Jesus Christ or Jesus Christ?

Funny, I know a man who prays in Jesus's name with groups and even goes to church, yet he says he doe not believe the Bible, or that Jesus was really raised from the dead. And while he prays and goes to church he also swears under his breath when he is frustrated with something, uttering Jesus' name and title (Christ) with a sort of strange contempt, almost as if he is blaming Jesus for the situation he is in with his swearing.

I don't know. Maybe he is (perhaps even subconsciously) asking Him for help? Even if that is the case, it is a little aggravating to see his unbelief and his religion at the same time, a little like freshwater and salt water coming from the same source. Seeing it did, however, make me consider the spiritual battle that we are engaged in as we go through life and realize the importance of prayer for and ministry to the people we know, many who are in this kind of battle for their heart mind and soul. I was also thoughtful about God's faithfulness to us as he works in each of our lives to bring us to the knowledge of himself. God will work in us and through us, especially as we are willing to submit to him. What's more, it became apparent that even in our unbelief, God will never leave us nor forsake us; it is us who reject him.

This here friend of mine, a person raised Catholic, told me the other day that he thinks I am brainwashed by this Christian religion, and was asking just how it is that people like me get brainwashed to believe the things they do. (He actually blamed the armed services for it, relating it to people he knew who had been in the armed forces... I thought this interesting as they are those who face the reality of death in the line of duty.) My friend also asserted to me, that when a person died, they just die. Their life is over. Hell and heaven he believes are some story made up and used to control the minds of others.

Later that same day, this same man joined hands with me in prayer around a table, thanking God for the food. Is he simply respectful or others? Is he thoughtful about God? Is he an atheist or not? Is he simply agnostic? It is hard to tell. I think, "at least, he is open to the idea of God, faith...Jesus. There is something inside this man which does not ompletely reject the notion, or reality of God. For that, I am thankful.

In the course of this conversation that morning, I simply told him that what I believed as a Christian, one who believed in Jesus, the way he is presented to the world in the Bible, was the same as most of the very basic things he learned in his catechism as a Catholic. I know this, because I learned them too. You know, the life of Christ, the fact that he was a real person, preformed many miracles and healing of people, and who was crucified under Pontius Pilot, and risen from the dead.

He sighed in disbelief at that and said it didn't happen.

"What?" I said astonished (once again) that people who would tell you they were "catholic," did not believe JEsus was risen from the dead.
.
"Of course he did! Look at history..." I also replied, "When Jesus died and rose again it turned the whole thinking human world upside down. And if you really think about it, and look back through history you will see that there are a lot of good and logical reason to believe this thing is true. It greatly affected human history and it's documented in the Bible. Not only that," I asked, "Isn't that what catholics believe?"

He was thoughtful then he began to ask me a lot of really good questions. One was, "How can God be everywhere at once?" "What about those money hungry preachers on TV?" He said, "Who can believe that stuff???" Apparently he had caught a few TV preachers, maybe even Benny Hinn. He said, "What about these people who touch other people and they fall down because they get touched and supposedly this is how the Holy Spirit treats them?" and, "how is it that these religious people... who believe in God.... do terrible sexual things with children?"

He ended his thoughtfulness saying he believed that when you die, you simply die and (poof!) your life is over. No heaven, no hell, just gone.

"Atheist." I thought. "Disbelief." But then, it's not uncommon for a man or woman to struggle with belief and unbelief every now and then. We do live in a dark, dying world. What hope is there for the unregenerate soul in a dark,dying world full of death and destruction, particularly someone who built caskets for living for a while?

I know this guy. He is my friend.

Like most people I know, he is a nice guy, most of the time. I find it hard to think he believes that life is something we just happen to survive though, (if we are lucky) and then, with no hope of heaven, no reality of hell... without salvation from the evils of the world or the just judgment of almighty God... you are simply forever gone; but that's what he said he believes.

I am sure he has learned to think much of what he thinks by many influences like TV shows and documentary programs... songs on the radio, movies, and schoolbooks through the years... not to mention the fact that by nature we are sinners on top of it all. So much of media is often atheistic and anti God. There are however good influences.. like catechisms and Bible techers, men of God who preach the word of God.

Yet, I am intrigued that one who does not believe in God or Jesus would use Jesus Christ as a swearword. It's rather ironic. Personally, I think it's God's way of making himself really obvious.
It made me think of the battle there is, a battle that rages for the hearts, minds and souls of men.

Do you think there is such a thing as good and evil? I asked.

In response, he told me he thought "evil" was winning.

Yeah, if you watch the news, read the paper, think of your own life, it seems like Evil is winning. But, I had news for him. Good news.
It is finished.
God has declared the victory over evil, sin and even death.
You see,
God wins in the end... and we can be sure of that because, there are witrnesses who give their testimony about the reality of God and the life and death and resurrection of the one he sent into the world to save the people from their sins...
Jesus Christ.


After all, Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. (Acts 17:3)

Frankincense

Mat 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Exo 30:34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:

Exo 30:35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
Exo 30:36 And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
Exo 30:37 And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.
Exo 30:38 Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

Cinnamon

There are several references to cinnamon in the Bible. In Exodus 30:23-29 it reads:"Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. "



I love the smell of cinnamon, I love it;s color and zest. I like cinnamon, candy, cinnamon flavored gum and cinnamon rolls too. It's one of the spices I have in my kitchen as Cream of Wheat, cookies, toast, oatmeal.. are sometime graced with this yummy treat. It's aroma is such that I think it's no wonder it is one of the spices used to fragrance the holy oil in the tabernacle of old.

I recently learned that cinnamon is a great additive to use as it contains vitamins C and K, iron, magnesium, calcium, and fiber. I have also recently learned that it is being studied for it's ability to help reduce cholesterol and glucose levels.

Ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks is actually from the inner bark of a tree that grows in the iar Fast. They are scientifically named, Cinnamomun zeylanicum, and you will find them in Ceylon, India Malaya and Japan, China and Taiwan. Oils are made from the fruit of this tree as well as the bark. This spice is also known as Cassia.

I found a great list of recipes that use cinnamon at http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blcinnamonindex.htm

Some of these are a bit exotic, but then so is cinnamon. In the meantime, I will also continue sprinkling it on my cream of wheat and toast too.

Saffron

Song of Solomon 4:13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

I painted this verse on a large rock a couple of years ago and put it in my garden as a memento to myself about the Lord. Today, as I write this, I am sipping my pomegranate tea and rereading this verse. It's funny, I am well acquainted with cinnamon and pomegranates, but the rest is rather foreign. I have tried saffron, and although people rant and rave about it, I do not keep it in my cabinet of spices and herbs.

The the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus is what makes saffron. It takes about 75,000 blossoms, which equates to 225,000 stigmas to make a single pound which all must be hand-picked . This is why saffron is considered to be the world’s most expensive spice. Being the worlds most expensive spice is not easy, for since a little bit of substance brings about a lot of cash, there are a lot of saffron counterfeiters.



I read that saffron is cultivated in India, Turkey, China and Iran and it's name means yellow in Arabic. (zafaran) I understand that the robe Buddhist monks wear are said to be saffron, yet they are not yellow. They look more like the stamens of the saffron flower, which is more of a maroon color. I guess they are so named after the stamens before the colors leech out yellow. I must say, the color of saffron is a beautiful color, both in the stamen state and diluted. It's this beautiful yellow color that saffron is noted for.

How interesting it is that Solomon writes of his love as a garden. Certainly, to be likened to healing and desirable herbs and delicate and delicious spices, not to mention expensive ones, like saffron, would be a compliment.

Spikenard

"Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out."

                                                                                                                          Song of Solomon 4:16

I am thinking of the ointment of spikenard... that which was in the alabaster box. I am not really sure what spikenard is. I mean, I never knew of ever having any "spikenard" in my house. I have heard of roses and clovers and orange blossoms, oregano, basil and thyme, but not spikenard. Whatever spikenard is, it must smell intense, for this is the scent that Mary used in her Alabaster box ointment when she wiped Jesus' feet with her hair. (John 12:3) and it filled the room.

Spikenard or (nard) I am told by those who write and talk about it, was considered a luxury of ancient times. They say that it's aromatic, has healing properties and at that time in history, it was rare. It still is, as it grows only at high altitudes.

Inquiring as to it's aroma, I am told by herb sellers that nard has sweet and spice musky scent smalling somewhat like dirt or earth. One person on the internet says that it doesn't smell like any of the other herbal oils. It's an interesting herb to me, mainly because of it's mention in the Bible, but also because I have always enjoyed fragrances however I have not thought much of this one before.

Here are some places where the Bible speaks of spikenard.

Song of Solomon 1:12 While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.

Song of Solomon 4:13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

Mark 14:3-9 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."

John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

Spikenard....

Salt

Job 6:6 Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt?

Jam 3:12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

Col 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Mar 9:49-50 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

and then there was Lot's wife...

"Remember Lot's wife. " (JESUS Luke 17)

(Remember?  She looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah... and became a pillar of salt.)

"Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. "












Jer 17:5-8 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Another Word

I thought of anotherset of homonymical words... presence.... and presents... how about presents.. as in "presents itself."

Funny, isn't it?  We present presents to people at Christmas to honor His (God's) presence amongst us... and He gave the world the gift (aka present) of His Son, Jesus Christ.... sending his presence among mankind, making himself known....

and this to GIVE (present to us his present) us eternal life.