This Calvin & Hobbes strip should help us cultivate some empathy and understanding for those among us who have trouble believing. It begins with Calvin wanting some physical proof to back up all he's been told about Santa Claus.
Calvin then reveals why it's important to him.
And then, with the help of Hobbes, we realize that the desire for proof goes even deeper.
Truth is...I recognize the struggle is real. I know a few atheists who truly wish they could believe, but just can't wrap their heads around the mystery of it all. They want everything to be crystal clear and unquestionable...they worship at the altar of human intelligence, which is a faulty, feeble god. I know these things about them, and I wish them a Merry Christmas.
You wouldn't expect a Jewish novelist, essayist, and dramatist from Poland to have a lot of positive things to say about Jesus, and yet, here's the 20th-most-popular quote about Jesus from azquotes.com...attributed to just such a person, Sholem Asch.
"Jesus Christ is to me the outstanding personality of all time, all history, both as Son of God and as Son of Man. Everything he ever said or did has value for us today and that is something you can say of no other man, dead or alive. There is no easy middle ground to stroll upon. You either accept Jesus or reject him."
I am particularly fond of the phrase, "There is no easy middle ground to stroll upon." That's exactly where most folks want to wander around: "Well, I really respect the teachings of Jesus. 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you' and all that kind of stuff. His love and acceptance of everyone is really inspiring, as long as I still get to indulge in my favorite vices."
* * * * * * *
Truth is...Jesus also said "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26 ESV)
Has anyone ever considered the similarities between Yahweh and Rumplestiltskin?
Let's not take the comparison TOO far, considering Rumplestiltskin's wickedly impish nature and self-destructive temper, but there is one particular skill of Rumplestiltskin's that directly relates to something Keith Green praises God about in his song, "Trials Turned to Gold". Just as Mr. R. could take a roomful of straw and turn it into a precious metal, so Yahweh specializes in using the negative circumstances of our lives, no matter how trivial or traumatic, to transform us into kids of the Kingdom..."heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ." (Romans 8:17 NIV)
While I've never been disappointed when reading a book or article by Alistair Begg, he has proven that he is just as able to pack a wallop with only a few words:
The great need is for us to be taught theologically, not just stirred emotionally.
The reason most preaching is ignored today is that it deserves to be.
The Church is where it is today because it has decided that the advertising agents know better than the Holy Spirit of God.
Our relationship with God will never be right as long as our relationship with others is wrong.
It takes a whole Bible to make a whole Christian.
I only need a mirror to see a sinner.
Do you want to lead, or do you want to be liked?
* * * * * * *
Truth is... More important than his Scottish brogue, the reason I benefit from listening to Begg's "Truth for Life" podcast is that he eschews controversy in favor of living up to this frequent saying of his: "The main things are the plain things, and the plain things are the main things."
Ask 25 people why Jesus came to the planet and you'll get at least 12 different answers.
"He came to show us how to love everyone."
"Jesus came to teach us how to live simply."
"Jesus' mission was to save us from the consequences of our sins."
Ask Australian activist, evangelist, and international speaker, Christine Caine, why Jesus came to the planet and you'll get Number 21 on azquotes.com's list of the top 25 quotes having to do with Jesus:
Jesus didn't come to make us safe.
He came to make us dangerous
to the kingdom of darkness.
You see, our lives as Christ-followers aren't meant to be just about our own lives. "I've got my ticket to heaven and that's all that matters." Jesus used a lot of action verbs when he commanded his followers: "Go." "Preach." "Make disciples." "Love one another as I have loved you." Truth is...in the words of Rich Mullins, "He gave us a promise and He gave us a job. He'll be with us, but the work is up to us." ("Alrightokuhhuhamen")
In recent years, Taylor Swift and other songwriters have earned a reputation for writing songs that publically express some very personal feelings or events. But they've got a long way to go to match the heartfelt transparency Keith Green displayed in "Song to My Parents (I Only Wanna See You There)".
I need to say these things 'cause
I love you so
And I'm sorry you get angry when I say that
You just don't know
That there's a heaven waiting
For you and me
I know it seems every time we talk
I'm only tryin' to just make you see
And it's only that I care
I really only want
Just to see you there
Please try and overlook my
My human side
I know I'm such a bad example
And you know I'm so full of pride
But Jesus isn't like that
No, He's perfect all the way
I guess that's why we need Him
'Cause by ourselves, there's just no way
And it's only that I care
I really, really only just want to see you there
To see you there
Close the doors
They're just not coming
We sent the invitations out long, long, long, long time ago
We're still gonna have a wedding feast
Big enough to beat them all
The greatest people in the world just wouldn't come
Truth is...it's a hard thing to put a desire for a smooth, peaceful relationship aside in favor of the desire for an eternal one. Talking to our parents or other dearly loved family or friends seems scary, but if we really love them, and Jesus is really real, their rejection of Christ should scare us even more.
This has never aspired to be a political blog, but Clement Eaton has made some observations that certainly contain facts and point out a deeper truth.
The voters failed to elect their superior men to office. To obtain the [votes] of the people it was not necessary for a politician to have a superior education or a brilliant mind. Rather, he must be able to sense the common man's discontents, his economic grievances, his prejudices, and his dreams. The successful politician was, as a rule, a vigorous or eloquent speaker, a man who could devise popular slogans and organize political workers, and who gave the common people a feeling of their own importance. As party warfare developed into violent partisanship and as sectional tensions arose, the politician who had strong convictions and had taken a courageous public stand on issues was often pushed aside in favor of a candidate of availability.
In the spirit of Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story, it may surprise you to learn this is a quote from the book, Henry Clay and the Art of American Politics, and is talking about the voters of the 1830s and 1840s.
* * * * * * *
Truth is...What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV)
