The Empty Tomb
I write andand share a lot about the goodness of God and the goodness of His people. Not everyone agrees of course. Some attack me and rail against God. I pray for them but I know that my belief in God and practices in my faith has many, many positive outcomes for me, my family, and my world.
Even if my children and grandchildren will live better and longer because of the faith of their ancestors. When I teachg about our family tree it is easy to spot our forefathers who said, "For me and my house we will serve the Lord".
I was criticized by a therapist one time when I said, "Unlike most medicines, there are no bad side effects to prayer!" Rodney Stark, professor of sociology and comparative religion at the University of Washington, writes:
Christians in the ancient world had longer life expectancies than did their pagan neighbors. Modern demographers regard life expectancy as the best indicator of quality of life. In all likelihood, Christians simply lived better lives than just about everyone else. In fact, many pagans were attracted to the Christian faith because the church produced tangible (not only "spiritual") blessings for its adherents.
Chief among these tangibles was that, in a world entirely lacking social services, Christians were their brothers' keepers. At the end of the second century, Tertullian wrote that while pagan temples spent their donations "on feasts and drinking bouts," Christians spent theirs "to support and bury poor people, to supply the wants of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons confined to the house."
Chief among these tangibles was that, in a world entirely lacking social services, Christians were their brothers' keepers. At the end of the second century, Tertullian wrote that while pagan temples spent their donations "on feasts and drinking bouts," Christians spent theirs "to support and bury poor people, to supply the wants of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons confined to the house."
Similarly, in a letter to the bishop of Antioch in 251, the Bishop of Rome mentioned that "more than 1,500 widows and distressed persons" were in the care of his congregation. "The impious Galileans support not only their poor," complained pagan emperor Julian, "but ours as well."
Their faith led to many good worksand great lives that lasted, on average, longer than the lives of pagans.
If my writing and ministry blesses you feel free to click the link, follow me, purchase on of my books or donate a new Rolls Royce so I can ride around in luxury! 😊
If my writing and ministry blesses you feel free to click the link, follow me, purchase on of my books or donate a new Rolls Royce so I can ride around in luxury! 😊
No comments:
Post a Comment