Why Three Crosses

I was just now looking at the cover of my new book The Skull of Adam, when it suddenly occurred to me: As I looked at the sort of penticular image of Adam, his skull and Jesus, I noticed that my publisher had put Calvary along with three crosses beneath the images. Suddenly I asked myself, Why three crosses? Just as God had a reason for saying, "Golgotha, the place of the skull", there were reasons that three were crucified at the same time. Of course the primary reason is to contrast the two thieves with the innocence of Jesus, and the guilt of the people, but that could have been done with two crosses, with no need for the third one!

In Scripture everything happens for a reason and is there for a reason. Three crosses have significance. Let's read one version of the Crucifixion, but there are four versions!

Luke 23:26 "And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.²⁷ And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.²⁸ But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.²⁹ For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.³⁰ Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.³¹ For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?³² And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.³³ And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary (Golgotha, the place of the skull from Matthew 27:33), there they crucified him, and the malefactors (thieves from Matthew 27:38), one on the right hand, and the other on the left.³⁴ Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.³⁵ And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.³⁶ And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,³⁷ And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.³⁸ And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, his Is The King Of The Jews.³⁹ And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.⁴⁰ But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?⁴¹ And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.⁴² And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.⁴³ And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

Written elsewhere (Matthew 27:26 "Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified."). There was a fourth "thief", Jesus Barabbas, or in the Greek, "Jesus, the son of the father". Ironically, this revolutionary zealot (who Josephus called "bandit") should have had a cross as well because there were four set to be crucified. Barabbas was released. Of course release of one prisoner was the customary thing to do as an act of Roman generosity, but there needed to be three crosses and only three. If a prisoner had been released, if there had been only three criminals (sic), then an empty cross would have been there. Three occupied crosses meant something!

Jesus Barabbas was the scapegoat of which this passage is symbolic:

Leviticus 16:10 "But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness."

Barabbas was in fact presented alive "before the Lord". Jesus died in his place1 What a Plan! An now it is being fulfilled!

The criminals were two thieves and one innocent person, Jesus Christ. Jesus Barabbas was not on the cross. History lost track of him, but even though it was the Jews who wanted him freed because he was a fighter for their independence, they put worldly freedom over spiritual freedom. Jesus was born to fight for freedom from the Romans, or so they thought, but it was ironic that it was Jesus' death which provided spiritual freedom!

Barabbas was released for three reasons: 1) Jesus death was a substitute for the other Jesus, son of the father, 2) the release of this sinner was only by the grace of God, and 3) because Jesus, and the right one, had to die to save the world. If the real Jesus had been pardoned and the substitute Jesus sacrificed in his place, mankind would have spiritually died!

But why three? Look at the outcome: Jesus allowed both to die for all must suffer the sting of death. For Jesus death is merely a transition from the physical to the spiritual; from the world to paradise; from misery to glory! The natural outcome of the three crucifixions is that all three would die.

One thief, let's say the one on his left, railed against him. Railing is blaspheming, the unpardonable sin! This man was a "malefactor" (criminal) whose sins were inborn, hence he was a type of Adam as he ate of the forbidden fruit. Just as Adam had to die and for eternity, this thief's destiny was eternal death. Hence, he represented the old creature, the fallen Adam.

On the right, let's say, was the thief who rebuked the other, thus showing favor and mercy to Jesus who he knew was innocent. This man was representative of the forgiven Adam who was covered by the Word (Jesus) and was saved. Like the forgiven Adam who would see Jesus that day in Paradise, this criminal would as well. The thief on the right was the new creation.

Each of these two crosses were representative of divine justice. They offered a contrast to demonstrate that Jesus is both Judge and Savior. He judged one guilty and the other innocent. One went to eternal death and the other eternal life. The crucifixion is a picture of the Great White Throne Judgment where Jesus will judge everyone. Left and right thieves represent old and new Larry's and old and new you!

What about the center cross. That was for the judge. In my three images, Adam (the left thief) is shown on one side. He represents Satan or the old Adam. On the right is an image of Jesus. The new Adam or the right thief, will be glorified in the image of God without regard that he was a thief!

How about the skull on the center cross? Jesus is no longer there, but Adam is a type of Jesus, but by him sin entered into the world. Adam made a choice. The thieves did too! Calvary, the place of the skull, was the place were we all were given a choice. The skull represents our mind, I believe, and we must choose: Shall we be the right criminal or shall we be the left criminal. That skull is us, and when we choose we must sacrifice ourselves and bear the Cross of Jesus!

That Was Said Before

John 21:15 "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs."

 Jesus is a man of few words because he doesn't need to say much. There are 613 Judaic Laws in Mitzvot, or "Commandments". Jesus had merely one law: "Feed my lambs!"

Think on the implications of feeding Jesus' "lambs".  First off, the question at hand in reference to Jesus was, "Do you love me?" If the answer was in the affirmative, there was a way to show it! Then "feed my lambs".

Let's examine John 14:15: "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

That is the only law, and what are his Commandments?

Matthew 22:37 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

The "Greatest Commandment" is to "love God" and its corollary is to "love others", knowing full well that you already love yourself! Therefore, Jesus had only one Law, not 613 as the Jews did! Let me call this "law of God", "the commandment to love". One God, one Christ, one baptism, one faith, and one Commandment!

Back now to John 14:15: It commands that if anyone loves Jesus, then that person MUST love others. Of course by loving others is the way to show love for Jesus. The others are "the sheep".

John 21:15 is how Jesus makes his point: "If you love me, keep my commandments," which becomes "If you love me, feed my sheep!" Peter is implored to obey the law of God by following the only true Commandment. "Obeying" boils down to strictly "loving"!

Sheep are the animate plants in the shepherd's garden. David tended his sheep lovingly and was anointed by God to be king. If Christians tend the sheep, the process of tending to them is becoming part of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). David was anointed to lead the nation. We are anointed to lead people who Jesus calls "the sheep", not to slaughter, but to eternal life!

Genesis 4:2b "Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground."

Cain tended to the earthy garden and Abel tended to the spiritual garden. The ground represents the world and the world entices the flesh. Abel was so enticed. However, by "keeping the sheep" Abel was loving God, as we see in John 21:15. 

Abel was righteous because he tended the right garden. Cain was angry, with God and himself, because he failed to measure up, placing more emphasis on the world. It was Abel who truly tended the garden because the results show that Abel was favored by God because of his sacrifice. Essentially, Abel's offering was approved because he tended God's sheep, symbolic of life and people.

Adam (representing mankind) was assigned one vocation:

Genesis 2:15 "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."

Adam's job was to "dress and keep" the garden of Eden. Why was that important? Genesis 2:9 indicates that at the center of the Garden was the Tree of Life. Dressing and keeping the garden was effectually tending to Jesus Christ, who was represented as the Tree of Life, and the tending was to be centered on only it (Jesus).

Tending God wasn't a suggestion; it was a Commandment! "Adam, if you love me, tend to me!" Sounds much the same as John 14:15 and also the First Commandment! That was a simple thing then because there were not others, save Eve. Adam tended to the "sheep" which was Jesus the Lamb of God by tending to the Tree of Life.

In essence, Adam's job assignment was the single command, "If you love me, tend to my garden." Jesus' garden was the Tree of Life, Abel's garden was the sheep and so was Peter's. Abel's "sheep" was the firstly of his flock (the Lamb), and Peter's was the sheep (others).

Nothing ever changed with Jesus. His Voice in the garden said, "if you love me, tend to me." His voice to Abel was, "tend to my sheep". His job assignment to David was "tend to my sheep", and what the son of David told Peter to do is that one Commandment, "tend my sheep!"

Yes, God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow! Tending to his garden whether trees of lambs, is love. That is the great and only Command!

Being Reckless With Life

This woman bought a car. It was sleek, beautiful and powerful. She had a down payment and even made a few payments. It was her car!

One day she lost her job. Work could be found no where. In a few months, she missed a few payments. Woe was her! Her future looked destitute, but for awhile, her life had been all about pleasure. She never even considered that fate would raise his hand, and poverty would ensue.

What was she to do! It had been fun, but all her money had been wasted because now the financier came in reapers clothing to get what was his.

Part out of apathy, part out of one last joy and part out of spite, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She was going to have one last fling!

This time she planned it. She went to a secluded place where laws were overlooked. As she stepped on the gas pedal and careened down the road, leaving the smell of burning rubber, she was overwhelmed. "It's my car!" she thought and I'll do with it what I want! She drove it hard as she sped down the road, burning rubber here and there, she could feel the response inside as the car and her became one! She realized that the car was being abused, but it was hers!

"Roar", responded the engine as she drove recklessly around, but she was enthralled at her own independence, as she and the engine sung in harmony!

After a few miles, she was elated. She abused the car, but the law was far away. It seemed that as long as it didn't hurt another person, that high speed and recklessness was nobody's business. "It's my car and I'll do as I want!, she continued to think selfishly, as she abused what she believed was hers alone!

Finally, with the wear and tear and poor care, she heard a clunk... clunk... clunk... as the piston rod snapped and the engine died and locked up. She heard a piece fly through the oil pan, but she only felt independence. "It's my car and I'll do with it as I want! I care less about the financier!"

She called her friend and he came to give her a ride. She just left the pieces there in this desolate place, and he helped conceal them in an old junk yard nearby.

Soon, another letter came. "Your car is mine. It is being repossessed," said the finance company in the letter, but she insisted, "It was my car! I did with it what I wanted!"

They cared little about her claim. Part of it may have been her car, but it was their car too! They wanted back what was theirs, as she kept crying, "It was my car! It sat in my garage, I sat in it, I drove it, and I showed it off for awhile." It had been fun for her for awhile, but now reality manifested itself. She only perceived it was her car! She denied vehemently that it belonged to another, but denial was a facade': it was the fiancé company's car too! She abused what didn't belong to her, and now she suffered the consequences. She will pay some day! It will come in the future, but justice must be!

- - - - -

If you haven't figured it out, the woman who had the car, was like the woman with a baby in the womb. Because it's in her womb it's perceived as hers, just as her car had sat in her garage. However, the truth is, that like the car which belonged to the finance company, the growing beautiful baby within her belongs to itself, being an individual, living having already a personality.  What she claimed was hers, was only within her!

The speeding woman lived, but the car died. She killed something that belonged to someone else. Likewise, that growing baby wasn't part of her; she (the baby) belonged to herself. Just as the speeding woman abused the car, a careless woman commits the ultimate abuse with her baby girl: she destroys something that is NOT hers to destroy! What the baby lives within does belong to her, but she has no right to decide what is not hers. That living soul in her garage needs to be part of the decision.

Just as the finance company wants their car intact, but weren't there to speak, a budding baby girl would want the same for herself! Her choice would be life, just as the finance company would want longevity for their car! Two parties own the car. Two parties contribute to unborn life. The right thing to do is to drive safely and love the car. The right thing to do is nourish the unborn child and love her because she is alive inside that woman's garage!

The car was destroyed. The only value it now has is for parts from the scrap. Unfortunately, that's what Planned Parenthood has been known to do with those formerly vibrant babies, all because some women say, "It's my body, I'll do with it what I want. That's my right!"

Woman, your body is on loan for awhile to another. You can't vacate that garage without destroying the car. That car is not a machine; it's a human life with personality! Oh, only of it was inanimate, but her heart already beats out time. Her personality is growing with the growth of her other engines, and her soul is filled with God's Spirit for a time, anyway, yet you woman, destroy who you claim is yours!

Because a woman or her doctors deny the truth, doesn't mean that what they believe is the truth, just as the woman claiming it was her car, didn't make it her car! It was not part of her and neither is an unborn child. She is her own self, never to really belong to another!

Feminism-Part III

Feminism is not a stand alone issue. It's part of a larger package to divide people. Ultimately control is the prize, and division is the path to the prize! As such feminism is one stone in the path to control.

I've written on feminism before. (See Feminism Part I and Feminism Part II). Likewise, I've written on the control aspect of feminism (Socialism and Christianity),  and the origin of feminism (The First Feminist).

Most of what I have written is from a Christian perspective, but truly, those in the feminist movement generally have apathy, even hatred, of traditional and biblical values. With that said, let's examine feminism from a secular perspective.

Men and women are different! The physical differences are obvious. Not only are the genders born with different utilities, the biological differences, but the intent of their use is different. Men are built to provide the seed to women and women are to receive the seed. The anatomy of each is different to facilitate that purpose. The resultant reality is that the anatomy is different so that men and women can reproduce in two different models: male and female. Other models are mutations and are out of the ordinary.

In order to reproduce, the purpose for each design, there must be unity. Little human beings, male or female, will not come about naturally unless two people become one, just for a moment anyhow! The sex organs are different to facilitate that unity. Nature intended that there be unity between the sexes. Of course I believe that that is supra-natural, but let's just say, that chance designed that, whoever he is!

Psychologically, it is well known that most women have an instinct to reproduce. That is part of their psychological makeup, but it's a human trait. We have it as all other animals do. The natural instinct to reproduce is the norm in the animal kingdom. Men have the instinct to be gratified. Yes, we are designed to get the best part of the deal, but women too get pleasure from their own design!

Sex was not meant for recreation! Regardless of your theological or atheistic belief, we are biologically, instinctually and psychologically prepared to pro-create, and to facilitate that purpose, each gender desires the other in different ways and can become aroused. Consummation feels good and is pleasurable. Pleasuring each other's purpose is to propagate the species. The pleasure is not the goal, but arousal is just part of the process.

Hence, men and women naturally need each other for civilization to even exist. Unity, one gender to the other, is a natural thing for the well-being of further existence. Throughout history, the dependence on each other for existence was never denied! Now with the advent of technology, nature is fooled. Technically, the genders no longer need unity to replicate as they can do so artificially. Technology has usurped natural instincts and unity came into disharmony. Women now don't think they need men, but it's the unity that they don't need. The seed of men are still needed to replicate, at least until scientists create artificial life!

Men have always been the aggressors.  Historically and biologically, they are inclined to seek pleasure over pragmatism. Men were intrinsically sexual in nature. Women were more romantic. Those are psychological differences which complement each other to further the species.  With the enlightenment, women discovered that they could be sexual and romantic, at least that knowledge became public, and the mass of women scorned the taboos of society and did what the men had been doing publically all along.

As time went on sexual intercourse was more about pleasure than replication. Sexual mores changed. Women demanded sexual freedom. Eventually people made public that they could be pleasured without the opposite sex, and it became more common, as society became more liberal. Between the sexes, the mutual need diminished. The need for unity diminished.

With equal opportunity and war before that, women joined the work force. They found that they could do many of the same tasks which men could do. Indeed they can! However, the female is generally limited by their anatomy. They truly are physically the weaker sex. Perhaps that is design intent,, or a just chance happening, to satisfy men's pleasure and women's instinctual drive to conceive.  Hence, men naturally have had the dominant role.

Since women can do the same jobs that men can do, it came about that they could also dominate the man sexually. Awareness of their strength created a feeling of independence. Not only did they not need men for replication, which became less important with working outside the home,  didn't need them for pleasure, but also didn't need men for security. Equal opportunity legislation was pursued to decrease women's dependence on men. The current situation is that in essence, women no longer need men except for their seed, and in modern times the need to succeed and having careers have superseded the instinctual need to replicate.

Progressives have further dampened the desire to replicate by making the very act of birthing environmentally detrimental. Now the instinct to have children is dampened by the effect on the environment and the longevity of planet earth. Environmentalists, either consciously or sub-consciously, have contributed to disunity between the sexes, or at least reducing the dependence, one to the other.

Now women for the most part don't need men for anything. Their independence is near complete just awaiting science to devise a method. With time the natural order has changed. As a child I sometimes wished that I was a woman because of the fear of having to be the provider. I would have desired a strong woman to provide for me. Women failed to appreciate that men provide and women nourish. Now due to society and laws, those vocations are confounded. Neither gender can no longer be stereotyped and design intent or natural evolution (your choice) has been changed by the times in which people live.  The natural is now the societal. "Do what thou wilt!" supersedes "Do what you always did naturally."

Unity was a natural thing throughout history. Now independence is in vogue. Men not needing women is unnatural. Women not needing men is unnatural! Yes, men have become more independent too and marriage has suffered. Men want the "united" part, but disdain the unity of it. Marriage is becoming obsolete, as is the traditional family. Men who provide the seed and women who in pleasure receive the seed  often bare offspring. There are several choices they can make: allow gestation or abort, make a family or allow others to be the child's family or lastly, let the government raise the child.  As such even women who unite just for a moment can still keep their independence.

Disarray is the natural order of things. That's the scientific principle of unrecoverable energy called irreversibility (entropy).  Because of time, perhaps we can never go back to the way things were, but contrary to our natural design, we have become lower scales of human beings. We're not performing to our design intent (or any other theory). We have become unnatural human beings and our lack of dependence one to another has decreased as far as genders are concerned.

This flow of events just didn't happen! It's a plan of nefarious people because division furthers the cause of the powerful. If you read the manifesto of Marx, feminism is more than gender rights; it's a way to divide not only the genders, but also families and  traditional institutions. It minimizes marriage and encourages work and vocations.

These initiatives are said to be for the masses, but they are for those in control. Division is a tactic for control. Feminism is no more than a way of dividing such that individual interests can be replaced by the good of the state. Honestly, who cares about the state of the state if individual states are disregarded? Although feminism is a front for freedom, the end result is that women will be under more control, ironically by old powerful men who will be the ones who do the controlling!

Feminism is not about equal opportunity, equal pay for equal work or even social justice. Women believe that with feminism, that they can control their own bodies, but it's the state who will control their every move. The state foreseen by Marx and nearly achieved until recently, is more about them using women's bodies to achieve socialist objectives.

Women believe that their sexual freedom is enhanced by feminism. The reality is that feminism is a tool to take away any freedom for the good of the government. Naïve feminist women are the mere tools of despots!

On close examination, any astute person can see that radical feminists aren't seeking economic justice or even social justice! It's perceived sexual freedom, trading off relationships for self-gratification. They are willing to trade off their instinctual desire to have children, to replicate, for a moment of pleasure. That's why abortion is the number one priority for most feminists!

Feminism is essentially women desiring to lack the responsible behavior that men lack. Men don't suffer the direct consequences of uniting for pleasure; women do! Abortion is "der final solution" for promiscuity so that women can be devoid of responsibility just as men are! Social justice is just an excuse for feminism, sexual promiscuity is the reason!

You may disagree with my analysis and that's okay. My desire is that women and men stop the division. Payment of one's own offspring is too great a cost for sexual freedom. Payment of ones own freedom is too great a cost to reach the power goals of Marxists. It's just not worth it!

Where is the respect for life/ Where is even self-respect? Radical feminists gather as a mob just as the Bolsheviks did with the Romanovs. Their society collapsed as some became mere tools of the power hungry. Marxists were happy, but mere power was still with the men, although they promised women so much. Their entire society collapsed as the power of autocratic emperors was replaced by the autocratic power of socialists. Women lost! Everyone lost! Women and men fail to learn. The forces of Marx are still using them!

Negative Dispositions

We all know people who respond to events and statements with negative retorts, often said with a critical manner and obvious dour attitude. These types of people are usually avoided because they take the joy out of living for those around them.

"Disposition" is the mood people are inclined to have. It's how we're predisposed to be. Some are the full cup and the others the empty; the full cup being positive and the empty the negative. The negative disposition is the tendency for a person's interaction with others and the self to be of a critical nature. "Nature" implies we are the way we are because we're human. God has no nature, but a super-nature. Hence, having a nature is inborn, and is part of our genetic makeup.

God's super-nature is "good".  "Only God is good!" (Luke 18:19). We all fall short of goodness and being critical is one failing. Therefore, mankind can only endeavor to be good. That feeble attempt is the act of attempting to live a righteous life, that life to be an emulation of how Christ lived his. In that passage, since Jesus IS God, then only Jesus IS good. Albeit, we all will miss the mark, we all should attempt to be good, but not of ourselves, but in obedience to God in an attempt to do God's will.

Jesus was not an overly critical fellow. Being like us in form, he was tempted to be overly criticizing, but because he is God, he was genuine: he had both real and abounding love and concern and was fair at the same time. With those who were rebellious, Jesus criticized out of love, but never to condemn. However, those with negative dispositions condemn with their critical nature even those that they may love!

It is called: getting up on the wrong side of the bed. However, some people seem to get up everyday on the wrong side! Sure, we all our sometimes critical of others and treat others cruelly, but others do that as a lifestyle. A common example is for one who says "It's a great day!" Those disposed to negativity would reply, "What's so good about it?" The correct answer is that both are alive, well, have food and should appreciate that. Those with negative dispositions fail to appreciate what they have, and even when they get more, are still unappreciative.

I appreciate everything I have because much of my early life was having not. I don't deserve what I have, but am thankful. Thankfulness is a remedy for negativity. If one isn't happy with their friends, then they can't be happy. Before happiness can be, people have to be happy inside. Those with negative dispositions seem to never be content with what they have. In essence, they expect more whether they deserve it or not, but more never satisfies. There is a spiritual problem which exists that nature can't resolve!

Psalm 118:24 ( ESV)  "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

In short this says: be content for where you are today is due to God.

Some look toward others to provide contentment. Others can never make one content. Contentment comes from God and that requires communion with God. Some are predisposed to a critical nature because they are out of fellowship with God. He is the source of goodness, and without God, men are inclined to be evil. Being negative is not a righteous condition. Indeed, negative people are out of God's will, but he can bring them back if they are willing to change. If a person is unhappy right now with what they have or who they are or with, that can be changed! It's not to complain about what's lacking, but being joyful in what one has!

I'm not a proponent of positive affirmations or the prosperity gospel. Sometimes things won't go right when we are persecuted, but why persecute others with a negative disposition toward life? If you want to be happy and content, make others happy and content. Misery begets misery. Never have another person "walk on egg shells" just to not set off your fuse! Yes, some are set off at the most benign things, even positive comments because they are predisposed to be critical.

Usually, those with negative dispositions aren't loving. They are who they are because their nature is to be unloving. The only cure for not being loving is to change face; become more loving. That's empathizing with those to whom you're overly critical. It's building others up:

Ephesians 4:29 ( ESV) "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

God calls us to have a positive disposition by building others up. It's impossible to build others up by being overly critical. In fact tearing down makes both parties the victim: no one enjoys being slaughtered by the tongue and those who use the tongue to destroy are in effect self-destructive. So that the other will not be happy, those negative will sacrifice their own happiness!

Of course there are solutions to all problems. Solve the problem or live with it. Living with problems is not living. Therefore, solving the problem requires change. Change has two directions... make the change your way or God's way. Your way has a negative penalty. God's way has a positive reward. Overcoming negative personality traits is hard work, but it's expected by God and rewarding to those who change!

If you're miserable in life being you, then become someone else. Be how God wants you to be and the result is joy. Who would want to live a life without joy? Some choose that!

Intolerance

"Tolerance" is merely the indulgence of opinions which differ from our own. "Intolerance" is the opposite: An unwillingness o indulge others opinions. People do have a right to their own opinion, regardless whether the opinion is based on sound facts or not! We all know some people without education, training, maturity or experience who have opinions on everything. Without credentials their opinions are as worthless as toilet paper, and any rational person can be expected to be intolerant of their ignorance. Hence, intolerance is not hate, and equating intolerance with hate trivializes the word "hate".

It's true that we're to love everyone, even our enemies. What does love entail? True love is not wanting anyone to perish ala "for God so loved the world... for those who believe in him (Jesus) that none should perish, but have eternal life (paraphrasing John 3:16). We are to be likewise, if we are Christ-like. My wish that even corrupt politicians believe on Jesus and not perish. I would hope that even Stalin and Hitler repented before they died, but I don't think they did! The evil Tsar Peter the Great repented on his deathbed. Good for him! That is true love, desiring that even the worst people have eternal life!

That fits the expression of "love the sinner". The rest of the story is "but, hate the sin!" This saying is not a particular verse in the Bible, but it is the theme of the entire Bible! "Hate sin... love others" is implored throughout scripture. Hating sin is what the world calls "intolerant" because they believe that it's a good thing to be open-minded. Open-mindedness is only an attribute when it doesn't go against God's will. Being against sin, hence in opposition to the sinner, " is a good thing providing the person deals with their own sins first!

Matthew 7:2 "What judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

We can judge, but it must be just and fair. This is clarified by:

Luke 6:37 "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:"

The exception to the judgment rule is that it shall not be overly harsh by condemning. Therefore, those who fairly are of the opinion, not harsh, have all rights to confront others who are of a different opinion. Why? To save them from their error which may condemn them to hell. That is love, not hate. For instance condoning sin is sentencing the condoned to hell because their chances of redemption is lessened. By being tolerant of their sin is condemning them to eternal death. That is true hatred!

By judging whether others are right with God is the first step in the loving action of telling them about the hope in Jesus. That judgment is having an opinion. The judged person is of a different opinion, but allowing the person to proceed with false ideas leads to death. The intolerant (sic) person should and must take all measures to challenge false opinions. Again... that is not hatred if done with the right motives.

We are not to tolerate the beliefs of the sinner. We need to examine the purpose of scripture. Some of the stated purposes are to admonish (teach), reprove, rebuke and correct. In fact scripture says this:

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine."

To reprove means to reprimand. That's not very tolerant is it? But God doesn't call us to be tolerant, but to rebuke, or to sharply criticize those whose opinions or behaviors are wrong!

Jesus is tolerant to a degree. He is patient with his children who are disobedient, but eventually Jesus will punish those who are not obedient for they demonstrate no love for him. His patience is tolerance, but when the time is gone, he must be just. He is intolerant of those who refuse to change! We must be the same with people so that others have an opportunity to be judged "well done!"

Therefore, Holy Scripture is NOT about tolerance; it is about obedience! We are called to reprove and rebuke. That's how we show love to others and God. It's because we are to care about people and God!

The P.C. Police have contaminated the concept of intolerance just as they have race. Now, just as everyone with whom they disagree is a racist, so are all those of a different opinion, hateful. We are to test things by the use of scripture and the things from the mouths of these demonic influences have little muster in God's eyes.

Love others by confronting them. Let the P.C. Police cringe. They will crawl and beg on judgment day unless they accept Jesus. Intolerance? Yes. I'm in no way required to tolerate sin!

Personality Types

Everyone wants to know their own personality: the combined aspect of their personhood. Just as the never-ending limits of space and time intrigue, the very soul of speculative people, what makes us different than all the other animals, is likewise intriguing. Perhaps though, just as mankind desired to know what was in the heavens, defining our own individuality is as prideful. Indeed  since we are our own god, it seems people prefer to study their own little god of self rather than the Almighty God!

Personality is the group of traits and characteristics which set one person apart from the next. It's the sum total of our emotional responses and behaviors guided by our thinking. Personality is esoteric for each are taught that only a select few understand our nature. That's partially true because only God knows us well!

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God told Jeremiah that, but it applies not only to him, but to everyone ever born! As such we are intended to be, as Jeremiah was born to be a prophet to the world. As such he was born with a divine nature in the image of God with mind body and spirit: symbolic or characteristic of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Unfortunately for us, he also gave each person moral choices because as God, he had the Father's will.

Our will is not as powerful as God's, but each person is born with freedom of choice, or free will. Compared to God's will, which is perfect, ours is what is right in our own eyes. Hence, one trait of every human being because of Adam is that everyone has the same free will, but our will is subject to confounding. That aspect of our personality is inborn and it's nature is "original sin".

Since all men have sinned, our most intense personality trait, even for Mother Teresa, is to sin. In order not to sin, we must heed God. God's aspect of the Holy Spirit admonishes, reproves and rebukes us when we sin, even atheists, unless someone becomes reprobate (damned by apathy). Therefore, another trait of every human is guilt. We all are capable of that genetically.

Both free will and guilt is of God. There is false guilt though, where our inborn nature is tainted by the law of sin which takes what's Godly and twists it to make one sin. That is our inborn nature to sin, and all humans have it. "There is none that do not sin... no not one!" As such we are each born with a sinful nature and in these three things men are all the same, as well as women.

So far there are three commonalities in all persons: free will, and divine and sinful natures. All three are genetic, and the first two are from God and the third from the liar, Satan.

We are all born with a propensity to sin, not a particular sin, but each have "sins of choice", and usually one particular sin is a stronghold.

For most men and women lust is strongest. Theologians believe that the first sin was sexual in nature since the genitals were covered, and are representative of the flesh. Each person has a sexual nature. No one is born inclined for a particular sin, but the choice of sin is behavioral. Evil spirits learn what each person's pleasure is and uses it against them. One may develop to be asexual, heterosexual, bi-sexual, homosexual, pedophilic, gender confused, or even have bestiality desires because of imprinted notions, early confusion, or learned behaviors, as well as in the pursuit of increased pleasure.

These traits come about because men do what is right in their own eyes, and essentially design their own god. The inclination to do these sexual things are hereditary, but are developed into either normality or deviation with time to the point many an abominations to God. Our sexual nature is part of our personality. It is dynamic though, because contrary to psychiatrists who are biased, learned personality traits are changeable. If not, then being born-again would be futile because that entails a personality change! Not only are we to change spiritually, back to the divine nature, but our behaviors (works) are to reflect the change, going from the old person to the new!

Psychiatrists say that homosexuality is inborn. God says that it's an abomination. People believe false prophets and make God out to be a liar. Our sinful nature is to accept deception. We are all prone to listen to the lie and fall for deception. Hence we all have another inborn trait, we tend to be gullible.

However, before God formed Jeremiah, he was given a task. It was to be a prophet to all nations. This knowledge was Jeremiah's job assignment for life, and was the same vocation for which Adam was made: to tend to the Garden, or simply to love God! Jeremiah was born as well to tend to God's Garden because he is the same as Adam. Likewise, each of us are born with a vocation in mind: to tend to God.

Jeremiah's vocation was God's gift of prophecy. With his omnipotence God designed each of us with a gift. My gift is discernment. It can be  a plague, but it allows me to have exceptional understanding in contrasting my will to God's will, and allowing myself to either fight change or change.

So vocation is picked for all people. Since God's will is that we all come to him, we all are if obedient, of the royal priesthood. (1 Peter 2:9). We are all to be fisher's of men (Matthew 4:19) because we all our called by Jesus as were the apostles. In fact each person's assignment is to go unto the nations to bring people to Christ (Matthew 28:19). We are all born with a job assignment, but developing that vocation is learned. Learning is done through scripture, but without God's word it's the world which molds us. Therefore, our vocation is pre-determined, but with free will and a sinful nature, we are all inclined to shirk our divinely appointed job assignment.

In some aspects we are "born this way" as Gaga sings, but our bad behaviors are "learned here" because even Christians can fall for deception. Sin is always a choice. We are born to choose, and when we choose wrongly it's because of deception. That's an outcome of the law of sin.

Mankind has two personalities and combinations of the two: righteous, unrighteous, or as most people are: a composite of both because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

That's not complex! We either will to obey or disobey, and we either misbehave or behave, but our thought processes are involved because we are gifted with the divine: the mind. According to those who believe they know, there are two types: introverted or extroverted, and each type can be either sensing, intuitive, cognitive, or emotional.  This is secular humanistic thought. God's thought is that to tend to his Garden we must all be extroverts because that's the power of his divine will for us! We can't be concerned with the self (our god) to the extent that we fail God. Introverts are those who focus more on their own god than God or others.

Of the four traits, our mind is God's gift. We are to all be cognitive, or thinking people. Our thought processes drive our emotions, for instance. Intuition is the battle between good and bad and comes from either God or Satan, and are the law of God or the law of sin. Sensing is how we respond to the will of God versus the pleasures of the world, and our emotions are the outcome of how we respond to the law of God and the law of sin. We can either be content and joyful with hope, or apathetic, or feeling guilty which comes with worldly pleasure of fun. As such we are all cognitive except the few who are apathetic, but that's not personality, that's part of the law of sin!

From where did personality types come? Carl Jung with his analytical psychology. Meyer's-Briggs personality test only purports to measure the personality by using a test to operationalize it:

• Extraverted sensation.
• Introverted sensation.
• Extraverted intuition.
• Introverted intuition.
• Extraverted thinking.
• Introverted thinking.
• Extraverted feeling.
• Introverted feeling.

Because we are of a particular type is why we are what we are, according to psychologists. Based on how God designed us and how Satan influenced us, it's much more complicated than that. We are a product of our Creator, of our deceiver, of our ancestors, of our family, of our teachers and of our mentors, and of our pleasures! We are born to be righteous, but learn unrighteous due to the law of sin. We're just inclined to learn sin!

Jung came up with personality types through contact with a dead twelve-year old girl, and was influenced by eastern religions and philosophies, hence is theory is based on unrighteous thought and are from the law of sin. Scripture forewarns us not to have contact with the dead for they are mere evil spirits impersonating formerly living people. Those people (sic) who are taken to be grand masters and such are lying demonic spirits.

Deuteronomy 18:9 (ESV) “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering,  anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord."

Even Christians fall for what the New Age mentor Carl Jung reaped from evil spirits. The tests are no better than horoscopes which too are forbidden. Anyone who would base their life on deception is not using the cognition that Jung ascribes to us! We are fools when we pay attention to what the world says. The desire to understand our nature is as forceful as our desire to understand the universe, to have the wisdom of God. Like the astrologers in Babylon who were punished by babbling, Jung's theory is psycho-babbling. If one desires to know their personhood, listen to God for he is the Creator. Jung was an instrument of the evil one to trick us into transgression.

Scripture is how we know God and how we know ourselves. We don't need  tests to figure out our god, we need the word to change our god. We are to topple the old person(ality) and have a new one!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

There are basically two person(alities): the old person and the new creation. One follows the law of sin and the other the Law of God. Which personality are you? Be cognitive... think about it! Emotions will arise as you sense the pull of the Holy Spirit. With hope comes joy. With joy comes sharing. Our personality is not cast in stone, but can change by God's grace: the old personality dies and a new personality takes it's place. Unless your personality has changed with being born-again, I suggest you think on those things!

Fattening Up My God

I was in denial! My weight wasn't where it needed to be, but in my smugness I ignored reality and fattened up my god!

I did this by avoiding God's Gluttony Measurement Device GGMD), what are called weight scales. They sit alone there in the bathroom beaconing to me, but I turn my head in denial as I hurry past on the way to the pantry and fridge.

However, truth hit me squarely in the face each time I entered the doctor's chambers. Again, but I rationalized the weight gain! Those pounds were surely due to my pocket change and watch, I lied to myself! Surely his scales are out of calibration, by ten pounds of so?

Finally God silently set me straight: be honest with yourself. You have been fattening up your god!

1 Corinthians 9:25a ( ESV) "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things."

My proposition is that we are the "other gods besides God". Evaluate that objectively, testing it with scripture, and you will find that is the case! As such, the Father is my God, but I am also my god. The only way to come to the Father is through Jesus Christ. I am born-again, as you are or can be, when I made myself (and you yourself) a living sacrifice. In essence it is to quit living for yourself and start living for God. Christians claim they do that, then ignore scripture because each prideful and self-indulgent god rationalizes their own sin! That's the law of the flesh.

To obey God is to show reverence for his will. His will is that each of us turn from the self to him. It's a hard thing to do because sin is genetic, being original from Adam until now. Let's talk about Adam for a minute... and his wife. God provided all that they needed to eat, for they could eat of any tree in the Garden, but one. However, because of temptation (and those who love good food know what that is), they ate Epicurean food. Epicureans are those people who place value on self-satisfaction. Paul called their god an "unknown god". We know who the unknown god is: God, but you mistakenly have your god before him! Why are we all Epicureans? Because we want self-satisfaction, and we want it immediately!

In our self-worship, the self demands treats and we appease our god by eating rich foods! God's will was that we be vegans, but like one person whom I know always says: "I want meat!" Of course meat in moderation is still alright, but from the passage above, the Christian "athlete" is to "exercise self-control".

"Self-control" is withholding things from your god (little "g") rather than appeasing him or her. My god demands pizza and chocolate desserts in addition to what my body NEEDS for sustenance. When I appease my own god, I disappoint God because he tells me to have self-control!

Overeating is as great a sin as becoming intoxicated with alcohol. Churches even have overeating orgies where "Christians eat in remembrance of their self!" Christians even brag about becoming drunk with Epicurean delights as they overeat the fried chicken and crème pie! Our god is content as we pat our Buddha bellies, but inside we know that we are being disobedient. It is NOT God's will that we be obese for obesity (unless for poor health) is an outcome of gluttony, but oftentimes we rationalize our poor health so that we can appease our other god!

The scales at the doctor's office didn't lie. I was without excuse. I'm not obese, but at some point in time, a rational person should think, There is a trend. If I continue to overeat, I'm going to become obese.  The irrational person will lie to themselves and God by thinking, I will worry about that later. Food "get in my belly", as the Fat B_____d said in one particular movie (which I never saw, but heard about).

As I stood on the scales, I quit lying to myself. If this continues I'll regain my Buddha belly which at one time I pondered and ignored! (Yes, like Buddha, I thought about my own belly!) I didn't like the mental picture which I saw.

God doesn't want us to obese. First off, it's defying the temple within with gluttony. Secondly, it is sin and thirdly it's self-worship because "you are doing what is right in your own eyes" in spite of God's will!

Just as those addicted to drugs, must admit the addiction; those who are obese because of overeating, must do the same. Self-control is the antidote for both addictions and since each are appeasing their god, prayer is the method. You don't have to do it alone!

Before we eat, some of us pray and give thanks for the food provided by God. Part of that prayer can be, "Lord, help me with self-control!" You see controlling the self, is putting on God because if God is working in you, you are not alone. Ironically, practicing self-control is depending on God to control the self... your false god!

Stand back and look in the mirror. Step on those scales without fear. Truth is not to be feared. Admit your weakness as I did mine. Your old person needs to change. Life is not about you; it is about God. We should want to please God, not satisfy the self! The willingness to change is when you are truly created a new person. That new person should desire to please God, but again in irony, it's your god who gets the benefit of heeding God!

Now look at the example which we set: Christians show the world how weak we are by how big we get. Our example is lack of self-control. We tell the world by our appearance that we don't care what God thinks... I'm going to do it my way! What's more, lack of self-control is identified in other areas of your life. For instance, when I was appeasing myself with cigarettes, I thought, why not appease myself with this sin or that sin? That was the law of sin beaconing me to disregard the law of the Spirit!

When is the time for change? The instant that you realize that change is needed! Yesterday, the Spirit overpowered my other god, and told me with a thought, You need to practice more self-control... and NOW! With that admonishment, I exercised self-control that instant. I looked brownies in the face all day and asked God to empower me to ignore that Epicurean delight.  I ate a banana and was satisfied!

I burned some more calories that day because exercise satisfies the craving for food as well as burns calories. With tendonitis I was in pain, but I rode 17 miles hurting all the time. God overcame my pain for me because I wanted him to help me with self-control! Exercising is self-control. It's harnessing apathy and putting it in its place! Sometimes we feel pain when we do things the new self needs to do. We work by the sweat of our brow. That's our reward (sic) by not heeding God in the first place! Self-control IS hard work!

I quit smoking 33 years ago next month after smoking for over 25 years. That was the most self-control I ever experienced and it WAS painful, but I asked God to help me with the temptation to smoke. He answered my prayer. He does the same with overeating!  Because I don't smoke, even my little god is healthy because I received the benefits by obeying God. The same can happen with food craving. Good health is my god receiving the benefits from God because some of my self was sacrificed to God. My god knelt to God on bended knee and God lifted me up!

It occurred to me that some may be offended because people do develop health problems which circumvent the calories burned, causing them to be stored as fat in the cells. I do sympathize with any person who is genetically predisposed to certain body types or who may suffer diseases which make it harder to control one's diet.

With that said, those who are overweight are more predisposed to most diseases. Disease is not normally a cause for weight gain, but overweight is a pre-cursor of disease. Both of my parents suffered from type-2 diabetes. Their "suffering' was more the change in lifestyle than it was the disease itself. Dad grew up with the nickname "Slim" because he was skinny. With age Dad, who loved his cornbread and sorghum, gained weight and with his sugar count, became diabetic. When his sugar count reached 450, he went on oral insulin for a period, but when it was under control, he changed his diet, became a new creation (Slim Again) and never had another diabetic problem.

Dad loved his chocolate pie as well. At gatherings in our family it was always there. Never one time did Dad ever even eat one piece of his beloved chocolate pie, but he ate sugar-free canned apricots as a substitute. Talk about self-control, Dad had it! He did that for 35 years or so, and never broke his diet. He did eventually die, but it was his overworked heart likely from the time that he was overweight!

Mom was much the same. As a diabetic 75 year old woman, she lost from 198 down to 128 pounds on a diet of mostly broccoli and cauliflower. Mom did have a stroke from eating fat foods, and ended up dying, not from diabetes, but from heart trouble, a remnant of being overweight.

With that said, diabetes is not a good reason, but may be more of an excuse. Science has come to that conclusion:

Latest Diabetes News. Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the common type of diabetes, type 2 diabetes. In this disease, the body makes enough insulin but the cells in the body have become resistant to the salutary action of insulin. (MedicineNet).

People can rationalize anything, but one rationalization equals zero justifications!

There is hope for some people. Dad had hope. Mom had hope, too! But their hope was based on self-control which emanates from God. Both were Christians and both sought to please God!

For those who have the pain of arthritis or diseases such as lupus, don't be offended. Offense is never my motive, but passing along my faith in God is! My prayer is for those who struggle with weight gain, for it is a struggle. I struggle with it myself, but endeavor to pre-empt the aftermath by controlling before the struggle even gets harder!

Self-control is almost impossible unless God is in control.

• When God speaks listen.
• When God teaches, never twist his will to suit your own.
• Face reality: you may not be obese, but if things don't change you certainly will be!
• Never rationalize that you are happy the way you are. You are fooling no one, not even yourself!
• God's desire is that you change. Look for ways to please him by changing.
• Self-control is your living sacrifice to God. What more do you have to offer than you? Jesus sacrificed himself for you; self-control is sacrificing yourself for him. Jesus' sacrifice was not easy... yours won't be either.
• God will never ask you to do the impossible because with God all things are possible!
• When the self is sacrificed that is pleasing to God.
• God rewards those who depend on him.
• By doing God's will, especially when it's hard, God is well-pleased. His pleasure is that you benefit from doing his  will. That's the Abrahamic Covenant applied!
• You are not a good person by doing God's will, but are doing the minimum because you are not good. His acceptance of your sacrifice for him is God's grace. He's please with the aroma of your self-sacrifice.
• With obedience you become a better testimony for God because you are doing his will.
• Excessive eating is a stronghold for many. The best sacrifice to God are strongholds. They are the first born in your soul and by sacrificing them, one can be more thoroughly imbued with the Holy Spirit. Strongholds keep God out of your soul. Removing those barriers beacons him to saturate you!
• With weight loss there is no easy way outside of God. His natural law is that what goes in must either be burned off or stored. Fad diets cannot defy this physical law. Therefore, self-control is the only way to weight loss, and there are two methods: less eating or more exercise. Ideally, it is both!
• Lastly, gluttony is as sinful as drunkenness, lustfulness, lying, and even stealing because they all our appeasing the self. Throw them all into the belly of Molech, because they need burned!
• And last, but not least... fatty foods are not the way to control weight. Forego pleasure most of the time for your health before the end to your time, but treat yourself to an occasional reward for your control.

Jewish Persecution

Seldom are Jewish politicians of the same view as conservative Christians, but after thousands of years of abuse by kingdoms, it is my belief that they fear Christianity. In fact Christianity has been hard on the Jews; but not the biblical Christians, but more the institution of Christian leadership. Case in point is when the Catholic Church stood idly by while Jews were persecuted by the Third Reich. Pope Pius XII tried to reach accord with the Nazi regime because of the persecution of Christians. Like the Jews who complied, the Pope feared that regime and complied!

 Socialist Germany, just as any other socialist government had as doctrine the liberation of the complacent from religion, meaning Christianity, for their leadership was firmly Theosophists in spirit.

Note that it was fear which caused the Vatican to remain neutral in regard to the Third Reich, but neutrality is an outcome of fear. While many Catholics were pro-Nazi early on, that changed about 1933 when Christian persecution became rampant. History seldom points toward both Christians and Jews as victims of the holocaust, but they were! In effect, true Christians and true Jews are spiritual brothers and have often faced the same attacks together!

The Roman empire was noted as tolerant of the worship of any God... except the One True God. If people were either Jews or Christians, they were fed to the lions, sacrificed to gladiators, crucified or boiled in oil. Romans were not tolerant at all, but were jealous that these foreigners from Judea failed to worship the same gods which they worshiped. Hadrian even desecrated the temple by having a statue of Jupiter built with the demi-god Caesar in front of it, thus polluting the temple! The Romans were hardly tolerant of Jews!

When the rebellion of Judea was complete in 70 A.D., the Romans wiped out the entire population except for those who scattered, and tore down the temple, which Jesus prophesied. In other words, this was just an earlier version of the holocaust, but not the first, as the Mohammedans had done before... and the Assyrians and the Babylonians!

Even monarchial Russia persecuted the Jews under Tzar (Slavic Czar) Alexander II. It is no coincidence that Tzar is Russian for Caesar  because they did the tyrannical things which Caesar did!

Hitler did things to Jews which despots always have done! Hitler did things to Christians which despots always do? The persecution of Jews has been institutionalized! In the eyes of the elite few, even the rich, Jews have historically been no more than parasites! It has always been easy to persecute those chosen people of God because persecution is the way of the world.

The average intelligence quotient (IQ) of Jews is said to be between 112-117 (Cochran et al). Of course modern psychology has been influenced by secular humanism and they deny that intelligence is genetic, claiming it to be a result of socio-economic factors, but data, especially with the Jews, fail to support that, in that they are superior to average under all socio-economic conditions!

Hence, the intelligence and success is a point of jealousy for those of us who may be of less gray matter! However, their intelligence and prosperity is a gift of God because of his grace, and as such God made the Abrahamic Covenant with his chosen people.  Of course, why they were chosen was to build a new nation and plant the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ by name. Jesus is the Jewish salvation, as well as the gentile races, but that is a contention of jealousy even among Christians (sic).

Throughout history, Pharisaical Christians have claimed that it was the Jews who murdered Christ by the hands of the Romans, and indeed scripture says that their sin is greater than Pilate's (John 19:11). However, it was all sinners, Jew and Gentile, who created the need for Jesus to die. He died for all of our sins! We can't blame the Jews, but we can still blame ourselves: Jew and Gentile! However, it seems that the characteristic of sinners is to blame (because of pride), but true Christians must humble themselves and even love our enemies.

Jewish persecution has not been done by the "Church", but by the "church". It's not the Roman Catholics or Lutherans or Orthodox who persecuted Jews, but those within those groups who were unrighteous. The "Church" is true believers. The "church" are those within the presbytery who fail to comprehend the very nature of Christ! Christ would never persecute because persecution is of Satan!

It has been the established religion and government which persecutes. Their kingdoms follow the law of sin. The invisible Church with it's righteous government follows the law of Spirit. That is the law of love. Love never killed one Jew; it's concealed and blatant hatred that has!

As such, conservative Christianity (evangelicals, the born-again, those practicing love) have never persecuted the Jews. Of course some whose wickedness was hidden within those organizations have as well. Christianity as taught by Christ as always been ameliorating to the Jews, and as such, even today conservative Christians cherish and support the Jewish Nation. We understand that in the last days, their Messiah (our Christ) will come and they again will be persecuted right along with all the other Christians because then they too will be Christians!

Jesus said, "They know not what they do!" (Luke 23:14) and Jesus asked the Father to forgive them. His forgiveness is still available and many will accept it! Jewishness is racial, not a religious trait. Jews can be Christians and are just another blessed group of human beings for whom Jesus died! They are one of us, those to whom God extends grace!

But western Jews tend to be politically liberal! Why is that? Because it has been the institutions of religion and government who have persecuted them. The best way to gain favor with a Jew is to love them. Perhaps someday the institutional persecution will be forgotten and they will look with favor on the body of Christ, what is known as conservative Christianity, because our dogma is based on love!

It has always baffled me how Jewish people can favor abortion! That's the ultimate modern-era holocaust. But again  Jesus would say "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." You see, they have often even persecuted themselves because they are not aware that they persecute!

The prayer of sincere Christians can change that! It one day will be, "Thank you Father for they realize their error. Forgive them for me (Jesus speaking)!"

Where the Mind Dwells

What is on your mind right this instant. I just looked at Facebook. I read most of the Christian blurbs. I don't always do that. I linger on politics and funny stuff. I try not to read off-color stuff and remove it from my "wall". Some of it is tantalizing; call that temptation. We all are tempted. That's not a sin! It's where we go with it.

From reading Facebook, I'm pleased that most of my friends are cheerleaders for Christ. On the other hand some of the same people share or repost astrology, off-color jokes, bad language and things from ribald sites. They war with themselves and with God! Now let's look at scripture to test ourselves:

Romans 8:5 (ESV) "...those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit."

There are two mindsets, that being the attitude of a person's mind, and that set way determines the inclinations of ones thought patterns and the resultant behaviors. Thoughts and behaviors are twins, the former the picture and the latter its projection. We are what we think about, and what we think about is what our mind takes in.

Living "according to the flesh" is basically enjoying what the world has to offer. It's immediately gratifying to the person thinking on pleasurable things provided by the world, mostly three categories of thought: beauty, wealth, or wisdom. First off, these three things when prioritized, compared to God's will are good; it's the dwelling on these things before God and cherishing pleasure over worship.

Wisdom is of God. It's misuse and over-valuation is of the world. Wisdom is used for reasoning. If our reasoning is in opposition to God's desires, then reasoning becomes rationalizing.  Hence, the love of wisdom conflicts with the love of God and is sinful. It is of the flesh. The pursuit of worldly wisdom takes precedence over ultimate wisdom from God, and God is minimized.

God made all things that are beautiful. It was for our enjoyment. If we over indulge ourselves with beauty, then the beauty or glory of God is trivialized. Much of man's enjoyment of beauty is the of the other sex. Indeed enjoying human beauty leads to sinful actions. For instance, the beauty of a woman is tempting, but wrong thoughts which may lead to wrong behaviors is mental fornication, and is sinful.

Wealth is from God. All that we enjoy belongs to him. Wealth is here to meet our needs and even for pleasurable things! However, if we place mammon (wealth)  above God, then it's sinful. Christmas has turned into that. Rather than our giving being to God, or even in remembrance of Jesus, the occasion now is for each little god, the self, getting things.

The love of money (avarice) is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Avarice is the insatiable desire for wealth. Insatiable means that a persons appetite for gain can never be quenched.  Therefore, pursuing gain to the extent that God's gifts become of little importance is sinful! The desire for prestige also falls into this category as people seek to become as gods!

These three desires are examples of things of the flesh. If people live for wealth, beauty or worldly wisdom, then they live in the flesh. Anything in which too much emphasis is placed interferes with giving God his rightfully due attention. Even sporting events can, if taken too seriously or enthusiastically, circumvent the appropriate worship of God. Sporting events were historically for those wealthy enough to be in the arena. Now the arena is in the world... anyplace, and the wealth that God gives us for sustenance, is used for pleasure!

That's "living for the flesh" and is opposed to "living according to the Spirit" and having our minds on things of the spirit.

Try right now to identify "things of the Spirit". I bet it was much easier to identify "the things of the flesh" because that's what we enjoy doing! If it's a pain to pray, read scripture, sing hymns or to go to church, then you are living in the flesh, and the things of the Spirit are not in your mind. What are things of the Spirit? It's the righteous things your mind is on. It's what people meditate on.

Meditation is not the emptying of the mind for forces to balance themselves or for self-awareness. Meditating is thinking on the things of the Spirit! It's reading scripture and reflecting on what's been read. It's praying to God and magnifying him for his grace. It's singing praises to edify him. It's going to church to obey and honor him as well as to go to a sanctuary to be still with him. That "being still" is removing the thoughts of the flesh from the mind.

All week long I'm entertained. In God's house it's time for him to be entertained. God loves the aroma of reverence as he breaths,  I worship with the things of the Spirit! In his house he hates the merchants who peddle the things of the flesh. Serious Christians can devote that one hour each week to entertain God by demonstrating love for him. Throughout the week, we can love him by obedience, not dwelling in the things of the flesh!

Children: Little Lawyers

I had amusing thoughts this morning as my granddaughter built her case for she perceived that she had been wronged. Of course she is only three, but her case was this: Bubby (her brother Lucas) got two M&M's and she only got two. She wanted equity and demanded it! She needed what was due her. She wanted more M&M's. She built her case well, but Bubby had four, the same as her and it was only perceived injustice!

This scenario brought to mind: What if children could defend themselves? She was acting the lawyer; why not let her be the lawyer? Let's look at this fantasy as Kaitlyn appears in court to present her case.

Judge: Complainant come to the bench. (Kaitlyn walks forward and looks way up there on the bench. She thought, "He's important. How can I get him to side with me?" Her first thought was tears. If she started to cry, her usual M.O., perhaps he would have sympathy and side with her. "I'm a big girl now!" she thought. "I need to present a big girl case."). The judge continued: state your case.

Kaitlyn: Bubby got four M&M's and I only got two. That's unfair. Grandma should have given me four as well.

Judge: And what resolution do you seek? Also, state your full name and age.

Kaitlyn: I want two more M&M's for equity and a bag more for discomfort which I suffered. I'm three years old and my name is Kaitlyn Joy. Please don't call me Kait because that's not how it's written!

Judge: The plaintive is recognized, but discomfort! How were you made uncomfortable? How did you suffer?

Kaitlyn: I felt like I deserved the same as Bubby, but when I didn't get four like Bubby it hurt my feelings.

Judge: Did you cry?

Kaitlyn: Yes... I cried hard!

Judge: Was it real tears or tears to manipulate?

Kaitlyn: I cry a lot to get my way, but Grandma can't tell the difference between real and fake tears. (Let that be our secret, your honor; she whispered).

Judge: Why did you deserve any M&M's Miss?

Kaitlyn: Because I'm me and I like good free things.

Judge: And are you accustomed to getting your way?

Kaitlyn: Yes because I cry and manipulate if I don't!

Judge: Do you have evidence that Bubby got more M&M's than you?

Kaitlyn: I ate my first two really fast, so they don't count. I only had two more, but Bubby ate his slowly and still had four while I only had two left.

Judge: Then you really had four, did you not?

Kaitlyn: I told you the first two didn't count because they were gone when I compared!

Judge; Are you ready to mitigate with Grandma and settle out of court?

Kaitlyn: Only if she gives me a whole bag of M&M's for myself!

Judge; Will you share them with Bubby?

Kaitlyn: No... they all will be mine!

Judge: I don't know what to say.

Me: For the reader, what should be the judge's decision?


Next case:

Judge: What is your full name and age?

Sorta: I'm Sorta Calt and I'm 33 years old.

Judge: And what is your complaint?

Sorta: I failed to get my welfare payments, but my neighbor got his.

Judge: Present your case.

Sorta: I'll use Kaitlyn's argument. That's my feelings also.

Judge: I will go into my chambers to mitigate (as he rises).

How will the judge rule in Sorta's case?


Analysis and comparison of both cases:

As the judge mitigated, he thought, Kaitlyn is just a child, but Sorta is acting like a child. Perhaps as an adult Sorta should have grown up and started acting mature, but she obviously has not. I'm inclined to let Kaitlyn have a bag of M&M's, but I don't want her to grow up to be like Sorta. I'm going to deny both complaints.

Judge: (back in the courtroom): Both complainants approach the bench. (He waits while Kaitlyn runs full speed forward, but Sorta strolls lack-lusterly forward).  Both cases dismissed for lack of cause. Kaitlyn Joy, you are just a child, but to reward you for being you will encourage future Kaitlyn to be like Sorta. Sorta, your thoughts and actions are like a child's.

 - - - - -

My point with this tirade is that many adults hang onto the behaviors of children. Children are by nature desiring of sweet things, but just because they want them doesn't mean that they deserve them. This type of thinking when rewarded ensures that children never grow up. Maturing means hearing "no". Maturing is coming to realize that we don't deserve free things just because we exist. Maturing is displacing childish expectations with reality.

Kaitlyn is a sweet little girl. She didn't get any more M&M's because Grandma wasn't fooled. She didn't cry and accepted Grandma's "no". She in reality acted more mature than do many adults! That's good for her, but sad for Sorta!

I laughed at Kaitlyn's role as a budding lawyer, but unlike many of those, she wasn't the crybaby. However, it did make me think, What if children were little lawyers?  Although that thought was funny, it made me think of what I just wrote.

Our Trinity is not Divinity

Mankind has a trinity: mind, body and soul, but our trinity is not divinity.

The word Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible, but scripture is all about the Trinity! Christianity is monotheistic, but yet we acknowledge three aspects of God. (I didn't use "persons" because that word is reserved for individuals. God is NOT an individual with personhood. He doesn't even have personality because he is not a person!) God just IS and his name is just that. In the first person present tense God just says that he is "I AM".

Monotheism is the worship of one God. JHVH (I AM THAT I AM) is the One True God. That's important because God is the Creator of all. The aspects of the Holy Trinity were God's characteristics in the beginning. There were not three persons, but three relationships with mankind. Hence, the Holy Trinity are aspects which describe mankind's relationships to God.

The trinity is any grouping of three things. Fire, water and air are a trinity occurring in nature. The Holy Trinity is a grouping of three with respect to the divine. The Holy Trinity is not made up of things, nor persons, so therefore three aspects. In this case "aspects" are ways of looking at the same thing. For the divine, the Holy Trinity is looking at God from three different viewpoints. Those aspects are God's nature, albeit God is not natural, but supra-natural!

Because God is divine even finding terms to define him are futile because God isn't common; God is Glory, and glory is the essence of God. Then what is glory? It's God's presence. It's a perfect existence. It will be our existence when we die and move from the natural to glorious as we are changed in the presence of God from natural to supra-natural. That's when we become Supra-people because even gender will be of no consequence without the need for procreation! However, until we become Supermen or Supergirls, we are natural men or natural girls, but even though we're not divine, we have a trinity within us, and it's a poor copy of the Holy Trinity.

In the beginning there was God the Father, his Holy Spirit and the Word who later became flesh (John 1). References to the Holy Trinity are many in scripture, but the most direct is:

Matthew 28:19 ( ESV) "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..."

Elsewhere we find that the aspects of the Trinity complement each and are together God who has three forms: Creator (Father), Jesus (his Son) and the Holy Spirit (the atmosphere, magnificence or glory of God), and all are God. The form of the three are as follows: Creator (Power; Almighty God), Jesus (God in the flesh) and Spirit (the essence or breath of God which flows from him). The specific Spirit that resided in Jesus on the cross and suffered with him as he died was, I believe, the ghost of Jesus, called the Holy Ghost. That portion was specific to Jesus and became general to Christians, and is Jesus who resides within us when we are born-again.

Now, that mention brings up our trinity, which is not divinity. We were made in the image of God! What was God's image: Creator, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. (Yes, Jesus is God with us!)

Our trinity is mind, body and soul. As such they are the natural renditions of the supra-natural Holy Trinity: mind is the Father Creator with supreme knowledge who makes thing happen by the power of his will, body is God incarnate: Jesus Christ, and soul is the container for the Holy Spirit which I believe is the "cup" of which Jesus spoke. Since these are mere images of God as the Word told us, they are not divine; we just try to make them so!

Mankind's problem is the same as Adam's: 'You shall be as gods," Satan told them. Adam ate and his trinity became the Natural Trinity because he was no longer in the image of God, but assumed God's authority by rebellion. Ever since men have worshiped their own selves besides God, with the sub-conscious desire to circumvent God by doing what is right in our own eyes!

Not only do we have a natural trinity patterned after God's Holy Trinity, but the nether world has their Unholy Trinity: Satan, the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet. Sinful man is more like the Unholy Trinity than the Holy Trinity: we are trinity, but we're not divinity!

Satan rules the sinful man's mind, the Anti-Christ is Satan in the flesh and the False Prophet is the Unholy Spirit who discomfits men!  Our divine God is the Holy Trinity who adopts us because we once were his heirs, but the evil God-pretender is the Unholy Trinity who kidnapped mankind and replaced the holy with the unholy! Satan is sinful man's mind, the Anti-Christ is sinful man's body or presence, and the False Prophet is following unholy lies. Unless we are born-again as sons of God, our nature is as the composite of the Unholy Trinity.

Now you know: You are trinity, but not divinity, but act as if you are God! That acting is the re-creation in the image of Satan.

Hope Ends When The Prize is Obtained

When we are "born-again" we say "I am now saved." Scripture says "shall be saved (saos, safe)" in Acts 2:21. The "shall be" is understood with context. Even some versions of John 3:16 say "shall not perish" while others say "should not perish". either adverb is selected to describe the verb at the translators whim. It could even be "will not perish" or :will be safe". Thus, shall, should or even will describe a future event. It may be in an instant from now, or it could be much later.

1 Thessalonians 5:8  "But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation (soteria;  rescued)."

This passage indicates that those with faith and love have "the hope of salvation" (or being rescued).

We are born-again when we have the faith to obtain that hope. Since faith is a gift of God, then hope is from God. Being rescued is a future event. One can't be rescued until there is some event from which to be rescued. When death occurs our souls immediately are taken to either a protected haven or a place of danger, heaven or hell. We are rescued as our souls are taken to paradise in lieu of hell. Our hope during life is that by God's grace we are rescued to heaven! Those who are certain of their faith have very strong hope that they will be rescued from eternal death that they say "I am saved". Strong faith provokes great hope.

 Romans 8:23 (ESV) "And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved (saos; safe) . Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

Hope is unseen as these passages state. If we are already saved then there is no hope because salvation has already been seen (or attained). We have the hope that our bodies are adopted, meaning that we have been redeemed physically, not just spiritually or emotionally.  When our faith is strong we feel safe. This feeling of hope makes us emotionally safe because our soul and body has a promise to be rescued. My point is that those born-again have the hope of being rescued, not that they have already been, because if hope has already come, it's concluded and ceases to exist.

From a doctrinal standpoint. we can only be saved one time and technically, if we could be unsaved, then salvation could not have been in the first place. We can only be rescued from eternal damnation one time because if the rescue doesn't happen the first time, it's no rescue at all!

However, hope can and does dim as faith wavers. Even those with little faith will be rescued because it takes only faith to be saved, not necessarily great faith. Great faith only provides more hope and thus stronger assurance. Better said is that, "I am strongly assured that I will be saved because my faith is great!" Those with little faith have less hope and don't have the security (or feel as safe) as those who have less doubt.

For conditional security to even be possible, and I believe the possibility of apostasy is real, then we are not rescued when we are born-again, but when we experience the transition between existence and glorification. However, when born-again we are made safe because God gives us hope and puts a hedge around us to keep us safe (ala Job).  Born-again  in this view is when our hope commences because of our faith. As faith is a variable ranging from none to God's infinite faith in himself, then our safety depends on the extent of our faith.

It is all by GRACE even though there are things we must DO. God provides the faculty for faith, but we must exercise it, just as he provides our lungs, but we must breath in the air. We can hold our breath and die, but God still provides the ability to breath. God provides the ability to have faith, yet we must breath in the trust! If it is our will that we not breath, even though God loves us, we can still choose not to breath! The same goes for faith.

Eternal security implies that God not only provides our lungs, but breaths for us and takes away the ability to even hold our breath! This is symbolic of God providing our minds, and then thinks for us and prevents us from thinking on our own. In other words free will concludes with being born-again, but only God's will is for the Christian. Without our own will, God's will is that we be perfect. It's obvious that even after we are born-again, we still have free will because we still sin! If it was strictly God's will that Christians have,  then sin would never even occur to us and temptation by Satan would be for naught!

I am born-again and have the hope of salvation. If you are a Christian, you do too. Your faith may be greater than mine and you may feel more secure, and thus have stronger hope, but like me, you haven't been rescued as of now, and won't be until the bus crashes, so to speak.

Until then, I am wearing my seat belt so that my chances of rescue are greater. That symbolic seat belt is my hope of being safe when the bus crashes. I have hope that I won't die in the crash, but live a long life... an eternal life! God is my seatbelt. Jesus blood was shed in advance of that crash so that I WILL be saved... when the crash occurs. Until then my bus is lighted with trust and I have hope. When I am rescued hope will no longer exist because the thing hoped for has already come to fruition!