You shall not

http://bible.com/111/exo.20.3-17.niv “You shall have no other gods before me.   “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.   “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.   “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.   “You shall not murder.   “You shall not commit adultery.   “You shall not steal.   “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.   “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

In the light of the tragic events that took place in Charleston this past week, commentaries have been flowing. I spent the day Thursday in dialogue with God (prayer) praying and interceding for this world we live in. I listened to president Obama deploring the tragedy and stating that the American people will have to come to grasp with the issues of gun violence and racial tensions. I heard some people talking about hate crime, whether racial or religious, and I read the response of close one touched by the senseless murders. Through it all we are appalled at the senseless violence and hatred. 
Jon Stewart, the news commentator, nails it
“I’ve got nothing for you in terms of jokes and sounds, because of what happened in South Carolina,” Stewart said. “I honestly have nothing other than just sadness once again that we have to peer into the abyss of the depraved violence we do to each other and the nexus of a gaping racial wound that will not heal yet we pretend doesn’t exist.”

Violence and hatred we pretend do not exist. Is it really where were at, is our world too calloused to understand still to not recognize the reality of our rejection of our maker's guide to a different life, a life that could be filled with peace, respect, care, compassion, love and freedom. Are we still stumbling on the fact that these words are shrouded in religious belief and dogmas, so much so that we reject them because of our hatred for God and is call to obedience, we still rebel against him like at the tower of Babel, and yet we still try to find in our own self the power to live just lives.
Where is the idealism of our own inner self, where is the power to live lives at peace?
It is found in the passage at the beginning of this blog. People will say ahh that is just religion and you can see what religion has done to this world. Well I'll tell you these words where given way before religion was invented, given by the creator of life, some will say that's if you believe in creation, then who ever wrote them should be made God. Because that is true idealism

Idealism : : the attitude of a person who believes that it is possible to live according to very high standards of behavior and honesty

Jesus loves you...uh say what

Many days ago at work ,I heard someone mentioning Christians and a sign on their vehicle that pitch a well  known and used statement "Jesus loves you" they seemed to ridicule the brazen Christian for being so vocal in a truth that is often seen has a cliche, by the world. Three words that have been used and abused and served on plaques, stickers, car plates,etc...and basically have become a cliche.
Now first thing first, this phrase or saying does not appear anywhere in the Bible, it is a saying that was coined out of the belief that Jesus loves, or loved. The word Jesus followed immediately by the verb love appears only in s few instances. Once in relation to Martha, Lazarus 's sister and the other time in relation to John the disciple. There is however a few instances where it appears as part of what Jesus said to his disciples and these though only a few are well,a definite declaration of his love for them
John 15:9-12 NIVUK

‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.

Now if this is not a declaration of love from Jesus then it's nothing. Now it is not just a simple declaration, it is also a command. Then how can it be a command if it is a feeling, that is suppose to give you warm fuzzies and makes you see butterflies and daisies and hearts floating in the air. Don't get me wrong love is not empty of feelings but it is filled with intent that transcend the feelings, intent that say I want the best for you,I care,I will be there for you

A few days ago we , me and my wife, had to make that trip you wished you would not have to do, when one of her brother, (my wife is the baby sister so all her siblings are older), younger then me passed to a better place, he knew Jesus he new his love, so believing the promises of God we know he is in Heaven. At the memorial there was one thing that was clear, Dave will be missed, and the ones who knew him and will miss him knew that he loved them and how would they know that? Is it by some kind of feeling? No, it is because of who he was to them, how he cared, what he did, Dave did not need a plaque or sticker telling people he loved them, he lived it.
Now I am not necessarily against plaque or stickers, or anything of the sort, but I am for action that speaks louder, and  unembellished truth. The love of God is not a warm cozy feeling, though it can be that at times when it is needed but it's found more so in what he did

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:6-11 NIV

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Who knows if it was a used car, and the sticker was just there, who knows if the driver really knew Jesus loves.
Be careful of cliches, let you life speak louder, Jesus's life did and that's the truth

As a treat have a listen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaFfnTbM3AU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

"Fall is on us" or the continuum of life on earth

As much as the world likes to juggle with the principles of evolution and its myriads of implications; the variety of species and their differences, the cycle of nature and the particular experience of mankind, continually pointing to an intelligent design, fall in line more with a creation story. I've alluded to the fact that I believe in creation many times already in my previous post and though I am not a scientist, secular or christian, science are not  failproof science if I might use that term in its basic meaning.

Science
Science (from Latin scientia, meaning "knowledge") is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.

Now I do not want to start a creation versus evolution conversation here because this is not the point, the purpose  of this blog is to look at truths in the light of scriptures and see how faith in God can contributes to the understanding of the world around us.

Now with this cleared out let's see how science as brought good and evil to our world, then after several days of tabulating all the progress mankind has walked thru, we realize science or the scientific process its not at fault but the heart of men that as potential for good or evil, now this story is played without relent in the adventures of our super heroes when something meant for good will be perverted to evil means, and at times, evil intent its turned around to produce good. Then there's a huge gray area where the scientific process as produce understanding technology and goods that are part of or lives, whether, they are useful or not, beneficial or not to our lives, is always a good question.
The truth remains that not much of that progress , good or bad would have been p possible without science.
If science could bring peace to mankind, not just talking about wars, but about all forms of discrimination, abuse, injustice and inequalities it should have by now, and again it is not the science of its possibility that fails, it is the heart of man that is corrupted.
If mankind would apply science to the word of God mostly the ten commandments and the gospels it would son see that verifiable good and wellness would be produce.

Let's remember we have the goods, we have the technology, we have the science to truly make this world a better place and that is truth.

Truth or cliche

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Truth or cliche, it such a huge question, it could occupy a lifetime of consideration for a philosopher, but in all practicality , it demands a quick answer because the stakes are phenomenal, eternal life or eternal death. The fact that the Bible offers that solution to an obvious dilemma is interesting if not downright astonishing, so many elements need to be understood to comprehend the scope of that offer let's look at the passage of scripture this verse, or saying come from for a bit more of the context.

In the verses 1-15 John shares an encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus a Jewish teacher of the day, and in verses 16-21 John comments on what that discussion meant.
The Jews believed they had an handle on God , after all they had the law, they had the prophets, the temple, the sacrifices etc...and Jesus was saying here , that the only way to God was by being born again, of course Nicodemus did not know what it meant, and being born again became a hard concept to understand to that lawyer that was trying to measure the words of Jesus by the law. Jesus then goes into an illustration for Nicodemus. Jesus then talks about being born of the spirit in opposition to the flesh or physical, that is when it start to make sense. Because by the end Jesus talks of believing in his death and resurrection as the ultimate connection to God.
That is why you have to be born again that is why you have to be born of the spirit. To be able to believe what Jesus did and why he did. It its not a condition for believing it is a result of believing, maybe it's contradicting statement, let's say it's kind of simultaneously happening. When your mind s start to consider the possibility off your need  and benefit from a savior, your spirit which is mostly dormant is awakened and the holy spirit who has respect for who you are and can know the sincerity of your heart will gently enhance the burgeoning faith by it's presence and cause it to grow according to your particular circumstances. That is why everybody's story of salvation or being born of the spirit is different

As I conclude this blog,I need to answer my question, truth or cliche? It is truth, though many saying and scriptures from the Bible have become, meaningless cliches because off poor use and understanding of their true meaning through the years, there is such a thing as being, born again and that was Nicodemus, question, on which John was commentating , and that is why Jesus died, so that we may be born again, and that is truth.

Re-defining truth part 2

As much as my belief is my belief and potentially the same has millions of people who walk, have walk and will walk on this earth, the question remains, is there such a thing as truth? Is there an idea so transparent in it's, simplicity that which ever way you turn it, you can not find an hidden agenda or meaning; that is only discernable by a few enlightened ones, but that is understandable by all? Blue is blue red is red, and so forth and so on, again the list could go on for many day on what we know that is, we need air to breathe, despite the color of our skin we are all made the same etc.etc.etc. What tell us that a dictator is a dictator, that politician should be morally righteous, or again how do we know what is morally right? What is truth, is truth right our wrong, good or evil, how do we know that there is good and that there is evil?
I believe no no, sorry not I believe, there has to be a standard, there must be a standard, there has to be a standard, to make sense of all this and I think the standard is truth. Truth is more then philosophy, more then logic more then morals, it's all off those combined in an ultimate reality that define or lives and gives them a sense that goes beyond our understanding. Modern philosophy as brought much confusion to the idea of  truths, and many of it's claims have been dismissed through the years. Because talking about truth is not just talk but experience, truth is a living thing it's a thing that you do, that you live by. Why is it true that telling a lie is much harder to live with then telling the truth? It's because your mind knows the truth and keeps trying to line it up with the lie we create. Truth is bond to our existence because we were created by the truth

Genesis 1:27 NIV

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

I believe that is why we have that propensity for truth for what is real, that is why we live in reality. Ear what Jesus said,
John 8:55 NIV

Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.
 
Jesus could not lie because he is truth despite the danger that he was facing. Paul one of the writer of the Bible expresses it this way

Romans 3:3-6 NIV

What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge."    But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?

Basically Paul was saying God is true despite all arguments, all claim that says that God caused or let something happen, or that it serves his purposes, God is truth.

People have tried to reconcile tragedy with the idea of a loving God for ages, and there is still no rhyme or reason to what we experience if we keep looking  at His love as, something that would shield us from all evil, that would protect us from all tragedy. But if we consider that God is truth and we look at his words in the Bible we will know that his love will see us through all things.
I have to bring a conclusion to this blog, it is not easy to define truth, but one thing is certain, it takes faith to believe that there is such a thing as ultimate truth, though we believe in moral  truths, and reality and that there is right and wrong, good and bad, it's a step for some to believe that God is that standard, that he is The Truth like he claims throughout his word found in the Bible

10 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. 11 I,even I,am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. Isaiah 43:10-11

For me it's just plain truth

Re-defining the truth, or you say potatoes and I say tomatoes

Well we all know the line with the pronunciation of the same words with different intonation of the central letter"a", its kind off evident you talk about the same thing but with a different twist. But when it comes to a concept or an idea like  "truth"  then it's an entirely different problem and a totally open subject, or is it? A tuber is a tuber, and a fruit its a fruit. A mile is 5280ft, a kilometer is a thousand meter,a dollar is 100 pennies, 1gig is 8388608.0 kilobytes, you get the idea, the list could go on for as long as one has imagination most of what we know.  If we want to compare potatoes and tomatoes well it does not work that well and you could not easily define them because they are totally different. Now the same problem seems to arise when you take the idea of truth and its  evolution in the last 20,30,50,75 or 100 years, though we use the same word the meaning as changed and as become very subjective in light of culture, race, societal changes, and many other factors and way too long a study for this blog. So I hope for this purpose you can agree with me, that the meaning or more so the understanding of truth has changed.
Now I believe that truth has a very specific meaning and that like, most of the universe around us, it is ruled by measurable or at least understandable law or principle, like the standards that allow us to measure distance, size weights, pressures,etc...

I believe truth is base on  the knowable character of God as he revealed himself in his creation and his written word.

Revelation 1:8 NIV

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

Now who in their right mind would claim such a proposition, it as to be God, he is the all in all, the beginning and the end and if he is then all truth resides in him. In his creative power everything has been set in motion every good ideas, concept, dreams, purpose, and that's the truth. ( to be continued)

Everything in perspective

Trying to keep a perspective on truth, God's truth is not easy today, in our instantaneous world, where in mere seconds the internet world can be inundated with pictures and videos of a tragedy like the Boston bombing, or any other number of events around the world is a test to our faith in a God for whom a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day. Unrest its the lot off mankind not off God, not that God is inactive and unconcerned, but , he is not surprised either. In a world that increasingly continues to reject the dominion of God over their lives His kingdom is non the less at work and living in His body that is the Christian church. I know it sounds close minded and arrogant to elevate the Christian religion in such a way, but Christ its the only one who claimed being God, if any other had made same claim we would have a real dilemma. Now putting aside all denominational prejudice and not counting all levels of orthodoxy, God is one, he is  I AM, the three in one, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. There is no division in him , he is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow. God is all the authority and power that Isaiah recognized
Isaiah 6:5 NIV

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty."

He is all the compassion that the disciples saw
Matthew 11:28 NIV

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

He is all the help he claim to be
John 16:13 NIV

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

The world is still camping at the tower of Babel not wanting to give God the kingship over it's tired soul still wanting to do it's own thing
What is my perspective on truth?
God cares and weeps for a lost world, he does not commend holy wars, he does not condone extremism that put aside love, compassion and healing he engages all on a plane field, no favorites and he cares deeply about truth and justice, respect and obedience, love and compassion.
That's my God and that truth