Religion: Cafeteria Style

The great thing about a cafeteria or buffet is there are so many different foods to choose from. 

You can pick your favorite things 

and ignore what you don't like.

It is fun to try something new.

And each time you go there you can get something different!

Sadly,  a popular new trend I see growing is the claim by people that although they believe in God,

 they pick and choose what aspects they want to accept and believe in....like a cafeteria.

Worldwide there are so many different religions to choose from:

Many people pick what they like and Ignore what they don't like.

And when they are not satisfied or feel unfulfilled in their hearts with the pieces they have taken,

They go back to the Buffet of Religion and try something new.

But Religion is NOT a Buffet.

You can't pick and choose pieces of different religions and expect to feel "fulfilled".

It is not how God made you.

He made you to Hunger for Him.

Because He loves you and wants to have a Relationship with you.

He truly is the "Bread of Life" 

When you don't have that relationship with God you feel empty inside.

You don't know why.

You try to fill that emptiness with food..

Or drugs..

Or bad relationships.

And we take ourselves further away from the One we Truly Need.

So if you believe in God,

 who created all things, 

then you need to believe what He teaches you in the Bible.

It is truth

You can't ignore his commandments and think you are a good person and will go to Heaven.

For If there is a God,

 then there is a Heaven

And a Hell.

And there are angels

And Demons.

And  Jesus is real.

And so is Satan.

 It is a package deal, you can't pick and choose, 

you can't accept part of it and ignore the parts you don't like,

 Because then you won't be living in the Truth and the Light that is God's Word.

So who cares?  What does it matter?

More than anything in THIS world.

Your eternal life in the NEXT world (your true home) 

depends on your choices...........

And in His Word you will feel Fulfilled, Satisfied and Joyful

That is His Promise.

What if YOU'RE wrong?

There are those of us who believe that God does not Exist and there is no Eternal Life after Death, that when we Die, we simply die, there is nothing more.

There are those of us who believe that God DOES Exist and there IS Eternal Life after Death, and based on your life here on Earth you will be judged as worthy of Heaven or punished to Hell.

If We are Believers and We are Wrong, then we have lost nothing.

If We are NON-Believers and We are Wrong...................then we have condemned ourselves to Hell


There is a Beautiful Song By Nichole Nordeman about this:

"You Can't Insult a Dead Man"

(This is based on a conversation I had with a Christian Friend)

I was joking / teasing my Christian friend 

and He said 

"You can't insult me because you can't insult a dead man!"

Then he went on to explain that
while  he was truly dead to this world,
he truly alive in Christ.

And I thought about that

That is really true!

If you are dead to this world, and born again in Christ, 

your heart is filled with such love

that you will (as you should) love your enemies.

When someone tries to hurt your feelings it is meaningless because it is of this world

and not of God's Kingdom, so again, it is meaningless.

Look at that person the way Christ would.

Are they trying to hurt you because they hurt?

Are they trying to make you sad because they are sad?

Are they trying to upset you because they misunderstood you and you upset them?

What would you see 

if Christ could

 "give you His eyes for just one moment" ?

(great song by Brandon Heath, btw!)

So please,

Next time you are with someone who is being mean

Don't let them get to you.

Look at them again with fresh eyes

and a loving heart

And learn what they are really saying.

(I hurt, I'm sad, I'm upset, Help me, I need a friend)

Speaking in Tongues

My friend Robin's church was planning a missions trip to Central America, I don't recall which country.   Robin thought about it often, played it over in her mind but would say to herself, no way, that is not for me.  Others would ask her to join and she would say, sorry, not for me!

A few days before the group was to leave, someone fell ill and could not go.  The group's leader asked Robin again, and said he wouldn't take no for an answer.  She tried---she really, really tried. But for every excuse she gave, he had a remedy.   Finally Robin gave up, realizing this was where God wanted her to go.

The first night at the mission site the church group gathered for prayer and worship.  The pastor of the hosting church spoke at length in Spanish---Robin could not  understand a single word.  While the pastor continued, Robin prayed to God:  "Since you have brought me to this place to do Your work, and I gladly submit to be Your servant, I ask you to grant me this one thing.  Give me the gift of tongues.  Let me be able to understand what this pastor says and let me be able to speak to him in his native tongue."

As she finished the prayer, the host pastor began making rounds to personally greet everyone and he was approaching Robin.  She began to get nervous, hoping God would grant her this blessing of tongues.......the pastor reached her, put out his hand to shake hers and said in perfect English, with an American accent "Welcome, I am Pastor Michael, and what is your name?"

Robin thought she would faint!   For a split second thought she was understanding Spanish!   Then she realized that in a way, God did answer her prayer---she was able to understand the pastor and was able to speak to him so that he could understand her---it just wasn't in Spanish, but in his native tongue:  English.

God has such a wonderful sense of humor, doesn't he??

My Overly Simplistic View on Heaven

Simple thoughts from my Simple Mind!

I often wonder what Heaven is like.  

There really are not that many details in Heaven, 

But by all indications it is a wonderful place.   

No sickness, no death, no war.  

Surrounded by warmth, beauty and love.  

And some people have gone to Heaven 

And come back to describe what it was like. 

And the one theme I see in common with these folks 

is that there are no words to describe what they saw and felt!  

It is beyond description! 

There may be a few details here and there, 

But the "overall-ness" of it can't be described.

So that really makes me wonder and fantasize.  

 Can the animals talk? 

 And if I won't have allergies and all animals are "nice" 

Then can I go hang out with the tigers?  

Can I fly?  

Can I time travel?

  Can I meet anyone I want to meet? 

  Will I understand things better,

Such as the evil that has taken place on Earth?

And then, the other night, I figured out 

What Heaven is really, really like.

Based on all the "data" from the Bible and those who've been there:    

Imagine you live in a very isolated place 

And someone offers to take you to Disney.

  You have heard wonderful things about this place,

But you have never seen pictures or videos 

Or read any books on it. 

 You really know nothing, 

No details about this place called Disney,

Except everyone who's been there loves it 

And doesn't want to ever leave.    

So you think to yourself, excitedly----

Oh boy!  

I hope there's a roller coaster!

No matter how we think Heaven will be like

It will exceed all our expectations.

Because we are limited with our Simple Human Minds

And God's ways are 

Always 

Greater than we can Comprehend