# 277: Delving into the Unknown

This post is being presented via intuitive speculation and not on known empirical truths, and is aimed mainly at wishy-washy Christians, atheists, agnostics and skeptics; however, it may also be beneficial to genuine Christians.

In Genesis, the first book of the Christian Bible, the first verse says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Before that beginning there existed a powerful force that occupied the infinite universe and beyond, if possible. Let us give that force a name: the “nothing force.” Even though that force had limitless but latent power, it consisted of absolutely nothing according to physical standards; in short, it had no active functions.

In the eons of timelessness, this force became, by its own will and design, the complete source of all knowledge, although there was no present need or use for all of that invisible intelligence. In order to activate that intelligence, it had to create some form of physical life, and eventually, spiritual life.

Since time and space did not and do not exist in this realm, the forming of physical intelligent life could have taken billions, even trillions of years according to earth’s time, but in no time where time does not exist. This “nothing force” started to fill its universe with an infinite number of galaxies. These galaxies, like our Milky Way galaxy, have countless solar systems which have or had receptive environments capable of eventually sustaining intelligent physical life.

Our Hubble telescope informs us that there are approximately fifty-billion galaxies in our universe. But rather, since it is believed by some like myself that the universe is infinite, there must be an infinite number of galaxies in our universe, which our most powerful telescopes of the future cannot and will not ever be able detect. Think about this: with an infinite universe, every galaxy, solar system and planet is in the exact center of the universe. Therefore, it is correct to assume that our planet is the center of the universe.

The reason I named this powerful force the “nothing force” is because it can create whatever it desires out of nothing, or at least what we humans consider nothing. Once some planets with congenial environments were enriched with intelligent life--all intelligent life was created by the eternal laws of what we now call God guided Evolution--then this “nothing force” took on its rightful title as God Almighty. Most likely, God Almighty eventually started to communicate with open-minded individuals on various planets, as He does on our earth.

This process of creating livable planets has been going on for billions and billions of earth years. Earth years are calculated by the rotation of earth as it travels around our sun. Since that is the case, who are we to think that we can dogmatically judge a realm by earth’s time where time and distance do not exist?

Anyone who believes that our earth is the only planet in our universe with intelligent life is badly mistaken. Why would God, who is eternal, create an infinite universe and then make Earth the only planet He could communicate with? Good question, isn’t it?

One of the reasons this post is being written is to display to atheists and Christians alike that genuine Christianity is not a religion with its head buried in the sand. Although this post has gone out of the box according to traditional beliefs, it makes all the sense in the world that the heaven and earth, as displayed in the first chapter of Genesis, were not created in six 24-hour earth days, and that we are not the only kids on the block.

Even though I believe the Bible and the holy and moral values it teaches, it would have been impossible for God to teach Moses, the author of the book of Genesis, about the greatness of the universe, how large it was, and all the intricacies of its vastness. Therefore, the best and only way to make it so that this time period in question doesn’t contradict what we now know as fact is to expand the six-day creation period into several billion years. God did the best He could in explaining the creation of all things with the limited knowledge of the universe they had four thousand year ago.

To read a more complete explanation of the aforementioned, go to the Table of Contents and click on Post #200: “Science Removes Doubt”--that post will lead you to Post #143: “Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design.” These two posts are a must-read to get full understanding--if there is such a thing--of the reason(s) why and how God works.

It is clear that the main, and possibly the only, reason for the creation of the universe was that God could not be a God of love if He didn’t have free-will agents to share His all-consuming, never-ending love, and then for them to reciprocate that love. This logical reason for the creation of the universe contradicts many mainstream scientists who teach that the universe came into existence on its own by chance and for no apparent reason through the Big Bang Theory. If, by some chance, it did come into existence through that theory--even though that is impossible--then the universe is nothing more than a useless work of misguided foolishness.

God desires the use of the pronouns “Father,” “He,” or “Lord” when referring to Himself, which is the best way to describe Him. However, since there is no need for genders in heaven because we will all be like the angels, it would be acceptable for us humans to call Him “Father” and “Mother.” I believe the only reason “Father” by itself is more appropriate is because all the angels mentioned in the complete Bible are always referred to as the masculine gender. Mark 12:25: “When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” In short, there is no need for the word “gender” in heaven since there will be no need for sexual reproduction. God’s endless love between all will be the prevalent emotion in our heaven and in the myriad of other heavens.

Allow me to get back to other worlds that most likely existed before Earth became the Earth we now know. I could almost dogmatically say that all the myriads of angels in heaven with God who were considered worthy came from other worlds, and the worthiest of all the angels was considered to take control of others’ worlds when the need arose, just as Jesus Christ did on planet earth. This is only a logical speculation.

For that reason, it is imperative for good obedient Christians to change their hardheaded attitude that the earth and the heaven were created in six 24-hour days. If they could do that, the door would be open for many nonbelievers, etc. who could then accept Christianity as a logical religion founded on reasoning and scientific evidence, not on myths and old wives’ tales. If and when these hardheads take a beginner course in geology, astronomy or anthropology, they could quickly and unequivocally understand with all the present-day knowledge we have acquired that it is total foolishness for anyone to still believe that the heavens (plural) and earth were created in six 24-hour days and that it all started about 6000 years ago according to Old Testament genealogy.

The best evidence for determining the age of carbonaceous materials is the use of radiocarbon dating. Webster’s Dictionary teaches that it is a method of establishing the approximate age of fossil remains, etc. Everyone should remember this: since time does not exist with God, what was His hurry? 2nd Peter 3:8: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

When you are confronted by an atheist or whoever and are asked, “Where did your God come from?” you can confidently respond with this answer: “First, you tell me where that minute object came from that was the genesis of the Big Bang, and then I will give you the answer as to where my God came from.” That answer will make unbelievers depart with their tails between their legs.

It is important to know the possibilities that are not mentioned in Holy Scripture, for the more we know about God, Jesus Christ and creation, the less we will desire material things and the less we will have the need for worldly pleasures. John 16:12: “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

Thoughts are made up of spiritual substance. Since thoughts are invisible, they instantly travel vast distances. The only ones who can receive another’s thoughts are those who are on the same spiritual frequency/wavelength. Once a thought is produced, it cannot be destroyed by the one who produced it, even if it is forgotten; it has a long shelf life. In short, this is called “thought-sharing.” This is why people who are in tune with God through the Holy Spirit will be exposed to God’s ways. God will not keep this from happening, even though He is somehow able to hide some of His secrets until the proper time. This sharing of thoughts is a universal law. I touched on this topic in this blog several years ago.

In the early years of the United States Patent Office, a strange phenomenon was happening that seemed to have no logical explanation. Patents for the same inventions from different countries were arriving within days of each other. This was not a unique, one-time event, but was noticed quite often. They came to the conclusion that there must be some kind of thought-sharing going on at all times. This sharing of thoughts is still going on to this day. Mob violence is just another example of what a person wouldn’t do if they were not in the midst of the mob. This seems to indicate that there are no secrets, at least on this planet.

The underlying reason preachers cannot accept the time frame described in this post and what it teaches as valid is because if they did, they would most likely be excommunicated. The hierarchy cannot change their beliefs concerning this matter without creating turmoil throughout their denominations. Therefore, expect no changes from most churches. That is a sad situation for any organization to be in. But that is no reason for any layperson to reject this post as heresy.

In ending, delving into the unknown is risky business, but when guided by God’s Spirit, it can have many unexpected rewards, such as being more confident of our Salvation above and beyond words, and being more certain of the love God has for us, to the point where that love gives us inexpressible joy and contentment in all circumstances. In short, when someone loves you, that love produces joy and contentment. Along with that, we will have the courage to tell others of the joyful life that is awaiting all who have a vibrant faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

# 276: Sharing Our Faith

There are several religious groups who are continually and actively sharing their faith with the world. The two that are best known are Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (better known as the Mormons), who had the gall to incorporate our Savior’s name into the name of their church. The difference between the two is that the Mormons are so far from the truth of the gospel message that they are considered a large, highly sophisticated, well-organized cult by many mainstream denominations, along with this author. Whereas the JWs are well-trained, pleasant people who can’t think for themselves, they are closer to the truth than the Mormons. There is only one problem: being close to the gospel truth is not sufficient for salvation.

Either way, they are both doing a disservice to those like me who also go door-to-door representing the truth as displayed in the New Testament (NT) and through this Biblical blog. The disservice arises when we go about door-to-door, and are categorized as also being pushy cults.

Even though many others and I disagree with the belief systems of the above-mentioned cults, we have to give them credit for at least sharing what they believe as the truth. That is more than we can say for those who go to a comfy-cozy church building on Sunday morning, and when church service is over, they share their beliefs with no one. There may be several reasons they don’t share what they believe: 1) they are not asked or required to do so by their church pastors, etc. ; 2) they may not have anything to share of real spiritual value, other than empty words; 3) they may not be aware that it is part of the Christian life to share the importance of Jesus Christ with as many as possible; 4) they may have better things to do on their rest day than knocking on doors, especially when the response is often rude. They would rather eat a big meal at a restaurant or go to see a make-believe/fake highly-rated movie, etc.

Many years ago, I was studying with both above-mentioned groups. I was just a young 30-some-year-old whippersnapper fresh out of Catholicism. After studying with them just about six months or so, even though I was only a novice regarding spiritual matters, I thank God He made me realize both their religions were not in accordance with the NT. Concerning Catholicism, that religion is and has always been a disgrace to the name of Jesus Christ, and I am not only talking about not sharing their faith.

If a genuine Christian had something of great value (the life and love God Almighty has for us, along with our wholehearted love for Him), he/she would be inwardly compelled by the Spirit of God to share it with the whole world. He or she couldn’t keep from sharing it even if he or she wanted to. How could anyone keep from sharing it when a mutual love with God is at work?

Arguably, many changes occur in our lives when we start to share our faith with the lost and the “religious”. We are becoming involved in the most important work in the whole world: seeking the lost to share in a LIFE that will never end. What is more important than that? If we don’t share it that could be evidence that we don’t have anything worth sharing.

But before we can do that all-important work, we must make that spiritual work the main priority in our lives. This is not an easy task since there are multitudes of worldly activities continually vying for our attention and time.

Always remember this: there are millions of people who are lost in the world, and it is every genuine Christian’s duty to contact as many as humanly possible with the truth of God’s holy message, along with sharing the after-effects of unbelief according to the NT.

Many people don’t believe there will be a hell for all who do not believe in Jesus Christ in an active way. The important word in that sentence is the word ACTIVE. If by some chance a person is allowed to enter heaven by the skin of his/her teeth--which I personally doubt--and is allowed to see all the people in hell whom they didn’t bother to tell the truth of the gospel message, how can they live in heaven with that type of burden on their hearts? As one can quickly tell, that statement is an oxymoron.

The point I am attempting to make is that if our connection to God through Jesus Christ is of any importance--even though it should be our MOST important--how can anyone neglect this grace of actively sharing his or her faith?

There are two commands that are the foundation for all else in the Bible: Luke 10:27-28: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself . . . Do this and you will live.” Those commands do not leave much room for any other types of love. Believe it or not, those two commands are the most important in the Bible and the most ignored. What does that tell us?

Are these commands important to the many bloggers who continually hit on this blog? Question: can God’s mercy, compassion, love and all else He freely gives us override disobedience to these commands? If He could, He would be making a fool of Himself. You see, the true Christian religion is not an easy thing to live by. As I said previously, our enemy the devil is continually bombarding us with fine-sounding lies.

That may be the reason Scripture teaches in Matthew 22:14: “For many are invited but few are chosen.” Are you and I chosen ones? We must be truthful to ourselves; a lie could be our death sentence. If our lives need change, it will take a wholehearted effort. Contrary to present-day teachings, there is no place for mediocrity in the Christian life. Revelation 3:16: “So because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

In Philemon verse 6, the apostle Paul encourages us all to be active in sharing our faith: “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”

Colossians 1:10: “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might . . .”

Christianity is a life of continual growth in knowledge and love so that we will know and fully understand all that is required of us. No growth means either dormancy for a short while or death. Let us all make sure that we are not standing idle but continuing in our Christian work of sharing not only our faith but also our lives.

If, by some chance, some of you reading this post believe that it is not necessary to be active in Christian works after accepting Christ as your Savior (other than going to a church building once a week), the NT guarantees you are on the fast track to a place you don’t intend to go. Sharing one’s faith is an essential safeguard; it displays that you are eager to have everyone you meet be with you in heaven. Those who are not concerned with the eternal destiny of others indicate that they may not possess what they believe they possess.

2nd Peter 2:17-18: “. . . be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” There can be no growth without being active in Christian activities.

In conclusion, living the Christian life is by all means the most important work in the whole world, not only for our Salvation, but also for the Salvation of others. Please, take this message to heart because we are dealing with life-and-death matters. The problem in the world is that many have made little of the Christian religion. Don’t let this happen to you. God will greatly bless all who continue to share their faith, in more ways than we can imagine.

# 275: Job Description

There are thousands of different types of jobs in America and the world. Every job has a description of what must be done to fulfill the owner’s/boss’s requirements. This principle is older than the hills.

When workers take jobs and then don’t adhere to what is expected of them, they may get a warning or two and then if they still don’t perform as to what is expected, they may have to be dismissed. There is nothing new, strange or unfair about that practice. It is just common sense.

Let us rightfully apply that principle to the Christian life. When we decide to become Christians through faith in Jesus Christ, there is an instruction book to describe what is expected of us as we continue to fulfill our jobs/positions as workers for the Kingdom of God.

The name of that detailed instruction book is called the New Testament (NT) of the Christian Bible. I ask this question: what percentage of people who claim to be Christians know what the job description is in that book? Answer: it is anyone’s guess, even though I believe it is not very many. Remember this: it gives us all the instructions of how we must live in order to preserve our positions as children of God.

I ask this question: why are many Christians ignorant of what is inside that book? I would guess because they don’t believe it is necessary. And then, those who do occasionally read God’s instruction book come across commands or teachings that seem too difficult or absurd (unreasonable) to obey; therefore, they most often are ignored.

God has many enemies who are always trying to trip us up in our devotion to Jesus Christ; one of the subtlest and most persistent is known as ignorance. I mean ignorance of what is commanded in the NT. Chances are that without knowing what it teaches, most will not be living in conformity with our job description.

Perfection must be every genuine Christian’s holy grail (an ultimate, but elusive goal, pursued as a quest). 2nd Corinthians 13:9: “. . . and our prayer is for your perfection.” 2nd Corinthians 13:11: “Aim for perfection.” Matthew 5:48: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Should we take that command for perfection lightly and just pretend that it doesn’t apply to all Christians? How many Christian bloggers reading this post know about the commands that teach that we all must be aiming for perfection by the way we live and believe? There are dozens of such verses. Do you know what they are? I will repeat myself: if anyone does not know what teachings are in the NT, they have one foot on a banana peel and the other on the borders of hell. It is that important to read or listen on CDs and study the NT every day until we intimately know what our Holy Book of job descriptions commands, so that we will not be ignorant any longer. Once we have read the complete NT, it would be a good habit to set aside a certain time every day to continue studying the NT, to make up for what we may have not fully understood or forgotten, since it has many complex principles. Another idea is to highlight all the verses that seem ridiculous to obey, according to the standards in America.

Once we are doing that, then comes the difficult part of incorporating those instructions into our lives. The only reason that teaching is in there is so that we will know and obey exactly what our job description teaches. Never forget this: God’s real enemy is NT ignorance on the part of many who claim Christianity as their religion. That ignorance is inspired by the evil ones who continually and softly whisper, “Fear not; all is well; you are in good hands.” As you probably know, Satan gets his way by using fine-sounding deceptions. Don’t be tricked. Don’t avoid making the NT your pathway to the new life.

I guarantee you will never hear these aforementioned words from any pulpit or from most, if not all, other sources of Christian teachings. To combat that silent denial of mainstream Christianity, it is our place to fulfill our duty as disciples of Christ. That means we must, I say must, desire to be the very best Christians possible. Remember, Jesus Christ is our role model, and He was and still is a perfect man. What we are talking about is a form of Christianity that has no invisible holes in it. That is genuine Christianity. How many of us actively have Him as our only role model?

This paragraph is worthy of repeating: now let’s get back to secular work. When starting on the job and a certain type of work is very hard to perform, many times a worker ignores it. When that happens, what will the outcome be to his/her job? Most likely he/she will be fired. It is not much different in the spiritual world.

You see, because of our faith, we were chosen for eternal life, and then as evidence of our faith, we must go to work to continue to further what Jesus Christ started. Our work will not be easy, because most of it will be contrary to our sinful human nature--doing what comes naturally. If the evidence of our faith is not there, our faith in our Savior will be in question.

This Biblical blog has openly and purposely displayed the majority of the essential, hard-edged verses throughout the 274 posts thus far published, which are hardly ever--more like never--mentioned by the clergy or even the laity. Many of these verses do not command trivial matters, but all-important principles; when left out, the remainder of the NT teaching and our faith will be on shaky ground.

Let me give just a few verses only as a preview of what the NT contains. These verses are not the type that will make us giggle with joy, but will let us know that we have a destination that will be determined by how we live, which is either eternal and blissful life or the damnation of everlasting and painful death. Obedience to these verses will make the difference.

Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.”

Acts 20:35: “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

1st Corinthians 16:10: “. . . for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am.”

Actually, there are several dozen verses telling us that we must continue to do the work of the Lord. If anyone wants a list, please contact me.

Hebrews 5:14: “He [Jesus Christ] became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”

Matthew 19:23: ". . . I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven."

1 Corinthians: 15:58: ". . . Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord . . . ."

Luke 16:15: "What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight."

Luke 6:35: “But love your enemies, do good to them . . ."

Luke 12:33: "Sell your possessions and give to the poor."

Galatians 5:14: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Ephesians 5:1: "Be imitators of God . . ."

Luke 6:24: "But woe to you who are rich."

Philippians 2:3: ". . . but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

Philippians 2:5: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus . . ."

Luke 14:26: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple."

James 4:4: ". . . Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

1 Peter 1:14: "Be holy, because I am holy."

1 Peter 2:21: ". . . Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."

1 John 3:9: "No one who is born of God will continue to sin . . ."

Ephesians 5:1: "Be imitators of God . . ."

Philippians 2:3: ". . . consider others better than yourselves."

Matthew 10:36: "A man's enemies will be the members of his own household."

Luke 12:19-20: "And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you . . ."

Luke 18:18: "A certain ruler asked him, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Answer: Luke 18:22: "Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’" As one can plainly see, there are prerequisites to eternal life, but only to confirm faith.

In conclusion: please, do not think that I am implying with the above-mentioned verses that newcomers and slackers must know what is expected of them and be able to transform their lives overnight. That would be almost impossible. What the NT is saying, and I agree, is to continue to grow in the knowledge, love, goodness and works of how we must live to conform to NT teachings. That is the work of people who claim Christianity as their religion. More than that, if it were possible, is not necessary.

If some disagree with the aforementioned expectation for Christians, tell everyone what should replace it.

# 274: The Dark Side of Debt

Before 1913, only a millionaire could live like a millionaire. When the Federal Reserve was established in 1913, it became easier for those with good-paying jobs to borrow since the Federal Reserve was now backing all banks in America. Then and now, they could live like millionaires without a penny in the bank. At this time they could live almost completely on credit by going into debt for everything possible. As long as they hung on to their jobs, all was peaches and cream.

The main culprits behind the establishment of the Federal Reserve were the wealthiest bankers and businessmen in America. Their aim was not so much to use the Federal Reserve to save our country from another financial disaster like in 1907, which was its main purpose, but to get money (interest) flowing from borrowers into the pockets of financial investors.

The New Testament (NT) is mainly a book of rules and regulations that are given exclusively to Christians so we may learn to live in a way that brings glory to God and Jesus Christ. Also, it teaches us how to live holy lives for our eternal benefit, etc. and thus we become role models for others so they also may have the same benefits.

When we don’t obey these rules, it not only displays our lack of faith and knowledge, but also leaves us prone to the repercussions for our disobedience. Ephesians 2:2: “. . . and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” One reason for ignoring Biblical rules is that some “Christians and clergymen/women” believe that some of the NT teachings are only friendly suggestions that we can take or leave, even though they wouldn’t dare to say it publicly. That is a grave mistake.

Sometimes ignoring a seemingly trivial command can lead to catastrophic consequences. One such teaching is found in Romans 13:8: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another . . .”

Why would the apostle Paul put down a rule that seems to have nothing to do with the worship of God, except to emphasize our debt to love one another? Because when a person borrows money (debt) for something that is not absolutely necessary, he/she is most often ENGAGING IN AN ALLUSION OF PROSPERITY. The only possible exception to this command is if an immediate medical emergency needed attention.

I can see why living like kings and queens seems quite alluring. But the dark side of living on credit is that the interest one pays monthly is money bet on a dead horse. What those in debt are doing is feeding the mouths and filling the pockets of many who are not their kin. We are talking about any kind of debt. If I were to go in debt, I would do it to feed the mouths of those in desperate need and not the rich bankers.

Buying a house on credit can be financially disastrous and is the riskiest of all types of borrowing. The nasty thing about those pending house payments is that for the first several years, ninety-some% of the house payments goes to interest. Only a small fraction goes toward paying the principal. When one buys a house valued at $100,000.00, after making payments for ten years, the principal may still be fairly close to the original buying price. And if one were “fortunate” enough to pay off a complete 30- year mortgage for that $100,000.00 home, they would have paid double or more than the purchase price. The longer the mortgage, generally, the more profit the banks make. That means those homeowners may have paid over $100,000.00 in interest.

The rebuttal to that argument is: What choice do we have other than renting? Here is an answer not most will agree with: There are three verses in Proverbs that can be an answer when modified a little. Proverbs 21:9 and 21:19, and also 25:24: “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.” Verse 21:18 says: “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.” I would change the last part of those verses: Better to live on a corner of the roof or in a desert than pay a mortgage that feeds the faces of people for many years that you will never see.

Here is a little- known tidbit: How did the word “interest,” as the interest one will pay for borrowing whatever, come to be used? Many years ago, when a person or financial institution loaned out money, the money they earned as interest was called usury—in fact, the King James Version of the Bible still uses the word “usury.” Usury implies the lender will be using the borrowers to their advantage. Someone thought the word “usury” was not the best word to describe the money the borrowers had to pay. There must be a better word that doesn’t imply a greedy transaction. They came up with an excellent euphuism: the word “interest.” What they wanted it to mean was that the borrowers had the INTEREST of the lenders, by paying them compensation for loaning the money. That is how the word “interest” came into existence as a term for the percentage owed each month, above and beyond the principal. In short, using the word “interest” means both parties supposedly have each other’s best interests in mind; instead of thinking, they are being used.

What did people do when home mortgages were not easy to obtain? There were many options: live with in-laws, live in a tent, buy a junk house trailer, sponge off of close friends, share a small rental with friends, buy whatever you can with the money you have. Certainly, none of these options would satisfy the vast majority of modern Americans who have been spoiled rotten. I am sure there are many other options that will never satisfy America’s taste to want more than the cash they have on hand. And still, genuine Christians must obey the command that teaches not to leave any outstanding debts unpaid, and for good reasons. Sure!

Let me tell you my story: I got married when I was 18 years old and still wet behind the ears. My new wife and I rented a downstairs apartment from my parents for about $20.00 a month—that was the average price for rentals in that dilapidated part of town. After a few years, I followed my in-laws to another state and lived with them in a 35-foot mobile home for a short while until we saved up enough money to buy a building lot for next to nothing. This was in the 1950s. Then we saved up more money to build a foundation. This house was very small. We saved up a little more money to do some framing. We saved up more money and bought windows and a front door. We moved into an almost unlivable house, according to standards of the time, even though it did us well, and in a little over a year the house was completely finished. We did not borrow a cent. Three years later, we sold it for $7,000.00, made some profit, and built an average- sized house with the money we made from the sale. We lived in that home for a few years and sold it for $16,000.00.

That was over fifty years ago. Since then, I have built many houses and never borrowed from any bank. In fact, I started a house-building business and never borrowed. Now I am an old man living on a small pension. I have never borrowed money for any reason. Everything I bought was with cash. Can that be done nowadays? Yes, for Christians who are aware of the potential dangers of going in debt.

You see, borrowed money feels like free money, but in its stead is money that will make borrowers into slaves, of sorts, to their taskmasters (lenders). They have to pay if they have it or not, or have whatever repossessed. Isn’t that what is happening in America today?

This tells me that a nearly secluded verse in the NT teaches us (American Christians) not to go into debt, because it can have an overpowering consequence. A good example is the potential downfall of a powerful and “rich” debtor nation--$13 trillion in debt and counting. That doesn’t sound rich to me. We are deeper in debt than all the countries in the world combined.

The problem we have created for the majority of the 20th century going into the 21st is that we thought we could defy Scriptural teaching and never pay the fiddler (God’s wrath). Well, it is catching up with us and at breakneck speed.

President Obama and the Federal Reserve believe we can solve our economic problems by going into debt. He is putting us in debt to help those who are in debt. It is very shortsighted when we borrow money to help people who borrowed more than they could afford, never thinking what would happen if a debilitating sickness or disaster occurred like being unemployed. I am not an economist, but something smells very fishy with American-type borrowing.

Even though I like Obama, it looks like he is making a serious mistake. Evidently, President Obama must not be aware of the dark side of debt. Does he realize what effect global warming will have on America in a few years? No one knows exactly how it will affect our climate, but one thing is for sure: It will not be pretty. When that potential hot weather and lack of rain is the norm, this present recession will feel like a birthday party in comparison.

There is little doubt that Obama’s economic stimulus package, along with loaning the banks over a trillion dollars, will help put the unemployed back to work, but with no thought of the debilitating stress it will cause to future generations.

At that time, the possible lack of employment will mean less revenue taken in by the IRS. When or if there is not enough money coming in to pay even the interest on that humongous debt, this country would be in the identical shape as those homeowners who made risky and possibly dishonest decisions. The only thing is that the consequence would be of a much greater magnitude—the end of America as we now know it. The countries that loaned us those trillions may take whatever they please as collateral.

The reason I give this negative view—even though the word “negative” is not a strong enough word—is because who knows what the future will bring? It is like counting one’s chickens before they hatch. I hope and pray this will not happen. Regardless of how much hope and prayer there is, they cannot stop global warming. That means Obama’s up beat (Pollyanna-ish, optimistic, fool-hearted) demeanor will not and cannot alter the pending disaster on the world, especially in a sophisticated nation like America.

Concerning auto loans, a new motor vehicle is not necessary every year or two. Put your pride aside. Fix up your present one. Forget about keeping up with the Joneses. If you must buy a new vehicle, save up the money first, then buy it. Another thing: Almost any automobile, etc. will lose value very quickly; this fact almost everyone knows. When financing the vehicle, by the time the last payment is made, it will be worth only pennies on the dollar of the original price. Sounds to me like a foolish venture. That is the way it is in America.

Don’t forget that there are others means of transportation where we don’t have to go into hock: Take public transportation, get a ride with a friend, carpool, ride a bike or walk. This may sound strange to many people for two reasons. As I already have said, we are spoiled, and the other reason is that we are lazy. We all were born with a tendency to be lazy. Therefore, mark this on your thinker: Laziness is the easiest addiction to get hooked on, and possibly the most difficult to break clean of. That is the best reason we must never give in to it.

Now the stupidest investment of all—if one can call it that—is paying high interest on a credit card. The average money owed on all credit cards in America is a staggering $10,000.00; that to me is unbelievable. If you must, file for bankruptcy or jump off a bridge. Just kidding. I heard that the average interest on all credit cards is between 15% to 20%. It is no wonder that the amount of money we save in the bank is for the first time in the negative numbers. Just think how much money we could put in the bank each week if we didn’t have to pay out on the dark side of debt. It sounds to me like we Americans are a little on the stupid side.

Here is a subject not many have ever thought about: subconscious stress. Let me tell you about a checker working in a nationwide grocery chain. I am guessing she is about 55 years old. She is a very nice lady. I often chat with her whenever she has the time. For several weeks, she was walking with a limp. I asked what it was. She said she has a little pain in her knee. I didn’t think much of it. Then a few days later, as she was behind the counter, she could hardly move from the cash register to put the groceries into the bags. I asked her, “Why don’t you take a short leave of absence?” Her answer was, “and then who is going to pay my mortgage?” This poor lady was not only in physical pain, but also in a constant state of subconscious stress. This is not an isolated incident.

That silent killer, even though many are not aware of it, is tormenting nearly everyone subconsciously because of their unpaid debts. Then you wonder why there is so much sickness in America nowadays. I believe stress is the number-one killer, especially in America. And there are no statistics to prove it. Stress is normal on occasions to outwit a pursuing lion, but when that lion is chasing you all day long, a slow, sickening death is pending.

In ending, this short post may not do much good for those Christians who are in debt over their heads already, but it is Godly advice for the future. For now, they must just grin and bear it. Just remember this: I believe it is better to live on the corner of a hot tin roof with a few possessions than to feed those legitimate crooks so they can live a super easy life as you live with pain while struggling just to get by.

I believe the main actions that set off this financial and economic predicament—I call it a debt crisis—is our pride and naïveté of Spiritual matters, along with the poorly controlled, unethical practices (fraud) inspired by greed of the large financial institutions.

# 273: What Should We Look For?

It was said that there are several hundred different Christian religions in America alone. That is hard to believe. And even if that isn’t true, still there are many. Of these religions, most claim their belief system is true to the New Testament (NT).

What should a person do when deciding what the true belief system is and which ones are false? When a person desires to find the one closest to the NT (genuine Christianity), there are several things to look for. This post will give specific details to give you a better chance of deciding which one, most likely, will be the right choice.

The true Christian religion is spiritual from the start to the end. That implies that engaging in secular activities is not a part of the spiritual world--although we live in a secular world, it is prudent to do the necessary things, and if possible no more. I am not saying we should neglect certain important duties that are our responsibility, but that we should not engage in activities that do not further the cause of Christ or enchant and enrich our spiritual experience. This last sentence says a mouthful.

There are many churches that promote activities that have nothing to do with promoting the gospel of Jesus Christ, and therefore are not spiritual. Some of these activities are decent and enjoyable to get involved in, but that secular participation displays signs which identify those churches as straying from the truth. Since the Christian religion is a spiritual experience, only activities which have something to do with Biblical teachings are spiritual.

Clearly, every person who claims to be a genuine Christian has been empowered with the Holy Spirit of God. That Spirit will lead us in holy ways that are not desired by the secular world. In several places in Scripture, receiving the Holy Spirit is called the baptism of the Holy Spirit; in other places, it is not.

How do we know for certain that we possess that Spirit, since there are many who claim to be indwelled with the Spirit of Christ but live lives in which it would be impossible to tell they are Christians? Answer: anyone who lives that way and does not conform with faith in Christ, love for God and others, holiness that separates us from the norm, and obedience to the Spirit’s prompting that complies with the NT, may not have God’s Holy Spirit. The spirit they have may be the spirit of the world, which is totally normal for the worldly, but not for us who have been blessed with the Spirit of God.

An even better way to be assured is if we get unique thoughts, which are the work of the Spirit that display His presence and are not conducive to our sinful human nature. When we continually obey the Spirit’s prompting, while putting aside thoughts and actions that benefit only ourselves, it is pretty good evidence to the fact that the Holy Spirit is living in us and will remain in us. It is the spirit’s presence in our lives that makes us spiritual entities/beings.

One possible exception would be when individuals are new to the faith and are sincere in a desire to be and do all that is required. Those people will receive power to live as directed when the Holy Spirit takes over their lives.

There are seven verses in the NT that use the word “mature,” which seems to indicate that when people hear about the Christian faith (the Word) and are interested, yet giving up many of life’s riches and pleasures may not sit right with them; therefore, they do not mature. These may be the ones without the Spirit. One thing is for sure: the Christian life cannot be lived as required without the indwelling Spirit. The Apostle Paul confirms this spiritual fact in Romans 8:6, which I have refereed to many times. “And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” By the way, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit with an uppercase S, and the Spirit of Christ, are one and the same.

Here is an interesting NT verse: Matthew 19:20: ”At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” When we are challenged to answer certain difficult questions, and we are lost for words (we don’t know the answer), this above verse may come into play. This has happened to me. I call this a small miracle; our mouths start uttering words that are not our own. Even though we will be shocked, we try not to show it. Lo and behold, our answer may be new to us, but it is according to Scripture, and has silenced our questionnaire. If and when this does happen to us, it is good confirmation to believe we are empowered with the Spirit of God. To believe these phenomena (small miracles) can really happen to ordinary Christians, it has to happen first and then we will believe it.

All human beings were born with the capacity to become spiritual beings. In fact, those who don’t take advantage of this precious gift of the Holy Spirit of God will never reach their full potential. What I mean is that regardless of what we aspire to be or to have will never completely satisfy us as long as we are still only doing and having things that are of this world. When the Holy Spirit enters a person, that person is on his/her way to start living a full and completely satisfying life. We were created for that specific purpose.

Actually, there is nothing we can do that is spiritual in nature without God’s Holy Spirit living in us. When the Spirit enters our lives, these are the most important events and the only thing that will empower us to live in a way that pleases God. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t religious people who are preaching and seem to be living holy lives that don’t possess the Holy Spirit. It is a shame to say that they are in the majority. They are the ones this blog has been exposing as frauds. It breaks my heart for the people who are hooked on (and honestly believe) their pleasant, ear-tickling gospel as the truth.

Again, it is the Spirit of God that provides the power to make genuine Christianity the vibrant religion that it is or should be. Of course, along with that, what is needed is to have humans like others and myself that are willing to obey the Spirit’s prompting to live holy lives.

Did anyone ever think what Christianity would be like, if after Christ’s resurrection, He did not go to heaven after being with His disciples for 40 days, but would continually remain with us and never age? To make certain that no one would start teaching false doctrines by ignoring many hard-edged parts of Scripture that don’t sit well with them? Of course, that would be next to impossible; the reason is that without aging and eventual death, He would not be totally human anymore. And we need a human as our role model, one who has been tempted in every way and yet without sin.

In His place, God left us humans (genuine active disciples) to do that work for Him. Then why have false doctrines plagued almost every segment of the Christian world? I would guess that not many churches want to go against the flow. This blog has been going against the natural flow of life for almost four years telling it like it is, regardless of what the clergy and other die-hard orthodox “Christians” say. This goes to show that the truth is not always pleasant to hear and abide by. Nowhere in the complete NT does it say or even imply that the Christian life would be like a walk in the park. 1st Peter 4:18: “And, if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Stay away from them; with all their sweet words of comfort, acceptance, etc., they will lead you straight to hell.

Another false assumption we must look out for is when a church does not require anything from its parishioners except to attend church regularly, go to mid-week study group, tithe 10% weekly and be good all week long. That is all that a majority of large denominations ask of us once we become Christians. That activity could be part of the Christian life, but by itself it is worthless in the sight of God. Christianity is a complete life change empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a spiritual life as taught by the NT.

Be suspicious of all churches that don’t emphasize studying the NT every day. I don’t mean just by reading a passage or two, but studying it as if it is a matter of life and death, which it is-- for you, you’re family and possibly others.

Don’t take any church’s word as to what is in our Holy Book; they mostly likely will leave out extremely important sections. Those sections are the ones that can make Christ’s work on the cross, valid in our lives. Those verses stress obedience to all that is commanded in the NT. Even though obedience will save no one, it is the main evidence that our belief is real. No obedience, no Salvation. If I were to count all the verses in the NT that mention the words obedience, obey, disobey, disobedient, disobeying, disobeyed, disobeys, obedience, obedient and obeying, there would be well over a hundred. How often has anyone heard the word obedience stressed and even enforced from the pulpit as to its importance in God’s plan of Salvation? Think about it!

Another thing to watch out for is the mega churches. The main reason they got so large in the first place is that they give their parishioners what they desire. They are lavished with whatever their worldly hearts desire. If they were to preach even a small part of what this blog teaches, they would cease to exist. A good example of mega churches is one of the largest churches in America, the one where Joel Osteen is pastor. He and others like him are a disgrace to real Christianity. Those who attend mega churches don’t know what is taught in the NT, even though they always have their Bibles in hand when they are attending church services.

If you forget or ignore everything in this post, please for your eternal sake, study the NT; then everyone will understand what pastors like Olsteen do not preach. As I have said many times in this blog: living the life of a genuine Christian will be the most difficult and challenging life in existence. The reason is because the teachings of Jesus Christ are totally contrary to what our sinful nature desires and what the world enjoys. This could be the reason why Christ said, “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14. Also, Matthew 7:13: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a FEW find it.”

Let me end with this sobering thought: if it sounds good and pleasing to the ear, run--don’t walk--away from that church and all that it teaches.

# 272: Modern Idolatry

Webster’s Dictionary defines idolatry as: 1, worship of idols; 2, excessive devotion to or reverence for some person or thing.

Idol: an image of a god, used as an object or instrument of worship.

In Bible days, the word ‘idol’ usually meant a statue of some creature that was carved out of wood or stone or molded out of metal. Heathens would present their request to these idols in hope that their desires would materialize. These types of idols could not see, hear or talk. And yet, to this day, there are several eastern religions that worship idols in this fashion. This type of worship, although prevalent, is beyond my understanding.

But, when the word ‘idolatry’ is defined in a modern sense as stated above in number 2, I can understand that type of idolatry. That is what we have in the world nowadays. What is the root reason for intelligent human beings to act and live in that fashion? I am certain there are several reasons, but I think there must be something missing in their lives; they want to become like the one(s) they are idolizing. Good example: “American Idol.”

In conjunction with that thought, I, for the first time, watched the prelude (the red-carpet event) of the Academy Awards on TV last night, which is Hollywood’s biggest night. I watched it only to get some information for this post. One of the announcers said there are or will be over a billion people worldwide watching this event, along with a 15% increase in viewers this year. Looks like we are heading downhill. Also, the announcer said that 36 million households in America were watching; that is a staggering number.

Viewers of movies tend to forget that they are engaging in a make-believe world. Why would anyone continually what to fill his or her live with pretend stories (fairytales) when there is so much beneficial reality going on at all times?

As of the latest survey, about 90% of people in America believe in God. Of that number, I don’t know how many claim to be Christians, but according to Holy Scripture, no Christian should be watching that kind of trash. I am certain many reading this section will think I am out of my mind to say that.

The point I am making is how many of those nominated for the best of whatever are being idolized by millions of people in America and the world. Remember: if you didn’t know it already, America and many of the people living here are the role models (idols) of the world. Then we have the audacity to call America a Christian country. Sure!

I even heard one of Hollywood’s royalties say, “I idolize him,” whoever he was. After that, I was listening to them talking about the Oscars. I believe those 12-inch statues are the most desired, if not coveted, idols in America. Then as I watched the female nominees come on center stage to get interviewed, I think they all--except one--were having a contest of how much of their breasts they could show off without displaying their nipples. We become like those we gaze at. In this case I mean the female gender.

Since about 90% of the people in America believe in God, I am certain a large portion of them who claim to be “Christians” were watching the Academy Awards. What right do they have to fill their lives with such worthless trash? Regardless of why they enjoy that kind of stuff, watching that event alone unequivocally says, “If that’s what Christians are allowed to watch, Christianity is a pagan religion.”

Then there is the worship of physical things: things in which people give excessive devotion or admiration, be what it may. I don’t believe those people would call it idolatry, and by those I mean the ones who give excessive admiration to certain precious things/objects they are proud of. Regardless, in a Christian’s point of view, it is idolatry. The reason is because they, without knowing it, value that/those object(s) as more important than God.

There is a verse in the New Testament (NT) that sheds light on what one form of idolatry really is. Colossians 3:5: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature . . .and greed which is idolatry.” Therefore, since greed is associated with idolatry, we American Christians may be in big trouble. Then, the NT teaches in Luke 12:15: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.”

As I have already mentioned several times in this blog, we don’t use the word ‘greed’ anymore; in its place we have a myriad of friendly euphemisms that make our greed look acceptable and even admirable.

In America, we are taught right from day one to reach for the top of the ladder of success. When it is put this way, it is easy to see how greed and idolatry are associated.

We who claim to be genuine Christians must check our lives to see what or whom we may be idolizing. If and when we find something or someone, we should honestly ask ourselves, why are we doing this? Then answer that question without using a favorable or acceptable euphemism or other excuses. Of course, if we just call ourselves Christians but are not, we will not accept idolatry as sinful.

Idolatry of any form displays inner emptiness of anything of real value. I am certain many will deny that charge. I can understand why anyone without much of anything of spiritual value would need to idolize or worship things or people. It gives them a false sense of reality and worth. This type of idolatrous living is of epidemic proportions in America and possibly in most industrialized/civilized nations.

Anyone who is a genuine Christian will idolize Jesus Christ and the perfect life He lived, and no one else; He is our only role model. There is not much more to be said on this subject, except we are so used to giving accolades and honor to movie stars, athletes and the like, and it is called normal in a heathen country like America--my birthplace, although I am a citizen of another world, and am earnestly looking forward to living there.

When I use the word ‘heathen’, I am including many “Christian” denominations that have strayed so far from the truth, that if and when the truth was evident, they still would not believe it. The clergy is eager to go with the flow of the world, since they, most likely, are worldly also. That is a cruel indictment, but if I keep silent, their blood will be on my hands.

The less Godly wealth we have inwardly, the more we would subscribe to anything--if even for a short while--that makes us feel happy, content and fulfilled. The result of that type of action turns out to be no more than a mirage. To have inward wealth, one must get past the allurements the physical world offers and go to the One who promises wealth of the soul; only a genuine faith in God through Jesus Christ can give that sort of satisfying reality, which leads to eternal life.

Is it fair to say that the most desired idols in America are wealth and prosperity? That is the connection wealth has with greed. The more we get, the more we want. The only thing is that wealth can never truly satisfy the inward person. Another thing is that wealth is so uncertain, as is evident by what is happening in the economic and financial sector at this time. How many people have lost much, if not everything? Having money, ”The American dream” or what is wrongfully called “the good life” as an idol and being greedy may seem satisfying, but it has unknown pitfalls (becoming God’s enemy) along with a tendency to be fleeting. 1st Timothy 6:17: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, . . .”

Another two idols the majority of Americans have are entertainment and enjoying the pleasures of life. Luke 8:14: “. . . but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” 1st Timothy 5:6: “But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.” That goes for men also. James 4:3-4: “. . . that you spend what you get for your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” Luke 12:19-20: “And I’ll say to myself, You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. God said to him, you fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” There are several more verses that also warn about the deadly harm that indulging in pleasures can do to anyone’s relationship with God. The pleasures of life become their idol.

If the NT is correct about idolatry, and it is, then you can see why I call this country of mine a mostly pagan nation. There are times I feel like Lot when he lived in Sodom, and I am certain others do also. I don’t believe many “Christians” understand what holiness is about in America. To be holy, from God’s perspective, means to separate oneself from the secular and the ordinary.

In conclusion, can we change our idolatrous ways? The time will come when it may be too late, and disaster will be upon us. This is not my prediction. Read the 18th chapter of Revelation. See if the United States of America is or isn’t living as it predicts. 1st John5:21: “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”

If anyone does not agree with the above prediction, please leave me a comment and show me where I am wrong. I would appreciate it.

# 271: The Power of Love

All humans have a basic need which many times is not apparent. That need is to be loved with unconditional love. Then there are some people who will deny that they have that need. And others will say, what else is new?

The word love is used in many, many different ways. Most will not fulfill the need this post will be referring to. Interestingly, the word love, which is the dearest word in existence, can be the most misused and abused word of all.

The love a mother has for her newborn could be one of the strongest forms of love. The love parents have for older children is also a strong love. Of course, the love between husbands and wives many times is a strong love. But in these days of freedom of expression, marital relationships quite often have a fickle type love.

Because of the many different degrees and types of love, it can be a complex and versatile subject. It seems because of the need for love by all people and our inability to receive the love we desire, inward conflicts are created. If somehow those inward conflicts could be done away with, peace and joy would be widespread throughout the world.

Here is the problem: the love we really need cannot be given to us by others. The reason is that we unknowingly desire to be loved by whomever, the same as we love ourselves. For sure, no one would have the audacity to actually admit such a need.

In our attempts to fill that love cavity, we are groping at many worldly things like relationships, fame, fortune and countless numbers of worldly things and attitudes that promise us love, happiness and peace of mind. But it is sad to say that there are no material things or people in the world who can love us as we desire, or better yet, as we need.

Don’t fret; there is a way we can acquire the love that can make us feel and know that we are being loved to the greatest degree possible. It can only come from God. How so?

“God is love.” 1st John 4:16. Those three little words that surpass knowledge, when grasped by belief, can do more for the world population than any thing, position, attitude, etc. that is available. By God teaching us that He is love--love is a spiritual substance--means that He has more than enough love to give all of us as we need and desire. That sounds great, but how does it work?

As we all know, the main benefit of living as Christians is to gain eternal life. And yet, there are many benefits for us while we live here on this earth. These benefits far outweigh the difficulties of obedience to some of Christ’s teachings, such as Philippians 2:3: “. . . but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Also. Luke 12:33: “Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” 1st Corinthians 10:24: “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others,” and many more similar verses.

Since God is love, it is His nature to love all people, good and bad. Luke 6:35: “because he [God] is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” 1st Timothy 2:4: “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” 2nd Peter 3:8: He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Also, Acts 14:17.

The point I am attempting to make is that if God hated those (His enemies) who displease Him, He could not expect us to love our enemies. Matthew 5:44: “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Romans 12:20: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him: if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” The only thing is that if God’s enemies and ours don’t change and have faith in Jesus Christ, love for them will eventually come to nothing.

Before God’s love can work in our lives, the first thing we must do is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. If that commitment is valid, God’s love for his own children allows Him to actually share His Holy Spirit and His Divine Nature with us. Without these Godly attributes, we could do nothing.

The love God has for those of us who love Him cannot be described in human words. Nevertheless, I will attempt to describe it to the best of my ability with the Godly wisdom God gives.

First and foremost, when we receive God’s love, it is of such great quality to the point that we won’t need the love or admiration of any humans, even though it may be nice to have. In other words, His love for us fills our love cavity to the degree that completely satisfies. As I mentioned previously, before God’s love is received, no matter how much we were loved by whomever, it could not suffice completely.

His love for us makes us feel invincible. Why I say that is because as we feed on that love, His care for us is similar to how an infant feels when it is nursing. It is a feeling as if nothing can harm us, even though bad things may come our way. They come as a means to strengthen us, in our Christian faith. But even in these unpleasant circumstances, we feel safe and secure. God’s love protects us from being swayed by the devil’s worldly enticements, and thus falling into one of his ironclad traps.

Since we live in the world, but are no part of what the world delights in, the things worldly people desire are not what we desire. For that reason, we are not jealous or envious of what they earnestly strive for. They can’t understand why we are not jealous or envious of what they have. In fact, we feel sorry that they need so many worldly things in their attempt to unknowingly satisfy their need for fulfilling love.

God’s love liberates us from the fear of death. Death is no longer our enemy. Hebrews 2:15: “and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” As for me, personally, passing away from this world will be an extremely joyful day. But when I go, I pray it will be for promoting the truth as it is described in the New Testament, (NT) (a martyr). Only one present situation: God needs as many people as He can get to further the work of His Son, and I may be one of them. That work is to continue the work Christ started: to recruit as many people as possible to His cause, and to destroy the devil’s work. 1st Peter 2:21: “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” There are many verses that teach the same principle. 1st John 2:8: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

When we have genuine love in our hearts for God and our fellow man/woman, it is almost impossible not to do the right thing in every occasion.

With God’s love in our pockets, so to speak, we don’t need to impress others with things that make us feel better or as good as the next person. God’s love has that much power over how we live.

God’s love working in our lives through His Holy Spirit teaches us by His ability to infiltrate our thinking process. It is actually putting holy words into our minds. This phenomenon must be experienced to understand what I am talking about. Luke 12:12: “for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” John 14:26: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” 1st John 2:17: “and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things...remain in him.”

When we are acutely aware that God’s love is what we all need to guide us in the paths of constructive Holy living, stress in our lives is a thing of the past. Without daily stress--which we don’t call stress anymore--it is like living in a world filled with joyful children. This lack of stress is one of the best changes that has occurred in my life. Without stress, we can live with joy in our hearts at all times; when we have continual joy, this evil world is much more bearable.

When we know and are experiencing how much God loves us, the outcome is a feeling of security in all situations. I don’t mean financial security, but the security that we are in good hands at all times. And that security gives a feeling of peace and tranquility of mind.

When the words, divine love, and obedience to NT teachings are put into action, that is the fulfillment of God’s law of love. Put another way: when we obey the teachings in the NT, we in essence are displaying our love for God along with receiving His powerful love for us.

To the contrary, to say we love God and do not obey His NT teachings, we are deceiving ourselves.

Let’s make this perfectly clear: the NT is a book of love; our love inspired by God’s powerful love is the fulfillment of Jesus Christ’s appearance on earth again with power. We as Christians are taking the place of Jesus Christ; we have His Spirit, His mind and His love to empower us with the most difficult task in the world: living as genuine followers of Jesus Christ. 1st Corinthians 2:16: “But we have the mind of Christ.” Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Considering all we were/will be given, I believe an appropriate and demanding name for us should be ‘clones-of–Christ-in-the–making’. If that was the case, it is certain the majority of people who call themselves Christians or followers of Christ wouldn’t dare to take on such a challenging handle. Don’t you agree?

Looking at Christianity from God’s prospective, His love and divine nature are, by all means, the most sacred and valuable attributes/gifts given to men/women, and that makes His religion unique.

We cannot love others the way we are required, until we have love to spare. And with all the powerful love God has for us, we will/should always have an abundance of love. Love is a spiritual commodity.

God’s love gives us the desire to keep our hearts and minds on Godly things to the greatest degree possible, as much as the circumstances in our lives will allow. God’s love is unfailing to the faithful. He can’t be any different since He is love. His love will bring us into eternity. However, His love for those who don’t believe must be put aside at the judgment to give them the life they cherished while on earth: life without God.

Yes, whatever hell will be like, for certain it will be the complete absence of God and His creation. The NT speaks quite often of hell being a place of continual fire; that may be so. I personally think that hell, without God or His creation, will be a place of complete darkness. Why I say that is because several scriptures use darkness as evil or the total absence of God, whereas light is symbolic of God and good.

God’s love is the most powerful force in the universe and the least sought after. He created the universe as it is because of love. It was absolutely necessary for Him to find a way to continually share His love; His love has no ending since He is eternal. If somehow He stopped seeking intelligent beings to love, then God would cease to be a God of love. Love must be shared; if one has it, it cannot be contained.

The powerful love God has for us gives us courage and audacity to speak the gospel message in truth and not just selecting pleasing sections. Propagating just the ear-tickling sections could be one of the most serious crimes against Christ. Isn’t that the type of religion that is popular in many churches?

The more active we are in spiritual matters, especially in actively promoting the cause of Jesus Christ, the more realistic God’s love will be in our lives. That probably is the reason why many people are not living in God’s love. We experience God’s love through faith/the belief process. If we believe we have it, our lives will correspond with that belief. What I mean is God’s powerful love is not fulfilled/fulfilling until it is put into action. No action, no love.

In ending, let us take advantage of God’s powerful love; when we do, our lives will change 180 degrees. God gives it to us free of charge for the taking. Even if a complete book was written about God’s love, and we agreed with it, His love cannot be known until we start to experience it by action. Then we will know with certainty that what is written herein is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

This post is the loftiest and most uplifting thus far published. I hope many will take it to heart, especially those who are serious about their devotion to Jesus Christ. God promises we will never regret it. I have never been so appreciative of God’s love until the writing of this post. It has been a great blessing for me. I pray that all Christians will also be blessed after reading this post. Experiencing the power of God’s love is the answer to our unspoken discontent. Amen!

Post # 270: Who’s In Charge?

Who is in charge of what is happening in this world? Some may say that this doesn’t seem like a legitimate question. The answer seems to be those who live on this earth; that means you and me. If that is true, what are we doing to make the world a better place?

Since God created the world for its inhabitants, he gave us the responsibility to live in a way where all people live together peacefully and happily. But not all people live that way. Before God created the earth, He knew what an ungodly place this world would be. That doesn’t mean He created evil. Because humans naturally have free will, He had to allow this situation.

At the same time, God knew that there would be a few people who desired love and goodness for all people. These are the ones that live and love through the faith they have acquired through Jesus Christ. Since they are a small minority, they have little, if any, impact on what is going on in the world. That seems to say that ungodly people are in charge of things. This doesn’t mean these ungodly people are cruel or unfair; they just go with the flow of what the world says, which is enjoying the pleasures of life.

Can we call God the culprit who is responsible for all the self-centeredness that is rampant among all classes of people? Absolutely not! Again, if God could somehow create humans without free will, He would have nothing but a bunch of mindless puppets as his offspring. This tells us that God desires that the only people to be with Him for eternity are those who are actively engaging in making every effort to promote the cause of Jesus Christ, which is to have an active love for God and all people, especially the needy.

Another activity that is necessary but almost nonexistent, which could have made this world a better place, was/is for all people who claim Christ as their Lord to expose and thus attempt to destroy the deceptive work of the devil. That evil brute has his hands in every conceivable activity, group, etc. He leaves no stone unturned. Not one human being is exempt from his enticing power. Warnings: Matthew 10:16. “I am sending you like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Also, for us who are actively continuing Christ’s work, take note of these warnings from Jesus: Matthew 7:6. “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”

Satan the devil knows that he and all who knowingly and unknowingly follow him will eventually be all for naught. And still, his hatred for God and all who follow His ways is so great, regardless of his end; he doesn’t want a single person to go to heaven to be with God and all His holy ones. That could be his most powerful incentive. With that kind of power at his disposal, all of us, regardless of our station, are susceptible to his pleasant enticements. And you will never guess who are his pride and joy: those who call themselves Christians, especially the clergy, but are not. Please take this statement seriously.

Therefore, the answer to who is in control of this world seems obvious: Satan the devil. There is a verse that seems to verify what Satan said: Luke 4:5-7. “The devil led him [Jesus] up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me it will all be yours.” The only thing is that his control of the world has been and will be temporary. That word temporary may mean several hundred years or more, but those who overcome all his tricks will live forever. My guess is that the way things are out of control and happening so quickly, Christ and the end may come in the next 50 years, although Jesus and most of His disciples believed the end would come in their lifetime.

As to who has been in control of the world situations, for the last eight years it has been George Bush and his sidekick (tricky Dickey). All that he did was to put the frosting on the cake that has been cooking in this country for many years.

To get sidetracked just a little, I ask, will America with its gloomy economic situation and the pending global warming—to which we have been the main contributor--among other serious challenges, be able to make magic out of our next-to-worthless paperbacks? The Feds print paper money, with nothing behind it except the goodwill of our country, as if there is no tomorrow. And what about our 11 trillion dollar debt, which may climb 3 trillion or more by the end of this year? If China and Japan are carrying half of our country’s debt at this time, it won’t be too long before they will own it all. Truthfully, they can have it; they can’t make it much worse than Georgie boy has already done.

Come to think about it, a prime cohort of the devil regarding who is in control of this world is not only our national debt but also our personal debts. Debt means we want what we shouldn’t have and can’t afford. And guess what? The chickens are finally coming home to roost. Can you believe that before the twentieth century, debt was literally unheard of, or unavailable? Some countries still live that way.

Although I am not a fan of the Book of Revelation, there is a section in the eighteenth chapter that points to America as being ‘Babylon the Great’. Read it to see if you don’t come to the same conclusion. After reading that chapter, you can understand why I said that the end might be in the next 50 years. Here is a verse that gives a sneak preview: Revelation 18:2. “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great.”

Finally, though it doesn’t seem that way at the present time, when all is said and done, God Almighty will be in control when He takes his own children up to heaven to be with him for all eternity. After all, God is just allowing all the evil in this world to continue for just a little longer, and He knows the final outcome. That final event is the only purpose for the existence of this world and all the ungodliness that has transpired for the last several thousand years.

# 269: Morals

The New Testament (NT) is a book which dictates the distinction between right and wrong, and between good and bad conduct. Humans have created codes of ethics that are mainly for the welfare of the general population. But since humans are flawed, many times, those moral codes are also flawed.

Depending on the country where underprivileged people are born, many, especially in third-world countries, the situation is completely unfair that they should live in poverty, pain, hunger, sickness, despair and all kinds of abuse. Children, unfortunately, are often the target of such abuse. I, personally, have an a great empathy for all children who are mistreated. No one deserves that type of treatment. In fact, the pain of that empathy is so strong that at times I can hardly stand it. What type of moral standards do these miserable people live under? I often asked the Holy Spirit, why did a God of love make such a cruel and unfair world? I have not received an answer as of yet; hopefully I will get an answer and relay it on this blog.

When people are born with a gold spoon in their mouths, they expects to be treated with respect. That also is true for those who have climbed to the top of the ladder of success, along with the rest of the wealthy. Then, there are those who are born with a great brain, or excellent memory; they without saying a word, look down on those who are not as fortunate, and silently treat them accordingly.

Then, there are those who live in poverty, possibly through no fault of their own--I was born in that type of situation--and even those who are lazy or those who have made the wrong choices in life. These people are just as human as everyone else, but most often are treated unfairly.

We all know that to many, human birth is an unfair event. One person is born beautiful, another is born ugly; one person is tall in stature, another is very short; one person is born with a healthy body, while another has to live with some form of deformity. This list of the unfair nesses in life is almost endless.

Do the less fortunate deserve to be treated with the same respect as those who have been born with everything going-their-way? The answer is a resounding yes. Nevertheless, there is something about our human nature that doesn’t allow the majority of us to act that way.

The moral standards humans makeup and live by, most often, are not in accordance with the standards that are taught in the NT. One of the most, if not the most, obvious of all moral standards that is contrary to NT teachings is how the general public in America has readily acknowledged, mostly by their silence, sexual immorality as acceptable. For example, young girls become pregnant without being married. In Bible days, they would have been stoned to death. On that same line, now it is normal for school and college-age boys and girls to think it is the ‘in thing’ to have sexual intercourse with as many boys and girls as possible. The thing that bothers me is that not many parents and/or organizations, (and I mean those who have clout) and not many churches are verbally saying or doing nothing to ban and condemn that type of conduct.

According to God’s standards, this type of action signifies that something is dramatically wrong in America. What is it? I am certain there are many factors that bought it on. I would say much of it stems from the proverbial adage ‘We become like those we gaze at’.

Television was introduced in America in the 1940s; that was the first time we could watch and be entertained in the privacy of our homes. That was when we got in the habit of wanting to be entertained just about everyday instead of once a week or so at the movie theater. This constant watching the boob tube started to affect us, without us knowing it, much more than we ever expected.

In those early days, most programming on TV was fairly decent. But in the last 10 or 20 years, it got downright nasty, especially with the onset of the gay rights movement. From thereon in, TV networks gave the viewing public just what they always wanted. If they want trash, that is what they get. TV always was and still is, now even more so, a money making business and not much more. Truth be told: the reason people who desire to watch and engage in obscene trash is because that is what they are morally made up of. That is a harsh but Godly judgment.

Then came the home videos, and finally DVDs. Frankly, much of our present immorality stems from this visual stimulation. And yes, silently and insidiously our new immoral code came into existence. Again, monkey see = monkey do.

Where was the Christian community as all this was happening? Mostly by their silence and their participation they did nothing to stem what was going on. What happened to the Biblical morals that are clearly displayed in the NT for ever Christian to read and adhere to? They were swept under the rug. You see, it is unpopular and difficult for so-called Christians to go against the flow.

What follows is exclusively for everyone who believes they are Christians. Don’t forget this: if anyone doesn’t pass this upcoming Biblical test, and I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, don’t you dare call yourselves Christians. Remember, heathens will be better off on judgment day than hypocrites (superficial Christians) who claim to be genuine Christians. An explanation will be presented in an upcoming section.

Here is the reason why: all who claim Christ as their Lord and Savior and live worldly lives--worldliness is damning in God’s sight--make it difficult if not impossible for others who desire to be real Christians, because the conduct of the hypocrites coincides with how atheists live. Who are they (new comers to Christianity) to emulate? To put it clearly: atheists, etc. are not stopping most from accepting Christ as their Savior. But hypocrites are hindering many would-be Christians from knowing what real Christianity is. Therefore these fakes are doing great harm to the cause of Christ, while atheists do not negatively affect Christ’s work to any great degree.

Here is the answer to an unanswered question: are hypocrites aware that they are hypocrites? I am certain most are not. The truthful answer is that when people calls themselves Christians but knowingly don’t obey what is commanded in the NT, he/she is a hypocrite. Hopefully this post will be a wake-up call.

I have mentioned dozens and dozens of times in this blog how everyone can know for certain that they are genuine Christians. I will repeat myself. Even though most orthodox churches claim that they are Bible believing institutions, that is a flat lie. They do preach much of what the New Testament teaches, but there are hundreds of verses/commands they never touch. The reason they are selective as to what they preach is that if they weren’t, their membership would slide to zilch. In this case, the saying is true ‘Half truth is worse than no truth at all.’

They are the commands that are not pleasant to hear or to abide by. Christ did His part by saving us; our part is to continually do good works. Ephesians 2:10. "For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." In other words, we are to obey all of what is taught in the NT. The good works, deeds and fruit--which are one and the same--don’t save us, but are the ONLY solid, divine evidence that we believe in Christ, and love God and our fellow human beings as He requires. That is it.

Here is the truth: when we make Jesus Christ our savior through faith, we also have to accept Him as our Lord (boss/owner) as I mention quite often. What I am saying is that we sign a moral agreement, as it were, on tablets of our hearts, to go by the rules set out that make this religion unique among all other religions. Once that agreement is broken/not adhered to, the complete contract is null and void. That means it is extremely imperative to understand that studying and accepting the eternal agreement that gives life at its best is not an option; it is mandatory. Just a reminder: the NT is the only authority as to what Christianity was meant to be. All else is man’s conniving, feel-good interruption.

Most certainly, if anyone was to honestly realize their error, and repent of their nonconformity to the contract, which is the NT, forgiveness will always be waiting. But at the same time, God knows if someone is sincere about their repentance or if they are just making holy noise. We all know that God through Jesus Christ is merciful, compassionate, etc. to sinners, and that is wonderful. But at the same time He is no fool. God knows what is in everyone’s heart. We may fool ourselves, but we can’t fool God.

This is Godly advice that will put anyone on the straight and narrow and, if they are not there already. Get your Bible (buy a modern translation if you don’t have one), and read or listen to large portions with CDs of the NT every day. Whenever commands, teachings or rules come along, highlight them in a certain color; those you did not know about, make them another color; those that you obeyed, make them still another color; those that seem impossible to adhere to, make a different color and so on. Many will be surprised at how many hundreds of such commands come up that we never heard mentioned from the pulpit, or we never knew existed.

Reading and listening to large portions of the NT every day will make us constantly aware of what is expected of us in order to please God. Along with that, we will be more conscious of Godly matters as we go about our normal daily affairs. Remember, we need all the help we can get with so many ungodly activities going on in the world at the present.

Although some commands may please us and many others seem revolting, when they are all put together as a unit, the result will be a life that is unbeatable by the standards of this world; actually it will be the impetus of Jesus Christ coming back to earth to continue the work He started 2000 years ago through our frail bodies. That is what genuine Christianity is meant to be.

This will not be an easy or pleasant task. Did you know that no where in the NT does it teach that being a disciple of Jesus Christ/Christian would be easy? To the contrary, it is guaranteed that to live as the NT dictated will be the most disciplined and challenging task which requires the changing of one’s life. Change never comes easy. No one wants to hear this kind of talk. They call it negative. That is a lie. It is the truth. The truth may sound negative to those who don’t believe.

Just remember, before anyone decides to be a partaker in Christ’s moral agreement, read that contract, the NT carefully; there’s no fine print; it is all in large print. Whatever you do, don’t believe what anyone says is in there, even if a loved-one or a knowledgeable person like a clergyman/woman is trying to convince you otherwise. They may mean well, but at the same time it could be your doorway to hell.

I don’t believe anyone can give you better advice than what is being given in this post. And if you decide this advice is too demanding or not necessary, for the sake of others, do one thing: don’t call yourself a Christian. You may be better off at the end by being honest with yourself, and thus not having the blood of others on your hands. Luke 12:47-48. "The servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows." This verse seems to indicate that there may be various degrees of eternal punishment. Since hypocrites do more damage for the cause of Christ than anyone else, they may get the most severe punishment.

In ending, Godly morals are the kind that will make all things well. Make certain your morals do not follow what this world teaches. For certain, they will lead many to a very bad place.

Although this post is not difficult to understand, it might be wise to occasionally come back to read it again and again. It is that crucial to everyone’s salvation.

# 268 :The Secret Power of Divine Love

The Christian religion is based on love. Not romantic or sensual love, but like the love a mother and father have for their children, and the need babies have for their mothers. Why is it that divine love (Godly love) cannot be achieved between man/woman and his/her neighbors? Why can’t we live in a way that will end all conflicts? We have the intelligence to go to the moon and back; we know how to send words and pictures for many millions of miles with the speed of light, and many, many more totally amazing feats of humanity’s ingenuity.

Repeating, what is it that stops that love from forming in us which would end all animosity? Let us see if we can find the answer. This could be the hardest question I have ever asked. Truthfully, I don’t know if have the complete answer. I am hoping God’s Spirit will help as this post progresses.

I am aware it is our human nature that literally forces us to care for self and family. It is our most dominating instinct. And that is understandable. But why does that instinct keep us from loving and caring for the needy? What is it? Could it be insecurity with the thought that possibly there may not be enough of whatever to go around on a rainy day? Or is it a hidden feeling of emptiness that insecurity produces, telling us we may not be as important or as valuable as the next person/s?

Or do we keep from loving others because our human nature silently keeps telling us ‘Don’t forget, survival of the fittest.’ That may be the reason we desire to be as well-off as the rest or even a little better. I think all the above reasons may apply, but this last one may do more harm in keeping us from caring for others, as agape (Godly love) dictates.

Something to think about: our self-centered nature and free will did not come about by God’s creation of humanity in just one 24-hour day. It came about by God-guided, behind-the-scene process of development, which took millions of years, if not longer--many may call it evolution through the process of random selection. Anyone with even a partial brain can see all the evidence that science, archaeology, anthropology, geology, etc. have been discovering for the last hundred years or so. Also think about this: our DNA is about ninety-seven or ninety-eight percent, if not more, identical to the chimpanzee, along with having almost identical body parts. Is that just a coincidence?

All primates have an animal nature. That is what makes them animals. As their development continued, they became more sophisticated through God-guided natural selection, and not random selection as Darwin’s evolution dictates. The only thing that didn’t/couldn’t change was their animal nature. With them the main desire was/is to survive, one way or another. And that meant a continual striving to beat out all predators and competitors.

Before reading any further, click onto post # 143: "Creation, Evolution and Intelligent design." It is an extremely lengthy and informative paper that will tell what may be the best solution in understanding how we got here and why. That post will help you understand this post, and where I am coming from.

Since the majority of "Bible-believing" Christians believe God created Adam in an instant/one 24-hour day; that belief has alienated many thinking and educated people from becoming Christians. They cannot believe in any religion that violates solid science and good-old-common-sense, that has been proven over and over again with undisputable evidence.

Interestingly enough, one thing many Christians don‘t understand is that time, as we know it, does not exist in God’s eternity. 2nd Peter 3:8. "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day." That means that God was in no hurry to make the earth and all that goes with it, in just six earth days. Repeating, several billion years and one 24-hour day are the same in a timeless existence. It is almost impossible for humans to understand or experience timelessness with words only; it must be experienced, which we, as yet, have not mastered.

It is apparent that humans are no more than hybrid, sophisticated, intelligent, sometimes well-mannered animals with a self-centered nature. That sinful human nature which we inherited stops us from loving others as we should. Jude 10. ". . . , like unreasoning animals--these are the very things that destroy them." Most animals and a large percentage of humans are unreasoning when it comes to the welfare of others. That, along with our desire to survive and thrive, does not allow us to live with others in a loving, peaceable and charitable way.

Again, as one can readily understand, it would be almost impossible for us to have selfless love for the needy because of our inherent animal nature. The apostle Paul used the term ‘sinful nature’ about 24 times to describe our human nature.

The main reason it is extremely difficult to love as the New Testament requires is because the majority of us humans are stuck on ourselves--though we don’t like to hear that kind of talk. And yet, there is an exceedingly unique way in which we can free ourselves, or better yet, be freed from the dominance our selfish nature has over our lives.

Here is the deal: God devised a plan before the beginning of time to free us from ourselves, and live in a way which will please Him, since He more than anyone else knows very well the constraining situation we all are in.

God will freely make available to us His divine love via his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the powerhouse that gives us the ability to activate the needed love to live in a way that pleases God. Acts 1:8. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you." Romans 8:9. "And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."

How He does this is to count as holy and righteous those who believe that His Son Jesus Christ will save us from our sinful past and bring us to heaven. Put another way: God converts our faith into holiness. To mentally believe and accept that part where Christ becomes our Savior is apiece of cake. But also, we must count/make Jesus the Lord of our lives, which means we are under His thumb; He becomes our new owner. 1st Corinthians 6:19. "You are not your own; you were bought at a price." As is apparent, the contradictory part many of us engage in as followers of Christ is when we call Him Lord, which He is and don’t obey what He commands. That is when the sparks will fly that may eventually burn into eternity. 1st John 3:24. "Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them."

Actually, there are dozens of Bible verses that teach the exact same principle of absolute necessity for obedience to all that is commanded in the New Testament. Notwithstanding, there is a threatening condition if/when a person does not obey--and who likes to be threatened? Acts 5:32. ". . . , and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." That means no obedience, no Holy Spirit, no Holy Spirit, no Salvation." Ouch! I don’t like to bring up verses that threaten, but most conventional churches are lenient with those types of verses. That is the reason for this blog.

By the way, let it be known, that the only way we become aware of those commands is when we make it a habit of reading large portions of the New Testament every day. There are hundreds of commands which teach us what we must do and not do. It is a deceptive attitude to think, since I am honest, good person, I go to church, I don’t steal and I obey the 10 commandments, I will go to heaven; therefore, I don’t need to read the Bible everyday to know what sin is. I can say assuredly and with God’s approval, those we believe that way may not qualify for eternity. Christianity is that complex and not child’s play. If one rejects all else in this post, please, for your sake, take this paragraph seriously.

1st Peter 1:4. ". . . , so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." With our new divine nature and love that God has imparted on us, through our faith, the result will be that God expects us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Mark 12:28-30. "The most important one, answered Jesus, is this: . . . Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself." There is no commandment greater than this." The only possible way we can even start to display our love for Him in this extreme way is to make every effort to obey all that He commanded. Only words of love for God are worthless, again, unless they are followed by the actions of obedience to their new Lord.

Now comes the final challenge that adheres everything together in a coherent way: loving our neighbors as ourselves. That is an extremely high price to pay, even though grace with its responsibilities is freely given to us through our faith. You see, it is God’s grace working through us that enables you and me to love our needy neighbors. When everything is in place as is aforementioned, but this last and most difficult part does not materialize, all else is nothing but a facade of holy words, and is worthless to God. This message should be posted on every billboard in the world.

With our newly acquired divine nature and love, one of the reasons God desires us to believe and love Him, and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, above and beyond eternal life, is so that we can live in loving harmony with each other. It is our divine love that will give us the desire and ability to love Him as He desires, coupled with love for all humankind.

With only human love, it would be almost impossible for us to believe that it is feasible to consider others equal, if not better than ourselves. Philippians 2:3. "Do nothing out of vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself". Romans 12:10. "Honor one another above yourself."

Repeating, the only reason this world is in the Godless shape it is in all stems from lack of Godly love in the lives of those who just say they believe in God, including atheists and all religions that do not espouse active love for God and neighbor.

One of the most joyful benefits about living with Godly love while on this earth, as the password to real life is we will be experiencing a prelude of heavenly glory. Yes, as we all know, Godly love put into action by all the people in the world would be the answer to all our worldly problems and conflicts. It is a crying shame that it will never happen.

Remember this: the remedy in overcoming our human nature is exclusively for those who not only believe, but also live as is dictated in the Holy Book. The result of the above-mentioned remedy is spending eternity with God, where divine love is not only prevalent but the only way of life. Amen.

In closing, the open secret goes this way: have faith in Jesus Christ, love Him and His Father as He requires, love the unlovable and the helpless, and finally, make sure to use the glue that binds everything together, which is obedience. Amen.