There is just so much "out there" about dreams and their interpretation! Some believe this way, other's believe that way 'til you don't know which way to turn. It's enough to give you a nightmare! Ha, ha.
From very early times we read of dreams and their interpretation in Old Testament Bible times. Very riveting stories of kings such as Pharoah in Egypt (Genesis 41:1-39); and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, (Daniel 2:4). Then there's the "plebeians:" Jacob en route to Laban, seeing angels in his dreams ascending and descending a ladder from earth to heaven (Genesis 28:10-22); Joseph's dreams (Genesis 37:1-10) and the sheaves of grain, meaning his family members, bowing down to him. They didn't take that so well; Daniel and his dreams and visions, some of which are still difficult to decipher (Daniel 7, 9, 10, 12). Many of those dreams were interpreted to the good and benefit of thousands; read the Pharoah account. Joseph's family did eventually bow to him in respect, or mayhaps, in fear of their lives (see Genesis 42-45).
The New Testament has its fair share of dream stories as well. Joseph, Jesus' step-father, had at least four dreams in regards to Mary and to the safety of Jesus, giving direction of escape (Matthew 1:20-2:23). The wise men in similar regard were warned of Herod's evil intentions regarding Jesus. They went home by a different route to avoid confrontation with Herod and revealing Jesus' whereabouts (Matthew 2:12). Pilate's wife had a nightmare in regards to Jesus and told her husband to have nothing to do with Him during His trial and sentencing (Matthew 27:19). Then we have Peter, granted it's called a "trance", so whether it was a trance or a dream, he learned kind of a stern lesson God wanted him to know in order for him to then go out to do his mission work without prejudice (Acts 10:9-16); and, lastly but not least, dear old Paul. He had dreams on a number of occasions, one of which directed him to a new path to his next mission post (Acts 16:6-10) and another time in Acts 27:22-26, giving him courage that yes, although he was going to be shipwrecked, again, no one would lose their lives.
Incredible stories but with God we do not, "play, play". The interpretations of these dreams, visions and/or trances, electrified purposeful action in most cases and revealed God's will and intentions. These could be termed "prophetic dreams".
Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, author of What Buddhists Believe, says that for Buddhists, prophetic dreams are the only important type.
"They are seldom experienced and only when there is an impending event of great relevance to the dreamer" (Page 412).
These come not from God as God does not exist for them, but from devas who have benefited from a living human being (usually a relative) having developed a mental relationship with said deva through sharing of a meritorious deed. The deva in turn will "protect" the living by giving warning of danger ahead or of some momentous joy to come. The idea is that prophetic dreams prepare the dreamer for the 'event'.
The Buddhists postulate that there are six causes of dreams and categorize them into four basic types. The subconscious mind will 're-play' events or an accumulation of thoughts, feelings, perceptions imbibed through the five senses each day or from the past and give you a 'movie' of them as you sleep.
Another type comes from internal and external inducements. Internal causes such as wind, bile or phlegm, and external such as outside noises in the night: for example, rain or tree branches swaying in the breeze rustling the leaves. The mind will explain these by incorporating the sound effects into a dream so the sleeper can continue to sleep undisturbed.
Sri Dhammananda believes that neither of these two categories are of much relevance and not anything from which to attempt significant interpretation.
Revival of past-experiences-causes, would be classified as "karmic energies". One's "karma is about to ripen" (Page 413). Again this is a type of pre-emptive 'warning' or knowledge which apparently is believed to be of rare occurrence. These occasionally appear in one's mind just prior to departure from this world.
Evidently Buddha exhorted monks not to get involved in interpreting dreams, dabbling in astrology and the like in the 'name of Buddhism" (Page 413) as vulnerable adherents would be easily exploited, the monks earning much material gain therefrom. Monks, especially, should be eschewing greed that such practices would breed and perpetuate.
In God's Word, beyond the captivating true stories of Jacob and Joseph and the monarchs, are other revealing verses about dreams. Look at Joel 2:28 NIV about the day of the LORD...
"And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."
On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit of God came down and indwelt all the believers in Jesus, these followers of Jesus Christ of Nazareth were then animated and did great exploits by them giving testament to God's power through the Holy Spirit's empowering. Those who were formerly seen and perhaps even looked down upon as uneducated men were suddenly "equipped" with the supernatural and speaking powerfully and persuasively in the various languages of the merchant traders and other 'foreigners' from all parts of the then known world in that place. They declared,
"...the wonders of God" and the people heard them "...in their own tongues" (Acts 2:1-12 especially vs 11).
Peter explained the 'phenomena' by quoting Joel 2:28-32, as quoted above (read Acts 2:14-24).
The dreams and visions came true.
Nowadays, do we rely on dreams, prophetic or not, to lead and guide us? We are cautioned in Hebrews 1:1-2 that God now speaks to us through His Son despite His vivid dream mode in Old Testament times.
We now have God's Word which is complete, and His Holy Spirit to give us direction and knowledge; therefore, although we cannot imprison God in a box and say He no longer uses dreams and visions to speak to His people, we do well to be cautioned about pinning too much emphasis on dreams and visions and their intrepid interpretations. God's Word, in the book of James encourages,
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5 NIV).
When we prayerfully seek God's will for our lives, sincerely wanting "to know", I believe God will scope out His will and ways for us in definite direction when we listen with open, willing ears, minds and hearts. God's Word is at most of our fingertips waiting for us to open it and glean greater discovery for our lives, for today and tomorrow.
A fellow by the name of Hank Hangraaf on one YouTube video clip on this topic made a great point. He says we actually wouldn't really want to know our earthly future nor what lies just around the corner in most cases especially if it is a traumatic experience waiting for us because we wouldn't be able to handle it today. We'd go forth in fear. He added that when that day came, then we who are followers of Jesus Christ could engage God's grace which would be sufficient for that timeframe.
Instead, Hanegraaf recommends growing in wisdom and stature in God's Word...to grow spiritually. Know God. Know His Word. Grow your relationship with Him.
He alluded to the astrologers of Daniel's day who would not have been able to interpret correctly what King Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed as they did not even know what the dream was about.
Daniel and his three friends prayed and asked for that wisdom and knowledge. I believe, that because they had had a sustained devotion and obedience to God and His ways, that God was gracious to them and revealed both the dream and the interpretation. Consequences were immediate. They saved their own necks as well as all those of the astrologers, soothsayers and the like. (You can read the account in Daniel 2).
I belabor the point that God's Word is complete. We can know our final future destination by reading and studying God's Word.
"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved..." (Acts 13:31 NIV)
"...whosoever believeth in Him will have everlasting life" (John 3:16 KJV)
"Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son" (John 3:18 NIV).
If you want warning of "end times" and what your end will be, God's Word has the answers. Read it. Study it in all candor and guilelessness. Investigate.
Interpretations that go against God's Word are not trustworthy even one iota!
Sri Dhammananda even reminds monks of the deceptiveness of giving interpretations of dreams that need no such thing (as in the first couple of causes of dreams) and would only engage in such exploitation for monetary gain.
Then there was the extreme recorded in the book of Isaiah when the people of God, the Israelites, no longer wanted to know God's will, with or without dreams. Such a sad case.
"They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 30:10-13 NIV)!
God's response was that since they had rejected Him, and that all that He and they together, had worked for, was going to crumble because they veered away from Him. They had shut Him out.
I hope and pray that each one reading this will not do any such thing but will continue to seek God with all their heart, soul and mind.
Further to all this, life is NOT a dream and when we dream, it is not a dream within a dream of life. Life is a reality and yes we have dreams that stem from the stresses and distresses of life. These we can take to the Lord in prayer. He will help guide us through our
"valleys of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4).
We do not have to fear.
According to Dr. k. Sri Dhammananda, who states in his book What Buddhists Believe,
"Buddhas and Arahants do not dream. In fact they are the only ones who are awake...as they have seen reality" (Page 414).
The rest of us are all dreamers by that measure until the moment of enlightenment occurs. Then, the...
"...minds have been permanently 'stilled' and cannot be activated to dream" (Page 414).
That's exceedingly curious especially in the face of scientific observation gleaned from sleep clinics. It has been observed that...
"...everyone dreams at least 1-2 hours during alpha level sleep".
Not to get too technical, but the cwg ministries where I unearthed this info, related that there are three levels of sleep and alpha is, obviously, the first level of lighter sleep and this is where REM sleep occurs (REM = Rapid Eye Movement). The dreamer is watching the "dream movie" thus the eye movement.
They say,
"Clearly dreams are an inner release mechanism which helps provide us with emotional balance and maintain our sanity. Dreams can be considered our guardians and emotional well-being."
If we do not have enough of this type of sleep and dreams, they said, then a person is likely to have a mental breakdown.
Can human beings, even "enlightened" ones, genuinely never dream? That's something to think about. However, the best place to get answers is God's Word, and through the dynamic power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, and turn to God in prayer instead of reliance on dreams and dubious human interpretations.
Let our peace of mind come through our trust and relationship with God through Jesus Christ. As David of the Old Testament wrote so long ago,
"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety" (Psalm 4:8 NIV).
Good night. Sleep tight. Sweet dreams and pleasant nightmares.
~ERC 31 March 2019~
Some might think that this book is a book for counselors, however, according to the author, Edward E. Moody, Jr., Ph.D. of First Aid For Emotional Hurts, it is for one and all. I recommend reading it.
Moody starts out delineating the well-known story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). We all know about the poor chap who was attacked, beaten up, robbed and left for dead at the side of the road. A priest and a Levite each traveled by but went on and passed by on the other side not lifting a single finger to help.
A Samaritan man also came by but interrupted his journey to do more than just have a closer look. He came to where the victim was, tended to his immediate hurts, lifted him onto his four-legged 'ambulance' and brought the man to the Inn. Any further treatment was at this good Samaritan's expense.
The Samaritan did what he could and what was beyond his ability, he took to "the Inn".
The inn is not necessarily the church...it could be, but it could be elsewhere as well. It may be Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Or for someone with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), he or she may need psychiatric help...
The author suggests that someone who wishes to be of actual help to another, find out what options are available and lead the person to them as best they can.
This Samaritan, could be you or me, or any church member who sees, and feels someone needs help even if the person doesn't realize it their self. One does not need to be a specialist to observe. If you have empathy for others, observe and see where one needs help. Moody believes that we are all responsible to observe and help and to be a "Good Samaritan".
The difference between empathy and sympathy is that sympathy just says, "Oh, that is so sad...the poor thing," where empathy says, "Poor thing" and then is pro-active in giving what help they can or finding help for the person.
There are different sections in the book, one about "tools" to help. Prayer is one...when do you approach the person to give help? How to give the help? God's Word is another and the Internet, yet another. That can be used to search for appropriate help needed. Of course, your care group or church group; these not to be gossipy but with those who truly care. The author does list some information that could help the would-be good Samaritan. For example, the how's and why's people become addicted; that is getting at root causes for various vices such as smoking, gambling, alcohol, drug addictions, etc.
Study Psalm 51...David's confession after Nathan confronted him. In the end, David was grateful for the help.
It is a great book and I've barely skimmed the surface in this brief review. I'm not an advertiser for the book but I do recommend reading it especially if you are an empathetic person and wish to help others.
~ERC March 2019~
We've heard the nursery rhymes and lullaby's: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Star Light, Star Bright. We've heard of the expressions, "Count your lucky stars" and "Reach for the stars". Children have even "wished upon a star". Men navigate by the stars. God gave the "lesser lights," the moon and stars, to give light at night. However, can or should we consult the stars for our lives' direction?
In answer, here's a brand new one, to me, that I lit upon in Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda's book What Buddhists Believe. He attributes this saying to the Bodhisatta who believed that,
"...hard work was the luckiest star" (Page 406).
This ties in with the last blog entry, Burning Quest - Part 58, and the topic of astrology, astronomy and horoscopes. Add on fortune-telling, charms and consulting mediums, although not exactly taboo for the Buddhist, are also not encouraged. Dhammananda comments,
"...people should not be slaves to any of those forces...a person must overcome all problems and difficulties by his or her own efforts" (Page 406).
Some people confuse charms and amulets as part of their religious practices but in actual fact these tend towards superstitions that have nothing to do with spiritual benefit.
Come back to where the fundamental "activity" for the Buddhist, takes place; the mind. It is the training and disciplining of the mind, to think and then do, what is good and wholesome. One must do all this with one's own effort and not depend on external sources of help in so doing, to reach Nirvana. Instead, Dhammananda exhorts,
"Cultivate strong will-power by refusing to believe in the influence of charms" (Page 408).
Can you see how this runs parallel to dappling in horoscopes and cuts across the spectrum to consulting mediums as well? They are not necessary to the achievement of enlightenment, so why use them?
It is amusing to note that Dhammananda says, consulting mediums is only for "worldly material gain" (Page 409). That would be for the benefit of the medium not the one seeking "help". These things can drain a person's bank account.
The thinking is that charms are generally worn to protect themselves from evil spirit attacks or to ward off curses and perhaps even prevent diseases or injuries from gaining a foothold on one's health.
One needs to keep in mind, especially those of us who belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, that our protection against the evil one is the armor of God. Ephesians 6:11-18 (ESV) details this,
"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit..."
Full and complete protection. Don't forget any articles of armor. In this we can then have perfect peace of mind when Satan, the evil one, makes his attacks. Resist him and he will flee from you (James 4:7). This come after submitting ourselves to God, and God alone.
There are plenty of verses in the Bible that beseech us to call upon God in the day of trouble too. He is our protection. When we go to Him we can have rest and peace of mind.
"Cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you" (Philippians 4:6-7).
When we do not do this then we often become cast down, depressed and make ourselves vulnerable to the evil one's attacks. King David knew what he was talking about. He had lots and lots to be discouraged and depressed about and he often expressed those things. However, he knew Whom He could turn to in such mind conflicts and life's traumas and troubles. The book of Psalms is loaded with "remedy": Psalm 46:1 (NIV),
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
And Psalm 11:1,
"In the LORD I take refuge."
How about this one, Psalm 18:3,
"I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies."
You'll find this is a repeated theme that these ancients depended upon and reckoned with.
Or when we do not forgive a 'sin' against us or are overtly worried or fearful of any number of things, we ruminate upon that grievance, even for years, instead of forgiving we consequently work ourselves into nervous wrecks. These are the things, like a chain reaction, that bring many types of immune diseases and illnesses to our physical being and our souls (the mind, the will and the emotions).
Jesus said,
"Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, 29).
When we do not follow these simple commands of Jesus, we give the evil one permission to mess with us. However, with the armor of God and confidence in Him as we build our relationship with Him, we can relinquish our fears and worries into His care. We forgive and release ourselves from a prison of hate, anger, and bitterness. Often a person's health will improve with the measure with which he/she relies on God.
Charms and amulets belong to Satan's world to keep a person in bondage to those things instead of finding freedom in Christ. Ezekiel was charged with declaring the Sovereign LORD's decree to the children of Israel in Ezekiel 13:18 and 20 (NIV),
"Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists...I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds..."
I suppose it was the women of those times that made the charms visible on their wrists. Nowadays charms are still often worn on the wrist and/or on necklaces and it's more than just the women being "ensnared" by them.
We see King Josiah, in 2 Kings 23:24, cleansing Judah and Jerusalem of these things,
"Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law..."
Hop over to the New Testament and we see when the new believers in Jesus Christ decided to rid themselves of all such paraphernalia it made quite the bonfire and you can also learn some of the great cost of such adherence to charms as was remarked upon by Dhammananda in regards to worldly material gain, etc. Read Acts 19:18-20 NIV,
"Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power." (A drachma was a silver coin worth about a day's wages then and 50,000 of them worth several million dollars now)
The "true" Buddhist will let all these things go in order to rely upon themselves: their own effort and struggle to train their mind to do what is right and wholesome; a lot of "hard work". Getting rid of all these things, for the child of God, is not to go and rely upon oneself but because one is now relying upon God our Heavenly Father who loves and cares for us; one no longer needs the mind enmeshing bondage and buttress of powerless, inanimate objects or of persons who purportedly can tell one's fortune. We rely on Almighty God and the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit's indwelling.
Take a turn in another direction. Often these charms and consultations are resorted to due to persistent sicknesses and a person's belief that these will somehow influence, reduce and cause to recover from, said illnesses. For the Christian, we believe that some illnesses can be for our training in righteousness for becoming more Christ-like; that term, "sanctification" that keeps popping up.
Take the famous, ancient chap, Job, for instance. He had it made! Likely a multi-billionaire, in today's terms. Thousands and thousands of cattle, camels, sheep, donkeys, servants to care for them all; he must have had a huge ranch-sized 'piece' of land ranging over a mind-boggling amount of acreage; many children, his wife and himself. He was the philanthropist of philanthropists, helping generously those less fortunate than himself. He was a righteous and upright, good living man.
It all came crashing down on him in one fell swoop! Definitely a stock market crash! His wealth, health and children, gone in a day. His three dubious friends came calling in sympathy but only added fuel to the fire of mental distress and discomfort. They said he MUST have some sin, a juicy secret sin of some sort. Job declared, multiple times, his innocence and righteousness. When you read through the book of Job in the Bible, and come to the ending chapters, you'll discover that God had a thing or two to say about that through a fourth friend of Job, and from God Himself. Job then humbly realized and confessed his sin of self-righteousness, repented thereof and made reparations.
The sequel: God restored all those things Job had lost, get this, multiplied by two! Except for children, it was the same number. Job's wealth and health were all restored. He even lived another 140 years and saw his offspring to the fourth generation (Job 42:16).
I'm not saying that this will necessarily happen to us. Good God-fearing people still get sick and pass away, and precious few live to be more than 100 years old, let alone having 140 more years added. The point is that some sicknesses have a "pause and consider" theme to them. A time to step back from the whirlwind of daily living and to examine the reasons for the ailments. Is there something we are missing? This is a time to consult Almighty God, Our Savior, not to consort with fortune-tellers, and witch doctors or place reliance upon charms and amulets.
To give another example, turn to the New Testament to find the apostle Paul who had a "thorn in the flesh". He besought God three different occasions to remove this thorn. God's answer: "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV). These thorns, Paul remarked, were to keep him "from becoming conceited". There was continual reminder. Look at Paul's graciousness and trust towards God's unfailing ways in his life and his opportunity to learn about God's grace and to become more Christ-like. For Paul to have then turned to "crutches" such as fortune-tellers and the like, would have defeated the purpose and broken fellowship with God his Heavenly Father. The process of progressive sanctification was in progress; Paul moved ahead despite pain he may have been enduring from the thorn, hung out the "do not disturb" sign, so to speak, and got on with his ministry sustained by God's sufficient grace.
The Buddhists describe this kind of sickness or difficult situations in life as the "ripening of the karmic fruit" (Page 407 in What Buddhists Believe). That is, an individual must have done something very bad and unwholesome in a previous life and it is coming back to bite him or her during the current life. One should therefore endure and learn from it; train the mind towards better things. Above all, charms, amulets, etc will be to no avail. What's gonna happen, will happen. Of course, if one can find a cure from the medical profession, or other respective professionals, then go for it.
Should that be unsuccessful, then the recommendation is for the Buddhist to seek "guidance from a proper religious teacher" (Page 407-408). In turn, they will be guided to meditate to strengthen and develop the mind. In the previous Burning Quest - Part 30, the subject of what Buddhists meditate upon was discussed. Meditating upon Buddha and his teachings and a continuance of mind-training to eradicate impurities in the mind.
Between the follower of Jesus Christ and the followers of Buddha, this process sounds very similar. However, and I will quote a chunk from the above mentioned blog entry,
The difference between Buddhist and Christian meditation is the motivation behind it; what one wishes to achieve. For the Buddhist it is to attain peace, yes, and purifying thoughts and behavior; but more than that, merits are gleaned towards self-salvation and Nirvana Enlightenment (Page 264 of What Buddhists Believe).
The Christian already has salvation through Jesus Christ, therefore does not need to earn anything towards salvation. He or she is already justified. However as he/she meditates on God's Word and sees where he/she is not living accordingly, they will know how to rectify the situation. If they are obedient, and out of gratitude to Jesus and God the Father, he/she will align his/herself to God's will and way.
Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda believes that the meditation will help to soothe the mind and bring wellness. Seeking mediums, he says,
"...is not a Buddhist practice; it is just a traditional practice that some people believe in very strongly...if one understands and practices the teachings of the Buddha, he or she can realize the nature of the problems. Problems can be overcome without consulting any medium" (Pages 408-409).
Those of us who belong to Jesus Christ, meditate upon God's Word and see what He is telling you through His Word and the Holy Spirit's promptings. Follow that through; be a doer. Also seek professional medical help (I say it again). Find a trustworthy friend to pray with you and to encourage you and lend a listening ear and who may even give some timely advice.
Most of all, remember our Heavenly Father's ear is always available, day or night. Talk to Him in the name of Jesus Christ Who is our "bright Morning Star" (Revelation 22:16). He is the One and Only Star to consult and seek help from and Who will guide us in our lives.
Wise men and women still seek Him.
~ERC March 2019~
Adding on here a hymn Burdens are Lifted at Calvary. May you all be blessed by it.
Verses of Scripture can really trigger off meditations in the mind that are of moment to the meditator. Sometimes the "oddest" verses spark the thoughts. Here's Psalm 16:9-11 ESV,
It really does make my heart glad to think that we do not just end up "six feet under" or dust in an urn situated on a shelf upon our physical death from this world. Nor do we get left in Sheol (Hades), at least not those of us who know Jesus Christ as Savior.
This particular verse hales back to David, whether he was still a shepherd boy or a king at the time, his thoughts dwelt on his after earth life and he rejoiced in the knowledge that he would have "pleasures forevermore" in God's presence.
We followers of Jesus Christ have this assurance too. When we leave this earth we will be with Christ. The apostle Paul made the statement,
"...I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better..." (Philippians 1:21-23 NIV).
Paul was not having suicidal thoughts, he, like David, was pondering on life with Christ unencumbered by our earthly nature. I will welcome my time too. Paul knew that there was still plenty for him to do on earth at that time and was willing to submit to God's will on the matter. His preference, however, was to be "with Christ".
This was made possible through Jesus's atoning death upon the cross for "whosoever". Let us praise Him as we partake of the bread and wine on Lord's Day. He went through so much to be able to give us so much. Look forward to being with Him forever.
~ERC March 2019~
Just want to share this song.
Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me from City Alight
"Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared...After they had heard the king, they went on their way and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child...and they bowed down and worshiped him..." (Matthew 2:7, 9-11 NIV).
Stars, the sun and moon, and planets were created into place thousands of years before Jesus came to Earth in His humanity. The position of stars and sun in relation to Earth can tell mankind a lot. Men have navigated by them from the beginning of time until now, or, at least, until modern technology took over a major role in steering people in the direction they wished to go.
Astronomers from ancient times have studied the skies from as many angles and with as many gadgets as they have had capability to do so and still there is vast 'beyond' to explore. Having said that, it's a puzzle then, why folks all down through the ages until today still gravitate to horoscopes which base their findings on apparent movement of the sun around the Earth! Horoscopes are their gospel "truth" from which they glean guidance and insight for their lives.
Astrology and Astronomy have some linkage in that they study God's firmament and beyond (although most do not want to acknowledge they belong to Him), and how they relate to our Earth-home and influence "Earthlings" for better or worse.
Some say that depending on which month, which day and even which hour one is born, there is major bearing on one's behavior and character for life and must name a baby carefully and accordingly so as to balance out yin and yang. This is determined by where in the sky the sun is and which particular star, is stationed overhead at the time. One's character, destiny or fate is established and so one has no choice but to be what they perchance, are. What a 'fix' to be in.
To be more precise, astrology is the study of "the movement and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having influence on human affairs and the natural world". Astronomy gears towards more pure science, meaning, the "branch of science that deals with celestial objects, space and the physical universe as a whole".
Which, when you think of it all, is grand grandeur beyond our human comprehension. Truly God's...
"...thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV).
Pull your thoughts now to how this relates, or does not, to Buddhism. Consider the idea behind horoscopes and Zodiac sign month of birth (I won't go into detail of all this). The main purpose for this "knowledge" is to learn about oneself. A person who reads their horoscope hopes to gain...
"...insight into one's own character, in the same way that an X-ray photograph can show physical make-up of a person" (Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda in What Buddhists Believe, page 400).
Trying to examine oneself and one's behavior and character whether it is good or bad in thought and deed is not a bad thing. However to attempt to gain this information through such knowledge based on the sun's supposed path around the earth (which doesn't happen) and how it can influence a person, is erroneous.
Buddhism believes that a...
"...highly developed human being will have no need for a horoscope" (Page 404).
Recall that to reach Buddhist enlightenment one must use one's own effort through training and disciplining one's own mind to think what's right and good so that action will follow suit. Using anything else or gaining aid from anyone else is a crutch and therefore of little use towards gaining one's end goal.
Nevertheless, Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda comments on page 405 that,
"...Buddhism teaches that through the intellect a person can arrange his or her life in harmony with the planets and also cultivate inherent talents and manipulate them for his or her personal betterment."
So...the Buddhist does not need to totally discount the use of horoscope, however, followers of Buddha should not become too dependent upon them.
Tied into astrology is something called "divination". Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. This is forbidden in God's Word the Bible. The Bible equates it with witchcraft which in turn derives from Satan's world and ways.
In Deuteronomy 18:10-14 (NIV) God commands and explains to the Israelites on the subject,
"Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so."
Someone has said about astrology that the "fascination with astrology and horoscopes reflects people's desire for wisdom beyond their own and direction for the future."
Remember what happened to Adam and Eve when they thought they wanted more knowledge than they had. It brought catastrophic repercussions not only to themselves but to all mankind ever after! It harmed the animal kingdom and the agriculture of earth which they'd been given the mandate to care for. Stern warning for us all.
This is not to say one cannot learn new things, after all education is a big help to those who have it in most cases. The point is, what knowledge are you seeking? What is your motivation and from whence do you seek?
I like the story of Daniel in Daniel 2:10-11 and 4:7-8. King Nebuchadnezzar had had a most disturbing dream. He called his astrologers to come and interpret it. Most aggravating to the astrologers, the king wanted them to also tell him what the dream was about before they interpreted it; an almost impossible task!
The astrologers felt that only gods could accomplish such a feat but the gods didn't live among men so all would be out of reach of humankind's interpretation.
Yet God had the last laugh, so to speak. God had Daniel, one of His mighty men in place for such a time as this. Look at the chapter 11 verses. We read that Daniel could and did tell the king the dream and what it meant. The magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners could not.
Nebuchadnezzar attributed Daniels' "success" to his having,
"...the spirit of the holy gods" in him" (Daniel 11:18 NIV).
We know that that "spirit" was the Spirit of Almighty God (singular). Our God is great and greatly to be praised, as one song goes. We can trust Him for our guidance in life presently and into the future.
Followers of Jesus Christ, take God's view seriously. Our late brother Billy Graham taught,
"Astrology is offensive to God because it attributes to planets and stars the power that belongs to God alone and because it tries to find the will of God by other means than God has appointed. The Bible guides us. God tells us in His Word in several places."
Peruse Psalm 32:8 (NIV),
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."
How about the promise in John 7:17 (NIV), the words of Jesus,
"If any one chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own..."
Graham goes on to say,
"Christians have no need of astrology and horoscopes because we have God, His Word and His Holy Spirit."
Granted, all the heavenly host of stars, planets, sun and beautiful moon are awesomely wondrous to behold. As mentioned in the opening statements, men have been guided by them in terms of navigation. The most momentous navigation was the guiding "star" that galvanized wise men from the east to seek Jesus.
The true "Star of Wonder" came from Heaven as a babe,
"...wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12 NIV).
Shepherds came, saw and rejoiced, giving glory to God and proclaimed Jesus' arrival to others. The wise men eventually found Jesus whom they sought.
Taking it from there, we can read this story of Jesus from the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). We can follow Jesus from His birth, to His circumcision to His 40th, or so, day of life, appearance in the Temple when Joseph and Mary came to fulfill the requirements of the Law in regards to purification and other sacrifices and offerings in regards to His birth and had the encounter with Simeon and Anna; at the age of 12 when Jesus remained behind in the Temple and then back to His hometown in obedience to His earthly parents.
Later we "join" the disciples as they shuffle along dusty roads with Jesus over the many miles of ministry from about the age of 30. His ministry where He made "appointments" to see particular people or just mingled with crowds healing the sick and infirm and casting out demons.
Jesus's main purpose was to bring salvation to all mankind. He accomplished this through His death on the cross and resurrection. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
We do not have to have our future "in a fix" according to a horoscope. Fix your eyes on Jesus, trust in Him, accept His gift of salvation. He gives everlasting life. All the turmoil created by Adam and Eve's disobedience can be overturned. In time to come God will make a new Heaven and a new Earth where there will be no more sin, suffering, death, pain or tears (Revelation 21). This is an everlasting joyful "fix" to find ourselves destined for.
At Pentecost, after Jesus' ascension back to Heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to indwell all believers of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:1-12).
Followers of Jesus Christ now have direction for their lives through the Holy Spirit and through obedience to God's Word. This is God's means of communication and direction with and for His children.
Reject horoscopes and the like. Turn, instead, to seek God, through Jesus Christ, our true Guiding Star...Jesus our "bright Morning Star" and Light in this world (John 9:5; Revelation 22:16 NIV). In Him, we can rejoice with great joy.
~ERC 17 March 2019~
Whatever possessed the foreigners to christen that unique sailing vessel that gracefully plies the waters off Hong Kong, "Junk"!? To me, the sight is enthralling, especially at night.
The "Junk" comes to its full potential of magnificence at that bewitching hour. For as twilight ebbs into darkness the Chinese Junk operators light up their vessels' sails. What the landlubber observer could not see during the day becomes a glorious kaleidoscope at night. Depending on the color of light used, and the design on the sails, the tourist is treated to overwhelming awesomeness crafted from "Junk".
It could be that some folks think of themselves as "junk". Who cares about them, they may think, "I'm just worthless and maybe even evil! I must be no good, cuz my mother, father, uncle, neighbor, treated me so abusively. I'm nothing but a piece of junk!"
Ever feel like that? Many people do, or have in the past. It's a struggle of life. Maybe even some think, "It's my karma. In a past life I must have been committing bad acts/deeds; I deserve this treatment". Whatever your thinking is, know that there is hope for better things.
Hope that is sure! Perhaps 'sure hope' sounds like an oxymoron? Hebrews 6:19 (NIV) assures,
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure..."
When we bring Jesus into the picture, we allow Him to illuminate our "sails". His hope is sure and steadfast and won't make you ashamed.
Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world" (John 8:12). Look at the whole verse.
"Again Jesus spoke to them saying, "I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (ESV).
Learn this
"truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32 ESV).
Jesus cares about each and every single person even those who think they are of no value to anyone especially not even to themselves. Jesus loves you to the very core of your innermost being!
He died for you. He died, taking the punishment for the consequences of any sin you have done. Why? So you do not have to and because He loves you. He doesn't want you to suffer.
Jesus is the Light. He is Light and He wants you to have His light within you. He wants to make the 'canvas' of your soul and spirit shine with all His glory for you are of great worth to Him.
He cares for you and all the rotten stuff that has happened and maybe is happening still, to you. Bring all those hurts, violations and "junk" to Him.
He DOES NOT see you as junk. He sees you as His marvelous creation, made in His image. He longs to "light" you up with His Light.
Accept His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. The grace of our loving Lord Jesus Christ extends to "whoever". Will you accept Him?
The light of life will then be in your "vessel" (spirit) as the Holy Spirit of God will indwell you and teach you how worthwhile you are; how precious you are in His sight. As your mind grasps this truth, enlivening you, you will begin to sparkle and shine ablaze with His Light, love and life because you KNOW He loves you! He loves you just the way you are. He reaches down to draw you up.
His light will make an astonishing, awesome masterpiece of your life.
Read that line again and again and again.
Believe it.
I pray for you that you will accept God's gift to you. Also that He will help you to heal mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually from the devastation of violence and transgression perpetuated upon you that causes you to think negatively about yourself; and those of you who currently endure such treatment, that you will be able to find ways of literal escape.
May each of you reading this have the Light of Jesus indwelling you. Permit Him to light up the "wind-catching apparatus" (sails) of your life, to reflect His light. It will be a glorious irradiation piercing the darkness of your own life as well as some other 'tourist's' life who's observing from the sidelines on the shores of your life.
~ERC March 2019~
I want to share two songs with you. The first is Light of the World as sung by Tim Hughes, and the other is Let There Be Light, a Hillsong. Quieten your hearts down. Put your head down, close your eyes, listen in quietness to the messages. May you be enlightened with God's love and light in your lives. Reach out to Jesus.
Last night in our Bible study group we began to read the book of Psalms. The very first place to start, of course, is Psalm 1. Coincidentally, or was it by God's design, I had very recently decided to read through the Psalms, five at a time. (Incidentally, if you read five a day you can read through the whole book of Psalms in a month.) Today's portion was Psalms 10-15. The similarities between Psalm 1 and Psalm 15 struck me.
Psalm 1 defines the difference between a righteous and a wicked person. Psalm 15 delineates what type of individual can go into God's "sacred tent" (NIV) and live on His "holy mountain" (NIV)...the righteous.
In Psalm 1 we discover that a "blessed" or righteous person does not associate with the wicked, sinners and mockers. Rather, they choose to delight in and meditate upon God's Law day and night (vs 1-2).
Furthermore, he/she stays close to the Source of living water, such as a tree "planted by streams of water" (vs 3). They are continually nourished and so grow, bloom and flourish, producing good fruit.
On the other hand, the wicked are useless, like chaff, and their ways lead to destruction and perishing (vs 4 & 6).
The focus here though is the righteous and blameless person; that is, made righteous in God's sight through the blood of Jesus Christ. These are the ones entitled to dwell in God's sacred tent and live on His holy mountain. Study Psalm 15 (NIV) for that amazing list of character traits of such a person. There are some absolute attribute qualities.
Look at that list:
"...does what is righteous; ...speaks the truth from the heart; ...tongue utters no slander; does no wrong to a neighbor; casts no slur on others; despises a vile person; honors those who fear the LORD; keeps an oath even when it hurts; ...does not change their mind; ...lends money to the poor without interest; ...does not accept a bribe against the innocent" (vs 2-5).
Seems almost impossible for us human beings to reach such status. However, with the help of the Holy Spirit indwelling those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ we can aim for such perfection (2 Corinthians 13:11 NIV). This is sanctification at work within us. Such a child of God will...
"...never be shaken" (Psalm 15:5 NIV)
These are also the ones eligible to enter our heavenly Father, God's, "sacred tent" and live on His "holy mountain". Zoom back to the Old Testament-type worship during the ancient Israelites forty year traipse through the wilderness. Where was God's presence? In the Tabernacle God had instructed Moses to have made by precise measurements and materials and craftsmanship. This was the place God's presence would dwell and go along with them. He wanted to commune with them, be with them, lead and guide them all along the way. He hadn't left them to their own devices but they would need to meet with Him on His terms which they had agreed to accept in covenant.
Holy is his Name and His presence was in the Holy of Holies in that tent made sacred by His presence.
Moses and some of the elders and leaders of the people met God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24). They had to be 'holy' (ceremonially clean) to go up there to meet with Him. Similarly, living on God's "holy mountain" may or may not refer to Mount Sinai, but the significance points to holy living; holiness before God.
We know that when Jesus came and walked among men, He was the perfect, spotless, blameless One. He was the One and Only actual worthy One to enter the "sacred tent" and "live on the holy mountain". Praise God, Jesus' death and resurrection accorded mankind the righteousness required by God. Acceptance of God's salvation through Jesus' sacrifice making atonement for all our unholiness and sin makes us acceptable in God's sight (Romans 4:5; 5:17 and 1 Corinthians 1:30). God imputed His righteousness upon all who became (and become) His children; just as if we'd never sinned...justification...God's sovereignty.
"However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness" (Romans 4:5 NIV).
When we live that holy life, aiming towards perfection in our every day living, we enter God's presence; His sacred tent and holy mountain. We won't be shaken.
Bow before Him then in holy reverence and fear, honor Him each Lord's Day as we remember what Jesus has done for us. May gratitude bubble up to overflowing from our innermost being, and with 'holy hands' partake of the bread and wine as they pass from one child of God to the next.
"For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20 KJV).
God's presence is with us. We stand on holy ground.
Live daily, blameless in His sight.
~ERC March 2019~
I want to share the song Holy Ground sung by the Bill and Gloria Gaither folks.
It's so nice to receive gifts: birthday presents, Christmas gifts, anniversary, Valentine's Day or "just because" gifts. Right? Right! These we did not have to earn; only receive.
Rewards are also nice. To be acknowledged and given credit, even verbally & publicly, for things we have achieved is a great feeling. These are "earned" and even deserved in most cases; giving credit where credit is due.
In the Buddhist belief, an adherent will earn merits for good deeds done. These merits will advance them on their way towards their desired goal of Nirvana enlightenment. The merits can even help boost their situation and circumstances into which they find themselves in the next rebirth.
Another booster is to share merits gleaned from engaging in meritorious acts. These can be given either to the living or to those departed loved ones. Especially to those departed loved ones you are not so sure how they "rebirthed"; whether for better or for worse.
Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, author of What Buddhists Believe writes,
"If you really want to honor and help your departed loved ones, then do some meritorious deeds in their names and transfer the merits to them." (Page 393).
This not only helps the "departed" but earns the giver merit just for the act of sharing. This is called the "transference of merits" and there is said to be mutual joy in such giving which furthers the benefit of the transference (Pages 393, 394).
There are a couple of ways in which this transference is executed. Of course, the good deed has to have been accomplished, one that gains merit. Then one has to 'transfer' the merit through the mind where this action primarily takes place (Page 394).
Mental and/or verbal expressions of the deed transferred to the loved one seals the deal. The beneficiary derives advantage from the giver when said giver identifies his/her self, the deed and the receiver's name; like a formal and official transaction of charity.
It remains for the departed loved one to feel "gladness in the heart" (Page 394) upon awareness of deed transference received. This gladness then benefits the one sharing the merit as well. Joy received mutually enhances the merit and helps speed each to the yearned for Nirvana.
Sri Dhammananda notes that this transference of merits is...
"...the greatest gift one can confer on one's dead ancestors" (Page 395).
He says wailing and crying are of no use to the departed. Neither are burnt offerings of paper money, houses, cars, computers, etc. That, he continues, is a big waste of the "living's" money and it is meaningless (Pages 395, 397).
This was big surprising news to me as I've observed folks doing all of the above and realizing that they felt they were doing the best they could for their departed loved one.
By contrast, if one really wants to help their departed ones, it was suggested that doing meritorious acts such as giving the money, that would have been used for the paper offerings, instead to temples, charities, helping to build schools or hospitals, among other things, (Page 397) in the name of the loved one would be worthwhile. One could even get involved in these "hands-on" helping out at orphanages, schools and the like. Perform these charitable works and then transfer the merits.
There are relatives who come from all walks of life: some good and some not so good. That means that not so good relatives could end up in dire circumstances upon rebirth; according to Buddhist belief as I'm understanding it. For instance, the person's mental continuum could well have ended up as an evil spirit and/or worse still into one of the levels of Hell. Therefore, the transference of merits to them is of pertinent importance. Once in such a state one can no longer help oneself and needs to depend upon external sources of help; the living human beings on earth. However, one's loving and kind acts of...
"...received merits from living relatives..."
...would help to...
"...offset their deficiency and enable them to be born..." (Page 395)
into a more happy and favorable environment and being.
Being a follower of Jesus Christ, and someone who has recently lost both parents in one year, I find it difficult to think of not, at least crying for the loss of my departed loved ones. I know that they are both safely in the arms of Jesus, "with Christ" (Philippians 1:23). Comforting assurance. However, I do miss and mourn them. It is a loss, and grief needs to be waded through, not to the point of depression, hopefully, but to some healing the wound of loss of relationship and love. Crying did and does help.
Romans 12:15 (NIV) encourages us to,
"...mourn with those who mourn..."
Therein is healing for the living relatives and friends.
Another aspect I wish to highlight here is one I've referred to before; God's Word declares in Luke 16:26 (NIV) in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, that...
"...a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over there to us."
Once one is in one place or the other, with or without Christ, there is no way out!
Startling and frightening solemnity!
This is of extremely serious nature. It is so very crucial to know one's destiny BEFORE leaving this world. Living in this world is a one time thing, so there is only one chance of finalizing your eternal destination.
Scripture states,
"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23 NIV).
It also tells us in Revelation 21:27 (NIV) of the book of life that belongs to the Lamb, Jesus Christ.
"Nothing impure will ever enter it nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of Life."
Revelation 20:12-15 (NIV) describes this further...
"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Before anyone gets too upset and says, 'Hey! I've never done anything impure or shameful!' look back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Their eating of the forbidden fruit doesn't seem too shameful or impure, does it (Genesis 3)? Yet there were bitter consequences from that disobedience to God. Adam and Eve also exhibited that they felt shame by making themselves garments out of fig leaves and attempting to hide from God. They knew they were in the wrong; wrong thoughts led to wrong actions.
We may not have committed murder or robbed a bank but we have told lies or "stolen" one of our Mom's freshly baked cookies when we were told NOT to eat any or any other number of wrongful thoughts and deeds. Those are sinful acts; like it or not, it's the plain truth.
So what is the remedy and how does this relate to transference of merits? Jesus Christ, of course, is our Merit! He came to give His life. Remember the wages of sin is death. Jesus took all our shame and impurity; our sin, and suffered the consequences. He died on the cross in our stead. In His death, He brought new life called everlasting life. This is God's Gift to all mankind. This gift can be gotten at any time of the year, not just birthday's or anniversaries, etc. Today is the best day to receive this Gift.
"...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23 KJV).
This has been touched on in Burning Quest - Part 56. Jesus' kind, loving, gracious and compassionate act of giving His life for ours is of monumental merit for each and every living soul to accept in the here and now.
When a person does accept this gift of salvation through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, He gives that everlasting benefit that never ever loses its power or effectiveness no matter what we might do afterwards. (This deals with the subject of sanctification and is a whole big topic for another time.)
Know this,
"There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10 NIV).
You will have joy and so will the angels of God. No less, God Himself!
Mankind, the beneficiary, receives: forgiveness of sins; everlasting life; righteousness of God; the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who aids us to do God's will and much, much more. All this because of the individual admitting he/she is a sinner and needs God's gift of salvation and chooses to accept and receive it. This is being "born again" (John 4:4). Born into God's family as a human being while one is a human being who only has one lifetime and only one.
"...I tell you, now is the day of God's favor, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV).
This is His almighty gift. A gift that did not have to be earned nor was it deserved by the receiver in any way shape or form, except to accept from God's hands to our hearts and minds; our spirit and soul.
Jesus in His death and resurrection "transferred" merit to living loved ones: you, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, and me and the "whosoever will" (John 3:16). Accept His gift for you today and receive everlasting life. This is the greatest gift God bestows on human beings whom He has created. There is monumental merit in that!
~ERC March 2019~
