C.S. Lewis
Tag / God
Show me Your Glory–Worship
The Historical Jesus – Jerry Newcombe – Page full
A Response to Richard Dawkins
The Trinity can also be compared..
(written ca. 1360–87) from
Piers the Ploughman—by William Langland
The Trinity can also be compared to a torch or taper, which consist of wax and wick twined together, and a flame that flares from them both. And just as this wax, wick, and flame are used to light a fire, so the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost kindle among Christian people a fire of love and of faith which cleanses them from their sins. And as you sometimes see a torch whose flame is suddenly blown out, yet whose wick continues to smolder without setting fire to the matchwood, so the Holy Ghost is a God without mercy, and a Grace without life, to all those so depraved as to wish to quench true love, or destroy the very life which our Lord created.
‘Workmen who stay awake on winter nights are not cheered so much by glowing embers as they are by a blazing torch, or by a candle, or anything that gives out flame. So, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost do not grant men grace or forgiveness of sins till the fire of the Holy Ghost begins to burn and to blaze. For the Holy Ghost glows by as an ember until true love lies down by His fire and blows it into flame; and then He flares out like a living fire, and warms the Father and the Son and melts their power into mercy. So, in winter, you can see icicles on the roofs of house, which once they feel the heat of the sun, melt in a minute into mist and water; and in the same way the grace of the Holy Ghost melts into mercy the great might of the Trinity—but only for those who practice mercy themselves.
Stuff Exists—Harold Eberle
Harold R. Eberle
Stuff exists; therefore, there had to be a stuff creator. There comes a time when people should quit arguing and just laugh at stupid ideas— and this includes the atheists’ most cherished belief. I don’t want to be rude; I want to make the obvious obvious. The acceptance of God’s existence is not a blind leap. Just the opposite is true— to not believe in a stuff creator is to be blind to the obvious. It is absurd not to believe in a stuff creator. Of course, we have lost the Western atheists in this discussion because the Scientific Revolution (and the Enlightenment that followed) set up in their minds a dichotomy of faith versus reason. Their definitions of faith and reason exclude God from the realm of reason. In reality, those categories are pure assumptions— false assumptions. Indeed, we cannot prove the existence of God to the atheist who refuses to let go of those assumed categories. In like fashion, we cannot prove the existence of bacteria to a person who refuses to look through a microscope and see the bacteria for himself. If, however, a person is willing to look through a microscope, then we can prove to him the existence of bacteria. Similarly, if an atheist is willing to look at the world, outside of his present dichotomous framework, then we can prove the existence of God. Here it is: stuff exists, so a stuff creator exists (or at least existed in the past). Atheistic readers may object and quickly argue that this is no argument for the existence of the Christian God. Indeed, I have not yet stated anything about this creator’s nature, and to argue against the Christian God at this point is to change the subject. It is to dodge the bullet, to hide behind a smoke screen. So long as we define God as the stuff creator, it is absurd not to accept God’s existence.
Eberle, Harold (2009-12-28). Christianity Unshackled: Are You A Truth Seeker (pp. 81-82). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
Gospel within the Gospel — Luke 15:11-32
Return of the Prodigal son by Rembrandt
Luke 15 begins with Jesus speaking to the tax collectors and others, and then the religious elite happen by, and begin to grumble about the company the Saviour keeps, with the intent to disparage his authority. Jesus tells three parables that in ever ascending power demonstrates the power of God to seek the lost and forgive —culminating in the description of the loving Father that “ while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. ” All men are at one time or another— either the elder brother, or the prodigal son. Each have a life problem that is self inflicted, each are forgiven, and each are beckoned to their proper place—the banqueting table.
Luke 15:11-32
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Prodigal Son11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his [a]wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 So he went and [b]hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the [c]pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17 But when he came to [d]his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and [e]in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he got up and came to [f]his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and [g]embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never [h]neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your [i]wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you [j]have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”
Footnotes:
Luke 15:12 Lit living
Luke 15:15 Lit was joined to
Luke 15:16 I.e. of the carob tree
Luke 15:17 Lit himself
Luke 15:18 Lit before you
Luke 15:20 Lit his own
Luke 15:20 Lit fell on his neck
Luke 15:29 Or disobeyed
Luke 15:30 Lit living
Luke 15:31 Lit are always with me
Watch “Return of The God Hypothesis – Stephen Meyer, PhD” on YouTube
Kingdom of God is at hand—from Christianity Unshackled
Prophets in the Old Testament spoke of a coming Kingdom that would endure forever and grow until it filled the earth (see 1 Chron. 17:12; Dan. 2:44) this was contrary to the thinking of all the ancient kingdoms, such as the Persian, Greek, or Roman, where people fatalistically believed that kingdoms rise and fall.
Jesus walked the streets of Israel declaring, “The kingdom of God is at hand”— which meant that the reign of God in the earth had begun. In several parables Jesus explained how the Kingdom of God is growing like seeds in the earth: first they sprout, then they develop roots, then they push upward, and finally they develop into mature plants (see Mark 4:2- 8; 26-29). In another parable He explained how the Kingdom of God continually growing in the earth like seeds in soil or yeast in dough. They believed the Kingdom of God would grow as the Church grows until it fills the whole earth.
Christianity Unshackled, Harold Eberle p.129-130
(see also Eberle and Trench, Victorious Eschatology, World Cast Publishing 2006)
St. John One: One 