by: Divya Pathak
It has been a decade since Kolkata's “Saint of Gutters”, Mother Teresa went home to God. But Missionaries of Charity, the order established by Mother in 1950, still continues to feel her divine presence around. The moment one enters the premises of Mother's House on AJC Bose Road in central Kolkata, one is overwhelmed by a feeling of warmth, peace and serenity like one has never experienced before. Two days before her tenth death anniversary, the spirit of Mother Teresa rests in peace in a white marble tomb, built in the middle of Mother's House, and is surrounded by devotees, who sit with their heads bowed, paying a silent tribute to the lady who gave up everything to serve the “poorest of the poor”. “Service to the poorest of the poor” still continues to be the fundamental article of faith in Missionaries of Charity.
“Jesus is the bread of life” is written in flowers over Mother's tomb, and a soft fragrance of incense wafts through the air to create an aura of unmatched divinity. The room adjacent to Mother's tomb holds her possessions and pictures, and tells a tale of Mother's service to humankind. The pictures of Mother Teresa, along with her belongings displayed with care, make one feel a close proximity with the petite Mother. “She is everywhere in the House”, smiles Sister Nirmala, the Superior General of Missionaries of Charity, before settling down with HeadlinesIndia for an exclusive interview about life during Mother's time, and beyond.
It has been ten years since Mother passed away. How has life been in Missionaries of Charity after Mother?
Sister Nirmala: Missionaries of Charity, by the grace of God, and with the presence, prayers and blessings of Mother, is continuing with its work and is going on. It continues to be in the same spirit that it was in when it was founded by Mother.
It has also been ten years of responsibility for you. How does it feel to be in Mother's place?
Sister Nirmala: I would not say I am in Mother's place. I can never replace Mother. I have my own place. I cannot be Mother, I cannot live her life. I have my life, and I am living it the way Mother wanted me to. I think Mother is irreplaceable. No one can ever take her place.
How far do you think you have lived up to Mother's expectations?
Sister Nirmala: I am just continuing the work that she was doing. I try my best to live up to her expectations. I feel, may be Mother is happy with me (laughs).
So, do you hear Mother's voice in your heart, saying she is happy with you? Do you feel her around you?
Sister Nirmala: Yes, I feel her guiding me in everything I do. I never felt that she is not happy with me. I know she is there to look after everything.
Apparently you shared a very close bond with Mother. Tell us something about your relationship with Mother Teresa.
Sister Nirmala: See, we are sisters, but we are really her daughters. I was like her daughter too...
And what kind of bonding did you share with her?
Sister Nirmala: She was a real mother for my future direction. She guided me in a lot of things. As I grew up before her eyes, she taught me how to love, how to care selflessly. She guided me to spirituality, and she encouraged me in whatever I wanted to do (Mother Teresa had encouraged Sister Nirmala to study law). So I really shared a very special bond with her.
With such special bond, do you miss her around?
Sister Nirmala: It is only her physical being that is missing from here. Her spirit continues to be in every part of the order. We feel here presence everywhere.
Coming back to the order, what changes has Missionaries of Charity seen over the past decade?
Sister Nirmala: The changes have come in the form of expansion. We have expanded to 14 new countries, and we are striving hard to expand further. The Missionaries of Charity has set up 166 new homes across the world. The number of nuns has increased too. Everything else is the same (laughs)...
It is often alleged that Missionaries of Charity follows a static and rudimentary style of functioning....
Sister Nirmala: It is our rule, you know. We follow our tradition, we follow our spirit...
Don't you wish to modernise the Missionaries of Charity?
Sister Nirmala: No. We prefer to keep it simple. That is the way Missionaries of Charity is (laughs).
What about the funds and donations that are sent to Missionaries of Charity? Has there been any change in the amount of help you received during Mother's time?
For More Articles By The Same Author Or For More News From India Visit http://www.headlinesindia.com/
Sabtu, 23 Agustus 2008
Out of Orthodoxy – From Orthodox Rabbi to Secular Humanist
by: Rabbi David S. Gruber
Many people reading this will not be happy. I suppose this article will be seen as somewhat analogous to a person everybody thought of as really, really straight coming out of the closet and proudly proclaiming him or herself as gay. No, it’s probably worse; as most Americans would sooner elect a gay person as President, than elect a secular humanist. In fact, a mere few years ago, the head of school of a prominent Orthodox Jewish day school left his job, came out of the closet as a homosexual, and checked out of Orthodox Jewish observance. Many of his students were angrier at the latter, rather than the former, even though (male) homosexual activity is a capital offense under Jewish Law. Go figure.
Well, here goes. (Deep breath.) Having grown up an Orthodox Jew since the age of eight, having gone to prominent Israeli high school and post high school yeshivas, having been ordained by the Chief Rabbis of Israel, having served as the rabbi of an Orthodox congregation, as the head of one Jewish educational organization, and in the professional leadership of two Jewish day schools, having taught formally and informally people of all ages about Judaism, basically, since the age of sixteen, I am checking out. I am no longer Orthodox, and beyond that, no longer a theist. That’s it, it’s over. I am a secular humanist.
What happened? Looking back I see things differently than I did at the time, but I have always been a skeptic. I never accepted things at face value, and consequently gradually there were more and more things in my religious philosophy and belief system that didn’t really fit. There were more and more square pegs that really needed to be forced into round holes.
The change of heart and mind itself though really kind of happened all at once. It was as if it had always been clear to me. I just couldn’t understand why I didn’t pick up on it before. Orthodox Judaism and everything it was based on was wrong. It wasn’t just factually wrong, it was at times immoral, and it had robbed me of my individuality. It felt like a jail, which I couldn’t wait to get out of.
When I spell out my problems with Orthodox Judaism it really starts, first, with the fact that I really just don’t connect to it anymore emotionally or cognitively. It really seems rather alien to me. The financial, emotional and social sacrifices one must make within the framework of Orthodox Judaism are substantial, and if one does not connect to it, find meaning in it, and believe it to be absolutely true, I cannot see how one can continue to live according to its multiple and minute precepts.
One might object and protest that if Orthodox Judaism’s claims are valid, the fact that you don’t connect to it should not be a factor. Here lies the rub. There is absolutely no proof that Orthodox Judaism’s claims are valid. There is no proof that there is a God. In previous centuries at the primitive level of their scientific knowledge (even though there was never proof) there might have been reasons to posit a designer for the world. Our knowledge today of cosmology and biology no longer necessitates this. Not only that, there is no proof that a God dictated the Torah to Moses, if such a person ever existed, and no proof that any of the things we are told in the Torah ever happened. Even in books in the Hebrew Bible that might have some truth to them such as the Former Prophets, proof is available only for a select number of persons and events, which even in those cases usually does not back up the account of the Hebrew Bible. There is certainly no proof that the Oral Law existed much time before the Common Era. Again, perhaps in past generations, in the absence of the knowledge we now have about the development of these writings and ideas, there were reasons to accept these claims as true. Our knowledge today no longer necessitates this. In short, even before analyzing the points against belief in the Torah, you need to take quite a leap of faith, one that I see as entirely unwarranted. Occam’s razor and simple logic dictate therefore that these claims be seen as not only not provable, but also false.
Second, I am convinced that significant parts of the Torah (and the rest of the Hebrew Bible) and the corpus of Halacha are immoral, intolerant, backward, racist, sexist and homophobic. Definitely the argument can be made that the Torah has much beauty to it, and that (at least in certain parts of it) it was beyond its time, but judging by today’s standards it is extremely lacking. Hence I find it impossible that it was written by God.
Third, Orthodox Judaism is very much dependent on Moses’ receiving of the Torah from God, and that just does not fit with the evidence. Anyone who takes a serious and detailed look at the Torah and modern biblical research with an objective eye cannot fail to see that the theory of monoauthorism, namely that the Torah was written by a single author, especially in the 13th Century B.C.E. (and certainly earlier), is a fantasy. At that time Hebrew script and writing did not yet exist. The Canaanite alphabet had barely been standardized, after the change from 27 consonants to 22 consonants, and it was still written right to left, left to right and vertically too. Archeology clearly shows that Israelite society, when it emerged, was not a literate society, while the Torah takes this as a given. This is only one of numerous anachronisms in the Torah that make it clear that it is not a 13th Century B.C.E. document. In the 13th Century B.C.E., for example, contrary to what is imagined by the biblical authors, there were no domesticated camels, no Philistines living on the Coast, no Chaldeans in Ur, no widespread use of iron and coinage, no kingdoms in Edom, Moab and Amon, and the cities of Dan (with that name), Nineveh, Beer-Sheva, Gerar and many others mentioned were not founded yet.
Beyond that, the Documentary Hypothesis, the theory that the Torah is the product of a 6th-5th Century B.C.E. redaction of four (main and a few other minor) sources written during the 9th-6th Centuries B.C.E., is pretty much iron clad. The only serious opposition, very unconvincing in my eyes, is from those scholars on the left who accept polyauthorism, the existence of a number of authors, but maintain that the Torah is a product of late post exilic writings. There is simply no serious opposition from the Orthodox camp, which can deal with, and explain away the hundreds of points of data in six or seven different categories converging together that back up the Documentary Hypothesis.
Indeed, for the last half century, at least, no serious and comprehensive case has been mounted by the Orthodox to prove monoauthorism, and disprove polyauthorism on any serious level, and certainly not to prove monoauthorism from the 13th Century B.C.E. Some of the Orthodox are fond of citing differences of opinion in the biblical research community, regarding the details of polyauthorism, as some dubious proof that polyauthorism is wrong, and by default monoauthorism is right. This defies logic. Disagreement about details of an accepted construct with adequate support in honest research does not imply that the whole construct is invalid, and presto, the opposing unproved and irreparably flawed construct is right. Tired repetition of a few critical comments written by polyauthorists many years ago within the context of the above discussions, and usually quoted out of context, with no regard for evidence that has surfaced since the time of the comments, does no one any good either. Giving isolated case by case explanations (excuses?) how blatant contradictions aren’t really contradictions, or how anachronisms can be twisted to somehow fit the supposed time period they were written in, or how certain linguistic, thematic or terminological phenomena may have alternative explanations, while ignoring the overall patterns, that again cut across hundreds of points of data in six or seven different categories converging together, is just not serious.
Fourth, an honest look at today’s mainstream Syro-Palestinian archeology can lead only to one understanding, namely, that the Exodus from Egypt, including the subsequent journey through the Sinai and Transjordan, and the Conquest of Canaan, never happened in any way remotely related to the account in the Torah, and for all practical purposes never happened at all. In fact, the consensus of archeologists today is that the Israelites and Judahites emerged out of the Canaanites of the Central Highlands of Ancient Palestine in the 12th-11th Century B.C.E. Without the foundational events of the Exodus and Conquest, the entire edifice of Orthodox Judaism crumbles. Add to that that most of what we are told in the Hebrew Bible before the 9th-8th Century B.C.E. is extremely questionable, certainly as far as scope and details are concerned. Even after that we are told a story that is a very specific version of the historical events, the version adopted by the minority Yahweh Alone party, the small group of priests who left their legacy and ideology embedded in the Deuteronomistic History (the composition which originally included the nine books of Deuteronomy – Kings).
This is probably the strongest proof out there, and no one in the Orthodox community, to my knowledge, has dealt with this at all (and saying that the archeologists don’t know what they are talking about doesn’t count). More than that, some will still cite the now easily debunked and heavily biased “biblical archeology” of the past, which seemed to back up some of the accounts of the Hebrew Bible (conveniently leaving out the fact that it never really backed up others, and even went against some of them). It is as if nothing has happened in this field of research in the last half century, while in reality the revolution and systemization of this field over the course of those years has been phenomenal, turning this science into a much more exact one.
With the above in mind, it makes much more sense that religion in general, with Judaism being no different, is the human product of people’s efforts to understand the world around them, especially before the advent of modern science, find meaning in their lives, and strive for connection with the transcendental. I remain fascinated by these cultural human phenomena, but convinced that they are just that. Again, there are many reasons to support such a conclusion, and absolutely no reason I should believe otherwise.
The more I read and research, the more I realize the truth and beauty of secular humanism. I do not wish to base my life on fables, wishful thinking while ignoring the facts, and an imaginary friend that supposedly rules the universe, to whom we owe allegiance and obedient worship. Nor do I seek, as some Jewish movements to the left of Orthodoxy do, to continue in the footsteps of traditional Judaism, just in a watered down fashion. Rather I wish to base my life on a non-theistic world outlook that recognizes the supremacy of reason, and the dignity of the human being, who can and must stand alone in this world, and whose accomplishments and perseverance in an incredible and beautiful, while hostile and indifferent universe can and should be celebrated.
After I wrote most of this, I saw that Christopher Hitchens summed up most of my thoughts so perfectly, “A moment in history has now arrived when even a pygmy such as myself can claim to know more [then the wisest of previous generations – DSG] – through no merit of my own – and to see that the final ripping of the disguise is overdue. Between them, the sciences of textual criticism, archeology, physics and molecular biology have shown religious myths to be false and man-made and have also succeeded in evolving better and more enlightened explanations. The loss of faith can be compensated by the newer and finer wonders we have before us…” (God is Not Great, 2007, p. 151)
I do not expect anyone to fully understand, just based on reading this. The above is based on much contemplation and much research, which cannot be adequately conveyed in a few paragraphs. Frankly, I am not really that interested in convincing anyone. I simply cannot live as an Orthodox Jew anymore, and I need to state that clearly. I look forward with excitement to a new and different life, as a secular humanist.
One last note to my friends who remain within the Orthodox community, where those who leave the community are derided as being off the derech or (proper) “way”: Please do not refer to me as someone who is off the derech. I am on my own derech with as much legitimacy as yours, and frankly in light of all the above facts, a truer one and more realistic one too.
http://www.interfaithweddingrabbi.net
Many people reading this will not be happy. I suppose this article will be seen as somewhat analogous to a person everybody thought of as really, really straight coming out of the closet and proudly proclaiming him or herself as gay. No, it’s probably worse; as most Americans would sooner elect a gay person as President, than elect a secular humanist. In fact, a mere few years ago, the head of school of a prominent Orthodox Jewish day school left his job, came out of the closet as a homosexual, and checked out of Orthodox Jewish observance. Many of his students were angrier at the latter, rather than the former, even though (male) homosexual activity is a capital offense under Jewish Law. Go figure.
Well, here goes. (Deep breath.) Having grown up an Orthodox Jew since the age of eight, having gone to prominent Israeli high school and post high school yeshivas, having been ordained by the Chief Rabbis of Israel, having served as the rabbi of an Orthodox congregation, as the head of one Jewish educational organization, and in the professional leadership of two Jewish day schools, having taught formally and informally people of all ages about Judaism, basically, since the age of sixteen, I am checking out. I am no longer Orthodox, and beyond that, no longer a theist. That’s it, it’s over. I am a secular humanist.
What happened? Looking back I see things differently than I did at the time, but I have always been a skeptic. I never accepted things at face value, and consequently gradually there were more and more things in my religious philosophy and belief system that didn’t really fit. There were more and more square pegs that really needed to be forced into round holes.
The change of heart and mind itself though really kind of happened all at once. It was as if it had always been clear to me. I just couldn’t understand why I didn’t pick up on it before. Orthodox Judaism and everything it was based on was wrong. It wasn’t just factually wrong, it was at times immoral, and it had robbed me of my individuality. It felt like a jail, which I couldn’t wait to get out of.
When I spell out my problems with Orthodox Judaism it really starts, first, with the fact that I really just don’t connect to it anymore emotionally or cognitively. It really seems rather alien to me. The financial, emotional and social sacrifices one must make within the framework of Orthodox Judaism are substantial, and if one does not connect to it, find meaning in it, and believe it to be absolutely true, I cannot see how one can continue to live according to its multiple and minute precepts.
One might object and protest that if Orthodox Judaism’s claims are valid, the fact that you don’t connect to it should not be a factor. Here lies the rub. There is absolutely no proof that Orthodox Judaism’s claims are valid. There is no proof that there is a God. In previous centuries at the primitive level of their scientific knowledge (even though there was never proof) there might have been reasons to posit a designer for the world. Our knowledge today of cosmology and biology no longer necessitates this. Not only that, there is no proof that a God dictated the Torah to Moses, if such a person ever existed, and no proof that any of the things we are told in the Torah ever happened. Even in books in the Hebrew Bible that might have some truth to them such as the Former Prophets, proof is available only for a select number of persons and events, which even in those cases usually does not back up the account of the Hebrew Bible. There is certainly no proof that the Oral Law existed much time before the Common Era. Again, perhaps in past generations, in the absence of the knowledge we now have about the development of these writings and ideas, there were reasons to accept these claims as true. Our knowledge today no longer necessitates this. In short, even before analyzing the points against belief in the Torah, you need to take quite a leap of faith, one that I see as entirely unwarranted. Occam’s razor and simple logic dictate therefore that these claims be seen as not only not provable, but also false.
Second, I am convinced that significant parts of the Torah (and the rest of the Hebrew Bible) and the corpus of Halacha are immoral, intolerant, backward, racist, sexist and homophobic. Definitely the argument can be made that the Torah has much beauty to it, and that (at least in certain parts of it) it was beyond its time, but judging by today’s standards it is extremely lacking. Hence I find it impossible that it was written by God.
Third, Orthodox Judaism is very much dependent on Moses’ receiving of the Torah from God, and that just does not fit with the evidence. Anyone who takes a serious and detailed look at the Torah and modern biblical research with an objective eye cannot fail to see that the theory of monoauthorism, namely that the Torah was written by a single author, especially in the 13th Century B.C.E. (and certainly earlier), is a fantasy. At that time Hebrew script and writing did not yet exist. The Canaanite alphabet had barely been standardized, after the change from 27 consonants to 22 consonants, and it was still written right to left, left to right and vertically too. Archeology clearly shows that Israelite society, when it emerged, was not a literate society, while the Torah takes this as a given. This is only one of numerous anachronisms in the Torah that make it clear that it is not a 13th Century B.C.E. document. In the 13th Century B.C.E., for example, contrary to what is imagined by the biblical authors, there were no domesticated camels, no Philistines living on the Coast, no Chaldeans in Ur, no widespread use of iron and coinage, no kingdoms in Edom, Moab and Amon, and the cities of Dan (with that name), Nineveh, Beer-Sheva, Gerar and many others mentioned were not founded yet.
Beyond that, the Documentary Hypothesis, the theory that the Torah is the product of a 6th-5th Century B.C.E. redaction of four (main and a few other minor) sources written during the 9th-6th Centuries B.C.E., is pretty much iron clad. The only serious opposition, very unconvincing in my eyes, is from those scholars on the left who accept polyauthorism, the existence of a number of authors, but maintain that the Torah is a product of late post exilic writings. There is simply no serious opposition from the Orthodox camp, which can deal with, and explain away the hundreds of points of data in six or seven different categories converging together that back up the Documentary Hypothesis.
Indeed, for the last half century, at least, no serious and comprehensive case has been mounted by the Orthodox to prove monoauthorism, and disprove polyauthorism on any serious level, and certainly not to prove monoauthorism from the 13th Century B.C.E. Some of the Orthodox are fond of citing differences of opinion in the biblical research community, regarding the details of polyauthorism, as some dubious proof that polyauthorism is wrong, and by default monoauthorism is right. This defies logic. Disagreement about details of an accepted construct with adequate support in honest research does not imply that the whole construct is invalid, and presto, the opposing unproved and irreparably flawed construct is right. Tired repetition of a few critical comments written by polyauthorists many years ago within the context of the above discussions, and usually quoted out of context, with no regard for evidence that has surfaced since the time of the comments, does no one any good either. Giving isolated case by case explanations (excuses?) how blatant contradictions aren’t really contradictions, or how anachronisms can be twisted to somehow fit the supposed time period they were written in, or how certain linguistic, thematic or terminological phenomena may have alternative explanations, while ignoring the overall patterns, that again cut across hundreds of points of data in six or seven different categories converging together, is just not serious.
Fourth, an honest look at today’s mainstream Syro-Palestinian archeology can lead only to one understanding, namely, that the Exodus from Egypt, including the subsequent journey through the Sinai and Transjordan, and the Conquest of Canaan, never happened in any way remotely related to the account in the Torah, and for all practical purposes never happened at all. In fact, the consensus of archeologists today is that the Israelites and Judahites emerged out of the Canaanites of the Central Highlands of Ancient Palestine in the 12th-11th Century B.C.E. Without the foundational events of the Exodus and Conquest, the entire edifice of Orthodox Judaism crumbles. Add to that that most of what we are told in the Hebrew Bible before the 9th-8th Century B.C.E. is extremely questionable, certainly as far as scope and details are concerned. Even after that we are told a story that is a very specific version of the historical events, the version adopted by the minority Yahweh Alone party, the small group of priests who left their legacy and ideology embedded in the Deuteronomistic History (the composition which originally included the nine books of Deuteronomy – Kings).
This is probably the strongest proof out there, and no one in the Orthodox community, to my knowledge, has dealt with this at all (and saying that the archeologists don’t know what they are talking about doesn’t count). More than that, some will still cite the now easily debunked and heavily biased “biblical archeology” of the past, which seemed to back up some of the accounts of the Hebrew Bible (conveniently leaving out the fact that it never really backed up others, and even went against some of them). It is as if nothing has happened in this field of research in the last half century, while in reality the revolution and systemization of this field over the course of those years has been phenomenal, turning this science into a much more exact one.
With the above in mind, it makes much more sense that religion in general, with Judaism being no different, is the human product of people’s efforts to understand the world around them, especially before the advent of modern science, find meaning in their lives, and strive for connection with the transcendental. I remain fascinated by these cultural human phenomena, but convinced that they are just that. Again, there are many reasons to support such a conclusion, and absolutely no reason I should believe otherwise.
The more I read and research, the more I realize the truth and beauty of secular humanism. I do not wish to base my life on fables, wishful thinking while ignoring the facts, and an imaginary friend that supposedly rules the universe, to whom we owe allegiance and obedient worship. Nor do I seek, as some Jewish movements to the left of Orthodoxy do, to continue in the footsteps of traditional Judaism, just in a watered down fashion. Rather I wish to base my life on a non-theistic world outlook that recognizes the supremacy of reason, and the dignity of the human being, who can and must stand alone in this world, and whose accomplishments and perseverance in an incredible and beautiful, while hostile and indifferent universe can and should be celebrated.
After I wrote most of this, I saw that Christopher Hitchens summed up most of my thoughts so perfectly, “A moment in history has now arrived when even a pygmy such as myself can claim to know more [then the wisest of previous generations – DSG] – through no merit of my own – and to see that the final ripping of the disguise is overdue. Between them, the sciences of textual criticism, archeology, physics and molecular biology have shown religious myths to be false and man-made and have also succeeded in evolving better and more enlightened explanations. The loss of faith can be compensated by the newer and finer wonders we have before us…” (God is Not Great, 2007, p. 151)
I do not expect anyone to fully understand, just based on reading this. The above is based on much contemplation and much research, which cannot be adequately conveyed in a few paragraphs. Frankly, I am not really that interested in convincing anyone. I simply cannot live as an Orthodox Jew anymore, and I need to state that clearly. I look forward with excitement to a new and different life, as a secular humanist.
One last note to my friends who remain within the Orthodox community, where those who leave the community are derided as being off the derech or (proper) “way”: Please do not refer to me as someone who is off the derech. I am on my own derech with as much legitimacy as yours, and frankly in light of all the above facts, a truer one and more realistic one too.
http://www.interfaithweddingrabbi.net
Out of Orthodoxy - Why This Former Orthodox Rabbi Will Officiate at Interfaith Weddings
by: Rabbi David S. Gruber
Many might ask, even accuse, how can I, a rabbi, who once was Orthodox, who served an Orthodox congregation, and at the helm of Orthodox educational institutions, be willing, nay eager, to help interfaith couples and (co)officiate at their weddings?
Let me open with a family story. I remember a discussion my grandmother had with my great uncle in front of me. They had both moved from the East Coast to Portland, Oregon to be with their children and grandchildren. Neither was observant in the Orthodox sense of the word, but both had bought kosher meat back east. While my grandmother continued to buy kosher meat in Portland despite the higher price, my great uncle started buying non-kosher meat, once he moved out there. He explained that kosher meat was just too expensive. My grandmother sternly responded, that she continued to buy kosher meat, because, “that is how our parents brought us up!”
That logic never made sense to me. I bought kosher food, lived in the Eruv, sent my kids to a costly day school, and fulfilled all the other costly and taxing demands of Halacha, because I firmly believed that God had commanded me to do so. Even where tradition came into play, such as the standard derech hapsak (modus of halachic ruling) of the Rama[1], concepts of minhag yisrael din hu (the custom of Israel has the force of law), and the like, the implicit, if not explicit reasoning was that God wants you to do it this way, not that tradition in and of itself had some independent value aside from God’s will. My opposition at the time to intermarriage, as to any transgression of Jewish Law had nothing to do with tradition. As an Orthodox rabbi I did not, nor would I have dreamt of performing intermarriages, as it is against Halacha. Period. What mattered to me was the desire of the deity, not a tradition, in and of itself.
About a year and a half ago, this all changed. I had an epiphany of sorts, and it became clear to me that I could not remain Orthodox. I began a year and a half long journey of study and exploration, at the end of which I left the Orthodox world behind, and I now live my life as a Jewish secular humanist. I no longer buy kosher food, live in the Eruv, send my kids to a costly day school, or fulfill all the other costly and taxing demands of Halacha, because I firmly believe that no God has commanded me to do so. As my objection to officiating at intermarriages was part and parcel of my Halachic life, I see no reason not to do this now. Period. Now what guides my life are the ideals of humanism. What matters is how I can help my fellow human being, and how I can make the world a better place for humanity in general. That is of the most paramount importance, not the imagined desire of a deity[2].
I remember when I first met with Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn, over some kosher ribs at Irv’s Market in Kansas City[3]. He explained his philosophy of what he would and wouldn’t do through a story which was intended in good humor to cause even the most liberal Orthodox rabbi (me) to raise an eyebrow. Once he got the effect he wanted, he explained seriously that he has one criterion when he judges a potential act – will it further the cause of Judaism? I too have one criterion – will what I do help my fellow human beings, and will it further the cause of humanistic ideals? Treating a couple with kindness and compassion, as human beings, as individuals, which is the way they treated each other when they fell in love is the best way of fulfilling this. In fact, I can think of few things better than helping a couple make the most important day of their life even more wonderful, especially when so many rabbis will not do so without attaching numerous conditions[4].
Rabbi Adam Chalom[5] talks about the fact that all marriages are intermarriages. People marry multifaceted individuals; each one of us has many defining characteristics, with our religion being just one of them. In that sense even a marriage between two Ultra-Orthodox Jews is a mixed marriage, and a marriage between a Jew and a non-Jew, who are on the same “wave length” in many things could be less of a stretch, depending on the other characteristics of each individual. Amy Elkes[6] writes, “My boyfriend and I share many of the same beliefs and values. We both believe in acting with honesty and integrity. We both honor our families and believe that children are a couple’s greatest commitment. We love learning and traveling and exploring new places. When we face problems, no matter what kind, we turn to one another for comfort and support. In short we do not define ourselves solely by our religions, and as a result, we have a tremendous amount of common ground to stand on.” Each couple must ascertain if their “package” is one that will work. After, all a perfectly Halachic marriage between a Humanistic Jew and an Ultra Orthodox Jew would probably have a lesser chance of remaining intact, than one between a Humanistic Jew and a Humanistic Buddhist[7].
The interesting thing is that if we are, after all, to invoke tradition, we who see nothing wrong with interfaith marriage have quite a leg to stand on, and in a sense a better one than those who invoke tradition against it. After all, from the period where our ancestors, the Canaanites of the Central Highlands started to define themselves as Israelites and Judahites[8] to at least 450 B.C.E., beyond the standard xenophobia, so common to those times, not many thought there was really that much wrong with intermarriage. This was in part because they all worshipped many of the same gods, with a small group of priests in the 7th Century B.C.E. pushing monolatry[9] of one of those particular gods, Yahweh, and trying to foment a little bit more than the standard xenophobia with their intermarriage prohibitions. The latter openly lament, that they really didn’t make too much of a “splash” at the time in the general populace. That is why we see intermarriage exemplified by the legendary figures of Ruth[10], Ma’acha[11], Na’ama[12], Jezebel[13], Yeter[14], Uriah[15], and many more. Prof. Baruch Halpern[16] talks about the fact that in general this Yahweh Alone party rewrote history with the traditional Israelite practice condemned as foreign and against tradition, and the new practice of this new party elevated as the true Israelite tradition. This is just one more instance, where that is so true. By being open to interfaith marriage we invoke the ancient and true traditions of our Canaanite/Israelite ancestors. By leaving their xenophobia behind, we improve on these traditions.
I feel a personal connection to such an avenue of thinking regarding myself as one who will (co)officiate at interfaith marriages. The following is my personal conjecture, and I may be a little off, but certainly not anymore so than traditional Judaism’s version. There have been a number of fascinating studies regarding the evidence mitochondrial and Y chromosome DNA markers give us regarding the development of the human race. One of the most fascinating of these studies is the study that implies that 70-80% of today’s male Kohanim (Aaronide or Zadokite priests) are in fact descended from a single common male ancestor who lived 2100-3500 years ago[17]. Now, the consensus of archeologists is quite clear that the Israelites and Judahites emerged from the Canaanites of the Central Highlands[18]. That means that that ancestor most probably came from within that milieu. If you read between the lines of the Bible, you can see that there is a certain probability that the story of the Aaronide priesthood really begins with the selection of two rival Cannanite priesthood lines by the rustic Judahite chieftain we know as David (who we now have evidence did in fact exist[19]) with the Zadokite line winning out. When I, a Kohen, stand before a couple and consecrate them in marriage, I see myself not only as an heir to the historical traditions of Judaism and the original Cannanite/Israelites, but also, by virtue of my DNA, as an heir to that ancient Cannanite priesthood, who may have officiated at many marriages of all sorts, without anyone thinking anything about it.
Some may say that officiating at interfaith marriages will decimate the Jewish people. Some, and I count my former self as guilty in this regard, even use abhorrent references to a “voluntary holocaust”, as if people wishing to marry those they love are analogous to those who murdered a third of our people. Again Chalom is poignant in his thinking in this matter. Why not look at this as enlarging the Jewish people? To Jewish theists of all stripes, there is a need to legally define who is Jewish and who is not, as they look at Jews through religious eyes. Who is a Jew, is as important a subject to the most liberal Reform rabbi, as it is to her Neturai Karta counterpart. To them, by virtue of some version of Halacha the children of the interfaith couple will be Jewish or won’t be Jewish, and this is a concern of the utmost importance. To me, Judaism is primarily an issue of culture, history, and an intellectual tradition, the positive and relevant aspects of which I embrace along with the traditions of the enlightenment. One can be a part of many different cultures. My children are three quarters Ashkenazic, and one quarter Sephardic. Did I do damage to Ashkenazi culture by not marrying a fully Ashkenazic woman? My cousin married a man from China. Did she do damage to her children by not marrying an American born man? Did he do damage to his children by not marrying a Chinese woman? Certainly, to their shame, many people, a generation or two ago would have answered to the affirmative. To the shame of Ultra Orthodox Judaism in Israel, they still answer to the affirmative today to my first question. Need we be so narrow minded? Can we not understand that there is something enriching and positive and wonderful about more people out there being heirs to a Jewish cultural, historical and intellectual tradition, combined with whatever additional identities they have? This should be seen as a blessing, not a problem.
Our Rabbis ask[20] what does God do ever since he finished with the heavy lifting of creation? They tell us that he does one thing – matchmaking. The idea of marriage, two separate people coming together to form one united entity, when you think about it, is really quite fantastic. In our modern culture with the high divorce rate, we see how incredibly difficult it can be to keep such a package intact. Those of us who are married know that you need to keep working at it day by day. If we are approached by a couple who deeply love each other, who have thought the issues of their compatibility through, and have decided that they would like nothing more than to spend their life together, blending their lives and their flesh into one, and they ask us to help them make this dream come true, dare we say no? I know I cannot, and I will not. I will not attach any conditions to my willingness to (co)officiate, and I will have one question only, the question Chalom says he asks couples when they approach him, “Do you love each other?” If the answer is yes, I will have only one response, “Mazel Tov, now let’s look at some dates…”
[1] Acronym in Hebrew for the Polish Rabbi Moshe Iserles, contrary to his Spanish counterpart, Rabbi Yosef Karo, ruled primarily based on tradition, many times opening his glosses on the latter’s ruling with the phrase “In these lands the custom is”. Karo based his rulings primarily on a quasi democratic system amongst three rabbis, Maimonides, Rabbi Yitzhak Alfasi, and Rabbenu Asher, whom he crowned, the “three pillars of Halacha”. This arbitrary system was severely criticized by Iserles and others.
[2]For a full explanation of my reasons for becoming a secular humanist see Gruber, D. S. (2007) Out of Orthodoxy – From Orthodox Rabbi to Secular Humanist. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from http://littlefoxling.blogspot.com/2007/11/guest-post-from-david-gruber.html
[3] Cukierkorn had stated that his reason for moving to Kansas City could be summed up in one word “BBQ”…
[4] Most studies and personal anecdotal experiences indicate that the vast majority of the rabbis that will perform intermarriages attach conditions to such willingness, such as no officiating on Shabbat, officiating only for members of the rabbi’s synagogue, no co-officiating with non-Jewish clergy, officiating only if the couple will raise their children as Jewish, and more and more. Very few, like me, attach no conditions to their willingness to (co)offciate
[5]http://kolhadash.com/Intermarriage.mp3
[6] Elkes, A. (2007). Grown Up Love is Complicated. Retrieved November 18, 2007, from http://www.interfaithfamily.com/relationships/interdating/Grown-Up_Love_Is_Complicated.shtml
[7] See for instance Winterbottom, M. (Director). (2007). A Mighty Heart. Hollywood: Paramount Home Video, and the book it was based on, which tells the story of Daniel and Mariane Pearl, who fit this bill. The film includes scenes of their interfaith marriage.
[8]Finkelstein, I. & Silberman, N. A. (2001). The Bible Unearthed. New York: Simon and Schuster
[9] This is the concept of believing in the existence of many gods, but swearing allegiance to only one. This is quite different from monotheism, where one believes in the existence of only one god. Most scholars today agree that the Yahweh Alone party were monolatrists, not monotheists, and the straightforward reading of the Hebrew Bible really always pointed in that direction.
[10] Ruth 1,4; 4,13
[11] I Chronicles 3,2
[12] I Kings 14,21
[13] I Kings 17,31
[14] I Chronicles 2,17
[15] II Samuel 11,3
[16]Halpern, B. Sybil, or the Two Nations? Archaism, Kinship, Alienation, and the Elite Redefinition of Traditional Culture in Judah in the 8th-7th Centuries B.C.E., in Cooper, J. S. and Schwartz, G. M. (1996). The Study of the Ancient Near East in the Twenty-First Century: The William Foxwell Albright Centennial Conference. Indiana: Eisenbrauns
[17]Skorecki, K., Selig S., Blazer S., Bradman R., Bradman N., Waburton P.J., Ismajlowicz M. & Hammer M.F. (1997). Y chromosomes of Jewish priests. Nature 385: 32. See also Schrack, B. (2007). Cohen does not equal CMH,CMH does not equal Cohen -- only in J1 do they coincide. GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives. Retrieved Nobember 15, 2007, especially her remarks at the end of the posting.
[18]Finkelstein, I. & Silberman, N. A. (2001). The Bible Unearthed. New York: Simon and Schuster
[19]Biran, A. and Naveh J. (1993). An Aramaic Stele Fragment from Tel Dan. Israel Exploration Journal 43, pp. 81-98; Biran, A. and Naveh J. (1995). The Tel Dan Inscription: A New Fragment. Israel Exploration Journal 45, pp. 1-18.
[20] Bereshit Rabbah 68,4
http://www.interfaithweddingrabbi.net
Many might ask, even accuse, how can I, a rabbi, who once was Orthodox, who served an Orthodox congregation, and at the helm of Orthodox educational institutions, be willing, nay eager, to help interfaith couples and (co)officiate at their weddings?
Let me open with a family story. I remember a discussion my grandmother had with my great uncle in front of me. They had both moved from the East Coast to Portland, Oregon to be with their children and grandchildren. Neither was observant in the Orthodox sense of the word, but both had bought kosher meat back east. While my grandmother continued to buy kosher meat in Portland despite the higher price, my great uncle started buying non-kosher meat, once he moved out there. He explained that kosher meat was just too expensive. My grandmother sternly responded, that she continued to buy kosher meat, because, “that is how our parents brought us up!”
That logic never made sense to me. I bought kosher food, lived in the Eruv, sent my kids to a costly day school, and fulfilled all the other costly and taxing demands of Halacha, because I firmly believed that God had commanded me to do so. Even where tradition came into play, such as the standard derech hapsak (modus of halachic ruling) of the Rama[1], concepts of minhag yisrael din hu (the custom of Israel has the force of law), and the like, the implicit, if not explicit reasoning was that God wants you to do it this way, not that tradition in and of itself had some independent value aside from God’s will. My opposition at the time to intermarriage, as to any transgression of Jewish Law had nothing to do with tradition. As an Orthodox rabbi I did not, nor would I have dreamt of performing intermarriages, as it is against Halacha. Period. What mattered to me was the desire of the deity, not a tradition, in and of itself.
About a year and a half ago, this all changed. I had an epiphany of sorts, and it became clear to me that I could not remain Orthodox. I began a year and a half long journey of study and exploration, at the end of which I left the Orthodox world behind, and I now live my life as a Jewish secular humanist. I no longer buy kosher food, live in the Eruv, send my kids to a costly day school, or fulfill all the other costly and taxing demands of Halacha, because I firmly believe that no God has commanded me to do so. As my objection to officiating at intermarriages was part and parcel of my Halachic life, I see no reason not to do this now. Period. Now what guides my life are the ideals of humanism. What matters is how I can help my fellow human being, and how I can make the world a better place for humanity in general. That is of the most paramount importance, not the imagined desire of a deity[2].
I remember when I first met with Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn, over some kosher ribs at Irv’s Market in Kansas City[3]. He explained his philosophy of what he would and wouldn’t do through a story which was intended in good humor to cause even the most liberal Orthodox rabbi (me) to raise an eyebrow. Once he got the effect he wanted, he explained seriously that he has one criterion when he judges a potential act – will it further the cause of Judaism? I too have one criterion – will what I do help my fellow human beings, and will it further the cause of humanistic ideals? Treating a couple with kindness and compassion, as human beings, as individuals, which is the way they treated each other when they fell in love is the best way of fulfilling this. In fact, I can think of few things better than helping a couple make the most important day of their life even more wonderful, especially when so many rabbis will not do so without attaching numerous conditions[4].
Rabbi Adam Chalom[5] talks about the fact that all marriages are intermarriages. People marry multifaceted individuals; each one of us has many defining characteristics, with our religion being just one of them. In that sense even a marriage between two Ultra-Orthodox Jews is a mixed marriage, and a marriage between a Jew and a non-Jew, who are on the same “wave length” in many things could be less of a stretch, depending on the other characteristics of each individual. Amy Elkes[6] writes, “My boyfriend and I share many of the same beliefs and values. We both believe in acting with honesty and integrity. We both honor our families and believe that children are a couple’s greatest commitment. We love learning and traveling and exploring new places. When we face problems, no matter what kind, we turn to one another for comfort and support. In short we do not define ourselves solely by our religions, and as a result, we have a tremendous amount of common ground to stand on.” Each couple must ascertain if their “package” is one that will work. After, all a perfectly Halachic marriage between a Humanistic Jew and an Ultra Orthodox Jew would probably have a lesser chance of remaining intact, than one between a Humanistic Jew and a Humanistic Buddhist[7].
The interesting thing is that if we are, after all, to invoke tradition, we who see nothing wrong with interfaith marriage have quite a leg to stand on, and in a sense a better one than those who invoke tradition against it. After all, from the period where our ancestors, the Canaanites of the Central Highlands started to define themselves as Israelites and Judahites[8] to at least 450 B.C.E., beyond the standard xenophobia, so common to those times, not many thought there was really that much wrong with intermarriage. This was in part because they all worshipped many of the same gods, with a small group of priests in the 7th Century B.C.E. pushing monolatry[9] of one of those particular gods, Yahweh, and trying to foment a little bit more than the standard xenophobia with their intermarriage prohibitions. The latter openly lament, that they really didn’t make too much of a “splash” at the time in the general populace. That is why we see intermarriage exemplified by the legendary figures of Ruth[10], Ma’acha[11], Na’ama[12], Jezebel[13], Yeter[14], Uriah[15], and many more. Prof. Baruch Halpern[16] talks about the fact that in general this Yahweh Alone party rewrote history with the traditional Israelite practice condemned as foreign and against tradition, and the new practice of this new party elevated as the true Israelite tradition. This is just one more instance, where that is so true. By being open to interfaith marriage we invoke the ancient and true traditions of our Canaanite/Israelite ancestors. By leaving their xenophobia behind, we improve on these traditions.
I feel a personal connection to such an avenue of thinking regarding myself as one who will (co)officiate at interfaith marriages. The following is my personal conjecture, and I may be a little off, but certainly not anymore so than traditional Judaism’s version. There have been a number of fascinating studies regarding the evidence mitochondrial and Y chromosome DNA markers give us regarding the development of the human race. One of the most fascinating of these studies is the study that implies that 70-80% of today’s male Kohanim (Aaronide or Zadokite priests) are in fact descended from a single common male ancestor who lived 2100-3500 years ago[17]. Now, the consensus of archeologists is quite clear that the Israelites and Judahites emerged from the Canaanites of the Central Highlands[18]. That means that that ancestor most probably came from within that milieu. If you read between the lines of the Bible, you can see that there is a certain probability that the story of the Aaronide priesthood really begins with the selection of two rival Cannanite priesthood lines by the rustic Judahite chieftain we know as David (who we now have evidence did in fact exist[19]) with the Zadokite line winning out. When I, a Kohen, stand before a couple and consecrate them in marriage, I see myself not only as an heir to the historical traditions of Judaism and the original Cannanite/Israelites, but also, by virtue of my DNA, as an heir to that ancient Cannanite priesthood, who may have officiated at many marriages of all sorts, without anyone thinking anything about it.
Some may say that officiating at interfaith marriages will decimate the Jewish people. Some, and I count my former self as guilty in this regard, even use abhorrent references to a “voluntary holocaust”, as if people wishing to marry those they love are analogous to those who murdered a third of our people. Again Chalom is poignant in his thinking in this matter. Why not look at this as enlarging the Jewish people? To Jewish theists of all stripes, there is a need to legally define who is Jewish and who is not, as they look at Jews through religious eyes. Who is a Jew, is as important a subject to the most liberal Reform rabbi, as it is to her Neturai Karta counterpart. To them, by virtue of some version of Halacha the children of the interfaith couple will be Jewish or won’t be Jewish, and this is a concern of the utmost importance. To me, Judaism is primarily an issue of culture, history, and an intellectual tradition, the positive and relevant aspects of which I embrace along with the traditions of the enlightenment. One can be a part of many different cultures. My children are three quarters Ashkenazic, and one quarter Sephardic. Did I do damage to Ashkenazi culture by not marrying a fully Ashkenazic woman? My cousin married a man from China. Did she do damage to her children by not marrying an American born man? Did he do damage to his children by not marrying a Chinese woman? Certainly, to their shame, many people, a generation or two ago would have answered to the affirmative. To the shame of Ultra Orthodox Judaism in Israel, they still answer to the affirmative today to my first question. Need we be so narrow minded? Can we not understand that there is something enriching and positive and wonderful about more people out there being heirs to a Jewish cultural, historical and intellectual tradition, combined with whatever additional identities they have? This should be seen as a blessing, not a problem.
Our Rabbis ask[20] what does God do ever since he finished with the heavy lifting of creation? They tell us that he does one thing – matchmaking. The idea of marriage, two separate people coming together to form one united entity, when you think about it, is really quite fantastic. In our modern culture with the high divorce rate, we see how incredibly difficult it can be to keep such a package intact. Those of us who are married know that you need to keep working at it day by day. If we are approached by a couple who deeply love each other, who have thought the issues of their compatibility through, and have decided that they would like nothing more than to spend their life together, blending their lives and their flesh into one, and they ask us to help them make this dream come true, dare we say no? I know I cannot, and I will not. I will not attach any conditions to my willingness to (co)officiate, and I will have one question only, the question Chalom says he asks couples when they approach him, “Do you love each other?” If the answer is yes, I will have only one response, “Mazel Tov, now let’s look at some dates…”
[1] Acronym in Hebrew for the Polish Rabbi Moshe Iserles, contrary to his Spanish counterpart, Rabbi Yosef Karo, ruled primarily based on tradition, many times opening his glosses on the latter’s ruling with the phrase “In these lands the custom is”. Karo based his rulings primarily on a quasi democratic system amongst three rabbis, Maimonides, Rabbi Yitzhak Alfasi, and Rabbenu Asher, whom he crowned, the “three pillars of Halacha”. This arbitrary system was severely criticized by Iserles and others.
[2]For a full explanation of my reasons for becoming a secular humanist see Gruber, D. S. (2007) Out of Orthodoxy – From Orthodox Rabbi to Secular Humanist. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from http://littlefoxling.blogspot.com/2007/11/guest-post-from-david-gruber.html
[3] Cukierkorn had stated that his reason for moving to Kansas City could be summed up in one word “BBQ”…
[4] Most studies and personal anecdotal experiences indicate that the vast majority of the rabbis that will perform intermarriages attach conditions to such willingness, such as no officiating on Shabbat, officiating only for members of the rabbi’s synagogue, no co-officiating with non-Jewish clergy, officiating only if the couple will raise their children as Jewish, and more and more. Very few, like me, attach no conditions to their willingness to (co)offciate
[5]http://kolhadash.com/Intermarriage.mp3
[6] Elkes, A. (2007). Grown Up Love is Complicated. Retrieved November 18, 2007, from http://www.interfaithfamily.com/relationships/interdating/Grown-Up_Love_Is_Complicated.shtml
[7] See for instance Winterbottom, M. (Director). (2007). A Mighty Heart. Hollywood: Paramount Home Video, and the book it was based on, which tells the story of Daniel and Mariane Pearl, who fit this bill. The film includes scenes of their interfaith marriage.
[8]Finkelstein, I. & Silberman, N. A. (2001). The Bible Unearthed. New York: Simon and Schuster
[9] This is the concept of believing in the existence of many gods, but swearing allegiance to only one. This is quite different from monotheism, where one believes in the existence of only one god. Most scholars today agree that the Yahweh Alone party were monolatrists, not monotheists, and the straightforward reading of the Hebrew Bible really always pointed in that direction.
[10] Ruth 1,4; 4,13
[11] I Chronicles 3,2
[12] I Kings 14,21
[13] I Kings 17,31
[14] I Chronicles 2,17
[15] II Samuel 11,3
[16]Halpern, B. Sybil, or the Two Nations? Archaism, Kinship, Alienation, and the Elite Redefinition of Traditional Culture in Judah in the 8th-7th Centuries B.C.E., in Cooper, J. S. and Schwartz, G. M. (1996). The Study of the Ancient Near East in the Twenty-First Century: The William Foxwell Albright Centennial Conference. Indiana: Eisenbrauns
[17]Skorecki, K., Selig S., Blazer S., Bradman R., Bradman N., Waburton P.J., Ismajlowicz M. & Hammer M.F. (1997). Y chromosomes of Jewish priests. Nature 385: 32. See also Schrack, B. (2007). Cohen does not equal CMH,CMH does not equal Cohen -- only in J1 do they coincide. GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives. Retrieved Nobember 15, 2007, especially her remarks at the end of the posting.
[18]Finkelstein, I. & Silberman, N. A. (2001). The Bible Unearthed. New York: Simon and Schuster
[19]Biran, A. and Naveh J. (1993). An Aramaic Stele Fragment from Tel Dan. Israel Exploration Journal 43, pp. 81-98; Biran, A. and Naveh J. (1995). The Tel Dan Inscription: A New Fragment. Israel Exploration Journal 45, pp. 1-18.
[20] Bereshit Rabbah 68,4
http://www.interfaithweddingrabbi.net
A Purpose Filled Life Requires Solid Foundations
by: Randall Paul Pipes
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates, Psalm 11:3-5.”
Most of us begin dreaming, at a pretty early age, of the kind of life that we’d like to build. We consider the relationships we’d like to have, the house we’d like to own and the car we’d like to drive. We may dream of positions, possessions and accomplishments.
As we grow older, we adopt actual patterns of building. Some people take the pieces that they’re handed, and try, the best they can, to fit them all together. Others are more proactive and selective. They patiently search for just the right building materials, planning carefully, down to the finest detail. It’s doubtful, however that most people give much thought to the foundation that everything will be built upon.
Foundations in a physical building are mostly underground. What can be seen is often unsightly. Unless there are obvious shifts and cracks, the average home owner may pay little attention, other than to paint or conceal them from view.
Structural improvements made to the foundation offer little, in the way of immediate reward. They may seem unworthy of any cost that might be incurred. Time and money are usually devoted to projects bringing more immediate pleasure. It’s much easier to get excited about additions, renovations, or even redecorating projects. Structural integrity in the foundation often goes unnoticed, and is vastly unappreciated until the time comes that it is tested.
When it comes to life, you are not only the “home owner,” but also the contractor. Any wise and conscientious contractor knows how essential the integrity of the foundation is. Improper foundations are sure to crack and give way under the weight of the structure and the pressure of adverse environmental conditions. “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3).
There are three essential ingredients to a healthy and purposeful life. They are:
- A God-centered sense of self-worth
- A God-centered sense of security
- A God centered sense of significance
These three essential ingredients are like the three legs of a stool. If one is shortened or removed, everything else becomes unstable. Without them we become needy and begin to grope for people and things to fill the perceived void in our lives.
These three life-pillars are not formed accidentally. They must be shaped intentionally and they can only be done so when there is a solid foundation in place to form them upon. A proper foundation is essential to structural integrity that can support growth.
The Lord loves us so much that He does not want to see us build a magnificent LOOKING life upon a faulty foundation. Our free will allows us to do so if we want to, but God allows tests that are designed to draw our attention towards these structural weaknesses.
It’s better to experience a crack or “cave in” before much of the house is built then for these faults to go unchallenged. Obviously, damages and subsequent costs are directly proportionate to the size and splendor of what is built upon the foundations when pressure is applied.
There is only one immoveable foundation upon which to build our self-worth, security, and significance. This is the basis and foundation of all true relationship.
Jesus Christ is the only unshakable foundation
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.”
This means that Christ is not content being part of our lives. He wants our lives to be completely built upon our faith in Him.
The relationship between Christ and the Bible
1. Christ is the Word of God.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men, John 1:1-4.”
2. The Bible is the perfectly inspired and written Word given for our teaching and instruction.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16.”
The Bible was written by God, through men, as He inspired them by His Spirit. The word "inspired" means "God-breathed." Through both the Old and the New Testaments, God breathed His anointed inspiration into chosen writers in order to reveal Himself to man. He has protected the integrity of His Holy Scriptures and they are the infallible and authoritative rule of faith and conduct that we are to build our lives upon. God honors and magnifies His Word, even above His name (Psalm 138:2).
Through the Old Testament, God concealed the mysteries that He would reveal, through Christ, in the new. When the Old Testament is read and understood through the revelation of the new, it becomes a wonderful, and unified compilation containing many "types and shadows" of the coming life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the Word made flesh. Through His life, He personified God's will to man through the Scriptures. As we approach God through humble and child-like faith, the Spirit of God unites with the written Word to reveal the person of Christ to our hearts. His illumination eradicates any seeming inaccuracies or contradictions that we may perceive as we try to understand the infinite God through fallen and finite minds.
Men often make God's Word ineffective in their own lives through their proud approach to God and their adherence to their traditional way of doing things. God's Word, however will never return to Him void, but will always ultimately accomplish the purpose for which He sent it. Heaven and earth will eventually pass away, but not one letter of God's Word will fail. (Psalm 138:2, Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; Mark 7:13; John 1:14; 2 Timothy 3:15, 17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).
3. The foundations of our life will be tested to determine if they are built upon the Word.
“Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, Hebrews 12:26-28.”
“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times, Psalm 12:6.”
4. We are the furnace of earth. When we place our faith in God’s grace by asking Christ to live in our hearts, the Word of God comes inside us. Then He leads on a journey designed to test, remove and replace our faulty foundations.
“But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great, Luke 6:46-49.”
5. Notice in the above passage that hearing the Word is not enough. We must recognize the Word as our final authority for life and practice. We must demonstrate our faith in the Word by building our lives upon it!
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does, James 1:22-25.”
6. Many believers focus more one the issues of life (projects, programs, causes) while the enemy subtly seeks to erode our foundation. This is not a new tactic and we should not be ignorant of his ways.
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil, Genesis 3:1-5."
Here are some common lies that the enemy uses to erode the foundations of God’s Word from our lives:
- Humanism (You will be like God.)
- Liberalism (There are no absolutes. God’s Word cannot be taken literally. Absolute morality is intolerant and its discipline is abusive.)
- Situational ethics (Right and wrong are determined by current circumstances and by the conscience of society.)
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, 2 Timothy 3:1-4!”
These three things are constant in life:
1. The Word of God is an unshakable foundation
2. Everything else in life can be shaken
3. The storms of life will prove what our lives are really built upon
Here are some things that you can do to strengthen your foundations so that your life becomes “storm-proof.”
1. “Hide” the Word in your heart on a consistent and regular basis. The Word is pre-programmed to produce Christ’s image and likeness through our lives when we take care to plant it in the right soil each day.
We may not always feel the immediate benefit at the time that we are reading it. The Word however is like a seed that will sprout under the inspiration of the Spirit at the exact moment that we need it.
“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You, Psalm 119:11!”
2. Tend the soil of your heart.
“The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirty-fold, some sixty, and some a hundred, Mark 4:14-20.”
- Some are distracted from hearing the Word
- Some give up during tough times
- Some are lured through cares or through pleasures
- Some are faithful to maintain an environment conducive to growth
Our diligence to maintain the right heart determines whether the conditions are right for God’s Word to grow within us.
3. Rely upon the wisdom and strength of God’s Word to pass life’s tests. Stand upon it to fight against distraction, persecution, anxiety and lust. Each test that you pass will strengthen your foundation.
4. Exercise your faith in God’s Word daily. Strength always comes through exercise. Don’t wait for the storms of life to come to you. Challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone. Identify your fears and weakness and face them head on. The more pressure that you put on your spiritual enemies the less pressure they will be able to place on you!
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates, Psalm 11:3-5.”
Most of us begin dreaming, at a pretty early age, of the kind of life that we’d like to build. We consider the relationships we’d like to have, the house we’d like to own and the car we’d like to drive. We may dream of positions, possessions and accomplishments.
As we grow older, we adopt actual patterns of building. Some people take the pieces that they’re handed, and try, the best they can, to fit them all together. Others are more proactive and selective. They patiently search for just the right building materials, planning carefully, down to the finest detail. It’s doubtful, however that most people give much thought to the foundation that everything will be built upon.
Foundations in a physical building are mostly underground. What can be seen is often unsightly. Unless there are obvious shifts and cracks, the average home owner may pay little attention, other than to paint or conceal them from view.
Structural improvements made to the foundation offer little, in the way of immediate reward. They may seem unworthy of any cost that might be incurred. Time and money are usually devoted to projects bringing more immediate pleasure. It’s much easier to get excited about additions, renovations, or even redecorating projects. Structural integrity in the foundation often goes unnoticed, and is vastly unappreciated until the time comes that it is tested.
When it comes to life, you are not only the “home owner,” but also the contractor. Any wise and conscientious contractor knows how essential the integrity of the foundation is. Improper foundations are sure to crack and give way under the weight of the structure and the pressure of adverse environmental conditions. “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3).
There are three essential ingredients to a healthy and purposeful life. They are:
- A God-centered sense of self-worth
- A God-centered sense of security
- A God centered sense of significance
These three essential ingredients are like the three legs of a stool. If one is shortened or removed, everything else becomes unstable. Without them we become needy and begin to grope for people and things to fill the perceived void in our lives.
These three life-pillars are not formed accidentally. They must be shaped intentionally and they can only be done so when there is a solid foundation in place to form them upon. A proper foundation is essential to structural integrity that can support growth.
The Lord loves us so much that He does not want to see us build a magnificent LOOKING life upon a faulty foundation. Our free will allows us to do so if we want to, but God allows tests that are designed to draw our attention towards these structural weaknesses.
It’s better to experience a crack or “cave in” before much of the house is built then for these faults to go unchallenged. Obviously, damages and subsequent costs are directly proportionate to the size and splendor of what is built upon the foundations when pressure is applied.
There is only one immoveable foundation upon which to build our self-worth, security, and significance. This is the basis and foundation of all true relationship.
Jesus Christ is the only unshakable foundation
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.”
This means that Christ is not content being part of our lives. He wants our lives to be completely built upon our faith in Him.
The relationship between Christ and the Bible
1. Christ is the Word of God.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men, John 1:1-4.”
2. The Bible is the perfectly inspired and written Word given for our teaching and instruction.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16.”
The Bible was written by God, through men, as He inspired them by His Spirit. The word "inspired" means "God-breathed." Through both the Old and the New Testaments, God breathed His anointed inspiration into chosen writers in order to reveal Himself to man. He has protected the integrity of His Holy Scriptures and they are the infallible and authoritative rule of faith and conduct that we are to build our lives upon. God honors and magnifies His Word, even above His name (Psalm 138:2).
Through the Old Testament, God concealed the mysteries that He would reveal, through Christ, in the new. When the Old Testament is read and understood through the revelation of the new, it becomes a wonderful, and unified compilation containing many "types and shadows" of the coming life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the Word made flesh. Through His life, He personified God's will to man through the Scriptures. As we approach God through humble and child-like faith, the Spirit of God unites with the written Word to reveal the person of Christ to our hearts. His illumination eradicates any seeming inaccuracies or contradictions that we may perceive as we try to understand the infinite God through fallen and finite minds.
Men often make God's Word ineffective in their own lives through their proud approach to God and their adherence to their traditional way of doing things. God's Word, however will never return to Him void, but will always ultimately accomplish the purpose for which He sent it. Heaven and earth will eventually pass away, but not one letter of God's Word will fail. (Psalm 138:2, Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; Mark 7:13; John 1:14; 2 Timothy 3:15, 17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).
3. The foundations of our life will be tested to determine if they are built upon the Word.
“Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, Hebrews 12:26-28.”
“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times, Psalm 12:6.”
4. We are the furnace of earth. When we place our faith in God’s grace by asking Christ to live in our hearts, the Word of God comes inside us. Then He leads on a journey designed to test, remove and replace our faulty foundations.
“But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great, Luke 6:46-49.”
5. Notice in the above passage that hearing the Word is not enough. We must recognize the Word as our final authority for life and practice. We must demonstrate our faith in the Word by building our lives upon it!
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does, James 1:22-25.”
6. Many believers focus more one the issues of life (projects, programs, causes) while the enemy subtly seeks to erode our foundation. This is not a new tactic and we should not be ignorant of his ways.
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil, Genesis 3:1-5."
Here are some common lies that the enemy uses to erode the foundations of God’s Word from our lives:
- Humanism (You will be like God.)
- Liberalism (There are no absolutes. God’s Word cannot be taken literally. Absolute morality is intolerant and its discipline is abusive.)
- Situational ethics (Right and wrong are determined by current circumstances and by the conscience of society.)
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, 2 Timothy 3:1-4!”
These three things are constant in life:
1. The Word of God is an unshakable foundation
2. Everything else in life can be shaken
3. The storms of life will prove what our lives are really built upon
Here are some things that you can do to strengthen your foundations so that your life becomes “storm-proof.”
1. “Hide” the Word in your heart on a consistent and regular basis. The Word is pre-programmed to produce Christ’s image and likeness through our lives when we take care to plant it in the right soil each day.
We may not always feel the immediate benefit at the time that we are reading it. The Word however is like a seed that will sprout under the inspiration of the Spirit at the exact moment that we need it.
“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You, Psalm 119:11!”
2. Tend the soil of your heart.
“The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirty-fold, some sixty, and some a hundred, Mark 4:14-20.”
- Some are distracted from hearing the Word
- Some give up during tough times
- Some are lured through cares or through pleasures
- Some are faithful to maintain an environment conducive to growth
Our diligence to maintain the right heart determines whether the conditions are right for God’s Word to grow within us.
3. Rely upon the wisdom and strength of God’s Word to pass life’s tests. Stand upon it to fight against distraction, persecution, anxiety and lust. Each test that you pass will strengthen your foundation.
4. Exercise your faith in God’s Word daily. Strength always comes through exercise. Don’t wait for the storms of life to come to you. Challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone. Identify your fears and weakness and face them head on. The more pressure that you put on your spiritual enemies the less pressure they will be able to place on you!
Is God Good?
by: Annagail Lynes
Why do Christians say, "God is good"? Because He is.
Why do people believe God is a bad God? Due to famines, wars, shootings and violence that take place every day in this world, many assume that God must be bad. They think He is allowing these events as punishment. They believe we anger Him so He sends down tornadoes, hurricanes and every bad thing to strike us.
People have gotten this impression from the Old Testament. There we see God sending a flood to wipe out the evil people of Noah's time. Though He did save those who He deemed righteous (Genesis 7).
Let's see why this took place:
In the Garden of Eden, God made a man, Adam, and woman, Eve (Genesis 1-2). He told Adam not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The serpent (Satan in disguise) beguiled Eve into eating of the fruit, then she gave it to Adam, who could have refused the fruit but didn't. That day they sinned. Through that act of disobedience, sin entered into this world (Genesis 3).
God is a God of justice. Just as a judge has to prosecute a criminal act, God has to prosecute sin.. However, He, also being Love, hated to see His creations suffer, so He sent His only Begotten Son, Jesus, to Earth to be born of a virgin. Mary gave birth to Jesus (Genesis 2:1). While on Earth, He grew up and went to the Cross for us(Matthew 27).
Only a sinless person could die for the sins of every human being--past, present and future.
After being beaten and bruised, the Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. God judged Jesus, who had never sinned, for our transgressions. He put every curse of the law and all the effects of the curse, including poverty, every kind of sickness and disease, infidelity, strife and so much more on Jesus. Jesus paid the price we should have paid. He died for us (Matthew 27).
God didn't leave Him dead (Matthew 28. No, God raised Jesus from the dead, so that we might enjoy our lives to the full, until they overflow. That is how much God loves us. He did this for you, me and everyone else in this world, yet people still call Him a bad God.
Why is that? People feel that God causes people to starve in Africa, that He causes car crashes that take children's parents, that He causes tsunamis.
However sin entered this world through the act of disobedience on one man's part. When Adam sinned, he essentially handed the earth over to Satan and said, "It's yours now. Do with it as you please."
At that point, Satan became the ruler of the earth and the air. It wasn't until Jesus died that Jesus took back that authority and gave it to us (Luke 10:19).
Most of us do not know that we have that authority. We allow Satan to reek havoc on this earth even though he has no legal right to do so.
It's like a person being left an inheritance of one million dollars and then living poor, struggling in life, because he didn’t know what he had inherited.
Most Christians are like that. We know Jesus died for us, but we think that's all in which we are entitled. When we accept Christ, we are entitled to so much more than merely being saved from going to hell.
We have authority over this world because of Jesus' death and resurrection. We have authority to do greater works than Jesus (John 14:12), but we don't. We do the same works as Jesus. Most of the time, we do less.
Jesus raised the dead (John 11:43-44). He healed the sick (Luke 4:40). He opened blind eyes (Matthew 9:27-30) and deaf ears (Mark 9:25-27). Why don't we? We don't know that we can speak to the weather patterns, like Jesus did, and command them to stop.
We don't speak to those mountains in our lives (Mark 11:23), and the lives of others, because we believe those problems will laugh at us.
However we have the authority over them. We need to start acting like who we are--children of the Most High God--endued with the power to cast out demons, speak with new tongues, lay hands on the sick and see them recover and raise the dead (Mark 16:17-18).
We blame God for what we have authority to control. The only thing God is guilty of is giving us the authority on this Earth.
When we read the Bible, we learn what it is that we have authority over and how to take that authority.
The Bible and the Holy Spirit are the only weapons we need against this world and the devil. Even though things look bad, our circumstances are subject to change to the Truth, the Word of God.
Adam and Eve sinned, and God still blessed them with children (Genesis 4:1-2, 25). Abraham slept with a woman besides his wife to make a baby (Genesis 16:11). Still God gave Abraham and his wife, Sarah, their promised son, Isaac (Genesis 17:19). The children of Israel turned away from God so many times by worshipping false gods, yet God delivered them every time.
God is faithful even when we are not. He is good to us when we don’t deserve it. He is preparing a place for us in Heaven (John 14:2-3) when we die, if we accept Jesus.
He is a good God. It’s the humans who He gave authority of this world to that messed it up. We blame God for being a bad God when we are the ones in charge of this earth.
The devil is defeated, so instead of fighting for the victory, we need to fight from the victory ground. We are not trying to get healed. We are healed by Jesus’ stripes (I Peter 2:24). We are not trying to get rich. We are rich in Christ (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Stand up and take your authority today.
Why do Christians say, "God is good"? Because He is.
Why do people believe God is a bad God? Due to famines, wars, shootings and violence that take place every day in this world, many assume that God must be bad. They think He is allowing these events as punishment. They believe we anger Him so He sends down tornadoes, hurricanes and every bad thing to strike us.
People have gotten this impression from the Old Testament. There we see God sending a flood to wipe out the evil people of Noah's time. Though He did save those who He deemed righteous (Genesis 7).
Let's see why this took place:
In the Garden of Eden, God made a man, Adam, and woman, Eve (Genesis 1-2). He told Adam not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The serpent (Satan in disguise) beguiled Eve into eating of the fruit, then she gave it to Adam, who could have refused the fruit but didn't. That day they sinned. Through that act of disobedience, sin entered into this world (Genesis 3).
God is a God of justice. Just as a judge has to prosecute a criminal act, God has to prosecute sin.. However, He, also being Love, hated to see His creations suffer, so He sent His only Begotten Son, Jesus, to Earth to be born of a virgin. Mary gave birth to Jesus (Genesis 2:1). While on Earth, He grew up and went to the Cross for us(Matthew 27).
Only a sinless person could die for the sins of every human being--past, present and future.
After being beaten and bruised, the Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. God judged Jesus, who had never sinned, for our transgressions. He put every curse of the law and all the effects of the curse, including poverty, every kind of sickness and disease, infidelity, strife and so much more on Jesus. Jesus paid the price we should have paid. He died for us (Matthew 27).
God didn't leave Him dead (Matthew 28. No, God raised Jesus from the dead, so that we might enjoy our lives to the full, until they overflow. That is how much God loves us. He did this for you, me and everyone else in this world, yet people still call Him a bad God.
Why is that? People feel that God causes people to starve in Africa, that He causes car crashes that take children's parents, that He causes tsunamis.
However sin entered this world through the act of disobedience on one man's part. When Adam sinned, he essentially handed the earth over to Satan and said, "It's yours now. Do with it as you please."
At that point, Satan became the ruler of the earth and the air. It wasn't until Jesus died that Jesus took back that authority and gave it to us (Luke 10:19).
Most of us do not know that we have that authority. We allow Satan to reek havoc on this earth even though he has no legal right to do so.
It's like a person being left an inheritance of one million dollars and then living poor, struggling in life, because he didn’t know what he had inherited.
Most Christians are like that. We know Jesus died for us, but we think that's all in which we are entitled. When we accept Christ, we are entitled to so much more than merely being saved from going to hell.
We have authority over this world because of Jesus' death and resurrection. We have authority to do greater works than Jesus (John 14:12), but we don't. We do the same works as Jesus. Most of the time, we do less.
Jesus raised the dead (John 11:43-44). He healed the sick (Luke 4:40). He opened blind eyes (Matthew 9:27-30) and deaf ears (Mark 9:25-27). Why don't we? We don't know that we can speak to the weather patterns, like Jesus did, and command them to stop.
We don't speak to those mountains in our lives (Mark 11:23), and the lives of others, because we believe those problems will laugh at us.
However we have the authority over them. We need to start acting like who we are--children of the Most High God--endued with the power to cast out demons, speak with new tongues, lay hands on the sick and see them recover and raise the dead (Mark 16:17-18).
We blame God for what we have authority to control. The only thing God is guilty of is giving us the authority on this Earth.
When we read the Bible, we learn what it is that we have authority over and how to take that authority.
The Bible and the Holy Spirit are the only weapons we need against this world and the devil. Even though things look bad, our circumstances are subject to change to the Truth, the Word of God.
Adam and Eve sinned, and God still blessed them with children (Genesis 4:1-2, 25). Abraham slept with a woman besides his wife to make a baby (Genesis 16:11). Still God gave Abraham and his wife, Sarah, their promised son, Isaac (Genesis 17:19). The children of Israel turned away from God so many times by worshipping false gods, yet God delivered them every time.
God is faithful even when we are not. He is good to us when we don’t deserve it. He is preparing a place for us in Heaven (John 14:2-3) when we die, if we accept Jesus.
He is a good God. It’s the humans who He gave authority of this world to that messed it up. We blame God for being a bad God when we are the ones in charge of this earth.
The devil is defeated, so instead of fighting for the victory, we need to fight from the victory ground. We are not trying to get healed. We are healed by Jesus’ stripes (I Peter 2:24). We are not trying to get rich. We are rich in Christ (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Stand up and take your authority today.
Your Will and Your Life
by: John Park
When we accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, did we not do this to save ourselves from damnation? Some of us chose Jesus because our life was a mess from trying to live it our way. But, for whatever your reason was for accepting Jesus, we all hope to meet together in Heaven. But for some reason, a lot of us tend to have a problem, and that is giving up our independence. I call the shots or nobodys going to tell me how to live my life. Yup, that's how we are.
One of the things Jesus taught about was what it takes to get into the Kingdom of God. Jesus said in Mark 8:34-36 'If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel, shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the lose of his soul? It may seem strange at first that one would give up his entire life to someone he can't even see. But you knew something drew you to call on Jesus and that would be God. John 6:44 'No one can come to me, unless he is drawn by the Father, who hath sent me.' So by a knowing, you felt a presence in your heart, you knew something was missing and you found Jesus who came into your life. So, like many others you probably wondered what to do next. Like most people they start going to church and bible study, but there's a matter more important than that.
Who are you trusting this new found life with? Do you let the church and bible studies and the people who go to the church teach you? Of course not. Your probably saying HUH! Let me explain. They don't know you or your needs and putting your life in their hands is like playing russian roulette with 5 bullets. Jesus was sent by God to show us the way back to God. Jeremiah 17:5 Thus saith the Lord: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. When you trust God, that's where your heart is, but put your trust in man and that is where your heart will be. Also it says in Luke 12:29-31 But you, you must not set your hearts on things to eat and things to drink; nor must you worry. It is the pagans of this world who set their hearts on these things. Your Father well knows you need them. No; set your heart on His kingdom, and these other things will be given you as well.
When you truly give your your life and will over to the Lord and you build that relationship with Him, you will not want to have anything to do with being taught by man. Jesus knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what's best for you and He certainly can manage your life better than you can. All you have to do is trust Him and do not try to do things your way. One of the things you do have to understand is that it is a long and lonely road to travel, but it is one amazing journey. And at the end of the road, there is an unspeakable peace and joy waiting for you. I am in no way telling you not to go to church or bible studies or even to talk to people, what I am saying is don't become dependant on anyone of them. Keep an open mind, ask questions if you need to, then ask the Lord to help you sort things out, and pretty soon you'll be able to listen and know that Jesus is a part of your life. You'll be able to know when He is talking to you and when He isn't. Anybody that misses out on this experience is losing so, so much.
Jesus wants you to give Him your burdens and He wants to give you His, which is LIGHT! There will be a lot of tests and trials (these will build up your faith and make you stronger) but have trust in Jesus, He'll guide you through them. You will learn about yourself and what God's will is for you. God loves you so much you just can't imagine. He wants you to come home. One thing you have to do is be willing enough to accept His son Jesus Christ. Follow Jesus, not man or your own mind.You've been deceived long enough, let the Lord teach you truth. Luke 11:9 'So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.'
Your carnal life is as temporary as this world, follow Jesus and your life will be everlasting and eternal light. There are many who believe and have tried to get me to believe that you can have God and take pleasure in the things of this world together, you can't. Find God and His will first, then see if you can take pleasure in the things of this world. John 18:36 Jesus replied, 'Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.' Bless you Jesus. Aways remember what Jesus said, John 5:30 'I can do nothing by myself; Ican only judge as I am told to judge, and my judging is just, because my aim is to do not my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. May God Bless You Dearly
When we accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, did we not do this to save ourselves from damnation? Some of us chose Jesus because our life was a mess from trying to live it our way. But, for whatever your reason was for accepting Jesus, we all hope to meet together in Heaven. But for some reason, a lot of us tend to have a problem, and that is giving up our independence. I call the shots or nobodys going to tell me how to live my life. Yup, that's how we are.
One of the things Jesus taught about was what it takes to get into the Kingdom of God. Jesus said in Mark 8:34-36 'If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel, shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the lose of his soul? It may seem strange at first that one would give up his entire life to someone he can't even see. But you knew something drew you to call on Jesus and that would be God. John 6:44 'No one can come to me, unless he is drawn by the Father, who hath sent me.' So by a knowing, you felt a presence in your heart, you knew something was missing and you found Jesus who came into your life. So, like many others you probably wondered what to do next. Like most people they start going to church and bible study, but there's a matter more important than that.
Who are you trusting this new found life with? Do you let the church and bible studies and the people who go to the church teach you? Of course not. Your probably saying HUH! Let me explain. They don't know you or your needs and putting your life in their hands is like playing russian roulette with 5 bullets. Jesus was sent by God to show us the way back to God. Jeremiah 17:5 Thus saith the Lord: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. When you trust God, that's where your heart is, but put your trust in man and that is where your heart will be. Also it says in Luke 12:29-31 But you, you must not set your hearts on things to eat and things to drink; nor must you worry. It is the pagans of this world who set their hearts on these things. Your Father well knows you need them. No; set your heart on His kingdom, and these other things will be given you as well.
When you truly give your your life and will over to the Lord and you build that relationship with Him, you will not want to have anything to do with being taught by man. Jesus knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what's best for you and He certainly can manage your life better than you can. All you have to do is trust Him and do not try to do things your way. One of the things you do have to understand is that it is a long and lonely road to travel, but it is one amazing journey. And at the end of the road, there is an unspeakable peace and joy waiting for you. I am in no way telling you not to go to church or bible studies or even to talk to people, what I am saying is don't become dependant on anyone of them. Keep an open mind, ask questions if you need to, then ask the Lord to help you sort things out, and pretty soon you'll be able to listen and know that Jesus is a part of your life. You'll be able to know when He is talking to you and when He isn't. Anybody that misses out on this experience is losing so, so much.
Jesus wants you to give Him your burdens and He wants to give you His, which is LIGHT! There will be a lot of tests and trials (these will build up your faith and make you stronger) but have trust in Jesus, He'll guide you through them. You will learn about yourself and what God's will is for you. God loves you so much you just can't imagine. He wants you to come home. One thing you have to do is be willing enough to accept His son Jesus Christ. Follow Jesus, not man or your own mind.You've been deceived long enough, let the Lord teach you truth. Luke 11:9 'So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.'
Your carnal life is as temporary as this world, follow Jesus and your life will be everlasting and eternal light. There are many who believe and have tried to get me to believe that you can have God and take pleasure in the things of this world together, you can't. Find God and His will first, then see if you can take pleasure in the things of this world. John 18:36 Jesus replied, 'Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.' Bless you Jesus. Aways remember what Jesus said, John 5:30 'I can do nothing by myself; Ican only judge as I am told to judge, and my judging is just, because my aim is to do not my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. May God Bless You Dearly
The Secret that Religion Doesn't Tell You
by: Richard Blackstone
Your spiritual growth reveals the secret that religion rarely talks about. “You are an eternal being.” Most spirituality information leads you to this conclusion because your spiritual quest is concerned with the interconnectedness of all things and religion is more concerned with its own particular dogma.
This is as it should be. This is just a natural consequence revealing itself. This is “what is so.” No need to get alarmed or panicked (unless you choose to). This is just the natural order of things asserting itself. It is nature at work. We, as human beings, have created everything that has ever happened to this paradise of a planet that we inherited by virtue of our choice to reside here. We created the pollution, the depletion of the ozone layer, the wars, the killing of millions of people, the god of money, the weapons of mass destruction, the extinction of thousands of animal and plant species and religions that teach us that we are all separate.
Now don't go feeling guilty or bad about this. This is neither right nor wrong. It is only “what is so.” Just like looking at a newborn baby is neither right nor wrong, it is only “what is so.”
This is “what is so” in the present moment of now and the present moment of now is the only thing that really exists in this physical universe.
The past is the past. The future is yet to be. We are wholly defined by the present moment of now. Say Amen.
Once again, our observations tell us that we seem to be at a crossroads in this never-ending process we call Life. We are coming to the end of one cycle in order to begin another cycle. All aspects of life in the physical universe run in cycles. Some might say they run in circles; never-ending eternal circles, or cycles, of life.
It has been well documented by our scientists that in seven years every cell of your body has been completely renewed. So, theoretically, we have a body that is never more than seven years old. This observation alone tells us that our bodies, just like every other aspect of life, run on cycles. If this is so, and it is, then we should actually never put a limit on our body's span of existence because life moves in cycles, not years, and you cannot limit a cycle.
Cycles have no real beginnings and they never have an ending. They are in the eternal process of fulfilling themselves, and at the same time they are in the eternal process of renewing themselves within the instrument through which it expresses. Your life does not end at seven nor does it ever end. Life is eternal. Life is a process. Life is a never-ending cycle that continually renews itself.
Here's the really good news. There is not a thing in existence that does not have life. There is nothing that is completely inert. Everything you can think of, from the rocks in your garden to the rocks in the garden on a planet twenty thousand light years away from us, has life.
That is why it is nice to step back and view life from a larger perspective every now and then. Like the old saying tells us, “you can't see the forest through the trees.” When you are focusing most of your attention on your own life and become immersed in the dramas and experiences that are important to you, you shrink your world of existence down to a small, narrow perspective. You limit yourself as to what you see and how you see it.
When you keep your attention focused on the minute details of your dramas, you allow yourself to live within this belief that you are separate from all people and things in this universe. As you separate yourself from everything that exists, in your mind, you are separating yourself from life.
All life exists everywhere, all the time. It's all cycling in a never-ending process of renewal. That is the true nature of how things work. If you know that, that is, if you have a true knowing of this through your experience, then you would never again think of yourself as separate because “a knowing eliminates doubt.”
Most people living on this planet today do not have this knowing. That is why most people live their lives through what they believe. Believing something to be true and knowing something to be true are two entirely different levels of awareness. That is why we are here on this planet called earth in this physical universe. Our purpose here is to experience life in all of its different perspectives in order for God to know, through our experiences, all that she knows of as concepts.
Go out and create the experience of understanding your true, authentic self. This knowing about your true self will serve you well in every decision you make in your life.
Your spiritual growth reveals the secret that religion rarely talks about. “You are an eternal being.” Most spirituality information leads you to this conclusion because your spiritual quest is concerned with the interconnectedness of all things and religion is more concerned with its own particular dogma.
This is as it should be. This is just a natural consequence revealing itself. This is “what is so.” No need to get alarmed or panicked (unless you choose to). This is just the natural order of things asserting itself. It is nature at work. We, as human beings, have created everything that has ever happened to this paradise of a planet that we inherited by virtue of our choice to reside here. We created the pollution, the depletion of the ozone layer, the wars, the killing of millions of people, the god of money, the weapons of mass destruction, the extinction of thousands of animal and plant species and religions that teach us that we are all separate.
Now don't go feeling guilty or bad about this. This is neither right nor wrong. It is only “what is so.” Just like looking at a newborn baby is neither right nor wrong, it is only “what is so.”
This is “what is so” in the present moment of now and the present moment of now is the only thing that really exists in this physical universe.
The past is the past. The future is yet to be. We are wholly defined by the present moment of now. Say Amen.
Once again, our observations tell us that we seem to be at a crossroads in this never-ending process we call Life. We are coming to the end of one cycle in order to begin another cycle. All aspects of life in the physical universe run in cycles. Some might say they run in circles; never-ending eternal circles, or cycles, of life.
It has been well documented by our scientists that in seven years every cell of your body has been completely renewed. So, theoretically, we have a body that is never more than seven years old. This observation alone tells us that our bodies, just like every other aspect of life, run on cycles. If this is so, and it is, then we should actually never put a limit on our body's span of existence because life moves in cycles, not years, and you cannot limit a cycle.
Cycles have no real beginnings and they never have an ending. They are in the eternal process of fulfilling themselves, and at the same time they are in the eternal process of renewing themselves within the instrument through which it expresses. Your life does not end at seven nor does it ever end. Life is eternal. Life is a process. Life is a never-ending cycle that continually renews itself.
Here's the really good news. There is not a thing in existence that does not have life. There is nothing that is completely inert. Everything you can think of, from the rocks in your garden to the rocks in the garden on a planet twenty thousand light years away from us, has life.
That is why it is nice to step back and view life from a larger perspective every now and then. Like the old saying tells us, “you can't see the forest through the trees.” When you are focusing most of your attention on your own life and become immersed in the dramas and experiences that are important to you, you shrink your world of existence down to a small, narrow perspective. You limit yourself as to what you see and how you see it.
When you keep your attention focused on the minute details of your dramas, you allow yourself to live within this belief that you are separate from all people and things in this universe. As you separate yourself from everything that exists, in your mind, you are separating yourself from life.
All life exists everywhere, all the time. It's all cycling in a never-ending process of renewal. That is the true nature of how things work. If you know that, that is, if you have a true knowing of this through your experience, then you would never again think of yourself as separate because “a knowing eliminates doubt.”
Most people living on this planet today do not have this knowing. That is why most people live their lives through what they believe. Believing something to be true and knowing something to be true are two entirely different levels of awareness. That is why we are here on this planet called earth in this physical universe. Our purpose here is to experience life in all of its different perspectives in order for God to know, through our experiences, all that she knows of as concepts.
Go out and create the experience of understanding your true, authentic self. This knowing about your true self will serve you well in every decision you make in your life.
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