As I stated in my last post, I love the fact that Halloween turns people to thoughts of something beyond our realm of understanding. It is the most opportune time to talk about God, yet one of the biggest hindrances to our doing so is the fact that we don't know enough about life outside this one to comment appropriately. Oh people try, but without much success. Within Christianity we think we have a lot of knowledge of scripture, but probably 99% of Christians can't even adequately explain what happened on the cross.
The people of the world are highly educated in the sciences and language, but how educated are we on the words of our God? Do you know any more of those words beyond a first grade level? From my interaction with even PhD level theologians, they are only at a third grade level. Unless we can appropriately explain the meaning of the white spaces in God's word, we are no more than little children.
Ahh, do those words ring a bell with any of you? Little children does mean the same as a small child, but in 1st century Judaism it was also an idiom for people who were new in the faith. Those who were just beginning to understand the meaning of the words of Jesus.
I am an acquaintance of a young man on social media who is an Atheist. Until meeting him I knew relatively little about Atheism, other than they believe there is no such thing as a god. Although I do not agree with him on this issue, reading some of his posts in regard to this subject has been a true eye-opener. The people in his Atheist group on social media are very educated and their perspective on Christianity and Christians has changed my entire thought process. No, I haven't changed my religion, but I can suddenly see how others may view Christians and let me tell you, it is not pretty.
These people do not bash us, at least not in the way you might think, but they see us mostly as people who are swayed by emotions rather than facts. Through their eyes I have seen how egotistical and arrogant Christians can be along with how well we don't check out our facts before putting them out for all the world to see. I have been able to view Christianity from it's ugly side. A view of how much Christians persecute and harass those with different beliefs.
One picture truly caught my eye. It was the picture of a young woman holding a large Bible against her chest and waving a gun in the air with the words, "I am a Christian and you aren't taking my guns!" At the side of that was another picture, that of a woman dressed in a black burkha, holding the Koran to her chest and waving a machine gun in the air with the words, "No god, but Allah!" The caption below these two pictures was, "Is there any difference?"
I want those words to sink in. What image are we, as Christians, portraying to the world? Can they not see any difference in us and the radical Muslims? After seeing that picture I began once again to scroll through facebook and noticed many posts, by Christians, as they shared quotes or memes. I was appalled at the "in your face," elitist attitudes these conveyed. After several weeks of seeing these passed around I made a comment on my page about how offensive some Christian posts are and it appears I lost quite a few "friends" over it. Oh well.
Jesus never acted arrogant or elitist. For many of us, we have been taught that he snubbed his nose at the Pharisees and was arrogant with them, but folks we are soooooo wrong! Jesus, himself, said that when we know the truth it will set us free! He was correct! When we begin to learn the truths of the Scripture from the Hebraic point of view the pieces of the puzzle absolutely fall into place. The words come together to form the most beautiful and magnificent picture EVER!
The world says education is the key and it absolutely is. If we do not truly know and understand God's word, how can we ever hope to explain phenomena on this planet? The highly educated people in this world can tear apart our explanations in about 10 seconds and we are left with our mouths agape. We have the great fortune of being post Christ. If we learn the Bible from a Hebraic point of view and couple it with the knowledge that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah.......WOW!
The more I learn in this journey I have come to realize that the phenomena we can observe from time to time CANNOT compare to the reality of what IS there! Hearing "ghost stories" and tales of "haunted" places convince me over and over that there is so much more to my God than I could ever dream! Know the truth, learn the truth from God's own people, the Jews, and see if He will not throw open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings without measure on you! Shalom!
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Monday, November 3, 2014
Do you believe in ghosts?
Last Friday was Halloween. It can be a fun day and evening or it can be the most frightening night of your life. As a teen I went to the local haunted house, paid my money and proceeded to have the frosting scared out of me, but as I began having children of my own I wanted them to experience good things on that day. I have gone through years of loving Halloween, (as a child getting all the candy), and also years I hated that day and wanted nothing to do with it. Now as a middle-aged woman I really, really love Halloween and I would love to share with you as to why.
About three weeks ago, our local television morning newscast spent one morning on each of the four states in our region noting stories about the most haunted places within those states. As one state in particular was mentioned I waited for the name of a certain cemetery, but it was never mentioned. I know this cemetery well, because my great-grandparents and other family members of that generation are buried there. I have heard the stories all my life and the cemetery has quite the reputation. I thought well, I guess I will have to bring it to their attention so I sent in a comment on their web page and they emailed me back. Before I tell you more about why I love Halloween, please go to the link and watch the short news video, then see me back here!
http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/story/27173546/spooky-lights-often-seen-at-weakley-county-cemetery
Now, what do you think? Do ghosts really exist? Are there extra-terrestrial beings living among us? Perhaps you are a naysayer. Come on, you have to admit there are a lot of phenomena around us we cannot explain, right? One part of the interview which didn't make it into the video is the fact that I have a very good friend who lives approximately three miles from that cemetery, (straight behind it), and she has one of those "things" occupying her house. The house isn't old, in fact she and her husband built the house from the ground up. She and her family are some of the most Godly people I know and they aren't pranksters. She told us the story and we all asked, "Aren't you afraid of it?" She replied that she had never been afraid of it and in fact had a picture of it. When she brought the picture, sure enough there it was floating over her sons shoulder, in the dining room with the lights on. An orb. A small ball of energy and light.
As I prepared for my interview I suddenly had this awesome peace about a subject which had left me in a quandary my entire life. A ball of light, in fact hundreds of balls of light. Hmmmmmm. Most all of us would agree there are many things for which we have no explanation. This can only mean one thing, there are other dimensions which we cannot enter, but those things which dwell there are able to cross into ours.
Every Halloween thousands or millions of stories are told about hauntings, ghosts and apparitions. One day per year, almost all Americans admit there is something beyond this life and what we can see, taste, touch, smell and hear. They admit there is something more than this life, but what? Aha! That is the question and one I will expound upon further on in a day or two! Shalom!
About three weeks ago, our local television morning newscast spent one morning on each of the four states in our region noting stories about the most haunted places within those states. As one state in particular was mentioned I waited for the name of a certain cemetery, but it was never mentioned. I know this cemetery well, because my great-grandparents and other family members of that generation are buried there. I have heard the stories all my life and the cemetery has quite the reputation. I thought well, I guess I will have to bring it to their attention so I sent in a comment on their web page and they emailed me back. Before I tell you more about why I love Halloween, please go to the link and watch the short news video, then see me back here!
http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/story/27173546/spooky-lights-often-seen-at-weakley-county-cemetery
Now, what do you think? Do ghosts really exist? Are there extra-terrestrial beings living among us? Perhaps you are a naysayer. Come on, you have to admit there are a lot of phenomena around us we cannot explain, right? One part of the interview which didn't make it into the video is the fact that I have a very good friend who lives approximately three miles from that cemetery, (straight behind it), and she has one of those "things" occupying her house. The house isn't old, in fact she and her husband built the house from the ground up. She and her family are some of the most Godly people I know and they aren't pranksters. She told us the story and we all asked, "Aren't you afraid of it?" She replied that she had never been afraid of it and in fact had a picture of it. When she brought the picture, sure enough there it was floating over her sons shoulder, in the dining room with the lights on. An orb. A small ball of energy and light.
As I prepared for my interview I suddenly had this awesome peace about a subject which had left me in a quandary my entire life. A ball of light, in fact hundreds of balls of light. Hmmmmmm. Most all of us would agree there are many things for which we have no explanation. This can only mean one thing, there are other dimensions which we cannot enter, but those things which dwell there are able to cross into ours.
Every Halloween thousands or millions of stories are told about hauntings, ghosts and apparitions. One day per year, almost all Americans admit there is something beyond this life and what we can see, taste, touch, smell and hear. They admit there is something more than this life, but what? Aha! That is the question and one I will expound upon further on in a day or two! Shalom!
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