Lord's Day Devotion - Pleasing God

Parents love it when their children do what is right;  it pleases them.  No less for God our Almighty Heavenly Father...when His children walk in and according to the dynamic power of His Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ, they please Him.  

If you look up Romans 8:8-11 (ESV) you will see that.  Focus on verses 8 & 9 for the moment,

"Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.  Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him."

Those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ because we have accepted His salvation which came through His death and resurrection atonement, buying pardon for our sins, are given the Holy Spirit of God to indwell us for the purpose of leading, guiding us into all truth and walking in His ways, and comforting us.  We were not left to do what's right in God's eyes without His help to flounder unsuccessfully for ourselves.

No we were given His Holy Spirit so that we have His resurrection power and strength to do what is right and in so doing, to please Him; to make our loving, Heavenly Father happy.  Of course we do not do this to make Him love us more or to twist His arm to do for us whatever we desire, but out of our love and gratitude for Him we live according to His will and way for us.  We love, serve and worship Him in thankful commitment to Him.

As we come before Him, together as His family, on Lord's Day, to remember what Jesus Christ has done for us, let us thank Him for His Holy Spirit Who helps us to please God.  Thank Him too for His righteousness, and the life He has given through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.   Let us partake of the bread and cup of wine in gratitude and thanksgiving.  

Best of all, in God's eyes, I believe, is when we please Him by being obedient to Him because we have followed the Holy Spirit's leading.  

Please God.

Sing Come to the Table of Mercy

                                                        ~ERC  November 2018~ 

Burning Quest - Part 47

Coincidentally, it is the eve of 11 November as I type.  This date is one in which Canadians and Americans remember the soldiers who served in WW1 and WW2 and other wars, and suffered and sacrificed for the freedom of others.  They call it Remembrance Day or Veteran's Day, respectively. This entry for Burning Quest is going to address war and peace.

As long as there is human nature there is going to be war and some degrees of peace but never true peace of our own accord.  True and perfect peace can only be found in Jesus Christ.

First, we'll mostly consider peace but I'll interject here that 'war' is not always the war between kingdoms or countries but 'war' or feuds within families or between clans, co-workers, marriage partners or even 'war' within our selves. There is also spiritual warfare.

"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" (Ephesians 6:12 ESV).

David the shepherd boy used to play his harp for King Saul.  When an evil spirit would come upon King Saul, the peaceful music would soothe him (1 Samuel 16:20-23).  It did for a while, at least.

There's a lady who comes and plays her harp for my Mom for about an hour, once a week.  It is indeed truly soothing, and peace of mind and body-provoking; peace-provoking.  Mom often falls asleep.

These are temporary peace makers.

Let's discuss lasting peace.  Peace that does not produce war.  Peace that circumvents and avoids war.

People want peace.  The Holy Bible tells us people crave, "Peace, peace".  That goes on to say, "but there is no peace"  (Jeremiah 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:3).  So is "lasting peace" possible?

Lasting peace comes at a price.  Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace was born into this world to bring us human beings this peace (Isaiah 53:5; Ephesians 2:14; Isaiah 9:6)  Jesus is God's Peacemaker for sinful humanity.  A lasting peace that can keep our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7).  This can keep us despite troubles in life that come along to give us stress and distress.

Peace with God is a valuable asset, which comes through Jesus Christ.  With Him we are also given the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit then empowers us to make peace with all men (Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14).

Jesus taught on the sermon on the mountain that,

"Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophet's (Matthew 7:12 ESV).

In another verse Peter tells us (1 Peter 3:9 ESV),

"Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called that you may be a blessing."

Jesus also said,

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9 ESV).

When we have peace with God and the Prince of Peace as our Friend we will/should,

 "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all"  (Romans 12:18 ESV).

We have more of Jesus's revolutionary wisdom in Matthew 5:38-48...

"...do not resist an evil person.  If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also...But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be children of your Father in Heaven..."

"Turn the other cheek; love them; pray for them."

Peace not war.  By God's divine grace working through us, His children, may we indeed reach out as peacemakers.

Involve our redeemed hearts and minds as, 

"...new creatures in Christ...The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda who wrote What Buddhists Believe puts it this way,

"Humans have forgotten they have a heart...that if they treat others kindly, others will treat them kindly in return" (Page 362).

On page 363 he continues...

"Since it is in the minds of men that wars begin, it is in the minds of men the ramparts of peace should be erected."

So true.  Nevertheless without that new heart and mind full of God's grace and mercy those "ramparts" are all the more difficult to build.  With God on our side as we've seen already, there will be some success.  The shortfall, however, is not with God.

Hurdles to overcoming the challenges will take 'war'.  Battering rams needed against pride.

Sri Dhammananda expostulates the need of,

"...sacrificing our dangerous pride" (Page 364).

Pride gets in the way of doing good.  God's Word warns,

"Pride goes before destruction, the haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18 NIV).

Pride of who we are, our accomplishments, beliefs, possessions, etc.  Do we want pride to start a war?  Do we want pride to get in the way of bringing peace?  It happens, sadly, even in a marriage; between siblings, neighbors, friends, church members, and on larger scales, between countries.  Destruction falls in the wake of festering and erupting pride.

Dr. Sri Dhammananda recommends several ways to preempt 'war' and to stimulate peace.  He says,

"Tolerance, for one; learning to practice ways leading to the extinction of hatred, greed and delusion, the roots of all evil forces" (Page 364).

We've talked about tolerance before; to a certain degree it is necessary and helpful, yes.  However when something goes against God's principles and standards as laid out in His Word, His Word must be our yardstick; anything else will fall short.  Then we must, 

"...speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:13 NIV).

Eradicating the roots of evil is never going to work as long as one strives under ones own steam.  In Christ alone, we can have that victory as mentioned several times in other entries of Burning Quest.  Once "in Christ" the Holy Spirit can work in us, sanctifying us in a daily process as we humbly submit our will to God's, saying as often as it takes, "Not my will but His".

Until this happens there won't be a great amount of sustained success in the peacemaking department.

Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda believes that...

"If mankind can eradicate these evil forces, tolerance and peace will come to this restless world" (Page 364).

Augustine of Hippo is known to have taught about the four states of man.  You can click on the link to Reformation Theology  to see in more detail, but in brief here are the four:

1.  Innocence:  able to sin; able not to sin eg. Adam and Eve's original state in the Garden of Eden

2.  After The Fall:  not able to not sin eg. Adam and Eve after they disobeyed God's one rule, causing the whole lot of the rest of us to be in this state too.

3.  Regenerate:  able to not sin eg. Someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior & is a "new creation in Christ".  The Holy Spirit helps the individual to do what's right in God's eyes.

4.  Glorified:  unable to sin  eg.  Once the child of God reaches Heaven and is "with Christ" he or she will no longer be able to sin.

Mankind may make some inroads into bringing about some tolerance and peace but they certainly will never ever be able to eradicate the evil forces no matter how 'good' they may be until he realizes this, and "admits to their own weakness" (Page 365 of What Buddhists Believe).  

The apostle Paul wrote,

"But I see my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.  Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin" (Romans 7:23-25).

It is only through the power and blood of Jesus Christ redeeming and atoning a sinner's life that God can work mightily and with an individual man, woman or child; whether one is a Buddhist, Mormon or of any other religious persuasion.

God's free gift of grace and love brings us the strength and restraint to bring peace to ourselves and all mankind.

But...

What about war?  Can it be justified?  Dr. K. Sri Dhammanada wants to know.  

So do I...

...To be continued in Part 48...

                                                   ~ERC  November 2018~

Life on Other Planets?

Fascinating to think about; could there really be life on other planets?  There may be no direct answer to this intriguing question but here's what I dug up the other day from another author.  It is old and perhaps difficult to read but with squinting perseverance you may be able to decipher what is said.

What do you think now?

~ERC November 2018~

Lord's Day Devotion - Remember Me

Tomorrow, in Canada, the general populace will be wearing poppies in their lapels or at their coat breast.  They do this to remember those courageous soldiers who died in WW1 or WW2 specifically, for freedom of all.  They call it "Remembrance Day".  The USA remembers too, calling their day "Armistice" or Veteran's Day".  This is celebrated annually on 11 November.

If you've ever read anything about these or other wars, or even experienced them as a soldier, yourself, you know the awfulness of the encounters (I only know from reading).  What sacrifice, what horrors of war!  Those soldiers who survive, what nightmares and turmoil of remembering they must overcome!  We cannot forget them either!  Tribute to the living and the dead.  We give them thanks. 

There was cruelty where there should not have been.  Think of the death marches of soldiers even in Southeast Asia!  Case in point would be the Sandakan Death Marches in Borneo.  Thousands of Australian and British POW's died.  Even days after the war was supposedly over, those remaining soldiers were shot.  Only six soldiers survived; they were those who had escaped and were hidden and cared for by the locals.  These men have been remembered as well.

Commemorations of war memorials, of reenactments, books and movies (maybe romanticized), on the subject all help to give us some idea of what the military personnel have had to endure; what they fought and died for.  What the surviving soldiers suffer in the form of amputations, children born with physical and even mental challenges due to the effects of chemical warfare, or of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  

Let us remember; do not forget those struggles begotten from the ugliness, death and destruction of war.    Some of these wars were necessary to bring liberty to many and to stop madmen or tyrants continuing to create unspeakable evil.

Mankind has done this to and for mankind.

There is another who has given His life in the battle for truth and the greatest liberty of all.  He did this out of love for mankind.  This man is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ!   God sent Him out of His great love for mankind.  

Jesus's cruel trial, death and resurrection at the hands of those who were jealous of Him and hated Him with a passion.  They would be rid of them.  BUT God...God's love overruled and what man (and Satan) meant for harm, God turned into the most phenomenal rescue of all time.  He brought and bought liberty and justice for all.  

Freedom from sin and it's consequences:  suffering, death and eventual eternal tortures of Hell.

On Lord's Day, brothers and sisters-in-Christ, let us never forget what Jesus has accomplished for us as we pass the bread and wine one to another in remembrance of His death and resurrection.  

"This do in remembrance of Me," said Jesus (Luke 22:19) 

Normally we like to remember people who have died, for what they were in life.  We remember the war soldiers for what they accomplished for their sacrifices whether currently living or not. We remember Jesus Christ for what He accomplished in His death.  He is now risen and alive.  He is our living Savior.  He continues to offer salvation to one and all.  Praise Him.  

Here is a song written by Rick Founds that really embodies this:

Lord, I lift Your Name on High


Let us never forget.

                                                 ~ERC  November 2018~

Burning Quest - Part 46

If you study the advance of Buddhism since its inception in India, you will note that the missionary endeavors of the Buddhists have been rather successful.  Very early on from Before the Common Era (BCE) onwards, Buddhism had come with the merchant traders, by land and by sea to India's neighboring countries, to China, and to many parts of South East Asia, and beyond.  

In 2008, The Buddha Dharma Education Association and Buddha Net did a survey and published the statistics that found that 6 % of the world's population, to that date, were Buddhists.  They estimated that there were about 360 million adherents.  By comparison, they attributed the so-called "Christian" adherents to be figured at 33 %; Christianity topping at somewhere around 2 billion persons.

The author of What Buddhists Believe, Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, attributes such success to their aim which claims,

"...to show how people could gain more peace and happiness through the practice of Dharma" (Page 359).

Picking up on the idea of peace, it's true that many people worldwide do search for peace and happiness.  It is good to find the best kind of peace and happiness too.  We followers of Jesus Christ believe Jesus to be the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).

Ephesians 2:14-18 tell us that Jesus Himself is our peace.  We can dwell in perfect peace...

Peace from our sins (unwholesome thoughts and actions) and their consequences.

Peace with God through Jesus Christ.

Peace during and in spite of the storms of life.

Peace brings the happiness and contentment and visa versa.   There are many Bible verses about happiness and its Source.  I like Isaiah 12:3 (ESV),

"...with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." 

Salvation in and through Jesus Christ, the Living water (John 4:1-14).

What about this one found in Psalm 144:5 (ESV)...

"Blessed (happy) are the people to whom such blessing falls!  Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD."

There are blessings of peace and happiness when a person relies on Jesus Christ.  They will be able to live in perfect peace.

Let's get back more specifically to the topic of Buddhist Missionary expansion. At one point Sri Dhammananda writes,

"Buddhism was never introduced to any country through the influence of colonial or any other political power" (Page 359).

That sounds good and recommends itself especially in light of Buddhism's cause for peace and their  non-aggression stance.  However, if one Googles such ideas of Colonialism and Buddhism teaming up, you'll discover they did.  This is not to take a pot shot at the author of What Buddhists Believe, only to take blinders off anyones' eyes who do not want to investigate the claim.  (Please click on link given above to see more.)

You'll discover Japan had a big hand in such doings in Korea, and Tibet.  The Sinhalese of Sri Lanka also pressed their brand of Buddhism, perhaps not exactly in the wake of the true meaning of colonialism, but they did force the hand of many citizens in their area to adopt Buddhism.  In Bhutan, Buddhists are restricted from converting to other beliefs.  There are many rules against those who have other beliefs and may even lose their citizenship, among others things, because of it.

Back between the 5th and 6th centuries, there was the expansion of the Mon Kingdom.  Buddhist art was influenced by Indian Gupta art and sequentially followed that expansionas well as with the aforementioned merchant trade to Southeast Asia.  One cannot say whether this was forceful or a peaceful "take over" but surely Colonialism and Buddhism (especially Theravada) did partner each other; inevitable happenstance.

There were, though, times of advance of Buddhism that were indeed peaceful.  A time of slow but sure growth.  Nowadays more of the western world seek the so called peace and harmony of the more mystical admixture type of Buddhism such as found in Tibetan Buddhism with its more Mahayana Buddhism leanings.

If you scrutinize further, you will conclude that in Colonialism's wake, Buddhism did sprout up in tandem, and there was indeed aggression.

If you wish to learn more of this, click on the links given below:

History of Indian Influence on Southeast Asia

History of Buddhism

Buddhism Can Be Violent

Christianity often followed on the heels of colonialism.  Maybe that looks like hypocrisy.  Aggression by the invading, so-called "Christian" country and set up of governing powers, often with harsh governors, and then the missionaries coming to preach peace and love.  How does that equate?

We read on page 358 of What Buddhists Believe that...

"Aggression never finds approval in the teaching of the Buddha."

Similarly from page 360...

"Holy wars, crusades, inquisitions and religious discrimination do not mar the annals of the history of Buddhist countries..." 

Crusades initiated by those who called themselves "Christian" are a blatant travesty of history and an abomination to God.

Yes, the descendants of the initiators of crusades apologized with speech and walk of reconciliation.  The walk, joined even, by many from the Protestant persuasion showing contrition, went a long ways towards healing.  Even the Pope, said sorry.  Yet, there were those who were still not appeased due to reasons of suspected lack of sincerity on the part of some.

Aggression, sadly, marked the Christian history.  Where was the peace?  Where was the love?  Many have been turned off from becoming a true child of God because of the violence perpetrated by so-called Christians.  

My prayer is that many will be able to overcome all that hatred and discrimination, discerning the true source of the violence and come to Jesus despite the atrocities committed in His Name!  Know that Jesus came to bring life, and for people to have life more abundantly (John 10:10).  May they realize that it is Satan who still comes to "steal, kill and to destroy" (John 10:10).

This is an extensive topic, however, it is easily accessible via the internet should you wish to learn more.  Suffice it to say, that the religious beliefs of conquerors usually follow in the wake of their respective dominance.  This appears to be true whether, Christian, Buddhist or of any other vanquisher's religion.

Ideally, religion should be a positive influence, as Dr. Sri Dhammananda says,

"...so long as they truly help people to lead a religious way of life according to their own faith, enjoy peace, harmony and understanding" (Page 361).

Regrettably many did not, and often still do not.

May the true Christian bring the peace and joy of Christ, as the wafting of a sweet fragrant perfume scents the air, through Jesus Christ wherever they may be.

                                               ~ERC  November 2018~

Lord's Day Devotion - Mind Set

What is your mind set?   

Think about what you think about.

 Mind set can be a powerful thing.  When  you set your mind to accomplish a task, you can usually accomplish what you had set out to do.  If you are only halfhearted you will not achieve much.

Then the more your mind is full of unwholesome thoughts, actions will more than likely spawn into unwholesomeness.  On the other hand, virtuous thoughts would tend to produce good, and even noble,  actions.

Philippians 4:8 (ESV) exhorts,

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Another element, the basis or perspective from which you set your mind set, needs to be explored.  Is your mind set a redeemed one?  If so, it will bring you life and peace.  Look at what Romans 8:5-9 (ESV) tells us...

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

The mind set of the flesh produces "death" and is "hostile toward God".  In addition to that there is no submission to God.  By contrast, look at what redemption through Jesus Christ has done!  The mind set on "things" of the Spirit (the Holy Spirit of God given at the instant of salvation) brings life and peace, and pleases and submits to God.

Even at that, the key word "submit' is of great import.  Those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, have His Holy Spirit yet we still need to submit our minds and hearts to Him to be in tune with Him and keep our minds in step with His and be thinking of righteous God-honoring thoughts.

The focus here is that our redemption through Jesus Christ has given us this wonderful potential to have our minds and hearts controlled by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, and to produce that God-pleasing life as we submit to Him.  When we followers of Jesus Christ partake of the bread and wine on Lord's Day, remembering the impact of Jesus's death and resurrection has accomplished for us, let us thank Him with all gratitude for this cleansing and redeeming of our minds, hearts and souls.

Set your mind set on Christ.

                                                     ~ERC  November 2018~

Lord's Day Devotion - He First Loved Us

This morning at church we were hearing about how many of our brothers and sisters in Christ were suffering for their faith in Jesus.  How they were being persecuted, some beyond,  brutality.  We prayed for these who are so hated for having the Name of Jesus upon their lips and hearts.  We prayed that they will stand fast and have courage to continue on for Jesus; that they will also be able to forgive their perpetrators; that the perpetrators will be touched by the love of God changing the dark hate into the wonderful light and love of Christ. 

They were being hated because of love.  God first loved us and demonstrated that love by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us to buy our pardon, giving redemption for our sin and its consequences of suffering, death and Hell.  God loved.  God gave.  

When anyone turns to Christ and accepts His gift of love, that person's world may well be turned upside down.    Indeed, in many countries it is outright dangerous.  This is where the hate comes in.  God's enemy Satan is active and doesn't like to lose any of 'his' people.  He makes it difficult in the extreme for God's children.  

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first." (John 15:18 NIV)

Isn't this also what was done to God's Son?  They hated the One who loved them and gave Himself for them.  Nevertheless what the enemy meant for harm, God turned it for the good of all mankind.  This is also what many of God's children do too; turn back the hate and endure with the knowledge and comfort of God's love sustaining them.  Pray for them and give help where and when you can.

"We love Him because He first loved us."  (1 John 4:19 KJV)

What tremendous love from our Heavenly Father above!  As the emblems of the bread and wine are passed from one child of God to the next on Lord's Day, recall this love.  It came at great cost to God...His One and Only Son, the atoning Savior for mankind, hung up to bleed and die in our stead.  Hallelujah, what a Savior!  We praise God, that Jesus is alive and living for us in Heaven.  We serve a risen Savior.

May darkness be turned to light.  May hate be turned to love;  God's kind of love!

                                                  ~ERC   October 2018~

Here is a prayer for the persecuted church; quite possibly from Barnabas Fund:

"Lord, why were You forsaken, abandoned On that tree of curse and shame? Why were You left alone, Bereft of Your Father's love and care?

Today Your people seem forsaken,  Left alone in cruel hands, Persecuted, violently abused, martyred. Make real to them Your presence and Your love.

For hope is near, Glory descends and darkness is banished. Death's sting is no more. Resurrection triumphs o'er the grave. Christ lives for evermore.

Lord, Victim, Priest and King, Come to Your suffering people, Heal their brokenness, Bind up their wounds, Remove their distress, And be for them a hope and a future."

In Your Name we ask,Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.