Welcome to Gaia! ::

All Because of Hollywood

What if we had to learn everything we know from TV and movies? If that were the case, then we’d automatically assume the following is true:

• All phone numbers in America begin with 555.

• All grocery shopping bags have at least one stick of French bread in them.

• When paying for a taxi, there’s no need to look at your wallet as you take out a bill. Just grab one at random and give it to the driver. It will always be the exact fare.

• Anyone waking from a nightmare will bolt upright in bed and pant.

• Even when driving on a perfectly straight road, it’s necessary to turn the steering wheel vigorously from left to right every few seconds.

• The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.

• All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they’re going to explode.

• Any lock can be picked with a credit card or a paper clip in seconds . . . unless it’s the door to a burning building with a child trapped inside.

• It’s always possible to park directly outside the building you want to enter.

• Cars that crash will almost always burst into flames.

• You can always find a chainsaw when you need one.

If Hollywood were our only teacher, we’d have a false view of life, wouldn’t we? Maybe we’d never know a phone number doesn’t actually begin with the digits 555 until we tried to place a call starting with those numbers. (The entertainment industry decided to use 555 as the beginning digits for all phone numbers several years ago, because viewers were memorizing the phone numbers actors used during filming and calling them. No actual phone numbers in the U.S. begin with 555.) If Hollywood were our only teacher, we’d assume phone numbers would start with 555. We’d know the truth, however, after trying to make a call and not getting through.

What about Christianity? Can we assume it’s the embodiment of truth? Have you tried “dialing the number?” If you’ve actually tried it, you know it’s not fairy tale or a religion. You recognize it as Truth. But if you’ve never “dialed the number,” go ahead. Do a little research. Compare it with other world beliefs and see how it stacks up.

Know It!
Christianity can handle every doubt and question you toss its way, or it wouldn’t have lasted more than 2,000 years. It’s okay to doubt, as long as you give those doubts to God and let Him replace them with solid faith.

Read It!
Psalm 19; Ecclesiastes 3:11; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Matthew 4:10.

Pray It!
Ask God to help you know beyond all doubt that Christianity is genuine and true. Ask for courage to “dial the number” and check it out for yourself. Seek His guidance on your search for Truth.

Thanks, Hollywood!

More things we’d assume are true if Hollywood were our only teacher:

• TV news bulletins always contain a story that affects you personally at that precise moment.

• Anyone can land a plane if there’s someone in the control tower to talk you down.

• Once applied, lipstick will never come off . . . even while scuba diving.

• If you need to pass yourself off as a German officer, it’s not necessary to actually speak the language. A German accent will do.

• There are no light switches in kitchens. When entering a kitchen at night, you should open the fridge door and use that light instead.

• Mothers usually cook eggs, bacon and waffles for their family every morning even though their husband and children never have time to eat it.

• A detective can only solve a case after he’s been suspended from duty.

• It doesn’t matter if you’re heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts. Your enemies will wait patiently to attach you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you’ve knocked out their predecessors.

• When they’re alone, all foreigners prefer to speak English to each other.

• It’s not necessary to say hello or goodbye when beginning or ending phone conversations.

Again, we’d assume the above is true . . . unless we actually tried and failed . . . or did our own research. Instead of simply assuming Christianity is true, let’s see how it stacks up against other world religions.

Buddhism

View of Christ: He was a good teacher, but He wasn’t as important as Buddha. There is no personal God.

How Can One Be Saved? The original teachings of Buddha say you’re the only one who can save yourself. But Mahayana (another form of Buddhism) teaches there are many savior gods called Bodhitsattvas. The Bodhitsattvas can be called on to save you, if you’re a Buddhist monk who has achieved nirvana (the highest degree of God-consciousness that involves denying oneself of desire).

View of Sin: Sin is lust. The way to get rid of lustful desires is by working really hard at it or by relying on Bodhitsattvas.

Life After Death: Buddhists believe in reincarnation, and that people can be reborn as an animal, a ghost, a demon, a human or a Hindu god.

Christianity

View of Christ: He’s the Son of God and died for man’s sin. God is personal, omniscient and omnipotent.

How Can One Be Saved? You can be saved by placing your faith in Jesus Christ and seeking His forgiveness for your sins.

View of Sin: All have sinned, but Christ will forgive our sin and transform us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Life After Death: Everyone spends eternity in either heaven or hell.

Know It!
Does Christianity seem simple when stacked next to Buddhism? It is!

Read It!
Job 42:1-6; Psalm 115:3; Matthew 19:26; Matthew 14:33; John 1:34: Romans 5:6-8; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:8-10).

Pray It!
Tell God how grateful you are that you don’t have to try to earn salvation.

Christianity vs. Hinduism

In taking a closer look at how Christianity stacks up against other religions, let’s take a peek at the comparison with Hinduism.

Hinduism

The Soul: Hinduism teaches that the soul in uncreated and eternal. It’s also perfect, free and unlimited. No matter how many lives it takes, eventually each soul will reach its divine nature.

Reincarnation: Karma (action) from past lives determines a person’s identity and status in the next life.

View of Christ: Hindus don’t believe in a personal, loving God. They believe instead, in Brahma — an abstract eternal being with no attributes who was the beginning of all things. They don’t believe that Jesus is God.

View of Sin: Sin is referred to as “illusion,” and Hindus seek deliverance from it through the endless cycle of death and rebirth, and through union with Brahma, which is achieved through meditation, self- control, good works and devotion.

Salvation: Achieved through works. Brahma — the Hindu’s god — is found by seeking within one’s self, because everyone is part god.

Christianity

The Soul: The Bible teaches that all people are created by God. Reincarnation: Each of us has only one life to live. We die and face judgment.

View of Christ: He’s the Son of God and died for man’s sin. God is personal, omniscient and omnipotent.

View of Sin: Sin leads to eternal separation from God. But we can have forgiveness of our sins, if we confess, repent and allow God to be the authority of our life (one life—not many).

Salvation: Is not achieved through works but by faith in Jesus Christ. Christians believe people can’t earn salvation; neither do they deserve it. But because God loves people so much, He offers salvation as a free gift.

Other Contrasts:

Hinduism: We are all divine.

Christianity: We are all born in sin.

Hinduism: Promotes a rigid caste system (social hierarchy).

Christianity: Teaches that all people are equal and cherished in God’s eyes.

Know It!
One major difference between Christianity and all other world religions is that Jesus Christ — the One whom Christians follow — left an empty tomb. The leaders of all other religions are still in their graves. Christians serve a living God. Believers of other religions serve a dead man.

Read It!
Matthew 3:13; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1, 14; John 14:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 9:28; Titus 2:13: 1 John 5:11-12.

Pray It!
Ask God to help you reach out to those whose religious beliefs differ from yours. Tell Him you desire to you’re your friends that He truly is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Christianity vs. Islam Part I

Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the interest in Islam has grown. People are curious about Muslim beliefs. Let’s scoot a little closer for a clearer view.

Islam

View of Christ: He was only a prophet.

Sacred Scriptures: The Koran. This book of writing teaches that Allah is God, and God is one. There are no other “partners” to Allah, such as Jesus and the Holy Spirit are part of Jehovah God. The Koran also teaches that Allah is impersonal. He is called by 99 different names, but “Father” is not one of them. The Koran also teaches that Jesus never died on the Cross. The teaching says that Allah took Jesus to heaven before the crucifixion because a prophet of God wouldn’t have had to face such torment. Islam promotes that either Simon of Cyrene (who carried the Cross for Jesus when He fell) or Judas Iscariot were made up to look like Christ and died on the Cross.

Judgment and Eternity: Allah will judge humanity, and each individual will be sent to either heaven or hell. Heaven is a place of sensual pleasure. Hell is where everyone else lives who opposed Allah and his prophet Mohammed.

Christianity

View of Christ: The only Son of God Almighty.

Sacred Scriptures: The Holy Bible. The Bible was inspired by God Himself and written in obedience to His guidance. It teaches that God is the head of the Trinity — which is also comprised of Jesus Christ (God’s Son) and the Holy Spirit. Though God existed before anything else, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are part of God. The Bible teaches that Jesus actually died on the Cross for our sins and rose from the dead three days later.

Judgment and Eternity: God will judge humanity, and each individual will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. Heaven is living with God forever in celebration, peace, joy and praise. There will be no sickness and no death in heaven. Hell is eternal separation from God and is described in the Bible as a place of great torment. Everyone who has not accepted Jesus as his personal Savior will live forever in hell.

Know It!
Jehovah is a loving and personal God. He has several names and all of them are descriptive of His love and care for humanity.

Read It!
Deuteronomy 7:8; Jeremiah 31:3; Psalm 77:10-15; Isaiah 43:13; John 1:13-14; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Ephesians 2:4; 1 Peter 3:18.

Pray It!
Tell God how grateful you are for Christianity and the free gift of eternal life.

Christianity vs. Islam Part II

Let’s continue with our comparative look at Christianity and Islam.

Islam

Sin: Muslims believe that people are born without sin. If they do sin, sins can be overcome by earning forgiveness.

Salvation: To become a Muslim, one must publicly repeat “There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is the prophet of Allah.” One must also pray five times a day while kneeling and bowing toward the direction of the holy city, Mecca. Muslims must also give 2.5 percent of his earnings. This is called alms and is given to orphans, sick people and widows. Muslims must fast an entire month during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar year, Ramadan. Food, sex, smoking and drinking are all off limits—but only during daylight. Muslims must also make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives.

Holy Scripture: The Koran is only one of four books Muslims believe are God-inspired. The Torah, the Zabur and the Injil are also viewed as holy Scriptures.

Allah: Islam teaches that Allah doesn’t love those who sin. Each human being has to earn his own salvation.

Christianity

Sin: Christians believe that all are born with sin and are separated from God until they accept forgiveness for their sins from Jesus Christ. Jesus, then becomes the Mediator between man and God.

Salvation: Accepting forgiveness for one’s sins through faith in Jesus Christ. After repentance, Christians then develop a relationship with Jesus. They pray often, but they don’t have to pray a specific number of times a day. Christians pray not because they have to, but because they’re in love with Christ and enjoy talking with Him and listening to Him. Sometimes Christians fast for a specific time, but it’s not a requirement for salvation. When Christians fast, it’s so they can focus more intently on a specific prayer request or facet of their lives.

Holy Scripture: Christians believe there is only on holy book of inspired words from God—The Holy Bible.

God: Christians believe that God loves man in the midst of his sin. And because of this great love, He provided forgiveness for sin through His only Son, Jesus.

Know It!
God is crazy about you! He loves you more than you can comprehend. And because of that love, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for your sins. You can’t earn it, and you don’t deserve it. But you can accept it— for free!

Read It!
Matthew 8:29; Matthew 17:5; Luke 1:26-38; John 10:30; Colossians 1:15-17.

Pray It!
Thank God for loving you more than you’ll ever deserve or fully comprehend. Seek His help in loving Him you’re your very life.

Tuesday July 3rd

Coverer of Our Shame

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:27

Have you ever tried to sew leaves together to make clothes? I have. I can tell you that it doesn’t work too well! Grass thread soon breaks and the leaves fall off. No wonder Adam and Eve were hiding in the bushes!
But that is exactly what it’s like when we try to cover up our own sin. We make excuses for our behavior. We try to pretend it didn’t happen. We may even lie about it—to others and to ourselves. But it never works. The truth comes out, the excuses fall off, and we’re left covered in shame.
When we have sinned, we need God’s help and mercy. We need God to do for us exactly what He did for Adam and Eve—to make clothing for us that will stay on us and completely cover our shame and guilt.
But that clothing comes at a price. An innocent animal in the Garden of Eden died so that human shame could be covered with animal skin. In the same way, our Lord Jesus Christ laid down His own innocent life for our sakes. Through His death and resurrection, He took away our shame forever—because He loves us.
Baptized into Christ Jesus, we are no longer ashamed. As Christians, we have been clothed with Christ and clad in His purity. Thank You, Lord!

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for covering my sin and making me Your own forever. Amen.

Thursday July 5th

Innocent Victim

You have come . . . to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Hebrews 12:22, 24

An innocent victim. These words appear all too often in our daily news. Jealousy, hatred, and murder—it seems as if the world has gotten used to them all. We turn the page, change the channel, and forget.
Or perhaps not. The parents of a murdered child cannot forget. Surely Adam and Eve never forgot the loss of their son Abel. Murdered by his own brother, innocent Abel suffered through no fault of his own.
Innocent blood demands justice. God said to Cain, “Your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). Abel’s death demanded payment—a payment Cain could never pay. Only one man satisfies the demand for justice and silences the cry of innocent blood: Jesus, the most innocent victim of all.
Jesus took all the evil of the world on His shoulders. He put Himself in the place of every murderer from Cain on. Christ paid the penalty of death for every evildoer on earth—including you and me. Then Jesus rose from the dead, leaving the crushing burden of human evil in the grave. Now He gives us forgiveness and peace for our guilt. What a wonderful exchange!

Dear Lord, thank You for taking away my guilt and sharing Your innocence with me. Amen.

Checked or Carry-On?

Airport customs agents have recently seized some interesting “luggage” from passengers.

At Chicago O’Hare’s International Airport, an African passenger was detained because of what he had in his carry-on luggage: A monkey head and carcass on a stick.

In Malta, investigators stopped four men carrying the skins of 100 protected birds, including tooth eagles, eagle owls and kingfishers.

Officials at JFK in New York, found two freshly-cut calves’ heads in a tote bag from Italy. In a bag from Nigeria, they confiscated 18 inch-long Nigerian snails. From Costa Rica, arriving in a bag at JFK, officials nabbed 490 sea turtle eggs, eight turtle flippers and 30 pounds of smoked turtle meat.

In Melbourne, Australia, a man heading to Vienna was separated from his travel companions: 31 live Australian geckos, including 11 leaf-tail, 13 knob-tail and seven beaked. (Wildlife export can bring up to 10 years in jail and/or a $110,000 fine.)

At Heathrow Airport in England, more than five tons of booty were seized from freight containers holding “pomos” (cow’s nostrils), “smokies” (blow-torched morsels of unskinned goat) and bush rats that are often sold to specialty markets. Most of us have no problem seeing all of the above as unnecessary luggage.

But lots of people carry unnecessary luggage to places other than airports. Some of your friends carry baggage on their dates, to their part-time jobs and even to church. What about you?

Are you carrying some unnecessary baggage? If so, there’s good news! You can check it. That’s right. God wants you to check your baggage with Him. No fines. No prison sentence. He’s willing to take it so you can travel without being weighted down.

So how is your travel? In your walk with Christ, are you traveling freely and productively? Or are you hindered by baggage that’s slowing you down? The apostle Paul compares the Christian life to a race. You wouldn’t think of making your way to the starting block encumbered with ankle weights. If you wanted to win the race, you’d wear light shorts, light track shoes and a light-weight shirt.

Serious male swimmers shave their legs, because they don’t want to be slowed down even by a millisecond by the hair on their legs. A determined athlete does everything he can to eliminate anything that could prevent winning the competition.

What things are slowing you down and keeping you from becoming all God wants you to be? If you’re trying to run the Christian race with carry-on baggage, you’re not going to win.

Know It!
God wants your baggage. So go ahead—check it! Place it in His lap and experience victory as you run the course He has set for you.

Read It!
1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Galatians 5:7-9; Hebrews 12:1.

Pray It!
Ask God to reveal any baggage in your life that you’re holding onto. When He brings it to your mind, surrender it to Him.