Have you ever seen someone being raised from the dead? Is it still possible today?

When Jesus had finished praying, he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" The man who had been dead came out. (John 11:43-44 CEV)

Have you ever seen someone being raised from the dead? Is it still possible today? Could only Jesus raise people from the dead? Did the disciples have the power? Did that type of miracle stop when Jesus went to be with the Lord?

I have personally seen Christians being confronted with these specific questions and some of them decided that it cannot be answered! Some even lost their faith or left the Church. Let me tell you that it is not necessary to have a spiritual crisis about these questions! It can be answered!

In our present time you don’t see or hear from people that were raised from the dead. I think if someone was to be raised from the dead TODAY it would have made the news headlines! Some charismatic pastors testify that they have seen people raised from the dead, but most Christians have never actually seen someone standing up from a grave. This of course places a difficulty on the understanding of the Bible. I mean Jesus and Lazarus were raised from the dead. Some even see the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the basis of the Christian religion. I personally don’t think you can have salvation without the blood of Christ. How can you believe the Biblical account if there is no physical evidence for it?

There are two ways to answer all these questions. The first is based on rational thought.

If you chose to follow a more rational way of thinking and thus not taking a faithful answer, then I can tell you that the questions that I asked in the beginning of this post is the wrong questions to ask! If you want to follow a rational way of thinking then you must rather ask: “What evidence is there that testifies that Jesus really walked the face of the earth?” It is called the quest for the “Historical Jesus”. Many books have been published about this and most of them don’t include any type of faith. It is like the findings of an archaeologist.  You need a few books to explain this in full

The second is based on faith. Even though we don’t see people being raised from the dead today, we can testify that some similar things happen to us!

I personally know a friend who was using drugs for a long time. He came free from it and testifies that it was God who helped him. He would have surely been dead if he didn’t come free from the drugs. He gives thanks to God for saving his life.

I personally know a person who has been cured from cancer. He believes that God cured his cancer. If God didn’t cure it, the medical report stated that he would have died a few years ago. God saved his life.

Yes these accounts is not as glamorous as raising someone from the dead! Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead! We are not Jesus. Jesus was the sinless Lamb of God. We shouldn’t compare ourselves with Jesus as He was on earth. I still believe that raising someone from the dead today is still possible, but I can only say so from FAITH. I believe the power of God can be seen in many other places! The testimony of the Holy Spirit is the only way to this explanation.

Till next time!

The Bible is older than 2000 years! How accurate can it be?

This question has been asked by many believers, theologians and scholars. The story of the Bible has been told and retold many a times. The New Testament is 2000 years old and some stories in the Old Testament are older than 3200 years. How accurate can it be?

Legend has it that the stories in the Bible were not written down immediately. For example the story of creation was written by Moses about 3000 years ago. Earth was created long before that. Perhaps earth was created by God about more than 6000 years ago. That leaves a 3000 year gap!

In the New Testament the gospel of John was the last to be written. Most scholars place the date of writing at the end of the first century after Christ. If Jesus died at the year 32 and that John wrote his gospel at the year 85, that leaves a 53 year gap

Now who can remember a story accurately for 3000 years or 53 without writing it down?

The only way we can trust in scripture is to treat it as spiritually breathed and the Word of God. While most Christians don’t believe that these writers remembered the story 100% accurately, we still trust in the Holy Spirit that He guided the biblical writers to convey the story in such a sense that we can trust the spiritual integrity of the scripture today!

Yes, that may leave room for human error, but the Holy Spirit not only guided the people who wrote the scriptures, but also those who read the scriptures. In other words, the Holy Spirit is on both ends of this process. This is why we must ask the Spirit to help us interpret the scripture when we read it.

We must ask the Holy Spirit to be with us when we read the scripture!

Till next time!

What does the wind and the Holy Spirit have in common?

Core text:

God is Spirit (John 4:24 BBE)

The Greek word used in this passage is “πνεῦμα” (pneuma) which is translated as “Spirit”. This can also be translated as a current of air, breath or breeze. Thus when the Bible translators translate the word “πνεῦμα” with “Spirit” it is in a figurative way! It can also be translated with “soul”, “life” or “virtual presence”. (From the dictionary in my own words)

I think the idea of a “virtual presence” is a good way to explain the concept of “Spirit”. It means that God is present without you or me being able to see Him. This is of course a characteristic of Christianity and the other Abrahamic religions in their description of God. We know He is present without being able to see Him.

In a sense Christianity is different though. Jesus physically came to earth in person: But he made himself as nothing, taking the form of a servant, being made like men; (Philippians 2:7 BBE). Jesus, our God, was on earth in person. This sets Christianity apart and the fact that Jesus was physically crucified is the basis for the Christian salvation!

Now, more than 2000 years later, we have the Holy Spirit (as per Acts 2). A virtual presence, like the wind, with us!

In our next post we are going to discuss the Holy Spirit as the one who brings us salvation and functions like a counselor!

Till next time!

Is the “Word of God” the Bible? Or can it be something else?

The “Word of God” is a term that is widely used for many things. Perhaps you might remember the first verse of the Ten Commandments: “God said to the people of Israel:”

(Exodus 20:1 CEV). God said something. His word came to Moses and the People of Israel. In this example the “Word of God” may refer to the law of God.

But today believers have God’s forgiveness. When we say the “Word of God” we don’t just mean the law or what God said in the Old Testament, but also what God said in the New Testament. The “Word of God” might refer to one of the following:

·         The Bible. Christians believe that the Bible is the living breathing “Word of God”. We can find the will of God in the Bible, plus the Holy Spirit helps us to interpret the Bible. When we read the Bible the Holy Spirit speak to us! This can be the “Word of God”.

·         Jesus. “In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God.” (John 1:1 CEV). John writes that Jesus was called the Word.

This can give us a glimpse into how the Holy Spirit operates when He helps us to interpret the Bible. The Bible and religion should be interpreted through Jesus Christ who fulfilled the prophesies of the Old Testament. That is, Jesus is the Messiah, the one that brought redemption for our sins!

The “Word of God” is thus much more than just the Bible. It is not wrong to say “Word of God” when you refer to the Bible, indeed the “Word of God” includes the Bible, but it is much more. For example your Godly experiences, the help the Holy Spirit gives you when you interpret the Bible, everything from God is the “Word of God”.

How do you understand the word of God?

Till next time!!!

Should I read all of the Old Testament?

In the Old Testament we find books such as Numbers and some genealogy’s. Must we read all of it? Are these books applicable to the lives of Christians today? Have you ever heard a sermon out of the book of Numbers?

Why do we read the Bible? Christians believe that the Bible is the living breathing Word of God. We can grow spiritually by reading the Bible! For example reading the story of Jesus and how he was crucified for our sins reminds us to be grateful for example. There is thus a practical reason for reading the Bible.

Is there a practical reason for reading every word in the book of Numbers? The book of numbers is about the genealogy of ancient Israel, much like a family tree. Perhaps in ancient times a person could say that he or she was related to a person in that family tree, but today chances are that if you were next of kin to some named in a family tree in the book of Numbers you wouldn’t know it!

Thus it is more important for a modern Christian to know what the Book of numbers is about, rather than to read every word or strange name in it! The book of numbers contains a story that spans about 38 years. It is about the journey of the Israelites in the desert, before entering the Promised Land. That story is a part of the history of Israel and therefor important!

Should we read every name in a Biblical family tree?

Chances are that you wouldn’t know someone from a family named in those family trees. But to the ancient Israelies was important to name the people the way they did. Thus we, today, not so personal!

Till next time!

Should I read the short books in the New Testament?

In our previous post we discussed the importance of the New Testament. Today we are going to discuss whether one should read the entire New Testament.

The first four books in the New Testament are the Gospels. These books are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Modern scholars know that Luke also wrote the fifth book in the New Testament as an extension to the Gospel. In other words the fifth book is an extension of the third one. The first five books can be seen as a unit which contains the story of Jesus and the early church.

The books: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John sometimes differ a bit. This is due to how the writers recalled the events of the life of Christ. But these four writers is most definitely describing or telling exactly one and the same story– the story of Jesus and His early church.

The next section in the Bible consists of letters which instructs the reader on the teachings of Jesus. Most of these letters was written by the Apostle Paul. We also see letters from John and Peter. Just like the book of Hebrews in the New Testament, the writer wants to tell how they believe in Christ. The accounts of these people have shaped modern day Christianity!

And lastly we find the Book of Revelation at the end of the New Testament. It stands on its own as God lets John see into the future and into Heaven. John sees the end of the word, also known as the apocalypse.

The New Testament is interesting to read. Between the life of Christ on Earth in the first four books, the explanation of the Christian faith and the book of Revelation you will most certainly find spiritual growth! I can recommend it all!

How do you feel about the New Testament?

Till next time.

Why do Christians read the New Testament?

Most of what Christians believe can be found in the Bible. Christians see the Bible as the Word of God. That is a reason why Christians read the Bible- to contemplate on the Word of God. But why should we read the New Testament? Is it necessary to read the New Testament?

The New Testament consists of 27 books which contains the four gospels. The Greek word for “gospel” is “euangelion”. The “eu” means “Good” and the “angelion” means “News”. So the Greek word is “euangelion”, meaning “Good news”. In English we use the word “Gospel” for exactly the same purpose.

The four Gospels or sometimes called Good News is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These bring the good news of Christ. Christ is portrayed as the savior of mankind. This includes the birth of Christ, the crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ.

The four gospels thus bring the good news of the life of Jesus the Christ on Earth.

Till next time!

Is the Old Testament relevant to Christians?

In a post a few weeks ago I discussed the different sources of theology. There I said that Scripture is a source of theology. But what is scripture for Christians? Is Scripture the entire Bible or is it just the passages that talk about Jesus? What should Christians do with the Old Testament? Is the Old Testament still relevant to Christians?

The Old Testament starts with God creating the heavens and the earth and it ends about 400 years before Christ. It contains the stories and teachings of God before Christ. These stories are mostly about Gods people- they are the Israelites.

The Israelites spoke Hebrew and they can also be called the Hebrew people. Since the Old Testament is about them the Old Testament also took the name: “Hebrew Bible”. The actual Hebrew word is: “Tanakh”.

For Christians the Old Testament gives an introduction to the story of Jesus. The main reason for this is because the Old Testament contains prophecies that a Messiah is coming. The word “Messiah” is a Hebrew word which, when translated in Greek is “Christos” or Christ. Christians believe that Jesus is the Christ- That’s why we call Him Jesus Christ; the Messiah!

Thus the Old Testament paves the road for Jesus (John 1:23). Jesus also successfully fulfills the prophecies and the law in the Old Testament (Romans 8:1-4)

Till next time!

Is God a watchmaker? (Part 2)

In the previous post we discussed the “Deism” controversy, which compared God to a wristwatch. Now we are going to develop this controversy to the next level. If God created the world as a wristwatch, would the world be able to function on its own without intervensionis from God?

The “Deism” theory says: God started the world at creation, just like a watchmaker starts a watch. After creation a watch would work on its own until service is required. The watch is a mechanical instrument. If God created the world as a mechanical instrument, adhering to the laws and forces of nature, what interventions would God have to do? In other words if God created the word as a mechanical instrument where would God be? I mean, wouldn’t the mechanical system work on its own?

Most faiths recognize an above-natural power! Is the “Deism” theory flawed because it doesn’t make room for that above-natural power in its world view?

Is God a watchmaker? (Part 1)

Consider the example of a simple wrist watch. A watchmaker made the watch and as he inserts the battery of a modern watch it starts to tick. Many people in the past said that God is like that. This is part of the “Deism” controversy.  I will attempt to explain it in more detail:

1.       God created the world with the laws of nature.

2.       God created humans in this world.

3.       The humans can explore the world to discover how God created the world.

I would like you to consider two scenarios:

·         If God created the world about 600 years ago, were would the remains of the dinosaurs come from? There wouldn’t have been enough time for them to become fossilized. Did God create them as scientists found them? In other words did God bury them there 600 years ago for clever scientists to find? What were Gods plan in this scenario?

·         Or did God really create the world six billion years ago which lead, through the process of evolution, to the development of the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs then died and in the long run became fossilized. In other words God created a period in history that had nothing to do with the human being! What were Gods plan in this scenario?

Please join the discussion!

Till next time!

Where can we find the will of God?

In my church I hear people saying: “God wants to do this or God wants to do that”. How do they know? 

How do they know it was God that spoke to them? How do they know that what they heard was in line with Gods will? Oh and where does the Bible come into all of this?

These are all very Good questions! We can talk all day about each of these questions. In this post I want to discuss the sources that God uses to communicate with people and the church.

Perhaps the word “Theology” can help us in this quest. The word Theology is a combination of two words. The first is “Theos”, meaning “God” and the second is “logos”, meaning “word”. So Theology can be translated with the “Word of God”. What are the sources of Theology? In other words, what sources can we use to hear the Word of God? In short I can name four:

1.       THE SCRIPTURE. Most Christians and almost all the churches use the Bible as the infallible (never-failing) Word of God. In short the Bible is Spirit breathed. It is not uncommon to say that the Bible is the “Word of God”.

2.       TRADITIONS. For most Christians it is standard to go to church every Sunday. This has been the way of Christianity for centuries and therefore a tradition. People go to church to hear the Word of God and to learn more about Him.

3.       REASON! Sometimes the Bible or traditions cannot help us because some problems did not exist in Biblical times. I mean the Bible is not going to help you with some sort of computer problem; electronics did not exist in Biblical times! Sometimes we must think about something and make the correct decisions. In this case it means we have to think!

4.       PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. Most Christians believe that God speaks to them directly. Maybe you just know what’s right or maybe you just feel it in your spirit. Perhaps a series of events can show you the correct way to follow.

God is good with communication. Share your thoughts on the way that God speaks to you!

How can we understand the Trinity; God, Son and Holy Spirit?

The Trinity consists of God the Father, Jesus his only Son and the Holy Spirit (sometimes Holy Ghost by name). The Trinity is sometimes called the Godhead. How can we understand the Godhead? Most churches say the following in a creed: “We believe in God the Father the creator of the heavens and the earth and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son our Lord” sounds familiar?

The Christian faith believes in one God. The Trinity is an unit, as in “one”. But yet we can pray to each one separately. For example: “Jesus please forgive me my sins” or “We know that God the father created the heavens and the earth”. Yet we describe God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit as “one God”.

Clearly this requires two viewpoints to understand. An individualistic viewpoint which is separate AND a collective viewpoint in which all is One. I can explain the viewpoints as follows:

• 1.       The first viewpoint is of God. This viewpoint is static: “One God”. Much the same as we find Him in the Old Testament.
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• 2.       The second viewpoint requires a bit more re-positioning  It can be viewed from three different perspectives: God, Son and Holy Spirit. Three different viewpoints that cannot be one. For example if you pray for the forgiveness of sins, you talk to Jesus- if you say thanks for the creation you say thanks to God (As found in the book of Genesis).

In essence there is a lot of re-positioning to do in your mind when you think about the Christian God. Is this difficult? No, it’s EASY. Consider a triangle. We can use a triangle as a metaphor. The triangle is ONE shape with THREE different corners. Link the triangle as one shape to God AND the three corners to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. (This can be in any order).

Concerning the three corners you can have only one viewpoint, either with God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. But the corners are one, as in one triangle. I mean, if you tell something to Jesus, God is going to know about it right?

If you want to be with Jesus you can re-position yourself in His corner (by means of speaking) or if you want to be with the Holy Spirit you can re-position yourself to His corner. But you will always be with God, because He is One, the One called the Trinity!

Till next time!