Monday, September 28, 2009

The Spiritual value of Work

Recently, a friend of mine posted a comment on her Facebook status:


This is madness, I just realised that my job takes up all of my life and the only time I have for myself is on Sabbath. This is not a good sign. I'm losing out on my life- enjoyment, love and sleep.
Coupled with this is the current controversy in Jamaica where the Government wants to expand the gambling industry by permitting horse racing and betting on Sundays (Clarke).

All these issues have motivated me to reflect on work and its G-d given purpose.



God commanded us to work and labour. In Exodus 20:9, God declares "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work" (See also Deuteronomy 5:13).


Work is a God's approved way for human beings to acquire money, services, and goods. God has so designed it that there are benefits to be derived from work. God intends that we be rewarded for our work. His law sanctions that work (productive endeavour) must bear fruit.

Proverbs 10:16 - The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 - Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. - Work done by more than one person will produce greater results than work done by one person.


Proverbs 14:23 - In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury. - What ever labour is undertaken, humanity can stand to benefit.

Those who do not work, will suffer severe consequences.

Proverbs 21:25 - The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

Proverbs 12:24 - The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. - Those who are lazy will be indebted to others.

Proverbs 12:27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious. - Those who are hardworking will own valuable things. The lazy however, will have to live on handouts or borrowed goods and not on things that they own.

Proverbs 15:19 - The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

Those who are not productive, will lose everything that they do own or have (Matthew 25:26-28).



Work produces products or results
Psalm 105:44 - And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; -

The products of labour can be inherited. They are tangible and can be passed on to others.


I concur with this part of the statement issued by the Jamaica Council of Churches (Encourage honest work):

"We cannot build our society on gambling. We must affirm the dignity of our people and encourage them to use their God-given gifts and abilities to work for an honest "bread" and for the development of our society."




Work Cited:

Clarke, Orville. "Sunday racing begins November." Jamaica Gleaner 17 Sep 2009, Web.


"Encourage honest work, church bodies tell Gov't." Jamaica Gleaner 22 Sep, 2009, Web.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080217/focus/focus6.html

Friday, September 18, 2009

The Bible and Meditation

I began reading this book: "Meditation and the Bible" written by a Jewish physicists and rabbi, Aryeh Kaplan.


Aryeh Kaplan advocates that the prophets in the Bible did meditation to enable themselves to be used by God to bring forth prophetic revelations. Kaplan argues that while there are two ways to get oneself in mystical states, through drugs and through meditation, the Bible only gives evidence that the prophets got to their states through meditation.

When the person who lent me the book told me about it, I said that that was New Age stuff. The person, who is one of my Jewish students, pointed out to me that David in the Psalms declares that he meditates on God's word.

As I pondered her words, it later occurred to me that since the Devil cannot come up with any original idea, then it must mean that New Age meditation must be a counterfeit of something authentic. Based on this line of reasoning, there is a meditation that is good and not all meditation is "new age". Through this interaction with I realised that New Age is just counterfeiting G-d's Bible recommended meditation.


In the book, the Rabbi - Kaplan, gives us authentic techniques used by the prophets, including getting up in the night or in the early morning separating yourself from people (isolation). Another technique mentioned is just studying nature and marveling at God's works through nature (G-d's creation). Also, the use of music is mentioned. Kaplan suggests that there are hints of these techniques through out the Psalms.

All this got me thinking about what Jesus did to make himself so available to be used by God. What made Jesus so connected to his Father was a mixture of obedience and the practice of meditation, that lead to complete surrender.

I believe Biblical Meditation frees us from the world's distractions and opens hearts and minds to God. That is the difference between Biblical Meditation and New Age Meditation, which depends on drugs, vain repetitions of words, while using several of the authentic techniques used by God's prophets. The Hippies for instance definitely sought to spend time in nature, clear their mind of all distractions and used music.


I want to see how God's meditation differ from the hippies or Satan's counterfeit. Let us read the Bible and see, wherever the term meditates occurs. If you can, browse Kaplan's book. I will let you know more as I go along, and whatever new insights comes up from my discoveries.


Reference:

Kaplan, A. (1988). Meditation and the Bible. York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Antichrist agenda of UNESCO

Before you label me now as a maniac, let me just state that I am very sorry to have to expose this truth to the world. I have good friends who work in UNESCO, and the organisation is a very good one, sponsoring very good programmes.

However, as it is with this age, where events are rapidly culminating towards the coming of the lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2:9), any organisation or world event will be used to create and establish the New World Order.

UNESCO is just one of those organisations.

In my early twenties I was taught by my teachers that the Catholic church would be the vehicle in establishing the New world order. However, today the L-RD has given me the wisdom to see that there are so many organisations that are behind the scenes working to establish the Satanic kingdom or order on earth. I will post further comments on this issue. But for now please view the truth about how UNESCO fits into the anti-christ agenda.

To all Christian mothers, it is time to home school your children and not to follow the world and conform to their beliefs that the woman should be working outside of the home. Remember Romans 12:2:

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.