Simply Spiritual

Recently on the Discovery Channel, there was a series called ‘Life’.  The series focused on the extraordinary life of plants and animals and was filmed across every continent and took four years to produce.  I must admit, the cinematography was brilliant, and it turned out to be a masterpiece of a show in my opinion.

The show was narrated by Oprah Winfrey who did a really great job of it.  The only thing though was during the narration you heard the words ‘evolution’ and ‘evolutionary’.  However what this series proved to me more than anything else was that there is truly a Creator God.

The actions of the plants and animals which the producers of the show captured told me that intelligent design is in force.  No way can evolution produce such antics and behaviours from these creatures.

The series on plants was truly magnificent.  Plants really have a life and intelligence of their own.  We take them for granted, but with the latest time-lapse technology, the producers showed how plants live and survive like any other creature.

There was this particular vine called the ‘Cat’s Claw Creeper’, that had claw like leaves that gripped unto the tree it used to climb up seeking light.  The filming of this was excellent as it showed you the vine literally climbing up to its destination.  They also showed how the famous Venus Flytrap captured its victim, imprisoning it in its ‘jaws’.  Truly amazing!

Then the episode on birds showed the male Vogelkop Bowerbirds building intricate structures and beautifully decorating them to attract a mate.  These birds spend 9 to 10 months building their ‘bachelor pads’ in order to make it perfect.

My favourite episode though was ‘Creatures from the Deep’.  Sea creatures are so amazing, beautiful and crafty and some even look prehistoric.  The most fantastic part to me was the segment where they went to Antarctica and went deep down into the ice to film Starfish devouring a seal pup carcass.  Again, they used time-lapse technology to speed up the sequence as in reality the Starfish moves very slowly.  They were also very colourful which made them look so beautiful.

The film makers for this series must really be commended.  They are really patient and skilled in their craft.  Truly admirable!  They must really love what they do to go to the extremes they did to make this show a reality.

I don’t know how anyone after looking at the ‘Life Series’ on Discovery Channel still believe in evolution.  You can clearly see there was thought put into life on earth in order for them to survive.  These creatures were deliberately made with intelligence and instinct, something that certainly could not evolve.

I suppose there will always be those who would deny there is a Creator God and stick to the evolution theory.  But for believers who witnessed this television series I am certain it just proved even more the existence of God.

“Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth.  He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see – kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities.  Everything has been created through him and for him.  He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together. “  Colossians 1:16

It seems as though Noah’s Ark may have been found.

A group called Noah’s Ark Ministries International led a Chinese and Turkish team on an expidition to Mount Ararat in October 2009.  There they discovered a wooden structure at an elevation of over 4,000 m.  The structure was embedded partially in ice and volcanic rock which helped to preserve it.

One of the reasons they believe it is Noah’s Ark is because no human settlement has reached past 3,500m on the Mount.  Also, carbon dating puts its age at approximately 4,800 years, around the time of the Flood.  The team admits it is not 100% certain it is the Ark, but is 99.9% certain.  Further scientific search and study will  be conducted.

For many, Noah’s Ark is a myth, a story handed down from generation to generation.  If this find is proven to be true, many Christian believers will be vindicated.  Let us hope the further research proves positive.

To find out more about the discovery visit: http://www.noahsarksearch.net/eng/

One of the things a Christian has to be mindful of is not meddling in other people’s business.  This can be in the form of gossiping or getting involved in an argument that does not concern you.

When you involve yourself in gossping and slandering another person, this can impact negatively on your spiritual life.  You spend so much time minding other people’s business, you don’t have time for your own.

I have had the experience of people taking an interest in my personal life.  You see, I am a very reserved person.  In my workplace, I keep to myself and hardly really mingle with others.  This is not to say I am ’stuck up’ as some people think, it is I just prefer to be on my own than get involved in matters that does not concern me – office politics for one, and gossiping of other coworkers being the other.

Because I am such quiet person, people tend to take an unsettling  interest in me and ask questions of my closest friend which really does not concern them – am I married; does my husband work; where does he work; who is the father of my baby (when I was last pregnant);  etc, etc. 

I would tell her that because they don’t have a life of their own, that’s why they are so interested in mine.  Then there is the other aspect where they say nasty things about me because they don’t know anything about me.  Sometimes it just takes one person to say something and someone else expands on it and then it becomes so nasty and degrading you really wonder how some people could be so malicious.

I don’t take them on though.  I do what I have to in terms of my work and I make sure that all my conversations to others are about work and nothing more.  I think that is one of the reasons I happen to keep so young and happy.  I don’t worry unnecessarily and concern myself with only what concerns me.

If I am in the company of others and the topic happens to gravitate to gossiping about another person, I just excuse myself and go somewhere else, or just listen and have nothing to say.  I don’t like it for myself so I won’t do it someone else.

The bible says:

“Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own”.  Proverbs 26:17

What happens when you seize a dog by the ears?  It is likely to bite you.  When you meddle in matters that does not concern you, you are likely to be bitten.  This can happen by:

1. you getting hurt physically;
2. you worrying unnecessarily about something that has nothing to do with you;
3. you end up holding a grudge against someone because they refuse to take your advice;
4. you are so concerned about someone else’s problems your own life with its own problems are neglected.

Jesus Christ commanded that we love one another.  When you love, you do your best to see the good in everybody.  Don’t join in gossiping about others and don’t involve yourself in matters that don’t concern you directly.

We must all look at the positive side to any matter and pray for someone in a difficult situation for this is the only way we can truly help them.

Grapevine

Many of us live a life of boredom, mediocrity, and unproductivity.  Something is missing but you just don’t know what it is.

We are built with so much potential that we can only dream of fulfilling only half of it.  But the only way of achieving full potential is by staying connected to your source and that is Jesus Christ.  As our designer and creator, He alone can help us be all that we can be.

“Yes I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from me you can do nothing.  Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers… But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!  John 15:5-7

What do you want out life?  Success does not necessarily mean making a lot of money.  Money might be one of the benefits of being successful, but it must not be the goal.  If you focus too much on money, then you are sure to fail.

Whatever your dream in life, make Jesus the focal point of that dream and you are sure to succeed.  Of course, it still requires hard work, but you will find things go quickly and smoothly much more than if you were to do it on your own.  As a matter of fact, make Jesus the focal point of every aspect of your life, marriage, career, finances, children – whatever – and success would be yours for the taking. 

Even when you succeeded in accomplishing your goals, remember that it is still not the end.  You still can accomplish more as long as you are alive and have strength.  The Apostle Paul understood this.

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection!  But I keep working to that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.   No dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is callinig us up to heaven.  Philippians 3:12-14

Fruits of the Spirit – Are you Bearing Them?

Heaven and Hell are real places.  They actually exist, although not in the way we are accustoemed to seeing it portrayed.  I will expand on this in subsequent posts.

Heaven and Hell, although actual places, can also been seen as states of mind.  The way you live your life, the way you think and feel can determine whether you are living in heaven or hell right now.

If you have peace of mind, think positively and live your life according to God’s principles then you can experience heaven now.  If you are constantly thinking negatively or feel hatred and resentment for others, or live your life recklessly then you will experience hell.

Some people use drugs to get a feeling of constant ‘high’, a state that makes them feel good or ‘heavenly’.  Unfortunately, this feeling does not last long and they continue to take these drugs in order to regain that ‘high’.  But what it actually does  is destroy their minds and bodies and by extension their entire lives, because they will never experience that feeling like the first time.  What happens is they live a life of hell.

But life does not have to be like that.  We all have choices and we can choose to live a heavenly life by making the effort to think happy, positive and successful thoughts.  By helping, loving and showing compassion to others  and living as Jesus Christ taught.  Any other avenue will result in failure.  It will only be an artificial and temporary feeling.

The good news is anyone can turn their life around, regardless of how they lived.  Hell does not have to be a permanent place.  You can come out if you so choose.

Choose to live a life for Christ and you can be assured of experiencing heaven, not only now, but for all eternity.

One of the topics I need to study for my Bachelor of Theology Degree is Apologetics.  Now, with all of my bible study experience, I never came across the term apologetics. 

What is apologetics?  The word comes from the Greek word Apologia which means ‘defense’, so Christian Apologetics essentially means ‘defending the Christian faith’.  A person who is versed in apologetics is called an ‘Apologist’.

Even though apologetics may appear to be a new branch of Theology, it is rather quite old.  People have been defending their belief in a living God since in Old Testament times.  You will find scriptures in the bible that command you to defend your faith.

“Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.  And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it”.  I Peter 3:15

I guess you can say Paul was one of the greatest Apologists of all time.  Here’s what he says in 2 Corinthians 3 -6:

“We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and methods.  We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds.  With these weapons, we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God.  With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.  And we will punish those who remained disobedient after the rest of you become loyal and obedient.”

This is what being an apologist is all about – using God’s weapons to fight those whose purpose is to destroy God’s Word and those who believe in Him.

There are certainly a lot of tools to learn and master to become a good apologist.  Attacks on the bible and Christianity have certainly become more prominent and sophisticated in our time.  A true Christian now needs to know how to properly answer those questions that deny the existence of God and Jesus Christ, as well as those aspects of the bible that persons try to distort and discredit.  It is a lot of work, but certainly well worth the effort. 

It goes to show that I too, have a lot to learn, but I am well prepared to open my mind and heart to all that the Lord is teaching me so I can go out and teach it to others, as well as to effectively defend my faith.

If you wish to know more about Apologetics you can study these Free Courses

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve made a post.  I have been busy adding content to my website as well as researching information and visiting other bible related websites.

I have always yearned to gain more knowledge about the bible and the few bible correspondence courses I have taken have given some knowledge and insight about God and the Christian faith. 

Recently I have been borrowing Christian and Spiritual books from our local library and I realized that there is still so much I have to learn about God, the bible and the history of Christianity altogether.  I have always asked God to open my mind and he has done so, albeit little by little.

One day I decided I wanted to do a Theology course as I realized that this is the best way for me to really know more about the bible.  I browsed the internet and came across this site providing free courses in Theology.  They’ve got Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate courses as well.  The other great thing about it is you can access these courses online.  This is just what I needed.  With a full time job and a family it would be difficult to actually go to classes. 

So I decided to sign up and now I am on my way to earning a Bachelors Degree in Theology.  I am so excited! and grateful. 

The bible says “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).  I have always tried to live my life according to God’s Will.  Of course I am no angel, I have done things I know were not pleasing to Him, but I have asked for forgiveness and strived to improve my life for the better every time. 

God has continued to bless me, undeserving as I may be.  But I am thankful and I will use this new opportunity to continue what I have started – to spread the word and help others (as well as myself) to live a spiritual life.

If you wish to learn more about the bible you can visit http://www.TrinityTheology.org and take advantage of their free courses.

To live a spiritual life means living a life with peace of mind, contentment and joy.  When you spend adequate time in prayer, bible study and meditation then there is nothing much else for youu to do but just live your life.  However, if you still feel that something is missing or lacking in your life then you should seek guidance on what you feel that is.

You must remember that there is only so much you can do to live a peaceable and stress free life.  You cannot put yourself under undue stress and anxiety over things you have no control over.

For instance, as a wife, mother and career person, life can be very overwhelming with the amount of duties you have to do in a given day.  But apart from proper planning and time management, there is only so much you can do.  Trying to overstretch yourself will only make you stressed out and tired unnecessarily.

There is a saying “why put off for tomorrow what you can do today,” but if you don’t have the time today then by all means put it off for tomorrow.  God does not expect you to be super human, and this goes not only for women, but men as well.

Another stressful situation can be the lack of money.  If the money you have now can only go so far, then you have to be content with that for the moment.  Stressing yourself out over money you don’t have does not make any sense whatsoever.  Do what you can now and more will come when the time is right.

Don’t let anyone pressure you into doing something you don’t have the time, resources or inclination to do.  Happiness is your right, and you can only do so much.

“Don’t worry about anything, instead prayabout everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done.  If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand”.  Philippians 4:6-7

Fruits of the Spirit – Are you Bearing Them?

Here is a video I would like to share with you.  It’s called Simply share Jesus.