BUDDHISM

                                                            SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

BUDDHISM

Buddhism is a religion of about 350 million people around the world (6% of world’s population and forth largest religion). The word comes from 'budhi', 'to awaken'. It has its origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as the Buddha, was himself awakened (“enlightened”) at the age of 35. By the time Guatama died, Buddhism had become a major influence in India; three hundred years later, Buddhism had encompassed most of Asia. 

Gotama believed that Enlightenment lay in the “middle way,” not in luxurious indulgence or self-mortification. He discovered what would become known as the ‘Four Noble Truths’—1) to live is to suffer (Dukha), 2) suffering is caused by desire (Tanha, or “attachment”), 3) one can eliminate suffering by eliminating all attachments, and 4) this is achieved by following the noble eightfold path. The “eightfold path” consists of having a right 1) view, 2) intention, 3) speech, 4) action, 5) livelihood (being a monk), 6) effort (properly direct energies), 7) mindfulness (meditation), and 8) concentration (focus).  

Buddhism is roughly falls into two broad categories of Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada is the monastic form which reserves ultimate enlightenment and nirvana for monks, while Mahayana Buddhism extends this goal of enlightenment to the laity as well, that is, to non-monks. Within these categories can be found numerous branches.  Zen Buddhism has been popular with celebrities in the West and which has broadened its influence.  

Important teachings of Buddhism include Rebirth (reincarnation), that when a man dies, he will return to live as another person, animal, or god, etc. Karma (action) means that everything (good or bad) that happens to a man is the result of his conduct in previous lives. What happens in future lives is determined by his actions now. Nirvana (release) teaches that man's ultimate goal is to be released from the cycle of rebirth and suffering. This is a state of rest with no earthly desires. 

The basic Biblical response to Buddhism is that it is a philosophy of self-effort.  (Titus 3:5) not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.  It’s not what you do but what has already been done through the work of Christ on the cross atoning for our sins and rising from the dead.  All a person has to do is to personally accept this free gift of salvation (Eph 2:8-9).   

Reincarnation is non-biblical because the Bible says (Heb 9:27)…it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.  And Karma?  Our life choices have consequences and the real choice is to accept Christ or not which will affect our eternal destination (Gal 6:7-8; 1 John 5:12).  Nirvana?  That is a substitute for heaven and can be realized when one is born again and not reborn over and over (John 3:1-8).  True rest is through Jesus Christ (Mat 11:28-30).  

Louie

SAINT PATRICK . . . SAINT BOB?

 

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

SAINT PATRICK . . . SAINT BOB?

 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:  (Ephesians 1:1)

We have always known there are people who are more holy than us.  Their lives are dedicated to God completely and unreservedly.  We feel dwarfed by them.  They seem to have attained to a higher level of spirituality while we feel bound to the earth and even subterranean.  But Paul calls all the Christians in Ephesus saints!  That means you and I are saints too!!  Hard to believe isn’t it?  Especially when you think how you acted this past week.  But “saint” means “holy one” and according to the Word of God we have been made holy by what Jesus did on the cross.  There at Calvary He died for our sins and now those who put their trust in Him are given Christ’s  righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).  What a deal!  Thank-you, Lord!! 

So when you see those statues of certain saints remember they were just fallible people like you and me.  There’s nothing more special about them than us.  They might have done great things for God but aren’t we?  Aren’t we working hard to provide for our family?  Aren’t we making sacrifices for our kids?  Aren’t we going the extra mile to serve the Lord in the places of ministry and influence He has put us in?  No one has a more exclusive level of godliness than the other.  And furthermore, we are not saints because we do things for God.  We’re saints because He made us saints.   “ . . . we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7).  That means you’re either a saint . . . or you ain’t!   

On March 17 we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day.  People dress up in green and bear shamrocks and eat corned beef and cabbage.  We have a vague recollection that there was a saint in Ireland of long ago but not much more is know of him.  But he was a real figure in history.  Patrick was born in Britain around 389 A.D.  At sixteen years of age he was sold into slavery to Ireland for six years.  There in Ireland he had visions from God and was able to escape and return home.  Back at home he had a dream where he heard the Irish pleading with him to return and to walk among them again.  That he did, and Patrick became a missionary to Ireland determined to convert the whole land to Christ.  One of his teaching tools was the shamrock which he used to explain the Trinity (Three in One).  Patrick was able to secure tolerance for Christians in Ireland during his life there.  (Whether he drove the snakes from Ireland we don’t know and falls into the category of legend). 

Saint Patrick . . . Saint Bob . . . Saint Kathy . . . it doesn’t matter.  By the grace of God we are all saints in Christ Jesus! 

Louie

 

HINDUISM

 

                                                 SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

HINDUISM

Would you be surprised if I told you the third largest religion in the world is Hinduism (900mil)?  And that’s after Christianity (2bil) and Islam (1.6bil).  And yet in the West we know so little about this religion that is the majority in India and Nepal but also has influence in other countries as well.  It seems like such a foreign faith to Westerners with images that are fanciful and undiscerning, but in North America alone there are one million adherents.  

Hinduism is one of the oldest known organized religions—its sacred writings date as far back as 1400 to 1500 B.C. It is also one of the most diverse and complex, having millions of gods. According to the Supreme Court of India, “Unlike other religions in the World, the Hindu religion does not claim any one Prophet, it does not worship any one God, it does not believe in any one philosophic concept, it does not follow any one act of religious rites or performances; in fact, it does not satisfy the traditional features of a religion or creed. It is a way of life and nothing more".  But there are two things almost all Hindus believe: reincarnation and karma.  It’s the belief, respectively, that the soul continually recycles itself unto perfection in the next life/s and there is merit in one’s life that determines a person’s station in the next life.  

Most Hindus observe non-mandatory religious rituals at home. These vary greatly among regions, villages, and individuals.  Daily rituals may include worshiping at dawn after bathing (usually at a family shrine, and typically includes lighting a lamp and offering foodstuffs before the images of deities), reciting of religious scripts, singing devotional hymns, yoga, meditation, chanting mantras, etc.  Many Hindus embrace vegetarianism to respect higher forms of life.

Hindu thought began to influence the West with the help of the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, David Thoreau, and others.  In the 1960s the Beatles spent time in India and were taught transcendental meditation (TM) by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which became very popular in the West.  This in turn opened the door for the motto that all roads lead to God and are true.  Soon New Age would build upon some of these premises and draw more people into its beliefs. 

Hindus do not believe in a personal God and that Jesus is not God but one of many incarnations.  The Bible teaches that God is a personal and infinite Being manifested in the three persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Jesus is God and died for the redemption of mankind (John 1:1; Eph 1:7).  Hindus seek deliverance from the endless cycle of death and rebirth and which is achieved through devotion, meditation, good works and self-control.  The Bible teaches salvation is gained through believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus and His resurrection.  Hindus reach enlightenment by the Path of Knowledge, the Path of devotion, or the Path of Good Deeds.  The Bible says we are saved by the grace of Christ and not by works.  (Eph 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Louie

GIVE ME A BREAK!

 

                                                      

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

GIVE ME A BREAK!

(Gen 32:24) Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.

Some people think they need a break from all their problems.  Other’s think they need a break of good luck to launch them into a better life.  But what we really need is a breaking of our pride and self-sufficiency and to let the Lord take over the control of our lives.  That’s what Jacob learned in his wrestling match with the angel that memorable night that left him with a hip out of joint.  And it’s what we need to learn as we turn from wrestling with the Lord to trusting in the Lord.  That’s the break we really need!   

God had worked on Jacob for twenty years under the hand of Laban.  They were the toughest years of his life.  God had been breaking him of his self-reliance.  Jacob had come a long way but there was more breaking to be done.  There at the river Jabbok, Jacob met his match.  The angel of the Lord came and wrestled with him all night.  Jacob kept up a good match until the Lord put his hip out of joint.  Now he was finally broken.  Jacob was weakened so all he could do now was cling until the breaking of day.  He wouldn’t let go until the Lord finally blessed him.  How broken are you?  Are you still wrestling with God in your life or have you let go and started clinging? 

What does it take to break a person?  For Jacob it was a physical break in his hip.  For others it might be the same…a physical breakdown of health.  For others it might be a breakdown in their marriage.  It could be some kind of reversal.  It could be finances, a broken heart, or a broken dream.  What does God have to put out of joint so we can fully yield to Him?  

It’s better to break than to be broken. (Pro 29:1) He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.  Keep a soft heart. (Hosea 10:12) Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you. And stay humble! (Psa 34:18) The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Jacob received a name change.  No longer would he be called Jacob which means “deceiver.” Now he would be called Israel which means “governed by God.”  He went from being a self-made man to a God-made man.  Now the Lord could really use him and through him build the twelve tribes of Israel where the Abrahamic covenant would be fulfilled on through David and then to Christ Himself.  

Having you been waiting for your break?  Let God give you the one you really need.  Tell God…GIVE ME A BREAK.  And He will.  It will be the positive adjustment you need to be all God intended you to be for His glory! 

Louie

THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

THE TWELVE DISCIPLES

ANDREW: Left John the Baptist to follow Jesus.  He is always seen leading other to Jesus including his brother Peter.  He died a martyr of the faith by crucifixion in Achaia, Greece.

NATHANAEL (Bartholomew): Phillip told him about Jesus the Messiah.  He was skeptical at first but met Jesus and was converted.  Jesus said he was an Israelite indeed with no deceit.  History places him in various countries preaching, including Armenia.  He died a martyr. 

JAMES:  Brother of John and son of Zebedee.  He was a fisherman in a family business in Galilee.  He was a member of the Lord’s inner circle, which included his brother John and Peter.  He was killed by Herod with the sword (Acts 12:1-2).  

JAMES (The Less or Younger and son of Alphaeus): He is the more obscure disciple with little information about him in the gospels.  He is a picture of serving Christ graciously in the shadow of others.  He was apparently stoned to death in Jerusalem. 

JOHN: Brother of James and son of Zebedee and a fisherman.  He was known as the beloved disciple.  Wrote a gospel, three epistles, and Revelation.  He preached among the churches of Asia Minor.  He was banished to the island of Patmos.  He died an aged man in Ephesus.  

JUDAS: From Kerioth of Judah and treasurer of the band of disciples.  He stole from the money bag and betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.  He committed suicide.  Jesus said it would have been good for that man if he had never been born. (Mark 14:21)

JUDAS (Thaddeus/Lebbaeus): The disciple with the three names has zero information about him in the New Testament.  Hippolytus records he preached to the people of Edessa, and to all Mesopotamia, and died at Berytus (Lebanon), and was buried there.

MATTHEW (Levi): A tax collector by the Sea of Galilee where Jesus called him.  He was better with a pen than with a fishing pole (like most of the other followers) and so has the distinction of writing the first gospel.  Details of his death are uncertain but most say he died a martyr. 

SIMON (Peter/Cephas): A Galilean fisherman and brother to Andrew.  He was the outspoken disciple and writer of two epistles.  With the keys to the kingdom he opened up doors for the gospel. He was martyred on a cross upside down because he felt unworthy to die like his Lord.    

PHILIP: An early follower of Jesus who was tested by Jesus at the feeding of the five thousand.  He knew how to lead others to Christ and asked Jesus to show the Father.  It is said he preached in Phrygia and was crucified in Hierapolis.   

SIMON (The zealot): Not much is known about Simon except that he was likely a fanatical Jewish nationalist prior to his conversion.  A church tradition holds that he spread the gospel in Egypt as a missionary and was martyred in Persia.  

THOMAS (Didymous or the twin):  He was willing to die with his Lord and asked Jesus to show him the way.  He is best known as the doubter of the resurrected Christ who was later convinced by his Lord’s scars.  Strong church tradition places him as a martyr in India.  

Louie

GOD’S B-TEAM

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

GOD’S B-TEAM

(1 Cor 1:26-29) For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.  27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Growing up did you ever want to be a part of the in-crowd but felt excluded from all those popular people?  Did you always feel like you were on the outside looking in?  Were you always chosen second down to last when it came to groups, sports, etc.?  Maybe you’ve always felt just average and that you could never be with the first class crowd.  Then welcome to God’s B-team!  

The Lord loves to take what is humble and ordinary and turn it into something worthwhile for His glory.  Think of the disciples.  They were just plain old Joes but these are who the Lord picked to be on His team.  Fishermen, a zealot, a tax collector, just the rank and file of commonplace individuals that never stood out in a crowd.  But they were chosen to be with Him and to pass on the gospel to the world. 

I think of the Calvary Chapel movement and how God has used ex-hippies and drug dealers to pastor some of the finest churches in the nation.  I think of those in church history as well as currently that God has raised up to make a dent for the Kingdom.  You look at them and just marvel that God has used them so mightily and effectively.  No charisma, no personal magnetism, just people of clay.  (2 Cor 4:7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

How Mary felt so unworthy to be the mother of the Messiah!  (Luke 1:48-49) For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. (Luke 1:52-53) He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.

God is looking for an individual He can use for His special purposes.  You might be used up front or perhaps in the background.  But who cares?  It’s all for His glory anyway.  (2 Chronicles 16:9) For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…

God uses the humble and brings down the proud.  God’s B-team is really His A-team.  It’s just that the world doesn’t recognize what true greatness is all about.  (1 Pet 5:5-6; Mat 20:20-28)  

Louie

THE REAL VALENTINE’S DAY

 

 

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

THE REAL VALENTINE’S DAY 

. . . the greatest of these is love.  (1 Corinthians 13:13) 

 

HERE IS THE HISTORY OF VALENTINE’S DAY AS WE KNOW IT: 

Valentine’s Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular military campaigns. Claudius the Cruel, as he was known at the time, was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that Roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome.

This was when a Christian priest named Valentine came to defend love in the empire. Valentine began to secretly marry couples despite the emperor’s orders. When Emperor Claudius was informed of these ceremonies Valentine was sent to prison where he remained until his death on February 14 in the year 270. 

It wasn't until a few hundred years later when Valentine's Day began to develop as we know it. At the time Christianity was beginning to take control of Europe.  As part of this effort the Church sought to do away with pagan holidays. Valentine's Day came to replace a mid‑February fertility festival called Lupercalia. In honor of his sacrifice for love Valentine was made a saint and Lupercalia renamed in his honor.

 

BUT HERE’S A GREATER STORY OF LOVE THAT GOES BACK EVEN FARTHER . . . the real Valentine’s Day! 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (John 3:16)   

NOW WE CAN LOVE GOD BASED UPON WHAT JESUS DID FOR US ON THE CROSS: 

We love Him because He first loved us.  (1 John 4:19)   

AND NOW WE CAN TRULY LOVE ONE ANOTHER: 

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you . . . (John 13:34)   

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. (John 15:13)   

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. {8} He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  (1 John 4:7‑8) 

Brethren . . . let us love one another! 

Louie