Showing posts with label relationship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relationship. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

God's View On Abortion

God's view on abortion
God teaches us about His love for unborn children.
God's view on the abortion issue can be found in the Bible, in the book of Jeremiah, Chapter 1, verse 5:
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."  

In this verse of scripture, we find a reference to an unborn baby being known to God. It should be quite clear that God loved and respected children from the very beginning of their lives, which seems to direct us to the time of conception.

Why Bad Things Happen To Good People

Bad things can happen to good people
The tragedies of life affect all of us.
In asking the question "Why do bad things happen to good people", there must be underlying questions about the character of God.  The question could probably be more appropriately worded  - "If God loves us, why does He allow bad things to happen to good people?"

A person can live a life of faith, be an upstanding member of the church and the community, be a good husband and father and still experience the tragedies of life.  Why?

The answer to this question certainly isn't simple by any means, but the root of the answer lies in our ability to choose, our free will.  When God created Adam and Eve, He placed them in paradise with the free will to do whatever they pleased, except for one thing.  God gave them specific instructions to not eat fruit from the tree of knowledge.

Creating A Better Life

spiritual living creates a better life
"Sing as though no one can hear you."
In trying to narrow down the steps to creating a better life, I would like to identify three principles of life to live by. In considering this subject, I am immediately drawn to three plaques hanging on the wall in my office. Let’s take each plaque one by one:

“Sing as though no one can hear you.” 

 

I came across this plaque while rummaging through picture frames and other plaques at a local Goodwill store.  When I saw it, I was reminded of an incident that happened to me a few years ago.

It was a nice spring morning and I had come to work very early  to get caught up.  The sun was up, so I decided to go outside with my cup of coffee.  In just a few minutes, I thought I heard someone singing, but couldn’t see anyone.  I looked behind the building and saw a very old black man coming down the street.  He was all bent over, walking with a limp and digging his cane into the pavement as he moved slowly toward me.  Even though each step seemed to be painful, this old man was singing as loud as he possibly could.  As he approached me, I greeted him with a “Good Morning” and I will never forget what this man said to me.  He looked me square in the eye and said, “Sometimes you just gotta’ sing.” 

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Our Relationship With God Today

What is our relationship with God today?
The relevance of God in today's world is necessary.
The relevance of God in today's world in terms of being "significant" should be without question.  Each time we make a cash purchase, we present the cashier with currency and coin that has "In God We Trust", our national motto, permanently embossed on the face.

In the 1950s, Congress added the words "under God" to our Pledge of Allegiance. In the first session of the 108th Congress a bill to recognize the public need for prayer for all people of the United States and for members of our armed forces was passed by a vote of 346 to 49.

Each time a new President of the United States takes the oath of office, the final words of that oath are normally, "So help me God." There should be no doubt that God is of great significance, not only in our nation's history, but also in the lives we live today.

Does Christianity Have Room For Other Beliefs?

Christianity and other beliefs
Our beliefs must help us strive for a better life.
Christianity has its origin in Judaism, after all Jesus was a Jew. The followers of Jesus believed him to be the "messiah". At the convening of the first Christian council, the apostles decided that Christians didn't have to follow Jewish laws and the two faiths or beliefs moved further away from one another.

A few of the major differences between Judaism and Christian beliefs are:

  • Christian principles are founded in the Bible, while the sacred text of Judaism is the Tanakh. (It is important to note here that the Old Testament of the Holy Bible was originally the Jewish Bible.)
  • Christians believe in the "Trinity" of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as three persons, while Judaism normally recognizes "Unity", one person. (There are some Christians who believe the same as Judaism in this area.)
  • Christians believe in a virgin birth of Jesus, while Judaism believes he was born by a normal birth.
  • Christians believe Jesus to be the Son of God, while Judaism recognizes him as a false prophet.
  • Christians believe that Jesus ascended into heaven after his crucifixion; Judaism does not.
  • Christians believe that Jesus will return to earth one day; Judaism does not.
  • Christians accept Judaism as a true religion with incomplete revelation, while Judaism believes Christianity to be a false interpretation of Judaism.