Faith
Saying for the Day-Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.-Martin Luther
Lately I’ve been thinking of the wonder of faith. The fact that some of us reach the edge in our darkness and then leap out believing God will catch us. And He does. Others look into that same darkness and decide the world is such a messed up place that there couldn’t be a God and walk away. I have no idea why some do one thing and some the other.
I can only say that I’m glad I jumped. It has been a wonderful journey. I have seen miracles. I have known fantastic joy. I have been up on the mountain. God has been good to me.
When things have not gone well. When I had to learn to walk again. God was there holding me up. God has been very good to me.
Now I’m a rational person ( sort of) and I know this could all be a delusion. It is possible there is no God. It is possible my atheist friends are correct. It is possible that every miracle I have seen was just coincidence. Of course its possible.
Here’s the good news for me. The day will come when I die . If I’m right then I will go on into eternity with that same God and it will be more joyful, more wonderful, than I can begin to imagine.
If I’m wrong they will bury me and my dust will return to the earth. The sad thing for my atheist friends is that they won’t be able to say I told you so.
It’s also possible that some of those atheists may yet make the leap and I will be able to say. Welcome home brother or sister.
God has been so good to me that I just can no longer not believe.
@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and it is getting colder.– Pigeon Falls is still covered with snow. The temperature has fallen from 32 degrees to 31 degrees. It is cold for September. Something is really wrong.
Petrovich says that it looks more and more like his two driblets (62 and 77) apply. If they could really understand them the way out of this mess is in there. The pigeons and the deer will come back. The snow will go.
People are still stopping at Nancy’s. If anything the coffee is even worse than when Nellie started. But you need someplace to share your ideas. The wildest so far is that they should try to get Hilary Clinton to sing the pigeon song. She is a woman with lots of power. Somebody else asked if anybody had ever heard her sing. The fact is that if she is the right woman it won’t make any difference how she sings as long as she sings the right song.
Despite the snow and lack of pigeons life goes on in Pigeon Falls.
Today is the start of Sunday School at Last Lutheran. There will be confusion. Children will discover who is willing to teach this year. Pastor Joan will lead them in worship. They will sing Jesus Loves Me. Life will go on as usual.
At the main worship service Pastor Joan will announce that if the cold weather continues the church will need a little extra giving to the heating fund. The heating fund, you will remember, was established because the price of natural gas went up so much that the heating costs couldn’t be met by the regular budget. They have held three fund raisers for the fund. One was matched by some Lutheran insurance company ( Tie a Net or something like that). Even so the cold weather , this early, could empty the fund.
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Today's Link- Ellen Loudon- Faith and a bicycle .
Went to church this morning. Pennie and I did the children's sermon. It proved beyond any doubt that I need a hearing aid. Pennie did the Margaret puppet she used to do in Crystal. After church we had root beer floats ( at church). Then we went grocery shopping at Pick and Save. In the afternoon I took a nap. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA
posted by Dr.John at 4:44 AM
7 Comments:
"God has been so good to me that I just can no longer not believe."
How true.
As always, I love your Sunday Blogs. You always have a message I can relate to. Thank you.
As we were growing up, it was Grandma that had the "faith", and Mom who was the skeptic. My brother and I were caught in the controversy, and believe me, there was much controversy discussed quite opening in front of us kids. Grandma didn't acquire her faith until almost 50, and I guess Mom was about 60 before she all of a sudden became devout. A little to late for us kids we already had the seeds of doubt permanently set. You have to understand, brainwashing of small children is a big part of religious faith. children who are brought up by non believers are also very likely to not believe. I was an intelligent child, with many questions, and found the bible to be confusing and often times down right contradictory. If Grandma couldn't answer a question, she would just say, "well you just have to have faith." And I would think, Faith in What? I couldn't rely on the Bible for answers, it just gave me more questions. Mom is 92 now, and she often says, "what can it hurt to believe in something." Well yes, that certainly is true, but is that what religion is all about, you must believe just in case, because to not believe is to scary. Is it indeed, the "fear" of god.
My daughter is taking a bible class in High School this year. Probably Georgia is the only state in the Union that actually allows bible study to be given in high school.
Hi Dr John,
there is no logic or rational that can be used to explain why things are the way they are, and why some believe and some don't.
After all there is no conclusive logic or rational that can explain what is good or bad, what is right or wrong.
Is killing wrong?
Well we kill for food, and most mother's would be prepared to kill to save their child, whilst others are willing to kill their unborn child.
Most people would like to think they'd be heroes and kill or go to war to protect their loved ones, their family & friends, their village or tribe, even their land, or for some 'greater' good. And of course some would be willing to kill to rob you of your loved ones, your family, tribe or tribal lands - and justify doing so, because of some 'higher' truth? hmmm
I always used to think well if you don't believe in god, how will you hear or recognise the voice of god calling you to life after death
But then again I was trying to justify my faith, by condemning those who did not believe or share my faith? - What sin does that make me guilty of.
However I have one thing to say to those who dismiss life and especially human life as a random or coincidental evolution of cells.
Why does man so aspire to be godlike - to have control over his life, to have control over nature and all other forms of life, even to have control over other humans, and yes control over death itself.
Why is it man and science can see man evolve 'beyond' our present limits - yet would baulk at the possibility of the supernatural or the spirit. This from the same science which hopes to be able to record your entire life, not on video or on a memory stick, but maybe on a single photon of light.
This from a science which claims to hope to soon be able to record your very thoughts and dreams. This from a science which claims to hope to soon be able to construct an MRI or some such-like machine that will be able to cleanse humans of every ailment illness or disease?
Seems to me, science is not so much concerned with achieving this, but by definition being able to control (repeat at will) and charge for the miracle ...
Hmmm I best say no more
Some even hope to reach heaven in a spaceship - as if one could pay your way - selling 'indulgences' is nothing new.
The temps have FALLEN from 32 to 31 degrees? LOL.
Well, actually it might matter whether or not the woman of power can sing. Lets face it, what some consider singing, others would consider squawking and screeching. You would think that Petrovich would find that to be a sticking point -- especially since the City of Birds can only apply to Pigeon Falls. Thus singing must be actual singing.
What a great Sunday blog Dr John. very appropriate. I once heard a saying...." I would rather live my life as if there is a God and find out there wasnt than to live my life as if there was no God and find out there is." I find comfort in God, I know he hears me...and no one will convince me otherwise.
God is part of the fabric of my life. One day in my despair I called out to God. I wasn't certain he was there, but if he was, I needed help. And I felt his arms come around me. I instantly was so full of love and peace there was almost no room in me for me! And I swear I heard angels singing.
I believe. Nothing anyone can say can negate that experience. God exists and he loves me.
Like Quilly, I have had personal experiences with God, so I could not not believe; I know.
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