because Jesus said, "I will make you fishers of men," (Matthew 4: 19), and partly because of an early Greek acrostic. The word Icthus, that is, fish, was also an acrostic for "Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter," which translates, "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior," where each word begins with a letter from the Greek word Icthus. The fish symbol predates the cross as a Christian symbol.
Redemption--When Christians speak of "redemption," they aren't talking about coupons. They are really referring to an ancient Hebrew practice, in which a person "stood in" for a lost kinsman, keeping the land that belonged to him in the family, providing for his widow, and in general keeping his memory alive. Any children he had with the dead man's widow in effect restored the dead man's name and all of his property to the census rolls of the nation of Israel. A "kinsman-redeemer" redeemed a man's memory or legacy from death. In the Bible, Boaz is the most famous "kinsman-redeemer," because he married the destitute widow of one of his tribesmen, and their son was the grandfather of David, the future king of Israel. This symbolic redemption from death was picked up again and used to describe Christ's mission on earth, because His death redeemed those of us who were dead in our sins, restoring us to full fellowship with God.
"The Lamb" and "the sheep"--Many old Christian songs, as well as some newer ones, discuss "the Lamb" or "the Lamb of God." Does God have His own special breed of sheep? Well, not exactly. Historically, the followers of God sacrificed young sheep to atone for their sins, because God set death as the price for sin; therefore, something has to die to take away the offense of sin. Jesus paid the ultimate price so that He could be "the ultimate sacrificial lamb" on behalf of all of those who wish to repent. He is the last redeeming sacrifice. When Christians talk about "the Lamb" they are speaking symbolically of Christ. Now, when Christians talk about "the sheep" or "the flock," they are talking about followers of Christ. Jesus once said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10: 11 NIV). In fact, the Bible is full of symbolic depictions of God's followers as sheep (Numbers 27: 16-18; 1 Kings 22: 17; Psalm 100: 3; Psalm 23).

That's it for another week. Have a good weekend, and if you have any "Christianese" you would like to see explained, be sure to tell me about it in the comments section.

5 Important Tips for Witnessing

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:40:00 +0000

I am by no means an expert on sharing my faith with others; my experience has been rather limited, beginning in college and continuing primarily through this blog. However, I do have some experience as to what works and what doesn't. Ultimately, "witnessing," as Christians call it, comes down to a simple, heartfelt conversation--the most important one you will ever have. My tips are below (for those of you in a great hurry), but first I thought I'd briefly share with you my first major experience with witnessing.

I spent my sophomore year of college as the appointed leader of a campus ministry called Chi Alpha, which is affiliated with the Assemblies of God. I must say it was the most stressful and sometimes frightening job I've ever taken on, and I wasn't even paid to do it! I took on the job after a cold-call from the district head of Chi Alpha, who told me the previous leader (who had transferred to a different campus) had recommended me to the post. The year began badly, with a horrible first meeting, hate mail, personal threats and verbal abuse, and a whole lot of discouragement. I had stuck with it for a month, but I was still thinking about quitting.

This time, one of the students in Chi Alpha decided to walk me back to my dorm room after a Chi Alpha meeting. I wasn't expecting to get into any deep spiritual discussion with her, but we ended up talking about death, and heaven. Then she tearfully asked me how she could be sure she would someday go to heaven. I quickly invited her into my dorm room, deciding that the test prep for the following day would just have to wait, and I shared my faith with her, trying my best to answer her questions and showing her where in the Bible they were answered. The talk ended with me praying with her in the middle of my dorm room floor to receive Jesus.

I learned a lot that day, including a lot of things I wish I'd done differently. Here are the best tips I can give to those who want to share their faith but aren't really sure of how to go about it.

Understand your audience's background. People aren't all the same, and sharing your faith with them is not going to be the same every time. Whether you know this person already, or whether you've only just met this person, you need to ask yourself a few questions. Is this person already familiar with the Bible or Christian doctrines? How knowledgeable is this person, in general (for instance, a child knows less than an adult, and someone from high school knows less than someone with a PhD)? What in this person's background might have brought about this interest in knowing Jesus? What part of this person's background would make Christianity seem personally applicable or desirable? You may not know the answer to these questions, but if you pray and ask God to help you, God will guide you into finding the answers (see also Jeremiah 17: 9, 10; John 16: 13).
Tailor the message. The Bible is full of examples of sharing the faith, and if you pay attention, you'll see how the message is the same throughout, but the presentation is tailored to the listener. When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, He commented on her past, as well as the Jewish-Samaritan relationship at that time (John 4: 1-42). Next, when Peter and John were on trial before the Sanhedrin, they mentioned Jesus, a familiar figure to their audience, and cited passages from Psalms, which their audience had learned as part of their religious education (Acts 4: 1-22). Finally, when Paul spoke to the Greeks at the Areopagus, he cited their philosophers and their idols at the beginning of his speech (Acts 17: 22-34), but when he addressed a less-scholarly crowd of Greeks, he showed an understanding of the beliefs and practices involved in their worship of Hermes and Zeus (Acts 14: 8-18). I could go on, but I think you get the idea. A one-size-fits-all approach seems less effective than a personal approach. Learning standard witnessing approaches, such as the "Roman Road" or "The Way of the Master" are good for teaching you the basic ingredients of witnessing, but they are not always the best approach for your particular audience. Don't cling too tightly to a script.
Pay attention to what your audience is telling you. If you are sharing your faith in a one-on-one situation, 95% of what you will be doing is listening, not talking. Once, on my lunch hour at college, a Christian girl approached me and asked if I would sit with her while she shared her faith with a group of foreign exchange students. Once we'd all gathered at a lunch table, she immediately launched into one of those scripted approaches I just mentioned, and one of the listeners, a female native of Venezuela, raised her hand to interrupt. "For centuries, my ancestors have gone to mass regularly, and they have held all the festivals and practices of the Christians. But you aren't answering my question, so I will ask again. Why should the Christian faith be important to me, in the modern world? I don't understand." I opened my mouth to answer, and was horrified to hear the Christian girl beside me blurt out, "That question is off-topic. Now, getting back to what I was saying..." and she returned to the next step in the script she was following. Suffice it to say, the audience stopped listening, and were clearly offended. Sometimes your audience will ask a good question, not a "heckler's question," which is meant to derail the discussion. This was definitely a good question. When such a thing happens, you must answer in as much detail as the situation requires, even if the conversation doesn't end in a prayer to receive Christ. If you have answered truthfully and kindly, the person will be more inclined to hear more. If you don't, you may be destroying this and all future opportunities for this person to hear the message.
Know your Bible, and if that isn't fully possible, know how to listen to God. Because of that incident, I also learned that you need to know what the Bible says on a lot of subjects before you should try to share your faith. Nobody is perfect, but I have to say that your audience sees you, as a self-proclaimed Christian, to be an expert on Christianity. Because of this, Paul wrote, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season," (2 Timothy 4: 2 NIV). However, there may come a day when you will not know how to answer a person; in that situation, you will need God's divine guidance through the Holy Spirit to remind you of what the Bible says. Jesus promised this help to His disciples, saying "Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit" (Mark 13: 11 NIV; see also Luke 12: 11, 12). When it comes down to it, though, there is no excuse for ignorance of the most basic teachings of Christianity. How can you ask someone to believe in something neither of you know anything about?
Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Sharing your faith can get into some uncomfortable territory, and often brings out misconceptions of what Christianity is, and what makes a person a Christian. You can make the situation worse if you try to rewrite history, gloss over important teachings because they are offensive to some, or simply pretend your audience isn't mature enough to understand. Honesty, tempered with kindness and humility, is always the best policy. Our God is the God of truth. If we really believe that, we can trust God to defend the truth, even in front of a hostile audience. He would never want us to lie or deceive. If we are listening to God, He will embolden us and give us words when the truth seems like the worst answer we could give, and He will prepare the hearts of our listeners to be more receptive to our message. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander" (1 Peter 2: 14-16 NIV).

Well, that's five tips. Do you have anything to add to the list? Feel free to share in the comments section.

Weekly Trivia Files: "Christianisms"

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 05:34:00 +0000

So far in this series I've defined and discussed general terms for categories of religions, for example, polytheism and agnosticism. I think now it's time to define three "Christianisms" or examples of "Christianese" as some people call it. These are terms that Christians tend to throw around without defining--which probably confuses a lot of people.

Born Again--Jesus was the first to use this term, and it confused His audience, at first, until He explained . Jesus was not talking about a literal second birth, in which a person would somehow re-enter the womb and be born a second time. Nowadays, some would think this term referred to reincarnation, a doctrine of the Hindu religion, in which the spirit of a person comes back after death in a different body, animal, vegetable, mineral, or human. To be "born again" or "born from above" is to undergo a spiritual transformation, where even the desires of the heart are changed completely--as if a person has become a completely new person.
"Washed in the Blood"--The ancient Romans believed that Christians were blood letters and routinely sacrificed their own god for a religious observance. Of course, that wasn't true, but I can see where people might get confused. Christians believe that blood can atone for sin; in essence, something must die to pay the penalty for sin, as God has required. Animal sacrifice (human sacrifice was never required!) is no longer necessary; however, because Jesus' death atoned for all those who believe in Him. To be "washed in the blood," then, is a figurative way of saying "to have one's sins atoned for through Jesus' sacrifice." This is also borrowed, in part, from a Bible verse that says, "'Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool'" (Isaiah 1: 18 NIV).
Bible references with names and numbers and random letters--While I'm in the business of explaining Christian terminology, I think I out to explain how to read the above Bible reference, because the standard format I just used is definitely not intuitive. The first word in the parenthesis above refers to the book within the Bible, that is, the big named sections in the Bible. The above scripture reference is in the book of Isaiah, but there are many others, such as Matthew and Genesis. The first number refers to the chapter within the book of Isaiah (each chapter starts with a large number breaking up the text). The number after the colon references the verse within that chapter (divisions within the paragraphs, labeled with small superscript numbers). The "NIV" refers to the translation this quote was taken from--in this case, the New International Version.

Okay, that's all for today. See you back here in a few days! To all my U.S. readers, have a happy 4th!

Have They Heard?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:04:00 +0000

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves" (Luke 10: 2-4 NIV).

It is estimated that 28% of the world's population (1.5 billion people) has never heard of Jesus...not even once! Wikipedia and other sources also report that the percentage of people who call themselves Christian (whether or not they consider themselves "born again" or believe they have a relationship with Christ) is hovering around 50% in some regions of the United States.

Though I have some doubts about the accuracy of these statistics (I can't locate an original source), I think the statistics just underscore the necessity of missions work in the world. The numbers are too high. Even if they were half of what they are, they would still be too high.

There are so many missionaries of various kinds in my family and my circle of friends and acquaintances, so perhaps it's no wonder that I think about this topic so often. It's been a reoccurring theme in my personal reading, lately, as well. I just finished reading an incredible missionary autobigraphy called, Before We Kill and Eat You: Tales of Faith in the Face of Certain Death by H.B. Garlock, with Ruthanne Garlock. I followed that one with a biography of Eric Liddel (the "Flying Scotsman" of the Olympics who was later a missionary to China), entitled Run to Glory, by Ellen Caughey. Another title I could recommend is The Inn of the Sixth Happiness by Alan Burgess.

Calling All Missionaries

I don't feel God calling me to missions in a distant land, as these people did, but I support and pray for the missionaries who are at this moment out there spreading the truth among all those people who've never heard. Are you a missionary? If so, please feel free to share in the comments section. I'd love to hear from you.

God hasn't called me to serve abroad (at least, not yet), but I do believe He is using my efforts on this blog for a missionary purpose. Since the founding of this blog, I've noticed a marked increase in visits from "closed" countries and other countries that are predominantly non-Christian. They aren't just coming in on strange, unrelated Google searches either; quite often these visitors have a very pointed question and end up on the blog post I felt God leading me to write to answer those questions! The world wide web gives me (and other Christian bloggers) a key to back doors that have been closed to Christ for centuries. Are we using this key to bless God's kingdom, or are we wasting this blessed opportunity to gripe or glorify ourselves? Lord, I pray that You will give us wisdom!

Paul, on Missions

The Apostle Paul wrote passionately about missions work in the book of Romans, chapter ten. I want to remind my Christian readers of his words, because they cut to the heart of the matter. Here is the bulk of what Paul wrote on this topic:

"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.... for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'....Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."(Romans 10: 9-10; 13-15; 17 NIV).

Let us broadcast the "good news" so that everyone may hear the truth, and not a lot of nonsense. Christ is coming back soon to judge the world, and time is running out for all of those people. When He comes, they will be punished and swept away without having ever heard that there was a way of escape for them. Who will have compassion?

So That Everyone May Hear

I can answer that question. I do! If you are someone who has never heard about Jesus Christ or why He came, here is your answer. >>>>>>

Long ago, the eternal, living God of the whole universe set the penalty for rebellion as death. Blood alone could atone for wrong that had been done. This was meant to emphasize how much God hates wrong. For a time, this punishment could be put off through animal sacrifice, but in the end, every person had to die to pay the full penalty, and, after death, every soul would spend eternity cursed and separated from God and all good things. This was called the second death--the death of the soul, not just the body.

Now, God loved the people He had made, and hated to see them all getting this punishment, but because He loved justice, He couldn't break the law He had established. So God worked out a plan to rescue humankind. He sent His son, Jesus (who is, in fact, God Himself) to die as a man on earth. Jesus never sinned, because His very nature was God; therefore, He didn't deserve the punishment of death. When He died, Jesus offered up His blood as a sacrifice for all who would ask Him, to atone for their sins. Because of Jesus' obedience, God raised Him from the dead, to show the world that His sacrifice had satisfied God's requirements for sin. Thus God proved that through Jesus, He would raise souls from the dead. To this day, everyone's body dies eventually, but those who have asked Jesus to cover their sins will have their sins atoned for. At the end of the world, when Jesus returns to judge the world, those who have believed in Jesus and His Salvation will not suffer the second death; they will be resurrected from the dead and will live eternally. However, those who have rejected Jesus Christ will die eternally, without remedy.

Those who do not know Jesus may tell you that this is an unlikely story, but I'm telling you that it's true. Don't listen to them and find out the hard way! Just remember: God is not a liar, that He doesn't carry out what He said He would do, and He is not too powerless to do it. However, God is also a loving God, and He wants to forgive you. He hates having to punish you. He'd much rather get to know you, as a friend. Will you accept the gift of salvation that Jesus is freely offering you?

If you answered, "Yes, but how?" I'm asking that you bow your head, wherever you are, and pray along with me. "Dear God, I know that I have sinned and rebelled against you, but I have heard today that you sent your son, Jesus, to take away my punishment, and that He will save me if I will believe in Him and obey Him with my whole life. I believe in Jesus, and what He did. Please help me to obey You, so that I can enjoy eternal life with You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen."

After that, get your hands on a Bible, or read it online, and God will help you to do what it says!

God bless you all! See you here, again, in a few days.

Weekly Trivia Files, Some More -Theisms and Related Terms

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 02:50:00 +0000

Last Friday I posted three religious terms and their definitions as part of a move to explain some of the tricky religious talk out there. There are times when too much technical language in religious discussion can hinder people's understanding of Scripture. I don't like that. Then again, there are times when we avoid getting technical and end up accepting doctrines that are not recognized by the Bible. I don't like that either.

So, here are some more definitions of major classifications of religious beliefs. Again, I am open for corrections and if there is anything I've left out, feel free to leave me a comment.

Atheism-- A- "no; without" + -theos "God" + -ism "state of being." Atheists simply don't believe in the existence of God (or any other god, for that matter). I'm seeing more of this religious belief (it's a religious position, too) in television programming and movies than I'd ever seen before. The majority of atheists in society today are in the scientific community. Example: The television show, House, or the majority of the Star Trek movies and television episodes.
Agnosticism--A- "no; without" + gnostic/gnostos "knowledge, especially secret spiritual knowledge." Agnostics are like atheists, in that they don't worship God or any other god. What distinguishes them from atheists is their opinion that God may exist but cannot be known or proven. They are also primarily found among the more highly-educated people in western society. This religious position is also spreading quickly through the medium of movies and television, although I can't think of any specific examples right now.
Spiritism/Mysticism--This religious group believes in supernatural, non-scientific phenomena, such as the belief in ghosts, astrology, the powers of stones and metals, spells and incantations, charms, and the like. These people don't necessarily believe in any God or god, or any official or organized religion. Nevertheless, their belief in these things is very serious. I'm seeing a lot of these teachings on television and in the movies as well. Examples: Supernatural and Ghost Whisperer.

Stay tuned for more next week. I'll be posting another long post in a few days, whenever I get the chance. I've been awfully busy, lately, but I have been missing blogging. I'm not going away, anyway. That's a promise!

What Was It All For?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:29:00 +0000

Future Talk

In the U.S., anyway, I've noticed a trend toward thinking of Christianity only in terms of our lives now--our marriages, our finances, and our work, for instance. Perhaps that isn't a bad thing, but I'm missing the old future-focus of Christianity. We rarely discuss how someday, at some time, all of the mundane things we worry about are going away. Someday, Christ is coming back to take us away from here, and the world as we know it will be judged and destroyed.

We aren't talking about that. Why? Are we afraid to believe that the same God who fulfilled His promises before will do it again? Maybe we're feeling self-conscious in front of all the mockers out there who think it's crazy to talk about the end of the world. Whatever the reason for the silence, I believe it's time to start talking about biblical prophecies and the Second Coming again. It's just better for our spiritual health.

We're missing something vital if we think that Christianity is only about laboring in the trenches, resisting sin, and wishing there was some reward for doing good. Unfortunately, that's fast becoming the general view of Christianity. What's the use of enduring persecution or denying ourselves when there is no reward in sight? At day's end, what is there? All that pain without a reward is enough to make anyone want to give up.

Is that you today?

Good News Brings Health to the Bones

I've got some good news for you. That isn't all that Christianity has to offer. It really would be a dead kind of religion if it only involved this life, which we sooner or later leave behind.

The good news is that our reward is not a temporary one, so that it passes away with this life. Nor is it a small one, which doesn't equal all the trouble we endured to reach it. Christians have a great reward coming if we hold on until the end, and we will get to enjoy it, too.

If we think only of this present life and our troubles in it, our perspective will become skewed and we will feel depressed. I speak from experience. For the sake of our faith, we need to be constantly reminded that our lives are just a short prelude to eternal life.

Our reward is so much more than merely living forever, though. We get to live in victory. When the end comes, whether to this life or to this whole world, our past troubles are not going to be left unresolved. God will give us victory--over ourselves and those things that used to tempt us, and over our enemies.

God has said in His Word, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them" (Deuteronomy 32: 35 NIV). And in many, many other places, the Bible says that God will repay everyone "according to what they have done." For the obedient, a blessing of eternal life, but for the wicked, there will be wrath (Romans 2: 6-8). "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded," the author of Hebrews notes. "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" (Hebrews 10: 35-36 NIV). In Proverbs, it is also written, "The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing" (Proverbs 10: 28 NIV). When Christians talk about the future, they are remembering with joy that one day, the sun will set on their troubles for the last time.

Therefore, when we gather together, we should not only talk about what God is doing in our lives now, but also talk about everything He is going to do. It will lift us. We have a future to look forward to; a future full of hope and the certainty of justice. There's no reason to feel discouraged or ashamed. As for those who say Christians are crazy for talking about the end of the world, let them take it up with God, whose power to judge they have refused to acknowledge. Meanwhile, let us hold on to our hope, and feel our strength renewed.

"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40: 30-31 NIV).

Weekly Trivia Files, Technical Terms: The "-Theism"s Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:22:00 +0000

Religious discussions are always full of technical terms and idioms of various kinds, and unfortunately, to an untrained ear they all tend to sound the same after awhile. In this series, I thought I'd go through a few terms each week, defining them and contrasting them where possible to help you get them all straightened out.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or a correction (nobody is perfect), don't hesitate to leave a comment.

The "-theism"s

There are many types of religions in the world, and if you ever get into a discussion about world religions, you will probably hear a lot of terms that end with "-theism." They are basic terms for describing the differences between the world's religions. I'm discussing them today, not to give my approval for any religion other than Christianity, but to lay out the groundwork for possible in-depth discussion later. Obviously, my definitions are biased as they are being given from a Christian perspective (and as long as free speech is really free I have a right to do so), but I will do my best not to distort your understanding of the facts.

Theism, or -theos is a Greek root word that means "God" or "god." These terms, then, describe the nature of the deity a particular religion or belief system follows. Here are some terms that use "-theism," and their definitions:

Monotheism--literally, mono- "one" + -theos "god" + -ism "state of being; is." Monotheist religions only follow one god (God), not a group of deities. Examples include Christianity, which follows the God of Israel as revealed in the nature and person of Jesus Christ; Judaism, which follows the God of Israel as known from Mosaic Law; and Islam, which also lays claim to the god of Abraham as told by their leader Mohammed.
Polytheism--literally, poly- "many" + -theos "god(s)" + -ism "state of being; is." Polytheistic religions worship many deities at once. Their deities may have ranks (some being more powerful than others, for instance), and their forms can include masculine, feminine, plant, animal, and inanimate (not representing a living thing, such as the sun). Examples include the religions of most African, Eurasian, Oceanic, and native North and South American tribes, and the ancient Romans and Greeks. As you can see, this is a pretty all-encompassing term, which glosses over the differences between a lot of different tribal beliefs.
Pantheism--literally, pan- "all, universal" + -theos "god" + -ism "state of being; is." Pantheistic religions worship a pervasive force, or spirit, of the universe or nature; in essence, their god is in everything, therefore everything is divine. Hinduism is one notable example, as are many tribal religions in places like Australia and North America. Many of these also have many idols that they worship, but their belief system describes them as parts of the same "divine force/being."

Well, I think three definitions are enough for one day. See you on Monday or Tuesday with another, more in-depth article for next week.

Good And Bad Seeds

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:12:00 +0000

I have been so busy over the past week. I realized, sometime around Thursday, that I was taking a week off from blogging, whether I liked it or not. Well, I'm back now, and today I'm wanting to say a little bit about seeds, and future generations.

I've been re-reading the Bible for the past few months, and one of the symbols I'm noticing again is the frequent reference to seeds as spiritual symbols throughout the Bible. I have heard it preached that they often represent good and bad deeds, and that isn't too far off the track, but I'm seeing that they are more than that. Really, they are the spiritual consequences of choices, not merely symbols of the choices themselves. Seeds symbolically represent the future results of small choices, emphasizing the enormity, and seriousness, of the little decisions we make every day. Seeds sown in our lives today may destroy us later, or they may put on a crop of good fruit that brings blessing to both ourselves and those around us.

Volunteer Plants

Now, let me call your attention to the photo I've included in this post. It's a couple of Four O' Clock seedlings in my front flower bed.

I planted Four O' Clocks last year in a pot on my front porch, and when they got large, they prolifically scattered seeds everywhere. This year, I have volunteer plants all over the place that came from the seeds of the first three. I never planted or watered them, but they are sprouting in several flower beds and even my yard. If I allow them to grow, they will continue to be everywhere in increasingly large numbers. That's the thing about seeds. They have a way of multiplying themselves exponentially. If you don't want a whole lot of them, you have to get the first plants and all of their seeds, or you will have a plague on your hands.

Four O' Clocks aren't so bad, but this volunteer seed situation makes me remember my grandparent's farm where I used to play as a child. They had a significant problem with sand burrs.

You might be familiar with cockle burrs, which put on grape-sized brown seeds that have hooked spines all over them. Cockle burrs were the inspiration for velcro. Sand burrs are similar, but much nastier. They're the size of black-eyed peas (or a little smaller) and have needle-sharp spines. They make cockle burr plants seem downright friendly. Sand burrs draw blood and have the ugly habit of tangling themselves in shoelaces and socks. Even after you remove the seeds, you still find the spines in your laundry and shoelaces for months afterwards.

My granddad tried everything he could think of to get rid of the sand burrs from his fields. He tried mowing, controlled burning, and spraying herbicide or gasoline, but there were always more plants the next year. It seems that once a sand burr plant grows in an area, the species never quite leaves the place.

However, there never were any sand burrs growing close to my grandparents' house. Why? Well, if they found a sand burr seed, they threw it away. If they saw a plant coming up, they pulled it up with the roots. Sand burrs and other nasty weeds can escape and grow where no one is watching, but if they grew where they could be noticed, people tend to destroy them before the next generation can come along.

The Good and Bad Seed

In the Mosaic Law, the Israelites had several laws concerning seeds and planting, including a law not to plant two kinds of seed together (Leviticus 19: 19; Deuteronomy 22: 9). These laws were to be taken literally, but they had symbolic meaning; in essence, God was cautioning His people not to mix good and bad decisions (sinful and obedient behavior) in their lives, because if the bad "seed" put on a "bumper crop" of consequences, the results could be fatal to the whole field (life), strangling out the good (see also Jesus' Parable of the Sower Matthew 13: 1-23).

This idea of good and bad seed is not just explained in symbolism, so that no one could be confused about it. Moses also specifically instructed the people about one particular type of bad "seed," that is, the seed of apostasy, and it's consequences for the individual as well as the nation. Moses told Israel in Deuteronomy 29: 18-19,

"Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison. When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, 'I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.' This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry."

In other words, don't let one bad seed sprout, or it will ultimately bring disaster to everyone, because that one bad seed will put on more seeds, until it has seeded itself through the whole nation. Moses goes on to explain to the Israelites in the Deuteronomy 29 passage that God would punish each individual who turned away from Him, but that in doing so, the whole land would be laid waste (see Deuteronomy 29: 16-25 and Matthew 13: 36-43). So singling out such evil "weeds" at the onset would protect the whole nation in later generations.

Moses' instructions have some bearing on us today. If we aren't careful, and we find ourselves making excuses for our own life choices, our decisions could lead our children, and their peers, into increasingly rebellious behavior. Sins aren't born in a vacuum, and the destruction they leave behind certainly doesn't fade away like a cloud of mist. One bad but exceptionally influential "weed" in the neighborhood could eventually lead millions into destructive lifestyles that harm others (such as drug and alcohol abuse), which also draws God's wrath. A legacy of destruction and sorrow can start by tolerating just one seed, and once begun, it's very difficult to remove completely.

Wanna Leave a Legacy?

There is a decidedly positive side to all of this. Many people talk about wanting to leave a legacy for future generations, and it is certainly possible. Just as bad people who put out bad "seeds" leave a legacy of trouble and sorrow, good people who obey God in every area of their lives are putting on good "seeds" for a future generation.

If you want to leave a positive legacy, it starts with how you live your life today. If you make decisions based on what God would have you do, even if it comes with a personal cost, people around you will see and some will copy you. If you are a parent, you must model godly behavior for your children, and you shouldn't shy away from talking to them about God. If you are a business person, model godly business practices, not merely ethical ones, so that your employees will see and take note of what you did and how God blessed you in it. If you are a friend or neighbor, treat those around you with kindness and respect and they will notice and at least contemplate doing the same. If one person obeys, it could turn into a whole harvest of obedient people.

The key to leaving this kind of spiritual legacy is not just getting noticed for looking like the "seed" you want to produce, but by actually becoming the kind of spiritual "seed" you desire to produce, so that the "seeds" you sow into the next generation will sprout up as the right kind of "plant." You can't just obey God when you think people are looking, or at the root you will be the wrong kind of "plant," and the seeds you sow may also include poison weeds. As Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15: 5 NIV).

This week, think about what kind of legacy you are leaving for generations to come. Seek Christ's help in rooting out the "weed" seeds from your life before they bear fruit, and let Him teach you how to bear the good, wholesome seeds that will bring a blessing and not a curse.

Wrapping Up Trivia Files Contest: Answers and Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 21:04:00 +0000

Well, I'm getting this up a little late, but here is a list of all the answers to all of my quiz questions.

Sacred or Secular: Quote one is Galatians 4: 16; Quote 2 is from Pericles, I.i. 97, by Shakespeare.
Who said it?: The Apostle Paul said this at the beginning of his sermon to the Athenians on Mars Hill.
Movie Accuracy: Actually, Moses raised his staff above the waters; he did not strike the waters of the Red Sea to part them. (see Exodus 14: 15-31)
Commandments: “Love your neighbor as yourself” is one of the two “greatest commandments” that Jesus put forth, not one of the Ten Commandments.
One for the Soldiers: Gideon. He overheard two men in the Midianite camp discussing a dream one of the men had, in which a large loaf of bread rolls through their camp. The other man interpreted the loaf to symbolize Gideon. (Judges 7)
Symbolism and Eschatology: The lampstand was associated with the almond tree from the beginning (see Exodus 25: 33). The almond tree was the first to bloom in the springtime, and in Hebrew, its name is very similar to the word for “watching” (see Jeremiah 1: 10-12, where God uses it as a symbol for “watching to see that [His] prophecy is fulfilled”). I discussed this in my post, “An Almond Branch.” In essence, the lampstand seems to illustrate, figuratively, a faith in God, a belief in things He will do, not just things He’s done (see Hebrews 11:1, 2). So when Christ threatens to remove the lampstand from the church in Ephesus, He was acknowledging that they were losing that pure, young faith that trusts God with the future. They knew what was righteous, but their faith was dying and being replaced by a type of ritualistic Christianity.
Prophecy Fulfilled: There are many prophecies from the Old and New Testaments that have been fulfilled and can be confirmed archaeologically and historically. The nation of Israel was predicted to be sent into exile, and the one who would send them back was predicted by name—Cyrus—well-before he was even born. Cyrus did exist, and outside sources confirm that he ordered that Israel be returned to their homeland. The changes in kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar's dream has of course been confirmed through history, but there have been some who contest the identity of some of the different kingdoms in the dream. They seem to be a series of great empires, but some say not all of them have come yet. Another fulfilled prophecy is Christ's prediction of the Roman invasion of Israel that resulted in the scattering of the Jews throughout Europe. The most notable prophecy that has been confirmed in recent years is the return of Israel to Palestine in 1948, a subject that no one ever thought would happen, and which continues to draw comment from secular scholars.
Riddle Me This: Samson, at the wedding feast, tells a riddle to his new in-laws. His Philistine wife begged for him to share the answer so her in-laws wouldn't lose the bet, and Samson ended up killing a bunch of Philistine in Ashkelon to fulfill his end of the bargain (See Judges 14).
Test a prophet: Ask a vague question and get a thorough answer. I was only asking for the test proscribed in Deuteronomy 18: 19-22, that the test of the prophet's prophecy is whether it comes true.

So by my tally, Kamal got most of the questions correct (the lion's share, in fact), and I think he should get extra credit for question 9. Since there were no other challengers, it looks like he's getting the copy of So What's the Difference? by Fritz Ridenour. Kamal, since I know you on facebook, I think it would be faster if you would just send me a message with your address in it, so I can know where to send the book.

This quiz has been a sort of thanks to my readers and those who leave comments on my posts. You are one big reason why I keep writing. Please keep them coming! More contests to follow. Next up, a regular post you might want to read.

From the Trivia Files Contest: A Final Test

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:26:00 +0000

I was trying to think of a great way to wrap up this series, and I thought up a question last night that seemed strangely apropos. Today, I'm ending the contest series with a test, of sorts.

So here it is, the last question:

What is the Bible-prescribed test to know that a prophet's message is from God?

Now that we're at the end of the contest, I think I need to share how this game ends. I'll be posting my answers on Sunday. In the meantime, all post answer sections in this series will remain open until noon CST this Sunday, June 6th. See you then!

From the Trivia Files: Riddle Me This

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:35:00 +0000

Jesus spoke in parables so that those who didn't want to listen to His message could persist in their stubbornness, quoting the prophecy in Isaiah which said:

"'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed" (Isaiah 6: 9-10 NIV).

In essence, Christ often taught in riddles so that those who really wanted to know what He was talking about would actually ask. Those who weren't humble enough to ask questions and accept the answers, never got them. It was a way of getting people to pay attention.

There was one other person in the Bible who is on record for speaking to a crowd in riddles, although this individual's motives were not so pure. Who was it?

From the Trivia Files Contest: Historical Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:38:00 +0000

There are those who believe that the Bible is nothing more than a historical document. Those who have a relationship with Christ know that it is so much more than that.

That said, besides Christ's birth, death, and resurrection, can you name one significant prophecy in the Old Testament that was fulfilled (and has been confirmed by outside scholars)?
Don't forget, if you want to win So What's the Difference? by Fritz Ridenour, you have to answer all the questions. You can read and answer the previous questions in this quiz series by clicking on the "Bible tidbits and trivia" tag below.

From the Trivia Files Contest: Eschatology

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:48:00 +0000

The book of Revelation opens with the image of seven lampstands, each representing one of the seven churches. In the letter to the church at Ephesus, Christ warns, "You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place" (Revelation 2: 3-5 NIV).

My question for today:

What is the traditional, symbolic meaning of the lampstand in the Bible (both Old and New Testaments)?

From the Trivia Files Contest: Here's One for the Soldiers

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Mon, 31 May 2010 21:17:00 +0000

I thought, in honor of the veterans of foreign wars, and all those who are currently serving, that I would make today's question about a soldier in Israel's history.

Now all the soldiers who are truly celebrated in the Bible were men who fought bravely on the battlefield, but who engaged in an even higher-stakes fight in their personal lives, taking a stand for God. They sacrificed more than their own strength for a cause; they also were willing to sacrifice relationships with others, even going against the whole nation of Israel, because they believed that the most important battle anyone has ever fought is in the heart. They weren't just warriors of renown, like Og of Bashan. They were men of God.

So here's the question for today:

The enemies' camps were so large that their camels were as numerous as sand on the seashore, but this brave warrior, emboldened by a dream and interpretation he'd overheard, and God's assurance of help, led only 300 men to total victory over the invading armies.

...Who was he?

From the Trivia Files Contest: Another Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Sun, 30 May 2010 17:00:00 +0000

This is the fourth question of the challenge. If you're just catching up with me, don't forget to click on the tags at the end of this post so you can go back and read the rules and answer all the questions so far.

The prize for this contest is a book by Fritz Ridenour called So What's the Difference? This resource lays out the basic tenets of the world's major religions and compares them to the central doctrines of Christianity. I first read this book in high school, and it really helped me (as I've already stated, I'm not benefiting in any way from that endorsement). This book is not overly technical and I think that's one of the best things about it--it makes complicated concepts plain to readers without forcing them to get a college degree in order to understand it.

Now, on to the question:

Which of these is not one of the Ten Commandments? They are not listed in order.

You shall not steal.
You shall not murder.
You shall not misuse God's name.
You shall not have any other gods before me.
You shall not commit adultery.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Honor your father and mother.
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
You shall not covet.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

From the Trivia Files Contest: A Question of Movie Accuracy

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Sat, 29 May 2010 13:45:00 +0000

In the 1956 movie, The Ten Commandments, Moses (Charlton Heston) raises his staff and strikes the water at the edge of the Red Sea. The water parts and the Israelites rush through on dry ground.

The question for today:

Is that the way it happened in the Bible? Did Moses strike the water to part the Red Sea?
Don't forget to answer all of the questions in this series if you want to win the contest.

From the Trivia Files: Contest Rules and Another Question

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Fri, 28 May 2010 22:29:00 +0000

I started this series thinking that I'd post one a week, just like I did with the last series. However, if I'm going to make this one a competition with a prize, I don't think I should keep my readers waiting long.

Therefore, I've decided to keep the posts coming regularly for the next week. Before I go any further, I think I ought to lay out a list of rules for this contest.

Contest Rules:

Entrants must post an answer to every question in order to be eligible to win. One answer per question, please.
Anonymous answers cannot win prizes, because I won't be able to identify a person to mail the prize to.
The prize is a book, So What's the Difference? by Fritz Ridenour. This is not a paid endorsement, it's just a book I would personally recommend to my readers.
All correct answers to the questions will be posted at the end of this series (a really good reason not to keep everyone hanging for months).
The winner will be either the person who answers the most questions correctly, or, if there is a tie, the person randomly selected from the list of top competitors. At the end of the contest, I will announce the winner and ask that he or she email me at the address I will make available so I can know where to send the prize.

So here's the question for today (I'll continue posting over the weekend). To latecomers: Don't forget to post an answer to the last trivia question, here.

"For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you."

...Who said it?

From the Trivia Files: Sacred or Secular Quote?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:30:00 +0000

Here's a test to see if you know your stuff. Of course, there's always ways to cheat, but that wouldn't be very Christian, would it?

Here's the challenge. Which of these quotations is from the Bible, and which was originally penned by William Shakespeare? Both could be from one source. For those of us who were well-steeped in the King James Version growing up, this might prove difficult.

First quotation:

"Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?"

and here's the other one:

"Few love to hear the sins they love to act."

So, are both from the Bible, both from Shakespeare, or is it one of each? Comments are welcome. If I get enough response, I might turn this into a contest. Who can tell?

The Jeremiah Generation, Part 2 Listening

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Sun, 23 May 2010 01:33:00 +0000

This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.

They keep saying to those who despise me, 'The Lord says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, 'No harm will come to you.'

But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?--Jeremiah 23: 16-18 NIV

Last time I spoke at length about the zeal I have seen in earlier generations, a quality that seems to be greatly lacking in this present generation. I want to see that change. I can't tell you how much I want that. I can tell you, however, that over the past decade I've had a hard time locating people who would agree with me.

Many churches today all across the U.S. are rich, powerful (especially politically), well-equipped with state-of-the-art technology, full of people who regularly fill the pews, socially and ecologically active, and affirmed by the general populous. Things have come a long way from earlier generations, who met secretly in crypts and sewers, or later, didn't even have air conditioning in the auditorium or heated water in the baptismal pool. It seems we have it better than the previous generations, but I would be chasing a red herring if I wrote about how modern technology or social trends are hurting today's church.

So what is wrong with the modern church?

The short answer: our hearts. The longer answer: Many in the modern church have stopped hearing from God, and have instead started listening to alternative "messages" often ascribed to God.

The Problem that Destroyed Jeremiah's Generation

In Jeremiah's day, Israel had turned to leaders and self-proclaimed prophets to seek God on their behalf, and they got false comfort in those leaders' reassurance that everything was going to be okay and their present prosperity would last forever. Obviously, their prophet's words were false, because that whole generation soon marched in chains to a distant land. How did this happen? Jeremiah chapter 23 seems to outline a threefold cause: (1) People had forgotten their history with God, and had sought counsel in other places; (2) The prophets and teachers were not seeking God either, but rather had chosen to seek power and acclaim for themselves; and (3) the people were following the prophets and teachers without questioning their words or checking up on them in any way.

In the end, Jeremiah's generation could have easily remedied their problem before it was too late. All they had to do was actually seek the Lord as individuals and as a nation--not trusting in the words of their prophets and leaders, or in the cruel teachings of Baal (a pagan idol whose name meant "Lord" or "master"). Instead, they chose the heavy requirements of idols, which filled their lives with problems and brought God's wrath, and they chased after the words of leaders whose paths were not clear and changed on a whim (see especially Jeremiah 23 verses 25-29). They weren't listening. In fact, they didn't want to hear. In the end, the only way God could regain their attention was to jerk the rug from under their feet.

The Problem that Could Destroy This Generation

Not too long ago I had the chance to sit in on a "Bible study" with a large group of my peers. We read a passage about the Holy Spirit from Paul's writings (I can't remember what book or chapter) in about a dozen different English-language translations of varying accuracy. After that, the informal discussion leader asked us to take turns sharing with the group what the Holy Spirit was. I will never forget hearing what one of the guys shared. I think it was one of the most upsetting moments in my life. He referred to the Holy Spirit as an "it" which he described as that warm, comforting feeling you get sometimes when you sing along to a really good song. Then everyone else in the room--close to a hundred people--said "amen."

I walked out of that meeting feeling devastated. The Holy Spirit is God, one of the three persons of God. Do we even know how to recognize the voice of God any longer (John 10: 2-5)? Where are all the people who are listening to God? Well, I think I can answer that one--they're being blocked out and ignored (Jeremiah 7: 27-29).

A Solution for This Generation

If I'm understanding Jeremiah's generation and this present generation correctly, God to them is a sort of "grand chum" who does things for us and never gets angry about this subservient office, no matter what we do while we're using Him. His voice is vague, mostly just echoing what we want to do, and never stridently contradicting it. In essence, God is a servant to our respective nations and individual lives, not the One we must all answer to in the end.

What can we do about it? Well, there's not much we can do for a person who doesn't want to listen. The only ones we can ever help are those who are willing to listen. Then, when we have their attention, we have to use the opportunity to speak the truth without shame and without holding back any information. As God told Jeremiah, "Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully" (Jeremiah 23: 28 NIV). The only way God can change hearts in this generation is for a few people to speak the truth, and a few listeners to listen. It really is that simple.

So how do we know we have heard the voice of God? Jeremiah offers a good description of the power of God's word--shall we say, a quality of God's voice?--that we ought to note. In Jeremiah 23 verses 28 and 29, it is written, "'For what has straw to do with grain?' declares the Lord. 'Is not my word like fire,' declares the Lord, 'and like a hammer that breaks a rock to pieces?" Like fire and like a hammer, God does not give way to anyone, and He is not weak or vague. God is straightforward (see also John 10: 2-5), not sneaking around and trying to trick us into believing His words. His words are of a different quality and a different purpose altogether than messages from other sources. They are truth that we can recognize.

If something you hear about God, or supposedly from God, strikes you as tricky, vague, or confusing, consider that as a good reason to suspect what you have heard as a false message. Then, run to consult your Bible. If the message contradicts what is clearly taught in the Bible, you should run away. If it agrees with the whole body of Scripture (not with just a few verses taken out of context, mind you), then you should spend some more time with your Shepherd, getting to know His voice.

I leave you now with a parting question, and I'm anxious to read your comments.
Has someone in a high position ever told you "a word from the Lord" that you knew was not from God? How did you figure that out? Share Scripture references where possible.

Weekly Trivia Files: Informal Argument Fallacies at Your Fingertips!

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel M.) — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:24:00 +0000

In case you haven't been following this blog very long, or you lost track and want to catch up, I'm putting all the weekly trivia files posts this year in one list for easier browsing. More (and different) trivia starts next week!

From the Author's Desk

We've covered a lot of ground, haven't we? Remember, the posts' comment sections are still open for comments, if you have any.

In those posts, wherever possible, I tried to find examples of people using the argument fallacy in the Bible, as well as offering another example I made up myself, so if you're looking for an example, you can find one here.