Shalom Aleichem...
Reflections is a weekly Christian Teaching Ministry. Each week we will talk about the Bible and lessons we can put to use in our daily life. We will try to, on a weekly basis, provide to you stories, thoughts, and just easy ways to live your life on a straight path.
THIS WEEK'S TEACHING....October 12, 2020
This week, I want us to consider together the truth that our hope is found in Christ alone.
In Christ alone our hope is found, when we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are brought out of the captivity of the darkness of our sin and into God’s marvelous light. Our hope is found in Christ alone
We continue with our theme for this teaching series of Hope Found Here and this week we are looking at our Hope in Christ.
Read the words of the first verse of the song "In Christ Alone"
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
When we are weak, Jesus is our strength.
In every circumstance we can praise and worship our God, he fills our hearts with His love and our lips with songs of praise to Him.
Christ is our Cornerstone, He is the bedrock of our salvation, the world may try to entice us onto shifting or sinking sand but we have a firm foundation in Christ.
Whatever we face, good times or bad our hope is in Christ alone.
When we face difficulty Jesus is with us and we can trust Him to lead us through the fiercest storms of our lives.
And with just a word, Jesus can command every storm to be still.
We are loved with an everlasting love.
In Christ alone can we find true peace, you do not need to be afraid because Christ is with you.
The Holy Spirit, the paraclete, the advocate, the Comforter, dwells within you when you are in Christ.
In Christ alone, we can stand firm in the midst of all the situations and circumstances, trials or tribulations we may face in this world.
If you are in Christ, if you have trusted in Jesus as your Lord and your Savior, you are able to stand before God as a person who has had their sins forgiven.
Because of what Christ has done for you, carrying the punishment for your sins on the cross, suffering in your place, enduring the wrath of God the Father instead of you, you have been justified by your faith in Christ alone.
Justified, theologically speaking, justification happens when God pardons the sins of those who repent and believe in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
Through justification, God forgives us of our sin and declares us righteous in sight.
Your relationship, my relationship with God is restored, just as if I had never sinned.
There is an important point to note here, we are not called sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.
Because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience of God, the very nature of humanity changed, by our nature we are sinful.
Because of the fall, we are born as sinners, our sinful behavior is a manifestation of our true nature.
But, because of what Jesus did at the cross, when you turn to Jesus your sins are forgiven and you are justified by faith in Christ alone.
Read the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 5:1-11 says, "Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us."
Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.
For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." Amen?
Friends of God... God is the best friend we could ever have, with us in good times and bad, snowy days, stormy days and sunny days, always with us.
Elsewhere, the Bible calls us children of God, God loves us, cares for us, provides for us, leads us, teaches us, shows mercy and grace to us, forgives us.
He is the perfect friend and the perfect Father to us.
Because Jesus went to the cross some 2,000 years ago to bear the burden of your sin and mine.
We are saved by faith in Christ alone, we are justified in Christ alone, we are forgiven of our sins in Christ alone and we are restored to a right relationship with God through Christ alone.
Jesus has provided the way for our salvation.
In John 14:6, Jesus told His disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to God the Father except through me.”
Jesus was incarnated, made man, into this world so that those who would believe in Him could be saved.
Peter in Acts 4:12 reminds us, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
We are justified by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and saved by faith in Him alone.
Jesus is the only way, the only truth, the only one who can give us eternal life, in Christ alone are we assured of a place in Heaven. No other way, no other truth, no other option, in Christ alone our hope is found.
There are people in this world, maybe reading this today, who think that they can get themselves to heaven by being “good enough”, based on their own standards of what they consider to be good or bad.
Some people think they will get into Heaven based on what they do or do not do.
BUT, WE CANNOT EARN OUR WAY INTO HEAVEN.
It is good to be a good person but it is not good enough, It is good to help others but it is not good enough.
In our own nature, in our own efforts we could never do enough to earn our way into Heaven.
If it were possible for us to earn our own salvation, Jesus would not have needed to die in our place, Father God would not have needed to send His only begotten Son.
Jesus came to do what we could not do ourselves, Jesus came to reconcile us to God, Jesus came to save us from our sins, Jesus came because there was no other way we could be forgiven.
Jesus came to do what none of us are able to do ourselves.
As the Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans chapter 3, “No one is righteous— not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God."
All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one...
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him...
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.
People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding His blood.
This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time.
God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.
Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law.
It is based on FAITH. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.”
We are saved by faith in Christ alone.
Not by our works, not by our deeds, not by our own righteousness, we are saved in Christ alone.
Read the words of Jesus in John 3:16-18... “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”
Jesus is speaking about those who refuse to trust in Him, those who refuse to repent and turn to Him, those who refuse to acknowledge their sinfulness, those who refuse to be forgiven, anyone who does not believe in Jesus has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
Those who refuse to trust in Jesus, those who refuse to trust in Christ alone for their salvation condemn themselves to an eternity without God.
Those who place their trust in Jesus Christ, those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior will not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 10:9-13, If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Have you called on the name of the Lord? Have you asked Jesus into your life? Have you repented and asked God to forgive you?
Do you have the assurance that your sins have been forgiven, that you have been justified, that you have been reconciled to God?
Do you know that faith in Christ alone is the only way of Salvation?
Hope is found here....
Jesus has suffered in your place.
Jesus has paid the price for your sin.
Jesus has done what you could never do in your own righteousness, He has guaranteed you are forgiven, He has guaranteed your place in Heaven, He has restored your relationship with Father God,
Jesus alone, through His blood has set you free.
In Christ alone, you are ransomed, you are healed, you are restored, you are forgiven.
I will close with these words from In Christ alone:
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
Jesus alone is all we need, family:) AMEN??
I love you all:)
DID YOU EVER WONDER???
Complete
Our relationship with Jesus…
Love, Grace, & Faith… so sweet,
Knowing that He died to save us
We kneel humbly at His feet.
On this earth much strife and turmoil,
Seeking peace when there’s no peace,
When we give our heart to Jesus,
Only then will searching cease.
Do you know Him, really know Him?
Do you go to Him in prayer?
What a blessing… What a treasure…
When you know that He is there.
On Calvary He died to save us,
From our sins to set us free,
Do accept His gift of mercy
He gave His all for you and me.
Please dear Lord our steps do ‘order’
All through life we need Your care,
Guide our steps… alone we falter…
As we seek Your will in prayer.
Our relationship with Jesus
Love, Grace, & Faith… so sweet,
When we know Him as our Savior
Then, in Him, we are completed.
Thank you Lord.
Complete
Our relationship with Jesus…
Love, Grace, & Faith… so sweet,
Knowing that He died to save us
We kneel humbly at His feet.
On this earth much strife and turmoil,
Seeking peace when there’s no peace,
When we give our heart to Jesus,
Only then will searching cease.
Do you know Him, really know Him?
Do you go to Him in prayer?
What a blessing… What a treasure…
When you know that He is there.
On Calvary He died to save us,
From our sins to set us free,
Do accept His gift of mercy
He gave His all for you and me.
Please dear Lord our steps do ‘order’
All through life we need Your care,
Guide our steps… alone we falter…
As we seek Your will in prayer.
Our relationship with Jesus
Love, Grace, & Faith… so sweet,
When we know Him as our Savior
Then, in Him, we are completed.
Thank you Lord.
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE...A TEACHING
We continue this week, our look at Religions of the world.....Islam: Varieties and Issues
Even small religions show amazing variety within their beliefs and practices, so it’s no surprise that Islam is not monolithic.
First, as with any religion, there are differing levels of commitment and participation. At one end of the spectrum among professing Muslims are the nominal (non-practicing). Next are the Conformists, whose personal attitude is indifference or even unbelief but who follow the rituals due to family or societal pressure. While this might seem primarily limited to Muslim-majority countries where Sharia (Islamic law) is enforced, even where there’s legal religious freedom, families and communities can exert tremendous pressure.
Next, the Reformers are not an official branch (as in Judaism); the term refers to Muslims who sincerely believe Islam is the true religion but that the Qur’an must be understood and applied in the present, separating it from its seventh-century cultural roots. The Moderates, probably the largest group worldwide, are sincere in their belief, appreciate Islam’s positive aspects (family, community, morality, etc.), and reject more radical interpretations.
And even the Fundamentalists, at the far end of the spectrum, have subgroups. All agree on a literal, almost rigid interpretation of the Qur’an, but some (e.g., the Taliban) teach law practices that go beyond the Qur’an. Some Fundamentalists actively propagate their faith and believe Islam’s message will eventually reach and persuade everyone, yet they renounce violence. The most extreme Fundamentalists—the ones recruiting suicide bombers and planning acts of terror—believe Western cultural, political, and economic encroachment must be stopped by any and all means.
In addition, Islam has divided into groups like denominations (in Christian terms). By far the largest, including more than 80 percent of the world’s Muslims, are the Sunnis. Followers of the Qur’an and the Traditions (Sunna), they have little hierarchical structure. An imam (prayer leader of a mosque) leads prayers and usually preaches a Friday sermon but has no formal authority outside the mosque he serves. Scholars and writers seek to influence fellow Muslims to their interpretations but cannot command obedience.
As Islam grew and expanded geographically, differing interpretations and even different editions of the Sunna emerged and were refined. These eventually coalesced into four schools of thought: the Hanifites, Malikites, Shafi’ites, and Hanbalites, each based on the teachings of one eighth- or ninth-century founding scholar. Each is strongest in a particular geographic area, although contemporary migration patterns have resulted in some mixing.
In the U.S., it’s common for Muslims from all these schools to pray in the same mosque. Each has millions of followers, and there is much variation of belief even within each group. Generally, though, the Shafi’ites, found primarily in East Africa and South and Southeast Asia, are most willing to adapt Islamic teaching to local cultural norms. The Hanbalites, found in Saudi Arabia (Islam’s center), are the most conservative.
Followers of the Wahabi movement, which began in eighteenth-century Arabia, are strict traditionalists who resist all change. Due to the oil wealth in Saudi Arabia, the Wahabis finance a global missionary movement to spread their message.
The other main branch is made of the Shi’ites. The Sunni/Shi’ite division occurred early on in Islam, initially over the question of leadership after Muhammad’s death. He left no succession plan, and opinions varied on how to choose a caliph (leader). Those future Sunnis said the caliph should be chosen by consensus based on qualifications (early on, the highest qualification was close association with Muhammad during his lifetime). Those who became the Shi’ites believed the caliphate should be hereditary and that Muhammad had named his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, as his successor.
After three non-family caliphs, Ali was appointed. But in a period of confusion and power struggles he never fully gained control over the Muslim world and was murdered after barely five years. The Umayyad dynasty seized leadership and civil war followed. At the Battle of Karbala, in present-day Iraq, Ali’s son Husayn was killed. The Shi’ites now consider him to be a martyr and his death is commemorated each year. Shi’ites have subdivided into many groups (e.g., Ismaili, Bohra, Ithna asheri), following different imams or traditions.
Over the centuries, the two branches have developed some doctrinal differences as well. Shi’ite imams are thought to be divinely appointed, and they speak with God’s authority (somewhat like the Roman Catholic pope). Shi’ites also await the Mahdi, a future messianic figure, who will come to put everything right on the earth. In most parts of the world, Sunnis and Shi’ites live together in harmony, but disputes do occur. From 1980–1988, Shi’ite Iran and Sunni-ruled Iraq fought a bitter and bloody war. Of the multiple factors in the conflict (not all of them religious), one was access to the many Shi’ite pilgrimage sites in Iraq, most notably Karbala, where Husayn was martyred. Attacks by one group on the other occur with some frequency in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
A small but interesting group is the Ahmadiyyas, who began in the late nineteenth century and see themselves as a revival movement, restoring proper Islamic practice. They follow Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed to be the long-awaited Mahdi of peace and justice; other Muslims reject this claim, and most view them as a cult or heretical sect (somewhat like the Christian view of Jehovah’s Witnesses). Their unique theology includes views regarding Jesus’ death and return. They believe he was put on the cross but passed out instead of dying. After recovering, Jesus went to the Kashmir region of India, where later he died a normal death and was buried. The Ahmadiyyas are very active in missionary work, both among other Muslims and non-Muslims.
Sufis are mystics, seeking more personal connection with God through ascetic practice and renouncing the material world for divine communion. They are not another branch, but rather a movement within Islam that crosses all lines of Sunni and Shi’ite. Sometimes suspect by other Muslims, sufis have at times faced persecution for their practices.
Whirling Dervishes are an extreme, centuries-old, fraternal form of Sufism. They twirl in one spot for hours, hoping to achieve an ecstatic state where they can more closely experience God.
HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED WEEK:)
Ho'omaikaʻi ka Pua iā kākou
We continue this week, our look at Religions of the world.....Islam: Varieties and Issues
Even small religions show amazing variety within their beliefs and practices, so it’s no surprise that Islam is not monolithic.
First, as with any religion, there are differing levels of commitment and participation. At one end of the spectrum among professing Muslims are the nominal (non-practicing). Next are the Conformists, whose personal attitude is indifference or even unbelief but who follow the rituals due to family or societal pressure. While this might seem primarily limited to Muslim-majority countries where Sharia (Islamic law) is enforced, even where there’s legal religious freedom, families and communities can exert tremendous pressure.
Next, the Reformers are not an official branch (as in Judaism); the term refers to Muslims who sincerely believe Islam is the true religion but that the Qur’an must be understood and applied in the present, separating it from its seventh-century cultural roots. The Moderates, probably the largest group worldwide, are sincere in their belief, appreciate Islam’s positive aspects (family, community, morality, etc.), and reject more radical interpretations.
And even the Fundamentalists, at the far end of the spectrum, have subgroups. All agree on a literal, almost rigid interpretation of the Qur’an, but some (e.g., the Taliban) teach law practices that go beyond the Qur’an. Some Fundamentalists actively propagate their faith and believe Islam’s message will eventually reach and persuade everyone, yet they renounce violence. The most extreme Fundamentalists—the ones recruiting suicide bombers and planning acts of terror—believe Western cultural, political, and economic encroachment must be stopped by any and all means.
In addition, Islam has divided into groups like denominations (in Christian terms). By far the largest, including more than 80 percent of the world’s Muslims, are the Sunnis. Followers of the Qur’an and the Traditions (Sunna), they have little hierarchical structure. An imam (prayer leader of a mosque) leads prayers and usually preaches a Friday sermon but has no formal authority outside the mosque he serves. Scholars and writers seek to influence fellow Muslims to their interpretations but cannot command obedience.
As Islam grew and expanded geographically, differing interpretations and even different editions of the Sunna emerged and were refined. These eventually coalesced into four schools of thought: the Hanifites, Malikites, Shafi’ites, and Hanbalites, each based on the teachings of one eighth- or ninth-century founding scholar. Each is strongest in a particular geographic area, although contemporary migration patterns have resulted in some mixing.
In the U.S., it’s common for Muslims from all these schools to pray in the same mosque. Each has millions of followers, and there is much variation of belief even within each group. Generally, though, the Shafi’ites, found primarily in East Africa and South and Southeast Asia, are most willing to adapt Islamic teaching to local cultural norms. The Hanbalites, found in Saudi Arabia (Islam’s center), are the most conservative.
Followers of the Wahabi movement, which began in eighteenth-century Arabia, are strict traditionalists who resist all change. Due to the oil wealth in Saudi Arabia, the Wahabis finance a global missionary movement to spread their message.
The other main branch is made of the Shi’ites. The Sunni/Shi’ite division occurred early on in Islam, initially over the question of leadership after Muhammad’s death. He left no succession plan, and opinions varied on how to choose a caliph (leader). Those future Sunnis said the caliph should be chosen by consensus based on qualifications (early on, the highest qualification was close association with Muhammad during his lifetime). Those who became the Shi’ites believed the caliphate should be hereditary and that Muhammad had named his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, as his successor.
After three non-family caliphs, Ali was appointed. But in a period of confusion and power struggles he never fully gained control over the Muslim world and was murdered after barely five years. The Umayyad dynasty seized leadership and civil war followed. At the Battle of Karbala, in present-day Iraq, Ali’s son Husayn was killed. The Shi’ites now consider him to be a martyr and his death is commemorated each year. Shi’ites have subdivided into many groups (e.g., Ismaili, Bohra, Ithna asheri), following different imams or traditions.
Over the centuries, the two branches have developed some doctrinal differences as well. Shi’ite imams are thought to be divinely appointed, and they speak with God’s authority (somewhat like the Roman Catholic pope). Shi’ites also await the Mahdi, a future messianic figure, who will come to put everything right on the earth. In most parts of the world, Sunnis and Shi’ites live together in harmony, but disputes do occur. From 1980–1988, Shi’ite Iran and Sunni-ruled Iraq fought a bitter and bloody war. Of the multiple factors in the conflict (not all of them religious), one was access to the many Shi’ite pilgrimage sites in Iraq, most notably Karbala, where Husayn was martyred. Attacks by one group on the other occur with some frequency in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
A small but interesting group is the Ahmadiyyas, who began in the late nineteenth century and see themselves as a revival movement, restoring proper Islamic practice. They follow Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed to be the long-awaited Mahdi of peace and justice; other Muslims reject this claim, and most view them as a cult or heretical sect (somewhat like the Christian view of Jehovah’s Witnesses). Their unique theology includes views regarding Jesus’ death and return. They believe he was put on the cross but passed out instead of dying. After recovering, Jesus went to the Kashmir region of India, where later he died a normal death and was buried. The Ahmadiyyas are very active in missionary work, both among other Muslims and non-Muslims.
Sufis are mystics, seeking more personal connection with God through ascetic practice and renouncing the material world for divine communion. They are not another branch, but rather a movement within Islam that crosses all lines of Sunni and Shi’ite. Sometimes suspect by other Muslims, sufis have at times faced persecution for their practices.
Whirling Dervishes are an extreme, centuries-old, fraternal form of Sufism. They twirl in one spot for hours, hoping to achieve an ecstatic state where they can more closely experience God.
HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED WEEK:)
Ho'omaikaʻi ka Pua iā kākou