Burning Quest - Part 27

"Birds of a feather flock together," they say.  Human beings often do too to their own detriment.  Yes, it's often easier for a person to cope when he/she is with his/her own species of people.  On the flip side, however, it can become a barrier, excluding others from their circle of friends, family, fellowship or general community which could otherwise enhance relationships.  These restrict growth in character and conduct, snub others and cause ill feelings creating alienation of good people and creating disharmony and divisions.

Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda is concerned about this factor and expresses his views on the matter from page 246 of his book What Buddhists Believe.  He writes...

"Another obstacle confronting religious life and spiritual progress is racial arrogance.  The Buddha advised his followers not to bring forward any racial issue when they come to practice religion.  Buddhists are taught to understand that  concepts like racial origin and caste or class distinction are all made by deluded minds which cannot see the essential unity of all that exists.  People of all religions should not discriminate against any groups of people by glorifying their own ways of life.  They should treat everyone equally, especially in the religious field.  Unfortunately, followers of different religions encourage discrimination and hostility towards other religious groups."

Sri Dhammananda continues in the same vein, also from page 246...

"...Racial arrogance is a great hindrance to religious and spiritual progress...all those who have come from different communities and different castes, must forget their differences and think of themselves only as human beings."

Truly well said!  Remember that Jesus died for the "whosoever will" (John 3:16).  His offer of salvation is open to everyone and anyone.  He does not distinguish ethnic origin or religious affiliation.  His offer is to all in the human race.

God emphasized this to Peter who was of Jewish descent (Acts 10:9-23). Peter had been on the rooftop of his friend's house praying.  He had a vision that a sheet was let down from Heaven with all manner of living creatures:  'clean' and 'unclean' according to Jewish custom and Old Testament regulations.  God told him to "Rise, Peter, slay and eat."  Peter was resistant to the idea.  God told him that what He made clean, was clean.

Immediately their was a knock at the friend's door.  There was an envoy from Cornelius, a Gentile, asking for Peter to go to his house.  Peter understood the meaning of God's message straight away.  Gentiles were now 'clean' to the Jewish-background Christians.  Peter obediently went to Cornelius and many became believers in Jesus Christ, accepting God's gift of salvation and Holy Spirit.

Throughout the New Testament letters to various assemblies and individuals this idea is perpetuated.
  

"No longer Jew, nor Greek, bond nor free; rich nor poor" (Galatians 3:28). 

Followers of Jesus Christ are all one "in Christ".  

Whether or not a person is "in Christ" or not, the believers in Christ should see all people equally as "human race".

The apostle James dealt with this theme as well.  He said the rich should not be shown favor over the poor when they came together to worship the Lord (James 2:2-4).  James says that is discrimination and the people have evil thoughts if they acted in such a manner.

It's thrilling to see from the book of Revelation that  people from every tribe, nation and tongue will be present in the Heavenly realms in time to come and they will be getting along in great peace and harmony (Revelation 7:9-10).  Let us begin here and now, in present time.

Since this is true, and is God's mind, then we, the followers of Jesus Christ must follow suit.  We must recall that Jesus died for everyone; for the "whosoever".  We do not want to be the cause of someone saying, "If followers of Jesus Christ are racist and discriminatory, then, forget it!  I don't want anything to do with  them."  And so they turn away from Christ.

This is Sri Dhammananda's point.  He says some religions do that.  They put barriers up and so cause frictions and fortifications greater than the Great Wall of China.  

Sometimes the environment a person has grown up in has given them the mindset that one ethnic group is better than another.  Even expressions absorbed into our language gives evidence to such even if it is in a subconscious way. We need to be sensitive and filter out and expunge such expressions as "get your cotton-pickin' fingers out of this," out of our vocabulary.

Cotton-pickin' fingers would refer to the slave days in what is southern USA today.  They raised a lot of cotton and used African slaves to work in their fields pickin' cotton.  I believe you will ascertain the blatant innuendo and insult.

As followers of Jesus Christ we need to root out all such words, attitudes and actions from our life, thoughts and speech.  I myself need such weeding to be administered as the Holy Spirit brings to my attention.  Racial arrogance is indeed a despicable, even subtle thing.

I'm not saying we can never get together and enjoy our respective heritage of traditions and culture but be aware of others outside of our language and/or ethnic group or social status or whatever.  Let not pride of our respective ethnicity exude from our pores, etc, causing us to exclude and/or belittle others.  Don't give opportunity to shame and malign God's reputation and seriously hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in another's life.  

Jesus died for one and all.  

"Love your neighbor as yourself." (Mark 12:31)

                                                   ~ERC  June 2018~


Note:

For further reading on this theme check out the following links:

Cluck2 Quack2

Are You Your Race?

Blended Together

Playing Favorites

Lord's Day Devotion - Golden Age

Peace.  Stability.  Flourishing economy.  Plenty to eat.  Happy people.  People generally happy with their government (WOW!).  A time to pursue science and the arts, and make discoveries and inventions or creatively refine them.  Golden Age, indeed!

History buffs who delve into ancient civilizations such as India, China and parts of Southeast Asia (SEA) will discover each place had its time, or times, of Golden Ages.  For India, the most golden Golden Age is deemed to have been during the Gupta Dynasty (c. 320-550 CE).  For China, there seems to have been several glory days such as during the Han (202 BCE-220 CE), Tang (618-907 CE) and Song (960-1279 CE) Dynasties.  In SEA the Khymer Dynasty (800-1432 CE) which spanned several countries we know as Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and southern Vietnam, today, enjoyed their time of golden years.

India is known for its brilliant mathematician Aryabhata's concept of pi, zero and the decimal system; those who more than dabbled in metallurgy constructed the Delhi Pillar out of iron that has not rusted so many years later from wind and rain buffets; and the textile folks introduced cotton to the world.  The most amazing one for me was in the medical field, that of early plastic surgery.  This came about due to punishments on so-called criminals that would have their ears or noses cut off.  The plastic surgeons would repair them.

China was into astronomy and mapped the sun, moon and planets' movements; the famous Zhang Heng keeping careful records.  The early seismometer is pretty cool.  A ball came out of the urn-like vessel and fell into one of several brass (possibly) frog's open mouth below.  This would indicate the earthquake's approximate direction.  They also had an early compass (although India also did, it's a toss up); a mechanical clock, paper making, paper money, printing blocks (yes-I know, Gutenberg likes to take credit for first printing press); pottery; porcelain; and textiles (silk was their contribution) among others.

SEA has been a bit trickier to pinpoint but they too can boast of metallurgy, making bronze spear-points; of hydraulic engineering creating dykes, dams, canals, reservoirs to control water supply for irrigating rice paddies, and etc.  Batik, an art form of Indonesia and Malaysia, of intricate painting on cloth; many temples, Angkor Wat being the most famous of the lot.

Sadly, such civilizations rise and they fall, even in relatively current times.  I've personally experienced such, perhaps not to the huge degree as above, but in miniature, where I've lived for the past couple of decades.  

The country I currently reside in just experienced a stunningly, astonishing peaceful revolutionary change of government.  The relief and rejoicing was palpable.  Citizens were ecstatic.  There's great hope for change for the better .  Perhaps this country will experience a Golden Age even at this late date.

In Bible times we see a Golden Age during King Solomon's reign (c. 970-931 BCE).  During that time he built a temple for God.  It was a golden masterpiece and must have been overwhelmingly amazing (1 Kings 7-8).  Those who had known the splendor of that temple, which, incidentally, got destroyed, and then saw the one built after they had returned from their captivity in Babylon, cried at the stark difference (Ezra 6:13-18; 3:10-13; and Haggai 2:3-9).  Yet their God was still dwelling in the temple.  HE was the focus.  HE was the reason for the temple in the first place.

Yes, the fact of life remains:  there are rises and there are falls of any civilization; it is inevitable.  However, they have indubitably left their mark and impact on subsequent generations and civilizations who can improve and refine the inventions and then soar in other areas because of them.

Just think how plastic surgery is taken for granted nowadays.  It's really amazing what the surgeons can do.  Those who currently monitor earthquake activity can thank their early "colleagues" in China for the seismograph 'gift'.  And those who go to the moon or even just putter around space, navigate there because either some Indian or Chinaman invented the compass eons ago.

Of course some inventions have been used for war and that is ugly.  That brings us to the whole point of this Lord's Day Devotion.

Due to our sin nature and the sin it produces, we have had great need for an escape or rescue plan.  God provided that in sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins.  He's 'bought' our pardon for us.  He has been our atonement and Rescuer.  When we followers of Jesus Christ come together to remember Jesus in His death and resurrection, in passing the bread and wine one to another, let us be thankful for what God has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ.

Do you know what a further aspect of this Good News encompasses?  Look at Hebrews 12:28 ESV...

"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe..."

There will absolutely be no fall for this kingdom of God.  It cannot be shaken!  It will be magnificent.  We will live in His Eternal Golden Age.  "When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!"  

Worship Him.  Praise Him.  Give thanks to Him.  

Our God is an awesome God!

                                                              ~ERC  June 2018~

Burning Quest - Part 26

Where were you born?  Canada.  Oh, so then that makes you a Canadian.   And you, where were you born?  The USA.  So you are an American.  What about you?   Malaysia.  So you are Malaysian?  No.  What? Why?  Because neither of my parents are Malaysian.  Oh, I guess different countries have different policies. 

What about if you were born into a Christian family, does that make you  a Christian?  No.  How about if you were born into a Buddhist family?  Also no.  Oh.  Well, then, how does that work?  

Each individual must do it his or herself.  However, this 'doing it yourself' has a different connotation to a Christian and a Buddhist.

For the one who wishes to become a Christian, yes, the person must decide to become one of their own volition, and to accept God's offer of salvation on their own volition.  However to attain salvation by earning it oneself, is not possible.  You see, it is a gift from God and one's action is to just reach out and take it.  No need to earn it. 

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4: 12 NIV)

"...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved..."  (Acts 16:31 NIV).

 "The salvation of righteousness comes from the Lord..." (Psalm 37:39 NIV).

No one can force another into this.  In this way only, does one "do it them self".

Thus being born into a Christian family does not make one a Christian; or as I prefer to say, a follower of Jesus Christ.  No doubt being born into such a family would help one be more aware of ones' need for salvation as being born into a Buddhist family would presumably predispose the children to become Buddhist.  Neither scenario, however, would make an instant Christian or a Buddhist out of anyone. 

Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda illustrates this idea in his book What Buddhists Believe (Pages 241, 242).  He says that if a doctor gives one medicine, the person will not be made well by someone else taking said medicine or detailing all the benefits one can get if one does swallow that liquid or tablet.  No, the sick one must be the one to take the meds.  So too, each person must accept Jesus Christ as Savior for him or herself.  Do not have confidence in oneself, no self-reliance in this but put confidence in God and His Word and His Son Jesus.

He is the Great Physician.  Go to Him.  He will perfect you.

By contrast, for the Buddhist who "does it his or her self" the meaning is vastly different.  On page 242 of  Sri Dhammananda's book, we are told,

"Buddhism is not a religion where people attain salvation by mere prayers and begging to be saved.  They must strive hard by controlling their minds to eradicate their selfish desires and emotions in order to attain perfection." 

This is where the Buddhist will turn to the Buddha and his teachings, the Dharma, and to the Sangha.  Meditation on these Three Gems is their refuge which aids and abets them in their determination to eradicate all desire.   

To become a Christian is also not merely to pray nor is it to beg for salvation.  It is from understanding their need of salvation that comes from outside their self.   With willing hearts, they accept, by faith, Jesus and His gift of salvation.

It is only then that there is need for renewal of our minds via God's Work and Word (Romans 12:2 NIV) and we must take captive every thought to God (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV).  Another good verse to take note of is 2 Timothy 1:9 NIV, which reads,

"He has saved us and called us to a holy life..."

I like another couple of verses that are found in Titus 2:11-12 NIV...

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."

These are the two sides of the same coin "justification and sanctification"' God's sovereignty and mankind's responsibility respectively, aiming for God's standard of holiness and perfection.  When we have accepted, of our own choice, Jesus Christ as Savior, that is justification.  God has made the individual righteous in His sight.  Once we are justified, then comes the progressive sanctification that is mankind's responsibility.  This is a process of making Jesus, Lord of our life.

This is lived out, not religiously, nor blindly or mindlessly, rather it is walking in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26) and the "new heart" we've been given.  The potential, if you will, is now in our DNA, to honor God in these ways and to do so out of gratitude and love for Him.

This should preclude continuing to sin and making bad choices.  Just because we belong to Jesus and have that promise of forgiveness of sins and eternal life and a ceasing of all suffering (in time to come), it doesn't mean we continue to do as we wish fulfilling all our own desires.  No!

God's Word tells us that,

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation..." (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We need to make Jesus, Lord as well as Savior.  Abide by His will and ways as found in God's word and as the Holy Spirit convicts.  You can check this out further by clicking on the link for Making Jesus Lord.  In following the Lord Jesus Christ, our desires should then be to obey Him and making His desires, ours.  In so doing, our lives will become ever more holy and others will begin to see Christ in us; His righteousness in our character and conduct.

We need to understand ourselves and examine ourselves to see where we are amiss.   The measuring rod is God's Word, the Holy Spirit and other brothers and sisters-in-Christ who hopefully are also guided by God's Word and the Holy Spirit enabling them to gently show us where we can do better.   When we allow all to 'teach' us and we humbly accept the teaching, there will be further growth in our spiritual life and relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Sri Dhammananda concurs to a point in this as he tells us on Page 242...

"To understand yourself is the beginning of wisdom."

Actually, 

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10 NIV).

However, it is true we have to understand ourselves; understand we are sinners and that we cannot save ourselves; that there is a God who offers that salvation plan through His son Jesus Christ.  We must understand we must accept Jesus's work of atonement and the taking of the penalty for our sins and the consequences of our wrong choices; that Jesus paid for them once and for all for all mankind.

We have to absorb this knowledge and realize that the punishment was laid on Jesus and with His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5) from all the wrong and unwholesome thoughts and actions and the consequences:  sicknesses and infirmities and as Buddhists believe, the birth-death-rebirth* continuum.  Our end is not to become extinct, nor for our desires to become extinct (some desires are actually good and God-given), but to have a life with Christ in Heaven for all eternity.  There we will live in righteous perfection, not because we have "done it ourself" but because Christ has done it all for us.

                                                             ~ERC  June 2018~

Note:

* I do not subscribe to the birth-death-rebirth belief.  

Burning Quest - Part 25

Human intelligence is tremendously amazing.  There have been so many human beings, in a string of history, with soaring IQ's; many among them being world leaders and scientists.  However even those with average intelligence can stir up wondrous feats of invention or of explanation of aerodynamics; diseases and their cures; and of life.  Yet there are also those with mental challenges, some of whom don't even know their left hand from their right. 

This human intelligence we must use, says Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, to save ourselves, to bring ourselves to enlightenment and Nirvana.  Back in Part 18 of this series, I left the giant question hanging:  What about those who are mentally challenged?  How can they help themselves?

Interconnect that with another question...

Where did human intelligence come from in the first place?

Sri Dhammananda asserts in his book What Buddhists Believe, that...

"We must refer to our knowledge of the evolution theory" (Page 252)!!* 

 He explains,

"It is clearly stated that life began in very primitive forms - no more than a single cell floating in the water.  Over millions of years these basic life forms evolved and became more complex, more intelligent..." (Pages 252-253).

So does that mean those who are mentally challenged are "lower life forms"?!  Again, how are they to save themselves?  Patience....  Millions of years later, it'll come right for their mental continuum?

"The process can take a long time, over a period of many births" (Page 251).

Because of this, even these seemingly disadvantaged persons,

"...must make an effort, however small, to begin the process of deliverance and the duty of those more able is to help them do this..." (Page 251).

All neat and tidy.

So, struggle and strive; struggle and strive for enough intelligence to be able to use that intelligence to gain ones' own salvation.

Quite some time ago, in another series titled On the Doorstep, But Don't Get to Enter which is based on a book written by Craig R. Lundahl and Harold A. Widdeson (both Ph.Ds) called The Eternal Journey re:  Near Death Experiences (NDE), babies and the mentally challenged have been mentioned.  In Part 10 of the series we learn that some of those who had had NDEs had seen young children in that wonderful place they had 'gone' to.  

There was reference to an article by John MacArthur of Grace to You who preferred to call the groups of people who come under the umbrella of what some call "age of accountability", to refer to them instead as "condition of accountability" [emphasis mine].   Babies and the mentally challenged would be sheltered under that condition depending upon their mental ability to comprehend the connection to God (who created our intelligence) and faith in Jesus Christ and their need for salvation.

It was stated in that Part 10, that these little ones and special ones would be "safe".  The Lord Jesus would look out for them.   God has concern for them and will bring them safely Home.   The Creator of all mankind knows His people.  God will always thwart what Satan meant for harm.

For those who do not have belief in God, faith and need of salvation through Jesus Christ, here are some questions to ponder:   How can one actually be sure of that Nirvana attainment through ones' own efforts?  Who has set the standard?  Who decided? At what point has ones' intelligence won the day enough to realize one has well and truly overcome all desire?  Should one even have desire to end desire?

Depending on one's own intelligence and efforts do you set your own standard of attainment?  As it is seen "negative" (Page 237) to depend on anyone else for salvation, there is a lot of room for variation even when one does follow the guidelines of the Four Noble Truths and Nobel Eight-Fold path towards Enlightenment.  Again, who's to say you have or have not "arrived".

Compare this to God's Word in which...

"...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"  (Romans 3:23 NIV).

No matter how great a level of intelligence and achievement, it is still short.  All that weary burden of work, work, work towards the end goal and no matter how much knowledge of these Buddhist teachings and living it out one may have, it's all just, not enough!

Granted living according to this good and wholesome Path is a very good lifestyle to practice.  It can and does train the mind for better and better living but it does not intrinsically change it.  Therefore, would you agree,  it is not quite good enough?

In a previous writing it was mentioned the necessity and God's promise of a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26) to all those who will accept God's gift of salvation.   Jesus offers this to one and all who surrender their Self,  to Him.   As we have learned earlier in this Burning Quest series, Christian theologians call this "justification".

Surrendering in this way should not be seen as a weakness of mind but as an intelligent, wise and good and satisfactory choice of life.  Buddhists, you fear being "slaves" (Page 237) to anything or anyone but when one surrenders with voluntary willingness of ones' own full will, to God through Jesus Christ, it is surrendering to become "slaves of [the] righteousness" (Romans 6:15-23 ESV) which  you so desire.

5 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,[a] you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This surrender ensures "the slave of righteousness" everlasting life and happiness to come with their spirit, soul and incorruptible body to be "with Christ" in time to come.  There will not be nothingness for the person, rather everything-ness.

There is an expression in English that warns, "You can't have your cake and eat it too."  Well, I beg to differ in this case.  Life surrendered to Jesus Christ, with all eternity to look forward to, would be the most excellent and pivotal of all intelligent choices, of all time, despite ones IQ, to choose.

This will not plunge one into "a religion with a mass of dogmas, and theories" (Page 238 of What Buddhists Believe), rather a completely satisfactory relationship with the God of all His created universe.  Faith in Jesus Christ brings this about and will bring a person to "final deliverance from the miseries of existence".  No birth-death-rebirth continuum.  No more pain, sorrows or tears.   

Awesome!

                                                        ~ERC  June 2018~

Note:

* I do not agree with evolution.

Burning Quest - Part 24

Think about the term 'refuge'.   Try to assimilate its connotation from reading a few Bible verses; such as:

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."  (Deuteronomy 33:27 NIV)

"Let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever sing for joy..." (Psalm 5:22 ESV)

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge..." (Psalm 18:2 ESV).

"As for God , His way is perfect...He shields all who take refuge in You..."  (Psalm 18:30 NIV)

"In You LORD, I have taken refuge...deliver me in your righteousness...be my rock of refuge." (Psalm 31:1-2 NIV).

These verses give an aura of a place to nestle peacefully; to have rest, comfort, protection; and in the safety of that nook, no striving.  No striving to attain anything.  In God we can trust and have recourse in times of difficulty and duress.  In Him we have a place just to 'be' and to still one's heart and mind; a place of relationship with God who is infinitely bigger than any human being.

Psalm 67:2 NIV declares,

"My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge,"

God, who is ever the faithful One; the One who keeps His promises, is the One on Whom we can rely.  He is worthy of our trust.  He never fails (Zeph 3:5).  He is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  He sent His One and Only Son, Jesus, to suffer and make atonement for the sins of all mankind.  Yes, of all mankind, even of those who don't believe there is such a thing as sin or a sinner.  

God is ever gracious.  He sent Jesus.  Jesus died on the cross; was buried, rose again on the third day and ascended into heaven having completed His work to God's great satisfaction.  We can see this as marked out in the following verses:  Psalm 22:24-25; Luke 3:21-22; Acts 1:11; Revelation 5:6-12, (esp v. 9).

Jesus was, and still is, the only perfect one.  The only one who never ever sinned.  The only one, as in Buddhist terms, who never had any "evil habits" nor, "bad deeds", nor had any actions "merely termed as unskillful or unwholesome" (Page 238 of What Buddhists Believe).

Jesus is the only one to have ever lived who did not need to train and discipline His mind to eradicate lustful thoughts and yearnings.  He never ever had to suffer for His own sin (or unskillful, unwholesome actions).  He did not have to strive for any enlightenment.

He is, therefore, the one and only one worthy to be a Refuge for the rest of mankind.

Please see this clearly,  I am not trying to criticize anyone's belief.  I wish to just point out some points to ponder.  This is a comparison and I hope to show those differences.

Buddhists "take refuge in Buddha", yet Buddha himself had to be "enlightened".   His formula, or lifestyle teachings are for a good life which makes for a good living person.  This way does not hinge on Gautama Buddha as he did not come to 'save' anyone nor is he a god as he himself purportedly proclaimed.  Each person hinges on themselves to make or break their own enlightenment.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ hinges on Jesus Christ.  It is through Jesus, we can come to God, our Refuge.  

"In Him we live and move and have our being...for we are indeed His offspring" (Acts 17:28 ESV).

In Him, we have a life to live, to live in the right way according to God's will and ways as seen in the Bible, God's Word.  These we accept and follow out of love and gratitude to God for earning our salvation for us, to live an obedient life of good.  Take comfort in this sure promise...

"The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned."  (Psalms 32:22 ESV)

In his book, What Buddhists Believe, Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda says that... 

"...when Buddhists seek refuge it means they accept the Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha as the means through which they can eradicate all causes of their fear and other mental disturbances..." (Page 233).

He goes on the say that... 

"Buddhists...know that the only protection they can have is through complete understanding of their own natures and eradicating their base instincts" (Page 233).

Human beings can rely on themselves or other human beings only to a limited extent.  The mind, as Dr. Sri Dhammananda said,  has "base instincts".

God's Word tells us, 

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure..." (NIV) or as another version reads, "desperately wicked" (KJV Jeremiah 17:9).

True enough, we do need an understanding of our own nature and its base instincts; we need to know that very well.  We need to know that the mind and heart are very closely related and incurable!  We need to know that we need a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26) and that we cannot get it of our own accord.  We are informed of God's promise to give us a new heart or 'inner man' in 2 Corinthians 4:16.  The website gotquestions explains this as a,

"change of heart...requires supernatural transformation" which "Jesus called being "born again" (John 3:3).

We need to be born again into God's family through the "External and Supernatural Source" named Jesus Christ. 

Through reading What Buddhists Believe, I've come to realize that Buddhists do not believe in God, sin or in getting help from external sources for the eradication of ones own unskillful, unwholesome, bad deeds.  Yet according to the earlier quotation, they do seek refuge in their striving for Nirvana, in Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.  These are external human sources or resources.  These human sources  are also seeking Nirvana, or have been the ones to have "ascertained the Noble Truths" whereby to live.

Don't get me wrong; much of this Middle Path is good:  Don't  kill, steal or commit adultery.  Incidentally, these are part of the Ten Commandments God gave the children of Israel in the Old Testament times (Exodus 20:1-17).  However, to live by man made ways to try to achieve perfection of mind and in turn attain Nirvana is nigh on to impossible with a "desperately wicked and incurable heart".  It is not Self who can intervene.

God proved this to mankind in His dealings for about 2000 years that we read about in the Old Testament of the Bible.  First there was the first man, Adam, then the pre-Flood multitudes' wickedness that was so great that...

"...the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart..." (Genesis 6:5-8).

After The Flood, God dealt, eventually, with the children of Israel.  These were the ones who had many rules and regulations to follow, the Ten Commandments among them.  If you look back in the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve had had only one rule to follow.  They all "blew it".

So is there any hope for us?

The Psalmist of Psalm 46:1 NIV discloses that, 

"God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble."

We need to have faith that God is and that He loves us and cares about our mind and heart.  He wants us to trust Him; to come to Him through Jesus our sure refuge.

Let us make our refuge in God through Jesus Christ and...

"Put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3 NIV).

And as Psalm 118:8 (NIV) testifies:

"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust humans (nor put confidence in man KJV)."

I add...nor even to trust oneself for salvation.  Psalm 146:3 goes on to say,

"Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save" (NIV) or "in whom there is no help" (KJV).

Jesus is fully man and fully God.  God proved Himself some more to mankind as His Son Jesus walked the Earth and then gave the ultimate sacrifice of His life for mankind.  I emphasize again that we need God for our salvation through Jesus Christ Who gives us forgiveness of sins, eternal life, ceasing of suffering, eradication of base instincts with a new heart, the Holy Spirit Who can help our minds to think on noble, just and good things so that our actions will be good when we submit our own will to God our Father's.  The eradication of suffering happens when Jesus brings us, His followers, home to be with Him in Heaven forever.

This is that supernatural, eternal and external Source in Whom we can put our confidence.  Our salvation through Jesus Christ gives us His Holy Spirit Who aids us in the sanctification process of relinquishing the bad thoughts and deeds and becoming more and more like Christ.  The new heart will help us to do what is right in God's eyes.  God is our standard and not our own self.

Take refuge in Jesus therefore.  Pay homage to God, through the name of Jesus, for what He has done for us and for Who He is.  Do so, NOT from a motivation of a reward or to avoid punishment from the consequences of our bad choices but to know that our help and safety and refuge is in Jesus.

God is the God of all comfort.  He will wipe all tears of pain and suffering away.  Second Corinthians 1:3-5 assert that,

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles..."

Do not lay all your cares and burdens down at an ordinary man's feet but at the feet of Jesus.  Sri Dhammananda quotes Francis Story who is a "western Buddhist scholar" (Page 234).  Story calls all this striving towards Nirvana a...

"...Heavy burden of my cares and aspirations, the weary load of incessant birth and death" (Page 234).

Story was laying all these cares down at the feet of an image of Gautama Buddha whom he was making his refuge.

Yet Buddha is the one who said, according to this book What Buddhist Believe, that each must help themselves work towards ones' own salvation for oneself and no external sources were needed.  Do it yourself.

Jesus said, "Come."

"Come unto Me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 ESV).

Bring your burdens to Jesus and submit to Him.  HE is the one and only reliable refuge.

Look at what Francis of Assisi is alledged to have said,

"Most High, Glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart, give me, Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect charity, sense and knowledge, so that I may carry out Your holy and true commands."

I pray that one and all will be able to say, "Amen" to that as they rest in Jesus, Their Refuge.

                                                         ~ERC  June 2018~

Lord's Day Devotion - Except a Grain of Wheat

Did you know seeds must die before they can sprout and grow and produce?  Here's what God's Word says about it.

"And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.  Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."  (John 12:23-25 ESV)

Couple those verses with these from Galatians 6:7-8...

"Do not be deceived:  God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.  For the one who sows his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."

Whenever farmers plant crops, they do what they can:  tilling the soil, fertilizing it; irrigating it; de-bugging it; and maybe even praying for it.

God is busy with the crop too, making the sun shine upon it, sending His rain.  He's the one that allows that grain of wheat, or whatever had been planted, to germinate, send roots downward and sprouts upward until the seed becomes a plant onwards to maturity.

The farmer can then do more of his bit by reaping what he had sown; all conditions being favorable.

What happened to that seed in the dark, dark lonely place within the womb of the  earth?  According to the John 12:24 verse, the seed "had to 'die'".  It had to die in order to bring forth life and "much fruit".

The connection is obvious to us that that is exactly what our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished for us.  He died on the cross, yes, and He was buried.  He remained alone in the bowels of the earth, encased for three days in Joseph of Arimathea's new tomb (John 19:38-42).  Jesus rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) that third day bringing new life, that is eternal, with Him.

God sent Jesus to earth to reap a bountiful harvest.  God "planted" Jesus and has reaped many multitudes of Jesus people (children of God [John 1:11-13]) who have His Holy Spirit indwelling and God's gift of eternal life (Galatians 6:7-8).

Those of us who belong to God through Jesus Christ by having accepted his offer of salvation remember this on Lord's Day.  As we partake of the bread and drink of the wine we recall this act of selfless love.

May we in turn also 'lose' our lives for Christ by serving Him in wholehearted devotion as he has ordained in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10) and may we reap a bountiful harvest for His glory and honor.

                                                            ~ERC  2018~