Abundant Life – Page 53 – Write From Karen

The world was at once shocked and horrified when it learned of the earthquake in Haiti. Over 100,000 people have died in the tragedy. People have united, world-wide, by pouring money into relief efforts in an attempt to try and help those that are so helpless right now.

It’s so sad that it takes a tragedy to bring us together, isn’t it? But it’s even MORE sad when I read people blaming God, or saying it’s somehow God’s “will” that this tragedy happened.

Our God is a kind, loving, gentle, merciful God and in Him there is no darkness. None.

And I’m pretty sure death is the darkest thing that can happen to a human. Why would God cause death and destruction?

The short answer: He doesn’t.

Why would He allow this to happen?

The short answer: Because our God is not the God of this world. Earth legally belongs to Satan. God gave the Earth to Adam and Eve and when they sinned, they transferred ownership to Satan. Why do you think Satan spent so much time and effort into trying to talk Jesus into serving him? That by doing so, he would give him control of the Earth? How can Satan give control over something he isn’t legally entitled to?

And why do you think prayer is so important? Because we are asking, from our own free will, for God’s help. He can not help us if we do not ask Him.

It makes me so angry whenever I hear people blaming God for the bad things that happen in their lives. God does NOT DESERVE to be accused of something HE did not do. Our God would not hurt us – ever. And to shift the blame for something tragic onto God’s shoulders by telling others that it was His will that it happen, is doing God a great disservice.

Please. If you have doubts, if you wonder why tragedy happens, if you wonder where God is when tragedy strikes, read the below article. Follow the links provided. Go back to God’s word and stop listening to erroneous theories and traditions. There is GREAT comfort in learning the truth about our wonderful LORD and Savior!

Every Sunday I provide videos and valuable links to the Truth or Tradition teachings. We’ve been following the Truth or Tradition teachings for many years now and they have truly blessed our family. We have found peace and happiness through our beliefs and we walk confidently for God. My hope, by passing on this information to you, is that what you find here, or on the Truth or Tradition website, will guide you to a better, more blessed and abundant life.

If you would like to read my views on religion and how we got started with the ministry, you can read this.

Let’s get started:

“Why did God allow this to happen?” This is often the question that runs through the minds of family and friends when tragedy occurs. To some, it sounds too hideous to say something like, “God killed your son,” when a child is killed in a car accident. So they euphemistically say that God “allowed” the child to die such a death. But can a logical mind make any distinction between the two? Ours do not, and we doubt if yours does either. If God could have stopped it, but instead allowed it, He necessarily shares the responsibility for the tragedy.

Why not let God speak for Himself from the pages of His “God-breathed” Word? By way of a number of godly men whom He inspired, He is the One Author of His cohesive, written revelation to mankind about who He is, what kind of God He is, and exactly how He relates to people, who were His idea in the first place. The Bible says that Satan is the one who now holds the power of death, that is, he is the ultimate cause of death. This is either directly, via evil spirit intervention, such as a spirit of murder causing one person to murder another, or indirectly, via one of the countless diseases he has introduced into the world, or by destructive weather, or by a myriad of “accidents.”

Hebrews 2:14
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.

Suppose you are sitting in a restaurant visiting with two friends, Bill and Joe. Bill sees a guy with a lead pipe in his hand sneaking up behind you. He turns to Joe and asks, “How’s your family?” When you wake up, don’t you think you will blame Bill almost as much as you blame the guy who hit you with the pipe? Who can truly love a God who causes suffering, or one who could stop it, but just decides to “allow” it to happen?

In the beginning, God decided to give both angels and man genuine free will. God is love (1 John 4:16), and true love requires giving the other party freedom not to reciprocate love. Thus, God “allowed” or “permitted” the possibility of evil in order to make possible an unforced response of genuine goodness and love. If something contrary to His will happens, it is because God cannot at that moment stop it without going against His own nature. How could that be? We believe there are three very good reasons:

First, because although He is the most powerful One in the spiritual war currently raging between good and evil, His righteous nature requires Him to act justly even toward His formidable foe, the Devil. Second, He cannot usurp anyone’s personal freedom of will. Third, His justice requires Him to allow people to experience the consequences of their disobedience. [For further study read “Is God in Control?”]

To say that God cannot always stop evil flies in the face of many Christians’ fatalistic concept of “the sovereignty of God,” [1] a phrase, by the way, not found in Scripture. To most Christians, this means that God is ruling over everything that happens, and is thus responsible for it all. Most Christians have also been taught that God is “omnipotent,” which according to Webster’s actually means “all powerful.” [2] Obviously God does not have all power, because Satan also has plenty. We believe that most Christians use the term “omnipotent” to mean that God has the most power and therefore can do whatever He wants. Although we certainly believe that God is the most powerful, His Word shows that He cannot always do whatever He wants whenever He wants to. Clearly, He has limited Himself in His Word as to what He will and will not do.

Despite how much we may love to sing the verses of “Joy To The World” at Christmas time, a quick glance at any newspaper or TV news program blatantly shows that Jesus is not ruling on the earth, because the place is an absolute mess. Paradise is definitely lost. More definitively, there are a number of Scripture verses that make it plain that the world is not yet subject to the rule of the Lord. [3] For example:

1 Corinthians 15:24-26
(24) Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
(25) For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
(26) The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

It is obvious from the above verses that there is some “dominion,” some “authority,” and some “power” that is not yet subject to the Lord. Furthermore, it is obvious that death is an enemy of God, not a tool He uses, and that it is not yet destroyed. Here are more pertinent verses:

Hebrews 10:12 and 13
(12) But when this priest [Jesus Christ] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
(13) Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.

Because the Lord Jesus is now waiting for his enemies to become his footstool, it is obvious that they are not yet under his subjection. But God is the most powerful and most wise one in the fight, and that means that human history as a whole will be resolved according to His will. The “whole” will be made up of the parts of human history— individuals — who chose to believe God’s Word and do His will.

In regard to God’s eventual victory, consider the analogy of a chess match between former World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer and the president of a high school chess club. Although the latter might capture a few of his opponent’s pieces and perhaps, to an untrained eye, even appear to gain the upper hand at some point, the outcome is never in doubt. No matter what the lesser player may do by the freedom of his will, the master player always has a superior strategy that will result in ultimate victory. Likewise, God need not stoop to manipulating His opponent in order to achieve His goals.

Hearing that God is not controlling everything that happens may at first cause some Christians great consternation, and even feelings of helplessness. Perhaps this is because they have actually trusted more in fatalistic pre-determinism than in the love, power, ability, resourcefulness, and willingness of God to keep His promises regarding the present and the future. Also, this truth “ups the ante” in regard to the importance of one’s personal choices in response to God’s directives.

As we see it, here are the only alternatives:

(A) There is no God, your great-grandfather was a lizard and life is a “crapshoot.” Good luck!
(B) You are God. Good luck!
(C) There is a God who determines everything that happens. He is able and willing to both help you and hurt you, and there are no guarantees which He will do, or when He will do it. Good luck!
(D) There is a God who once made a Paradise for man and who has guaranteed for those who believe His Word that it will one day again be so. In the meantime, He and His Son are far more powerful than their (and your) enemy, and they are doing their absolute best for you each day. You have God’s Word on it. You don’t need “luck.”

Which sounds best to you? When properly understood, this truth will for you result in greater love for God, greater hatred for the Devil, and greater desire to obey God’s wonderful Word, which contains “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).

You can read the original article here.

If you would like to read more about how we shouldn’t blame God for bad things that happen:

Don’t Blame God – Part One

Don’t Blame God – Part Two

Don’t Blame God – Part Three

Don’t Blame God – Part Four

I will not be silent anymore. It’s time we STOPPED blaming God when tragedy strikes.

If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about God’s wonderful message, please visit the Truth or Tradition website. You can also keep track of the ministry through their Facebook page, their YouTube Channel, or follow them on Twitter.

Thanks for reading.

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Abundant Life

Teaching: Can We “Pray” to Jesus Christ?

January 10, 2010January 8, 2010 Karen

If you would like to read my views on religion and how we got started with the ministry, you can read this.

Let’s get started:

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There is a controversy among Christians who believe that Jesus is not God but the Son of God, about whether or not we can pray to Jesus. The only definitive place to go for an answer to that question is the Word of God. It is important when trying to answer such an important question that we do not base our position upon only one Greek word or one verse. Rather, we must examine the scope of Scripture to see what it says. We believe that the Bible makes it clear that one can pray to Jesus, but does not have to, and we will do our best to show why that is.

There are many points of logic in understanding why we can pray to Jesus. Before we delve into the issue, however, it is important to understand that the basic and fundamental definition of “prayer” is “asking.” Our prayers may also include some praise, but in every language, prayer is fundamentally asking for something, as is clear from studying the Hebrew and Greek words translated prayer, and even looking up “prayer” in an English dictionary. Below are some points of logic and Scripture that indicate we can pray to Jesus.

1) Jesus is Lord of all (Acts 10:36; Rom. 10:12), and has all authority in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18). How can he be “Lord” in any real sense if we cannot ask him for things? Now that the Lord Jesus has all authority, it makes even more sense that we petition him, even as it made sense that people petitioned him when he was alive in his earthly ministry. Hundreds, even thousands, of people asked Jesus for things when he was on earth. Does it make sense that someone could ask Jesus for something over 2000 years ago, but cannot do so now?

2) We are to have fellowship with the Son (1 John 1:3). How can we have fellowship with Jesus, which clearly indicates being in relationship with him, but not ask him for anything? We have fellowship with God and ask Him for things, and we have fellowship with other Christians and ask them for things, so does it make sense that we are to have fellowship with Jesus but not ask him for anything?

3) Jesus said that his followers could ask him for things.

John 14:13 and 14
(13) And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
(14) You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

These verses become especially enlightening when they are read as they were written in the original text, which was without punctuation: “…I am going to the Father and I will do whatever you ask in my name…you may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” It is clear from these verses that Jesus knew he was going to the Father, and wanted people to ask him for what they needed. Their doing so is a prayer, whether it is formally in a church building or informally as one is going about his or her daily business.

4) The Word of God makes it clear that believers in the early Church thought it normal to talk with the exalted Lord Jesus Christ.

A) After his ascension, the disciples prayed to Jesus about choosing a replacement for Judas. This was logical because they understood it was Jesus who had originally chosen the twelve.

Acts 1:24 and 25
(24) Then they prayed [proseuchomai], “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen
(25) to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.”

Although some have contended that the Lord in the above verse is God, it is more logical that it refers to Jesus. He was the one who chose Judas, and he was addressed as “Lord” by all the apostles over and over in the New Testament.

B) Stephen called upon Jesus, not God, when he was being stoned.

Acts 7:59 and 60a
(59) While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed [epikaleo= “calling upon”], Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
(60a) Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

C) Paul pleaded with the Lord Jesus about his “thorn in the flesh,” as is clear from the context of the following verses.

2 Corinthians 12:8 and 9
(8) Three times I pleaded [parakaleo=to beseech] with the Lord to take it away from me.
(9) But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

5) Verses such as Acts 9:34 and 2 Timothy 4:18 show that as the Head of the Body, the Lord Jesus is actively involved in healing and sustaining its members. It is our contention that any Christian can ask the Lord Jesus to do for him anything that would help him do the works that Jesus did. As Head of the Body, he converses with believers and asks things of them. It is only logical that we would also ask things of him. The New Testament tells us of his personal interaction with Stephen (Acts 7:56); Saul/Paul (Acts 9:1-9; 23:11; Gal. 1:12; 2 Cor. 12:9); Ananias (Acts 9:10-16); Peter (Acts 10:9-22; 2 Pet. 1:14); [1] and John (Rev. 1:9-18).

A) Since Pentecost, many things come to the Body via the Head, Jesus Christ. It is he who:

* Pours out the gift of holy spirit (Acts 2:33)
* Gives us grace (Rom. 1:5; 16:20; 1 Cor. 16:23; 2 Cor. 8:9; 13:14; Gal. 1:6; 6:18; Eph. 4:7; Phil. 4:23; 1 Thess. 5:8; 2 Thess. 1:12; 3:18)
* Gives us peace (2 Thess. 3:16)
* Gives us mercy (1 Cor. 7:25)
* Blesses us (Rom. 10:12; 15:29)
* Nurtures and cares for the Church, holds it together and causes it to grow (Eph. 5:29; Phil. 1:19; Col. 1:17; 2:19)
* Directs us (1 Cor. 16:7; 2 Thess. 3:5)
* Is interceding for us (Rom. 8:35)
* Gives the equipping ministries to the Church (Eph. 1:1; 4:8,11)
* Gives revelation (2 Cor. 12:1; Gal. 1:12)
* Will transform our bodies at his appearing (Phil. 3:21)
* Will judge, reward, and punish people, according to what they deserve (John 5:21,22; 2 Cor. 5:10; Eph. 6:8; Col. 3:23-25; 1 Thess. 4:6; 2 Thess. 1:8)

Could it really be that with such an intimate connection to the members of his Body, the Lord Jesus could then not be addressed by his Church? Surely we can ask our Lord and Head for whatever that we need.

6) Calling on the Name of the Lord.

One evidence in Scripture that people can pray to Jesus is seen by paying attention to the phrase, “call upon the name of the Lord.” Through the Old Testament, when people “called upon the name of the Lord,” it was to pray to, appeal to, or ask for help from God.

Conclusion

It seems clear that we can pray to Jesus for things we need. However, the Bible does not give us clear direction as to when or about what a believer should talk to Jesus, as opposed to God. Whether a believer prays to God or Jesus is left up to the individual.

However, the vast majority of scriptures dealing with prayer make it clear that God is the principal source of all things, and therefore should be the chief focus of our worship, praise, and supplication. Those who enthusiastically embrace the idea of praying to the Lord Jesus must recognize that this practice ought not to be carried out to the point of distracting one from the worship of the Father. We are sure that the Lord Jesus would find it ironic indeed if he himself were to become the principal object of Christian worship and adoration, when his entire life and ministry was devoted to the glorification of his Father.

We should also make it clear that we are not saying that a Christian must pray to the Lord Jesus as part of his or her Christian walk. Because there is no clear command to do so, as there is to God (Eph. 5:19,20; Col. 1:3,9; 4:3), we must never tell anyone they must pray to Jesus. On the other hand, we shudder at the idea of any Christian telling another that it is wrong for him to talk/pray to the Lord Jesus. We would particularly hate to see believers judge one another and segregate themselves from other Christians over the issue of whether or not they pray to the Lord Jesus. We think whether or not one prays to Jesus is a matter of individual conscience, and not an issue about which believers ought to tyrannize one another.

You can read the entire article here.

Thanks for reading.

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Teaching: What the Bible actually says about the birth of Christ (Part Two)

December 24, 2009December 24, 2009 Karen

If you would like to read more about the birth of Christ, the real story, this would be a good place to start.

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Teaching: What the Bible actually says about the birth of Christ (Part One)

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If you would like to read more about the birth of Christ, the real story, this would be a good place to start.

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Teaching: Taking Hold of God’s Willingness

December 20, 2009December 19, 2009 Karen

If you would like to read my views on religion and how we got started with the ministry, you can read this.

Let’s get started:

[This article was taken from the book Don’t Blame God! A Biblical Answer to the Problem of Evil, Sin and Suffering.]

We do not believe that faith is the only variable in the “equation” of life. A study of the Word of God shows that prayer, the intensity of the spiritual battle and the help of other believers are also variables that affect what happens in our lives. The prayers of God’s people play an important part in the will of God coming to pass, because prayer is a catalyst for change — in people and in circumstances. No one knows how much sin and suffering could be avoided if Christians everywhere developed strong prayer lives. It seems that the power of prayer has been vastly underestimated. Prayer is not just reciting what someone else wrote; it is communion with God and the Lord Jesus Christ. [1]

Jesus himself had an extremely powerful prayer life. He spent hours alone in prayer to God. Surely that shows the value and importance of prayer. Commands (not suggestions) to pray are found all over the Bible. “Devote yourselves to prayer” (Col. 4:2), “pray continually” (1 Thess. 5:17), “be…faithful in prayer” (Rom. 12:12), “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Eph. 6:18). And these are just a few. Paul knew that our prayers make a difference between success and failure in one another’s lives: “On him [God] we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers” (2 Cor. 1:10 and 11).

Many Christians have made resolutions to pray, but then quit when they did not see immediate results. Christ addressed this tendency: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). The parable is about persisting in prayer. Jesus gave us “the Lord’s Prayer” to show us the essential components of proper prayer, and he taught us to be bold, persistent and specific when we pray.

Nothing is more vital to a Christian’s cooperation with God than prayer. He needs us to become fellow laborers with Him in writing “His-story.” Through prayer, we can participate in events that otherwise would not have occurred. In his excellent book on prayer, And God Changed His Mind, Brother Andrew talks about how the false premise that God is in control of everything going on in the world, and its corollary fallacy that whatever happens is God’s will, so dilutes a Christian’s prayer life as to render it useless. He writes:

The fatalist’s attitude seems to reflect tremendous faith: “I refuse to question the will of God,” he will say with pious humility. But does he actually mean that whatever happens in the world is all right with him — including war, famine, oppression, the breakdown of the family and society, the exploitation of the innocent and weak, and the degradation of all that is holy and pure? “If God allows it, there must be a reason,” he will say, “and I can’t hope to understand God’s reasons with my small mind, so I accept what He does by faith and praise the Lord anyway!” And ignorant listeners to this kind of talk will respond admiringly, “What faith!” [2]

The truth is, as he also writes, that:

The boundaries of evil are expanding every day, and fatalistic apathy is enabling those boundaries to grow because it offers no resistance. But Christians must oppose evil [which first requires a recognition of it and that God is not the cause of it]; we were born for battle! Every Christian is a soldier, a “member of the resistance” in God’s army, taking part in spiritual warfare. The moment we lose sight of this, we become aimless in our actions and fuzzy in our focus. We forget why we were born, forget what we have been trained and equipped to do on the battlefield, and we die without knowing why we lived. Most importantly, we never complete the mission we were sent to accomplish. Score one more for the Devil. [3]

Faith in the Word of God is the only firm foundation upon which a Christian can build his prayer life. As Jesus stated in Mark 11:24, “…when you pray, believe [have faith].” Prayer and faith in God’s Word go hand-in-hand. Whatever God has promised in His Word to us as Christians, we can, with faith, pray for. This is yet another reason why it is so vital for each Christian to know the written Word of God, because it is our basis to know what is available through prayer, and what is the right attitude to have when we pray.

Someone once said that “prayer is not forcing God’s reluctance, but rather it is taking hold of His willingness.” God’s posture toward man is clear from Him giving His only begotten Son. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, God is always reaching out to give to His children “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17). Prayer, based upon a knowledge of God’s Word (which reveals His will and His will-ingness), is a primary way that a son of God can take hold of His many promises.

In this vein, the importance of each Christian’s free will cannot be overemphasized. The biblical truth about the rewards that each of us will receive from the Lord validates God’s appreciation of our individual response to His Word. He gives us credit for doing our part as fellow laborers with Him. Many Christians refuse to take credit for their efforts, and often reject other people’s heartfelt appreciation, saying things like, “Give God all the glory.” Scripture, however, clearly shows us that the way we truly glorify God is by recognizing the power He has given us, and using it to obey Him (see Romans 16; 1 Corinthians 16:17, 18; 2 Timothy 4:7, 8; 3 John 12).

Read the original article here.

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Teaching: Keep Asking: Persevering in Prayer

December 13, 2009December 12, 2009 Karen

If you would like to read my views on religion and how we got started with the ministry, you can read this.

Let’s get started:

Some Christians teach that if you pray for something, and have faith, then you do not need to pray for that thing again. In fact, they say it shows a lack of faith to pray that prayer again, and you should just stand in faith until God answers your prayer. In contrast, there are other Christians who teach that if you want something from God, you should pray over and over for it until you get it. Which belief is correct?

The answer is that if there is something worth praying for, we should pray over and over for it until we get it. It is never a lack of faith to do what the Bible says. In fact, the evidence that we have faith is that we do what the Bible says to do. Therefore, if the Bible says to pray over and over for something until we get it, then we are walking in faith when we do that.

The Word of God instructs us in many ways to pray for something over and over until we get it. One of the places we can see this is Matthew 7:7, which unfortunately is usually translated, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” This translation makes it seem like we only have to ask one time, which is not true. In the Greek text, the verbs “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” are in the present tense, active voice, and thus describe an ongoing action. The Holman Christian Standard Bible translates the verse correctly:

Matthew 7:7 (HCS) [1]
Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

God’s Word tells us to “keep asking,” and then what we are asking for will be given to us. Jesus taught the same lesson in Luke 18. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). It is easy to “give up” in prayer. Sometimes it is difficult to know if what we are praying for is the will of God, so if we pray for something day after day but do not get any results, we may “give up,” and stop praying. That must have been happening to Jesus’ disciples so, using a parable of a persistent widow and an unjust judge, he instructed them to keep praying (Luke 18:2-8).

Widows in biblical times were often taken advantage of because they did not have people to help or defend them. In this parable, a widow kept coming to the judge and asking for justice. Her plea was the same every time: she wanted justice against an adversary, and the judge finally granted her request because she was so persistent. We learn from the parable that if we do not get what we are praying for right away, we must come back to the Judge over and over and keep asking until we have what we want.

When Romans 12:12 says to be “faithful in prayer,” Ephesians 6:18 says “pray in the Spirit on all occasions,” Colossians 4:2 says “Devote yourselves to prayer,” and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “pray continually,” it is clear that many of those prayers are for the same thing, and we must ask for what we want over and over again. There are many different reasons that we do not get what we ask for in prayer the very first time we ask, and it is true that sometimes we are not asking for something that God can grant in prayer. However, even if we are asking for something that God wants us to have, sometimes we have to ask more than once for it, so God instructs us in His Word to pray over and over until we get what we have been asking for. Prayer works, and our prayers make a huge difference on this earth, so let’s be obedient and pray for what we need until we get it.

Read the original article here.

Thanks for reading.

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