Why do I sell dodgy books??!

23 August 2004
Time: 23:04:00 o'clock BST
Author: happyhobbit29
Mood: Frustrated
Music: Vineyard - You * You Alone


It never ceases to amaze me how stupid some people can be. Sometimes I get sooooo frustrated at some of the books they'll buy to "boost their faith"...

Started reading a book today 'cos I was a little concerned about it, and it turns out I was right to be.

The shop was deathly quiet, so I decided to read a book I'd not heard of before. (Training in Stock Knowledge I call it...lol) Anyhow, I decided on a book called "The Fourth Dimension" by Pastor Yonggi Chou. My first impression was of the title, I thought it sounded awfully "new-agey" for a christian book, but I carried on to open up and discover what fourth dimension exactly, he was talking about...

Apparently in his definition, the fourth dimension is the Realm of the Spirit". Right. got that one sorted then.

My biggest problem was his interpretation of "faith". He talks about claiming things "in faith", which as far as I can make out, involves asking God for things and then pretending that they're there, and acting as if you have them already!! My response to this revealing insight to christian practice was.....

Er..... Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiite!!

That's all I could manage because I was amazed at how totally hopelessly someone could mis-interpret passages from the Bible, completely out of context. I mean come on, where did jesus say you've got to disengage ur brain (that He created by the way!!) and live out a life pretending you have things, and living expecting them to be given to you, because you "claimed" them????

It's a bit like trying to twist God's arm up his back...

"...Oi God! I asked for that shiny Mercedes Benz, you told me if i ask for stuff in faith, then I can have them. So where is it God?..."

I mean, COME ON people!!

God can't be manipulated like that!! That's not what Jesus meant surely?!

Surely God gives us what is good for us, what we NEED, not neccesarily what we WANT. Jesus said that we have good parents on earth, so surely God in heaven is a better parent than any earthly one? Surely he knows what's good for us in the long term? (and as much as some of us would like to be a millionaire, maybe if we actually got it, we'd just waste it all and whittle it all away, just like the prodigal Son did in the story)

If most of us were honest, that's what we'd do.

We'd like to think we'd help out people, feed the poor, etc, but in reality we'd keep it all for ourselves probably, because ultimately we are selfish creatures by nature.

So, for me, faith simply means trust. As simple and as complicated as that.

We excercise it every day I think, even in seemingly non-spiritual ways...

If you sit down on a chair, do you carefully examine all the parts, analyse them, and debate with yourself before sitting?! Of course not. People would think you were a fruitcake if you did that everytime you needed to sit down. You trust that the chair/seat/settee/couch/sofa will hold your weight.

That's precisely what faith is. Trust. No More, no Less.

It's the simplest concept in the world, but the hardest to put into practice. We as humans, like to analyse/measure/discuss/examine so much so, that it hinders us when we come to God.

Anyway, end of rant, I have coffee to make and toast to eat... ;)

(Priorities you know... lol )