Yesterday, here in the Seattle area, the host of the conservative talk show I often listen to decided to talk about the movie Back to the Future and how the stars of that movie, Michael J. Fox, et al, occasionally travel around to Back to the Future conventions (I didn’t know such a thing existed). And how at these shows, they are inevitably asked this question: “If you really had a time-traveling DeLorean, would you go into the future or into the past? If into the past, who, when or what would you want to see?” (or some words to that effect)
A guest on the show said that he would go into the future and learn what sports teams and the stock market did, insinuating that he could then come back and get rich quick. Not a bad idea, I guess, but the question did what it was supposed to do and it got me thinking of the answer I would give, which is that I think I’d go back in time, not forward.
Now, you might be thinking, “Yes, so you could by stock in Microsoft or Boeing!” Well, that’s a great idea, but that wasn’t be my first thought. Or you might say, “You’d want to meet a famous person, like Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi, Abe Lincoln, or such?” No, not my first thought either. Those who know me might then guess, “Well, it has to be Ronald Reagan that you’d like to meet; you named your daughter after him after all, so that’s it, right?” Again, no (although Jesus and Reagan are at the top of the list, behind the one person who I’d like to visit first).
So, if I had a time-traveling DeLorean, I’d go back in time and visit my dad. He died suddenly in an auto accident on February 13, 2001, at the young age of 60; and, by gosh, I miss him.
He and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye as I was growing up, we had our moments when I didn’t understand what he was trying to get across to me. But, as an adult, I’ve said many times that I sure wish that I had listened to him more closely and followed his advice; maybe I’d have had a little easier go at this adulthood thing.
Here’s a good example: as a junior in high school, I was offered a wrestling scholarship to a local college, but as a senior, the college had to drop its wrestling program due to a lack of funding. When that happened, dad offered to pay my way through college, but, being the numbskull that I was, I told him, “Nope, I’ll do it on my own.” Well, it turned out that I was in my 40’s before I finally got my bachelor’s degree, working the whole time as I was taking a class here and a class there.
After high school, I didn’t see him a whole lot, I joined the military and traveled the world for the next 20 years. Then when I retired from the Air Force, I found a job about a thousand miles away, so as an adult, I saw him maybe once a year or so. I hate that he didn’t get to see me graduate from college and grad school, I hate that he didn’t get to see what successful adults his grandchildren have become and I hate that he didn’t get to see my fourth child or his soon-to-be-born first great-grandchild.
I tell my 7-year-old daughter, Reagan, about him all the time and she’s excited to see him someday in heaven – and so am I.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Is it okay for Christians to drink Alcoholic Beverages?
Popping the top of a can of beer that’s just above the freezing point is a nice way to bring a hard day’s work to an end. A nice glass of wine with supper can make a good meal taste even better. There’s nothing wrong with Christians partaking in these alcohol drinking activities--or is there? Is it okay for Christians to drink alcoholic beverages?
From my vast experience with Christian churches (as an adult, I’ve lived in 3 countries, 8 states and 22 different cities, and I’ve attended churches in each of them), I feel safe in saying that most churches heavily frown on its members drinking alcohol; and most, if not almost all of them required their leadership to completely abstain from all alcoholic beverages at all times (although I did speak with one pastor who offered to drink a beer with me and I’m related to another pastor who will drink a beer or two). But, is this requirement biblical? Is complete abstinence from alcohol commanded by Christ?
Now, let me say up front that I do drink beer, I like it, it taste good, and it’s relaxing; I don’t like wine or liquor, but that’s a personal preference. So I say the answer to my question is a resounding NO. I think it is a game of “I’m holier than you” when Christian put down and/or forbid others from drinking alcoholic beverages.
I will present scripture that allows me, as a Christian, to drink alcoholic beverages and I dare anyone to point out scripture that forbids it. There is not one verse in the whole Bible, Old or New Testament, that forbids God’s followers from drinking any alcoholic beverage. I know because I’ve looked.
Let’s look now at a few verses that ALLOW us to eat or DRINK anything we want:
Colossians 2:16-17 – Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:31 – So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
And how about this one:
1 Timothy 5:23 - Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
People like to say, “Well, Paul was really talking about grape juice there, wine back then was only what we call grape juice today.”
Really? Then why did Paul write in Ephesians 5:18 – “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery?” It’s the same word and same meaning.
It even seems that Jesus drank wine on occasion, as in these following verses:
John 2:1-11 - Jesus Changes Water to Wine. The Word doesn’t say that He did in fact drink wine that day, but it doesn’t say that He didn’t either (what else would He have drank?).
Matthew 26:29 - I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.
This verse definitely says that Jesus was a wine drinker; and again, their wine was not our grape juice.
The main problem here is that some people like to add to scripture, as if they know better than God; they know better what people should do to be “holy”. They think of themselves to be wiser than the writers of the Bible. But look at what these verses say:
Matt 15:6-9 Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’
1 Corinthians 6:12 – Everything is permissible for me—but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me—but I will not be mastered by anything.
1 Cor 4:6 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.”
Rev 20:18, 19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
Alcohol is not, in and of itself, sinful to indulge in. It is drunkenness and addiction to alcohol that a Christian must absolutely refrain from. We must know what the Bible says; know what our freedoms are and what our restrictions are. It’s better to follow the Bible than to obey man-made rules that add to the Bible, as the Pharisees did and were condemned by Jesus.
From my vast experience with Christian churches (as an adult, I’ve lived in 3 countries, 8 states and 22 different cities, and I’ve attended churches in each of them), I feel safe in saying that most churches heavily frown on its members drinking alcohol; and most, if not almost all of them required their leadership to completely abstain from all alcoholic beverages at all times (although I did speak with one pastor who offered to drink a beer with me and I’m related to another pastor who will drink a beer or two). But, is this requirement biblical? Is complete abstinence from alcohol commanded by Christ?
Now, let me say up front that I do drink beer, I like it, it taste good, and it’s relaxing; I don’t like wine or liquor, but that’s a personal preference. So I say the answer to my question is a resounding NO. I think it is a game of “I’m holier than you” when Christian put down and/or forbid others from drinking alcoholic beverages.
I will present scripture that allows me, as a Christian, to drink alcoholic beverages and I dare anyone to point out scripture that forbids it. There is not one verse in the whole Bible, Old or New Testament, that forbids God’s followers from drinking any alcoholic beverage. I know because I’ve looked.
Let’s look now at a few verses that ALLOW us to eat or DRINK anything we want:
Colossians 2:16-17 – Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:31 – So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
And how about this one:
1 Timothy 5:23 - Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
People like to say, “Well, Paul was really talking about grape juice there, wine back then was only what we call grape juice today.”
Really? Then why did Paul write in Ephesians 5:18 – “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery?” It’s the same word and same meaning.
It even seems that Jesus drank wine on occasion, as in these following verses:
John 2:1-11 - Jesus Changes Water to Wine. The Word doesn’t say that He did in fact drink wine that day, but it doesn’t say that He didn’t either (what else would He have drank?).
Matthew 26:29 - I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.
This verse definitely says that Jesus was a wine drinker; and again, their wine was not our grape juice.
The main problem here is that some people like to add to scripture, as if they know better than God; they know better what people should do to be “holy”. They think of themselves to be wiser than the writers of the Bible. But look at what these verses say:
Matt 15:6-9 Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’
1 Corinthians 6:12 – Everything is permissible for me—but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me—but I will not be mastered by anything.
1 Cor 4:6 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.”
Rev 20:18, 19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
Alcohol is not, in and of itself, sinful to indulge in. It is drunkenness and addiction to alcohol that a Christian must absolutely refrain from. We must know what the Bible says; know what our freedoms are and what our restrictions are. It’s better to follow the Bible than to obey man-made rules that add to the Bible, as the Pharisees did and were condemned by Jesus.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Do the Unsaved Burn Forever in Hell?
Ask most any Christian what happens to the unsaved when they die, and most likely the answer you’ll receive is that they go to hell. By this they mean that at the moment of death, the unrepentive sinner will immediately be ushered into the lake of fire where they will spend eternity burning in the flames, suffering pain and anguish forever and ever.
Where do Christians get this idea? It may surprise you to find out that this scenario is NOT in the Bible! So why is this belief so prevalent today? I can only guess that it’s a mass misinterpretation of what the Bible actually says. I was taught this scenario my whole life in church; and I swallowed it without once looking to see what the Bible really said. It was this way until my studies became more Christ-focused instead of man-focus, more Bible-centric as opposed to extra-biblical writings. Now, I still read other people’s writings to help me to understand difficult passages and to get other perspectives of what I’m discovering in my biblical readings.
One of the topics God has prompted me to study more closely is this concept of the unsaved burning forever. The main crux of the problem that I now have about this is that in order to burn forever, is that the person in question would have to live forever; they’d have to have an immortal soul. So, the question becomes, does every single person who has ever been conceived have an immortal soul or spirit?
The short answer is no, they don’t. Here’s why:
The Bible only uses the word “immortal” once, in 1 Timothy 1:17 and is describing God, not man: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
The Bible only uses the word “immortality” five times.
1. Romans 2:7 - To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
Eternal life isn’t a birthright, it’s something to be sought after.
2 & 3. 1 Corinthians 15: 53 & 54 – For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
It should be clear here that we are perishable and mortal, waiting for the imperishable and immortality to be placed on us like clothing. Only them do we have victory over death.
4. 2 Timothy 1:10 - but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Jesus brings eternal life through the gospel; again, it’s not something we are born with.
5. 1 Timothy 6:15b & 16 - God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Only God is immortal, man isn’t nor can be unless God clothes him with immortality through the gospel message.
I think that I’ve made a pretty good argument, by using nothing but the Bible, that man is not an immortal creature, and that he can only become immortal through accepting the gospel message and becoming a Christian. How can a person who does not accept the gospel of Christ live forever? He can’t; it’s impossible for him to live forever in hell or anywhere else!
Matthew 10:28 says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Why should the word “destroy” mean something different in the Bible than it does for us now? It doesn’t, people are sent to hell, burned up and destroyed; they no longer exist.
I can hear some of you saying: but wait, the Bible says that hell is an eternal flame, its smoke rises up forever. Why would hell be eternal if everyone who goes there is burned up and does not exist anymore? The answer is very simple – angels. Angels were created in, and live in, eternity, they never die.
The flames of hell were never meant for people, Matthew 25:41 says, “Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Satan and his fallen angels will burn forever, being eternal creatures, they won’t die. But humans will be sent to hell to be “destroyed”, not to live in pain for eternity.
Where do Christians get this idea? It may surprise you to find out that this scenario is NOT in the Bible! So why is this belief so prevalent today? I can only guess that it’s a mass misinterpretation of what the Bible actually says. I was taught this scenario my whole life in church; and I swallowed it without once looking to see what the Bible really said. It was this way until my studies became more Christ-focused instead of man-focus, more Bible-centric as opposed to extra-biblical writings. Now, I still read other people’s writings to help me to understand difficult passages and to get other perspectives of what I’m discovering in my biblical readings.
One of the topics God has prompted me to study more closely is this concept of the unsaved burning forever. The main crux of the problem that I now have about this is that in order to burn forever, is that the person in question would have to live forever; they’d have to have an immortal soul. So, the question becomes, does every single person who has ever been conceived have an immortal soul or spirit?
The short answer is no, they don’t. Here’s why:
The Bible only uses the word “immortal” once, in 1 Timothy 1:17 and is describing God, not man: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
The Bible only uses the word “immortality” five times.
1. Romans 2:7 - To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
Eternal life isn’t a birthright, it’s something to be sought after.
2 & 3. 1 Corinthians 15: 53 & 54 – For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
It should be clear here that we are perishable and mortal, waiting for the imperishable and immortality to be placed on us like clothing. Only them do we have victory over death.
4. 2 Timothy 1:10 - but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Jesus brings eternal life through the gospel; again, it’s not something we are born with.
5. 1 Timothy 6:15b & 16 - God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Only God is immortal, man isn’t nor can be unless God clothes him with immortality through the gospel message.
I think that I’ve made a pretty good argument, by using nothing but the Bible, that man is not an immortal creature, and that he can only become immortal through accepting the gospel message and becoming a Christian. How can a person who does not accept the gospel of Christ live forever? He can’t; it’s impossible for him to live forever in hell or anywhere else!
Matthew 10:28 says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Why should the word “destroy” mean something different in the Bible than it does for us now? It doesn’t, people are sent to hell, burned up and destroyed; they no longer exist.
I can hear some of you saying: but wait, the Bible says that hell is an eternal flame, its smoke rises up forever. Why would hell be eternal if everyone who goes there is burned up and does not exist anymore? The answer is very simple – angels. Angels were created in, and live in, eternity, they never die.
The flames of hell were never meant for people, Matthew 25:41 says, “Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Satan and his fallen angels will burn forever, being eternal creatures, they won’t die. But humans will be sent to hell to be “destroyed”, not to live in pain for eternity.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Christian Rituals
Christian rituals such as celebrating Christmas and Easter shows what can happen when a ritual is practiced and the meaning behind the ritual is all but forgotten. It is a terrible shame what has happened to Christmas; the birth of Christ is not the meaning of Christmas in the United States today; commercialism is the god of Christmas, and Easter is fast becoming the same way. Christmas has a social value that meets the people’s needs in the area of relationship and friendship closeness, but it no longer meets the spiritual needs of most of the people who celebrate it.
Easter has turned into a child’s game type of event that makes a mockery of the resurrection. Easter is a ritual of chasing eggs and bunnies, not praising God for resurrecting Jesus from the dead. It’s about who looks the prettiest in their new dress or suit, not about being thankful for the Firstborn of God.
Other rituals Christians practice, such as baptism and communion, are a vital part of the Christian experience, and they are commanded by Christ to be done; there’s no argument against their importance. Some rituals, such as snake handling, are on the fringe and are even considered to be anti-productive in the cause for Christ.
There is a group of Christians in Africa who jump up and down in a trance for three straight days in their worship of Jesus. I can see the social importance of this because it brings them together and in commitment to each other, but I can’t understand how Christ is glorified by this. I have no idea what I would do as a missionary in this area. Is this how Christmas and Easter appears to non-Christians? Just something to jump up and down about with no real meaning?
Why don’t we Christian try to bring Christ back into focus as the “reason for the season”? When some says “Happy Holiday” to you this year, be sure to reply with a “Merry Christmas”, “God bless you”, and/or “Jesus is Lord”. Use Christ-centered Christmas cards and decorations. Let others know you are celebrating the birth of our Savior, not the return of a fat man in a red suit.
Easter has turned into a child’s game type of event that makes a mockery of the resurrection. Easter is a ritual of chasing eggs and bunnies, not praising God for resurrecting Jesus from the dead. It’s about who looks the prettiest in their new dress or suit, not about being thankful for the Firstborn of God.
Other rituals Christians practice, such as baptism and communion, are a vital part of the Christian experience, and they are commanded by Christ to be done; there’s no argument against their importance. Some rituals, such as snake handling, are on the fringe and are even considered to be anti-productive in the cause for Christ.
There is a group of Christians in Africa who jump up and down in a trance for three straight days in their worship of Jesus. I can see the social importance of this because it brings them together and in commitment to each other, but I can’t understand how Christ is glorified by this. I have no idea what I would do as a missionary in this area. Is this how Christmas and Easter appears to non-Christians? Just something to jump up and down about with no real meaning?
Why don’t we Christian try to bring Christ back into focus as the “reason for the season”? When some says “Happy Holiday” to you this year, be sure to reply with a “Merry Christmas”, “God bless you”, and/or “Jesus is Lord”. Use Christ-centered Christmas cards and decorations. Let others know you are celebrating the birth of our Savior, not the return of a fat man in a red suit.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Believer’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare
In the Believer’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare, Thomas B. White talks about how Satan deals with people in order to bring about the most damage he can with his limited resources and powers. White says that Satan pollutes the minds and perverts the will of people by using governments, schools, media, religious organizations, etc to influence the lives of believers. This is so true, it has been a very effective avenue for Satan to use. For example, the Bible clearly says that God created everything in 6 days (the Hebrew word “yom,” when modified by an ordinal, ALWAYS means a 24-hour period, so “first day,” “second day,” etc definitely means a 24-hour period), but many Christians have allowed themselves to be fooled by Satan into believing that creation took long periods of time. The schools, government, media, etc have done the job for Satan quite well.
In the section on demon possession, White claims that a Christian cannot be indwelt or possessed by devils, but they can be influenced and harassed by them. His list of ways to deal with the devil is popular with most Christians–prayer and the armor of God.
White gives five scenarios that are good examples of what is happening with Christians today. In the first scenario, the Erosion of Conscience, he talks about the movies Christians go to. I was thinking of movies as soon as I saw the title to this section. We Christians, myself included, think nothing of going to see our superheroes in the theater, knowing full well that there will be vulgar language, sexual innuendo, and nudity. Movies are a way for the devil to get a stronghold on us and we are allowing it to happen.
The other scenarios he mentions are interesting but seem like something that could be no influence from the devil at all. I guess that that is what he is trying to say, that these things can come by direct assault from Satan or from our own sin nature and flesh. A discerning spirit is needed to recognize what is going on when it comes to sin in our lives.
I liked that White put in the book a list of other than demonic causes for problems that people might have. I was a little surprised that he said that homosexuality is mostly a non-demonic influenced activity. I had though that most of these spiritual warfare guys put homosexuality definitely spirit caused category. But then he says that it’s the parent’s fault that a person is homosexual – someone other than the person himself is always at fault!
The chapter on discernment was interesting, I have always been “afraid” of Christians who claim to be able to discern the spirits because I think if I get near them they’ll start telling everyone about my past and present sins and embarrass me. I know this is probably a false impression of a discerning person, but it’s something I think of nonetheless.
The Chapter on protection contained a lot of information I learned while involved in the Pentecostal movement; but since I’ve been a Baptist, I’ve not heard anything on spiritual protection. The two churches on at opposite ends of the spectrum, it’d be nice to hear/read something that was in the middle of the road to get a different perspective on the subject.
Overall, this is a good book; White isn’t too “over the top” in his views. I like the Q&A in the back of the book because it gets right to the point. I’ll definitely keep this book in my library.
In the section on demon possession, White claims that a Christian cannot be indwelt or possessed by devils, but they can be influenced and harassed by them. His list of ways to deal with the devil is popular with most Christians–prayer and the armor of God.
White gives five scenarios that are good examples of what is happening with Christians today. In the first scenario, the Erosion of Conscience, he talks about the movies Christians go to. I was thinking of movies as soon as I saw the title to this section. We Christians, myself included, think nothing of going to see our superheroes in the theater, knowing full well that there will be vulgar language, sexual innuendo, and nudity. Movies are a way for the devil to get a stronghold on us and we are allowing it to happen.
The other scenarios he mentions are interesting but seem like something that could be no influence from the devil at all. I guess that that is what he is trying to say, that these things can come by direct assault from Satan or from our own sin nature and flesh. A discerning spirit is needed to recognize what is going on when it comes to sin in our lives.
I liked that White put in the book a list of other than demonic causes for problems that people might have. I was a little surprised that he said that homosexuality is mostly a non-demonic influenced activity. I had though that most of these spiritual warfare guys put homosexuality definitely spirit caused category. But then he says that it’s the parent’s fault that a person is homosexual – someone other than the person himself is always at fault!
The chapter on discernment was interesting, I have always been “afraid” of Christians who claim to be able to discern the spirits because I think if I get near them they’ll start telling everyone about my past and present sins and embarrass me. I know this is probably a false impression of a discerning person, but it’s something I think of nonetheless.
The Chapter on protection contained a lot of information I learned while involved in the Pentecostal movement; but since I’ve been a Baptist, I’ve not heard anything on spiritual protection. The two churches on at opposite ends of the spectrum, it’d be nice to hear/read something that was in the middle of the road to get a different perspective on the subject.
Overall, this is a good book; White isn’t too “over the top” in his views. I like the Q&A in the back of the book because it gets right to the point. I’ll definitely keep this book in my library.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Looking for God in All the Wrong Places: My Visits to Non-Christian Places of Worship, Part V
A Sikh Worship Service
I attended a Sikh service that was held in what look like a renovated warehouse. The preacher and some people were inside the warehouse while most of the people were outside looking in though the loading door dock doors. Everything was nicely decorated inside and everyone inside sat on the floor, I didn’t see any chairs at all.
Sikh men wear a turban on their head. Right after 9/11, several Sikh men were killed or beaten because the attackers thought that the turban was a sigh of Islam. It is an 600-year-old religion founded in India.
During the service, the preacher read from one of their two holy books, the Gurū Granth Sāhib or the Dasam Granth, which was read in Sanskrit. Most, but not all of the attendees were Indian; a white woman, whom was a convert to the religion, was kind enough to explain what was happening to me as the service went along. She could not understand Sanskrit, but was taking lessons to learn it.
Right after the service, a bowl of bread dough was offered to their god (they believe in only one god) and then passed out to all the people. I and my group took some of the dough but we all discreetly held it until we could throw it away. The apostle Paul wrote in Corinthians that Christians could eat food that was offered to idols, unless a weaker Christian brother would be offended by it; so we, as a group in advance, decided not to eat it.
We did stay for the meal that is made after every service. It was a fantastic feast of traditional Indian food, which I love! They were very generous and wonderful people, open and willing to share all they had with strangers.
Conclusion
There, but for the grace of God, go I. So many people are seeking God, they just don’t know how to find Him! This is one of the many reasons I don’t believe in people being elected for salvation before the universe being created; most people are searching for the Creator but can’t find Him! If people were chosen and not chosen by God, then there’d not be any false religions full of people seeking His face. There’d be Christianity and atheist and nothing else.
I thank God that I was in a position to realize the truth about Him and His Son! The judgment throne of God will be such a terrible place for so many people! This course has been a blessing for me, it has helped me to see with clearer eyes.
I attended a Sikh service that was held in what look like a renovated warehouse. The preacher and some people were inside the warehouse while most of the people were outside looking in though the loading door dock doors. Everything was nicely decorated inside and everyone inside sat on the floor, I didn’t see any chairs at all.
Sikh men wear a turban on their head. Right after 9/11, several Sikh men were killed or beaten because the attackers thought that the turban was a sigh of Islam. It is an 600-year-old religion founded in India.
During the service, the preacher read from one of their two holy books, the Gurū Granth Sāhib or the Dasam Granth, which was read in Sanskrit. Most, but not all of the attendees were Indian; a white woman, whom was a convert to the religion, was kind enough to explain what was happening to me as the service went along. She could not understand Sanskrit, but was taking lessons to learn it.
Right after the service, a bowl of bread dough was offered to their god (they believe in only one god) and then passed out to all the people. I and my group took some of the dough but we all discreetly held it until we could throw it away. The apostle Paul wrote in Corinthians that Christians could eat food that was offered to idols, unless a weaker Christian brother would be offended by it; so we, as a group in advance, decided not to eat it.
We did stay for the meal that is made after every service. It was a fantastic feast of traditional Indian food, which I love! They were very generous and wonderful people, open and willing to share all they had with strangers.
Conclusion
There, but for the grace of God, go I. So many people are seeking God, they just don’t know how to find Him! This is one of the many reasons I don’t believe in people being elected for salvation before the universe being created; most people are searching for the Creator but can’t find Him! If people were chosen and not chosen by God, then there’d not be any false religions full of people seeking His face. There’d be Christianity and atheist and nothing else.
I thank God that I was in a position to realize the truth about Him and His Son! The judgment throne of God will be such a terrible place for so many people! This course has been a blessing for me, it has helped me to see with clearer eyes.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Looking for God in All the Wrong Places: My Visits to Non-Christian Places of Worship, Part IV
Rukmini Dwarakadish Temple
The Hare Krishna temple was almost exactly what I expected it to be. Although, I was a little weary of the area as I was drove past the temple and past all the apartment buildings where the Hare Krishna adherents lived. The outside of the temple had a palace-like facade, but cheaper looking. The inside of the temple looked more like a Disneyland exhibit than a place of worship with colorful statues reminiscent of a grade-school art show. The museum I went through was cheaply put together and not only informed viewers of the history of Krishna, but made an overt attempt at persuading me to consider becoming a follower of Krishna as well.
The first person I spoke with was named Shiva Dev. He said that his name Shiva is also god’s name and that Dev was Sanskrit for god. He is a follower of Hinduism, but his wife is a devout follower of Krishna. He said that he has attended services at a church and a mosque before and felt that all religions were a way to get to god. Mr. Dev was the one who explained about the ones who wore the robes and the markings on their foreheads. He compared those who wore the robes and placed the marks on their foreheads to “Christian priest and nuns,” that they were very devout.
I also spoke with Mamabu, whose name means, “to study.” He said that he was originally a Buddhist, the religion of his parents, but he was comfortable in “an atheist religion.” His future desire is to become “initiated,” which is to become like what we’d call a minister. To do this, he must take a vow not to drink alcohol, or to gamble, or to have illicit sex, plus he must submit fully to a master. Once he has taken the vows and studied the scriptures, he will take a simple exam to become initiated.
The service has the worshippers standing facing a stage, on the stage is several statues and some devoted followers who ring bells and wave fans; on the walls of the temple are several paintings of Krishna and other people. A leader sings the Hare Krishna song and the worshippers repeat the song after him. There are some people out on the floor who have drums and cymbals keeping the beat so the worshippers can sway back and forth, clap and dance. The tempo of the singing and music went up and down in waves until finally toward the end people are jumping and yelling, and the music is loudly played. During all this, other people carry incense and fire through the crowd to let the worshippers wave their hands through the flames and smoke and then they rub their faces and heads with their hands. This is because the fire and smoke has been offered to, and accepted by, Krishna.
After the grand crescendo comes to a close, the people sit on the floor as the temple president and the worship leader make announcements. After this, the people went forward in a line to be blessed by the “monks” and to make donations.
After the service, I went to a yoga room and was able to ask one of the leaders, Prithu das Adhikary, some questions. Mr. Adhikary was a pleasant fellow who sincerely believed in his religion. He said that devout followers showered or bathed each morning and then placed on their bodies 12 marks with clay, one of the marks was the ‘V’ on their foreheads, which stood for “Vishnu,” one of the names for Krishna. He also told us that Hare Krishna followers knew of Jesus and considered him not to be an ordinary being, he came to from the spirit world to preach love, because love is the only true religion.
Mr. Adhikary said that Krishna means “all powerful,” and also that “Hare” is the female part and “Krishna” is the male part of god. He said several times that the main problem with people is that we build the “Berlin Wall” between god and us. He also told us that to know Jesus is to know Krishna, and to know Krishna is to know Jesus. As far as atoning for sin, one should realize they have sinned, then feel remorseful, then make an effort at reconciliation, and then reconciliation can occur. The main way to reconcile with god is by chanting his name over and over. Hare Krishna is a religion full of severely deceived people.
Surrounding the temple were apartment buildings own by the temple and where the adherents lived. It was sad to see all the innocent children being condemned to follow such an ungodly religion held by their parents. Hopefully many will be reached before it is too late.
The Hare Krishna temple was almost exactly what I expected it to be. Although, I was a little weary of the area as I was drove past the temple and past all the apartment buildings where the Hare Krishna adherents lived. The outside of the temple had a palace-like facade, but cheaper looking. The inside of the temple looked more like a Disneyland exhibit than a place of worship with colorful statues reminiscent of a grade-school art show. The museum I went through was cheaply put together and not only informed viewers of the history of Krishna, but made an overt attempt at persuading me to consider becoming a follower of Krishna as well.
The first person I spoke with was named Shiva Dev. He said that his name Shiva is also god’s name and that Dev was Sanskrit for god. He is a follower of Hinduism, but his wife is a devout follower of Krishna. He said that he has attended services at a church and a mosque before and felt that all religions were a way to get to god. Mr. Dev was the one who explained about the ones who wore the robes and the markings on their foreheads. He compared those who wore the robes and placed the marks on their foreheads to “Christian priest and nuns,” that they were very devout.
I also spoke with Mamabu, whose name means, “to study.” He said that he was originally a Buddhist, the religion of his parents, but he was comfortable in “an atheist religion.” His future desire is to become “initiated,” which is to become like what we’d call a minister. To do this, he must take a vow not to drink alcohol, or to gamble, or to have illicit sex, plus he must submit fully to a master. Once he has taken the vows and studied the scriptures, he will take a simple exam to become initiated.
The service has the worshippers standing facing a stage, on the stage is several statues and some devoted followers who ring bells and wave fans; on the walls of the temple are several paintings of Krishna and other people. A leader sings the Hare Krishna song and the worshippers repeat the song after him. There are some people out on the floor who have drums and cymbals keeping the beat so the worshippers can sway back and forth, clap and dance. The tempo of the singing and music went up and down in waves until finally toward the end people are jumping and yelling, and the music is loudly played. During all this, other people carry incense and fire through the crowd to let the worshippers wave their hands through the flames and smoke and then they rub their faces and heads with their hands. This is because the fire and smoke has been offered to, and accepted by, Krishna.
After the grand crescendo comes to a close, the people sit on the floor as the temple president and the worship leader make announcements. After this, the people went forward in a line to be blessed by the “monks” and to make donations.
After the service, I went to a yoga room and was able to ask one of the leaders, Prithu das Adhikary, some questions. Mr. Adhikary was a pleasant fellow who sincerely believed in his religion. He said that devout followers showered or bathed each morning and then placed on their bodies 12 marks with clay, one of the marks was the ‘V’ on their foreheads, which stood for “Vishnu,” one of the names for Krishna. He also told us that Hare Krishna followers knew of Jesus and considered him not to be an ordinary being, he came to from the spirit world to preach love, because love is the only true religion.
Mr. Adhikary said that Krishna means “all powerful,” and also that “Hare” is the female part and “Krishna” is the male part of god. He said several times that the main problem with people is that we build the “Berlin Wall” between god and us. He also told us that to know Jesus is to know Krishna, and to know Krishna is to know Jesus. As far as atoning for sin, one should realize they have sinned, then feel remorseful, then make an effort at reconciliation, and then reconciliation can occur. The main way to reconcile with god is by chanting his name over and over. Hare Krishna is a religion full of severely deceived people.
Surrounding the temple were apartment buildings own by the temple and where the adherents lived. It was sad to see all the innocent children being condemned to follow such an ungodly religion held by their parents. Hopefully many will be reached before it is too late.
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