POSITIVE THINKING, is it biblical?

You are looking at a map where the readers of this blog are located in GREEN.
Most bloggers would want that whole map to be fully green.  They have plans for world conquest in their own ways.  But what shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and lose his own soul?

People plan for a great future ahead with much positive thoughts.  They submerged themselves in self-help motivational success oriented books and seminars.  They continue to imagine, and claim, and say mantras that declare well being.

What does the Bible say about all of these:


Jas 4:13-15  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:  (14)  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  (15)  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Things I want to say about poverty, financial security, and money in general

The Lord said, Mat_26:11  For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.

It seems that God has ordained that there should always be poor people, and they are the subjects of God’s mercies, provisions, thru instruments like us (Acts 20:35; Eph. 4:28) who are able to help them.

If we happen to be part of that sector, who are poor, then we can benefit from the blessings pronounced by Christ to the poor. 

Mat_5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Now, he is not teaching that we should struggle to be poor, to keep ourselves poor, nor is he teaching that it is a sin to be rich, or any of that sort.  That’s not the point of the blessedness pronounced.  The Lord’s is teaching his followers that they should never lose that mind-set of someone who is in deep need of God no matter at what state we are. 

We must not consider ourselves too poor so that we pity ourselves, not considering that we have a wealthy Father just eager to bless us.  Neither must we consider ourselves too wealthy that we don’t shout to God for the next meal and lose the thankfulness of getting it for that day, just like those who don’t know where the next meal will come.

GOD ALONE SAVES

God's Salvation is monergistic indeed. But God has a plan and a means of doing things. He could have decreed that there would not be a FALL or SIN but He knows better. He could have decreed that there is no need for a church to preach but He knows better. He could have decreed that all His elect would be saved while in the womb so that they would grow up already knowing Christ, but He knows better.

FAKE wins over GENUINE

DOLLY PARTON lost at Dolly Parton look alike contest

I find it very funny that the real thing would lose to a fake.

That is what is happening all over the religious world today.  The TRUTH is of lesser value than fantasy.  We have error, heresy, half-truth, lie, imagination, invention, perversion winning over the Word of God, the Truth.  We have a presentation of a Jesus of their own imagination being loved by men more than the real Jesus of the Bible.

Judging books by covers

PEOPLE SAY: "Don't Judge the Book by It's Cover"

In some ways it could be true but mostly, it is dangerous not to do it.

This afternoon, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012 ... an old Caprice Car went pass us.  Immediately I noticed the familiar two young men, black skinned, car has tinted glasses, plate number is faded.

My instincts told me, "stay away from that car" 

This was after I made a judgment based on reports.  The reports that always come are:  "Two young men, black skinned, riding a motorcycle, or an old car, bearing a plate number you can't recognize" was the one who stole a laptop or a mobile phone somewhere in Riyadh.

Maybe I was wrong.  Maybe the black young men who were riding this car who passed us were not the same young men who steal cars, laptops and mobile phones.  But then again, maybe I am right and so I must be ready.

We do this all the time in driving, we have to JUDGE all the cars and persons around us as potential causes of accidents in order to avoid being part of an accident.  This is called DEFENSIVE DRIVING.

We have to do this in life.  Not to be suspicious or malicious and judgmental but be cautious of all men, knowing that they are but sinful men.


The Lord himself did this:  Joh_2:24  But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,

And Jeremiah warned us of the hearts of men, even our own hearts:  Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

CHRIST IN GENESIS

Gen 3:21  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

MOSES wrote of Christ by way of types

a.      GOD could have destroyed them and made new people instead

b.      GOD could have made the pineapple barong to clothe them both, or he could have commanded the silk worm to spin clothes, but instead GOD chose to take the SKIN of an ANIMAL

c.       GOD caused Moses to write these because He wants you to think. 

Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

d.      CAN YOU TAKE THE SKIN WITHOUT SHEDDING BLOOD?

NO.

What is the significance of that bloodshed?

Heb_9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

This was the FIRST KILLING (shed blood) but not the first death

God did it

There was no death before sin

Before this event of Gen. 3:21 – no blood was shed yet. Compare Isa. 61:10

Blood was shed to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve

The Bible does not directly say there was blood or that the animal from the coats of skin were taken from had to die.  Have you ever seen a skinless animal walking around and living normally?  No, to skin alive an animal and then let them walk this earth would be cruel.

This shed blood was no other than a prophecy that someone in the future, yea the blood of Christ, the lamb of God would also be shed to COVER my sin and the sins of other's who are nakedly sinful in the eyes of God.

Trust Christ, the Son of God, who lived a perfect righteous life and who has the power to transfer that perfect righteousness to whom He will.  The Lion of Judah, the King of the Jews, who has power to forgive sins, who has power alone to give everlasting life to those who trust Him.