FMBS - Romans 14

 Friday Men's Bible Study - Romans 14

Tolerance among Christians for various viewpoints about legalistic beliefs

This entire chapter is devoted to encouraging Christian brothers and sisters not to cause division between each other based on legalistic ideas that are not critical to our daily walk with God and each other.  This list includes:

• Eating red meat,
• Eating only vegetables,
• Drinking alcoholic drinks,
• Observing "Holy" days,
• Anything else which are personal convictions

None of these things will affect a persons standing with God.  None of them are important enough to cause division between the body of Christ.

"For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself." 14:7

We must all keep our conscience before our Father and only He can judge us.  

"So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another." 14:20

It's not worth causing dissent over trivial things.  Respect your brothers and sisters and tolerate their perspectives when it's not a critical point.

"The faith you have, keep to yourself before God.  Blessed is the one who does not judge HIMSELF by what HE approves." 14:22

This chapter does NOT address the beliefs of non-believers (thankfully!).  

A seeker no more

 I have known myself as a seeker for decades.  When I created my first online presence with Carolina Online, one of the first ISPs in upstate South Carolina (Anderson), I thought long and hard about what I would call myself.  I chose "seeker".

• I never felt that I had found truth ... 
• full truth, whole truth, authentic truth, 
• truth I could rest in, rely on, trust 
• ... until this year.

When Google opened gmail to select people by invitation, I jumped at the chance.  But "seeker" was already taken by someone else, so I chose "oneseeker" because I felt I was just another seeker in the universe - one out of many, but seeking the One Truth.  I've always felt that One Truth was God, but in what form, what interpretation?

I've been a Christ follower since I was a small child, at least by profession and intent.  But I was confused by the many voices and opinions and did not trust most of them because of my experiences in childhood and young adulthood.  I found that I had been lied to by people I trusted.  I found that many well-meaning people had imposed their own restrictions on life and called it god's word.  I saw people claim they were "filled with the spirit" but living lives that were hollow and meaningless.  Nothing convinced me that they were authentic.  I saw loud, up-tempo music used to evoke emotion in people and they believed it was god, when in fact, I knew it was just an emotional experience.  And I was taught not to trust feelings.  So I believed without feeling, without confidence.

I have heard that "a man with experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument".  I guess I never really had that experience.  I had experienced God's blessings and grace on many occasions, but never really had a vibrant, living, daily relationship with him until this year.  50 years of believing but not knowing ... how sad.

Early this year, my church (NewSpring church in Anderson, SC) gave out copies of a book called Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder.  Now, I'm not one to recommend a book flippantly.  I've had too many well-meaning people try to push a book on me because they thought I needed it or it would help me.  And I fear becoming one of those people.  So it took me a couple of months to start reading it.  And the title really turned me off a bit ... how arrogant to call yourself a king!

This book revolutionized my life.  Of course, it's not the book itself, but the truth contained in it.  This book is a survival manual for Christ-like manhood and a guide to cultivating a everyday, authentic relationship with our Father God, the Creator and so much more.  The fire in my soul is refreshed and revived every morning.  I crave the practices that once seemed so burdensome.  I look forward to the time I spend each day talking with the Father.  I don't call it praying because that has negative connotations to me, but I suppose it is what praying should really be.  I enjoy reading the bible and other books that lead me to enrich the experience of Father Worship.  I have discovered the joy of singing songs of worship to Him.  Yes, I am a bit picky about which songs I listen to, but I have created a playlist that helps me lift Him up and refreshes my soul.  I can truthfully say, Hallelujah - Praise Yahweh!

Please, I BEG every man to read this book.  I sincerely pray that it will help you to find the develop the kind of living relationship with the Father that I have found.

May God the Father bless you with his presence, my our brother, Jesus, lift you up to the Father, and may the Holy Spirit indwell you every day and every moment of the rest of your life!  Amen

Hope springs eternal

Well, here I go again.  Let's see how long it lasts this time.

I'm going to try blogging again with the idea of talking about my life and thoughts for my family.  So Amber, TJ, and Jonathan, this is mostly for you and your children.

It's late right now and I have an early morning, so that's all for now.

The Futility of Knowledge

There aren't many things in life I can say I know for certain.  That's a very disconcerting thought.

Certainly, I think I know what has happened to me in the past, but that knowledge is tainted by my understanding at the time.  I think I know what is happening to me and my surroundings at each point in time as it passes.  Again, that knowledge is filtered through the lens of my current understanding.  Ironically, that lens is constantly being shaped and honed by every situation I experience and every opinion I encounter.  And, we all like to plan ahead, to peer into our future and avoid painful events, to anticipate and increase the odds of pleasant experiences.  All to satisfy this constant thirst to know, to have something solid to cling to.  Something to quell the fear that shakes our bones and sours our stomachs.  So I guess you could say the quest for knowledge is driven by the desire for stability.

Anticipation of painful events is called worry, and it rarely helps.  In fact, many times it drags us down and increases the likelihood of pain. Worry is a phantom of the mind.  There is no substance to it.  Yes, there may have been very real voices to the echos of the past that haunt us, but the future is not the past.  We cannot know the evils of the future ... there is no stability in worry.

I suppose you could call anticipation of pleasant experiences hope.  That can be a good thing.  With hope, we can maintain our strength in the rough patches of life.  But, really, hope is only an illusion ... a mirage on the horizon.  Sometimes there is substance behind the mirage, and regardless, it pulls us on through to better times.  But, we cannot know the joys and riches that the future holds ... there is no stability in hope.

However, there is one piece of knowledge that every living (cogent) creature on Earth can lay claim to.  We will, every one of us, cease to exist.  We cannot know when, how, or even why, but we can know it.

At this point, I suppose I should acknowledge that there are those who profess to know the future.  Unfortunately, they have no evidence to support this claim, and thus cannot impart that knowledge to anyone else.  If I believe what someone else has told me, but which I cannot experience myself, that is not knowledge.  It is belief, and I do not disregard or discredit belief.  But, belief is not the same thing as knowledge.

So, in a sea of doubt, worry, apprehension, anticipation, hope, belief, and striving, will this one plank of knowledge rescue me?  If the only thing I can truly know is that I will cease to exist at some time in the future, is there any help for me in that knowledge?

I don't know, and that's a very disconcerting thought.

" ... and I still haven't found what I'm looking for."

The rooooaaaaddd to Hana

The Smoky Mountains have met their match!  This has got to be the curviest road I've ever traveled. The guide said there are more than 460 curves in this road. Beautiful scenery however. I'll post the pictures when we get a chance to picassa.  Be sure you look there!

And I have some black sand/ rocks for the lucky ones :-p

TTFN