Considering answers to those faith-questions we all ask…
Category: OPINION
Some of the most difficult words of Jesus for us to accept - believers or unbelievers - speak of blessing and gain through loss, weakness and failure. "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39). "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3); "... many who are first will be last, and the last first" (Matthew 19:30).
Where do our thoughts come from? Experts of all stripes who view the world from a totally naturalistic viewpoint insist that every thought is a production of the brain - a physical organ. Those of us who believe in something beyond the brain know there's more to the human mind than just meat, chemicals and electrical signals. I'll take that statement one step further: the "meat", the chemical interactions and the electrical signals are vital tools for our spirits to operate in a physical world.
Within the spectrum of expression in the Christian Church the Charismatic movement provides many great and commendable blessings. It appeals to those whose character traits and preferences demand freedom and vitality. However, at and near its fringe there's something dark and destructive at work.
In the seventeenth chapter of Revelation John is shocked to his core at the sight of a woman riding a dragon or "beast". She is named, "Mystery Babylon, mother of Harlots", and the horror of her appearance easily matches her title. The beast has seven heads and ten horns. As I've noted in previous parts of this series, the beast's seven heads represent kingdoms or empires in chronological order, and as a rule in Scripture they're epitomised by specific kings who defined those kingdoms or are icons of them.
Jesus and his apostles (the real ones) gave a clear picture of societal and cultural conditions which believers would experience in the times before Jesus' return. Some like to point out that New Testament references of the "last days" or "the day of the Lord" are referring to the entire time period from the resurrection of Christ, or from Pentecost onwards. We've always been in the "last days" they say. In a way that's true, but there's more to come. Go to any passage of Scripture where someone is speaking of end times things and you'll find they're speaking of the future, not their own time.
Fuel for Faith, Food for Thought 