Christian

For articles about Belief in Christ Jesus and exploring faith

Prayer versus Creative visualization

grahamcommand Christian, Religion , , ,

Prayer has become tainted by modern world thinking, which has alternative ways of getting what you want in life
Example finical freedom – New relationships – Cars and other possessions

While there is nothing wrong with wanting a better life, the bible offers a different way of thinking “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”

This is where prayer comes into its own, as more than just getting what we want – but rather a way of direct talking with God

Now let me turn my attention to the world’s alternative methods, positive thinking – abundant thinking (part of The Secret) and creative visualization

Creative visualization is like making a mind movie with your imagination, where you can see yourself living your dreams.
Reprograming your subconscious so it accepts these imaginary thought as if they a real memory

Negative thinking is discouraged as it is said to bring more of the same negative things into your life

To get to that stage involves, meditation, determined focus on those new desires and goals
You also have to at peace with yourself and free from worries, which if you think about that you will see that it is part of what you are attempting to change
Furthermore in visualization, you are encouraged to think in vivid and colourful images, but we must fully accept what we manifest

From this brief look into this alternative way (creative visualization) that is cumbersome and demanding of much time and effort

Plus it is a self-centred and prone to be a self-greed based practice, whereas the process of praying is act of willing submission to the will of a higher authority
Where we learn to be patient and to accept that our heavenly father knows what we really need rather than what we want
But prayer is far more than just asking, through prayer we have direct access to talk to God and for Him to talk back in answers

Prayer also brings a sense of peace which goes way beyond our understanding, and prayer is also our way of praising too

My reply to another blogger

grahamcommand Christian, Religion , , , ,

After I had written my post about “my walk with Jesus” I received notice that another blogger though my post was awesome enough to like it
But on visiting that blogger’s blog run by Robert, I found it to be Atheist in content, as its content and reply comments made by Robert were criticism about Christianity
So I commented on his blog and this is what I wrote

————————-

I found it strange that you came to my blog post about “my walk with Jesus” and liked my post and yet in your blog you write so much criticism about Christianity and in the process denying Christ
As without Jesus Christ there would have never have been any Christianity
You also limited the discussion to Christians and ignoring the Jews!
By doing that you miss out the 1st part of the Bible the Old Testament which belonged to the Jewish people long before the New Testament – also Jesus was born into their faith and only later on after his death did Christianity start
As the Old Testament is where the story of creation of man’s as unique is told, and his domination over all other creatures
You say Christians cannot accept reality, well the reality is Christians are human and every human being is such capable of good or evil and yes I include myself
You too are just as capable of good or evil, whatever you choose you are still capable of either
Yes the church and its leader of the past have been guilty of suppressing the truth, but not Christianity itself only those who were meant to represent the faith

As to evolution being supported by evidence, but it lack any reasoning to why the whole process should have taken place
I suggest you read my post https://storybookwriter.wordpress.com/2015/09/03/a-question-of-faith/

A Question of Faith

grahamcommand Christian, faith, Religion , , , , , ,

This is my update about a group of videos on YouTube, uploaded by a group of Atheists, who run a live phone in debate programme, and video them so they can get a wider audience watching

Who ask for believers to phone and have discussion about why they believe, and then proceed to try to make the believer seem silly or stupid or blinded by what they term fairy stories

Even going as far as stating the there is no proof that Jesus actually lived at all, and boldly claiming there is no heavily supreme god

They also question why the believer thinks the Bible is true and ask what proof the believer can offer

But when any believer say “it’s by faith I believe”, the Atheists disregard this by saying to the believer they need to wake up to reality

So why do I continue to watch these videos you may well ask, because those Atheist radio phone in programmes only serve to make me more determined to prove them wrong, even at times I can see valid arguments against religion as a whole

 

As there have been many occasions in history that Christianity has been used in a self-righteous way by a man’s vanity to be superior over of the races

Killing or enslaving many others in the name of Christ, although this was totally wrong and against Christ’s teaching, this was because of man’s inability to interpret capital God’s will

The Pharisees of the Old Testament often by adding to their own regulations which became burdensome to the people they were meant to be teaching

Pharisees well-known for this form of self-righteousness, Jesus frequently chastised them for almost completely turning away from the rules that there have been given by God

As to the remark by the atheists that Jesus was never born and the story of his birth history as another fairy story within the holy Bible which according to them is full of for fairy stories

Many are the atheist’s claim that the holy Bible has been proven to be wrong and it was written by nomadic tribes of a superstitious nature and therefore has no truth in it in

However this argument by the atheist’s falls short Internet the Bible is in two sections, the first being the Old Testament and the other the New Testament

New Testament was written by the apostles, including the devout zealous Jew, Paul who before he became a Christian put many of Christ’s followers to death until the day Jesus appeared to him until the day he would accept Christ as his saviour

 

As to the atheists statement that Jesus was never even born, and purely a fictional character they failed to provide any reason why stories of Jesus

Why would anyone produce such stories and include them in what was to become the New Testament of the Holly Bible book?

Furthermore if Jesus was not in life had never been born and lived and died on the cross or tree as explained in the gospels, then how is it possible that so many people’s lives have been transformed when it pray to Jesus coming to you, into their lives?

For example the founder of the salvation army William Booth was stronger convinced that the word of god needed to be taken to those who needed the gospels taught to them and he went into the east end of London which was in those days unsuitable place to go preaching

As there were many vices were rife, also there was no compassion within that community

Even so he went ahead and preached frequently although there was great opposition to his and his speaking and all did not go well but he persisted

Overtime conversions to the faith began and grew, for many would transform from their worthless and pointless lives into more fulfilled and happier lives

Even in these present days, many lives have been totally transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, after accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour

 

When I was young and foolish, I never knew my heart

grahamcommand Christian, Religion , , , , ,

This is the first line of a song I wrote, which I mention further on in this article
I was brought up as a Christian, I was told by my mother I went to Sunday school even though I don’t remember that, but I do remember school ensembles
School in those days was where the Holy Bible was read aloud by the headmaster, I’m unsure how many other boys listen, but I found the stories fascinating and believable
This may have been due to my Sunday school lessons, I guess some of those must have stuck in my memory more than I thought
Later on in my youth, I also heard other stories about fictional people, who had become legends and touched my impressionable mind so they became my heroes
Sometimes later around the 1960s, I acquired an interest in science fiction and bought many “strange tales of the unexpected” comics
It would not be until many years later in my young adult life, I would become curious enough to start reading the Holy Bible and much later on after doing a scripture Bible study and decided to get baptised
I got to a point in my studying the “word” I could find passages for all kinds of situations without effort, but sadly my enthusiasm for reading and studying the Bible lost its appeal or I got too distracted
Perhaps as a result, even after a short while away from studying the Bible, I found even though I tried I no longer had that ability to find suitable passages
My one saving grace was the Hymns I had learnt from my school days, even though I really did not appreciate their power, which I will explain more about later on
Shamefully I grew further away from any worship or study, not even allowing myself time to pray and more importantly to listen for answers
This was a very dark time in my life, one that led me to experiment with things best left alone, that only gave fleeting pleasure, then emptiness inside
I found that giving into self-indulgences only dragged me further down into a dark depressive lonely place, void of hope love or joy
I’m unsure how long this period of time lasted, in my desperation I used a song I wrote as a prayer but that was more of a plea for help
Our heavenly father graciously listened and forgave and lifted me up
Even though I still allow myself to entertain strange thoughts and visit Agnostic discussion television programs that they recorded and uploaded to YouTube videos, which plant seeds of doubt in my mind, as they demand that callers provide proof that the Bible is true and what proof do we Christians have the there is a heavenly god
My response would now be, that I have no real proof, except my own experiences, for there have been many people in the past who have written songs of praise and Hymns
When sung they lift up our flagging spirits, and our hopes and fill us with a love so deep and perfect that it is proof enough for all Christian believers

No disbeliever or atheist or anyone else can rob us of this precious gift, if we don’t allow them too

Music I love Listening to

grahamcommand Christian, Music videos , , , , ,

My favourite music has to be Praise and good old classic Hymns

It Is Well with My Soul, this always touches my heart and soul, not just because it’s beautiful, but I was also impressed by the writer of this piece

Who went through many testing traumatic events and yet wrote theses praise words to this wonderful Hymn

 

Down To The River To Pray

 

None Christian music I enjoy listening to

Bee Gees Massaxchusetts

 Dolly Parton Jolene

Don McLean – Vincent ( Starry, Starry Night [youtube

Gilbert O’Sullivan – Alone Again

Carpenters -We’ve Only Just Begun

Terry Jacks Seasons In The Sun

Monkees – Daydream Believer

A Whiter Shade Of Pale – Procol Harum

Paul Potts “Nessun Dorma”