"Just a touch!" ... "Did you hear? Just a touch!"
One can just imagine this great news travelling like wild fire, by word of mouth advertising, among the teeming masses of humanity in Jesus' time on earth.
They had heard that "just a touch" on the fringe of Jesus' garment was enough to heal a person. They implored Him to allow it. You can read about that divine phenomenon in Matthew 14:34-35.
Jesus' compassion for them compelled Him to grant permission.
"And as many as touched it were made well" (Matthew 14:34-35).
What wonderful 'God is with us' moments, they had!!
It reminds me of the song penned by Gloria Gaither...
"God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal and forgive
He bled and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives"
The timid lady of great faith, slipped through the maze of jostling multitudes to claim her healing by "just a touch". She wouldn't bother Jesus. Slip in, touch, slip out. "Just a touch!" sweet music to her being. Sure enough, she was healed, in an instant! Her endless years of misery over! (Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-35; Luke 8:43-48).
Yet, Jesus knew it! So many in the crowds were healed. So many of the crowds bumping into Him. Why would Jesus single out this one courageous woman and halt her in her get-away tracks?
She had had a desperate need and she knew it, loudly and clearly! Besides her physical ailment which may well have caused her anemia, was the fact that a woman with an issue of blood was "unclean". She would have had little to no social interaction and therefore felt the shame and loneliness of such stigma.
Jesus restored her health. Healed her ailments. 'Healed' her disgrace. Acknowledged her faith publicly. All that and more with "just a touch". What a merciful, compassionate Savior!
He is here for us too in our day. He is our all encompassing Lord and Savior. It is with "just a touch", so to speak, that we too can have great and deep cleansing through the blood of Jesus Christ, which He shed for us on the cross and which washes away our sins.
"The blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
All of us, as we gather together on Lord's Day to remember Jesus's death and resurrection by passing the emblems of the bread and cup of wine should ponder upon what He has done for us. Think about how much He has done for you! Remember your moment in time in which you "touched" Jesus and He touched you with His love and salvation. What a mighty touch!!
~ERC September 2018~
Marriage...even this sacred institution has been dragged through the dirt, become cloudy and murky and even irrelevant to many in today's world. What was once a uniting between a man and a woman "until death do them part" has become a common garden variety of mixes and so-called matches and that for as long as the spouses are "compatible" with no "irreconcilable differences". Certainly not up to God's original standard.
In a Buddhist setting, so says Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda in his book What Buddhists Believe (Page 306),
"It is wise and advisable to be faithful to one spouse and not to be sensual and to run after other partners."
When the couple is living according to Buddha's Dharma, there should be no need of separation or divorce. However, Sri Dhammananda asserts that separation and/or divorce are not prohibited and are...
"...preferable to living a miserable family life for a long period of time for both partners and innocent children" (Page 307).
Sri Dhammananda adds...
"The institution of marriage provides a fine basis for the development of culture, a delightful association of two individuals to be nurtured, and to be free from loneliness, deprivation and fear. In marriage, each partner develops a complementary role, giving strength and moral courage to one another, each manifesting a supportive and appreciative recognition of the others' skills. There must be no thought of either man or woman being superior; each is complementary to the other, in a partnership of equality, exuding gentleness, self-control, respect, generosity, calm and dedication" (Page 307-308).
Very well put. Reread it. Reread it especially if you are married. Reread it especially if you are contemplating marriage.
If you are married, pinpoint the areas that need attention. Attend to them.
If you are contemplating marriage examine your idea and beliefs in those areas mentioned. How is your understanding along those lines?
Do you think, I mean, really, really, think you have attained any of those aspects? Do you really think you can move towards those areas of complementing your 'to-be' husband or wife? If not, what will you do about it? Still rush in? Or reassess? Marriage is for a lifetime!
Let me inter-postulate here that for followers of Jesus Christ, marriage is until Jesus comes, or indeed until death do you part.
God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).
Separation only if wife (or husband) and children are in danger from the other spouse.
Are you prepared to persevere until the end? To get right with God and with each other? By God's grace, you can. But can you with the person you are already contemplating on marrying? Think carefully. Assess and bring to God in prayer. See what HIS interests are for you. Don't persist in your own.
If that man or woman you contemplate marrying does not belong to Christ, but you do, then that is expressly against God's will.
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14 KJV)
Yes, he or she may be the sweetest, dearest person who wouldn't hurt a flea but when the rubber hits the road the individual's mindset comes from different perspectives. One would end up pulling from one direction and the other may compromise but would tend to pull according to God's way and very well may be the opposite direction.
Conflict. Yes there are so many issues in a marriage but this is a primal, foundational premise. From what ethos will you base your responses and conclusions? Will they be God-honoring? Or spouse pleasing? Or self-pleasing?
God did allow Moses of the Bible's Old Testament, to write a "bill of divorce" for the children of Israel (Deuteronomy 24; Mark 10:4-5). This was allowed due to the "hardness of the heart" of the one (s) wanting the divorce (Matthew 10:8).
Do you want a hard heart? May we be 'soft' before God. Forgiving. Not weak but meek. Submitting to God and then to each other.
Yes, it can be really tough at times. These are the times of challenge if you can get through then that "complementary role" will develop, deepen and sustain.
Truly see each other as equals!
Yet, for the Christian, the husband is to remember that the wife is the "weaker vessel" and he must not be harsh but show proper love. More on this subject was seen in Burning Quest - Part 36, Status of Women. Have a look. He must show love in action and she respect him and and yes, submit to him on top of the two submitting to each other (Ephesians 5:21, 33).
The root of the idea of marriage is essentially different between the Buddhist and the Christian concept.
The Buddhist views marriage as...
"...a social convention, an institution created by human beings, [emphasis mine] for their well-being and happiness...to maintain order and harmony in the process of procreation." (Page 305).
I want to highlight, "created by human beings". That is very much in contrast to "God instituted marriage". In Genesis we read God made Eve and gave her to Adam, Whom He had already created (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:19-25).
God created marriage. Jesus blessed a wedding in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11).
As Buddhists, according to Sri Dhammananda, do not believe in God nor creation, then someone had to get the ball rolling; thus giving the credit to human beings for the institution of marriage for procreation. God brought Adam and Eve together, then told them to...
"...be fruitful and multiply" ( Genesis 1:28),
...which was something they did obey (Genesis 4:12).
It was noted by Sri Dhammananda that monks usually don't marry, not because it is forbidden, rather so they may concentrate on their attaining Nirvana without distraction and to help fellow human beings along the way in life (Page 306).
The apostle Paul said similar, not about monks or nuns, but about those who wish to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and spread His message of love and salvation, and to build others up in their most holy faith. This would allow a concentrated effort without having to think of how one needs to please his/her wife/husband and children. Paul didn't mean it to be all exclusive or forbidden, he did not forbid anyone to marry. Just easier to serve, if one had not 'tied the knot' (1 Corinthians 7).
He calls the relationship between a husband and wife a "profound mystery" (Ephesians 5:22-23). He says it reflects as to what the relationship of Christ with the church should be.
Paul also expressly remarked about those who forbid marriage (1 Timothy 4:1-5)...
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer."
We can be thankful for marriage which is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
Paul himself never married but he, directed by the Holy Spirit of God, never forbade it.
We know that the apostle Peter was a married man as there is indication his wife went with him on his mission work (1 Corinthians 9:5). She must have been a very supportive help-meet and an amazing woman of worth!
I want to interject here that in all my writings and comparisons of Buddhism with Christianity (followers of Jesus Christ) that I in no way mean to offend anyone. My hope and prayer is that any who read these words will be able to see the comparisons as well and be led to salvation through Jesus Christ.
There is a quotation that was sent to me by a friend and of which I do not know who the author is. It says,
"Salvation is a gift to be received, not a goal to be achieved."
That sums up the salvation question very adroitly, I believe. Humbly I pray and hope all can see this truth of God and also of the matter of the God-instituted institution of marriage.
May God bless you and your marriage!
~ERC September 2018~
"When religion is used to pander to political whims, it has to forego its high moral ideals and become debased by worldly political demands. It is in these circumstances that religion was used to justify wars and conquests, persecutions, atrocities, rebellions, destruction of works of art and culture."
So writes Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda in his book What Buddhists Believe (Page 295).
There is truth to those statements. When dogma of a religion is legalistically enforced, bad things happen and have happened. History repeated this scenario many times over. There were certainly horrendous wars such as the Crusades where people supposedly fought in the name of God. These eventually became free-for-all's to murder and loot at will what was actually perpetrated in the name of greed. Definitely NOT of God!
Followers of Jesus Christ have to remember that life in God's family is not about religiously following a set of rules; it is a relationship. It's a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. When we live for Him out of love and gratitude, there will be peace in our hearts and minds spawning peaceful actions.
Any fighting done should not be...
"...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" (Ephesians 6:12 ESV).
Before any misunderstanding raises it's head, by "rulers and authorities" mentioned here, I'm referring to the spiritual forces; there is hierarchy.
This fight requires the armor of God. Ephesians 6:14-20 marks out those pieces of armor for us:
"the belt of truth...the breastplate of righteousness...the shoes of the readiness ...of the gospel of peace...the shield of faith,...the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit...praying at all times in the Spirit..."
Satan, together with his minions, is ever the adversary of God, Jesus, and all His followers. Satan is ever ready to stir up trouble. Thus, Christians need to be ever ready to counter and resist the "fiery darts" of that evil one.
Let's step back to the literal political arena. Of course it is good to have high moral standards. God delineated the Ten Commandments and many rules and regulations for the children of Israel in the early ancient civilizations. At the dawn of the escape from Egypt, the children of Israel headed for the promised land; God's ideal for them.
They duly governed themselves by these, at least they were supposed to. When they did, it went well for them. When they didn't, it didn't. God gave them these holistic ways of conduct to bring the whole nation good success and health but mostly God wanted them to trust and rely on Him, to be God-conscious and to have a utopic relationship with Him. They blew it time and time again.
This is kind of the idea of church and state combined. If they had adhered to it, all would have been peace and harmony in the nation.
It can be seen in the New Testament how the Pharisees and teachers of the law demanded so much of the people. It had become legalistic and political and they bound "heavy and grievous burdens to be borne" upon the people (Matthew 23:4-5). If the people didn't mind their P's & Q's they got into trouble.
Jesus had so much to say to these religious leaders about these things (read the book of John). They didn't take it so well and it culminated in Jesus being hung on the cross.
Sri Dhammananda says on Page 296 of his book that...
"The Buddha Dharma is not directed at the creation of new political institutions and establishing political arrangements..."
It is directed at...
"...people who will have to look within their own minds and work towards freeing themselves from the chains of ignorance and craving. Freedom in the truest sense is only possible when a person uses the Dharma to develop character through good speech and action and to train the mind so as to expand the mental potential and achieve the ultimate aim of enlightenment" (Pages 296-297).
Yes, Jesus didn't come to overthrow the government of His time. However, He did mean to overthrow the hearts and minds of humanity. He did stir many up and His death and resurrection gave birth to these new hearts and renewal of minds.
When one and all would live for Jesus in all godliness and honesty, their very lives will be transformed through the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit. They are not being coerced into this way of life at all by any political and/or religious agenda.
If all people lived this way, society would also be transformed for the better of itself. Nevertheless there will never be perfect perfection of governance nor society til Jesus takes His rightful place as King of kings and Lord of lords. I look forward to that day.
Sri Dhammananda did say that Buddha did encourage...
"...equality of all human beings...classes and castes are artificial barriers erected by society...the spirit of social co-operation and active participation in society; since no successor to Buddha, the members of the order were guided by the Dharma...or the Righteous Rule of Law...and the spirit of consultation and the democratic process...when a serious matter of concern demanded attention the issues were put to the monks and discussed in a similar manner to the democratic parliamentary system used today" (Page 297).
These were used to govern themselves and if most individuals were so doing, then society would be moral and responsible collectively.
Generally speaking, Buddhists are not encouraged to be involved in politics.
"The doctrine preached by the Buddha is not one based on 'Political Philosophy'. Nor is it a doctrine that encourages people to incline towards worldly interests. It sets out a way to attain Nirvana" (Page 303).
On the other hand, Sri Dhammananda does go on to say on Page 303...
"...if Buddhists wish to be involved in politics, they should not misuse religion to gain political powers, nor is it advisable for those who have renounced the worldly life in order to lead a pure, religious life to be actively involved in politics" (Page 304).
Basically, then, for the Buddhist, it's best not to be involved in politics. Instead they should stick to the business of improving themselves and learning to deny their cravings with the goal of Nirvana and Buddha-hood as their focus. However, should they get politically active, they need to keep in mind: peace, harmony, good thoughts activating good actions for the good of one and all, and not using their beliefs and political power to force others into their Buddhist way of life.
For Christians, this is often bitterly disputed; the pros and cons of being active, or not, in politics. Many people believe politicians to be a bunch of crooks and therefore, not a place for a believer in Jesus Christ to interact and stay "clean".
It certainly would be a tough call but if a follower of Jesus Christ of Nazareth feels God calling him or her to a political position, I don't believe the rest of God's children should criticize the individual. He or she may well have God-given mission complete with wisdom, gifts, talents and skills for the task. The rest of us should uphold them with much prayer support that they would stay true to God and His will and ways through the political maze.
As Queen Esther of the Bible was brought to her position for "such a time as this" (Esther 4:14), anyone of God's people could also exercise leadership within a God-honoring modus-operandi when living in submission to God and His Word in a dog-eat-dog political world.
Of course, the Christian's perspective will be Biblical and therefore the governance will be intrinsically, what some would label, "church." Resistant outcry may well be against not separating state and church. Regardless of how one looks at that, the real trouble comes, as the opening quotation expostulates, when the religious views of those in "state" authority positions, are used to justify religious-based wars, conquests, and persecutions, etc.
May we each pledge to pray for those believers working in politics that they will be granted much wisdom to govern justly and for those in authority who do not belong to Christ to also govern well. Ask God to keep the ones with political power from using religion to exploit or persecute or negatively effect anyone. This we know,
"...there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God..." (Romans 13:2 ESV).
May all uphold high moral standards so all may live,
"...a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty" (2 Timothy 2:2 KJV).
Pray for those in authority in whichever country you are living. They need it.
~ERC September 2018~
You just have to stand back in amazement and admire the younger generation. They can, click, click; tap, tap through the social media maze with a flick of a finger and in a blink of an eye. We older ones are left in the cyber dust, often bewildered and wondering what just happened.
"Ah-h, can you show me that again, please, son; this time in slow motion..."
The self-confidence they exhibit because "they've looked it up" or "read it on the internet" is almost cocky. Case in point, son going off to university...he's got bags and sport's gear piled up by the front door.
"Ah, son, that looks like too much. You'll have to pay extra for baggage."
"No," replies the self-assured lad, "it says, blah, blah, blah, on the airline's website and I come within those conditions."
"OK then, if you're sure," came the uncertain parental rebuttal.
Travel back in time to your parents' and even grand and great-grandparents' eras. Think of the phenomenal technological changes and advancements that barreled through their times.
Advancements such as: steam engines and motorcars; airplanes actually getting off the ground and staying up, for the most part til they are guided down in a sane man-controlled manner; television; computers that filled whole rooms, sized down to laptops and tablets; and the latest, as far as I know...the cell phone.
What a whirlwind of perplexing modernity. And that's only one facet of it all.
It's not because our forefathers (or ourselves) were/are bungling idiots as we may feel when we see our progeny in operation. NO! The ancestors were the ones to propel all this into reality. Visions and missions of the past are the "reactionary catalysts" of the present and future.
In fact, those revolutions of yesteryears have propelled and empowered this generation into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Ironic then, that we, the older generation are scrambling to keep up.
Yes, all these vast changes have had folks spinning and on their toes straining to keep up with the technological clouds that are difficult to pin down. However, I suppose, we ain't seen nothin' yet!
In the midst of these generational cyclones, its wonderful to know there is Someone who never changes and never needs updating, and therefore on whom we can rely.
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8 KJV).
When we belong to Jesus we can make Him our anchor of stability. We have this privilege because of the salvation we have gained through Him It is part of the salvation blessing.
Let us thank Him and praise Him as we meditate upon and remember Jesus Christ's death and resurrection on Lord's Day as we break bread and drink of the cup of wine together.
Father, God, thank-You for being ever with us. All down throughout the ages of time You have been there. You are here with us today and we confidently trust, for all our tomorrows. You are the ever faithful One, steady and reliable and true.
Thank-You.
In Jesus Name we give You thanks.
~ERC September 2018~
Some lovely old pieces to listen to:
Rock of Ages
Will Your Anchor Hold?
Oh boy, here we go again! Hot topic...status of women...
Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, who wrote What Buddhists Believe, declares that...
"The Buddha was the first religious teacher who gave religious freedom to women" (Page 293)
Women have the religious freedom to fully...
"...participate in a religious life."
Although Sri Dhammananda said women are equal to men in Buddhism, he taught that it was not necessarily practiced. Wikipedia says that one Bernard Faure said,
"ancient and medieval Buddhist texts and traditions, like other religions, were almost always unfavorable or discriminatory against women, in terms of their ability to pursue the noble Eightfold Path, attain Buddha-hood and Nirvana. They would have to be rebirthed into a man before they could..."
God always has wanted to connect with His human beings whom He created, and He included both the men and the women. I will not deny, however, that women often got put aside, thinking their intelligence (or lack thereof) wouldn't be able to cope with "man's world," and that, yes, their position was, most definitely, in the kitchen.
Adam and Eve were given equal opportunity to commune daily with God in the Garden of Eden. God often told Moses to call the men, women and children to collective assemblies, so we read in the Old Testament of the Bible, to hear what He wanted to tell them (Deuteronomy 31:12; Nehemiah 8:2).
Since ancient days there have been 'honorary' women. Moses sister Miriam played a pivotal role in keeping him alive (Exodus 2:1-10). She was also a leader among the women of Israel and even led them in song (Exodus 15:20-21 NIV). This upon the whole multitude of the Israelite's successful escape from Egypt, and Pharoah and his soldiers. Those Bible verses term her, "a prophetess".
There was Deborah whom we read was also a prophetess who even joined the men in a battle (Judges 4 & 5) and Huldah who was another prophetess (2 Kings 22:13-20 & 2 Chronicles 34:22-28).
A lethal tent wife (as opposed to housewife) was Jael who stepped out of her "kitchen" to sweet talk an exhausted, enemy army commander into coming into her tent and falling asleep. That was a fatal move for Commander Sisera as Jael gruesomely took a tent peg and hammered it into his temple, effectively killing him while he slept (Judges 4:17-22).
Other examples of women of influence were Ruth and Esther (see the respective books of the Bible of the same names). What about the woman who was above rubies in worth (Proverbs 31). What a woman she was!! She was an amazing person. Her greatest outstanding characteristic, however, was that...
"...She feared God" (Proverbs 31:30).
Every single last woman of God can attain to this too. Every woman in the world has this potential. So do the men. Proverbs 31 was a mother's advice and wisdom given to her son. He was to hopefully be guided by that in finding a woman of noble character to be his wife. If he was to look for such a one, then he himself would have had to be equally noble to desire such a help meet for life.
These were godly women. They could fully engage in a relationship with God whether they were in the kitchen or not. If this is what Sri Dhammananda is alluding to as far as Buddha allowing women opportunity to fully engage in religious life freely, God was actually ahead of him in such initiative.
Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead for all people no matter their gender. Since He did that, than that is saying God and Jesus give full sway to one and all to have full communion and full relationship with Him once they become His child. The only hindrance to this is in the human party in this equation. A person can have as much or as little of God as they wish. He stands steady and faithful, ready to hear from us.
We have learned in previous Burning Quest entries that the Buddhist engages on his or her path to enlightenment under his or her own steam. Any advancements are their own effort. They use their minds and control their desires, thoughts and actions making them as good as possible. This is their religious task in which they can have full freedom to participate, whether male or female. Furthermore, should either a man or a woman wish to, either may become a monk or a nun, respectively, and join the Sangha. There seem to be no restrictions.
Followers of Jesus Christ may serve their Savior; whether male or female. The Bible does say that women are "the weaker vessel" (1 Peter 3:7) BUT it does not say she is an inferior being. It is other human beings that squelch others.
The Bible also says that the husband is the head of the wife, but this still does not mean he is the superior person. NO. It is a role, God-given, at that. The general principle throughout the Bible is that the role of spiritual leadership belongs to the male, but we also read of women such as Priscilla (Acts 18:2, 16; Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19), Aquila's wife, who was very active in God's service. There are Phebe, Tryphena and Tryphosa (Romans 16); Anna (Luke 2:36-38); all devotedly serving the Lord out of gratitude and love for Him.
Even to this day a majority of mission or church workers are female. Notable ones such as Amy Carmichael who went to India; Gladys Aylward who went to China; Ann Judson who served with her husband Adoniram in Burma; Corrie ten Boom who helped heal Europe after WWII with her message of God's forgiveness; Darlene Deibler Rose, missionary to Papua, who survived a Japanese prisoner of war camp in New Guinea during WWII; Isobel Kuhn who served with her husband in China and then to the Lisu of Burma; Anne Graham Loetz, speaker and writer; Beth Moore, writer of in-depth Christian study guides; and many more. They have, and have had full freedom in Christ to serve Him through serving others.
Yet godly order in regards to the protective chain of authority and spiritual leadership is seen throughout Scripture, to be the man's responsibility. This, not because the male is superior to the female, but because it's God's order; His covering and blessing for His people:
God>husband>wife>children.
Yes, Women have had and still have hurdles to overcome. However, for the godly woman it is good and necessary to see and understand the role that God has given to her. Search the Scriptures to see His views on the matter.
~ERC September 2018~
Should you wish to pursue this subject further please read the following:
Dare We Question Authority?
Dad's Daily Devotional Duty
Sarahs' Daughters
Traditions, customs, festivals, and rites and rituals actually have no place in full-fledged Buddhism. Nevertheless, some of these things are used to attract would-be followers into the Buddhist way of life.
Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, author of What Buddhists Believe writes, these,
"...provide psychological help to some people..."
but eventually they should not be relied upon for
"...one's spiritual development or mental purity..." (Page 291).
Sri Dhammananda comments that at some festivals celebrators often get out of hand due to the influence of liquor causing loss of inhibitions and serious deviation from Buddhist teachings. There is little to no self-control or suppression of human desires.
The author does relent some, saying that one need not throw away all traditions or customs. Examine if they will still line-up with ones' teachings and,
"...if they are reasonable and conducive both to your happiness and to the welfare of others, only then should you accept and practice these traditions and customs" (Page 290).
True enough. I've read of Christian missionaries, who've gone to their respective mission fields, who tried to minister from a 'localized' perspective. Hudson Taylor donned Chinese dress and wore his hair in a queue. Lottie Moon, missionary, also to China, strongly believed in adapting to Chinese ways. Adoniram Judson, missionary to the Burmese, preached in a 'zakit' (Burmese community hall) instead of in churches as he felt the people were more comfortable there.
No doubt there are numerous other examples of methods of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ of Nazareth as there are cultures.
As I grew up, my family, although devout followers of Jesus Christ, never celebrated Christmas nor Easter. These festive occasions sprang out of Emperor Constantine wanting to please Christians and pagans alike and so allowed them a holiday as close to the pagan one as he could...so we were told.
My father declared, therefore, that Christmas and Easter were pagan holidays and not to be celebrated by Christians, especially not by him and his family. Besides that, he reasoned, the Bible never asks us to celebrate those events.
That upbringing was difficult to overcome. However, the culture in the region I've been spending my married life has allowed me to see a different perspective.
Churches use the opportunity to share the message of the love of God and His Son Jesus. A more receptive time to proclaim the message of Jesus and salvation through Him. Jesus is that good and perfect gift from God our heavenly Father. Celebrating Jesus's birth and life is okay.
But to not cater to the rampant greed that is apparent in much of the Christmas "spirit" in shopping and wondering what I'm going to get as a Christmas present, avoiding the Christmas materialistic rush, is good sound sense.
'Festivals' such as Christmas and Easter are times of joy and make us followers of Jesus Christ glad to belong to Him, yet we do not need them to have the joy of the Lord. When we belong to Him we can be glad everyday and share with others this gladness of heart and mind we have through Him.
Romans 14: 5-9 ESV, especially verse 5, moderates this so as not to become legalistic one way or another...
"One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind..."
Whatever followers of Jesus Christ celebrate, whether the birth, and/or the death and resurrection of Jesus, let it be known that Jesus is the most wonderful and important gift that God sent to His human creatures. He is difficult to NOT celebrate, praise, worship, live for and serve all year round.
Will you join the ranks of followers of Jesus Christ and live for His glory and honor?
Great is the Lord, greatly to be praised.
~ERC August 2018~
Moon, moon, shining Mr. Moon. The moon can be so beautiful and pleasing to the eye as one studies the cloudless night sky. It's no wonder so many people are fascinated with it. They are so captivated, that scientific folks have gotten up to it and even walked on it. Yet, the moon gets its light from reflecting the sun.
God has given mankind such wondrous intelligence and ingenuity to explore the moon and many other facets of His creation. What a wonder! Truly awesome! Although there is still so much to explore, mankind's curiosity has been satisfied on many planes.
It isn't only science, however, that dabbles with the moon. Many religions use the cycles of the moon to regulate their calendars and to engage in their religious practices accordingly.
The Buddhists have a piece of that pie too. New moon and full moon times are special days to them. Many go to their temples to meditate and in some Buddhist countries they want those days to be fixed...
"holidays" (from secular work) "to observe full moon day as a religious day to concentrate on peace and happiness by calming down the senses...and to keep away from worldly pleasures in order to have peace of mind for their spiritual development..." (Page 287 in What Buddhists Believe by Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda).
It is noted that in the Old Testament (of the Bible), even before Buddha's time, that God commanded Moses to command the people of Israel to "do no regular work" on full moon and new moon days. Instead, they had "sacred assemblies" (Leviticus 23:1, 3) and festival days. They were times to gather together and worship God and bring sacrifices and offerings to Him.
They were to actively and collectively remember God! Remember all He had done on their behalf for so many years, starting with their rescue from Egypt. Even before that, God had their interests at heart by making a covenant with their forefather Abraham and passing the promise on through Isaac and Jacob to the twelve tribes of Israel (Leviticus 23).
At new moon times, the Israelites put down their work tools, and took up their offerings. It was the time of a new month, the time to "remember their sins" and make sin offerings to God. They were also times of "rejoicing and gladness" (Numbers 10:10). It was a process of repentance, confession, sin offering, God's acceptance, rejoicing and gladness; monthly reminders.
This is significant for us New Testament folks as Old Testament practices foreshadowed what God was going to do for us with Jesus as our "sin offering". Jesus' death and resurrection secured, for all mankind, a safe and secure salvation from consequences of our sins. Jesus did this once for all, for all mankind, for all sin, for all time and eternity. Those monthly sacrifices are no longer needed but we can still remember Jesus and all He has done for us as often as we wish.
According to Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, the author of the What Buddhists Believe book, research has shown that a full moon really and truly affects, among other things, peoples' minds (Page 287). So to establish festivals, or to have prayer and fasting on those days would help to relax the mind and focus it on something constructive and renewing.
Many religions do worship the moon. Even the Israelites, who had been warned against it time and time again, fell into the trap of moon worship; the moon god (quite likely reminiscent of the Egyptian moon god Apis) taking the form of a golden calf! (Exodus 32) The moon can be glorious to observe, even to the naked eye, but the moon is part of the creation; we are to worship God, the Creator.
Coming back from that tangent...the point, for the Buddhists, has been to utilize the full moon time for contemplation of their actions and how to improve their behavior by recalling and meditating on Buddha, his teachings and to align and improve themselves with those teachings. A further desired result, Sri Dhammananda says, is calmness of mind; and of peace and harmony.
We followers of Jesus Christ would do well to take regular 'time outs' to reflect upon our character and conduct and how we are moving along in the sanctification process. Are we becoming more like Christ? Are we meditating on what Christ has done for us in securing our salvation? On His love and kindness and compassion? Are we reading and meditating upon His Word? Do we have the peace of mind that comes from trusting God and bringing our worries, cares and strife to Him?
Take extended times to study God's Word--"program it" onto your monthly calendar. I'm not advocating it needs to be at new/full moon times; but do go the extra mile over and above your regular daily devotional times.
The principle is there; benefits await, not just to gain further spiritual maturity, but for having God's peace of mind in our minds and hearts in greater abundance and evidence. However, most importantly of all, to strengthen our relationship with God, our Heavenly Father.
Let us live and reflect the brightness of the Son of God, no matter which phase of the moon is revealed on any given night, or whether we can even see the moon or not.
"Because He lives, we can face tomorrow".
~ERC August 2018~
