Tomorrow we celebrate resurrection Sunday, and we believe in that, but many do not know what to believe about where was Jesus from Friday to Sunday? What better day to discuss this than on Holy Saturday that we celebrate today 🙂   I welcome your comments to discuss this further. One opinion offered is that Jesus went into hell and suffered there during this period. This is just rumors as there is ZERO in the Bible to that effect, ZERO. Then why is it out there? We are taught that Jesus suffered on the cross and on the way to the cross for our sins. Then people think “that’s not enough pain to balance mankind’s sin, there needs to be more pain added; how about Jesus spending 3 days in hell?” That my friend sounds like plenty suffering to wipe away mankind’s sin, right? So someone came up with that and someone high up enough on the chain of leadership put in the Apostle’s Creed, and mankind has been reciting it ever since. This is in no way an attack on a specific denomination as this theory is believed by oh so many denominations. It just so happens that the “descended into hell” comes from the Apostle’s Creed. By the way, the Apostles were not even alive when this was invented.

Oh how we, me included, misunderstand God and what He does for us. What Jesus is recorded saying in the Bible is; Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” And that was on Friday when Jesus was on the Cross. So no, Jesus did not go to hell. It serves no purpose for God of for man.

You can make a difference by saying the words “HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY” tomorrow to as many people as you encounter for that my friend is what we are indeed celebrating; THE RESURRECTION; the proof/confirmation/fact that Jesus and God are ONE.

Would love to discuss this further with you here or on facebook. I am also open for suggestions for “topics” to blog about, no promises though 🙂     Happy Resurrection Sunday to you

Church is careful not to mix religion and politics from the pulpit, yet it is very clear that the sentiment/direction of the church is that if a person proclaims to be a Christian then they should vote a certain way. Why? Because it is said; “a Christian should not vote for someone that supports laws for pro-choice in regards abortion, laws that allow gay marriage, laws that redefine what marriage is… and so on.” If Jesus wanted to change the laws of the land, He would have been involved in politics. Please recall that the populace at Jesus’ time was expecting the messiah to be a KING, hence a politician. But as we all know, Jesus veered completely away from politics. So let the populace at this time not expect the church to be a politician and may the church not influence the laws or the law makers rather be a fisher of women and men. When asked whom should I vote for? A person should be encouraged to research the candidates and vote for whomever this person finds best, and if asked what about the laws that impact social issues, the answer should be something like; “it is not about the law rather it is what each one of us reflects to those around us what LOVE is and when successful, those around us will choose based on LOVE.”

God wants people to choose to do what PLEASES HIM and not for the law of the land to require the people not to do this and not to do that. So Christians should promote that each man and woman chooses for them self and hope and pray that they choose what PLEASES HIM. In essence, any law in regards social issues becomes irrelevant and not even worth talking about. So let us all seek God in every little thing, and do what PLEASES HIM.

You must admit that we hear the words ‘God told me’ or references to ‘this is the direction God wants us (me) to go’, quite frequently. A major issue arises; two opposite groups of thought; let’s pray about it; each claims God is ‘telling us’ to go this way. Of course it is impossible for any leader, let alone God, to point at opposing directions. Then is one group lying? Although possible, typically it is not a lie rather a MAJOR misunderstanding of what a person perceives. We all encounter circumstances in our lives that a major decision (sometimes smaller decision) needs to be taken. I do not know which direction to take, so I seek God’s guidance. Since there are no prophets amongst us, neither I nor anyone else audibly hears the voice of God saying “this is the way I want you to go.” So the ‘God told me’ stems from an inner feeling, a sensation that indicates to that someone; “this is the way God wants me to go”, and hence shares with everyone else that indeed God wants us to go ‘this’ way. First, we should never ever use any inferences to ‘God told me’ unless God’s audible voice is heard, for that is what the word ‘told’ means, period. So, for this reason alone, please stop ever using an inference that God said something when God did not. Second, here’s an explanation as to what happens;

• God is present with us always and at all times
• We do not sense God’s presence simply because we do not seek Him at all times
• When we seek God for specific reasons, we sense God’s presence
• This sensation, since we do not experience it often, is a bit of a ‘wow God is with me’
• We misinterpret this as ‘God is agreeing’ with what I want, when in fact it is ‘God is present’
• Since God is present at all times, this momentary sensation is a deficiency from man, but sadly it is used to augment what one wants to follow and not necessarily which direction God wants one to go

And that is why two groups of Godly people head into opposing directions; while each claims God’s hand is pointing in their direction. So again, please, never claim or inference the ‘God told me’ and let’s eradicate this syndrome. So go and know that God is indeed with you at all times, but not necessarily on your side.

Maybe it is just me, but it seems that we give so much power to satan. There are so many prayers dedicated to the protection from satan, the devil, the enemy ….. The devil made me do this, we say. Worst of all, we seem to characterize that there is this ‘fight’ for one’s soul between God our Father and the devil. Where does all of this come from? Would you believe me when I say that this is a simple case of mankind making a MOUNTAIN out of a molehill exponentially growing over thousands of years?

Did you know that the word Satan is mentioned ONLY 14 times in the Old Testament, 12 in Job and twice in Zachariah? That’s it. In both cases satan is included in the presence of angles. And it is mentioned ONLY 33 times in the New Testament, 17 of which are in the apostle’s letters and Revelation.

The serpent never held up the fruit to Adam and Eve (for Adam was there while Eve was conversing with the serpent) or even polished it or shined it. The serpent merely suggested. So mankind associates the serpent with the devil while God does not associate them. So that’s the molehill. You know all about the mountain.

There cannot be a fight between our Almighty Father and the infinitesimal satan over anything. God won’t allow it as it would be such an unfair fight if you catch my drift. Just as Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent, we blame the devil. The more we ask for protection from satan or attribute things to the devil the less we take responsibility for our own thoughts and actions. So let’s man up to our thoughts and actions and meanwhile figure out ways to substitute all the prayers of protection with prayers of PRAISE to our God and Father, as there can never be too many of these 🙂

I was at a party, my wife was not standing with me, and I was talking to a few people about her. So I’d say things like, “when someone asks her, she ….”, “you should see her when she is …..”, “She is such a …..”  I referenced her in the 3^rd person using ‘her’ and ‘she’ as she was not there. Imagine if she was standing with us at the time, if I was saying bad things she’d frown and say “Hey, I am right here, why are you talking about me as if I am not here?” and if I was praising her she’d smile but say the same exact thing “Hey, I am right here, why are you talking about me as if I am not here?”

In my opinion, God is saying to you and me the same thing.

Listen to the songs and hymns that we sing, many of them reference Him in the 3^rd person. Mind you, typically there is a bunch of us singing, we all know Him, we are not telling others about Him, we’re supposedly praising Him and we say things like “how wonderful He is”, “He fills our lives”, “Praise Him for”, and so on. Who are we talking to?? Don’t we say we believe that He is present with us at all times??

Listen, listen to the words you are singing then ask yourself “why am I referencing Him in the 3^rd person, why? How can I believe God is with me right now, yet use words that clearly indicate that God is not with me right here?”

If you find yourself indeed asking this question, then while the screen may say “We Worship Him ….” Sing it out loud “I Worship You….” Instead of “Let us Praise Him… “ Sing it out loud “I Praise You….” MAKE IT PERSONAL for my God and your God is all about PERSONAL. Who cares if it does not rhyme? Let’s not change the words on the screen, but let’s pay attention to the words we’re singing and be intentional about changing the words as we utter them. Try it. You will have a fuller experience. If you just thought to yourself “I already have a fuller experience as is”, still give it a try. You may have an even fuller experience 🙂 who wouldn’t want that, right!

Let me ask you this, how many times do you hear something like, “who’s going to bless the food..” or “who’ll pray so God will bless this food” or a prayer that contains “Lord bless this food ….”? With such phrases that are everywhere around us, you’d think the Bible instructs us to bless the food before we eat.

I do not know how this started, but some person, oh the mighty power of the human being, at some point started saying phrases as such and they just caught on, caught on enough, that people would assume that it is in the Bible somewhere.

To bless, is to invoke divine care for, or to make something holy. So people all around in restaurants and at home bow their heads and ask God to make the food holy or ask God to care for the food?? Hmmm. So what’s wrong with saying that anyway? What’s wrong is that Jesus, God in human form on earth, did instruct us to give thanks when we eat for the food provided. The Lord’s Prayer has one request of a material nature in it, that being give us today our daily bread. Since we ask for it, it is good manners to thank for receiving when we ask.

God in essence is saying, “when you eat, remember who has made that available for you, and so that you won’t forget that, please give a prayer of thanks when you eat.”

Substituting a Thank you for a Give me (more blessings), is not a character builder rather diminishes character. So let us stop saying “bless this food” and start saying “THANK YOU God for this food.” I put together a booklet about 2 years ago about prayer. Here’s a link if you’d like to check it out https://www.dropbox.com/s/b96drucoovj3tls/PrayerHmm.pdf?dl=0

There are certain phrases that we use that elicit excitement, exhilaration and anticipation. We say them in song and conversation and hear them in sermons. Phrases such as; “Holy Spirit we invite You to this place”, “….. then God showed up“, “come Holy Spirit come” and many more. Indeed when these phrases are used, in song or conversation, it gives sort of an adrenaline rush; it enhances the worship experience and raises the hairs on the back of the neck. But at what cost do we gain this rush? Please remember that what we say and do directly affects our inner being and impacts tremendously what we truly believe, and not necessarily what we say we believe.

Ask any child that is a regular church attender, “where does the Holy Spirit live?” Or during an adult bible study ask the question “is God with us always, even right now?”

The answers of course are; the Holy Spirit lives, resides, is inside each one of us, and God is definitely always ALWAYS with us. If we truly believe these answers then how could we use phrases such as “come Holy Spirit come” or “… then God showed up”? The repetition of such phrases, although exhilarating, simply precipitate the inner belief, and not the expressed belief, that God and the Holy Spirit are NOT with us always. No wonder in many cases people search for God, not because God is not there rather because we are blinded to His presence. Let’s help each other remove the blindfold, give up the exhilaration and the adrenaline rush for the truth of the constant and relentless presence of our Lord and Creator in our lives.

So let us stop using such phrases, or when we hear them ask the simple question “where was God before he showed up?”

We all know the “do as I say and not as I do” principle. We would like people to indeed follow what we say and not what we do. But sadly, people around us are not fooled by the sermons delivered or the words we, Christians, transact talking about what Christianity is, rather they examine every move we make and every little thing we do, and attribute that to the faith we follow. It is the sum of many little things that you and me do mindlessly that has brought the populace to view Christians, and thus Christianity, as hypocrites. How to change the world view of Christianity? Simple, examine what we say and do and make sure it does reflect Christianity. It is the little stuff that matters, to say it again, it is the little stuff that matters. There will be a series of blogs, at least once a week, bringing up one little thing that you and I can easily change. None of which singularly will make a difference, but the collective change will indeed change you and me and our view and understanding of what Christianity is about, and thus impacting the populace around us.

The goal of this post is to encourage people to never again ask, “what’s your favorite verse”. Why not? Because it is one of the things we say innocently and mindlessly, just cause many before us have carried out this practice, without realizing the damage it renders. Damage to whom? to those in the faith and those outside the faith.

Those in the faith; It implies that one has read the Bible so deeply and is so familiar with every single verse in the Bible then picked ONE favorite verse. In a way, it is boastful, not a Christian thing to do. Has everyone of us read the Bible so deeply and so thoroughly as to pick ONE favorite verse? Have we?

It also places unnecessary pressure on others to “have to pick a verse”, as if in a popularity contest. They ‘all’ have one, therefore I must pick one too. It creates a ‘click’ that so many may pick a verse just to have one. Peer pressure and ‘clicks’ are not a Christian thing to do.

This Bible, this book full of FULL OF so much wisdom, beauty, poetry, marvel and so much about God, can it really have ONE verse that is a favorite? Well, the question is what is ‘your’ favorite verse and not ‘the’ favorite verse. This is where the problem lies! We hear, one saying, “my Bible tells me” and then another says, “no my Bible tells me”. This is what has created ‘my version’ and ‘his version’ and ‘her version’ of what the Bible says, thus greatly contributing to the hypocrisy.

Those outside the faith;  a bystander observes, notes and attributes this boastfulness, ‘click’ behavior, peer pressure and disagreement among Christians as an outcome of Christianity. Then why would this bystander listen to anything this Christianity has to say.

So what is a simple question that is intended to show one’s attachment to the Bible, reflects non Christian characteristics. To emphasize, this one thing by itself won’t make a difference, but as we examine many of our present behaviors over the coming weeks, changing them one at a time will make a difference.

I implore you to examine this further on your own. If you choose, do not reference a favorite verse and if asked what is your favorite verse, say something to the effect of “the Bible is so full of wonderful verses, and who am I to pick one of so many wonderful verses”, for humility is a Christian characteristic.