Not Philosophy, But Christ

I am one of the fortunate ones.  I was raised in a Christian home.  I always loved reading my Bible.  I never had to be motivated to read or study it.  That was a blessing to have that drive in me, because when I went to College I was faced with the big world of higher education.  This new world contained men and women full of all of higher education’s philosophies and scientific knowledge.  My strong bible based knowledge gave me a good foundation on which to stand.  I was able to courageously stand before my peers and my professors and state what the Bible says in contrast to what they were teaching.  Higher education tends to leave God out of all their thought processes.  In science man develops an idea or theory and then tries to prove it.  Sometimes they have proven their own theory to be wrong, but then they will try to work around it to find another way to prove it.  I don’t have enough time here to talk about all the details.  In philosophy they are so focused on the latest and greatest thought to discuss and piece of knowledge to contemplate.  They don’t care where the idea came from, just that it something to talk about.  You find man doing this over and over again in the Bible.  Paul ran across it multiple times in his missionary journeys.  During one of his imprisonments he wrote a letter to the church in Colosse.  In Colossians 2: 1-10 he addresses his concern over their source of wisdom

¹ For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. ² [I want] their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding, and have the knowledge of God’s mystery —Christ. ³ In Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. ⁴ I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments. ⁵ For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the strength of your faith in Christ. ⁶ Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, ⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. ⁸ Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. ⁹ For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Paul reminds the people that every bit of wisdom and knowledge they need is found in Christ.  He has everything we need to know.  We only have to go to Him.  He should be our source for wisdom.  In verse 8 he warns them not to be taken captive to philosophy and empty deceit.  We need to be careful about what we learn.  When we hear some new teaching, theory or philosophy, we need to stack it up against God’s Word.  We need to go to God in prayer and ask Him to confirm whether these things are true.  God is the source of all truth.  We have that truth living in us according to verse 10.  We don’t have to believe some scientist or philosopher just because they have a PHD behind their name.  We need to always believe God.  So remember to go to Christ for your wisdom and not to man.

Not Philosophy, But Christ

I am one of the fortunate ones.  I was raised in a Christian home.  I always loved reading my Bible.  I never had to be motivated to read or study it.  That was a blessing to have that drive in me, because when I went to College I was faced with the big world of higher education.  This new world contained men and women full of all of higher education’s philosophies and scientific knowledge.  My strong bible based knowledge gave me a good foundation on which to stand.  I was able to courageously stand before my peers and my professors and state what the Bible says in contrast to what they were teaching.  Higher education tends to leave God out of all their thought processes.  In science man develops an idea or theory and then tries to prove it.  Sometimes they have proven their own theory to be wrong, but then they will try to work around it to find another way to prove it.  I don’t have enough time here to talk about all the details.  In philosophy they are so focused on the latest and greatest thought to discuss and piece of knowledge to contemplate.  They don’t care where the idea came from, just that it something to talk about.  You find man doing this over and over again in the Bible.  Paul ran across it multiple times in his missionary journeys.  During one of his imprisonments he wrote a letter to the church in Colosse.  In Colossians 2: 1-10 he addresses his concern over their source of wisdom

¹ For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. ² [I want] their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding, and have the knowledge of God’s mystery —Christ. ³ In Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. ⁴ I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments. ⁵ For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the strength of your faith in Christ. ⁶ Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, ⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. ⁸ Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. ⁹ For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Paul reminds the people that every bit of wisdom and knowledge they need is found in Christ.  He has everything we need to know.  We only have to go to Him.  He should be our source for wisdom.  In verse 8 he warns them not to be taken captive to philosophy and empty deceit.  We need to be careful about what we learn.  When we hear some new teaching, theory or philosophy, we need to stack it up against God’s Word.  We need to go to God in prayer and ask Him to confirm whether these things are true.  God is the source of all truth.  We have that truth living in us according to verse 10.  We don’t have to believe some scientist or philosopher just because they have a PHD behind their name.  We need to always believe God.  So remember to go to Christ for your wisdom and not to man.

Limitless Energy

According to the X-journals, “Next year, 192 giant laser beams at the National Ignition Facility in California will target this pea-sized capsule, which contains hydrogen, in an effort to trigger the world’s first controlled nuclear fusion reaction. (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)” Scientists goals with these experiments is to hopefully one day to lead to the taming of the sun’s energy and other sources like the sun to produce limitless energy.  I am always amazed at the new developments and experiments taking place in science.  It’s a wonderful thought to think that there could be limitless energy to use.  It would bring down our expenses, and probably have a whole ripple effect on the economy.  People who were previously without energy could now have energy.  Our cars could be fueled and the environment helped as a result.  It is going to take time though.  This is just the next step in the experiments.  For now we are going to have to make due with energy systems we have now.

There is good news now on the energy front though.  God has limitless energy.  Read Isaiah 40: 28 – 29.

“28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. 29 He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless.”

There is only one way God could constantly be strengthening the powerless or helping the weary to not grow faint.  That is because He has limitless power.  Nothing will ever make His power grow dim.  No matter how many times humans may have to call on Him to regain their spiritual and physical strength, God will not run out of energy to provide them so they can revive.  What an encouragement to know our God is limitless in energy and so many other ways we could name.  So don’t be afraid to ask for help from God.  Why keep struggling along on your own God is there to help. Don’t think you will be a burden to Him.  He is limitless!