**Church Notes** 5/31/2015

Because I attend a church that feed my heart, soul and my brain, I always want to share the feast. So, I'm thinking I will be sharing my little jottings and notes every now and then.

Church is always a blessing to me, and today's message was one that hit me hard. It was centered around the way we treat people. I've been so wrapped up in my personal issues that, lately, I've been less than loving.

It's not that I have been purposefully un-loving; I just have so much going on in my mind all the time that I can be blind to someone else's need for time and attention. (I notice that I always room enough in my mind for counting ways I feel slighted though... See? That right there is how I let the Enemy use me.)

Anyway, on to the notes I took this morning during service. My sarc is acting up this week so I can't do anything from memory, and I can barely read my own writing... so I will just list the key points (tear stains not included):

First note - 
There is another way for me to look at how I treat people. I will now always look at the following verses with a new understanding:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. --Matthew 25:35-40 (KJV)

We get chances all the time to offer our love to those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers - and so on - but we don't see the opportunity to love. We might be tired or feeling inconvenienced. The pastor gave a beautiful statement about how we can see that message in our daily lives if we realize that one day we will be having this conversation with Jesus. Pastor reminded us that we need to be there for others.

Second note - 
As Christians, we need to stop thinking in an "Us vs Them" kind of way. We are all thirsty - for love, forgiveness, redemption - and Jesus can quench that thirst. How often do we extend love to people who are in need of kindness? Do we talk to them about Jesus, or do we show them his love through our own behavior?

Third note -
What if God saw us/looked at us the way we see/look at each other?

Fourth note-
How often do we listen to each other? Do we just wait for our turn to speak, or our turn to make out point without hearing the other person?

Fifth note -
(from a book) Feeling valued is a fundamental human need. Do we show people in our lives that we value them? (The book is one I want to get: Vanishing Grace Study Guide: Whatever Happened to the Good News? by Philip Yancey)

Sixth note -
A good questions to ask: "When have you felt loved/valued?" or "What makes you feel loved or valued?"

Seventh note-
Line from song: "Things will grow strangely dim in the glory of His grace" (that's probably not all the right words, but...)  This line made me think of how all the things we pay excessive attention to here in this life are not going to matter in the life to come. (I also teared up and smiled thinking of my sister and mother. They don't have to worry anymore about their illnesses.)

To look up this song (I had to jot down some of the words, but I did find it): "Holy Spirit You Are Welcome Here | Your Presence Lord" The young man who sang it in church didn't think he could do it justice, but he did. It's a really beautiful song and it went right deep into the pastor's message.

Sorry for the jumble of notes, but I really was copying much as I could from my jottings and scribbles!

Peace
--Free

Intelligence vs Wisdom

I've often wondered why Atheists are Atheists in probably the same was that they wonder why Christians are Christians.

Since I'm not a Christian for the reasons that a lot of people might assume (that I'm ignorant, a blind follower, gullible, or just want or need to believe in something, etc.) I have always wanted to explain why I believe in God.

Although my mother was a Christian and took me to church when I was young, I came to a mature, thoughtful and reasoning belief in God on my own by putting a lot of thought into some things:

1. What was before there was anything?
2. Because there was a beginning of everything that is, (instead of  there still being nothing), whatever/whoever brought that about is - no matter what our beliefs are -  a creator of some kind.
3. There is a foolishness in believing that everything came from nothing. 
4. If  one believes in the "big bang" - instead of any kind of creator - then what caused that?
5. If that big bang caused all that is how did that "happening" get us to where we are today?
6. Where did the idea of right and wrong, good and evil, come from if the universe is just an accidental happening?
7. And what is originated the need of the concepts of right and wrong or good and evil?
8. If we, as a result of this accidental happening, have evolved to this point, why can't we absolutely prove that there is no creator or Creator?

While many people believe that faith in a Creator is illogical, even as a less mature Christian, I've always found a belief in the Big Bang theory egotistical. Why believe that anything (or Anyone) can be greater than we? 

I can better understand how someone could believe in another god. I can understand that because some people do just believe based on what their parents or culture passed down. Some people never question things for themselves. What I can't understand is how anyone can not believe in God or any god.

One of the things that seals my faith in God even more strongly is that there are people who believe that the "big bang" was caused by nothing or no One, because God already named these people: 

 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. (Psalm 14:1)

So, what would it take to have me even consider someone's argument of non-intelligent design?

• When they can create a new color, sound, smell - or anything else - without using what God already created. 
• When they can create life without using the materials that are already in existence. 
• When they can create something out of nothing.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

Because then they would be capable of doing what God has already done. And, even then, I would not disbelieve in God. Why? Because the man doing any of that is merely a creation of Someone other than himself.

Add caption

God is. He is proven in the very nature and universe around us, the air He created; the very things that make up everything that is the human body, mind and soul. Without Him there is nothing. We would not even be here to question His existence.

The only thing I can say to the person who believes that there is no God, is that their belief is much more foolish than my faith that God is.

And why do I believe the God of the Bible - and not some other god - that's easy: Jesus.

Jesus' life, death and resurrection were prophesied. The change that was promised to me if I chose to accept Jesus into my heart have proven true.

Now, a great mind - say, a physicist  - could make me look incredibly ignorant in a debate. I'm don't possess high intelligence (as it it measured by man), but I have wisdom enough to humble myself.

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

In a debate with someone who is more 'intelligent' than I, my only statement would be this: that they understand physics and mathematics, or whatever it is they specialize in, but they didn't create the concepts; they have only grasped it better than most of us.

The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath. (Psalms 94:11)

What I pray for is that every intelligent man will be wise enough to humble himself before God.

This whole subject of belief and unbelief is important because our choices will determine our ultimate eternity. As someone who believes that there is going to be eternal life after death spent in either Heaven or Hell. I don't want anyone to face Hell.

I once heard or read that a Christian responded to a Atheist by saying: "If you are right,  then I am safe. If I am right, you have problems." Of course, I am paraphrasing.

I know that there would be those who would continue the Atheist's argument by saying that Christians will have missed out on things our lifetime.  In my opinion, that's still a weak attitude. After all, even a secular humanist would agree that life is to be lived decently. So, the only winners in the Atheistic view of death are people who live this life like devils and make things unpleasant for all the rest of us.

At any rate, don't want this to be a one-sided discussion, so I'd be interested to hear from others on why they do (or do not) believe in the God of the Bible.

Peace
--Free