Fantasyland

Fantasy helps people cope! Fantasy is something we do in our imaginations which we can't in reality. It may be something impossible, forbidden or disreputable. We all have fantasy's of some sort at times, but some people live in Fantasyland.

Fantasyland is an existence somewhere between reality and insanity. Perhaps it's a mechanism to escape reality and yet not be insane!  The earliest philosophers have always pondered "What is reality?" in effect by asking "What is truth?' These two thoughts are interconnected because truth must be in congruent to reality.

Let's look at some fantasies of many people:

• Being discovered for their talent.
• Winning the lottery, becoming wealthy.
• Marrying the person of their dreams.
• Their children being obedient and successful.
• Playing a professional sport.
• Becoming a rock star.
• ad nauseum

Most of these, if not all, are in fact achievable! However, some are more possible than others. People are often "discovered" for their talent. It may not be by Hollywood, but employers discover fine employees every day.

Playing a professional support is much more of a fantasy, but many high school athletes dream of that.  One of my students in Sunday School, age 19, said that he was going to play professional football, notwithstanding that he had played in a county school and was now working at serving fast food. When I asked "And what college do you now play for?", he only looked bewildered. His fantasy was unrealistic because he had not yet been discovered and was in no situation to be discovered! He likely never had the qualifications or skill to be what he fantasized!

When I attended "open meeting" at the drug rehab, most of the teens had one thing in common: their goals in life were to become rock stars, and it appears that most of them believed the first step to stardom was getting high. Why did they think that way? That's what rock stars do! I guess they thought that someone like Simon Cowell would step in the high school restroom where they were loving on Maryjane, grab them by their long sissified hair and take them to the recording studio where they could borrow a guitar and some talent;  then screech into the microphone.

Fantasy's are possible, but unlikely. However, "possible fantasies" are what's called "hope". I hoped, when I was young, that I would be successful! At the time it was a mere fantasy because I was a youth with no skills and had a very narrow road to accomplishment.

I have a fantasy right now! My desire is to go to heaven. I don't deserve to go there, many people say it's not real, and hence, is unattainable. Their is no tangible evidence that anyone ever went to heaven! Is heaven a mere fantasy?

We can't see heaven, no one knows where it is, and scientists can't detect it. Most people would say "Heaven is not for real!", but I know that "Heaven Is For Real"!  Scientifically and objectively heaven is not there. It's a mere fantasy in the minds of those who fear death. Their fantasy is that they will never die, but live on! Not a bad fantasy, I would say! The Bible describes this fantasy:

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

It would appear that my fantasy has purpose! It's called faith! My fantasy is what I hope for and it's going to a place where things can't be seen; from here anyhow!

Remember, I said some fantasies are possible! That's "hope" and "faith" is my trust that what I hope for meets objective reality! It would be futile to fantasize heaven and then heaven is proven to be not real. There are things out there somewhere that we just don't know about from a scientific standpoint, but are there regardless of popular thought.

In the courtroom forsenic and corroborating evidence is allowed to prove innocence or guilt. Forsenic evidence is what's scientific. Corroborating evidence is testimony by reliable witnesses. Given that forsenic evidence is not available for heaven, we must rely on the testimony of witnesses.

Acts 1:1 "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he (Jesus) was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight."

• The ascension was documented by Luke, the author of Acts. 
• Luke gave Theophilus a first hand account of the ascension.
• The apostles all saw the ascension.
• They all saw him after he was crucified and resurrected.
• It was by "infallible proofs" that he was there after his death.
• He assembled with the apostles although he had died.
• He spoke to others after his death.
• The apostles saw him taken up into the heavens.

Therein lies the corroborating evidence by trustworthy people who wrote what would be "legal dispositions" that Jesus died, yet lived afterwards, and that he ascended into the clouds and has yet to return. Where is Jesus now? He went to his Father was his own first hand testimony and where he went it was not yet time for them to go!

My fantasy had possibilities! I admit that it's only faith right now, but it is a fantasy actually experienced by another. Therefore, it is a tangible fantasy!

Without this hope or tangible fantasy there would be little reason for living and it would be extremely hard to cope! However, heaven and Jesus is are from a coping mechanism, is more real than a fantasy, and I can do something to make it more likely: to move it from the fantasy realm into a trustworthy hope. I can believe and have faith!

So you have little faith? Then where is your hope? Who is better off; those who fantasize on the trivial unlikely things which are certain not to happen, or the few of us who put our hope in Jesus? For dreamers there is no salvation. For doubters there is none, but for those with faith our hope will come true! The objective evidence points that way! After all, if Jesus didn't ascend into heaven where is he? Where does he lie in the grave?

Not A Good Listener: Hearing But Not Processing

I'm not a good listener! Being hearing impaired with tinnitus, it reduces my hearing level 60% or so. However, I have a major problem in addition to that: When people are speaking intelligent thoughts I am busy processing what I hear and my cognitive activity interferes with new transmissions. I'm a poor listener because I analyze what the speaker is saying and get caught up in the trappings of my own mind!

Likewise, when people are merely chatting for fellowship on non-value added things, my mind is off in some dusty filing system pulling out things I've read which I deem more important to share with the people I'm with. This is rude and I endeavor to leave dusty things filed away! For instance, if someone mentions "surgery" in a conversation, my mind automatically goes back to the first abdominal surgery performed by Ephraim McDowell in Green County, Kentucky in 1809. When I do that, I miss the next topic of conversation and people think "He didn't hear me!". I didn't hear because I failed to listen. I was caught up in thought.

This is a good thing and a bad thing. I'm a minor league "Walter Mitty" and that's bad. However, the good things about thinking deeply about what one hears is that the conversation has meaning, and if both parties are thinking and sharing, both can readily learn from each other!

Mark 4:9 "And he (Jesus) said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

When speaking in parables Jesus said this often! Parables are life events that could happen and Jesus use them to make a spiritual or moral point. People listened to parables and heard the words, but they failed to draw the parallel Jesus was making. They were not getting any spiritual lessons from the short story being told. Therefore, what Jesus meant was "You have ears that hear, but you fail to consider what you're hearing!"

Shallow people can hear everything, but still fail to put the puzzle together because they are lackadaisical thinkers. One of my own favorite sayings is "Words mean things!" That's why words are spoken. Most people are eager hearers, but lazy thinkers. "Watter's World" on FOXNEWS is an example of these type of people! The people he interviews surely heard, maybe many times, current events or history. However, they never thought about what they heard! Why? Likely they didn't care and it failed to register because their minds were occupied on other things. Most of the time it's recreation and entertainment which fills the void where learning should be!

Often people who saturate their thoughts with entertainment fail to heed much of significance. When I see people with headphones on while running, relaxing, driving or whatever; I think: "Give your mind a break! Think on things of importance!"

Growing up working on a farm, I heard one thing most of the day: the roar of a tractor engine! That's wasn't a pleasant sound so I filled it with wonder! "I wonder why I'm here." "I wonder how God created the universe" and my most profound thought as a teenage "How far does nothing go out there beyond the cosmos?" I want to know these things! I care little for what others think, but cherish what God says about things. I seek truth. Scientists seek truth as well, but in seeking truth, they rule our Truth. By slighting God, most scientific thought will never paint an accurate picture because God is a big part of the picture!

This is rambling and I know it! However all my rambling leads to a point: When reading scripture, one must do more than mentally hear the words, but let the mind cogitate on the thought behind the words before moving on. Specifically, when reading the Bible, especially the Old Testament, continually ask yourself this question: "What has this got to do with Jesus?' It has everything to do with Jesus, and that thought process supplies the clues to answering what is "The Mystery of God"!

The Voice: Music to My Ears!

The Voice is a television show about discovering talent. It's a television competition series. Contestants come from all walks of life and the talent is judged in four stages by judges from the entertainment community who are artists themselves. The winner of the competition is just about guaranteed success in the music industry, unless of course, careers are cut short by drugs and fame.

There is another "Voice". This voice is part of "The Mystery of God" has much more importance than those merely singing! THE VOICE is mentioned casually early on, in scripture, but let's look first at a peculiar gospel.

Matthew, Mark and Luke are synoptic gospels. They tell pretty much the same story of Jesus' birth,  ministry, death and resurrection. However, the Book of John is a little different. It is a multi-layered, possibly a collusion of facts about Jesus. This gospel gives an account of the "spiritual" Jesus before he was embodied! Let's look at a few verses:

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." 

In John, it seems that Jesus' story introduced John's ministry, whereas in the other gospels, John came to introduce the world to Jesus! To be sure, Jesus' pre-existence is why John came to introduce Jesus who was here before John; long before! That is unique and that book.

This verse is key to another mystery of God! The Book of John explains the origins of Jesus! He always was. He was always at the side of God. He is God. He is the part of God who was made flesh, and he is the one CALLED Jesus. His purpose before his advent was to declare the things of the Father (God).

First off, Jesus was not the Christ's name. Jesus was his Name to us. Luke 2:21 says " his name was called Jesus". He WAS and IS God. He was also called "Christ" and "Emmanuel" which is "God with us".  On the cross he was called "King of the Jews", but by whatever name he was called, he IS God. John ensures the reader understands that Jesus always WAS before he was called anything. He was "the messenger of God" called often "The Angel of God" in not only the Old Testament (OT), but in the New Testament (NT) as well!

"Angel" mans "messenger". Messengers have messages consisting of words. Hence, messengers speak words, and in the Bible, it's the words of God. "The Angel of God" is a particular messenger. He speaks THE WORD. Our church fathers knew that "The Angel of God" is "THE WORD" and the WORD was made flesh and IS Jesus! Hence, any OT reference to "The Angel of God", "Voice", "God said...", etc. was The Messiah speaking. Jesus is throughout the entire OT! The OT is all about Jesus!

The purpose of Jesus is to save mankind from eternal damnation. That's the physical reason for Jesus. He came as the Son of Man (Mary) to save man! Jesus came to save by being the living sacrifice for mankind!

"The Word" had another purpose. His call was to declare what God wanted to told. Since he was God, it was not a sharing of thoughts from God he was to bring to mankind, but since he is God, he knew God's will first hand. The Word spoke God's direct Word. There was no need to reiterate the message and lose content!

Then all that remains is "What did The Word come to declare?" The Word came to tell mankind and the patriarchs "the mystery of God"!

Revelation 10:7 "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."

What did The Word tell the prophets? "He hath declared (as did the seventh angel) the mystery of God" (aka "The Mystery of Christ"). Hence, The Word came to tell the prophets of the OT about Jesus!  Is then, the mystery of God, the story of Jesus?

Colossians 1:25 "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"

There are two parts to the passage: 1) Salvation is for all, not just the Jews, and 2) salvation is by Christ as Jesus was also "called".  Conclusion: The prophets knew about Jesus all along and their belief in Jesus is what saved them! Hence, the "Dispensation of Grace" was there from the beginning as it still is!

Throughout the entire Bible, OT and NT, whenever God spoke, it was "The Word" who was to become Jesus! Abraham had great faith because he spoke to the "person" who took on flesh and became Jesus. The Word told him all about salvation. The Word told Abraham how he was to die to save mankind! How do I know that? Because Abraham did symbolically after speaking with The Word, what Jesus did in reality! Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his own son demonstrated that he knew what God would someday do himself!

So "Jesus" spoke with Abraham. Does that make sense? Yes, it does for how else did he know to play the part of God and the Isaac play the Son? Not only did Abraham know about Jesus and speak with him, but even Adam and Eve conversed with the Savior! "The Word" and "The Voice" are one and the same!

Genesis 3:8 "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden."

John speaks of Jesus from the beginning! Well since he was there, just where was he? Jesus was walking in the garden in the cool of the evening! "The Voice" they heard was "The Word" who later took on flesh and became Jesus!  Therefore, the Bible is about Christianity, not about Judaism. Salvation was always by The Word. He told them, not what to DO, but in whom to have FAITH.

This logic correspondents to "The Mystery of God" which is that salvation was always for everyone, not just the Jews, although the Jews were given special opportunities since they were God's "chosen" people: This is based on the scripture

Colossians 1:27 "God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles..." from the aforementioned quoted scripture.

Mystery Part 1 solved! The plan of salvation was always by faith in Jesus, either is coming or his going! Mystery Part 2 solved. Salvation was always open to everyone. The Jews were chosen people because Christ wore Jewish flesh! However, that Jewish flesh was shed for Jew and Gentile.

John 1:18a says "No man hath seen God at any time..."

Who, then did Moses peak to on the mountain? Who was it he saw?

 Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: 4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I."

This speaks volumes! "The Angel of the Lord" APPEARED to Moses, although scripture cannot contradict itself when John wrote that "no man has seen God at any time" (John 1:18a). THE Angel of the Lord "called unto him (Moses)". That calling was "The Voice", also known as "The Word". It was Jesus who spoke to Moses! You see, this is all a part of the "Mystery of Christ"! Or as Paul wrote in the letter to Colossians:

(1:26) "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:"

The Messiah (Christ) when born incarnate was CALLED Emmanuel. He was CALLED Jesus. He IS God! What is His name?

Exodus 3:13 "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.

God said. The Voice said. The Word said. Jesus said: "I AM" is his name! This is validated by Jesus when he was walking on water!

Matthew 14:26 "And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.."

This is transliterated from the Greek to English "it is I". More accurately, according to linguists, Jesus said "I AM", thus reinforcing that it IS God who is walking on the water and has appeared to them, and that Jesus of the NT is the same as "The Voice" at the burning bush!

The beauty of the Bible is that it's internally consistent. It never contradicts itself and God, according to his own words, never changes! According to Jesus, he is God incarnate, and there is one salvation.

Ephesians 4:4 "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

There wasn't one way to be saved in the OT and another in the NT. Salvation was ALWAYS  by faith in Jesus's grace. For the prophets faith in what HE WILL DO and for the saints, faith in what HE DID. Salvation has always been by the blood of Jesus!

Hebrews 9:18 "Whereupon neither the first testament (OT) was dedicated without blood. 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."

The shedding of the blood of animals in the OT was a substitute for the shedding of the blood of Jesus, who was to come and whose coming was accepted by faith.; and who had not yet been incarnated. When the priests made the blood sacrifice on an altar dedicated to God, it pointed toward the shedding of Jesus's blood. They knew this THEN because The Word (Jesus pre-incarnate) told them that THEN!

That "Voice" they heard in the time of the prophets is the same "Voice" that I hear. It says:

Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Listen to those Words of Jesus. Listen to that "Voice"! That's the "Voice" that I hear and the same "Voice" that the prophets heard! That's a perfect and true voice. That is a champion Voice. That is the victor's Voice and that is the Savior's Voice. It's a sweet sound that we hear! It's music to my ears!

"Sunday! Sunday" Goes the Song

The pop song Sunday Sunday by Steven Alexander James, David Alexander de Horne Rowntree speaks of tidy attire, the TV Guide, dreaming, food, sleeping late, family time, a walk in the park, people, patriotism, songs and singing, regret, pride, going out and finally sleeping in! That's what many people do! All but what thy should do!

Most people say "I don't need to go to church. I can worship God anywhere!" That's not wrong. Anyone CAN worship God anywhere, but the question remains "Do most people worship God anywhere?" Do you?

Remember, worshiping God is much more than enjoying what he created! And most Christians don't even truly believe God created it. How do we know he did? He said so! Is God a liar? It will appear that mankind questions the integrity of God. With those who don't believe in Truth, how are they to believe what God says?

Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"

The heathen who never heard the name of Jesus are without excuse! They are to seek him out. It seems that belief in what's not seen (God) is evidenced by what a person can clearly see! We see "the things that are made" and that validates that there is a God! If not God, who created what we see? There is no other explanation. Science can never explain that because that's Truth! With that said, all men "are without excuse". If we don't know God and never heard about Jesus, our first and most important assignment from God for you is "Find Truth. Find God!"

Truth is not found at the breakfast table, walking the park, golfing, fishing, or spending time with the family. Truth is found learning about God. The Learner's Handbook is Holy Scripture, together called The Bible.

Church is the place to learn about God. A bible-based church is there if one seeks it out. It's full of sinners, hypocrites, gaudy dressers, hillbillies, the elite, rude people, haters and several loving people! It has an imperfect minister, but one that endeavors to teach what God said and will do for you. You can find all that in the park, but there is another reason to go to church: to praise God and he wants us to do it as a "church", a gathering of his disciples.

Acts 4:31 "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness."

Acts 11:26 "And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."

We see here several reasons to assemble as we do on Sundays:

• For prayer (communicating with God) 
• Receiving the Holy Ghost
• Speaking bold scripture
• Teaching
• Fellowship
• Unity

How often does a person see this worship in the park or on the golf course? Do people assemble and praise God this way at home; at least those who don't go to church? I think not!

"Sunday! Sunday!" is the refrain! Sing that song on the way to church. That's okay. We should all be joyous in the Lord. However, Sunday Sunday is the Lord's Day! Give it back to him to whom it belongs. Sunday Sunday is his!

Adoption

"We are all children of God!" Right? That's what most people say when confronted with aberrant lifestyles.  Wrong!

Because we're human and all descendants of Adam, we belong to Satan:

John 8:44 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do."

Although all men are created by God, once breath flows into our lungs and our mind reasons, we become a child of the devil.

What happens to children of the devil if they die before they know right from wrong? What happens to those who are mentally handicapped? Remember, "God is a merciful God!" (Deuteronomy 4:31).

There is no "age of accountability" although Jews reckon it to be twelve. There is no supporting scripture for that, but since God is graceful, it stands to reason that his mercy extends to those who yet do not understand his will. It's not a particular age, but it is at an age of understanding, different for each person. The Jews, when in sin, like the pagans, ritually burned infants to the god Moloch in the belly of the idol. Here that god, a Baal is the heathen god to whom the sacrifice was made:

Jeremiah 19:4 "...they ((people of Jerusalem) have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents; 5a They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not..."

Infants, as can be seen here were deemed "innocents". They were not guilty of sin. They were not yet old enough to understand The Law!

Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.)"

"Imputed" is when something is "credited to" or "blamed" on a person. Since children are not old enough to understand legality nor salvation, then it stands to reason, that they are not blamed for sin, although everyone is born with "original sin", which is our propensity to do wrong because we are of the line of Adam.

On the other hand, righteousness may be "imputed". Jesus had not yet been incarnated, let alone sacrificed, but Abraham believed that would happen:

Romans 4:20 "He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 "And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

Abraham, instructed by The Word (Jesus) was willing to sacrifice his son for his own sins! Because of that faith in the coming Jesus, God imputed (credited) Abraham with righteousness. Although Christ had yet to be born, Abraham was a Christian!

Like Abraham, who was innocent because of faith, God can impute righteousness to "the innocents" because of their inability to understand right from wrong, thus are not held accountable for their sins! God is gracious indeed! It would be horrible if newborn babies went to hell for nothing other than because they "are". However, God imputes righteousness to them. He likens adult belief unto that of "little children":

Luke 18:16 "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."

It's apparent that little children, innocents, were coming to Jesus, not because they understood the call of salvation, but just because they saw Jesus in a loving light! That's grace in action! Jesus told the adults to do the same!

Recapitulating, mankind are children of the devil the instant they are born. Their tendency is always to sin, but because they haven't the capacity to understand, they are temporarily "adopted" by God, until sin is imputed to them. That's not at any given age, but is when they realize right from wrong! Whenever that time occurs, Satan assumes custody of the young person. He becomes their father and master, since he is temporary ruler of their world. They follow him:

 Ephesians 2:2 "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience..."

This scripture says much. It appears that innocent children, when sin becomes imputed to them (blamed), they become foster children of Satan. They have "a spirit of disobedience" and do the will of Satan rather than the will of God!  They are slaves to Satan in effect! What needs to be done? A loving Father needs to find them a home! Jesus goes to the door of that orphan child and knocks. If the child answers that door, then righteousness is imputed (credited) to him (or her). Jesus adopts the person has his own!

Galatians 4:5 "(Jesus) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

This scripture is powerful! Not only have you found a new Father when you answer his knock, but you become his prodigal son, the wayward son who has returned! Now you are part of the family of God and have a new spirit. In effect, you are "born again" through faith! It's a new start! Not only have you a new Father, but you are no longer a slave to your old master. The orphan you has been adopted. You are no longer a foster child working tirelessly for an evil parent.

The adoption is not a formal ritual. You merely follow Jesus: Since Jesus is "good" he gives you a gift. That gift is grace. He loves you even though your master is his enemy and is willing to take you into his home with only one condition:

Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

There is something you must do to be adopted! You must put yourself up for adoption. You must want to become part of the family and have a new Father! You're tired of your dysfunctional family and seek solace in the Holy Spirit who can comfort you. In short, you trust in Jesus to calm your soul and save you from the evil foster parent. He will do that. It's his gift to you and Jesus bought that gift by his own sacrifice. Do you believe that Jesus died on the Cross in your place? Do you trust in him and realize that he is the Way and only Way to salvation? If you believe this and trust in Jesus, then you have just been adopted!

Normally orphans, when they find a happy  home, are joyous! They want to tell everybody about how happy they are in their new family. How shall they tell the world about their new birth, their adoption into the family of God? They get baptized. The dirt from the foster parents and slave-master is washed clean as they are immersed, and they arise from the water a new person. Baptism is the affirmation that the orphan appreciates the new family with Jesus at the head! The "orphan" is no longer the same slave, but becomes free and a happy child of God!

Romans 6:3 "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him(Jesus) by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:"

This baptism describes our adoption unto Christ. Adopted children "have a new life"! We no longer "should serve sin". Baptism is our pledge to be a good child. A prodigal son redeemed by the Father! As an adopted child, saved from a wretched foster parent, "we also should live with him (Christ)!

Adopted children, when taken into a "good" home to show affection for the adopted Father who saved them from slavery, show love for the Father. How is that done?

John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

With adoption your life is not over; it has just begun. You belong now to a functional and loving family with a just patriarch! You are obligated and willing to show that love by obeying the Father who saved your from the old mean foster parent and slave-master. Because you're saved from the evil parent's destruction, you are to love the loving Father! To show that love, you do his will. It becomes more than an obligation, but with the assistance of the family (the Holy Spirit) your love comes easy if you're truly thankful!

That's adoption! I'm adopted. I'm grateful.  I try to show my love to my Father by doing his will. Sometimes, often, I fail him, but my Father understands! He's one of us and God too!

Interview from Hell: Progressive Preacher

This is Bill O'Really with The Facktor. Today we travel again into the depths of the fiery pit. Of course I am in our special FAX News capsule, shielded with ceramic tiles and with a life-tube attached to the most astounding cooling system possible. I trust that I can enter Hades, interview my subject and return without incident! I've done it twice before, but it is draining because, even with the cooling, temperatures are in excess of 105 degrees!

There have been those who say that even preachers are in hell. How can a man of God who has devoted his entire life to service to mankind suffer such a fate? We'll see how it all came about.

Let the wench lower me now into the tunnel five miles beneath the surface of the earth. As I travel each mile temperatures will increase exponentially. It is said that hell is seven times hotter than fire! I didn't believe that until my first trip down this entry into the abode of Satan himself! No, he doesn't live there yet, but it will be his eternal home I understand when he is cast down!

Staff, look up that scripture for me, if you will.

Revelation 20:2 "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."

I understand that when Satan is first cast down it will be the millennial reign of Jesus. There will be peace and happiness on earth with Satan bound.  Contrast that with life today where Satan is Prince of the Air, so they say!

Let's examine one of our  experts as we travel "south". I have Frank Ingraham connected remotely. Let's check with the Reverend Ingraham now:

Bill: Hello Rev. Ingraham. Is there such a place as hell and is the devil real? What say you?

Frank: Yes, Bill hell is for real just as heaven is for real! You see, rewarding someone for their faith would be fruitless unless there was something to save them from! Those who believe and trust in Christ are saved from the very hell you are visiting at this time. However, Bill, you can return with your special equipment, but sinners are bound for eternal punishment!

Bill: "God is love", does not the Bible say, Frank? How can a loving God punish those he loves with such a harsh punishment?

Frank: Yes, Jesus is a loving God! He loves you as your own father would. However, your father wants the best for you and wants to see you safe. Sometimes fathers must threaten to punish, even severely, to get the rebellious child to obey. He does that out of love!

Bill: But I understand that God will do more than threaten. He will actually administer punishment!

Frank: Bill, if your father only threatens to punish, but never punishes, he loses respect. Be sure that God is truth and for those who reject Him, they will have to be punished! However, he gives all men a choice. It's his gift of grace! God doesn't do the punishing; he removes the safety barrier from around the one who dies in sin and Satan inflicts his cruel sentence. The sinner is a child of the devil and he is disciplined by his father! Here's what St. John said about this:

John 8:44 "Ye (sinners) are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do."

Frank: Some say that we are all God's children. That's just not true! We are born of the flesh, but we are adopted by Jesus. It was God's plan that all children born become his. It was planned that way from the beginning!

Ephesians 1:5 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will..."

If we aren't adopted by Jesus because of our faith in him, then by default, all others belong to their fleshly father, the devil!

Bill: It is reported that in the United States that 80% say they are Christians. Just a few will "go to hell" so to speak. Is that right, Frank?

Frank: No, Bill. The opposite is true! Even the demons believe in Jesus, but it takes trust to be born again as an adopted son of Jesus. Demons lack any trust and most of those 80% lack faith in Jesus, which is by the way "trust"! We can tell true Christians by how they live. If they still live like the devil, they are still children of the devil! The Bible says this about how many will populate heaven:

Matthew 7:13-14 "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."

Bill: You've even got me a little worried, Frank. I was born a Catholic and have always believed, but I must say, I don't know what "born again" even means! Am I in danger?

Frank: It's not for me to judge, but maybe if you went ahead, if you're sorry for your sins, to repent and let Christ redeem you by his blood. That's trusting in Jesus because he says that there is no salvation without the shedding of blood. That blood was his!

Bill: I'm not yet convinced, Frank.

Frank: That's what the monarch, Agrippa, told St. Paul, Bill.

Acts 26:28 "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."

Frank: Heaven is not a game of horseshoes, Bill. You can't ALMOST go there. To get the ringer, a person must truly believe and have faith in Jesus. It must be the stake, which is the Cross, on which Jesus died, and no other!

Bill: Thanks Rev. Ingraham. I'll think on these things tomorrow!

Frank: Yes, Bill, that's what most people say they will do, but you know what they say about tomorrow! The right time is always now, but the right time may only occur once!

Bill: Bye for now, Frank, and thanks for your opinion. The Facktor is the "no spin zone" and you gave plenty of evidence to support your claim! Let me continue my journey into the pits of hell.

The cable creaks as the capsule lowers. The temperature gets hotter and hotter, even in the protective shield. Even one little crack in the armor and Bill is doomed for eternity. He remembered something about "the full armor of God"! "I wonder how that would help?" thought Bill.

The capsule stops. The destination has been reached. "There appears to be fire everywhere" thought Bill as he peered outside through the diamond reinforced glass.  He laughed as he thought of the Simpsons "I'm Hank and I sell propane and propane accessories." Bill, thought "Where is that little guy?" He smiled as he thought "Hank Simpson deserves hell!" Then the Holy Spirit spoke to Bill. "Yes, Bill. All men deserve hell!"

Bill: There he is. I see him now! It's the Rev. Brain Jellison of the Presbyterian Church, USA! Hi, Brain. What are you doing here? I thought you were still alive?

Brain: I am Bill, but God, for your interview, has given you a window through time as he did Isaiah and the other prophets. No, you're not a prophet, but God agreed to allow you to visit the future so that others can learn. I know this because the devil told me to say this. I do what God says sometimes and what Satan says at other times.

Bill: You mean, that you believe in God, but allow the devil to lead you?

Brain: Yes, I believe in God... always did, but the God of the Bible was unjust, so I did things they way they should have been done!

Bill: What should have been done in the church, Brain? What say you?

Brain: Read the quotation on your teleprompter, Bill. It says it all!

“Finally, the church in its constitutional documents fully recognizes that the love of gays and lesbian couples is worth celebrating in the faith community,” said the Rev. Brian D. Ellison, executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, which advocates gay inclusion in the church. “There is still disagreement, and I don’t mean to minimize that, but I think we are learning that we can disagree and still be church together.”   (Largest Presbyterian Denomination Gives Final Approval for Same-Sex Marriage; LAURIE GOODSTEIN; MARCH 17, 2015)

Bill: Was that really you, Brain? Your names are so similar.

Brain: Could be. Maybe not! I'm a liar so believe what you want!
Brain: "I'm mad as hell!" I'm in hell, or will be in the future, Bill, because God is wrong about social issues. Social justice is as important as salvation. God is wrong, and I'm not sure he's real anyhow. He could never punish me this way since he's supposed to be "so loving"!

Bill: Doesn't the Bible say something about preachers as yourself? Staff, put up that quote on the screen for all to see. Ah, there it is:

2 Peter 2:1 "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. ..."

Bill: As they say, Brain, "It looks as if you got your just deserves!"

Brain: I'm right, Bill, on this one. It's God that's wrong! Oh, it's so hot down here! Excuse me for a second, Bill. I must turn away from you for a second.

Bill: What's happening Brain?

Brain: (Looking refreshed). My old flesh was depleted. It was burnt up. I get a new flesh every few seconds as the old burns away, I'll have new flesh to give to the fire. It's an eternal cycle and is so painful! What did I do to deserve this?

Bill: It appears, Brain, that you were responsible to teach truth, but were deceived by your Master whose home will be here with you!

Brain: The Bible is just a good teaching in some places! It's not really God's word!

Bill: Considering the pain you're in right now, I would think that you'd rethink that!

Brain: Satan told me that and he told me other lies too!

Bill: And they were?

Brain: That God won't really condemn me; that God isn't Almighty;  that I can do what pleases me; that women can preach in the church; that homosexuals are born that way; that "doing good" is a ticket to heaven;  that Jews are responsible for mid-east wars, and many other progressive thoughts! "After all", Satan told me," this is the 2000's!" It would appear that times have changed and the Bible is antiquated!

Bill: Have your ideas changed?

Brain: I'm still right! I will not bow to God if he even really exists! Why serve a fictitious God when I can serve justice to people on earth? Poverty is more important than where a soul spends eternity!

Bill: Jesus could have wiped out poverty with one more miracle. He could have touched only one person to heal poverty from the whole earth. He chose not to do that! Why are you placing such high priority on "social justice"?

Brain: (As he screams in agony). He says to help the poor! I did just that! But it seems that I didn't have the heart to agonize with Jesus as he died on the Cross because I have doubts about that really happening! He was a good teacher, but really... he died for all mankind (a weak snicker)?

Bill: It's rather warm in here too, Brain. Maybe I should look into being "born-again" (Bill snickers)!

Brain: I see some other preacher friends over there getting new flesh to offer to the fires. I hate their guts. I despise them!

Bill: But you are just as they are!

Brain: No, Bill. I'm different! I'm me!

Bill: Brain, it seems that you worship yourself, but do you really? I would think that you've been deceived. Your father is the devil!

Brain: I did some of the things that The Bible spoke of, but some I disagreed with! I didn't hate before I died, but I hate everybody now! It seems that with hell comes hate!

Bill: While on earth, what did you think about Charles Stanley, Billy Graham, David Jeremiah and many of the preachers who taught Bible truth?

Brain: They were Christian fanatics! They were right wing zealots!

Bill: It seems that you hated truth on earth, Brain, and those who taught truth.

Brain: Truth is relative, Bill. There are shades of grey. I understand "Fifty Shades of Grey" from a popular movie. I never did sexual things, theft, murder, or lying!

Bill: Did you support "pro-choice" ? Did you do anything to save those being killed in the name of sexual freedom? You are an accomplice to murder, Brain, whether you admit it or not! You lied to the congregations and to your church by allowing things God hates! I understand that the Nicolaitane in the Bible allowed sexual activity in the church and with your support of same-sex marriage you are a Nicolaitane, it seems: Staff, put up the quote on lasciviousness.

Revelation 2:15 "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."

Brain: Nicolaitanes were those who were pimps like Balaam. There was much evil in the churches at that time. But, that's from Revelation. Who believes that silly stuff?

Bill: Those who are now in heaven did, Brain! In fact you allowed evil in your own denomination! It seems that Revelation spoke specifically about your type of church!

Revelation 3:14 "14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

Brain: But I believe I did what was right! (Screaming violently).

Bill: It seems you were deceived, Brain... and you deceived your entire congregation, if what Revelation says is true!

Brain: I have had enough of this God stuff, Bill. I hate you and everyone at FAX News. I hate everyone now! Hate is my creed because I am as my Master! Get out of here and let me have the isolation hell provides. I hate everything and for eternity my M.O. is "hate". Damn you, Bill and your stinking interview. Now out of here!

Bill: What more could I say? Not a pleasant place to interview, let alone to be... forever even!  Thanks for the interview, Brain. I wish other church leaders could learn from your misfortune. Scripture says that they probably won't, but perhaps some progressive thinker will kneel to who appears to be "The One True God", Jesus! Stay tuned as Meegain Killy brings you The Killy File next. Her "Break Neck News" will interview Godly pastors who teach truth. They will tell how "Reverend" (snicker) Brain Jellison went wrong. Stay tuned! The word of the day when writing The Facktor is "prevaricate". Don't prevaricate about the gospel when you teach others!

Oh, by the way, Brain. This is only a look at the future! I understand that God is graceful! He can forgive anyone who repents. May I suggest that? However, it's got to be before you die and in God's time, not yours!

This is Bill "O'Really. Saying good-bye!

Grace and the Law

Salvation is all about "grace". Salvation is all about "The Law".

Is that contradictory?

What is grace? 

Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 3:24 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"

Ephesians 2:8" For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

These three verses taken together define "grace" . It's not a simple definition, but is a simple way to be saved. Let's look at what grace is: Because he loves us, God provided a plan for him to pay for our debt for our own rebellion. God gave all mankind a gift: We are redeemed by God's sacrifice of his own Son. We can do nothing to save ourselves, other than trust in God because he loves us. That trust is faith. Since "grace" is for free that "faith" is a "work", but because he made us, God gave us even that! Faith is a work and a gift!

Philippians 2:12 "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

1 Thessalonians 1:3 "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father..."

 Yes, even our faith is a work, but being able to even work is a gift of God. Our ability to love is a gift, but we must work at even loving! It's not merely an emotion... it's an obligation, even a command!

Now let's look at The Law:

Technically, The Law is the decrees of the first five books of the Old Testament. There is more than law there, but The Law can be found there. Much is said about how to live one's life to please God, but God's Law is summarized, not by all the regulations, but by The Ten Commandments. The regulations, not written in stone, are Mosaic Law.  God's Law is stated very clearly in the New Testament:

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."

Mosaic Law explains more fully on how to obey God's Law, which can be summarized as "Love God and demonstrate it by loving others!" This is deduced from the following:

John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

These two verses tie together the keeping of The Law and grace.  It is by grace we are saved and it's by The Law  that we show our appreciation for God's gift! James validates this:

James 2:26 " For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

Therefore, God's plan, him being the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, was always about grace! The only covenant that ever accounted for salvation is the "Covenant of Grace" and The Law was a demonstration of thankfulness for that gift. From a scientific standpoint The Law is "love" operationalized:  It explains love by objective criteria:

Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.”

How do we know that we love God? We obey The Law! How can we tell if we are in obedience to The Law? We are not blamed (imputed) for sin without The Law and it has a purpose:

Galatians 3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

With The Law mankind knew that they were out of the will of God. The Law was merely to bring people to salvation. The Law through the Holy Spirit was the beacon to mankind that people need salvation!  Hence, law complements grace:

Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

Grace and law are twins, not adversaries. The problem arises when people don't have the faith (trust) in the Lord and obey The Law  without the trust.  In essence, they obey all the commands without the purpose in obeying. They fail to love God and show it by loving others! James made it clear that the two worked together!  What was missing from those Pharisees who only obeyed was a heartfelt obedience:

Proverbs 3:5  "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

The Pharisees understood The Law, but failed to understand the reason behind it;  to show God love!

We think of Moses and the Exodus when we first consider The Law  being laid down. That was when it was written down in objective commands. A careful study will show that the first three of The Ten Commandments were commands to love God. The last seven are commands to show love for others. Together these two divisions are God's Law expressed as The Greatest Commandment and the One Like Unto It. However, The Law existed long before it was written down! It was stated:

Genesis 2:16 "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

What was God commanding here when he said "thou shalt not eat of it"?  I believe that this command was not referring to real fruits, but of worship! We know that Jesus is "The Tree of Life" of which mankind could eat. (Genesis 3:22, Revelation 2:7).

There is no such thing as "irresistible grace", which is a basis for Calvinism (Point 4). Mankind was given a choice and a free will in the garden and he made the wrong choice! That choice was to accept a gift or not. God gave Jesus (The Tree of Life) to love, but man chose unwisely. He sought pleasure, wisdom and wealth by eating of the other tree. Hence, "grace" was there all along and so was The Law!

Genesis 2:17 "Thou shalt not eat of it" is in essence, "love God" and is truly The First Commandment! By electing the "Tree of Life" (Jesus) they would accept the gift of God (grace) and love God. Jesus was The Word (John Chapter 1), and it was Jesus who was that "Tree of Life". Genesis 2:7 is like God's Law, it's a summary of The Ten Commandments!

Jesus was in that Garden. Adam and Eve could eat of his tree, but didn't! They rejected grace and chose instead to worship their self. By selecting the wrong God to love they violated The Law.  They failed to love God! They  were never innocent, since before they even ate of the fruit, they were in disobedience! Eve assumed the dominant role delegated to the man and the Man let her usurp his authority.

As such "grace" was always the way to salvation and it was only by faith. Abraham's faith was the measure for us to follow:

Romans 4:16 "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all..."
Galatians 3:7 "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham."

Abraham was "saved by faith". He trusted in Jesus. His "work" of his willingness to sacrifice his own son for the sins of the people was "trusting Jesus" who was The Word, there guiding and instructing him. Abraham believed in the propitiation of Jesus' blood for the sins of mankind although it had yet to happen! His faith was greater than ours because we believe what did happen while he believed in God's promise of what was to come! Abraham has the same salvation which we have! He was saved by grace because grace was always the plan of God!

In fact all the Old Testament patriarchs had the same faith in God. Men have never been saved by works, but by faith alone. Jesus is the only way. Works never was the way!

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

There was never a "Covenant of the Law" nor a "Dispensation of the Law". Those are mere inventions of Calvinists to rationalize their own doctrines. Salvation was always by Jesus. He is the only way to salvation... ever! "No man" is saved except through the propitiation of Jesus, including The Old Testament patriarchs!

Grace has always been the covenant! Salvation has always been by grace. Jesus has always been the Way and only way!