1. Although apparently a follower of the Hindu pantheon, his true master was clearly revealed by his actions.
2. This could easily have been an "evangelical christian"...
I also thought about the contrast of this worldview versus someone else who had gone through many crises (2 Corinthians 12):
24Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
It is interesting to contrast this man's response to his troubles:
9But he said to me,When what you focus is on the material - when what you serve is fallable and transitory - then your hope and your joy are dependant on the shifting tides of uncertainty."My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
When Christ, the solid rock, is your hope and joy - nothing this world can offer you can compare with His gloriousness and grace.
Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
May the Lord use this troubled time to bring glory to the name of Christ and call His children to the great work of His glory...
Wow, what excellent comments. I'm glad to have crossed paths with your blog when doing a curiosity search on this man who did the "honorable" thing by murdering his family and self. I instantly did a search on religion and his name because I think there is always a religious root to a problem like this (or government-induced drug addiction like with Columbine). Anyway, good points. I like your logo/motto. One question I have for you that deeply concerns me, around my area their are a lot of Pentecostal non-trinitarian churches. Now, how can they even be classified as churches in any real sense and 2) how do you deal with them? I am not the least concerned with the emotional aspects of these churches but I am concerned with churches that MIGHT not be churches when friends and family are influenced by them. Can you talk a little on Jesus-only Churches that consider other churches to be worshipping 3 gods??
ReplyDeleteglad we could help be of help :)
ReplyDeleteI have been mulling a "Skeptical of Oneness Theology" post - may have to get to it, now!
Bottom line - the doctrine of the Trinity is core to orthodox belief and while we may not go so far as to say that this teaching is damnable, we may certainly say that it is gross error, as even a cursory examination of the Scripture reveals.
My personal opinion of Oneness churches are that they are not a part of the church visible, although there may be members of the church invisible among them.