Get Real

Christianity vs. Spirituality

What is spirituality? Some say it is the non-physical part of who we are. I agree. Our spiritual being is often referred to as the soul, mind or personality. Your worldview about God will reveal your belief regarding life after death.

Although it might seem hopeful to believe in reincarnation, God designed us to have one life and after this, “face our Maker.” Hoping to have another chance to get it right provides a bleak future. What if you don’t get it right? And, who ultimately decides what is right? Where is the hope in just ceasing to exist spiritually? More importantly, what is the reason for living if we are here one minute and gone the next?

Christianity, on the other hand, is the state of following Jesus Christ. It involves the non-physical part of who we are. As mortal human beings, we communicate with other humans in natural words. However, we interact with God in the spiritual realm because he is Spirit. We do not need to recite a mantra repeatedly, or focus on a word and chant it in quiet whispers. These things do not make us more spiritual. We are spiritual beings in a natural body and the God who breathed life into the body allows us to know him personally through Jesus Christ. The one who created you is the One who will determine your eternal destiny. He’s the One who decided what is right in the book known as the Bible.

Why would you want to be Christian rather than just spiritual? Simple. One provides strength and everlasting life with Jesus Christ who loves you. The other provides strength through the power of you and everlasting life after death in a miserable state apart from God and your loved ones.

I hope you’ll consider Christianity today.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

As promised, I went to the much debated movie, Expelled. This documentary by Ben Stein was complete with interviews from scholars and professors in the scientific community. It is not a “rant” as one reporter from the New York Times wrote. Stein succeeded in his mission: revealing how men and women are being ostracized from the scientific community for discussing the origin of life if it leads to some sort of intelligent design. Most importantly, Stein challenged his audience to use intelligence to draw their own conclusion on the matter.

What could possibly be so threatening to scientists or atheists about the idea of Intelligent Design?

In case you are unclear of the Evo Theory, here’s the abridged version:

Evolution, when referring to the idea of origin by natural processes produces a theory void of God, or intelligent design. Evolutionists believe all living plants, animals and people started by chance from a chemical reaction of sea, sunlight and cosmic energy. The first living substances “formed themselves by chance into one or more single-celled organisms which have since developed through beneficial mutations and natural selection.”[1] Proponents of this view see people as material matter only to the exclusion of all emotions. (If you are and evo’ist or atheist, and I’ve missed something, let me know)

While humans are made up of material, i.e. the dust of the earth, complete with a physical body that includes the physical features, organs, arteries, muscles, etc., they are immaterial also. The immaterial human includes the invisible attributes, i.e. soul, spirit, heart, will, conscience, etc. This material and immaterial make-up supports the whole of the human species, body and soul/spirit. There is more to people than a material body, as Evolutionists would argue.

This is a good thing. It is good because no matter what you believe, you have emotions. Emotions are immaterial. Scientists cannot explain this and this makes them, ummm…angry. Atheists and scientists alike have emotions, they love, they hate, they have joy, they have sorrow. This, my friend is because of intelligent design by a Creator who created man in his image.

If you are logical and use your mind to reason, you cannot ignore the immaterial or emotional part of our species.

The Intelligent Designer loves you and desires a relationship with you. He gave you the ability to understand the meaning of words and the capacity for relationship. I hope you’ll consider these words today.

---

[1] Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology, 195.

Earth Days and Birth Days

I am a recycler by nature. When I was old enough to realize that my birthday had two significant meanings, I was ecstatic! You see I was born on Easter Sunday and eight years later in 1970, April 22 officially became Earth Day. Now I have to recycle because my birthday is on Earth Day.

This is nonsensical rhetoric isn’t it? Especially since this blog deals with things that really matter. My physical birthday and Earth day do not really matter. What does matter is my spiritual birthday.

On June 20, 1980, I realized my life was a mess and everything I did to try to fix it only made it worse. There was no amount of “self-awareness, finding the goodness in me, or being conscious of consciousness” that would help me. These self-centered disciplines are what Eckhart Tolle and Oprah claim help you find true purpose in life.

Tolle, Oprah, Marianne Williamson, Depak Chopra and countless other spiritual teachers are singing an enchanting tune, but it is a lie. The words provide a type of hope and sense of empowerment that provide temporary balm to the things that hurt. But, it is a counterfeit solution, not the long-term permanent relief that hurting people need.

We are miserable because of sin. Plain and simple. This life isn’t all about you, it’s about you and your relationship to the Creator of the Earth. He is not Mother Earth. He is Father God and he desires a personal relationship with each one of us. He is the light of the world who desires to light up your life with eternal peace and hope.

Yes, it may be Earth Day and my recycling sits at the curb as we speak. It may be the day I enjoy dessert because it’s my birthday, but my real purpose today is to encourage you to consider having a second birthday too.

If would like to be born again so that you will know true peace, joy and hope, pray this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that you took the pain of the cross to give me new life. I ask you to come into my life and to give me your peace and joy. I confess that I am a sinner -- that I have gone my own way and have done wrong. Please forgive me for my sins. I receive you now as my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Help me to follow you and to serve you all my life. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, one of your birthdays is also on Earth Day. You are now a child of God. The things of your old life have passed away and He has made all things new. Please send me a note so I can wish you happy birthday.

Body, Mind and Spirit

Body, mind and spirit. Most people would agree that every human is made up of these three parts. After all, without a body, you would not have eyes to read these words. Without a mind, you would not be able to understand the meaning of the words. Without a spirit, you would be similar to a fruit or a vegetable.

If there is ever a debate in this area, it comes with the third element of our make up, the spirit. Once we conclude that we do in fact have some sort of spirit, we wonder about the dynamics of it. Is it merely our personality as some are said to be “sweet-spirited” or “mean-spirited?” Some ponder the grandiose idea that we have always existed in the spirit world and when our body dies, we will just float along with other spirits. The last question deals with the divine nature of the spirit. Are we God? Can we become God?

Your worldview will answer that question. A Christian worldview declares that the Supreme Being of the universe is God—big “g.” He is God and humans are not, nor will they ever ascribe to that position. They cannot because they are the created creature.

In a nutshell, this belief can provide relief and peace. Personally, I mess up so often I am relieved that there is a Someone bigger than me that can offer solutions to my problems. I do not need to look within or muster up strength from my weary self.

Ultimately, my body will die. Thankfully, my mind is in tact. Finally, I have a promise that my spirit will go to be with God forever.

You can find more intriguing writings like this at http://www.sharonhouk.com/faq.html

Decisions Determine Destiny

Monday night a college basketball player named Mario Chalmers made a decision that determined the destiny of his team. With milliseconds left on the clock, he decided to take a shot that tied the game. Five minutes of playtime later, the Kansas Jayhawks won the national championship title.

Each of us is free to choose to “take the shot” at knowing God or decide it is too risky and dribble our life away. Our decision to trust God with our life will ultimately determine our destiny. We will spend the afterlife either with God or away from him in a place of eternal conscious punishment. For some these are harsh words. I agree.

The other choice we are free to make, is to yield our life to God through Jesus Christ. This decision results in a life of hope, peace and joy. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

As you consider your eternal destiny today, refer to the FAQ in the sidebar. I pray you will consider making a decision that will determine a favorable destiny. If you have questions, let me know.

Seen Any Good Movies Lately?

Depending on your view of the world, the adjective “good” can be quite relevant. For me, one characteristic of a good movie is whether it gets people talking.

Ben Stein’s controversial movie, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed opens nationwide in theaters on April 18^th. The heightened anticipation from scientists and atheists has cyberspace electric with the buzz of this documentary’s release:

LOS ANGELES, March 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- According to Technoranati's BlogPulse which surveys the hottest topics and sites in the world of blogs, a site featuring Ben Stein's controversial new film Expelled is the #1 blog on the net.

The web traffic spiked when P.Z. Meyers, a biology professor at the University of Minnesota,  Morris, attempted to sneak into a private, invitation-only screening of Ben Stein's highly controversial upcoming movie, EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed (www.expelledthemovie.com). But Myers, who is an outspoken atheist and author of the science blog "Pharyngula" got caught and has used his blog to bitterly complain about not being allowed to see the film before its release.

Myers, who was interviewed in Expelled, has apparently been asking supporters to sneak into the private screenings which are being conducted by marketing company Motive Entertainment (www.motivemarketing.biz; which handled grassroots marketing for blockbusters The Passion of the Christ and Chronicles of Narnia) for various leaders as part of the grass roots marketing of the film.

When confronted at the screening by Myers' friend Richard Dawkins, a prominent atheist who is himself featured in the film… (read more)

I hope you will add, “see this movie” to your to-do list this month. You can bet I will and then we can talk about it.

Accountability and Accounting

In less than two weeks, we (US Citizens) will have to give an accounting to one “relative,” interestingly nick-named Uncle Sam, otherwise known as the IRS. Of course, plenty of checks and balances and high-tech computers ensure that we are accountable to that accounting come April 15. But, what about our daily lives? To whom do you answer?

We all have various levels of accountability to society, but different societies have different standards for legality and morality, and an individual can sometimes violate standards and escape accountability. Of course, other units of accountability include family, employment, etc. But, what about our accountability to God—regardless of what we believe about Him?

I have mentioned before, that just because we do not believe something does not mean it is not true. The simplest example is that of law of gravity. If I jump off my roof, no matter how hard I believe I can fly or soar upward, I will crash to the ground. The same holds true to the accounting every human who ever lived will give to God.

There is a promised judgment by the righteous Judge. All will give an accounting for their belief and/or acceptance of denial to the living God.

There is also a promised time of blessing for all of eternity for those who settle their account with Jesus Christ while here on earth.

Consider these things today.

Say Sabbatical…

…and you will describe another’s absence, not mine. Although I may have been gone from my Blog posts for two months, I promise you I was not vacationing on a balmy island in the South Pacific. No, I was still here, glued to my keyboard but producing other rhetoric for other venues. But, providentially, I am back. See you tomorrow.

Awakening (Part 2)

Continued from yesterday…

Second, the despondent seeker has already been awakened. All have been “awakened” to notice the emptiness in their soul. The emptiness is the wake up call to seek God. This person says he not religious because he has not had an “experience.” Many people confuse religion with faith; many also confuse faith with experience. These three terms are not interchangeable.

Religion involves rules. Experience involves self. Faith involves a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Can you hear the longing when he says, “one day I may be able to realize that life is change and I can love it for what it is, not what it has to offer me (i.e. a feeling of belonging and love).” What this person does not realize is that the Source of life is what offers the security of belonging and love—even when these warm fuzzy feelings are absent.

The day we meet Jesus Christ of the Bible, is the day that our life will change. From that day forward, each and every day we will have what we need to get through that day and every day of our life thereafter.

Think logically for one minute. What if there really was a God who loved us and created us to have a relationship with Him? What if He really created the universe and evolution is the hoax? Logic says it would be better to trust in a Source that is more powerful than I am to get me through the struggles that are bigger than I am.

I hope you’ll move from logic to faith—faith in God. This is the true awakening.

You can find more intriguing writings like this at http://www.sharonhouk.com/faq.html

Awakening (Part 1)

“This pain that I experience after each break up inspires me to come to terms with life and its ever changing nature. I'm not a religious person, only because I haven't had experience, but I have read on awakening. I was wondering if anyone can offer resources for furthering my awakening so that one day I may be able to realize that life is change and I can love it for what it is, not what it has to offer me (i.e. a feeling of belonging and love). Thanks for any help.”

The previous paragraph is from a person reaching out through cyberspace via an online forum called “Personal Development for Smart People.” The “smart people” on the forum offered a book title and these words, “All is full of love. You’ll be taken care of.” I cried at my laptop screen on behalf of the despondent seeker, “How!?” “When!?” “What do I have to do!?”

The person in the quote above has come to some truths about life. First, life is a cycle of highs and lows and comes complete with emotional hurts and sorrows.

However, what this person doesn’t seem to know is that God loves us and wants us to know Him—the One that does not change. This same God would not be the definition of love if he knew we would spend an eternity worse than the present, did nothing to warn us about it or offer us anything different. This is the foundation of hope, security and ability in the craziness of life.

All is “not full of love” but you can be taken care of when you trust in Christ.

To be continued…

You can find more intriguing writings like this at http://www.sharonhouk.com/faq.html

No Such Thing as Universal Love

Many believe that because “God is Love” he will ultimately save all people. This is not so. It cannot be so. It would contradict the very nature of God, which also includes holiness and justice. Therefore, love cannot overpower holiness and save those who reject Christ and die in their sins.

This is a hard truth for many. But, better to consider it now while alive and able to choose than after death when it’s too late.

God’s love is universal in that it can be known to all. It has nothing to do with affection and everything to do with perfection. That is: God is and man is not.

He loves sinful people because he is gracious. His mercy is universal in that it is available to all. This is the unmerited favor of God shown to man primarily through the work of Jesus Christ. All of these concepts are related and stem from the love of God who is love.

You can find more intriguing writings like this at http://www.sharonhouk.com/faq.html

Expelled. Rebelled. Synonomous?

Looks like it!   

Check out this soon to be released movie.

(More on this one later)

You Can Know God

  If we are to know God at all, it is necessary that he reveal himself to us. Even when discussing the revelation of God that comes through nature, God shows himself to us. The natural creation reveals God because he chose to have himself revealed that way. However, nature is not God and God is not in nature (as some believe). We can know there is a God because nature reveals God to us.

Only Scripture can tell us how to interpret natural revelation of God correctly. To not consider the God of the Scriptures and only consider the God of nature is futile thinking. To think we can know God based on our own wisdom is foolish thinking. Ahh…but to believe that is the first step in knowing God.

Jesus Christ came to give us understanding “to know him that is true.” We can know God, when we believe what God reveals in the Bible. We commune with him in his presence, we sing his praise, and we are aware that he personally dwells among us and within us to bless us. Indeed, this personal relationship with God the Father, with God the Son, and with God the Holy Spirit may be said to be the greatest of all blessings of the Christian life.

If you’ve known God, but have turned your back on Him, will you reconsider the relationship with Him? Chances are he is not the one that caused you the pain that prompted you to flee. Instead, it was the sin of another.

What have you got to lose by looking heavenward and seeking reconciliation with the God who loves you so much? What?

I’d like to hear from you.

You can find more intriguing writings like this at http://www.sharonhouk.com/faq.html

What’s in a Name?

If someone used a term to describe me more than 2500 times in a document, I would probably conclude that person was onto something.

Speaking of God, the Hebrew term elohim occurs in the general sense of deity about 2,570 times in the Old Testament. About 2,310 times it is a name for the true God beginning with that ever popular text, “In the beginning, God…”

Sure, we could argue that the Bible is some ancient book full of errors and lacking proof of the claims made therein. But, that wouldn’t reveal intelligence in either of us.

The opposite is true—the Bible is without error and historical evidence abounds. Have you ever read it? The God it introduces is amazing. The story it tells is rich. The promises it reveals provide hope.

What’s in a name? In this case, life and death are in the name (that is, power and authority) of elohim through the person of Jesus Christ.

You can find more intriguing writings like this at http://www.keytofreedom.org/faq.html

Re-Think God

If the heavens proclaim the glory of God

     and the skies display his craftsmanship;

If day after day, they continue to speak

      and night after night they make him known;

if they speak without a sound or word

      then their voice is always heard.

Yes, their message has gone throughout the earth,

      and their words to all the world.

Who can question that God has made a home in the heavens for the sun?

It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.

      It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.

The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end.

      Nothing can hide from its warmth.

Rethink God. God proclaims his presence to all throughout the whole world, even those who cannot see, can witness his presence in the warmth of the sun.

Rethink God. He loves you and desires a relationship with you.

Rethink God. He sent His son Jesus Christ so that anyone who calls on him can know him.

You can find more intriguing writings like this at http://www.keytofreedom.org/faq.html