Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts

20 Dec 2023

The Quest for Wisdom

 

The quest for information, knowledge understanding and wisdom


Yes, we were born without any of these. Shall we remain so, or shall we strive for wisdom – our ultimate quest?

It is said that a fool knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Shall we have all the information there is in this world or even the universe, and remain fools?

It seems to me that most of us do not even get out of the starting blocks and are not interested in information at all. We feed on what was good for yesterday and for our ancestors.

1 Nov 2023

God is a utilitarian par excellence

 God is a utilitarian par excellence.

One of the best qualities I like and attribute to God is His utilitarianism, and by extension our utilitarianism which is a spin off of our free will. Similarly, it is also a spin off of God's free will.

In essence, utilitarianism is the act of doing the best for yourself or for groups on whose behalf you may act or choose.

12 Jan 2023

The Gift of Flight - Part 6 – Escaping death in the Zlin

 

The Gift of Flight - Part 6 - Escaping death in the Zlin

Published January 2023 by P.K. Odendaal

 

ZLIN 50-LS 325 HP

And so it happened that, after I got all my flying licences and flying ratings, that I got bored with flying ‘straight and level’. That was lesson one in my training, and I did not want to stop there.

16 Sept 2022

The Pursuit of Happiness – Part 8 – Becoming a Friend of God.

The Pursuit of Happiness – Part 8 – Becoming a Friend of God.

We have now come to the end of this series, not that the subject is exhausted, but rather that this part is the ultimate happiness and joy any human can live for and even die for; the incredible opportunity to be a friend of God, or more specifically, to be a friend of Jesus Christ, the human side of God. Scripture says 'for in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily'.

12 Sept 2022

The Pursuit of Happiness – Part 7 – Exploring a conversation with God

The Pursuit of Happiness – Part 7 – Exploring a conversation with God

How does one strike up a conversation with God ?

That was my main thought when Jesus Christ came my way some five decades ago, and saved my soul by God's Grace.

I knew or thought at the time that it would be a monumental task and challenge to strike up such a conversation with God, as I thought I would have to remain silent and allow God do do all the speaking, according to the false teaching of the Church I grew up in, which taught that 'God is in Heaven, and we are on earth, therefore our words should be few'.

4 Aug 2022

The Pursuit of Happiness – Part 5 – Genesis to Revelations

Part 5 - Genesis to Revelations

It is not necessary to have or read the Bible to get to know God and communicate with Him.

Millions of people have found Him by searching for Him and He is always ready to reveal and even partially expose himself to those who search for Him, whatever the form or shape of that path may be.

24 Jul 2022

The Pursuit of Happiness – Part 4 – Embrace the Nietzsche Moment

Part 4 – Embrace the Nietzsche Moment

Now that we are at peace with our decisions, we do not care about the past or the future, we have shunned negative people from our lives and we have made peace with those whom we have wronged and those who have wronged us, we can sit back and enjoy every moment that we are alive and blessed to partake in the wondrous universe and people around us.

17 Jun 2022

The joy of doing penance

 The joy of doing penance.

 There is such a disconnect between our thoughts, actions, sufferings and joy, that we feel lost and unable to find meaning and purpose in life, and for us, or at least for me, meaning and purpose is all I want from life -  well - speaking only on an emotional and intellectual level.

There are riches and pain on a spiritual level as well, but that is not my subject today, whilst I concede our emotional and spiritual wellbeing are intimately connected. And then there are the physical necessities, which I also do not write about today.

29 Apr 2021

God's Dilemma - Part 1

 In the scheme of things God created everything and that made Him King of the Universe with anything He created becoming subservient to Him ... but it also automatically made Him alone and lonesome with no peer, friend, compatriot, confidante, family, adviser and many other things; not that He needed it, but the human part of Him needed someone to talk to, to confide in, to be friends with, to adore and love Him seriously and unconditionally. To be really one with Him.

15 Feb 2021

The Invulnerability of Weakness

No, it is not a contradiction in terms. It is a truth that is hidden. 

We normally, conventionally and socially revere the opposite. We are so quick in pushing the weakling aside, ignore and pity him or her and move on. For us weakness is a shame - in others and in us. It just does not make sense to praise or tolerate weakness, much less revere it.

22 May 2020

Considerata


Considerata – May 2020.

The first thing we should accept in this world is that there is a God who created, owns, manages and rules this universe. Nobody can prove it or disprove it, because He has willed it so.
If we do not accept this, then we must also accept that we do not exist – a much greater possibility, because neither can anyone prove or disprove that we do. Philosophers have thought about it for millennia and the best they could come up with was what Descartes said: ‘I think, therefore I am’. To this I reply ‘I am, therefore I think’. Both two hollow excuses proving nothing.

16 May 2020

A letter to God


Dearest God,

You are omniscient, omnipotent, majestic, humble, loving, innovative, creative, incredible - and that to an infinite degree.
I adore you with my mind, body, soul and spirit. With all that is within me.
On the other hand, I am not even worth it that you cast a glance to my side, yet you walk the extra million miles with me.

20 Apr 2020

Adult Sunday School - Part 24 - The Last Judgment

Adult Sunday School - Part 24 - The Last Judgment - by P.K.Odendaal
Originally written as Part 14 in October 2012.
Now rewritten in April 2020 during lockdown.

This used to send shivers up my spine, but not anymore - and you can prepare yourself for this to take the sting out of it. But sure as we live, there will be a Final or Last Judgement of the World. It will be like a court case for individuals and nations, and it is easiest to think about it in terms of a court case on earth.

10 Apr 2020

Oneness and Holism

Oneness and Holism

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.(John 17:21)

It is Easter weekend 2020, and this weekend always inspires me to think deeper into things than our physical existence. My most notable writing, and one of my ten most read articles is ‘The Lamb of God’, appearing elsewhere in this blog, which details the activities almost two thousand years ago, on this weekend. But ... I am cutting it much wider this time.
See http://pkodendaal.blogspot.com/2012/10/adult-sunday-school-part-15-lamb-of-god.html

1 Apr 2020

Doubt and Delusion

Doubt and Delusion – the story of Adam and Eve

The fate of man started out with doubt and delusion, planted by the enemy of God into the minds of mankind. Satan was and still is the progenitor and protagonist of doubt and delusion having been the first to delude himself into thinking he is God, and he still lives under that delusion.
Our story, which is about Adam and Eve, is so detailed, plausible and human as it encompasses the full path a human walks to become delusional, evil and disconnected from God.

11 Mar 2019

Capture of the Church - Part 1


CAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
Part 1 - by P.K. Odendaal - March 2019.

Capturing is one of the oldest of human pastimes, and the Church, being the oldest institution, suffers most from this. We humans seem to relish capturing or usurping anything and everything from animals to humans to power to countries with coercion, exertion, pain, violence, death and deception.

14 Dec 2018

Suicide


Suicide – by P.K. Odendaal – December 2018
The conventional wisdom is that people who commit suicide are murderers and murderers do not go to heaven.
As a sceptic and cynic about conventional wisdom, I will naturally doubt that and ponder the opposite notion. I am not saying suicide is okay, but I must consider all its wider aspects. This article is not a license to kill.

8 Aug 2016

God and Science – a lecture


God and Science – a lecture – by P.K. Odendaal – August 2016.
(partially rewritten 27 August 2016)

I have been asked to give a lecture on the topic ‘God and Science’ by someone from the University of the Third Age – also called U3A. Of course I will jump at such an opportunity, as I am also actively involved in the University of All Ages at … you guessed it, my blog.
Typically, with me and my big mouth, I told the person that he is asking me to only speak on one subject, and that is God, and that the words ‘God and Science’ is a repetition of objects or subjects.

3 Mar 2016

We become like the things we touch


We become like the things we touch – by P.K. Odendaal – March 2016


I received this adage by inspiration in a vision, and not wanting to let the opportunity of understanding it better slip away unguarded, I decided to pursue the meaning of it as it impacts our lives. I must admit that after contemplating it for some time, it opened new vistas and perspectives far beyond my imagination or expectations and I regard it as a truth which may add new meaning and purpose in our lives. In this article I will try to address some of its more direct implications, inept as I am to realize its full meaning.

30 Jul 2015

The root of suffering


The root of suffering – by P.K.Odendaal – August 2015

 

I think we have lost the thread somewhere or we got blindfolded by the biblical axiom.
The biblical axiom says that the love of money is the root of all evil. If that is so then we are exempt from the injunction that we are the sinners – money really is; so that cannot be, as we know too well. Giving money the blame for all our sins will just not fly. I think we read that axiom incorrectly or our deduction of the relationship between sin, evil and suffering is wrong.