The Deep State

     The "deep state" is a shadow government within the state, not of elected officials, but influential and elite people. It consists of former officials, current officials, the media, the educational system, business leaders, financiers, the entertainment industry and now even sports teams.
     The deep state seeks to operate according to its own interests by diminishing those in office or using the laws against elected conservative officials. The deep state is the "swamp" which President Trump was elected to drain. The deep state fears that they will be the ones who go down the drain. Because Trump endeavors to diminish the deep state, never-Trumpers are fighting back.
     The deep state are those who use the laws to their own advantage. Some believe it is the military/industrial complex, and indeed that may be part of the picture. On the other hand, Trump honors the military and grows industry, so it seems that he is not at war with them. Who, then, is the deep state?
     It appears that progressives are the deep state. They are the shadow government attempting to overthrow democracy. Be certain, progressivism is socialism. When persuasion doesn't work, progressives always stoop to communism; the difference being that persuasion turns to force to achieve socialistic goals. Karl Marx himself equated socialism and communism. The deep state is a revolution against our government.
     Revolutions have leaders. Former president Obama runs a headquarters in Washington, DC which houses the deep state shadow government. He is its shadow president, but even he is not in control. In fact, Obama is being controlled. He is merely the head "useful idiot". The puppeteer is surely George Soros. If you are not aware of Soros' influence on American affairs, you need to educate yourself for the media will not. They too are part of the deep state - they are propaganda ministry.
     The deep state despises American exceptionalism. Why so? Because democracy is truly exceptional. That diminishes socialism. The deep state wants the American experiment to fail. Benjamin Franklin when asked what type of government we had, answered, "A republic... if we can keep it." It has been kept for over two-hundred years but right now it is in more jeopardy than ever before! George Soros has waged war on the United States government, and naïve people are his military. Those vile protesters are his army. In most cases, that army is financed by many of George Soros' organizations. Do you really think all those protests are spontaneous? Not any more so than the one in Libya which Hillary Clinton claimed was.
     Rahm Emanuel said, "Never let a serious crisis go to waste." Emanuel was the "Goebbels" of American politics. He admitted to using crises as tools for propaganda. Have you not noticed how when people are killed, it is always used by progressives for gun control? Have you not noticed that crises are always Presidents Trump's fault even when it is the liberal wing which is in crisis?
     The idea of using crises for nefarious purposes is propaganda. Do you not understand that the media is part of the propaganda mill? Trump does! Liberal politicians receive ten times more media funding than do conservatives - 88% to 12% ("Obama, Democrats got 88 percent of 2008 contributions by TV network execs, writers, reporters UPDATED!", Washington Examiner, August 27, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2013). For those who don't believe that journalists have bias, you have drank the Kool-Aid! 
     The war between the deep state and civilization is not exclusive to the United States, but as allies with Israel, it is the focal point. The Jewish people and their most staunch supporter - the U.S. - are so hated that both countries must be destroyed. Why so much hatred for those two nations? Because both represent God's authority. Both governments came about because of divine influence. The United States has been the leader in religious freedom since its formation, and Israel was founded so that Jews could freely worship. In other words, there is not a secular revolution in progress but a spiritual war. Scripture warns us:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephes 6:12).

     It seems that the deep state is a superficial organization which can only disrupt order. They believe it is they who have the power but they too are being used for nefarious purposes. The war in progress is not a left or right wing conspiracy; the root cause must be assigned: It is deceived people doing Satan's will. They propagate the law of sin not even realizing that they are. The deep state are Eve's and know not what they do!
     How can the war be won? How can the deep state be defeated? Again, I turn to scripture: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet 5:8).  Don't be naïve. The deep state is much deeper and more powerful than you can even imagine!
     Have you ever noticed that powerful people always turn against the Jews and Christians? It started with Rome and continues to this day. Even Rome, the most tolerant of religions of all sorts, was horrendously cruel to Christians and Jews. That pattern has been maintained throughout the ages because it is the Church which is under attack in truth; Godly nations are just collateral damage in the spiritual warfare.
     How did David fight Goliath? He declined Saul's armor and put on God's. That's what we are told to do: "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" ((Ephes 6:11). The armor of God is named in that chapter. Nowhere does it even suggest blinders! Unfortunately, even Christians have on blinders to truth. They can't see the battles taking place so how can they fight the war that they decline to believe is being fought?
     We think America is too good for that, and is too big to fall. Ben Franklin didn't think that was silly! The kings of Israel and Judah thought they were too godly to fall. They weren't and they fell. Israel's people are lost in oblivion. Judah's people were made slaves. That can happen to America as well, and communism seeks to destroy us from within. Communist Party Chairman Nikita Kruschev warned us of that. If they believe it, and initiate it, why can't we believe it? People have on blinders.
      All the hatred right now is of the deep deep state. It comes from spiritual forces. Have you not noticed the vile language and hatred from the protesters. That type of behavior has a source; it is the law of sin against the Law of God. They are doing Satan's will, and fail to realize that they are. Christians even side with those hateful people because the media propaganda has conditioned Americans much like Pavlov did his dog! No one seems to believe in the deep state except a few. Trump realizes there is one, but he surely does not know how deep it really is. He drains the swamp but it's the fiery pit which God will fill.
     This is not an attempt to magnify Trump. Just as evil-doers don't know whose will they are doing, Trump may not even know that he is a useful tool of God. Accept it or not, it was God's will that Obama was president and God's will that Trump is. He merely has different purposes for each.
     During the contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore, I remarked that we needed Al Gore. Why? So Americans could experience fanatical liberalism. We didn't get Gore but we got worse - Obama. Americans tasted socialism under Obama and a large number didn't like the taste! Donald Trump became president because of the bitter taste from Obama. Americans were reprieved from socialism for a time. That is God's grace! We are given a second chance. What will we do with it? Possibly voters will turn it right back over to the wolves in sheeps' clothing.  They may be deceived again.

Why People Hate

     Why do people hate so intensely? Everyone are haters; no one is exempt from hating. Some have more profound hatred than others, some hate more people than others, and some can better control their hatred. The world has drawn a fine line on hatred: it is simply defined as things which are disgusting (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Hate is itself a verb. It requires energy to be expended. Hate emanates from the minds of human people. Strangely, the other animals don't seem to have hatred because they are instinctive. Their "cruelty" is the survival instinct.
     Hatred, from a spiritual standpoint, is rebellion from authority. Everyone desires unfettered freedom, and if it doesn't exist, anger ensues. The expression of anger reveals the emotions of the heart. Anger is the expression of anger, and control is the cause. People just don't want to be controlled. Original sin was mankind's attempt to be emancipated from control. Ironically, there was just one law from which Adam and Eve desired emancipation: don't eat of the forbidden tree (Gen 2:17).  Why was that one regulation so important? To see if the creatures would accept God's authority. Satan had not; would the human creatures? They would not.
     Adam and Eve did what they wanted to do. They bucked authority. Certainly they didn't find God to be disgusting but they showed hatred for His authority. They didn't want to be governed. Thus, my definition of spiritual hatred is strictly irreverence for God's authority. Therefore, love is respecting God's authority. Individuals love each other by respecting their humanity. The sanctity of life is imperative. Individuals emit hatred for others by disrespect for them as persons. The ultimate love is as God's: that none should perish. The ultimate hatred is that all should perish, and most humans hate by desiring that some should perish.
     Why would anyone wish that another perish at all? Because their will interferes with our will. Essentially, hatred is defying the authority of another. Think not? Tell your spouse that he or she needs to change. Will they love you for it? Most will not. Such provocation evokes disgust which we have seen is hatred. The attempt to control the life of another person provokes hatred. No one wants to be controlled!
     "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephes 6:4). That passage is the textbook example of restrictive governance is provocation to violence. Rules that are unfair or even seem to be provokes children to anger and anger is the expression of hatred. All three of my children, when they were teenagers, told me that they hated me (i.e., they found me to be disgusting). Why so? I provoked them to hate me! Were my rules unfair? No they were not; it is a human response to buck authority. (When they became adults all three thanked me for bringing them up right.)
     Now, for the hatred we see today: People hate each other today as much as ever. Not more so but as intensely. Modern-day hatred is nothing new. When Noah was building the ark, everyone jeered him. Jeering is an expression of hatred. They hated Noah because he obeyed God! People still hate righteous people because they should themselves be obeying God. God is hated so much although His will still condenses to one rule: love Me. It is important to understand that the demonstration of love is being servile to God's authority. He has one metric for demonstrating love for Him: love one another. We can't seem to be able to do that!
     I believe the intense hatred that we see at the present is due to one thing: Some do not like any control over themselves but desire that others be controlled. In other words, every person feels that they don't need rules but everyone else does. No one likes the rules of others but accept their own self-imposed rules. Scripture says, "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Jud 21:25).
     Everyone wants to do what they want to do, but control provokes them to wrath. Natural law comes from the Law of God, and our law comes from natural law. We found out early on that mankind must be controlled or they become like brute beasts. (2 Pet 2:12). Beasts turn on their prey. They devour one another. Brute beasts have a natural inclination to destroy whatever they will. Haters are much like that!
    We see the brute beasts all the time. They shoot and kill human people, decapitate some, and blow others up with destructive bombs. Thankfully, in the west those are few! The remainder of the beasts merely show disgust for those who control them. It seems, foremost, that people hate control by God. Christians and Jews are hated terribly because of the Law of God. Ironically, those who espouse love are often the worst haters. It is their own standards they use, and not God's.
     God understood hatred. He knew that men would find His rules disgusting and issued an edict: "Be self-controlled and sober-minded" (1 Pet 4:7). God realized that people would reject his authority and assigned them to control themselves. "Sober-mindedness" is realizing that they might think they are gods but they are not. Self-control requires God's assistance. When people come to realize that, they are sober in their thinking.
     The United States was founded on control. People need rules and regulations. Knowing that, the founders wrote a Constitution. Why did they do that?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

     Our founders thought the English Parliament's laws to be unjust. Unfairness provoked the wrath of the patriots. They rebelled because they hated the king's law and sought emancipation. Being civil men, and many righteous, the wrath was righteous indignation. Their hatred was not toward parliamentarians or even the king but against tyranny. Many rebels had good relationships with members of parliament.
     Today, civility has gone by the wayside. Not only do people hate authority but those in authority. Like the people jeering Noah, the beasts jeer our president because he upholds the laws of the land.
     The law of the land is the Constitution. There is a way to change the laws of the land. It is through amendments. Many have changed the law. The Bill of Rights was approval for the law of the land, and were the people's exceptions. That's how civil people do things.
     Beasts intimidate and harm. Some merely roar but others emote hatred. That's where we are now. People seek to live as they will and resent authority. That is love of self and hatred for those who endeavor to govern them.
     It seems that the laws which provoke people to the most anger are rules which limit abortions. Many want the right to kill their offspring for any  reason. The U.S. Declaration of Independence rejected that argument and people fought for life: "They (people) are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
     How beasts get around that right is by denying the personhoods of the unborn. In their eyes, the unborn are not people but mere tissue. We all know that to be false. There is no right to abort but there is a right to life and people died for that right. People who find children no more than an inconvenience become brute beasts. They destroy their offspring as even some animals do instinctively, and despise those who honor the intent of the Constitution. Rebellious people become unruly because they despise rules and those who make them!
     Immigration is another divisive issue. The U.S. has laws however deficient they may be. The "beasts" want the law ignored just because that is their will. In turn, they hate those who enforce the laws of the land. Hatred of the police is because people hate authority. Nothing has changed since Adam! The object of hatred is always those who enforce the laws. I remember that tiring of 40 speeding tickets, I began to hate the law. I even at times hated the officer who enforced the law! I was a law unto myself. That's what most people want - self-governance. That doesn't work because self-imposed civility always conflicts with the standards of others. People need laws to protect us from others and even ourselves!
     Trump is the object of hatred at the moment. People despise him because they don't want to accept his authority. They despise the man just because he has the office! We know that because before he ran for president, the haters mingled with him and accepted his money enthusiastically. Their hatred for him is because regulation provokes hatred. People hate to be controlled.
     Some say that one side is more uncivil than others. That is not true! Christians are mostly of the right and conservative. You don't see them out intimidating by hatred and signs with F-words. You don't see them out harassing innocent people. Don't be dumb. We know who the worst haters are!
     Some point to those with guns who shoot as representative of the right. That is not true and people know that! What we see on the news are two types of protests: (1) angry left-wing mobs spewing hatred, and (2) upset right-wing Christians being civil with self-control. What we see is left-wing leaders provoking hatred. You may see some, but you don't see many conservatives doing that.
    Some accuse Trump of provoking violence and hatred. That is an accusation but the left seems to define their own standards. They have become "as gods" as the Serpent foretold. Any observant person should be able to detect hatred. Sometimes I hate and you do too. However, civil people have self-control, but the unruly mob has none!
     Division is a tactic of Satan. We witnessed the divisiveness of the left. Hillary spoke of the "basket of deplorables". That should provoke violence from the right but it did not because the right is civil. We heard Obama many times criticize Christians and Christianity. That should have provoked Christians, but it didn't. We had self-control. We were civil to Obama although we hated his antipathy for the rules.
     We heard Biden want to take Trump behind the barn and fight it out. That should have provoked Trump but he was not!
    We heard Corey Booker provoking. We were only provoked to abhor that provocation. That's what civil people do. Haters go into the streets and hate. Who does that? The "progressives", ironically, who are the most regressive. They are the beasts! They need a lot of Jesus.




   

Yoga

     A Yoga instructor once published in the local newspaper the benefits of Yoga. In that article she stated, "Yoga is not a religion." That is true. However, she never stated what it really is; it is a religious practice or a manner of religious worship. Many who use the Yoga religious ritual say, "I don't take the religious part seriously." Unfortunately, the instructor does, their gods do, and so does the God of Christianity! Syncretism is serious business.
     Do I care whether you stand on your head or not, or cross your legs in an uncomfortable position? It makes no difference to me. Then why write this? Because it does make a difference to God! My job is to use scripture is to inform, correct error, and instruct in righteousness (2 Tim 316).
     How can one practice righteousness? By not being unrighteous: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Rom 12:1). Christians are to do things acceptable to God.
     The western world did without Yoga for thousands of years. Why then must we all of a sudden have it? It is just another way that the Serpent can deceive. People always seem to do "what is right in their own eyes" (Deut 12:8). Righteousness is doing what is right in God's will. My question for the reader: Do you really believe that the practice of Yoga is God's will for you? Of course, that's between you and God, but be honest: Are you just being deceived?
     What is Yoga? It is physical, mental, and spiritual practices in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism; all tenets of religion from the Rigveda - a sacred text of Hinduism from the Vedas. Vedas are basically the "bibles" of Hinduism in that they are their sacred writings (paraphrased from Wikipedia; "Yoga", "Rigveda"; "Vedas").
     Yoga practitioners are indeed practicing the Hindu religion. Yoga instructors are essentially instructing Hindu doctrine, and gullible westerners sub-consciously tend to welcome the false doctrines of false gods while neglecting Holy Scripture. If Christians would study scripture they would not be deceived by cunning rationalizations!

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the Lord your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the Lord your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord. (Lev 18:1-5)

     There are two sets of instructions therein: (1) Do not do the things pagans do, and (2) Live according to the statutes of the Lord. Where are those "statutes"? Holy Scripture. What are the "ordinances" of the pagans?  Demonstrations of the faith of the believers of pagan religions. Yoga, then, is an ordinance of Hinduism. It would be of the same importance as Holy Communion and Baptism in Christianity!

     The practice of two religions is syncretism. Since the Jews were always deceived and practiced false religions, God commanded against that. It is of utmost importance because it is the First Commandment: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exod 20:3). The literal translation of that is: Thou shalt not practice the things of other gods in my face. Yoga is doing just that. Syncretism could lead to apostasy! Then God added to the stone tablet for perpetuity: "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God" (Exod 20:5).

     Even if the Yoga was only physical, it would still be wrong in God's eyes! Scientifically and spiritually there are no forces within which need balancing; mankind has again been deceived! That seems to be a really easy thing to do.

     What do teachers of Yoga say about it? "Yoga is the union of the self and the Lord." (Kaundinya's Pancarthabhasya on the Pasupatasutra). Other branches of Veda have similar definitions, but basically Yoga is becoming one with the Lord. 
     Since Yoga is a Hindu religious practice, the savvy person should ask: Why practice Hinduism and whose Lord? The answer to "whose Lord" is Shiva, Vishnu, and Shakti. Yoga is the worship of at least one of those three major Hindu gods. For Christians, that is abominable and sacrilegious. It is worshiping Vishnu in the very face of the Lord! Who is God's "face"? Jesus Christ. Yoga is a violation of the Third Commandment as well: "Thou shalt not take the name (Jesus) of the Lord thy God in vain (minimizing his purpose)" (Exod 20:7). 

     The practice of the Doctrine of Christ is the only beneficial and essential thing God demands. Adherents to the Doctrine of Christ will have a long life because revering our Parent results in that (Exod 20:12). Who would have thought it? Honoring our father and mother includes honoring our Father in Heaven. Yoga is dishonoring our True Lord in favor of a false lord. 

     Let is examine the eight limbs or stages of Yoga (Yoga Journal; Mary Calico; paraphrased):

1. Ethical standards and sense of integrity. Their Golden Rule.
2. Self-discipline and spiritual observances.
3. The postures in preparation for meditation for spiritual growth since the body is the temple of the spirit.
4. Extending life by breath control.
5. Withdrawal from the external world.
6. Concentration on the Divine.
7. Meditation
8. A state of ecstasy transcending the Self and realizing a profound connection to the Divine.

     Let's look at stage eight firstly: "Self" is capitalized as is "Divine". Just as Christianity, Yoga is diminishing the god of Self in favor of the Divine God. There are at least two problems with that: (1) Their Divine is not Jehovah, and (2) We cannot get to regeneration (born again) by any other Name than Jesus. Yes, stage eight refers to what Jesus said: "You must be born again" (John 3:7). The goal or peak experience of Yoga is regeneration through a false god! Are you beginning to see the heresy in the practice of Yoga?

     Righteousness is living to God's standards. Stage one of Yoga is living to a set of standards. Again: Whose standards? 

     Self-discipline is also a tenet of Christianity (stage two). In Yoga, whose discipline and whose spirit are they to observe? The answer is obvious: their false gods!

     In stage three the postures are to prepare to meditate on their gods' wills and to grow spiritually. Whose spirit? A false spirit! Christians are not to bow down to other gods. Those postures are doing just that!

     Stage four is self-explanatory and seems benign but it is controlling oneself for what is to come.

     Stage five could be perilous. Withdrawal from this world into what world? Obviously the spiritual world of Hinduism. That is certainly a religious thing to do, albeit a false religion.

     Concentrate on the Divine (Stage six). Who is Divine? In Christianity Jehovah God called Jesus is the Divine, and the only one. Their multiple gods are hardly divine or even gods. If God, there only needs to be one because a True God has the power to create without help!

     Stage seven seems safe enough. Meditate. Again, meditate on whom? Christian meditation is thinking about and listening to God. With Yoga it is clearing the mind of all things and opening it up to spiritual suggestion; listening to Shiva. That is dangerous because there are evil forces out there, and many are disguised as Hindu gods. Hinduism has a staggering 33,000,000 gods. Holy Scripture calls them "legions" (Mark 5:9). If you practice Yoga you may be in extreme spiritual danger. Their own doctrine is a warning! Those gods just may devour the Christian just as roaring lions would do (1 Pet 5:8).

    "Ecstasy" in Christianity is when the Holy Spirit imbues the regenerated Christian (Acts 2). What happens in the eighth stage of Yoga? The Self makes a connection to the Divine. That is their reception of the Hindu spirits. For a Christian, that is being devoured by Satan. 

    Christianity has a single God and He is called Jesus. Hinduism has multitudes of gods and they are called demons in Holy Scripture. Yoga is the worship of false gods and the possible reception of demonic spirits. Yoga may endanger you to the extent that you just may die as God warns!

    If you think you are doing only the posture part, then you are deceived. "They" know what it is you are doing and so does God. You are in effect bowing down to their gods. You can be fooled but you can't fool God. Satan keeps trying and has introduced all manner of pagan religions into Christianity and the western world through so-called "science". Buyer beware!

Family Imbalances

     My hugest mistake in life was allowing evil to imbalance my own family. I had the instruction book on how to keep it stable but used it little, or when I did, ineffectively.
     Spiritual imbalances are those within iniquitous individuals and the malevolent Church. Familial imbalance is when the family system goes awry. That time is when the wheel (the family) is unstable. Just as too much weight on one side of a wheel calls instability, even one dysfunctional person in the family makes the entire "wheel" out of balance. In other words, one emotionally or spiritually "sick" person within the family unit makes the entire family sick. Who was the imbalance? As the father, I  must not shirk my own imbalance.
     Think of the nuclear family as having a center in which the family system orbits. Usually the mother and father are at the center and the children orbit around them. Scripturally, it is God who should be the nucleus with the father not far away. He and the mother are to orbit together in sort of a spiritual yin-yang, but not the energy which creates the orbit, but them compassing God. In their early years, children are in the orbit of the parents. That is good but somewhat unstable. God corrects the wobble within the family.
     As time goes by, the children should be emancipated, and choose to orbit God or not; on their own without orbiting with the parents. If a child remains at home too long, their weight causes instability. They stay dependent on the parents, and although the system may remain theocentric, it wobbles because the faith of the dependent is still the faith of the fathers. In other words, faith becomes an inheritance and not a personal relationship. Dependent children must be emancipated or the family system will wobble, and the dependent child or children will get "sicker".
     A normal family with mature children will orbit entire around God, perhaps with the mother and father closer to God because of experience, but the children in their own orbits not far away. Good parenting ensures that children know God and it is He around whom they should orbit. The system is in balance when they are functionally little spiritual solar systems with God as the sun!
     Satan has many tactics and all are to usurp God's authority in any system. The most basic spiritual system is the relationship between the individual and God. If Satan's forces can cause even one family member to gravitate toward a sinful lifestyle, the entire wheel becomes imbalanced. That imbalance cannot be corrected by counterweighting. The spiritually sick person(s) must be made well and kept safe. God calls (or attracts) the prodigal child(ren) back into balance. The father welcomes him or her back into the system and the family becomes spiritually functional again!
     The problem is that all children do not return. They are always part of the family system but their orbit is far away from God the parents, and wavy. They are still orbiting but not in an ellipse but erratic. The gravity of their sin is so great that the entire system begins to wobble. God is still at the center for He is always there holding the family together. There is a black hole out there, unseen to the human eye, whose gravity draws first one child after another away from God. The entire family system wobbles. Too much out-of-balance may destroy the entire family system. The more each member of the family wobbles the more erratic the system becomes until it self-destructs.
    Love for the wobbling member is still there, but the gravity of the sin overpowers the love which is the spiritual bond for the family unit. Satan destroys family systems so as to minimize God. Before long, of not corrected, the entire family unit will begin to orbit around the black hole - that unseen spiritual force which is the world and the things within it. Yes, the world for a time is a black hole which attracts innocent children and induces them to wobble slowly away from God!
     My family wobbled greatly as my children grew. As a believer in my youth, I had faith enough to believe, but not enough to serve God. I wobbled around God. I am God's prodigal son! While I was away, he kept me safe because I was brought up in the way of the Lord and would return to it. In other words, God kept me safe and I am still orbiting him, but with about as bad a wobble as one could wobble.
     In  my children's youth, I wobbled horribly. I was not in a steady orbit with God, and I personally skewed the family system. I don't blame my former wife because I am the one responsible for a theocentric family. I failed God by not living according to the Word, which by the way, I knew very well. My wife would overcompensate. She showed love with material things but not with her emotions, and punished by emotional means, and not with patience. As a young mother she loved and punished as any inexperienced person would. Growing our children was by experimentation rather than reliance on God.
     Not to minimize myself, I knew how but shirked my responsibilities. It was much easier to work hard and ignore the erratic family system than it was to correct it. I spent my time as far from the center of the system as possible. As for me, I was way out in Pluto country, orbiting God all by myself, but in an erratic orbit. I felt my responsibility was merely providing for my family. What they needed most was me, but I was far away from God and my family. I was far away from my wife and the spiritual yin-yang was more like a popcorn ball. Love is hard work and neither of us worked hard.
    I knew where my orbit was. However, Satan deceived me by suggesting that taking my kids to church was good enough. I "dressed and kept" my little "garden" by handing their spiritual training over to others. Educators must live their subject material. I knew the Word but mentored it poorly. I was a bad example for my children by my aloofness. Work was more my family than was my family. Maybe I wasn't  in orbit with God but just thought that I was. Perhaps my orbit was more just a spin in space - all alone in my own world. God called me back.
     As the prodigal son, I came home and the Father welcomed me. On the other hand, I failed to be the father to my own prodigal son. Of course, I have always loved each of my children, none more than the other, and my life has since been all about my children. I have emotional pain when my children have tribulation. I hurt badly for them, and share their pain. I want to have their pain for them; that's how much God loves me, and how much I love my own children!
     Drugs was one of the magnetic attractions that wobbled our family system terribly. I saw it coming and ignored it, hoping it would go away. In my pride, I never admitted to using drugs, but agree or not, tobacco was my drug. My entire life was focused on the next cigarette. I couldn't even eat slowly in anticipation of the next cigarette. I couldn't even run without smoking while I ran! I failed my son on vacation: rather than spending time with him, I hid out and smoked because of my dependency. My life was my cigarettes and the family system wobbled badly.
     Then my son used my addiction against me: "Dad, you smoke cigarettes; why can't I smoke marijuana?" He asked that!
     I responded, "I don't smoke."
    He responded, "Yes you do."
    I countered with, "No I don't... I just quit."
    Right then I quit. Why? Because I love him so, just as God loves me! I didn't want him to have the addiction that I had. I wanted a balanced family system, and addictions are the sucking of the black hole which creates imbalances in the family system.
     As time went by the entire system fell apart. Each of us played our part. It affected all of us to some degree. All our lives were changed as the system fell apart. What bothers me most though, is that love seemed to be allusive. Even when we differ in the things of the world, love should keep us united. I often feel remorse because although I love my family immensely, I fail to show it. My father was the same way but I knew he loved me by the look in his eyes. Dad seldom ever said that, but his love was intense. I have much the same demeanor. Real men show love and demonstrate it. I waited to long to man up!
     My wish is that God rebalance my family system. I pray for that almost daily. I pray for my children, grandchildren, and even my little great-grandson. The black hole sucks hard. It influenced me, and I don't want the world to have that much influence on the ones who I love. As God so loved the world, I so love my children! I thought I brought them up in the way of the Lord, but reflection makes that questionable. I was part of the imbalance. It need not be that way. God can heal the imbalance. I pray that He will!
   

Imbalances

     Imbalance is lack of stability. A teeter -totter with more weight on one side than the other is imbalanced. So is old-fashioned scales as one side has more weight than another. A fair measure is when the gold is the same amount on one pan as the known weights on the other pan. Most people are familiar with imbalance when only one person rides a merry-go-around. Imbalance can be felt and is responsible for the loss of speed and that slinging-outward affect. Even more people have experienced imbalance after their car wheel has hit a chuck hole. The imbalance causes vibration. Vibration dissipates centricity  which is a lack of harmony.
      Let's examine wheels for just a moment;  I am going somewhere with that: the intention (design intent) is to make car wheels to perfection. Uniform materials are used and processes developed to maintain uniformity in production. Wheels are always perfect on the design board but real materials produced by human hands and extant processes introduce imperfections. Designers know in advance that wheels will be imperfect and design weights in advance to make them more perfect even though perfection is unachievable in an imperfect world.
     Let's stop now with the physical world and look at God's intention: He designed mankind in the  image of God (Gen 1:27). We are the whole wheel - tire, hub, and rim. He even gave us a valve stem for the Holy Spirit to sort of inflate us for the ride in life.  God also said that he made man in "our image" (Gen 1:26). The plural there is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit which in man transforms into mind, body, and soul. Adam was designed perfectly by the divine Designer; His design intent was perfection - man with no imbalance at all. Better than the best radial tire and magnesium rim, our material was designed to last forever! God's Presence made our flesh non-destructible. We were the most glorious wheel in the universe outside of God Himself!
     God knew that although he designed mankind in perfection to roll in His perfect world, He put one nail in the road to test His design: Will it perform to design intent? With God's design, it could have. However, Satan placed a nail in the road. He made himself to look harmless but when the wheel encountered the seemingly harmless serpent, some of God's Spirit leaked out. Mankind was deflated. Man and woman patched their leaks with fig leaves but to no avail. Imbalance was horrible and they were ashamed! God repaired His "wheels" by use of a special patch. He killed a living animal, took it's skin, and repaired man's soul. It was, however, a temporary patch to last only until God devised a perfect patch. He did that with Jesus.
     Jesus is the perfect Patch. Their was no need for another, and no other patch would do. The material for that patch was God Himself, who bled the adhesive to repair mankind's nature. He not only fixed the original "wheels" but every wheel which ever rolled. On the other hand, most wheels are not aware that they are even imbalanced. The old tire is replaced when the "wheel" comes to the realization that it can't fix itself (as Adam tried) but God can. Spiritually that is regeneration which Jesus said that Christians must be.
     Wheels, ever since Adam, have had an imbalance. His gene made the imbalance, specifically the Y-chromosome. Sin was handed down by Adam. On the other hand, Eve was the mother of all the living, and Jesus - the Patch - was born of Mary whose mother did not willingly sin but was deceived. She had never heard of the nail and it's puncture but Adam had. Adam had failed to tell Eve about the subtlety of the "nail".
     That "nail" was a fiery dart of Satan. He tempted Eve and she consumed, and Eve encouraged Adam to take the nail as well. Ironically, Jesus was nailed to the cross, and took the nail for all of mankind. Adam and Even essentially hammered their own nails with disobedience. The tree of knowledge merely handed them the hammer. Truthfully, Adam and Eve hammered a nail in the Tree of Life as they hammered themselves. Mankind always hammers nails in the Tree of Life, and the fatal one was on Calvary as the Tree of Life was hammered to a manmade "tree" - symbolized by a pole and a cross.
     Sin was the nail. There was a stem on the soul for inflating with righteousness. That condition is divine balance. That's what God desires for all the wheels which He ever made. Righteousness is being like God and performing better than Michelin perfect. Sure, the wheel will never be perfect since it is material, but the Holy Ghost will keep it in balance!
     If the tire on the wheel leaks or the valve imperfect, God's "air" will leak out and the world's air will seep in. That is how the soul works. Any sin which enters in displaces some of God's Spirit inside. The two cannot co-exist. At some time with the entry of sin, the Spirit is displaced and the tire is sent to the dump. It becomes reprobate and of no use to God. However, bad "wheels" are still of use to Satan. He uses them as a pattern for other defective wheels. Bad wheels are then put on a different vehicle and drives the highway to Hell, picking up as many passengers as possible. The Highway to Hell has many nails and underperforming wheels will be destroyed.  The performance is based on love; the correction was restores balance and a harmonious ride.
     Christians are to be in harmony with God and in accord with all the other Christians (Acts 2:1). The vehicle then is driven on God's Highway and each "wheel" (Christians) drive the rough terrain in life seeing the destination as already obtained. It is not a vehicle with one wheel but many, and God uses His Holy Spirit to inflate them all to the right proportions (full) and gears them in harmony with each other. The vehicle will drive less smoothly when one wheel or many loses some of its pressure (Spirit). When some are nearly deflated (of faith) the ride is rough. Some wheels are discarded but the vehicle will still arrive even with just a few wheels.
    The "vehicle" is the Church which is imperishable. It will endure forever because it will always have a few faithful "wheels". Of course, the wheels are both the faithful and unfaithful people.  God wants them all to have some faith, or better yet, great faith. Some will entirely deflate and be discarded into the fire. Having Church is the process and progress of God's vehicle. Life is tribulation - many nails in the road - and God allows Satan to puncture as many as will. That tribulation of the vehicle is the Church. The bad wheels will be sorted from the good and trustworthy wheels. It's a type of threshing floor to see who remains good and faithful "wheels".
     That analogy is for individual and corporate balance. God wants the wheels to remain stable and provides sufficient "air" for a successful ride even over bumpy roads. Satan's law of sin is all the nails he strews on the roads. Not only does he do that to the Church and individuals, but also governments, families, and marriages. What is God's will be fired upon. Tomorrow I will write on family imbalances: which is in terrible imbalance these days!
   

Why do bad things happen to good people?

     Christians have two dilemmas with their beliefs: (1) How could something come from nothing, which is doubting the very power of God, and (2) why do bad things happen to good people? I have, many times, addressed question #1. Christians must believe that God is Creator! That is imperative because the ability to heal death requires unlimited power. Creation identifies the Unlimited Powerful Existence - God. For gods to be gods they must be able to create. If they cannot create, by definition, they are not gods! If truly a god, a god does not need assistance. Thus a Creator god is a monotheistic God who identifies Himself as "I AM" or JHVH. We call Him Jehovah God and Adonai God. No other gods are this one God! All others are imposters.
     Before a "Christian" asks question #2, they must answer question #1: Do you believe that God is indeed God? For Him to be God, do you trust Him as the Creator? He says that He created all things (Gen 1 &  2) and that all things were good: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" (Gen 1:31). If it (the creation) was all good, why are there bad things? Because the Serpent was evil and used gullible creatures to introduce bad things.
     What is bad in the Christian lexicon? The absence of good. Good, as we see, was the entire creation. God created good and introduced it to his creatures. Thus, goodness was created  by God because only God is good (Luke 18:19). If only God is good, then evil or bad are things contrary to God's will. God did not create bad. Bad is a consequence of deviation or rebellion from God's good. For those who are not following this line of reasoning: God is not the author or creator of bad. Someone was! Satan does not have any power to create. He can only deceive and tempt. Mankind is the creator of bad which is called evil. Sin is the exercise of evil. Bad things are self-induced. Because of the creatures' sins, the creatures created evil. We did it, so quit blaming Satan although Satan was the first to do that.
     The creatures (us humans) were made in the image of God. Since God is good, mankind was created good. However, God is omniscient. The creatures are not; we just think that we are because of the entry of the knowledge of evil into the world. That was eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God commanded not to do that. When the creatures ate, they created evil in the world. That one act was the original sin and theologians call the eating of the fruit "original sin".
     That brings us to the second question: Why do bad things happen to good people? There is much to be said about that! "Bad" is a product of mankind's disobedience. With Adam's new knowledge, he created evil. Since only God is good, the absence of good points toward the works of mankind as evil. Of course, we are God's second creation. The spiritual beings (angels) were the first. to sin. Again, they didn't create sin... they rebelled against God and that rebellion became sin. Therefore sin existed in the spiritual world and mankind brought it into the physical:

Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— (Rom 5;12)

      Sin, again, is bad. Bad exists in the world because of our own progenitor. Adam is a type of "creator"; he created sin in the world by not heeding God's authority. Why do bad things happen at all? Mankind is responsible for evil. The act of diminishing God's authority introduced bad into the world.
     Think what Paradise was like before sin entered into the world: It was all good! Since we are the authors of sin, how can God legitimately be blamed for bad things? Because of sin, there were consequences. The creatures were designed immortal. Credit must be given to the Creator for designing mankind without death, sickness, and despair.
     God warned his creature: "You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die" (Gen 2:17). The creatures ate and they died. Eve ate first, and Adam, not understanding the nature of death, ate because Eve didn't seem to have changed. However, inside she did. She did a bad thing and Adam followed suit.
     They, out of disobedience, brought death into the world because God is not a liar. On that day, death came into the world, and there are two causes and effects: (1)Sin caused death, and (2) the process leading to death is what we call "bad things".
     Actually, bad things are the consequences of sin. Genesis 3:16-19 is where God tells of the consequences of sin. Sinners believe those consequences are unfair. Because of our knowledge of good and bad, mankind has never accepted themselves a perpetrators of "bad". Like Eve and Adam who blamed the serpent and Eve, respectively, everyone still blames God! Even misled Christians blame God for bad things even though as sort of creator gods, only they could truly create bad!
     Bad things are those which cause death. The good done even by Christians are as filthy rags to God (Isa 64:6). Christians can only try to be good but they cannot! If we say that we are without sin -  good - we are liars (1 John 1:8). Those who claim to be good are still bad, and the claim of goodness is arrogance. Christians are to be meek but meek people admit their nature: It is I (you and me) who is responsible for bad but we blame God. Bad things happen to good people because we are bad.
     Ironically, good things happen to bad people. That is God's type of justice. He doesn't want people who do good, but are willing to not do bad. Because our flesh is weak even though the our spirit is willing (Mat 26:42), even Christians still do bad things.
     Our thoughts and actions are bad things. Bad thinking and sinful activities create distress in the soul, and many lead to spiritual death. Simultaneously, bad things can lead to physical death as well! For instance, one who smokes cigarettes (not a good thing to do) can expect bad things to happen to them physically. Those who lust can expect a spiritual malaise if they continually do that. Emotional depression (not clinical) can result from spiritually under-performing.  I have gotten sick (guilt) because of willful sin! That is a good thing because guilt leads to remorse and repentance. Sinful people, even Christians, bring that on themselves.
      Pain is a positive thing. When fire burns the skin, the burnt person suffers. However, that is a mechanism to keep people safe from further harm.  On the other hand, intense pain is God's mechanism in the dying process. It makes people look forward to death. The world only seems to be a place of pleasure but life itself is tribulation.
     Sometimes emotional pain causes people to desire escape. At other times, it may be the pain of cancer or such. If it wasn't for sin there would not be pain or suffering. When Adam was cast into the world, he suffered the consequences of his own sin. Things didn't go so well for him nor many of us! Adam's life was the process of dying. He was warned about that and disobeyed anyhow. Now, we not only have inherited Adam's sin but the consequences of sin.
     Death seems to be a harsh judgment for us. Indeed, for those who reject Jesus, death is dreadful. It is the initiation ceremony for forever dying. On the other hand, death for Christians is just a sting, and initiates forever living! Those who expect to live forever savor the idea of  dying in the world because they look forward to eternity with all good things! Of course dying people, and we all are dying, dread the "sting" but have hope in the hereafter. Part of our suffering is missing our loved ones which we will need to leave behind. However, the Great Commission is ultimate love - we can bring them to where we are going!
     We all hurt terribly sometimes. When mankind returns to Paradise there will be no pain or suffering. That is our reward. If life was only pleasurable who would want to leave the world? No one! Bad things happen to righteous people to increase their desire to be with God. Note that I used "righteous" rather than "good". People try to be good but only Jesus makes us righteous.
     Sometimes we do hurt terribly. My most terrible pain is fearing for the souls of others. I hurt for my loved ones who have not been made righteous. I cried yesterday in pain for a loved one. I'm not ready to die until I can take my loved ones with me; not by what I do but what God can do for them!
     When my brother Joe faced death, I know he feared the sting but was content with death because he would live forever. Joe suffered in pain but he never complained. His pain was more spiritual. He revealed to me that he hurt for his daughters who he was leaving. He was going to Heaven but feared he was leaving them behind. All Christians should hurt that way! That's why we are to go unto the world with the gospel: to prevent them the pain of dying forever!
     Why do bad things happen to good people? Bad is introduced by us and we suffer for what we brought in. That itself makes us not good (or bad). The very question is an oxymoron.  Bad is not revering the Creator. That is what Christians must do! Creators can heal death and pain. Denying the Creator circumvents that. Faith entails knowing relief is coming. We caused ourselves to suffer by sinning. It doesn't seem fair but neither does Hell. We have to suffer here but we need not suffer eternally.

On Election and Choice

     There are three major Christians doctrines: Calvinism, Arminianism, and the Doctrine of Christ. Of course, the latter is truth. The two former ones are versions (perversions) of the truth. I like to say that Jacob Arminius and John Calvin kidnapped God and put Him in their respective boxes. Likewise, each of us have placed God in our personal box because our way is profound truth in our own eyes! The personal invention of Christian doctrine is each of our attempts to be as god.
     Both of the "isms" are divisive. Satan smiles! We Christians fell into his trap set way back in the 1500s, and all of us are still entangled in it. Most Christians are not even aware of their doctrinal persuasion.  Most merely adhere to their doctrinal teaching without question, and when it is questioned, anger ensues.
     If you are a Baptist, it is likely that you are both Calvinistic and Arminian. Without knowing why, you reject some Arminian Doctrine and some Calvinistic Doctrine. I don't think that works. They are too different! However, I do believe that God can use one method for one Christian and another method for other Christians. That lets God out of the Calvinistic and Arminian boxes.
     This commentary is not on those doctrines. I have written on that before. I will not repeat my earlier commentary but condense the doctrines down to views about  free will and election. The latter is that in the beginning of time, God elected some to be saved. Of course, that means that most others, by default, were elected or chosen to be damned. I believe that may be the outcome but not God's will.
     Arminianism, on the other hand, is based on choices: that we all have the free will to choose God or not. Because Calvinism depends on grace alone (sola gratia), that means people cannot influence their destiny by what they do. On the other hand, election rewards them without regard to their actions or beliefs. (Grace is irresistible by any means).  Practicing Calvinism in its entirety is called hyper-Calvinism. An example of that from the 1750 era North Carolina Baptist Churches follows:

Because General Baptists: "were professed Arminians that the Particular Baptists believed the members of their churches unregenerate , and magnified the looseness of the discipline. Their churches (the General Baptists) were full of the unconverted who had been attracted by the proclamation that any son of Adam may become a Christian and an heir of salvation who will come to Jesus and accept him as a personal Saviour: of course on such an invitation all the world would become Christian, for everybody desires to escape the wrath to come." (History of North Carolina Baptists Vol. 1, Paschal, George Washington; page 33.)

     Because General Baptists believe that salvation is possible for all, and Particular Baptists that for only the "elect", it followed that General Baptists took into membership unconverted sinners. Their view was that General Baptists Churches were havens in which sinners were accepted as Christians even though God had elected them to be damned. Again, that is hyper-Calvinism. You can see where it led: the church should not go out into the world because if it was God's chosen, sinners would come to the Church.
     As such, Particular Baptists were not missionaries. Those who were became Missionary Baptists. They clung to some Calvinism but rejected hyper-Calvinism. Most modern-day Baptist churches are missionary-minded. Hyper-Calvinists failed their job assignment as they did not go unto the world and preach the gospel as commanded. Hyper-Calvinism died a slow death. By 1800 there were few Particular Baptist Churches in North Carolina - the hotbed of Baptists.
     Regular Baptists were not missionary minded. They were mostly of the Particular persuasion. General Baptists believe that salvation is for anyone who calls on the name of Jesus,  and that since their reward was not predestined, Christians could fall away. That falling-away is that salvation is conditional; that faith is not a one-time event - it is a lifetime responsibility. That places the onus somewhat on the Christians, and Calvinists see that as heretical to sola gratia. 
     General Baptists are Arminian. They believe that mankind plays a part in their own salvation, but credit it to God's calling. All that sinners need to do is respond.
     Calvinists interpret that response as "works", and that General Baptists attempt to save themselves. On the other hand, Generals believe that faith is from God, and all that Christians need do is realize that. That too is sola gratia but Particulars don't understand it that way.
     Generals believe that God provides the faith for regeneration (born again), but that Christians will exercise that faith, not to obtain salvation but in gratitude for it. Thus Calvinists are not big, in general, on sanctification - the setting apart from the world in righteousness. They see Arminian attempts at obedience as being righteous of the self or sinners trying to save themselves (self-righteousness).
     General Baptists in North Carolina, at one time, were the predominant faith. Northern Particular Baptists proselytized the General Baptist preachers who in turn proselytized the flocks. Because General Baptist Church people listened to hyper-Calvinists, their denomination nearly died out. Hyper-Calvinism is heretical because it kills the Church!
     They accused Generals of allowing sinners into heaven. On the other hand, their doctrine kept sinners away from salvation. Not only that, but who decided the elect? It seems that it was they who allowed sinners to become part of the Church by what Bonnhoeffer called "cheap grace". In my mind, cheap grace is the expectation of being elected without regard to the agony of Christ's payment for salvation. Generally speaking, and it is debatable, Arminians tend to live more Christlike because value is placed on God's will which is form the Ten Commandments and the Greatest Commandment.
     Calvinists see commands as totally non-essential. For salvation they are, but for gratitude (loving God) they are the evidence of a regenerated person. Hyper-Calvinists wrongly see Generals as "loose in discipline" whereas Generals see Particulars as totally lax in discipline.
     I believe that hyper-Calvinism - close adherence to Calvinism - is heresy, and that John Calvin was heretical. Most Baptists reject election and predestination and are more Arminian. Many reject total depravity because that notion rejects free will. Most Baptists, then, are free-will Baptists and are more Arminian. However, most Baptists cling to the idea of preservation of the saints called "eternal security".
     Eternal security means just that. Once anyone is born again, that person no longer needs to worry about sin in his or her life. They are already saved.  Arminians see that as ungracious and without gratitude, and that disobedience is a demonstration of the condition of the heart: it's not the sin which damns (reprobation) but the unwillingness to submit to God's authority. Many one-point Calvinists do submit but the doctrine remains that they need not!
    Eternal security fosters the notion and that people are saved when they are born again. That is not the Doctrine of Christ. They are born-again, and are safe in that God protects them from evil. However, their choice is to put on the whole armor of God or not! In other words, choice and free will are not only pre-requisites for regeneration but for salvation.
     Arminians believe that free will continues after regeneration. On the other hand, the doctrine of eternal security seems to eliminate free will at regeneration: people can no longer choose death. I submit that they still have free will at any time and can reject salvation. (Becoming "unsaved" is an impossibility because the word is itself is meaningless!) Thus, Christians are not saved until they die; at that time they are saved from eternal death. Until that time they are safe, and those who are certain that they shall be saved, have the assurance of salvation.
     They are certain that on the day of wrath, they shall be saved. That is great faith! We all have that but also still have our human wills. We exercise our wills every time we decide to sin or not! People can reject God at anytime. Satan tried to get faithful Job to do that, and Job could have! God allowed Job to be tested for God cannot be! In other words, God kept Job safe but Job chose eternal life over comfort and temporal security. Job's pleasure was that tribulation end, but his hope was that God would end it!
     Eternal security, then, is an extension of election. Just as sinners can't resist God to be Christians, with that doctrine, they cannot resist God's salvation. In other words, Christians will receive the reward even of they reject it! You see, Calvinism has five points. They all are inter-dependent. By accepting even one, people, unknown to them, seem to be accepting them all. That is how the Serpent worked and still does. Mankind is deceived!
     Now I will let God out of my Herrin box: God does as He pleases, not as we want Him to do. I submit that Paul was elected and was converted by irresistible grace; he experienced that! On the other hand, Paul's regeneration was not the norm: he was blinded so that he could see. Were you? Paul was a special case. On the other hand, Jesus fished for the other apostles and most weren't fully persuaded until Jesus died. Persuasion is the outcome of an individual's thoughts.
     King Agrippa was "almost persuaded" by Paul. Agrippa needed to do something to be saved. He needed to be convinced. Agrippa had to make a decision then accept it. He rejected salvation although he could have chosen it. Calvinists would say that he was not one of the elect. Arminians would say that he made the worst decision of his life: he chose death!
     Judas accepted Jesus as Savior, then before Jesus died, Judas rejected him. He made a choice just as Agrippa did. They both exercised their free will. Since mankind was made in the image of God, by grace he gave people wills just as He had! They are to use their wills for God. Their use is for one principle decision: Will I trust God or not? That is recognition of God's will, His authority, His power, and His own sacrifice. Paul was convinced by a sign (blindness). For most of mankind, it is by reason. We are to consider ourselves and reject our own feeble attempts and depend on God. Agrippa didn't want to do that, although it seems that he believed he should!
     Judas once believed enough to follow Christ, but when Satan tempted him, he chose a new master. Judas rejected Jesus. Anyone can still make that decision until they die. That choice is "conditional security". It allows us to be more than automatons but follow Jesus by choice. God could have created automatons, but He wanted his creatures wills to correspond to His will. Eternal security makes Christian less like God, not more so; we are not automatons who only move because God causes us to move. Our every thought and action is done in freedom. If we were automatically "saved" at regeneration, then we would still be in bondage, not to the Law but being forced into liberty from the Law.
     People get angry when the argument of security is involved. My wish is that my notion of truth be considered. I have considered the opposing opinion for years and tested both by scripture. Sometimes both factions use the same scripture to support their belief! I only want the truth. For years, others have tried to convince me of their truth, but I can only believe what the Lord has me to believe. Don't be angry with me, and I won't be with you. Hatred and anger is what Satan wants. We both can steer away from the Deceiver.
   
   

The Days of Noah

     There seems to be some theological confusion concerning "the second coming of Christ". Being a humble man, perhaps I am the one confused! Paul describes Christ coming again: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first" (1 Thes 4:16). That is definitely the "snatching away" which is called the rapture. Clearly that is the second coming of Christ! Many translations use "coming" rather than "descend". On the other hand, the following passages seem to describe the rapture and the destruction of the earth:

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.(Mat 24-41)

     The message begins with the heaven and earth passing away. Of course that refers to God's Words, but if we look at the context, the same idea is transmitted: Jesus compared the coming of the Son (Jesus) to be as the flood was in the days of Noah. The old earth was destroyed and replaced by a new earth. That is the same type of "refreshing" as at the end of time (Rev 21:1). Isaiah, like the apostle John, saw the new heaven and the new earth (Isa 65:17).  Perhaps Paul saw the destruction and renewal of the heavens and earth when Jesus blinded him that he could see!
     Perhaps the rapture and the second coming are the same event! That doctrine is called "post-tribulational premillennialism". That differs from what most evangelicals believe. However, that is not the discussion; what is that whenever Jesus comes the second time, it will be when times are the most evil.
     How evil was the world in Noah's day? Only eight people survived the flood! The universal flood was circa 3000 BC. The estimated population at that time was 14,000. (Colin McEvedy and Richard Jones, 1978, Atlas of World Population History, Facts on File, New York). Of course, the flood was ignored in those calculations because of unbelief by those who estimate things. For lack of numbers before the flood, let's use theirs. Eight divided by 14,000 is roughly 0.06%.
     The world population right now is estimated to be 11,000,000,000 or so people. That indicates that for those living when Jesus comes, there will be only 63,000 (or a few more) living people ascending to meet Jesus in the sky. That corresponds to Scripture:

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Mat 7:13-14)

     Can you imagine how narrow the gate to eternal life is? In the end, the Way is the same as it was as in the days of Noah: Just a few were saved even though the ark's door was open to all! The world believed Noah and His God to be foolish, and took the wide gate - the gate open to outside of Paradise. They were destroyed by water.
     The ark's gate was unguarded. The cherubim were sent on holiday when the rains came. The decision was up to every single person. Was it God's Way or the way of the world? Merely eight living souls entered the gate. Built to God's instructions, the ark's gate was straight and true. The password for entry was God's Name which is Jesus. Yes, it was by grace that the door was open to all but people chose whether to take salvation of not. Scripture says it's the same way to eternal salvation! The choice is ours!
     Few will choose wisely. Pleasure was in the world. Satan deceived the people into believing that they would not die. They looked back at the pleasure in the world, and sought its satisfaction. Like Lot's wife, they had their chance, and died! Salvation is a personal decision then and it is now. It's the same as in the days of Noah.
     God did not number those who would walk the Way up to the Gate before He closed it. His ark was designed for all who would enter. He knew the number long before the ark's construction commenced. The Designer designed the ship for those who would eventually enter. God then closed the gate because He knew the exact number who would  board the ship to salvation.
     Right now God has a room prepared for Christians in His mansion. He knew how large the mansion had to be, and the size of the City of God. It need not be a large city because few will enter in. He does expect more than in the days of Noah because there will be twelve gates instead of one. Some belief the twelve gates are for the 144,000 Jews. Perhaps in that day Judaism and Christianity will merge again using love in lieu of commandments.  Perhaps only 144,000 living persons will be all that enter. That is certainly on the same scale as my calculations! Perhaps the 63,000 will increase to 144,000 by that time! (I love to speculate.)
     My point is that few will enter the narrow Gate. We all think it will be us! I like to believe that myself, but know I don't deserve entry. No one deserves entry, but the meek will inherit that Great City.
     I have hope because I know that I don't deserve grace but that God is merciful. The race of which Paul refers are those who race for the Gate. Blindly, I run the race because I see the prize. I must obtain mercy before the Gate is closed. The Cross is the Gate and Mercy was nailed onto it. The Way to the Gate is by the Name Jesus. Any other name closes the door because there is but one Way to enter.
(Note: The twelve Gates of the City of God are not twelve ways but twelve opportunities.) I run the race quickly without looking back. I don't want to be screaming when the Gate is closed. It will be some day soon, and not on my time but His.

Noah's Ark: More of the Story

     Over the centuries many adventurers have "found" the ark on Mt. Ararat but at different locations. Others believe it is not on Ararat but in the mountains of the country Ararat which is known today as Armenia. Recently those of the Ark Museum believe they have found the ark. I am not an archeologist nor even a theologian, so I will not question the authenticity of their find.
     I do know that if their find was ancient wood or even petrified wood, that makes it plausible. On the other hand, if it was merely stone that they found, then it is not! Petrified wood, once organic, becomes mineral by displacement but it still retains the appearance of wood. In other words, the ark of the covenant would still look like the timbers from which it was built.
     Is discovering the ark imperative for faith? Not for me! I believe Holy Scripture. Noah built the ark because he had faith - trusting the unseen: "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house..." (Heb 11:7). Noah had great faith: he had never seen rain, a flood, a rainbow, nor even an ark. He built the ark not even knowing the physics of flotation. How did he do that? He trusted God for knowledge, wisdom, and instruction. The Word told him what to do, and how to do it. That was Jesus - God manifested - who instructed Noah in righteousness.
    Noah's nature was Gentile. Indeed he was as Gentile as Jew, even more so! "The Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom" (1 Cor 1:22). Noah didn't need a sign to build the ark, not even a drop of rain. He used logic - the wisdom of what would become the Greeks or Gentile people. God warned him of the flood and Noah believed Him; he didn't need a clap of thunder or anything other than trusting the Lord to build the ark. The construction of that large ship took a great degree of faith. He didn't know what a storm would be but trusted God for salvation from it! (Noah, by faith, "walked" on water with Jesus. His faith was greater than Peter's!)
     Noah didn't need evidence. He believed what the Lord told him and obeyed. Likewise, Christians don't need the proof of the ark's existence. Whether it is found or not would never satisfy God's skeptics. If Christians have great faith, they will not need to see the ark. Our faith should be satisfied by the death of Jesus on the cross. Salvation and baptism is what the ark was all about. Noah understood that; why can't we? Noah needed the ark to be saved, Jesus is our Ark, thus, we  don't need another ship or even need that one.
     The ark took on different forms at different times. Adam's "ark" - the Tree of Life - provided the skin of a sacrificed animal. Abraham's ark was the Ark of the Covenant as God lived with the Hebrews. Moses's ark was a basket carrying him as a baby to salvation from death. Our "ark" is the cross on which all mankind was saved. All arks are from the Tree of Life!
      I like to believe that the True Cross was made from the wood of Noah's ark. Even that is not necessary, because it was not the cross which saved mankind, but the Tree of Life who died  on that tree! God's Arks are always salvation.
     It is not the object which saves, but the Lord behind the ark. Noah was saved by God's Name which is Jesus because "by no other name can anyone be saved" (Acts 4:12). Guess what: that means Noah and his household were saved by the grace of God's own impending death. His faith was greater than ours because he believed in not only what he could not see, but what had yet to happen! Noah's ark (actually God's Ark) is part of the mystery of Christ. Noah knew Jesus firsthand before the Lord was ever called Jesus!
     If Noah could trust Jesus without evidence, why can't Christians today? Scripture and secular history are both evidence that Jesus is real, worked miracles, died on the cross, and his body is nowhere to be found because the Lord was resurrected. Why do we need proof of the ark? It has no power anymore than the chunks of wood which kings carried in battle from the "True Cross".
     However, some will not be stilled. Gentiles could not be persuaded much better than the Jews. The miracles were for doubting Jews: the appearance of the Holy Ghost and speaking a forgotten language was evidence that even most Jews rejected. The Lord said that the Jews were not convinced by Moses nor the prophets, neither a warning from Hell could convince them (Luke 16:31). Likewise, a big boat from the Holy Mountain will hardly convince anyone if they are not convinced by the Lord's death and resurrection!
     Where can we turn to find the ark since people need to find it to satisfy their doubt? We turn to the Bible. I understand the enthusiasm Christians have to say, "Ha ha… we found the ark!" I would like that myself because it would prove the world to be wrong. However, that discovery would not be faith in the Lord but convincing that the Bible is right on that one point. That is not faith! That is belief in the world or trusting what can be seen.
     You should now read Genesis chapter eight and nine. After the flood while in the ark, let's elaborate on the sequence of events:

1. After the rain stopped the ark the waters began to recede (8:2).
2. After 150 days the waters were abated (8:3). ("diminished" from Strong's Dictionary).
3. In the seventh month the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. (8:4)
4. In the tenth month the waters had receded so as to see the mountain tops. (8:5)
5. After another forty days, Noah opened the window and sent out a raven. It flew until the water was dried up from the earth. (8:6-7)
6. Either then or later he also sent forth a dove which found no dry land and then returned. (8:8-9)
7. After seven more days Noah sent forth another dove. (8:10) That same evening the dove returned with an olive leaf in its mouth. (8:11).
8. After seven more days, he sent out another dove which did not return. (8:12)
9. After the 601st year of Noah's life, he removed the ark's covering and the earth was dry.(8:13) That was the seventh month on the 27th (8:14).
10. Noah began to empty the ark and leave (8:18-19).
11. Noah built an altar to the Lord and offered offerings (8:20)
12. The sons of Noah and maybe Noah left the ark and spread out into the world (9:19)
13. Apparently before they left the area, they made and lived in a tent (9:2).

     Starting near the end of salvation sequence above, Noah left the ark. Scripture did not say what happened to the ark if anything at that time. Therefore, we should not imply that Noah tore down the ark and used the wood for anything! He certainly did not build the altar with the wood because altars could not be hewn.  Thus, we can be led to believe that the ark, a holy relic, was not destroyed by faithful men. Neither can we presume that Noah lived in the ark at all because scripture says that he was in his tent when he became drunken.

     Thus, from scripture, nowhere do we find the ark was destroyed. Some theologians say it must have been. That is not scriptural.

      Where did the ark land? Perhaps there are some clues: We know that either the ark rested on the mountains with are now called Ararat or the land now called Armenia with that name on another mountain. Genesis 10:25 says that in Peleg's day the earth was divided. Or it could have been when the earth was broken up at the time of the flood (Gen 7:11).  I believe that was the division of the continents (continental drift) from the single land mass at the creation (Gen 1:9).

     Why is continental drift important? Ararat is on the edge of a tectonic plate which means it may have drifted as well. Continental rotation is theorized to be around the Mediterranean Sea and Jerusalem was is "the navel of the world". My point is twofold: (1) We don't really know where the ark was set down according to modern geography nor do we even know the coordinates in modern times where Ararat was. On a world map, Ararat could be anywhere within site of it's mountain peaks.

     The third event says that the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. There are many mountains in that range. That is somewhere within what is in Armenia or may be even in the Ararat mountain range. In the fourth event, Noah could see the mountain tops. This was from somewhere in Armenia or the mountain range of Ararat. 

     Ararat has two peaks: Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat. The Greater is roughly 17,000 feet high and the lesser is 13,000 feet. There are many other mountains in that range of even smaller height (7,000 feet).

     Scripture says that Noah saw more than one mountain top (plural). From his vantage point, he surely saw Greater and Lesser Ararat. We do know that the ark rested on some mountain in the Ararats or in the land of Ararat. He was at some greater elevation than sea level, We know that his elevation was less than 13,000 feet providing volcanic activity has not grown the mountains which are big craters. (Perhaps they were the fountains for the water,  but that's just imagining).

       The discovers of the ark say it was at 13,000 feet elevation. That would mean that it had to be on Greater Ararat. That elevation is not supported by Scripture. Noah saw both Greater and Lesser Ararat. Since Lesser was 13,000 feet high, from the vantage point of the ark, he would have not seen Lesser Ararat if that elevation was true. The ark certainly could have moved to a lower elevation but not to a higher one. God's Laws of fluidics don't work that way!

     For instance, olive trees can only live at elevations lower than 3000 feet (Wikipedia). Therefore, it is likely that the ark was higher than that, and that the water had receded where the dove had been to an elevation lower than 3000 feet.

      I am a skeptic about finding the ark. I do hope that I am wrong, but according to Scripture, I don't think so! However, hunting the ark is a way take the gospel into the world. As long as it's truthful, hunting the ark seems acceptable. Has the True Ark been found. I don't know but I do know that Jesus is my own Ark! Perhaps later, using fluid flow and the times from the Bible I will calculate the elevation where the real ark rested.

Virtue

     Virtue is like morel mushrooms: it is hard to come by! When I think of goodness in nature, I think of those delicious morsels. I dream about the delicious taste of them. I know that is a bad analogy but you know what I mean; that virtue is extremely desirable but difficult to obtain.

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (1 Pet 1:2-7)

     Let us focus on virtue in those passages:  "virtue" is dynamis in the Greek. That very word indicates power. Power comes in different "flavors". The implication is that it is the Power of God or spiritual morality of the best flavor: goodness. Before, we move on, let's examine the best usages of the word virtue:

And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. (Luke 8:46)

And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. (Luke 6:19)

    There are only three instance in the Bible of virtue flowing from Jesus. Those are two of them. The other one is the healing of the blood issue of a woman:

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? Mark 5:29-31)

     Thus, we can see that virtue is the transmission of goodness from one person to the next. However, goodness is not of the individual but of God. I believe the laying on of hands is a biblical way of transmitting God's goodness from one person to the next as demonstrated by Jesus being in contact with the faithful. In all these cases, Jesus's virtue was for healing. Somehow faith is the source from which goodness flows. The greatest faith is the faith of God, but doubt decreases that faith:

For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? (Rom 3:3)

     Jesus can heal because of His perfect faith. God knows His own power! The rest of us must accept in confidence that Jesus has the power of healing that we don't have. That enlightenment results in being born again. Jesus's ability to heal is infinite power. Our virtue "stream" is much less and is dependent on our faith. Jesus gave examples of faith: (1) no faith, (2) a little faith, (3) faith of a grain of mustard seed, (4) great faith, (5) the faith of Abraham, and (6) the faith of God. Thus faith is a variable and is measured from zero to infinite faith. 
    Jesus could heal one or many because His virtue was infinite. He could, however, feel it leaving. When Jesus was tested by Satan after forty days deprived of nourishment, he felt great loss of virtue in defeating sin. Power flowed out of him to shield himself from the devouring beast. Thus, virtue not only heals but protects!
    Christians cannot heal to a great extent because faith is the powerhouse from which virtue flows. Our "little faith" is enough to move mountains but is ineffectual because we have no need to move mountains. There is a need, though, to escape corruption and love others. Jesus used his virtue to heal the sick, but his was enough to move a mightier mountain: the mountain of sins committed by all His creation.

Who his own self (Jesus) bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Pet 2:24)

     That is the ultimate case of virtue flowing from Jesus. His death healed the nations. It is written, "Through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb 2:14). The death of Jesus was goodness flowing from him to defeat death to heal the world. No wonder Jesus thought the Father had forsaken him! The flow of goodness from himself to Hell where sin was destroyed was tremendous. The flow of goodness - virtue - is what killed Jesus. Then the flow of virtue subsided because it was finished:

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.(John 19:30)

     Jesus was drained of power. The Holy Spirit is the power of God (John 14:26) and is the source of power to God's children (Acts 1:8). At Jesus's death, so much virtue came out of him to defeat sin that finally his power was exhausted. Jesus gave up the Ghost which was his own Power from God. That specific Power or Spirit was the Existence of Jesus's own Spirit - his "ghost" because it was God's Spirit which was diminished in defeating all sin. That is not to say that the Holy Spirit became lesser but finished the task at hand. It was an exhausting task and Jesus's soul agonized in anticipation and completion of his Purpose!
     Christians, if they are truly born again, have that virtue as well. Because God so loved the world, He shared his virtue with it (John 3:16). Love flowed from himself to the world bountiful enough to destroy sin and defeat Satan. We aren't capable of virtue in ourselves. We can't defeat sin because we are not God! However, true Christians have some degree of virtue, not of ourselves, but of God since it is by faith. Christian virtue goes from us to the world through the work of love. The more virtue Christians have, the more loving they are. Loving others is being like Jesus. As virtue came out of him to heal those who have faith, love should come out of them to heal others.
     Of course, virtuous Christians can pray for healing of the sick. Perhaps the laying on of hands transmits that virtue. Perhaps anointing with olive oil precipitates the flowing of virtue. Either way, the greater the faith, the greater the virtue to heal. It may have become clear; the Holy Spirit is the Power behind the sharing of virtue. It's not from us but from God. The flowing out of virtue has two streams flowing into one:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Mat 22:36-39)

     The end result of adding virtue to our faith is that flowing out of love in those two streams: (1) to God, and (2) to others. By sharing virtue to others it is seen as virtue back to God. It seems that the flow of virtue has a circular path: from God to us, from us to others and God, from others back to God. That virtue is the world communing with or showing love for God and his creation.
     Sin shuts off the flow of virtue. We are not demonstrating love when we sin. Sin is sort of a spiritual redirection of love. Love toward God is virtue. Love is without iniquity. Iniquity is the cessation of virtue, or when love ceases. Love is hard work requiring much Power. God supplies that Power through His Holy Spirit in the form of virtue, not of Christians but from them originating from God.
     Doing God's will is the flow of virtue. God's will be done is loving Him and others. It's so simple, why do we not do it? Because of sin! Sin may or may not be damning for the born again Christian but it sure decreases love. In fact, sin is hatred! Hatred is the negative flow of virtue. It's taking back goodness and returning evil in its place.
     Just as the flow of love heals the world, hatred murders. Scripture equivocates hatred with murder (1 John 3:15). If the flow of virtue provides healing and life, then the opposing flow of iniquity or hatred of God's will, kills.
     From 1 Pet 1:2-7 above we learn that from faith comes virtue. To have virtue requires faith which is trusting in God. Virtue or goodness should flow from the faithful. The absence of sin, called righteousness, is the evidence of faith which is the assurance of salvation. When there is no flow of virtue, those who identify as Christians should question their faith. Virtue is doing God's will. We love God by obedience. The disobedient are not loving God and the flow of virtue is stopped dead by sin.