Friday, October 13, 2017

What about Buddhism?

Image result for Buddha
Golden Statue of Buddha
Buddhist philosophy has been a darling of the multitudes who have chosen to reject following Jesus.  Here is a religion that teaches us to think positive thoughts, and to be kind to all living creatures. But even atheists are finding fault with Buddha.  https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/4021/the-dark-side-of-buddhism

I have visited Nepal and India, home of Buddhism, many times, and observed the temples built to honor Buddha.. It seems strange to see a golden statue representing the reformer who taught against Hindu idolatry.. Also I have looked at the societies where Buddha gained influence, and observed the outcome of practicing Buddhism.  Buddhism calls mankind to be his/her own god, rejecting the Bible and Jesus Christ, but actually practicing idolatry that was condemned by Buddha. 

Buddha deserted his personal responsibilities and his family, and gave himself over to meditation.  Emptying himself of limiting ideas about things that actually are meaningful, he became his own god. This reminds me of Satan's temptation of Eve in the garden.  "You will be wise like God"  the Serpent said.

Here is a short record of Buddha's life.   https://www.diamondway-buddhism.org/buddhism/buddha/ 

The belief that Buddhism is a peaceful philosophy cannot withstand the examination of history.  Buddhism in Japan was a major factor in the development of Japanese nationalism and militarism.  http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/11/books/meditating-on-war-and-guilt-zen-says-it-s-sorry.html 

I personally witnessed via Indian news the terrible war between the Sri Lankan Buddhist monks and the Tamil Tigers, while I visited nearby in Tamil Nadu, India. 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1554817/Sri-Lankas-Buddhist-monks-are-intent-on-war.html

And then there is Myamar.  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4977844/Images-desperate-scenes-Rohingya-refugees-face.html

I have personally visited a refugee camp in East Nepal for refugees who were expelled from Burma because they were not Buddhist.  History proves that Buddhism as practiced today is not a peaceful society.  It is nationalistic and exclusive.

I can hear the comments, "What about the horrible history of Christianity and war?"

The answer is found in the church-state combines that developed over time.  Jesus never intended for the secular state to control personal faith.  Personal faith and responsibility are the cornerstones of a society that actually follows Jesus.  The political empires developed by the exercise of religious power write the history of the great apostasy.. The persecution of Jews and the murder of congregational followers of Jesus mark the Apostasy.  The Byzantine Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Anglican Church, and various Protestant nationalist movements all were militant in their enforcement of politically motivated religious rules.  Church-state militancy was always in opposition to personal faith in Jesus Christ.  Blame Satan for the slaughter.  Wolves in sheep's clothing are always followers of Satan.

Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is actually a follower of the teachings of Jesus.  Everyone knows that Jesus taught us to love our enemies, and to do good to all men.  Thankfully, at the end of World War II, USA efforts to restore and rebuild successful communities in Japan and Germany did demonstrate the teaching of Jesus.

Believers in Jesus need to follow His teachings.  Meditating on good thoughts and doing good to other people are important parts of following Jesus.  But giving up doing useful labor so as to be more "Spiritual" becomes a drag on society.. Money given to Monks and Temples is diverted from the economy, and causes poverty. Jesus teaches us to work with our hands so that we can take care of our families and be helpful to other people.  Work is honorable, and good works are the center of following Jesus...

So yes, we need to meditate on good things, as Paul taught. 

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness[d] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 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. 9 What you have learned[e] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one gets to eternal life except through Him. When we surrender our lives in faith to Jesus Christ, making a decision to put Him first in our lives, and confessing our belief that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and then are immersed in water by the authority of Jesus Christ, we receive forgiveness of our sins and the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Communing with the Spirit given to us is the meditation we need in our lives.

Do not be deceived by the emptiness and self delusion encouraged by Buddha. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. He never fails those who trust in Him.


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Thomas believed because he saw

Jesus and Thomas

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,[d] was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”


https://www.facebook.com/rachel.gonce/videos/1692140010817750/

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Succoth

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Sukkot

Leviticus 23:39 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

Sukkot is an interesting feast, one of the three pilgrim festivals that required every Jewish male to journey to Jerusalem.  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Pilgrimage_Festivals

Even more interesting is the connection made by Zechariah of this festival and blessing under the new covenant. 

Zechariah 14English Standard Version (ESV)

The Coming Day of the Lord

14 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.[a]
On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost.[b] And there shall be a unique[c] day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea[d] and half of them to the western sea.[e] It shall continue in summer as in winter.
And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
10 The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. 11 And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction.[f] Jerusalem shall dwell in security.
12 And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
13 And on that day a great panic from the Lord shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. 14 Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem.[g] And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. 15 And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps.
16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. 17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain;[h] there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. 19 This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.
20 And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord.” And the pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the bowls before the altar. 21 And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the Lord of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader[i] in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day.
This is a new covenant passage. The water that flows from Jerusalem is the gospel going out into the world This is a companion text to Ezekiel chapter 47.

http://rgonce.blogspot.com/2013/02/ezekiels-river.html

So what does Zechariah mean when he says that all nations shall go up to Jerusalem to observe the feast of booths, or they will receive no rain?

Many bible teachers insist on making a literal application of such passages, but a thorough study will convince that this is talking about trusting God for salvation. Abraham was looking for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. The writer of Hebrews gives us a glance of the heavenly Jerusalem. where Jesus is presently reigning. He began His reign when He ascended into heaven at the time of Pentecost, and sent the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles at the beginning of the gospel proclamation. The water went forth from Jerusalem, and where it went and was received, it produced life.


A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

Heb 12:18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly[a] of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
Yes, the feast of booths should be celebrated in view of Heavenly Zion, by our recognizing that we are pilgrims, wayfaring strangers, just passing through this barren land. Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years, and they had no permanent buildings, but God provided what they needed for life. Let us daily renew our trust in Him.   And every year, at Sukkot, remember that YHWH provides for His people, and one day Yeshua will lead us over Jordan into the Promised Land.