FAITH: The audacity to hope…
June 15, 2008
I had an interesting discussion a few days ago with a friend of mine who has been having some issues with faith. Well, not just faith in itself which the Bible defines as being sure we will get what we hope for and being sure of what we cannot see. (Heb 11:1 NLV) What we spoke about was more substantive. His was a question that centered around the credibility of faith. To break this down even further, what we were speaking about was his lack of faith in what Christians call faith.
There were several legitimate questions that he asked (some of which I have asked myself in my lifetime). Is ‘faith’ a distraction from the ‘realities’ of life? Is it a wise thing to do as the Christian cliché says and “leave everything in God’s hands”? How safe is that? Faith, is it a false sense of security, a fantasy perhaps?
So how safe is faith? Is it wise to leave everything in God’s hands? Scientific evidence has demonstrated that 60 to 90 percent of illness is stress-related. Studies also show that people who practice 
some form of religion tend to be less stressed out than those who do not. There are emotional and physical benefits to having faith! Hebrews 11:6 says that He (God) rewards those who have faith in Him.
Is faith a distraction from the realities of life, a fantasy perhaps? Many rely on what is tangible or what can be seen as grounds for belief. Faith works differently. The person with whom I was having this discussion with pointed to that faith is “fantasy living” (something that most atheists agree to). At the risk of sounding sacrilege, I do not fully disagree with the suggestion that to some degree there is a bit of ‘fantasy’. I call it ‘functional fantasy’, fantasy because in the present tense, what is being asked for and what is believed in is not yet tangible; it is functional when it is taken into account that (as discussed earlier) having faith has emotional and (consequential) physical benefits.
Faith, it should be noted, does not give blanket security from emotional or even physical harm. We see that in the recent natural disasters in the United States, China and Myanmar. Many believers have been affected by these disasters; some have even lost their lives! Does that give evidence to that God is powerless, to that He does not exist or to that faith is irrational thinking? The short answer to that question is ‘no’. The prevalence of these natural disasters and other developments were foretold by Christ Himself as a lead-up to His second coming; they actually give credence to what is said in the Bible. Matthew 24:7-8 is one of many reference points.
Bottom line, faith is making feelings secondary while trusting that God will fight (and win) our battles. 2 Corinthians 5:7 speaks of us walking by faith and not by sight. It is unconditional trust when trust is not warranted or when trust appears to be sheer absurdity. It is the audacity of hope or the audacity to hope.
I find faith to be abnormal, it is abnormal thinking, abnormal actions and abnormal reactions; abnormal because it is atypical. Atypical because it is atypical thinking, atypical actions, atypical reactions, atypical because it is unprecedented. Unprecedented thinking, unprecedented actions, unprecedented reactions. Get the point?
In closing, Christ has promised in Mark 11:24 that whatever we ask for when we pray, if we believe that we will receive them, we will have them. Faith brings results, it brings deliverance, it brings healing and reconciliation; most importantly, it brings salvation.
May your faith be renewed today.
Akhenaton
mail@pharaohsprotege.com
Your neighbor…
June 14, 2008
Who is your neighbor? Pastor Ann Roda of the New Hope Adventist Church in this sermon speaks to the heart of what it really means to be a neighbor as it would relate to the parable of ‘the good Samaritan’ found in Luke 10.
Click here to download the full sermon from the iTunes Store to your iPod or iPhone.
Oil Companies
June 11, 2008
Senate Republicans blocked a proposal yesterday to tax the windfall profits of the largest oil companies; yet another reason to not support a 3rd Bush Presidency!
QUESTION:
I find it hard to blame the oil companies for trying to make a profit. If I’m the CEO, that’s my mandate–to make as much money for the stock holders as I can.
I believe we’re having trouble because our government has no will to realize that we can both drill on our own soil (which has oil reserves greater than Saudi Arabia) and protect the environment at the same time.
The price at the pump crunch is happening because the companies aren’t able to get their hands on enough crude to manufacture the gas.
Thoughts?
MY ANSWER:
I agree with you up to the point (and to the extent), that “our government has no will”. Whether Republican or Democrat-controlled, the king of do-nothingness and no-solutions reigns supreme on Capitol Hill…but that’s another topic.
There has been much talk about drilling on American soil. At what cost though? Who foots the bill? Taxpayers should, according to the Presumptive Republican nominee, a proponent of tax breaks and other subsidies for Big Oil. Under the Bush Administration, Big Oil made approximately $525 billion in profits while at the same time, home foreclosures rose by as much as 45 percent, wages declined by nearly $1,700 and the number of Americans without Health Insurance increased by 6 million. If we were to be honest with ourselves, who really needs a tax break, who really needs a subsidy? What I am getting at is that we should be weary of any proposals laid on the table by these high-priced Big Oil lobbyists.
Furthermore, how could I justifiably support the proponents of Big Oil as they push for legislation to industrialize national treasures like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the peril of already vanishing polar bears, arctic foxes and caribou? That is and should never be an acceptable solution for the energy crisis.
Notwithstanding the established fact that there is a shortage of crude oil, I, neither should you make any excuses for the contrivances of the Oil Companies; they already have 525 billion excuses!
In the DC area, we pay more than $4 a gallon (the highest gas prices have reached in US history). Exxon Mobile made around $83,000 a minute last year ($83,000 a minute!) , netting record profits, legally, but not honestly with corporate markups and profiteering. Yes, making a profit is the ideal for any business model, but shouldn’t there be a hedge when making a profit becomes or borders on what is exploitative?
In the final analysis, will drilling for more oil on US soil bring a solution to the current energy crisis? Possibly. But, we must first consider the cost of lives (human and wildlife) . We must secondly consider the cost where the environment is concerned (which ultimately affects our quality of life). We must consider the cost to taxpayers. Moreover, we must take into consideration and invest more into alternative energy sources.
More drilling only serves to further fatten the coffers of Big Oil Companies. The longterm (and short term) benefits for our environment, and (ultimately) our children and grandchildren by investing in and using alternative energy sources far outweigh those of the self-serving Big Oil narcissists who have the audacity to seek empathy where retribution is justified.
Bottom line, the cycle of direct and indirect killing (of humans and wildlife) for profit under the cloak of progress can be stopped and must be stopped.
Akhenaton
mail@pharaohsprotege.com
