Q: How much of the Bible (Old and New Testaments) comes from God, and how much comes from man?
(from Harvey Averne, NYC)
Consider that a baby is 100% from its parents, and is shaped by the parents' environment and personalities, yet is also 100% from the Creator of life.
The Bible (also called Scripture or the Word of God) is 100% from God, and 100% from man. God spoke His Word to prophets, who recorded it with their own words and personality.
The Bible says this about itself—from the Old Testament:
"The LORD said to me [Moses]: '... I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them ...' "
(Deuteronomy 5:28,31 NKJV)
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets...
The Lord GOD has spoken!
Who can but prophesy?
(Amos 3:7-8 NKJV)
And from the New Testament:
No prophecy ever originated from humans. Instead, it was given by the Holy Spirit as humans spoke under God's direction.
(2 Peter 1:20-21 GW)
"... this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David ..."
(Acts 1:16 NKJV)
Scripture is prophecy. Prophecy can be the foretelling of future events, which God has revealed through a human. But that occurs within the far broader purpose of prophecy, which is "the acting as an ambassador of God and the interpreter of His mind and will ... the prophet spoke not his own thoughts but what he received from God, retaining, however, his own consciousness and self-possession." *
"If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself."
~ Augustine
It might be argued that the Bible alone cannot testify on its own behalf. The Bible's uncanny truth is also proven by science, archeology, and history—and none of the Bible has been disproven. Scripture's power to reveal God, make His love known, and change lives argues for divine origins as well.
But ultimately, the proof of the Bible's origin as God's Word is a matter of faith, verified by the testimony in our hearts of the Holy Spirit, of Whom both the Old and New Testaments speak.
The Holy Spirit is given by God to those who ask, by faith in Jesus Christ.
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
~ Jesus, Luke 11:13 (NKJV)
For more information on how the Bible was put together,
see All About Truth.
More verses of interest on:
Holy Spirit
God's Word
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
* Definitions of prophecy and prophet are quoted from The Complete Word Study Dictionary, General Editor: Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D., © 1992 by AMG International, Inc., Revised edition, 1993
Image source: robertpeake.com
27 February 2010
Question of the week:
Who Wrote the Bible?
by Anne Lang Bundy
20 February 2010
Question of the Week:
How to Treat Homosexuals?
by Anne Lang Bundy
Q: How should the church treat homosexuals?
(from Anonymous)
First, God does not hate anyone. God is love, and no matter who you are, He loves you.
"The church" is people—people who have given themselves to Jesus Christ and received forgiveness of their sins through His blood, which pays the death penalty for all sin.
The authority for Christian belief and conduct is the Bible. [Next week's Q&A will explain belief in the Bible in greater detail.] For anyone who trusts it as God's Word, the Bible provides both the Creator's rules for how to live and answers for every question life poses.
The Bible says God created humanity, and created sex as the good and healthy means to not only reproduce human life, but also to bond together a man and woman in the vital relationship of marriage.
Homosexuality, or sexual acts between members of the same sex, cannot be marriage because God instituted marriage and defines it otherwise. God calls homosexuality an "abomination" (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:27) because it perverts His original intent for sex.
But before you take that thought too far, consider that there are other, non-sexual acts which are so offensive to God that they are also called an abomination. Look at this passage from Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV):
These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren [or, in a community].
The Bible therefore challenges us to understand exactly what might be defined as "abominable" sin. It also explains in Galatians 6:1-2 (TNIV) how to treat people who exhibit sin:
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Here is how I apply all that to today's question:
• The Bible's Number One commandment, in all circumstances, is Love.
• Christians must be mindful that every one of us has been guilty of sin which is an abomination.
• Any individual's primary problem is not one particular sin, whether it's homosexuality or pride or stirring up discord. Every person's first need is understanding that they need Jesus to save them from all sin.
• Concerning people who come to church, we should distinguish between: 1) people who come to church to visit, who are asked to respect us, but who don't understand our Bible's "house rules"; 2) newer believers, who need time to learn the house rules; and 3) those who have been around long enough to know the Bible and be expected to live by it.
• When people who have established themselves as part of the church display open immorality, Christians of sufficient maturity are obliged to address it, and to do so with the empathy which views sin as a burden. In cooperation with God's Spirit, we should sensitively work to help people see sin as a burden to themselves—reminding them of the cost for Jesus to carry its full weight to the cross—and help them find greater freedom from sin’s burden, with rebuke if necessary.
• Did I mention that the Number One rule for treatment of all people, whether outside or inside the church, is Love?
I'd like to close with an apology.
To homosexuals, and to every person who has been hurt by the misguided Christians who remember that sin is abominable but sometimes forget that love is far greater ...
On behalf of my fellow Christians, I admit we are wrong when we get our priorities out of order, or when we attempt to address sin of anyone else before we adequately address our own sin. I confess that we struggle against our own abominable sins, including sexual sins. I ask you to forgive us and be patient with us as we grow to be like Jesus our Lord and learn to live like He asks us. God loves you more than you can possibly imagine. I also love you, very much, as do a great many Christians who remember the importance of love. Please give us the opportunity to better learn how to show you that love.
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
Image source: tedsoqui.blogspot.com
"Do not be angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be."
~ Thomas A. Kempis
~ Thomas A. Kempis
Q: How should the church treat homosexuals?
(from Anonymous)
First, God does not hate anyone. God is love, and no matter who you are, He loves you.
"The church" is people—people who have given themselves to Jesus Christ and received forgiveness of their sins through His blood, which pays the death penalty for all sin.
The authority for Christian belief and conduct is the Bible. [Next week's Q&A will explain belief in the Bible in greater detail.] For anyone who trusts it as God's Word, the Bible provides both the Creator's rules for how to live and answers for every question life poses.
The Bible says God created humanity, and created sex as the good and healthy means to not only reproduce human life, but also to bond together a man and woman in the vital relationship of marriage.
Homosexuality, or sexual acts between members of the same sex, cannot be marriage because God instituted marriage and defines it otherwise. God calls homosexuality an "abomination" (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:27) because it perverts His original intent for sex.
But before you take that thought too far, consider that there are other, non-sexual acts which are so offensive to God that they are also called an abomination. Look at this passage from Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV):
These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren [or, in a community].
The Bible therefore challenges us to understand exactly what might be defined as "abominable" sin. It also explains in Galatians 6:1-2 (TNIV) how to treat people who exhibit sin:
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Here is how I apply all that to today's question:
• The Bible's Number One commandment, in all circumstances, is Love.
• Christians must be mindful that every one of us has been guilty of sin which is an abomination.
• Any individual's primary problem is not one particular sin, whether it's homosexuality or pride or stirring up discord. Every person's first need is understanding that they need Jesus to save them from all sin.
• Concerning people who come to church, we should distinguish between: 1) people who come to church to visit, who are asked to respect us, but who don't understand our Bible's "house rules"; 2) newer believers, who need time to learn the house rules; and 3) those who have been around long enough to know the Bible and be expected to live by it.
• When people who have established themselves as part of the church display open immorality, Christians of sufficient maturity are obliged to address it, and to do so with the empathy which views sin as a burden. In cooperation with God's Spirit, we should sensitively work to help people see sin as a burden to themselves—reminding them of the cost for Jesus to carry its full weight to the cross—and help them find greater freedom from sin’s burden, with rebuke if necessary.
• Did I mention that the Number One rule for treatment of all people, whether outside or inside the church, is Love?
I'd like to close with an apology.
To homosexuals, and to every person who has been hurt by the misguided Christians who remember that sin is abominable but sometimes forget that love is far greater ...
On behalf of my fellow Christians, I admit we are wrong when we get our priorities out of order, or when we attempt to address sin of anyone else before we adequately address our own sin. I confess that we struggle against our own abominable sins, including sexual sins. I ask you to forgive us and be patient with us as we grow to be like Jesus our Lord and learn to live like He asks us. God loves you more than you can possibly imagine. I also love you, very much, as do a great many Christians who remember the importance of love. Please give us the opportunity to better learn how to show you that love.
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
Image source: tedsoqui.blogspot.com
18 February 2010
Photo Break ... Thera Sorg
Fred R. Barnard is believed to have coined the adage: A picture is worth a thousand words. If this is true, then our family friend, Thera Sorg, who lives in southern Germany, takes many photographs worth two thousand words or more.
Thank you Thera for sharing your photos for our Photo Break today.
Go to Thera's website, Bilderreich, and check out more of her photos, including those of her beautiful family.
16 February 2010
I want to be like Ella.
One of my best friends, certainly the friend who has taken the most prank phone calls from me the last few years, writes a blog, Mike in Progess [sic]. Mike helps coordinate a cold-weather shelter in our hometown, which puts him in contact with some amazing people. Meet Ella.
+++
Ella is 5 years old. She and her family come to the homeless cold weather shelter to serve. Ella can't wait to serve the homeless. Her enthusiasm to serve is contagious. Ella doesn't judge the men and women who come to the cold weather shelter. She doesn't know or care if they live under a bridge or sleep on a bench. Ella serves the homeless without hesitation. She doesn't care if they are dirty or that they smell. Ella has a mission. Her mission is to serve. After dinner Ella will sit down at the table with our homeless guests, talk a million miles a minute and eat a cupcake or cookie with them. Ella doesn't think of them as homeless, bums, addicts or losers. I really believe that she thinks they are her friends. I want to be like Ella.
+++
...Father, thank you for Ella. You teach us through children. Impress Ella's spirit of love and service on our hearts. In Jesus name...
13 February 2010
Question of the Week: Why Suffering?
by Anne Lang Bundy
Q: "Why does God allow suffering—for example, in Haiti?"
(from Daniela Holloway in Florida, formerly of Berlin, East Germany)
If there is a question asked about God more than any other, it is why a good God allows suffering. Volumes have been written in response. This article can't adequately address such a big question, but it may provide enough basis to reconcile the presence of suffering with the existence of a good God.
Foremost, suffering is a necessary element of free will.
There are those who believe we are no more than puppets upon the world’s stage, our every movement controlled by the sovereign God pulling our strings. If such were the case, suffering would indeed be a cruel element of the drama because it is forced upon us by God.
Because we really do have free will—to be exercised within the limits our sovereign God has set—our ability to choose between good and evil is real. God’s will is always good, but it is not forced upon us. It is right (or righteous) when we choose his will. It is evil (or sin) whenever we choose what is not His will. Sin will always result in suffering—to ourselves, to others, and to all creation.
Suffering does not exist because a good God causes it. Suffering exists because a good God allows mankind the freedom to choose the sin which causes suffering. And because He is good, God uses the suffering we choose for ourselves to achieve good anyway.
• Suffering causes us to evaluate and determine what is most important in our lives.
• When suffering exists, and yet love, sacrifice, and compassion endure, these attributes of good and of God are shown to be more powerful than suffering.
• Common suffering draws people more tightly together in unity than does prosperity and ease.
• Suffering draws us to depend upon God, humble ourselves, and make peace with Him.
• Suffering proves what kind of person we are, which in turn brings us to discover our strengths and weaknesses.
• Suffering is not God’s judgment—yet. But suffering is a component of God’s discipline, to warn us to repent of sin before judgment is faced.
• Suffering compels us to rise to our potential to overcome it, and makes us strong to better contend with life’s challenges.
My plan is to discuss these last three points at more length on my blog "Building His Body" next week as follows:
Monday: The Test of Suffering
Wednesday: The Discipline of Suffering
Friday: The Overcoming of Suffering
I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
Psalms 119:75 (ESV)
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
Photo sources:
Fire in Haiti street: komonews.com
Aid to boy in Haiti: guardian.co.uk
Katrina flood: faves.com
Katrina: Body Count swamppolitics.com
Q: "Why does God allow suffering—for example, in Haiti?"
(from Daniela Holloway in Florida, formerly of Berlin, East Germany)
If there is a question asked about God more than any other, it is why a good God allows suffering. Volumes have been written in response. This article can't adequately address such a big question, but it may provide enough basis to reconcile the presence of suffering with the existence of a good God.
Foremost, suffering is a necessary element of free will.
There are those who believe we are no more than puppets upon the world’s stage, our every movement controlled by the sovereign God pulling our strings. If such were the case, suffering would indeed be a cruel element of the drama because it is forced upon us by God.
Because we really do have free will—to be exercised within the limits our sovereign God has set—our ability to choose between good and evil is real. God’s will is always good, but it is not forced upon us. It is right (or righteous) when we choose his will. It is evil (or sin) whenever we choose what is not His will. Sin will always result in suffering—to ourselves, to others, and to all creation.
Suffering does not exist because a good God causes it. Suffering exists because a good God allows mankind the freedom to choose the sin which causes suffering. And because He is good, God uses the suffering we choose for ourselves to achieve good anyway.
Here are some ways God uses suffering for good:"The world owes you nothing; it was here first."
~ Mark Twain
• Suffering causes us to evaluate and determine what is most important in our lives.
• When suffering exists, and yet love, sacrifice, and compassion endure, these attributes of good and of God are shown to be more powerful than suffering.
• Common suffering draws people more tightly together in unity than does prosperity and ease.
• Suffering draws us to depend upon God, humble ourselves, and make peace with Him.
• Suffering proves what kind of person we are, which in turn brings us to discover our strengths and weaknesses.
• Suffering is not God’s judgment—yet. But suffering is a component of God’s discipline, to warn us to repent of sin before judgment is faced.
• Suffering compels us to rise to our potential to overcome it, and makes us strong to better contend with life’s challenges.
My plan is to discuss these last three points at more length on my blog "Building His Body" next week as follows:
Monday: The Test of Suffering
Wednesday: The Discipline of Suffering
Friday: The Overcoming of Suffering
I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
Psalms 119:75 (ESV)
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
Photo sources:
Fire in Haiti street: komonews.com
Aid to boy in Haiti: guardian.co.uk
Katrina flood: faves.com
Katrina: Body Count swamppolitics.com
09 February 2010
Heartspace
I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me...
Who are you?
- The Who
Twenty-one years ago I walked into a dance club in southern Germany and met a young medical student named Daniela Nespital. - This next part is true. - The first moment I looked at her, even before we spoke, I wondered how our lives would unfold if we lived a lifetime together.
Seven months later we put our bikes on a train and traveled to Paris. I was a soldier, she was a student, we were in France. There was something about that girl, so I asked her to marry me.
Our life together continues to unfold ...
+++
Dani:
Thank you for saying yes that night in Paris. Thank you for writing to me when I was in Iraq, and for being there when I returned. Thank you for the times we cook together, travel together, talk about history, and share stories together. Thank you for being my lover. Most of all, thank you for our two boys. You are a good and loving mother.
Forgive me for the times I hurt you. There have been smiles, but there have been tears, too. Forgive me for not always listening to you. Forgive me for not sharing everything with you and for shutting you out of areas of my life. My heart aches to think of the times I made you cry.
I forgive you for the times you hurt me. You are human. Your intention was not to hurt me. Sometimes the world gets into our headspace and we make mistakes. I forgive you.
Dani, above all, I love you. Since the moment we met there has not been a day that I have not thought about you. You are fascinating, and sometimes mysterious to me. I desire to be close to you. I am here for you, and I offer you my strength.
You are firmly entrenched in my heartspace. If you could look inside my heart you would see the rose garden in Bamberg. And, standing in the middle would be you.
+++
...Father, thank You for the gift of Daniela. Bless our marriage. Bring us closer to You. We cry out in Jesus name...
06 February 2010
Question of the Week: Why Pray?
by Anne Lang Bundy
By Anne Lang Bundy
"Why Pray? If it changes God's mind then he is not sovereign. If it does not change God's mind then it is superfluous."
(from exchristian.net)
sovereign >adjective 1 possessing supreme or ultimate power
superfluous >adjective exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
The fact that God is sovereign means He sets limits on what He allows. It does not mean that He will not share control with us over what He allows. He is a macro-manager who both cares about the details and helps us manage them.
Because He really, really loves us, God genuinely wants the companionship of our cooperation as He accomplishes His will.
Like a mother baking cookies with a four-year old, God doesn’t need us to accomplish His will, He wants us. The beloved child is the whole point of baking cookies in the first place, and we are the whole point of His will. While the mother wisely sets limits on what she allows the child to do, the child is also allowed to make choices like chocolate chip or oatmeal, add or omit nuts.
Prayer can be for things like praise, thanksgiving, or confession of sin to ask forgiveness. Today’s question is about asking God to act in a situation. In this case, prayer is an amazing privilege of being allowed to participate with God as He shapes and applies His will.
By Anne Lang Bundy"Why Pray? If it changes God's mind then he is not sovereign. If it does not change God's mind then it is superfluous."
(from exchristian.net)
sovereign >adjective 1 possessing supreme or ultimate power
superfluous >adjective exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
The fact that God is sovereign means He sets limits on what He allows. It does not mean that He will not share control with us over what He allows. He is a macro-manager who both cares about the details and helps us manage them.
Because He really, really loves us, God genuinely wants the companionship of our cooperation as He accomplishes His will.
Like a mother baking cookies with a four-year old, God doesn’t need us to accomplish His will, He wants us. The beloved child is the whole point of baking cookies in the first place, and we are the whole point of His will. While the mother wisely sets limits on what she allows the child to do, the child is also allowed to make choices like chocolate chip or oatmeal, add or omit nuts.
Prayer can be for things like praise, thanksgiving, or confession of sin to ask forgiveness. Today’s question is about asking God to act in a situation. In this case, prayer is an amazing privilege of being allowed to participate with God as He shapes and applies His will.
"I pray because ...
God always intended to bring humans in on the act without letting them get proud in the process."
— Tom Wright
Here are three things that can happen through the kind of prayer that asks God's intervention:
• By our fellowship with God in prayer, He may be moved to change our circumstances.
• Through fellowship with God in prayer, we better understand His will and accept it.
• The very act of prayer is a humble acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty and our dependence on Him. This opens the doors for us to receive His spiritual gifts, which enable us to both to change ourselves and be able to face our circumstances.
The most profound example of human participation in God’s sovereignty is the creation of life. Our Creator’s will is for humans to reproduce. He put in man and woman the strong desire for each other that leads them to act according to His will. It is the will and physical union of a man and woman which opens the door for new life. But it remains within God’s power to actually create life.
Prayer is the spiritual union between God and humans which opens the door to the creation of spiritual life in our souls. It is anything but superfluous.
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." ~ Jesus (John 15:7 NKJV)
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
• By our fellowship with God in prayer, He may be moved to change our circumstances.
• Through fellowship with God in prayer, we better understand His will and accept it.
• The very act of prayer is a humble acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty and our dependence on Him. This opens the doors for us to receive His spiritual gifts, which enable us to both to change ourselves and be able to face our circumstances.
The most profound example of human participation in God’s sovereignty is the creation of life. Our Creator’s will is for humans to reproduce. He put in man and woman the strong desire for each other that leads them to act according to His will. It is the will and physical union of a man and woman which opens the door for new life. But it remains within God’s power to actually create life.
Prayer is the spiritual union between God and humans which opens the door to the creation of spiritual life in our souls. It is anything but superfluous.
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." ~ Jesus (John 15:7 NKJV)
© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
04 February 2010
Our sliding scale of grace
There is a new blog in town: People of The Second Chance. This is how Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite describe their blog: People of the Second Chance gives voice to a scandalous movement of radical grace in life and leadership. We challenge the common misconceptions about failure and success and stand with those who have hit rock bottom in their personal and professional lives. We are a community that is committed to stretch ourselves in the areas of relational forgiveness, personal transparency, and advocate for mercy over judgment.
-------
Our sliding scale of grace:
Just let the pictures sink in. Let them punch you in throat like it did me.
And then let us look inside ourselves and discover our double standards, prejudices, and hypocrisy about who we show grace and concern for.
Injustice is sill injustice no matter who you are or what you’ve done.
Mike Foster
03 February 2010
Ask Your Question ...
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Ask ANNE LANG BUNDY
If you have any questions about faith, especially if you have doubts about Christianity, think Christians are hypocrites, think religion is just a coping mechanism for the weak, think Christians are mostly crazy ... send us your questions.
Christian writer and thinker Anne Lang Bundy will attempt to answer your question ... the harder the question, the better ... we can take it ... :-)
Leave your question in the comment section of this post ... Leave us your first name and where you are from ...
Thanks.
02 February 2010
Question of The Week
Change is in the air. Bullets & Butterflies is adding a new feature called Question of The Week. Exciting.
My friend Anne Lang Bundy, a woman with tremendous faith, will be answering questions about faith, the Bible, and what it means to turn a human life over to Jesus Christ.
In order to facilitate Question of The Week, I'll be moving my regular blog post to Wednesdays.
If you have any questions about faith, especially if you have doubts about Christianity, think Christians are hypocrites, think religion is just a coping mechanism for the weak, think Christians are mostly crazy ... send us your questions ... the harder the question, the better ... we can take it ... :-)
"Father, thank you for the opportunity to blog. Guide us to use this opportunity to talk about your promise of peace and salvation wisely. In Jesus name we pray"
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