ABC Myths, legends, lies

by Jannie

Prologue

Just as with wrong perceptions, must we perhaps be more careful with emotion. It is part of the soul and is self-conscious as opposed to the spirit that is God-conscious (The meditation “Body, soul and spirit of man” refers).

The notion of being “inter-denominational” might sound good, but by closer examination will prove to be a very precarious path to tread. Let’s ponder 1 Jn 2:4 with Jn 4:23-24; 14:6; Col 2:8 and Gal 1:6-9. The Roman Catholic Church, for example (that murdered around fifty million Protestants – refer to the meditation “Church part 2”, specifically p. 14), suggest other intercessors than Jesus Christ, such as the pope and the dead that are “closer” to God than us. This is opposing 1 Jn 2:1-2; 1 Tim 2:5 and Heb 4:14-16 to name a few scriptures.

Let’s look at this idea as we progress through this meditation, shall we?

Introduction

The Scriptural way of assessing all that is said (Mt 12:35-37), is to measure it to: –

  1. What did Jesus Christ say about it?  (Eph 1:19-23; Phil 2:9-11; Col 1:13-20; Rev 5:12-13) What does the Bible say about it (2 Tim 3:16,17)?  In other words, say what Jesus says, as Holy Spirit counsels or teaches or reveals, not thieves [false teachers, Jn 10:10; Mt 15:7:15-23; Gal 4:16-17].  We will do well to trust the Word of God (2 Cor 10:3-6; Gal 1:6-12).
  2. 2. How does Jesus’ obedience to His death, His resurrection, and His present position as Lord [maximum authority] and our Intercessor, relate to what we say or believe?
  3. 3. What did Jesus demonstrate about it?

We are not to be in a “become” mode, but should be in an “I am” mode (1 Cor 15:10 and Eph 1:3, based on what Jesus has done; also, Col 1:10-23; 1 Thess 5:9 (2 Cor 5:19), 1 Thess 5:10,23; Heb 9:11-18,28).  The difference in interpretation comes from our mind [mindset], when we read God’s Word.  As long as we are under law [attempts at self-righteousness], are we blinded to God’s Spiritual Truth(s); while, when we are truly open to God’s Spirit, do we for the first time really believe Jesus Christ, the Word of God.  Consider examining the meditations entitled “The Testimony”; “The covenant and the law”; “Christian suffering”; “The will”; “unclean food”; “Messianic Jews”; “The Gospel”, “Rapture Raptured”, etc., by the same author.

See the past tense in Scriptures like 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 8:13; 10:14; and so on.  Perhaps rethink Heb 2:8-15.

Jesus made this remark: “Thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on.  And many things of this kind you are doing”  (Mk 7:13, Ampl).

Mark records in Mk 12:24, “Jesus said to them, is not this where you wonder out of the way and go wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?” (As for the way, see Jn 14:6; and the three points above).

Again, hear Jesus in Mt 15:6-9: “(6) … And you voided the commandment of God by your tradition. (7) Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah (29:13) prophesy of you, saying, (8) “This people draws near to Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me (9) But in vain they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”…

Let’s look at a few superficial things Christians say and ask ourselves if we are to stubbornly keep on talking like uninformed fools in blissful ignorance (Mt 5:14), and whether we understand Eph 4:11-15; Hos 4:6-11,14c…

We’ll kick off with a quote from the meditation “The Gospel” on this website, to examine the idea that all humans are inherently good. This will turn out to be no more than a false and misplaced hope. So, let’s consider it?

False hope. Amazingly, some people have bought into the idea that they [all humans] were [born] “inherently good”, apparently with the idea that this gives mankind hope. The obvious error here is that this would make Jesus and His redemptive work on His cross unnecessary and a blunder on God’s side! It screams against just Rom 7:18 (Rom 3:23; 8:6-8); Jer 17:9-11; Ps 39:7-8; 42:5; 51:5; Prov 20:9; but more importantly, against Jesus as God’s Word in John 3:3,6; 14:6; then also, Acts 4:12; 15:9-11; 1 Jn 1:8; 3; 1 Cor 15:34,45-50; Rom 5:12-13; 6:6,17; even Rom 10:16-21 (Jer 10;14-15); and so on. Note for instance, therefore, Rom 12:1-3 and Js 4:4 or Mt 7:15-23; 15:6-9.  Our hope is not found in ourselves like the world propagates in self-righteousness, but only in Jesus Christ (Gal 6:14; Phil 3:9). “But”, they say, “What then about Jesus, born a man?  If man [us] was not inherently good, then neither would Jesus have been inherently good”.  Their typical error therein is reasoning oblivious to their own ignorant, self-righteous mind.  First, none of us is Jesus.  We were conceived.  Jesus is God and was sent (The meditation “Who is Jesus Christ” on www.gospel-truth.co.za. expand on this).  Second, the fact that God designed us well (Ps 139, even verse 14), does not automatically make us righteous [good] even at birth (Rom 3:23) – even if we were to try to follow the ten commandments (Rom 3:20,28; Gal 2:16; 5:1,4-5,18; 6:14)!  Contemplate just Rom 3:22; Phil 3:9; Rom 8:2-3. Carefully ponder Rom 10:1-2 again.  Paul said he longed and prayed that Israel may be saved!  That they had a certain zeal and enthusiasm for God, but not enlightened and not according to correct and vital knowledge!  Any parent can testify that an “innocent” babe, left unchecked, will manifest into a delinquent minor quite soon, thus the need for good parenthood and a Godly father figure.  Those arguing against this should seriously and prayerfully rethink Jn 3:3; 2 Cor 5:17-21; Col 1:10-23… and perhaps rethink the whole gospel [good news] of Jesus Christ! Please read on.

A note on hypocrisy and apostasy, to tackle a thorn right at the onset of this meditation – it is this author’s opinion (observation) that the so-called “modernism” and its “political correctness” is simply no less than apostasy with its acceptance of what is morally incorrect on one side and cowardice and ignorance on the other. It is for example, actually comical how politicians with great desperation, drama and emotion, and completely unnecessary, refer to the “rainbow nation” of South Africa while they apparently overlook an obvious fact about their flawed analogy. A rainbow is white light that splits into seven colors through a prism and does not feature black or brown. Black is rather the absence of white light. Don’t get offended; rather see the humor, irony and tragedy in human hypocrisy. This hypocrisy also expresses another misleading myth, namely that all people are God’s children.  Shocked? Consider then even just Rom 8:14; Eph 5:5-7,8-17 (Jn 3:3; Eph 2:8-22; 1 Thess 4:3-5). This is examined on page 21/38. As far as cowardice is concerned, ponder Rom 1:16-17; Mk 8:38; Rev 3:15-16 (2 Tim 1:7-10 4:2-5)?

But this hypocrisy unfortunately extends to more serious moral issues by which we self-destruct. The most obvious of this cause of [spiritual] self-murder is the self with its self-righteousness, examined in the meditations on this website such as are called “The will of man, the will of God” and the controversial “Homosexuality”. Read 1 Sam 2:30; Prov 6:32 and Is 5:18, and then on God’s standard, i.e., with Mt 5:27-28 and Rom 3:23 in mind! Note that the result of immoral mind sets, and lifestyles are what we as sinners bring unto ourselves due to our rebellion against our Creator (1 Sam 2:31-36; 1 Cor 6:13-20; Eph 5:5,17) and that we don’t decide or formulate what sin is. Sin is defined in The Bible. And we are not talking about the Ten Commandments! That was given to the Israelites, in the desert for a specific purpose! This many very religious people get wrong because of pious self-righteousness (Rom 3:20,28; Phil 3:9)! This is examined in the meditations called “The Gospel”, The will of man, the will of God”, “The Covenant and the Law”, et al. But for now, consider Jn 16:9; Jn 6:28-29; 1 Jn 2:4 and Mt 19:4-6 (verse 6 refers to the institution, not specific individuals and is expanded upon in the meditation “Homosexuality”) but with reference to Jn 1:17; Rom 3:24,28 and Phil 3:9. Sin is to not believe Jesus Christ, our only salvation (Jn 14:6; 16:9). It’s related manifestations and repercussions are issues that cannot escape God’s stance on this (The Bible, and that’s probably why it’s so hated) and therefore evokes great emotion and often futile resistance. These issues are homosexuality and its same gender marriages, murder on unborn children, and so on, and then unconstitutionally are forced upon believers with “modern courts” contradicting themselves. This is examined in the meditation entitled “Homosexuality” and perhaps worth reconsidering? By the way, just a simple note on “woman’s rights”: (1) What is it called when a human life is deliberately ended (destroyed) unilaterally; and (2) are rights to be defended not supposed to be on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves yet?

But let’s move on, shall we?

Note at Ps 51:5. David makes no excuse here but admits an aggravation of transgressions. The mystery and origin of David’s mother represent David as born in adultery but further reveals a statement of truth of experience so constantly affirmed in Scripture of all of mankind’s hereditary corruption (Rom 5:12) and innate proneness to sin. In Ps 51:6-12 the prayer advances. It started with the first step in justification – confessing and then the wiping out of past transgressions that only Jesus’ Blood on His cross could pay for. It is now for restoration, for a renewal of spiritual life, for a return to God’s favour, and to the spiritual joy involved in it. First, however, an additional confession is made (Ps 51:5-6) that he not only has committed acts of sin (Ps 51:1-4), but that sin is thoroughly ingrained into his nature and that only the strongest remedies can cleanse me from it (v. 7). But cleansing alone is not enough. We need renewal (v.10); we need Holy Spirit (v.11); we must crave, above all, the sense of a restoration to God’s favour – and this is found only in The Gospel of Jesus Christ (Jn 3:16-21). The OT might contain no theory [no formulated doctrine on the subject of the origin of sin per se] but the fact of congenital depravity is stated also in Job 14:4; Ps 58:3; and implied in Is 43:27 and Hos 6:7.

Note on faith. Rom 12:3 states that we have all been given “the” degree of faith, not “a” degree [individually varying fractional amount] of faith. The implication is that God gave all humans the same mechanism with the same capacity along with our free will as a type of gift (refer to the meditation “The will of man, the will of God”); how, and in what measure we return this, is then our “gift” [thanks] to God and forms the degree in which we believe and follow God’s salvation plan: Jesus Christ, and His precepts and then calls it faith ( 1 Jn 2:4).  Ponder then, Heb 4:2 (Mt 15:6-9); Heb 11:6,9; Rom 12:9; Jn 16:9; even 1 Sam 16:7; Jer 17:9; 29:13 (Dt 6:5-7); Prov 23:7 (The KJV and Ampl reads “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he”); Mt 5:8; 6:21; 12:35; 1 Cor 13:11; 2 Cor 10:5; and then Jn 1:17; 5:45; 9:28 with Jn 5:39 and Gal 6:7-8 (the meditation “The Testimony” examines a shocking possibility). Note, as well, that the interpretation that “the degree of faith apportioned by God” (Rom 12:3) could mean varying individual abilities to believe as if so differently equipped [in effect as an impairment] for each person individually by God, would seem unfair; for the shortcoming is not with what God equipped us with, but what and how we apply this, i.e. in what measure (as in endurance) we reciprocate God’s gifts, in particular, our free will (choices). It is possible that such erroneous interpretation might have been caused by a false enforcement of the “… of your unbelief” (Mt 17:20, KJV) or “your littleness of faith” (Mt 17:20, Ampl.) The context of the text seems to rather favour the idea that “littleness” here points to a short duration, i.e., a lack or shortcoming of continuous firm relying trust (refer to the idea of “overcome” through endurance in Rev 3:5,12,21) and not too little in ability (that would be used as our excuse). Refer here to Peter’s diminishing trust in Mt 14:29-30; and how he began to sink… surely implying that Peter started off walking on the water but then his trust regressively faded. A sobering observation is also that Jesus calls our astonishment at His miracle’s “callousness” and “a hardened heart” (Mk 6:51-52).  Hence perhaps the warning in Rom 12:3 to not have an exaggerated opinion of ourselves and that [mere] knowledge causes [learned] people to be puffed up (1 Cor 8:1).

When a human chooses to reject God’s Holy Spirit, the situation is dire. Consider Heb 10:26-31; Rom 1:24; Mt 12:31-32; Mk 3:28-29; Lk 12:10; Eph 4:17-20,30; Eph 5:5-14.  Still, this is from our side, God seems to offer us 2 Pet 3:9 and 2 Tim 4:1-5.  So, we’ll now continue with some casual minors, and progress to more serious misconceptions.

Examples

Here we go!

  • Moses stuttered.  Does Ex 4:10 really say that, or was it a scholar’s deduction?  Read vs. 13 to 17.  It seems to rather sound as if Moses [at that moment] was shrinking from a new spiritual realm that he at that stage was perhaps not so familiar with yet (Ex 4:1)?  Remember that this Moses probably received the best training Egypt could offer (Ex 2:1-10).  This is the same Moses referred to in Acts 7:22; Mt 17:3…
  • David was small.  What was king Saul’s stature (1 Sam 9:2)?  David was then still a boy, but later a grown young man (1 Sam 17:33), and we can deduct that king Saul’s armor then fitted David; because (a) the king and his advisors certainly would not be so foolish as to put David in much too big armor to fight such an important fight (1 Sam 17:8-10).  No, it must have been David’s size.  David was just not used to fighting with it (1 Sam 17:34-37).  David had to be nimble (v. 51).  Was David clothed [there] as Rom 13:14 suggests (Gal 3:8), and not what the religious play-actors prescribe (Acts 15:10); Gal 5:4,18, despite 2 Sam 11?  This explanation might appear cryptic but aims to motivate investigation.  So instead of a message of “a small man that had a big heart”; perhaps rather connect the dots of Prov 18:20,21; Is 5:18-21; 54:13-17 (thoughts in heads); Eph 6:13,17; Rom 13:14; Heb 4:12; Rev 1:6; 19:15,16…  David refused a man-made king’s[1] armor, and instead put on God’s armor – Jesus Christ (1 Sam 2:10; 15:22-23; Gal 3:8; Jn 1:1-5; Col 1:13-17; Phil 3:9).  (b) Also, David was apparently confident to effectively use Goliath’s sword (1 Sam 17:46,50,51; 21:7-11; 22:13; 23:1-5…)
  • Paul had a hunchback.  Why?  Because of what he said in 2 Cor 12:7?  Is this flesh not rather an analogy for what Paul mentioned in Rom 8:4-9?  Religious people are the dust that is food for Satan [2].  Paul was probably frustrated by some individual or group of individuals who followed him and kept preaching confusion into the congregations he had just left enlightened (Gal 1:6-12; 2:4,14,19…). 2 Cor 12:9 tells us that humility [submission to God’s ability, knowledge, grace, God’s righteousness for us in Jesus Christ, willingness, perfection] is the key.  Note that 2 Cor 12:10 and Jm 1:3 is not saying we must embrace the enemy [adversity], it is saying that we can be glad [even in adversity] to be able to reveal the fruit of God’s Spirit already within us (Gal 5:1,4,18,22,23).  In all, be glad – not for bad – but for our Creator-Dad!  Jm 1:3 in the Amplified Bible reads “… faith brings out endurance…” Live victoriously in Christ; observe that Christ is within the new-born disciple of Jesus Christ (Jn 3:3; 4:23-24; 14:12-14,17,26; Eph 3:20; Phil 4:13; and so on)!
  • Isaac was [only] 12 when Abraham went to offer him.  Where does the Bible say that? We read that Isaac was a young man (Gen 22:5).  Abraham longed to see that day of glory and God showed him a foreshadow more realistic than any DVD we can see today.  God told Abraham to take his only son[3] to a place that He would show him[4].  Isaac could then even have been the age Jesus was when He was crucified[5].  “Obedient unto His death” takes on a new meaning, does it not (Jn 3:16; 10:10)?

Similarly, Benjamin, who uninformed artists have frequently pictured as a mere youth when he met Joseph in Egypt, was in fact the father of ten (10) sons at this time.  Joseph was 17 when his brothers sold him; he was in prison 13 years; he had been governor of Egypt during the 7 good years and through 2 years of famine; so, Joseph could have been 39 years of age at this time, and Benjamin would then have been only a few years younger.

It is difficult to follow the narrow path.  This is not what Jesus said!  Check Mt 7:13-14 with Mt 11:27-30; 15:6-9 (Even Rev 2:24-29).  Jesus said the narrow path [with no double-mindedness (Js 1:6-8), no mixing of an Old Covenant with His last will and New Testament in the sense of mixing self-righteousness with God’s grace – ponder Mt 9:16-17; Lk 9:62; Jn 1:17; Phil 3:9 and the discussion in the meditation “The Covenant and the Law”], that this path is difficult to find [amongst the religious play-acting] – but once found, is much better suited (Rom 13:14) to His followers.  Compare it with a highway that carries lots of traffic with its noise and pollution, lust and greed; to a beautiful, tranquil path in the woods that is not even visible from a helicopter but absolutely magnificent to spend time appreciating God’s creation.

  • Contact between the living and the dead (aka the children’s Casper, Spooky & Co and the “grown-up’s” stories of ghosts and the haunted). Note that Lk 16:20,21 are facts given by Jesus Christ.  Read Lk 16: 26-31; also, Is 8:19-22.  It is clear that Jesus teaches that there is no real communication between the living and the dead.  As with king Saul, is it contact with demonic activity (1 Sam 28:6; Dt 18:9-14; 1 Chron 10:13,14; 2 Chron 33:6-8); hence today for us, Jn 14:6 (Heb 1:1-2; 4:14-16; 1 Tim 2:5).  If God did not council Saul then (1 Sam 28:6), why would He talk to Saul through the dead or demon spirits instead?  Hence other Scriptures like Rev 21:6-8.  Check 2 Cor 11:12-15 and Paul’s warning in Gal 1:6-12 as well.  And while at it, consider 1 Cor 1:17-2:21; 3:16-21! Selah, and ask Holy Spirit’s help. Note at 1 Sam 28:14 that Saul had to ask “… what form is he of?” (Probably an attempt to verify authenticity by checking on his age and apparel); and she said, “… an old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle”; and because it was what priests or judges wore, and Samuel did in his lifetime, Saul perceived that it was Samuel by the description she gave of him and his apparel.  It is not certain that Saul himself saw Samuel, even if some claim it seems so by what follows in the original, “that it was Samuel himself”. A problem here is why Samuel would have “ascended out of the earth” and not rather “come down from heaven”? It cannot reasonably be supposed that it was in the power of the witch, by the assistance of the devil, to fetch it from heaven (Dt 30:10-14; Rom 10:6-8. Even those Babylonian rulers in Is 14:12-15 were condemned to hell through their own haughtiness by having had a claim to go up to heaven [to bring God down].  Study the meditation “Lucifer” to see that these passages are all about [human] Babylonian rulers and a merchant prince (Ez 28:2,9,16) that tried to exalt himself and not an [arch] angel that fell from heaven.  Contemplate the omniscient God of Ps 139:8 with just verse 7 and selah?); nor be thought that God would send it on such an errand, to give Saul an answer, when He would not answer him by any prophet on earth, nor in any other way; and especially it seems quite incredible that He should send it at the motion of a witch, and through her enchantments (Dt 18:10-13; Rev 21:8). The true Samuel would not have admitted such worship and homage to have paid him, as is expressed in this last clause, which angelic spirits have refused (Rev 19:10). No, it’s more probable that the woman pretended, and Saul upon her suggestion believed that it was Samuel. But that it was not Samuel, but the devil representing Samuel, is sufficiently evident. God detest and condemn these practices and would not so council Saul. At any rate, are there various passages which plainly discover that good spirits would not allow such homage as in 1 Sam 28:14 (Rev 19:10; 22:8-9). 1 Chron 10:13-14 expressly confirms this notion. Furthermore, do other Scriptures, such as Eccl 12:7, Is 57:2; Lk 16:22 and Rev 14:13 strongly suggest that those who had lost their bodies (died), that their souls have departed this earth. The only reasonable argument to the contrary is that the devil could not so particularly and punctually discover Saul’s future events as Samuel would (1 Sam 28:19); but this has little weight in it. Ponder carefully, 1 Cor 15:22-23 and 1 Thess 4:13-18 where Paul also did not want us ignorant concerning the return of Jesus Christ and souls departed.
  • Christians must celebrate Easter.  (1) Easter and Passover are not the same thing.  The sequence was:  Passover on the eve of April [Nisan]14; followed by seven days of unleavened bread (no sin).  Then the pagan festival of Astart (Ishtar or “Easter”) followed.  This is what Herod (Eusau’s descendant) was celebrating – the fertility idea of earth “regenerating itself”, using symbols such as rabbits and eggs that you seek out and consume. But God wants us to consume His body and His blood (Jn 6:56-58; Ex 12; Gen 3:22; with Rev 2:7; 3:21-22; 1 Cor 11…). William Tyndale translated “pascha” to “passover” but used the word “Easter” in Acts 12:4 (KJV). (2) The Jewish festivals – and the Law – were at any rate given to them (Rom 9) to help them recognize Jesus as the Christ [Messiah].  Jesus Christ has come as the Messiah and Savior and has finished His mission (Lk 16:16; Jn 19:30; Gal 3:19).  Paul asked his questions in Gal 3:1-5; 4:9-12,21-31.  And we today can ask the same – are we BC or AD?  The only ordinances God gave us as Christians [followers of Jesus Christ, not Moses], are to have ourselves baptized [submitted unto Him, Mk 16:16-18], and the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:23-30).  See your Bible.  Contemplate the meditations “A short Easter message”, “The Covenant and the Law” and “Mixing Old and New” by the author, if you will.
  • True Praise is not trying to impress God [win favor] by singing (Jn 13:8; Phil 3:9; Rom 10:1-4).  Yes, we do gather (Heb 10:25), and yes, it is lovely to sing to Him out of appreciation and awe, but it should be out of thankful love, not to imagine we change God from being harsh to blessing us because we imparted our goodness and purity unto Him making Him soft/emotional!   Note that Ps 100:4 does not say that we have to praise God in order to receive anything (we don’t buy blessings): but that anyone that knows God truly will not but praise [acknowledge] Him (Rom 11:6; Jn 1:17; 14:6)!  Refer to Lk 17:12-19.   All ten lepers were healed without them first praising God. After they had received their healing out of God’s grace, one returned and then praised God [Jesus] (v 15).  Selah.
  • Worship is false if we sing praises to Him for a miracle or blessing [answered prayer] with any element of surprise or amazement [that reveals that we did not really expect/trusted Him to perform].  This astonishment reveals a hardened heart (Mk 6:52), not true worship [admiration, awe, appreciation, love].  True worship is rather following [the precepts of] Jesus Christ consistently in our conduct Through His guidance inside of us through prayer (Rom 8:14; Jn 14:26) and being a good manager/steward in His Kingdom on earth that is innovative [creative] – 1 Jn 2:4; Mt 15:6-9. Our purpose on earth is to manage it well (Gen 1:26; 2:15). Results must confirm what we confess.
  • What’s in a word? First, ponder Mt 12:36-37 (Prov 18:21)? Even the principle seen in Jer 23:36 (Jer 23:34-40 that speaks against legalism but also about perverting and misusing words that each of us will be held to individually). Then think who is known for crafty twisting of words, messages and names, ignoring their etymology (Gen 3:1,4; Jn 8:43-47). Observe the shallowness and bluntly put, plain stupidity in using words like “incredible” or “unbelievable” to describe God’s attributes. God is credible and believable! The USA and Canada, for instance, or the religious, may think “incredible” and “unbelievable” [also] means marvelous, but the antonym or antithesis for incredible is credible, and the antonym for unbelievable is believable. Trying to apply (and stubbornly defend) such words with double meaning sounds more like a Freudian slip (a parapraxis) than mere flippant use of words, if you think about it soberly. Canada and the USA were among the first where we saw meanings of words changed due to the wicked “political correctness” propagated there. The meaning of words is being changed, when “PC”. For instance, consider “gay” and then “unbelievable” and “incredible” in nations where woman may legally murder unborn children, same gender marriages are legalized and even promoted, and children may decide what gender they want to be. These nations are then under the illusion that they are big (has power to bully) while in fact it is their debt that is the biggest, both materialistically and spiritually. Why not rather avoid these words with double meaning, avoiding a forked tongue, when we try to describe anything about the perfect goodness of our Father, beloved Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, our Healer, Giver and Sustainer of lasting Life, our Friend and Guide?
  • Praying for God to cleanse our hearts.  The OT way of praying [approaching] God the Father today would be an insult to Jesus Christ!  David’s approach in Ps 51:10-12 is not valid today after what Jesus Christ overpaid for us all (Heb 8:13; 9:8-12,24-28,14; 10:1-26,35,38; Eph 3:20; 4:24; 2 Cor 5:17 – hence Mt 9:17; Lk 9:62; Rom 8:2,29-39; Eph 4:11-25).  “If it be your will” is a false humility because it denies Jesus Christ (Jn 14:9-15; Mk 11:24) and who we are supposed to be (Gen 1:26-28; Heb 2:8; Eph 4:13).  The meditation “Prayer” in www.gospel-truth.co.za expand on this.
  • Piously claiming to have a “Quiet time” per day/week. Although it is true that we need to occasionally remove ourselves from worldly distractions, perhaps even like Jesus did in Lk 6:12 (Mk 6:1-3!); has God nowhere suggested we should only visit Him occasionally, but that He (The Godhead) will dwell inside of us, when we let Him (Jn 14:23-26; Rev 21:3). “Dwell” implies a permanent position, not an occasional ritual or ceremony (to make us feel good). The thought-life is actually what is to be dedicated to God and can happen anywhere under any circumstances (Jn 4:23-24)!  Often these ritualistic “visitations” [quiet times] are anyway mostly from selfish need (begging God for what He already provided in Christ – Eph 1:3; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Pet 1:2-4; and so on). God = Love, and Love is not needy (1 Cor 13:5), it blesses other and does not seek its own interest. Now, perhaps carefully reconsider Jn 4:24; Rom 8:14 with 1 Jn 4:8; Josh 1:8; Is 26:3; Ps 1:1-3; 91:1; Prov 3:6; 1 Cor 10:31… The meditations such as “The Covenant and The Law”, “Mixing Old and new”, “Who by fire” and “Prayer” is hoped to be helpful here.
  • Making love.  God is Love.  Contemplate Col 1:13-20. You cannot make God, He made you.  Having sex is not “making love”, but flesh (Jn 1:12,13; 3:6).  See the difference between Agape, storge, phileo, eros.  Love is not at first sight, lust is.  Love is about faithfulness and commitment, in better or worse, in sickness or health, not to please the self but to do unto others as you want done unto yourself.  God’s Love is genuine and pure, not syrupy self-glorifying hypocrisy.
  • Valentine’s day.  God is Love, not emotional sappiness about some man’s wonderful deeds that leads us to pay about three times more for flowers and meals on that day of celebration.  Sorry, but the non-Christians cannot beat the true Savior and Lord Jesus Christ’s deed of Love.
  • Love is blind.  God is Love.  God is not blind.  Lust is blind, and so is self-righteousness [law and religion] (1 Cor 2:14; 2 Cor 4:3-7; 11:12-15), and so is lust and greed – by man’s own choice.  Someone once said that love is not blind, it just selects what to see [accentuate].  And even this is not the same as being in denial or ignorant.
  • Love at first sight. Wham! A lightning bolt! That, friend, is virtually certain to be lust and not love. The properties of love, as in 1 Cor 13:4-8, shows that [considerable] time is required during which accurate assessments can be made whether love is real.  Even if such observation of acts happens in a relatively short time, can an accurate assessment not possibly or logically be concluded in an instant, for a reasonable timespan is necessary to observe proofs such as patience, endurance, not being self-seeking or resentful, paying no attention to a suffered wrong, etc.
  • Seeing is believing.  Seeing is accepting what you would not believe (Rom 8:13,14; 2 Cor 4:18; 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:1,2)
  • God withhold rain as punishment.  This is what some Christians say.  Jesus Christ, however, said God let rain fall on those who please Him and wrongdoers alike (Mt 5:45).   If you think God allows rain only where people are upright, you’ll have a hard time convincing anyone observing rainfall over the planet of your theology. See the meditations by this author like “The Gospel”; “The Will”, “Mixing Old and New”; etc. for more information.  Try to grasp Rom 10:2-4 (Gal 1:6-12).
  • There were cavemen.  The Horites in Gen 36:21 is similar to a Hebrew word for “cave” but is not the same[1]! The term Horite was incorrectly interpreted as “cave dweller”, but later archeological discoveries have shown that the Horites are not to be explained as “cave dwellers” but are to be identified with an important group in the near East in patriarchal times (J.P. Free, Archeology and Bible History). In fact, neither The Bible nor archeology has any proof of aboriginal “cavemen”.  Cities of great antiquity have been unearthed with ever-increasing evidence that “when civilization appears it is already fully grown”, and “pre-Semitic culture springs into view ready-made” (Hall, History of the Near East)

[1]H2752 חרי chôrı̂y sounds similar but is not the same as H2356 or H2352; Horites or Horims are not reference to a “cavedweller” or “troglodyte”; neither a “Chorite” or “aboriginal Idumaean”!  H2356 חר    חור chôr  chôr is a cavity, socket, den: – cave, hole; the same as H2352 חר    חוּר chûr  chûr from an unused root probably meaning to bore; the crevice of a serpent; the cell of a prison: – hole.

  • Mother earth (-nature)”??? Earth (nature) can only be your “mother” [origin] if you believe the myth of evolution or that Nerthus, the Scandinavian goddess (called “mother earth”), gave birth to you. That would then make you a demi-god in mythology. So, who is your daddy?…  Contemplate even just Gen 1:26; 3:20; Mt 19:4 or Jn 1:1-4,12,13,17 or Col 1:16-17 (:11-20); 3:1-5.  Also read the meditation “Evolution” on www.gospel-truth.co.za.

On a Television program published circa the 03rd of March 2016 called Georgia’s Got Talent, Genadi Tkachenko performed with vocal sounds only “Sounds of the earth”.  It is very talented and evocative but the reaction of Christians to this seems to often amazingly lean towards the summary of one of the judges in that show that raved and thanked him for bringing us his self-claimed “message from mother earth”.  Even friends and family get annoyed with me when I point this out but therein, ironically, lays the message. In Christianity, planet earth is not a living being and produced no human [via evolution] nor does it have a spirit. Of course, we humans share a deep genetic commission of Gen 1:26-29, but do we understand this and the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Do contemplate even just Gen 1:2; Mt 19:5; Jn 4:23-24; 14:6,23-26 and 2 Pet 3:5 (2 Tim 4:2-5) …  and the meditations on www.gospel-truth.co.za.  Let’s move on, shall we?

  • Darwinism.  This will possibly turn out to be one of the biggest hoaxes of the last two centuries.  Men are therefore obviously not more intelligent as time goes on [speaking utter nonsense as if it were facts].  The meditation on evolution expands on this but kindly note that a remote control in your hand does not make you more intelligent than Adam, Abraham, David, Enoch, or Solomon, does it?  Time is against the bogus theory of evolution, not for it.  Evolution is not science, but a belief-system forced [originated] by people denying God [as the Creator; and the Bible facts regarding our creation].  A system that tries to reason their accountability away that is a tragic error in reasoning (Rom 1:18-22; 3:3-7,20-28; Prov 3:5; 14:6).  Mr. Charles Darwin did not have any knowledge of DNA or genes that can only be transmitted amongst its own kind (the same family, or as The Bible calls it, its own kind) and so that knowledge today proves his theory of evolution to be hogwash. But, for the sake of entertainment, let’s debate this. Observe how science [assumptions, ideas, postulates, hypotheses and even their definitions and interpretations] changes continually but the Word of God never changes.  The Bible’s account of creation is more than Gen 1 and 2!  The Bible is one, unfolding, progressive, revelation.  The Word of God judge man, man cannot judge the Creator and His Word.  Refer to the meditation “Evolution” for more detail, but for our purpose now we can contemplate the following:

Questions such as “who created God?” is similar to “To whom is the bachelor married?” – it is illogical.  Everything with a beginning has a cause.  We were created to have a personal relationship with our Creator (Col1:13-23).  Real science is not anti-God.  Unbelievers claim their way of thinking is “scientific” but often are evolutionary claims to be physical science plain logical absurdity and scarcely more than philosophical science.  An example would be the so-called “Geological column” found as depictions in books and magazines but nowhere – as depicted – physically on earth (this is examined in the meditation “Evolution”). Another example is the assumption that the universe is self-caused (“uni-verse” means “one spoken sentence” – then hear God in Gen 1)!  Nothing can create itself ex-nihilo, because it would need to exist before it came into existence.  “Quantum vacuum” is a lot of matter-antimatter potential, not “nothing”!  Without a cause, there is no explanation why this particular universe appeared at a particular time, nor why it is a universe.  The universe can’t have any properties to explain its preferential coming into existence because it would not have any properties until it actually came into existence. Relativity shows time is linked to matter and space; thus time must have started with matter and space in the beginning of the universe.  Since God is the Creator of the universe [time, matter, space], is it not difficult to see that He has no beginning.  In around 740 BC Isaiah recorded a clear enough indication that the earth is round (Is 40:22) and the laws of thermodynamics (Is 51:6).  If Gen 15:5 states that there are countless stars, while about 1 200 are visible, and Ptolemy in AD 150 dogmatically stated that the number of stars was exactly 1 056; the supernatural knowledge of those old writers – apart from amazing, fulfilled prophecies – must account for something…

The theory of evolution teaches that human beings came from primordial forms to evolve as biological entities with a gradual increase in intellectual ability.  Those who subscribe to this theory are at a loss to explain the Source of Life and light and the creation of darkness and water; and of the spiritual realm that was recorded as part of the very first man (Rom 5:12); or for that matter, design.  And that was probably only 6 000 years ago (see the appendix in the meditation entitled “Who is Jesus Christ?” by the author for an obvious and plausible explanation).  They do not accept man has a spirit, given by a Creator, so they think that man functions as his own god [morality, destiny].  Disagreeing then often resorts to violence and manipulation to resolve differences.  The result is mental, spiritual, familial, and social disruption and degradation. They ignore the Biblical flood as the obvious [recorded] explanation of all the large-scale erosion and sedimentary deposits strewn around the globe.  It seems hollow [dull] to buy into a belief of unbelief.

How strange that evolutionist “scientists” attempts to force the obvious away by erroneous reasoning and assumptions in very clever formulae to suit their theories [unbelief].  A typical example here would be some of the “time clocks”.  Let’s look at just some of them, shall we?

The oldest living thing

A tree is the oldest known living thing on earth, and probably is either an Irish Oak or a Bristlecone Pine.  If we assume a growth rate of one tree ring per year, the oldest trees are between 4 500 and 4 767 years old.  The Bible places Noah’s flood at 2 349 BC; about 4 350 years back for us – close.

Then, the oldest fossilized trees have rings ranging from 1 500 to maximum 1 700.  Bear in mind that a ring does not necessarily resemble a year’s growth, but a cycle.  Then, the significant fact that Noah’s flood happened 1 651 years after the creation (see the appendix to the meditation “Who is Jesus Christ” on www.gospel-truth.co.za for an explanation how Adam could have been created 4 000 BC).

Oil Pressure

Oil is almost always found to be at great pressure.  This poses a problem for “millions of years” because rocks are porous and therefore should oil seep into tiny pores in the surrounding rock, reducing pressure over time.  Why then, didn’t it?  Scientists say that after about 10 000 years little pressure should be left.  Perhaps oil deposits were mostly a result of Noah’s Flood only 4 400 years ago?

Diamonds

The De Beers company successfully brainwashed potential clients with marketing slogans such as “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”, and “Diamonds are forever”. Evolutionists come up with an explanation how diamonds were formed under immense pressure and extremely long periods of time.  Well, diamonds can be made today by humans, and then of a better quality than those found in the ground. If you drop a diamond in a jar of liquid nitrogen, it disappears like a fuzzy tablet in a glass of water. The point is that millions of years are not necessary.

Dinosaur blood and “ancient” DNA

Before scientists published the existence of supposedly “ancient” organic material, it was predicted by the same scientific community that no DNA would remain intact much beyond 10 000 years.  Not long after this prediction was made, very old DNA started turning up, such as a green Magnolia leaf discovered in strata at the Clarkia Fossil Beds, Idaho, that was casually said to be no less than 17 million years old (circular reasoning of dating fossils based on the presumed ages of strata). Because it was pliable and fresh-looking, scientists checked for DNA and to their surprise discovered that it was indeed present and matched the modern Magnolia trees.  Since then, DNA claims have been made for supposedly older material such as dinosaur bones and insects in amber.  They claim the DNA of that Magnolia leaf was preserved because it was buried in clay.  Could it be that this clay was once mud (post-flood)?  And is water a component of mud, and is oxygen a component of water? Does Oxidation/exposure to elements cause things to break down [quicker]?

But when Dr. Mary Schweitzer first saw the dinosaur bones that was entombed in sandstone (porous enough to allow elements and rainwater to seep into the rocks and onto these bones…), she resolved to reason away the fact that only the outer part of the bones was mineralized, and that the (what looked like) red blood cells in it could not have survived so long.  Instead, she is on record saying, “I got goose bumps… It was exactly like looking at a slice of modern bone.  But I couldn’t believe it.  I said to the lab technician: ‘The bones, after all, are 65 million years old!…’”.  The evolutionist scientific community refuses to accept that those bones could be as much as 64 995 000 years younger than what they have told the public to believe. Because sandstone and bones are porous, and because the bones were partially mineralized, it is virtually certain that water could (did) get into those bones.  Because DNA could only last for about 10 000 years before it would disintegrate, it is likely that this prediction of how long organic matter can survive, was off by a factor of over 3 000.  This, and the fact that these bones could be dated by the Carbon 14 method, yield dates less than 10 000 years. One of the problems with Carbon dating supposed old sources is that C14 is found where it shouldn’t be after billions of years.

Even more astonishing are the claims of 165-million-year-old Ammonites with their ligaments still intact, that were buried in mud!  Also, the supposedly 300-million-year-old fossil wood (impregnated with limestone) that still has its organic woody structure intact!  Where are the “Christians” who find these claims of evolutionist scientists credible while they are willing to bend and strain facts of science to promote a story of how they think life – against all odds – might have started without any intelligence behind it?  Even worse – our children are bombarded with this blasphemous nonsense as if these ridiculous assumptions were facts.  Come, Christians, wake up!

History

According to evolutionists, Stone Age man existed for 100 000 years before beginning to make written records about 4 000 to 5 000 years ago.  So (a) why would man wait a thousand centuries before using the same skills to record history that were utilized to build megalithic monuments, observe stellar bodies, make beautiful cave paintings and keep records of lunar phases? (b) Evolutionary anthropologists say that the Stone Age lasted at least 100 000 years, during which the world population of “Neanderthal” and “Cro-magnon” men was roughly constant, between 1 and 10 million.  All that time they were burying their dead and artifacts.  By this scenario, they would have buried at least four billion bodies.  So if their evolutionary time-scale is correct, buried bones should last for more than 100 000 years, yet only a few thousand have been found.  And why, (c), would none of these 4 billion “hunters and gatherers” for 100 000 years figure out that plants grow from seeds?  In other words, it is more likely that agriculture was re-instated after the flood! Easy for a believer in the Word of God that does not compromise (Rom 1:16-17).

Other clocks

Please refer to the numerous websites of creationist scientists (www.answersingenesis.com;  www.earthage.org/youngearthevidence; www.Christiananswers.Net; etc).  You’ll find there very plausible and refreshing explanations pointing to incorrect [flawed] dating methods, the Niagara Falls, the San Andreas fault, minerals in the oceans, Galaxies, the sun, the earth’s magnetic field, the Axel Heiberg and Ellesmere Islands, Helium and zircons that date 6 000 years, the mud on the ocean floor that rather more closely resembles what would have come from the flood, etc., etc.

Likewise, you’ll find evidence of the unreported developments and findings of wild claims and popular publications that widely falsely propagated millions of years.  Initial Anthropological studies of presumed primitive man debunked the hoaxes such as The Peking man (based on teeth only); the Java man (hoax); the Nabraska man (a pig’s tooth); the Piltdown man (hoax); the Neanderthal man is now widely recognized as large “homosapiens”.  These museum pieces have been formed from a few bones only and are fraught with error and imagination, not science.

Junk DNA?

There is incomplete data, but just because scientists thought only 3% of total genome was functional, they assumed the rest was “junk DNA” – just because they failed to observe [acknowledge] any more. More recent studies have found significance in 50% or more of DNA.  It takes a lot of arrogance to trust your own ideas [assumptions, ignorance] more than God (Mk 12:24).  Contemplating 2 Cor 5:17;1 Pet 1:18; Jn 3:3 – the unknown part of our DNA could very well be the spiritual part that God can re-write when we submit to Him as our Source…  This would mean obedience and trust in His Word; and a [social] suffering when we keep following Him (not Moses, or other man, or their institutions).  This would change our inner desire and really be the only effective permanent change that will consistently show good [Godly] results…

The primary axiom of biological evolution, based on random mutation within the genome, assumes selection of beneficial mutants to evolve to higher biological states.  This belies the fact that mutations have been proven to be almost uniformly deleterious [“neutral’], i.e., not beneficial.  A few beneficial mutations observed to be helpful have resulted in less information in the genome, never more information, and are a sign of deleteriation.  Mutual mutations, which are astronomically high in number, have a deleterious effect on the genome.   No scientific evidence exists of any kind developing into another.  Now refer to 1 Cor 15:38,39; Gen 1:11,21,24,2526-28 again.

Morality originates only from God.  The Bible’s civilizing influence is undeniable.  The Word of God stopped practices such as blood drinking, cannibalism, and inspired the noblest literature, music and art.  Only the Word of God [and what originates from it] uplifts man[kind].  See Who was first…

Instructions [information] for specifying the complex organization of living things is not in the molecules themselves (as with a crystal) but is imposed from outside.  The Source of intelligence infinitely exceeds our intelligence.  The first law of thermodynamics states that the amount of mass energy in the universe is constant.  The second law of thermodynamics says that the amount of energy in the universe available for work is running down, or entropy (measure of disorder or decrease in usable energy) is increasing to its maximum.  Thus, evolution is opposed by its own “scientific” definition.  Of course, evolutionists try to deny their erroneous reasoning and belief by rationalizing.

Global warming – due to only humanity’s fossil fuel emissions or mainly the sun?

Of course, we should be responsible, decent, ethical, morally sound and intelligent custodians of our precious planet earth and not commit [eventual] self-destruction or suicide by messing up our wonderful world (Gen 1:28).  The point is that it starts in our minds that can also be polluted by people with ulterior motives and agendas that sometimes exaggerate and/or distort some facts to manipulate through fear to empower themselves into lucrative positions or establish some superior status.

Are you worried about your refrigerator, scooter and lawnmower that emits damaging “greenhouse gasses”?  So, you are “green”?  Do we at all consider that big thing that heats the earth, or are we part of the millions of gullible “politically correct” parrots roaming this earth that so easily panics irrationally and fail to see how this world can sell us nothing neither tax us heavily on anything without intimidating us with fear fist? Is it not suspect that tax on emissions, for example, is justifiable at all? (If it is harmful to the environment, it should be banned completely, not serve as a means of income).  And how is the declaration of CO2 as being a “poisonous gas” accepted as fact? (If you drown, too much H2O might have killed you, but it does not make water a poison that can then invoke a heavier tax on using water!). CO2 is plant food! It is one of the most essential compounds for life on earth!  It is a harmless, odourless, invisible gas that we, for instance, inhale a small amount of while expelling about 4%.  The biggest “Greenhouse gas” by far is water vapour, not CO2. It is bizarre and absurd to label CO2 as a poisonous gas.

Most people in a panic about global warming cannot tell you where the temperatures are measured and whether it accurately represents the complete planet earth, or cycles thereof, or whether the data is accurately representative of the real big picture?  It is worth the while to Google the myths [exaggerations and distorted facts] on global warming and renewable energy.  The erroneous reasoning and distorted facts that are quoted to advocate “Global warming” is irresponsible and bizarre.

The sobering realization, however, that will disillusion many people, is the real reason behind the hypocritical drive for a “clean” or “green” earth and so we hear from the billionaires about their plan for a “Global reset”. They say that we, as the plebeians, will be happy if we die owning nothing (and they own and control everything). Does this then imply they are striving to be unhappy? So, we must all become vegetarians to eat their insects and foods produced by them and use their energy only because our cattle produce too much nitrogen and our energy supply too much “greenhouse gasses”? They will save our planet and we must hand everything over to them to control us all.

Changes in the sun have been observed and researched by scientists such as at the Rutherford Appleton laboratory near Oxford, UK.  The observation is that the magnetic flux from the sun more than doubled this century.  They have evidence that since 1964 the interplanetary magnetic field has increased in strength by 40% in about 50 years.  Solar magnetism is closely linked with sunspot activity and the strength of sunlight reaching the earth.  This increase produces warming in the global climate.

Solar Wind, a stream of particles given off by the sun, fills our solar system.  This magnetic field was measured 2.3 times stronger in the early 2000’s than in 1901.  Scientists believe that a more energetic sun produces these magnetic fields in cycles and variations – we simply lack sufficient knowledge of these phenomena – especially over millennia. Is it not suspect how occasional record colder temperatures are fleetingly announced by news media and then brushed under the carpet, so to speak, with the terminology “Climate change”? So cold and more ice – as in Antarctica – is global warming?

Professor Eugene Parker of the Laboratory of Astrophysics and Space Research, University of Chicago, comments that it could explain global warming.  He notes that the increased solar activity has occurred in parallel with increase in carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere.  He suggests that this increase in the sun’s activity raised the earth’s global temperature and warmed the oceans.  The warmer oceans absorb less carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and so would exhibit more “greenhouse gasses” – of which, by the way, water vapour is by far the most prominent!  Humanity’s burning of fossil fuel gasses is comparatively so negligible that it may therefore not be propagated as the cause of global warming.  Professor Parker adds that more research is necessary before drastic, misguided and perilously costly plans are implemented on earth.  It is shocking how readily the public fall victim of hoaxes and capitalization (unnecessary fears easily exploited by shrewd opportunists).

Measurements of the magnetic field of the earth are not the only evidence for the sun’s variable influence on the earth.  The planet went through a “little ice age” during the 17th century.  Astronomers believe that the sun was slightly brighter at that time.  Scientific date is evidence that we are simply still in a slight “warming phase”, as historically shown to be cycling/varying; but on average, the earth’s temperature seems pretty stable with no observable immediate tendency of a “run-away”.

As far as proportion/contribution is concerned, some scientists have calculated that at times around 180 bn tons of carbon dioxide is introduced annually through the oceans’ surface alone as opposed to about 3 bn tons by all human endeavours worldwide.  Likewise does one volcanic eruption easily emits 30 bn tons of sulphuric acid as opposed to about 1.7 bn tons due to all humanity’s efforts globally per annum.  Apparently, herbivores that emit gas from their front and rear orifices produce more of these gasses than most cars in that area combined! The “argon” hysteria was another scare-tactic scam.  Only after all “non-green” refrigerators were destroyed, did the question seem to surface amongst some ordinary consumers: How can gases heavier than air damage the upper atmosphere?  Another one:  How is it that carbon dioxide (that stimulates growth in plants, therefore also trees) is all of a sudden, our planet’s great enemy?  So, why not Google myths on global warming and the misnomer of renewable energy [from, for example, solar panels in places with little annual sunshine], for your own enlightenment?  Try for example, for a start, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtHreJbr2WM. It is worth watching this 45-minute video.

But surely, we should – as true Christians – be responsible and wise with our effect [stewardship] on God’s creation [gift to us] – earth and that what is on it created by our Father (Gen 1:28).  This precious planet is after all what we must [continue to] live on as responsible and intelligent custodians. By all means, live and act responsible and keep your environment clean but just take care not to be dull and duped so readily by con-artists with ulterior motives…  and pollute your mind with their politically motivated nonsense!

Consider reading the meditation “Evolution” on this website, in its entirety, as well?

Let’s continue

  • A Christian must follow the Ten Commandments.  Yes?  Try just Rom 3:20-27; 5:9,15; 7:4,6,10; 8:1-4,14; 10:1-4; 2 Cor 3; 4:4-7; Gal 1:6-12; 3:1-29; 4:7,21-31; 5:4,18…  Think about Gal 5:4, 18!..  See the meditations entitled “Mixing of Old and New” and “The Covenant and the Law” by the author.  No, we are not to ignore the fact that Jesus Christ is our righteousness and that He over-paid once for all!  When we follow Him [Jn 10:27,28; Col 3], observers will notice that we do not commit adultery, fornication, speak or live a lie [like religious play-actors], etc.  Because we eat not from the tree of knowledge between good and evil, blessing and calamity; but because we eat from the Tree of Life, because we follow and hear His Voice continually and habitually.  His name is Jesus Christ, not Moses or my own theological clever self.  His name is Jesus Christ, Lord of lords, King of all.  As a matter of fact, creation is waiting on us to truly believe Him!!!
  • Church is a building. No, it’s not. It’s a people not a place (Is 60:14; Mt 5:14). The Greek word ekklesia translates to “church” in the NT. (ek means “out from and to” and kaleo means “to call”). It refers to people called out from one place to another, from out of the world to God and His purpose (Col 1:13-23; 1 Pet 2:9-11) and in the NT most often denotes an assembly or a congregation, a group of people and not a building. The universal church, however, is made up of all those who follow the precepts and teachings of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. The English word “church” also comes from the adjective kyriakon which means “of the Lord” and culturally refers to the group of followers that met in their homes, but in The Bible the context of this word implies also what is the Lord’s, what belongs to Him and was not used to refer to any groups of people or where they met. Examples are 1 Cor 11:20 that refers to “the Lord’s supper” and Rev 1:10 that identifies “The Lord’s Day”. In Mt 16:18 Jesus was saying He would build His spiritual people on a “rockbed”, on a foundation of people having Christ indwelling and guiding them (Ps 127:1; 1 Cor 3:11; 10:4). The word ekklesia is used interchangeably of both local assemblies and the body of believers as a whole, so that the context determines the different meanings. The letters to the seven churches in Rev 2-3, for instance, addressed specific congregations (churches) and in Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15 and Phil 1:2 the mentioning of church referred to a local congregation when in someone’s home. Where church is identified with a city or a region, the word refers to local bodies of believers within that region (Acts 8:1; 1 Cor 1:2; 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:2). Today “church” is a specific group sometimes referred to as “family” (but may welcome anyone to attend their meetings) that meets in a designated place with specific leaders that depends on their financial support. The universal church encompasses every Christ-follower (Mt 16:18; Acts 9:31; Eph 1:22-23; Col 1:18) and Jesus’ church includes all these believers everywhere (Acts 8:3; 1 Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13; Phil 3:6). The church Paul (Saul of Tarsus) persecuted, were believers wherever they could be found from Jerusalem to Damascus (Acts 8:1; 9:1-20). Later Paul gave instructions to the church that implied the whole body of believers as a whole (1 Cor 5:12; 10:32; 12:28; 14:12; Eph 5:23-24; 1 Tim 3:5,7,15). In summary, today the distinction is the same. Universal church includes every believer irrespective of denomination or location and excludes every non-believer, whether they attend Bible schools or “Bible-teaching” churches or not. Theological difference considered to be minor should not distract from the true gospel of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. As a whole we are distinct from the world (Mt 5:13-16; Jm 4:4) and have to love people like God does (Mt 5:13-16,43-48; Jn 15:17-23; 1 Jn 4:8-11). Heb 10:23-25!
  • Church attendance scores you points.  To impress, means to make an impression, which means the receiving end is of less hardness [substance].  Our ideas of goodness cannot impress the Source of all good.  Consider the meditations entitled “Church” in three parts by the author, if you will.  The people God’s Spirit indwells are His Church [house, body, Zion, city, light to the world].  Worshiping God is not necessarily to sing songs [with wrong words]; heat a pew with your bum; or to have your name in a book [as a member] with a denomination.  God nominated and people de-nominated what His Church should be.  No other foundation than Jesus Christ can be laid and to be in His Book of Life is all that counts.  Do you really know and follow His Voice?  Have you noticed how few churchgoers speak of what Jesus told them, and how many of the man you must go and listen to? How many thinks in terms of “lesser and higher” gods?  Have you noticed how groups compare themselves to other groups but almost never to what Jesus Christ has said?  Look at the following few ideas that the average church propagates…
  • “Full-time ministry”. One often hears mentioning of someone going [back] to ministering “full-time”. Does this mean there really is something as a “part-time” ministry? Reading The Bible, we find a New Testament that ended OT temporal bursts of “blessings” and glory and speaks of a new constant, continuous and permanent relationship that manifests powerful results for all who follow Jesus Christ (2 Cor 3:18; 1 Cor 4:20; 10:31; even Phil 3:9; Mk 16:17-20; Jn 17:20).  If God indwells you, it implies a continuous, uninterrupted permanency (Jn 14:23-26; Rev 21:3; see also 1 Cor 6:11-20 and the meditation “Body, soul, spirit”).  So then, what sense does it make to imagine there can be “part-time” service to God?  Such talk probably refers to the earning of money for what “full-time” ministers/preachers bring to the meager plebeians in God’s Kingdom.  Then what about Acts 10:34; Rom 3:20,23; 8:30,31,34,39; and so on?  Therefore, before harboring such concepts, carefully reconsider Scripture references such as 1 Jn 2:4; 2 Tim 4:1-5; perhaps even Gal 1:6-9…  Hear Jesus in Mt 10:8. Even Paul that explained in 1 Cor 9:1-14 what the religious know from Dt 25:4.  But Paul continues in 1 Cor 9:15-19 and points out in verse 19 that there is a trap [danger] in being paid by someone for you then are “owned” and directed by them!  Again, 1 Cor 10:31…
  • God uses [causes] sickness or calamity.  Is He godfather or Father-God?  Do you know His character, Who He is… and is not?  Would you go to a doctor who injects people with disease so that all can see how good a healer he is when you have to go to him for the antidote? This is wicked manipulation, and sick insecurity, not good!  Would you go to a counselor who cause calamity so that people have to go to him for counseling?  If man would be wicked doing this, how on earth can you even think God as the Source of righteousness and goodness and holiness can manipulate through blackmailing and fear??  Do you suspect God’s character and security (Js 1:13,16,17; Jer 29:11-13)?
  • Confessing your sin gets them forgiven.  Is it your confession of your sin or the confession [in the trust] of Jesus Christ’s blood price on His cross that got your sins forgiven?  Jesus Christ paid for all sin once for all on His cross 2 000 years ago, not you or I today with a confession.  We admit that we cannot save ourselves, only He can [could] – Rom 10:9.  There is the matter of unrepented and [willful] continued sin.  All sin [both repented and unrepented sin] has been paid for once for all by Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God (Heb 10:12-14).  The matter of continued sin is addressed in Heb 10:26-27; Gal 6:1-10; Rom 6:1-8; and so on.  The NT believer [follower] of Christ is to show a [genuine, renewed, continuous, habitual] lifestyle of authority over all in-/on the earth.  This is especially true of your own bodily desires and your choice to control your thought-life (1 Cor 6:13-20; Rom 1:18-32; 2 Cor 10:5; Eph 6:12).  Remember that God = Love and that (agape) love never manipulates.  You are a free moral being.You need a Word from a prophet.  What about your personal relationship with Jesus Christ?  What about your Counselor, Guide, Teacher – dwelling inside of you (Jn 14:23-27)?  Or is He only an infrequent visitor?  Try Heb 1:1,2 for bowing to the prophets of today.  Do you realize that we allow Him in [or not through offense] because Love [God] will not manipulate?  Have you noticed how many denominations keep people with them through manipulation and by instilling fear (with nonsense such as “where will you be buried from?”).  On the mount of transfiguration Moses (Law) and Elijah (Prophets) were there with Jesus Christ; yet God the Father said we should listen to Jesus Christ… to be like Him (Jn 1:12,13; 14:6; Eph 4:11-15; 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 1:1-2; 12:2) …
  • You are in a covenant with God when you are sprinkled with water as a babe.  A covenant is a promise, a strong contract.  (a) No one (not even your mom or dad) can be a mediator between any man and God since Jesus Christ paid on His cross with His Blood (1 Tim 2:5; Heb 7:25; 9:26).  (b) This is a submission [decision] you have to make in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  A babe can therefore not do this.  (c) the covenant was Jesus Christ.  He came about 2 000 years ago, fulfilling the promise [that He would come to us as the only Man Who could save us].  That was ended and fulfilled when He came!  We can now benefit only by believing that!  Contemplate Heb 8:13; Rom 10:4; Gal 3:19; Phil 3:9… (d) God never sealed any covenant with water, but only with blood.  Ultimately, the Blood of Jesus Christ as Man and God.  No replacement, no dilution!
  • Jesus fetches people when it is their time to die, and they then check in at the pearly gates where Peter is the concierge.  So Jesus is the angel of death (Rev 9:11; Jn 1:4; 10:10)?  And Jesus Christ carries people to Peter so Peter can check the book to see if they are allowed into a city that floats in heaven?  Have you read – and grasped – Lk 16:19-31 and 1-18?  Or, for that matter, the Bible?  Do you know what Heb 10:13 (Rom 8:19) is saying [after Jesus Christ did Col 2:15; Jn 16:11; Eph 1:22]?  We must be careful not to preach utter nonsense and be guilty of 1 Jn 2:4 and so be the adversary of Jesus Christ!!!  The church must take careful note of Gal 1:6-9; Jn 12:42-50!  Consider “The Testimony” by the author on this website – then ask Jesus Christ if this is so.  For now, read also Ez 18:32; Is 28:11-18; Jn 5:37-47; 11:25-26.  And before claiming too hastily to fully understand this… let His Holy Spirit be your Teacher/Guide.  Contemplate “The Testimony”.
  • You must aggressively press into the kingdom of God.  This is not what Lk 16:16 is saying.  Read with Mt 11:12, Jesus was saying that [for the 6 months] since John the Baptist announced that the kingdom of God is now [then] at hand because the Messiah had come, until that time that Jesus was pointing this out to them, that they could observe how the religious people tried to force their own way into God’s kingdom violently rather than entering God’s way (Jn 14:6; Phil 3:9). Either Jesus Christ is your righteousness, and you believe [trust in] Him to guide you through His Spirit, or you try on your own and follow Moses and the Law [self-righteousness].  See “The Covenant and the Law” and “Mixing Old and New” by the author, if you will, for a little deeper exegesis.
  • The Rapture theory.   For a more complete exegesis, see the meditation entitled “Rapture raptured” by the author, but for the purpose of this brief outline, let’s consider just the following basics: 

(a)    A few claims rapture preachers make. 

  • There is a gap [of 2000 years] between Daniel’s 69th and 70th week in Dan 9:24-27.
  • The devil has a coming in the flesh as an anti-Christ that is more awe-inspiring than the one God had as the Messiah – and Savior – Jesus Christ.
  • Jesus will return in stages, and the first will be a secret removal of His saints from earth.
  • It is more about our going than His coming.
  • They claim to wait on God to act, meanwhile He is waiting on us (Heb 10:13; Mt 5:14)!
  • Holy Spirit will remove Himself from earth and those that then repent [without Him] will be saved as a result of blood that will flow from a huge battle between good (who was removed then?) and bad.  More blood will physically flow than all people on earth have in their veins combined. .  Incidentally, the Bible says the wicked will be removed and the meek will inherit the earth – Prov 2:21-22; 10:30; Jn 17:15,20; Jer 23:16-25; 24:5-7).
  • 144 000 Jewish priests will convert all Jews to Christianity without the aid of Holy Spirit.
  • All must basically return to Judaism and become Israelites (Jews).  Then try Heb 8:13; and Mt 21:43; Gal 4:21-31; Rom 9:6-16,25-27; Lk 9:62; Jn 14:6.  Now hear Jesus again

(b)   What Jesus (the Bible) says.

  •  Nowhere in the Bible and its fulfilled prophecies do we find gaps in these prophecies.  The 2 000 years have since come and gone anyway, as did numerous false predictions of the “Armageddon” and its anti-Christ – without any apology from its prognosticators or recognition of this hoax by the suckers that fell [repeatedly] for their bogus theology.
  • “To the increase in His kingdom there will be no end [interruption]” – Is 9:7; Dan 7:18. Mt 22:29-32 and Lk 17:20-21 makes this kingdom likely to be right here and right now.
  • Jesus’ return as Lord of Lords will be no secret affair.  Also, Acts 1:8-11…
  • The wicked will be removed from the earth, the meek will inherit it.  Are the meek then not saints and will they be left here on earth on their lonesome? Jesus said Jn 17:15-26.  Try again 1 Cor 10:26; Mt 5:5; Rom 8:14-17; Eph 2:4-15; Heb 9:11,12,14,17,24; 10:14…
  • “Taken up” actually means “absorbed into”.  The earth is round.  “Up” is not a vertical distance dispersing all saints omni-directional into space, but a higher Spiritual realm.  It is invisible to the natural senses but very real (Heb 12:1,2; 1 Cor 2:12-16; 3:17-23).
  • No one gets saved on his own or by his own [fellow human] effort or blood (Jn 14:6, 26).
  • As a short comment on Jn 14, observe (i) We must believe Jesus Christ’s teachings and not merely “believe there is a God” (verse 1) neither compare Scripture to novels of men; (ii) Jesus was concluding the OT still talking to OT people in the OT time (Heb 7:12; 8:13; 9:8,11,14,16,17,26).  The NT started at least at Jn 19:30 (Heb 9:16,17; Rev 16:17); (iii) This means that the place Jesus was going to prepare [pay for with His Blood] was in us so that He can come indwell [also] inside of us here on earth (Jn 14:23-26; 1 Cor 6:19,20; Rev 21:3).  We should contemplate Is 60:14; Mt 5:14; 1 Tim 3:15; and 1 Pet 2:1-10; (iv) If Jesus prepared this place so that we could get all we ask for in prayer, ask yourself what you want to pray for in a city floating in heaven (with no bodies to be healed).  Jesus was referring to what we [remaining, as in 1 Thess 4:15; 5:23; Heb 11:40] should be empowered by Him right here on earth (Jn 14:12-18 and 3:16; 11:26).

 (c)    What His story (history) revealed

This is actually rather exiting. We can at least try and be honest enough to acknowledge the following few facts from accurate and credible documented sources:  

  • The Messiah has come as Jesus Christ over 2 000 years ago; sent not created (Col 1:13-23), born as a Man, crucified, resurrected and ascended as our maximum authority [Lord]
  • Seven years lapsed from His Baptism [as Son of God, Mt 3:14-17, in AD 27-34] until Stephen was stoned (Acts 7).  From Jesus’ Baptism to His crucifixion 31/2 years lapsed and from His crucifixion to Stephen’s stoning was 31/2 years.  Then, in 70 AD the 40 years of “this generation” [from Jesus’ crucifixion to the destruction of Jerusalem, Ad 31-70] parallel the 40 years that Israel wandered in the wilderness (Ex 16:35; Num 14:33,34; Dt 8:2).  Just as the OT people provoked the Lord with their unbelief, so Judaism stubbornly resisted the Truth, having refused the Messiah (Jn 1:11).  Carefully study Mt 21:32-46; Gal 4:21-31.  Have you thought about Paul’s warning in Gal 2:4-6,13-16?
  • History aside, the Bible, the infallible Word of the Living God (1 Tim 3:16,17; Gal 1:6-12), the only legitimate rule of faith and practice, is the Truth (Jn 17:17).  Know it and consume it and you will really be free (Jn 8:31,32,36).

Let us continue along this line of thought [of placing above all/any doubt the untouchable perfect character of God].  Let’s think along these lines and then consider the following thoughts as well…

Light on lies

 For understanding the most important things in this life you need no academic degree[6].  “Equity” in its truest form!  Many doctorates (I misspelled it first) have been refuted in time… but the learned doctors retain their titles…  they deserve it – if the real valueis perhaps rather in the process than the contents.  When man lost his relationship with God, he became a victim of “education”.  When Satan destroyed our true intelligence (a personal and intimate relationship with God[7]), we started looking outside ourselves to find knowledge – and religion…  and healing from the terrible pain the murderer Satan causes. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil[8] .  To convince us who we really are – children of God like Him [with His Word and Spirit inside of us.  With lies inside of us, we suffer]!  God knows your worth.  Jesus Christ is the price that we can choose to be reconnected to the Source of Life…  And our healing for all eternity.  What more can a future Messiah do for us than what Jesus Christ has already done?

God looks at you and see a person of great worth.  God is love, made man to His image [love] and want us to be reborn to become like Him [love] again!  Study 1 Jn chapters 3 and 4 carefully. He made you perfectly – the devil only corrupted your thoughts.  No man can reach beyond the limitations of his own belief.  Failure is not the absence of success; it is the lack of trying – of getting up one more time than you stumbled.  You cannot discover who you were meant to be if you try to use another person to find yourself.  If you want to know who you really are, look at Jesus.  Seek HimFind Him [9]Allow Him to give you peace beyond all comprehension[10]!

Watching a very acclaimed film (”A beautiful mind” ), I was astounded (again) how easily the world buy the lies of the enemy.  I wonder how beautiful a mind can be while unrenewed (Rom 12:2; Heb 12:1-10). Why?  Why can the truth – that is so easy and straightforward, be so easily twisted into a lie?  Probably exactly (!) because it is “too easy” and we have already been “downloaded” with the wrong software with no anti-virus program [by our own choice].  We have a problem renewing the mind, updating the “software”.  We sit in a building without a security guard or receptionist at the entrance.  All this trash from Satan’s world [even false messengers preaching about Jesus, not saying what He does], simply walk straight in – unchecked.  The “anti-virus” and correct software is the Holy Spirit of God.  This is Who we need to hear with our spirit and obey in our thoughts.  Deeds or words mean little or nothing if the heart (thought) is wrong.  God knows you – and your thoughts – intimately.  Our thought processes were corrupted from what God had in mind for us – through our will.  Blatant lies might sound fantastic…  until you apply the wisdom (truth) of God and realize they were just that:  fantasy!… subtle twisted truths that caught us for suckers through our own ignorance.  But God (Jesus) understands.  He was also tempted and sat under doctors of Judiastic, Mosaic law[11]; He just never fell for their religion [never partook of that tree].

This film, for example, is based on the “true” story of a doctor receiving the Nobel prize. The previously defining PhD, theorized that when an individual belonging to a group, does what is best for the individual that group will automatically be benefited optimally.  This was “revolutionized” into the idea that the best solution would be for the individual to do what is best for him/herself and the group.  This expert in  “behavioral dynamics” and all of us need to check out Phil 2:3-11, Js 4:13-16 and 1 Cor 2:11-16!  A good example of how we can save time by being obedient:  Read His Word!  Only the Creator – that gave Life in the first place, as a gift – is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent.  God alone knows what truly is best!  Man only knows after consulting Him!  Simple, once we have learned how to hear Him, that is Spirit, with our spirit.  Once we realise that this connection with Holy Spirit only comes through Jesus Christ[12] and that our faith – not deeds (deserved merit) – just like a container, determines what (how much) we receive.  So why, then, do we still fail, get hurt, disappointed, troubled…  destroyed?…  Why do we get anxious, scared, uncertain?  Once we post [listen to] that Guard at the entrance [gates, ears, eyes], will the enemy be identified and refused entry.  All doubt and anxiety is connected to fear, which in turn, is connected to Satan – the deceiver, liar and destroyer.  Fear is opposite to faith [that results in peace].  God needs you to trust Him that has always been to help and guide you.  You, however, have to wilfully submit to God in trust.  Believe the Creator (love), not the destroyer Satan that specialises in twisting the truth, twisting the Word of God.  Strange how we allow the devil to deceive us so easily.  What in hell do we want?!…  (Pardon the pun).  At the end of this [yet another] emotional film, professor doctor Nash (receiving the nobel prize) claims that all his questions are answered by love and all his reason(s) is love.  My question to dr. Nash is:  Who is Love? (1 Jn 4:16-21).

IGNORE [resist] the devil and his evil ideas!!  Stop fighting a defeated foe!  Contemplate Is 54:13-17; 2 Cor 10:5; 1 Pet 5:4-9; Heb 12:1-2…  Ignore Satan and his “thoughts”! Js 4:7 is easy when applying 1 Cor 10:31 (hence Js 4:3-6!).  Think about your death to the old nature and putting on the new in Christ (Col 3; 1 Cor 5:17-21) …

Suppose you buy a new Mercedes Benz and you want to operate it not only correctly, but efficiently.  Would you not study (and apply!) the designer handbook instructions and suggestions?  So, if we are so obviously clever in the flesh, why then, are we so blind in the spirit?  God designed us.  He gave us a Bible – His operating instructions and suggestions, His loving pointers to wrong places we can end up in…  If we would not be fooled to waste time by reading critique and discussions on this handbook until we know the (Mercedes) handbook well enough to be able to distinguish between truth/fact and myth, why then do we fall for this strategy by the enemy – Satan (who wants to destroy you, and the relationship between you and the Creator – your heavenly Father?).  If Satan writes a booklet saying to put your new car in reverse and to drive it as hard as you can – will you, do it?  Will you spend hours on these lies and dangerous deceptions saying “…  you are keeping an open mind…”?  So why then, tolerate pornography or selfrighteousness?  It will destroy your love life and your relationship.  Believe the devil, the father of all lies, and he will kill you.  Wake up!  All those alternatives for real Love are a deception, and from evil spirits that lie to us!

Jesus said over 2 000 years ago that those that do things for the praise of man will receive just that: the praise of man.  What a magnificently gentle and loving God is He!  You get what you choose, friend – the choice is yours.  Also, His peace and comfort when you feel loss or hurt.  When you hurt through destructive and murderous attempts of the devil, know Your Creator will still not violate this will He gave you.  He never changes.  Give Him a chance to help you heal.  This is what He gave His only Son for – for you…  So, you can find His consolation, comfort and healing love.  He is your Abba Father, the Lover of your soul.  This is the proof of how much He intimately loves and knows you.  He is your Source.  Your Source of intellect, hope, love, healing, of all good and positive things.  The bigger your trials and tribulations, the more the trust God shows in you.  Trust, because God will never tempt you or allow it above your ability (Heb 13:5-8; Eph 1:3; 2 Pet 1:3) – His will has provided the outcome in Jesus Christ… it is you that have to understand, believe and ultimately receive this simple truth.  God is the Creator, your potential.  He gives.  He simplifies His answers.  The devil is the destroyer – he cannot create a single thing – he only causes destruction through his law of diminutive return.  The devil complicates because this is how he confuses you.  God, as the Creator, always give more.  It is God who made a seed so it can become a tree with many fruits and many more seeds… The law of increasing return is His.  We fill the earth, He fills us, and so His Light, His power, His glory, fills all the earth…  and in this [His] glory, He will return – when we are like Him! …

Outgunned by the “onslaught of the devil”?  We must beware of the attempt to shirk our own responsibility with attempts to repudiate our own sin (Jn 16:9) and failure (Mt 10:1,8; Jn 17:20), for we seem to naturally want to blame our guilt on a “higher force” that we could not stand up to as if helpless against it.  Is this acceptable to the newborn Christian and is this even true? Not if you contemplate the following scriptures: First, 1 Jn 3:7-9 with special note of what Jesus accomplished (Jn 19:30; Rev 16:17) on His cross in verse 8b, with Col 2:15; then Phil 4:13; Js 4:7; (Rom 8:14; 12:9); 1 Cor 10:31; 2 Cor 10:4-6; Col 3:1-25; and so on.   Even Jn 3:17-21 and 8:42-47.

In the meditation “The will of man, the will of God”, the process of temptation is examined more closely, and will reveal that we as free moral agents [so designed by God, by Love] can ultimately not but accept responsibility for our own choices [God, Love, allows us to do as we wish].  Apart from perhaps physical methods used in human trafficking, can no one force you [via temptation] to do anything against your will.  You cannot be tempted by anything that you loath, hence Rom 12:9.  To fall in temptation is essentially due to the mind’s secret fantasies [curiosity] that ignored the advice in 2 Cor 10:5-6 or Col 3:1-5 and so evolved into desires and action.  Even extortion is best dealt with by disarming the blackmailer by exposing his lewd intimidation (Col 2:15!) and in so doing ‘come clean’; bearing in mind 1 Jn 1:7; Rev 1:5; 12:10-11.

A few more examples of twisted truths (and outright lies)

  • Prayer is a monologue.  No, it is a dialogue.  God is alive, so are you.  God has (easy) answers for your questions.  He made you, loves you and knows you intimately.  He is no child-basher.  He wants you to truly understand things, to be whole, prosperous and happy.  To bless you.  Just like a baby in the natural realm, do you have to learn (to understand Him) in the spiritual.  If anyone tells you ”it’s not as simple as this…”, you have asked a confused man.  It is that simple.  God is abundantly clear.  Consider studying the meditation called “prayer” by the author, if you will.
  • Serving abdicates authority.  The Person that served the most ever is Jesus Christ.  He is resurrected and now is at the right hand of God the Father from where He will come to judge all.  Giving therefore brings authority.  Jesus Christ was our Servant-King, and now is Lord of Lords.  God the Creator gives.  We are created – by God – to His image.  We are made to (also) give and to be a blessing to others.  This is why you feel so good when you sacrifice and give without expecting remuneration.  It is the will of God for you to make you feel good.  So, when you really do good (serve) – not for people to praise you – are you obedient to God [trust His Word] and knows His love inside of you.  Look for your answers in life to the Source of everlasting life, not life itself.  Take note that “afterlife” is not [yet] “everlasting life”.  Think about it carefully.
  • Money, power, position, alcohol, sex, popularity, will make you happy (content).  Wrong.  Only a personal, intimate relationship with your Creator-Father [Jesus Christ] can and will bring you true lasting happiness.  Jesus Christ paid the price for you – once for all.  It is free for every one that accepts – but certainly not cheap…  nothing was more costly in the universe.  This is true love…  available to and for you.  Material and selfish things may fake temporary joy, but lasting happiness can only come from God.  The genius and simplicity (honesty) of this is staggering.  The most awesome work of God was done through the frailty of His Son…  so, you can have eternal life with your Creator-Father: God.  See Acts 4:12; Jn 14:6; Rom 8 and 1 Thess 5:23…
  • You are what you say or do.  Wrong.  You are what you think.  Your thoughts are what God looks at.  People see two similar houses; God sees the foundation the house is built on.  The one on sand collapses in a storm.  Note that the structure is not washed away intact to re-locate somewhere else, it collapses when the sand (lies, law, religious self) under the foundation is washed away.  The rock-bed the surviving house’ foundation anchors on is the obedience to God [trust] – in your heart (thoughts) in a relationship with Jesus Christ.  To do what God expects from you… for you!  You are the one to benefit.  Just trust God…  He is the great I Am.
  • God wants religion.  No, He never wanted religion – He wants faith [trust] in His promises [Word, Jesus Christ].  A personal relationship with you.  Religion is a system of laws, ceremony, tradition and rituals that serves to point out what sin is (Gal 3; Jn 16:9).  Faith makes you accept your salvation through Jesus Christ by His grace alone.  Laws, rules, ceremony, ritual or tradition do not guarantee obedience (faithfulness of thought) it barely more than illuminates results of non-compliance.  Love Him truly and you will want to please Him.  Then no laws have to be repeatedly slung at you.  The law will then be fulfilled [as a result of not following Moses or Jewish law but keeping your eyes on Jesus the Christ of God, and being led by His Spirit inside of you], through Jesus Christ living inside of your thought life – only once you are born-again, and renew your mind (thought processes) to think like Him.  He explains all you need to know in the Bible, His Word.  You cannot claim to love someone whose love letters you ignore.  A Book like no other – all books are judged by it.  There is one saving faith: Christianity.  The others are all religions and rituals.  They can rime and they can mime (faith) and they can chime.  They share the same one-sided dead hollowness: Judaism, Buddhism, Islamism (Mohammedanism), even racism, hedonism, feminism.  No other “holy” book has nearly the fulfilled prophecies, miracles and this awesome life-giving power of the Bible – the infallible Word of God.
  • Christianese.  Jesus said hypocrites love to pray! (Mt 6:5).  Play-actors in parrot-like fashion, love using certain words [phrases] thinking they can bluff their way into this “holy” life… and they visit God Almighty [omnipresent and omniscient] once a week in a place built by human hands?  They end a shallow and illogical “prayer” “in Jesus’ name”?  See here the meditation entitled “Prayer” by this author for a little deeper exegesis on this.  You hear “Christians” talk of their unbelievable god [God is believable], or their incredible god [God is credible].  They also talk of how He guides them “from above”.  Well, try 1 Cor 6:19; Jn 14:23-26; Heb 13:5; 1 Jn 4:4; even Dt 30 :12-19… get it?…  Inside?... Selah.
  • God is hard and cruel.  No, God is love, holy, righteousness, just, etc.  But the problem the human flesh (reasoning, lust and greed of Rom 8:6-9) have here is that God is constantly eternally only purely the Source of all goodness and holiness (Heb 13:8)!…  The “wrath”, “curse” and “punishment” of God is a place rather than a deed of God.  It is a place (result) we end up in through our own poor, disobedient and ignorant choices.  This is an analogy of how it works: –

Everything happens to God’s will [omniscience, not manipulation].  The sovereignty of God does not mean He does all, it means He is above all.  He has a declared will, such as His laws of nature.  He has a perceived will – what He wants us to do because He knows what is best for us – such as do unto others as you want done to you, forgive as you are forgiven [by God], and so on.  Then there is His permissive will that causes God grief when we go outside His perceived will.  When we end up in the “place” of His “wrath”, “curse” or “punishment”.   We know this because of His proven love for us through Jesus Christ.  Hear Jesus in Mt 23 addressing an extremely religious, but stubborn, unbelieving people who would not accept His Truth that we are to be sons of God like He is, and eternally Live – then He raised Lazarus to be alive again.  He feels for you.  He understands you, intimately knows you and truly loves you.  Trust Him to be your Guide and surrender your will to the Almighty God.  Experience that relief – peace beyond comprehension.  You meet God in your biggest storm or at your lowest point.  Look up…  see the heavens He created and contemplate what He did for you…  to save you from yourself [self-righteousness, law] …

So, if I have a lawn with poisonous thorns, snakes and scorpions and I have children.  And if I would ask my children not to go to this place by pointing out what the results would be if they disobey (as the Old Covenant does).  But they choose to go or get pushed (born as descendants) in there.  We now see the difference between the earthly father and our perfect Heavenly Father, God.  As an earthly father, when the accusations start to fly from my offspring in the “place” about how cruel I am for “punishing” them, or the”curse” or “wrath” they have to endure, I would typically defend myself saying: ”… but I pertinently told you what would happen, I warned you – do something:  get out of there, you can you know!  You were the ones that went there, and if you didn’t, the enemy pushed you – or had you pushed. You exercised your own free will and now reap what you sowed.”  But God does not – neither does God have to – defend Himself.  To us in this “place” God just say: “…Come (back) to me, I will heal you…”  Jesus has already paid for you to be clean and righteous before God the Father.  No man could do that for you.  God knows this…  and He knows you – what you can be for Him and to Him.  Remember goodness acts assertively against evil.  When Jesus overthrew the tables when the temple was misused, it was goodness acting – not an act of lost control or rage.  God cannot – and will not – ignore wrong.  This will make Him an accessory. God is the Source of goodness, truthfulness, righteousness and love (care).  Kindness comforts (afterwards).  Jesus is humble and meek (Mt 11:29), certainly not weak.  He is God.  Beware!  God cannot be deceived or made a fool.  Dt 7:2, for example, will teach you that God’s righteousness had to (ask His people to) destroy evil and immorality for their own protection.  We make a mistake to think God will be too “kind” to do anything to protect His loving creational work from the enemy’s destructive plots.  yet, if we can just wake up to the enormity of the authority He gave [away] to us (Gen 1:26-28; Heb 2:8).  The enormity and genuineness of Love that never manipulates and truly let us choose to what extend we want to believe [trust] Him.  His foreknowledge is capable of announcing well in advance that He choose those who choose Him [and call those “pre-elect”, Rom 9:6-8,25-10:4].  Why can we not see how incredibly arrogant we are to distrust God and His Word (to so readily think, has God not said…)?  Consider also the meditation “God is Love” and “The will of God” on www.gospel-truth.co.za.

  • God is passive.  No – ask Jesus, His unique [sent, born, not created] Son.  Understand, however, that this is what obedience to God means.  God should be more important to us than any relationship, activity, achievement, feat or possession.  We must dedicate ourselves fully to Him fist.  We must strive to know His Word, so we can understand and apply the principles – constantly in our thoughts – so that we can benefit from His eternal wisdom and love.  And this Truth, this Life, this Way, this Word, is Jesus Christ the Person.  Do you realize Jn 10:27,28?  Do you know that ever-lasting Life means to live and not die [at all, Jn 8:51,52; 11:26]?  We are supposed to live until Jesus Christ returns!  Consider the meditation “The Testimony” by the author.  More than a conquerer should not loose his/her own body…  that’s why Jesus will give it back to the saved…

Our adversary, Satan, knows this and wants you to confuse imperfect earthly fathers with your perfect heavenly Father, thereby corrupting your thought processes and relationship with God.  The devil also makes you hesitant to go to God to be healed out of fear of (further) punishment.  But this is a further lie.  God only has good feelings and facts around Him, the “punishment” is where you have been – not where you are going (if you go to God).  Earthly fathers will want to “dig from the past” and separately (perhaps repeatedly) punish the wrong.  God, instead, only heals and blesses.  Contemplate these words: correction, pruning (self-inflicted hurt shunned/repented from that enhance and heal), training (to loyally refuse to not love God – like Job).  When an ignorant person would see you prune a tree you care for, for the first time, they will not understand that you are actually doing it to benefit the tree.  To remove the “wild” twigs to allow more light into the center (core).  God never damages you [with illness, calamity, etc.] to “blackmail”, force, or manipulate you back to Him!  His character is not sinister, wicked or cruel!  We, trusting Him, can rule over all sickness and evil thoughts (Mt 10:8; Jn 17:15-20; 15) – by choice.

It is possible that God can prevent damage by perhaps disallowing too much too soon or unbalanced growth… if we know/utilize “prayer” correctly… apart from this, can character be matured through difficulty, but God is never behind bad, evil, curses, sickness, strife, calamity, death – He gave us His Word [in demonstration, manifested in Jesus] how to overcome.  The test and worth is for us to discover – not God who created us and knows everything!  How would we discover our worth, talents and potential if there was no work (tasks) for us to do?  If we distrusted God and festered like parasites on other people to provide for us?  How are we then salt and light and blessings?  The maturing through adversity is not because the devil developed us, but because we drop the frivolous superficial nonsense! The devil [adversity, calamity] do not develop us, we show in it all Who we have inside of us (1 Jn 4:4; Js 4:4-7)!

We end up outside His will through our own will [choice, rebelling].  When traumatic things happen not due to our direct choices, trust Him patiently to give you a means out…   Entrust your will to the will of the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator God.  And to His love…  for you...  With the second coming of Jesus, as the Judge, He still will not “punish”.  He is the same and never changes.  He will only ask what you have done with the price He paid.  The gift He offered – Himself.  He will ask how faithful you were (in your heart/ thoughts) and how obedient.  To the unbelievers – who will then all bow their knees to Him – He will rather say: “I know you not (you ” [13] and then leave them for all eternity. He will take to those who believed like little children.  Not naively, but unconditionally as inheritants of His Father and as His bride.  We will be with Jesus Christ for eternity.  Is your name in this book of Life?  Your choice.

How can a limitless Spirit, a God that loved you so much that He made part of Himself a man – in Jesus Christ – to pay, for once and always for the sin of man.  As a Man, on behalf of man.  How could such a Source of love and life deserve your insults and false accusations and distrust?  The enemy of God (and us) deceived us to rather believe the father of all lies and deception – the devil himself!  We hear people – out of terrible ignorance – say, “don’t talk to me now, I am cross with God!”  As if they want to give some sort of bogus testimony to unbelievers of their intimacy with God Almighty.  What tragic and fatal ignorance!  You can only be cross with someone that has done something wrong!  What can God do wrong?!

Only God that created man (Adam) could make another man (the last Adam of 1 Cor 15:45) to enter the natural realm through a woman to re-instate the righteousness of man (and woman).  Only a truly obedient and sinless man could pay the price on behalf of all, otherwise it could only have been “an eye for an eye”.  One death for one sinner.  Because God is just and righteous, He was fair to even His enemy (Rom 8:6-8!) by having a sinless Man become sin (not a sinner) on behalf of all those that will accept His awesome price.  Bear in mind Satan cannot manifest in the natural – and only possess you with your permission.  Satan has no coming in the flesh as one single individual “anti-Christ”, all that are anti-Christ is “anti-Christ”.  The shocking revelation is that this includes millions of religious professing “Christians” (1 Jn 2:4; Jn 12:42-50; Mt 7:20-24)!  Again, the church’s “afterlife” is not Jesus Christ’s “everlasting Life”!

Why then?  Why was it then the right time for Christ to come? Some reasons are “world peace” under the Romans and a “universal” road system that was in place with a common language – Greek – ready for spreading the Good News (note, Life everlasting, not bad news of heaven and hell).  The “worldwide” uniform tax system, under a decree by ceaser August, had caused Mary to return to Bethlehem to pay her taxes and so Jesus was born there.  Bethlehem means the place of bread.  Jesus` body is compared to bread being broken for us fulfilling the prophecy.  He is the bread of life[14], without yeast (sin) and also came in fulfillment of the feast of unleavened bread.  Over 500 eyewitnesses recognized Him as the resurrected Christ over 40 days[15].  Through Him we all that accept Him have Holy Spirit inside of us, as only He could fulfill.  These are irrefutable historical facts.  The chances of Jesus exactly fulfilling all the prophecies documented hundreds of years prior to His birth as He did – accidentally, was calculated to be 1:10181!  It is He!!! Jesus is the Messiah…  your Messiah!  He is the only way to the Father[16].

The (Old Testament) feasts and tabernacle served as a visual aid to God’s people so they could recognize the prophesied Messiah when He came.  There were no overhead projectors then.  Sadly, many refuses (refused) to see the supernatural hand (help) of God.  The feast of first fruits was another prophecy regarding Christ fulfilled when Jesus rose on the day after the Sabbath.  He rose (triumphed over death) on the 17th day of Nissan.  A new choice appeared:  empty tradition and self-righteous ritual and laws (religion) or an understanding and acceptance of who Christ is and what He means to (for) you.  The Sabbath was now fulfilled and ever-present and available inside of every believer.  The last month in the civil calendar also became the first in the religious calendar.  God deserves the first of everything.  Jesus Christ is the new dispensation of time.  Only God that gave us time could change the calendar to count from then.  AD means Anno Domini – the year of our Lord.  So, friend, every time you sign and acknowledge that important document – or cheque – as being true (especially the circa date) …  know God is in control…

Why do we have to praise and worship God?

God is love.  According to 1 Cor 13:4, 5, love would not seek own interest.  Surely God has no ego problem, why do we then have to tell Him (confess) He is big?  Because it is not for God – it is for us!  [Only] God knows how big He is.  But He also knows that we need a technique, a method of focusing on something so awe-inspiring and so big that our (serious and hurting) problems pales into insignificance (Heb 12:2).  This is how we give our problems to Him and believe – that we believe (confess verbally) that He can in fact and in reality, help us…  But this is only by comparing how wonderful God the Creator is to us.  We know that He loves us so much He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its Saviour – John 3:16, 17.  To be saved from self, we have to abandon the self [religion] and fully trust the only Way, Truth and Life in a personal lasting relationship.

Gen 3:1; Job 1:7; 2:2; Jn 12:31 hints to us that Satan is permanently not part of heaven.  Jesus Christ won back that dominion for us, as a Man on behalf of man.  Fair and square.  It was lost illegally in a garden involving a tree of self-knowledge and was regained and re-instated in a garden on a dead tree by a sinless Tree of Life (Rev 2:7; 22:2,14) Who chose to die – and rise as our Advocate and Intercessor (1 Jn 2:1-2; 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 10:12-17) – for you and me.  He overcame the real threat [result, Rom 5:12] of Satan – namely death – and rose to remain the maximum authority [“Lord”].  So perhaps we feel attracted to a scenic garden or get a strange urge to also partake in gardening.  Declare Jesus King in your thought-life and follow Him.

So perhaps we feel attracted to a scenic garden or get a strange urge to also partake in gardening.  Declare Jesus King in your thought-life.

  • Expect a present.  No, rather give a present.  Which present has the most value: one expensive item delivered by a courier to your door, or a simple handmade item brought to you by the person who spent time, thought and love making it for you?  Define “cheap”. See Mark 12:41-44. Realize that a positive word (prophecy) can bring more life (meaning) than any material thing (Mt 10:8).  The point is that expectancy is born out of a false claim to entitlement and will only cause bitterness and despair.  The meditation “The Gospel” expands on the grace of God.  Read it?
  • “Safe sex” is using condoms.  How can a piece of rubber protect your spirit and soul from disobedience to God?  Even the body is not fully [completely] protected (“safety” in even the physical realm is a lie).
  • “Political correctness”.   This is morally wrong and cowardly errors in reasoning. No man can vote on the will of God.  Read His Word (2 Tim 3:16-17).  Know what He says (Acts 5:29; Ps 118:8).  Do not be disarmed by the enemy.  Your (double-edged) sword is the Word of God and prayer.  It will equip you to take a stand (2 Tim 1:7,8).  There is right and there is wrong.  No pathetic ignorance and rationalizationing can impress God (Rom 10:6-11).  Get acquainted with His Word…  Jesus Christ…  (Jn 1:1-4,14,17; Js 4:3-10; 1 Jn 2:4)
  • There are no absolutes.  The very statement is an absolute!  So now there is no right or wrong, and all goodness is relative?  To what?  Someone’s self-righteousness?…
  • Human rights.  Before claiming “rights” we should perhaps first consider Ez 21:27; Mk 12:24; 7:13; Jn 15:21 (Mk 13:6,13; 16:17?).  A claim to having a right to live might disregard at least the following: (a) a right implies merit that means to earn something.  (Note that “deserve” is not equal to earn – God owes you nothing, but you may receive the gift of life by grace – Rom 3:23, then vv. 20-28). Logic alone dictates that no life can be earned [by itself to exist] before having been perceived. (b) Anyone claiming to have “earned” their [own] life (before their very existence?), also insinuates that God [the Creator] made the biggest blunder in the universe – He thought all humans needed a Savior and that it could only be the Last Adam of 1 Cor 15:45 (Rom 5:12); Jn 3:16-21; the only Giver of Life (Jn 20:31; Col 1:10-20). No, we may have privileges, and then only in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:5-22; 1 Tim 1:12-17).  Unbelievers don’t follow God and is not His children automatically merely because they have been designed [created] by Him! Contemplate Jn 8:31,41-47.  If the accusation is against God to take responsibility for His creation (!), contemplate the meditation “The will of man vs the will of God” – if you will!  Remember that God created Satan (Jn 1:1-5; Col 1:15-17; Is 45:7; 54:16), but carefully read Is 54:12-17 and it seems that this destroyer is there to destroy what is evil (thoughts and words not consecrated to God, and people following Satan to their destruction – Rev 21:7-8), and has nothing on the child of God who realizes his inheritance in Jesus Christ (2 Cor 10:5).  The logical implication of choice is thus that not all are children of God. Men, through their own attempts (not Scripture), have come up with doctrines to try and defend – even attack – God.  God alone is God and does not need man to defend His perfect wisdom (2 Chron 6:14; Is 44:8; 45:5).  Is 45:7 reveals in fact, God not orchestrating evil, but taking responsibility as in Jn 3:16!!!  Man [kind] brings evil upon themselves by their own poor choices (Jn 3:18-21; 16:8-11; Js 4:7; Eph 4:27).
  • All people [humans] are God’s children.  Well, seemingly not according to God! The fact that we are all part of God’s creation, does not make us all followers of [believers in] Him. Compare the following Scriptures to the parrot-like babbling of the ignorant: Jn 1:12-13; 3:16-21; 14:6; Rom 8:14; Acts 2:21,38; 4:12; 1 Jn 3:1-10; 5:12-21 (Is 62:2; Lk 10:19-20; Col 3:16,17); and then of course 2 Tim 2:19 with Mt 7:19-23.  God is not a manipulator (or a sadist), He is Love (1 Jn 4:16); He gave us a will [choice] and that choice – Jesus Christ – determines who are His children [followers] and who are not.  As for the hypocrites and religious play-actors, consider Mt 7:19-23 and 15:6-9.
  • Homosexuality is OK or a hormonal/DNA condition.  For a scientific discourse [whether such a gene exists] refer to www.trueorigin.org.  The spiritual warfare (Eph 6:12) means such persons have accepted a spirit of rejection.  They usually have taken offense and experienced or perceived some rejection by people close or dear to them; but they were not really rejected by God (Heb 13:5 says not by Father, not by Jesus Christ, not by His Spirit; and not your spirit, or your soul neither your body).  If you truly believe that if you have nothing or no one on earth except Jesus Christ and then still have all; and that even if you would have all things and popularity on earth but not have Jesus Christ, that you then have nothing; then you would not accept the lie that you were rejected by Father God (Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 2:2).   You might have chosen to leave Him and His creation idea (Gen 2:22-24), yes. This spirit of rejection that was unchallenged brought an accomplice, called a spirit of rebellion.  This rebellion is an abomination to God – Lev 18:22; 20:13, 22-24, 26; 26:21;  Dt 22:5,  Gen 19:1-28;  1 Ki 14:24; 15:11-12; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 7:2, 17;  Rom 1:20-28, 32; 8:7;  Eph 5:6,7; Jude 7, 8, 10, 13;  Gal 6:7;  Mt 19:4-6; Heb10:26-27;  1 Tim 1:8-10; Judges 19:22-23.  But do not despair – confess, then repent.  Your help is in Jesus Christ (Js 4:3-10; Eph 4:17-32, Jn 8:36; 2 Cor 5:17; and yes, Phil 4:6-8,13). Consider the meditation entitled “Homosexuality” by the author.
  • God hates sin but loves the sinner?  This is one of those sayings that might superficially sound good but is unscriptural, it is ignorant and illogical. The statement attempts to separate sin from the sinner with a notion that this somehow constitutes God’s perpetual grace for the obstinate [perpetual sinner]. This mistake is expanded on in the meditation entitled “The Gospel of Jesus Christ”. Jn 9:31 states, “We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.”. This checks with 1 Jn 1:9-10 as well as the following, worth considering carefully: Ps 66:18; Prov 15:29; 28:9; Is 1:15; 5:18; Jn 9:31; 1 Pet 3:12 (Ps 34:12-16) and Jm 4:3. The statement that God loves a [perpetual] sinner shows an apparent confusion with scriptures such as Jn 3:16-21; 1 Jn 1:9; even 1 Thess 5:9; 2 Cor 5:19 and Rom 5:8; especially to religious hypocrites that are blind to Mt 5:23-26; 6:14-15 (Mt 7:19-23 and Mt 23). God does not approve the perpetual, continual sinner (Col 3:6; Mt 11:20-24), He loves repenting sinners (Rom 8:13,14; Col 3:1-17,23-25; Heb 10:25-39; 2 Pet 3:9; even Eph 5:5-7).  God does not “ignore” the sin of the [habitual] sinner, the sinner needs to repent (choose God’s salvation plan, change his mind)!  Even those who have just made a mistake needs to acknowledge it and change their mind for good. 1 Jn 1:9-10 is not saying confession is what saves us, it is the confession in the finished work of Jesus Christ plus our continued following of Holy Spirit to the end as an on-going process of salvation that may see us saved in the end (for we can backslide and perish without following Holy Spirit daily to the end). (Jn 14:6,23-26; 15:1-12 with the insight that “My commandments” in Jn 15:10 refers to the precepts of Jesus Christ and not the ten commandments; Jn 1:17; 9:28; Phil 3:9 and the discussion of this distinction in the meditation “The Covenant and the Law”) – it is saying we have to break our alliance with the devil (Jn 8:42-47), then Jesus will in the meanwhile intercede for us (1 Jn 2:1-6; Heb 4:20; 9:28; 2 Pet 3:9).  The error of Gnosticism became a more serious problem since the second century.  As a philosophy of religion, it held that all matter is evil and the spirit good, claiming that their solution was mere knowledge (gnosis) [not Christ] by which man could rise from the mundane to the spiritual.  This led to two false theories about Jesus Christ, namely (1) Docetism that claimed Jesus was only a ghost (an illusion with no real body, ignoring His Blood at Golgotha and even just 1 Jn 1:7 and Rev 1:5); and (2) Cerinthianism, making Jesus a dual personality (alternating between human and divine).  It implies God tricked us and shows no understanding of Rom 8:5-8 (Js 4:3-10) and it is typical of a mind [-set] that sets itself up against God (Holy Spirit, Mt 12:31, Jn 5:14), and is exactly the mind that’s enmity towards God filled with haughtiness with sense and reason without Holy Spirit and is death [miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]; but the mind of Holy Spirit is Life. The “flesh” in Rom 8:5-8 is not the physical body designed by God (Eph 5:29), but the “fleshly” reasoning that is immoral, controlled by bodily cravings to satisfy itself with the sign of a beast [selfish lust and greed] without Godly thought (foresight), failing to be faithful and committed [ultimately to Christ] and so fails the test of living a prophetic image of Jesus Christ and His Bride [true church, the house of the Lord, the minds of people that hates what God hates (Rom 12:9) and in whom He dwells continuously – Heb 13:4-9,15,18,20,21].  Gnosticism, ironically, shows also dismal ignorance for the real difference between the soul (self-consciousness, self-righteousness), and the spirit that is God-conscious. Now “modern” people with their modern versions of Gnosticism still claim that the natural realm is unreal and only an illusion.  I’m always tempted to slap such a person that his ears ring and if he asks what I did that for, want to say, “Did what? It’s only an illusion!”  What about foul spirits and 2 Cor 10:2-6; Mk 9:25; Rev 18:2?  Gnosticism, in its disguised and religious forms, results in people not taking responsibility for their own sinful actions; hence Paul’s teaching and exhortation in scriptures like 1 Cor 6:15-20 (1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16);1 Tim 3:15; Col 1:14,23; 2:5,6-15,20; Heb 10:26-27; and John in 1 Jn 1:10; 2:4; Jn 3:3; Rev 21:8; etc.  The human mind willfully chooses wrong in self-righteous self-interest and causes the sinful actions, the mind cannot be excused from wrongdoing unless [until] it applies Rom 12:1-3,21; Jn 3:3,16! God is the Source of Righteousness and is perfectly fair so it’s ludicrous for any man to insinuate God is an accomplice or unfair by implying God made anyone wicked [against His own Word] and that some can just carry on in sin whilst claiming holiness [with a self-centred mind and enmity towards God?]!  Why would God have to manifest in a man’s body and pay with His Blood on that cross for forgiveness of our sin if the inner man [mind, soul] is not accountable for what the body does? Hence, Scriptures like Jn 3:3; Heb 10:26; Mt 12:31; even Gal 6:7! Beware though, of being too hasty with a claim of “I know” or “I believe” [correctly]!  Carefully ponder 1 Jn 2:4 (Jn 14:6) with Mt 7:15-23; 15:6-9.  Jesus gave His definition of sin in Jn 16:9. And sin is not separated from the sinner, it is fatally illogical and irrational, for sin (to not believe, follow Jesus Christ – Jn 16:9), is sin and caused by none other than the choice of the sinner. We can sin while being outspoken about sin! God made Adam and Eve (physically, Gen 1:26-28; Mt 19:4-5) and made them [us] to multiply and fill the earth with their [our] own free will. God did not make the atheist or murderer or homosexual as they are! God is Love, and Love never manipulates. The results of all human decisions are what we must take responsibility for (Rom 5:12).  Where we went wrong, we need to repent and ultimately accept God’s offer of ultimate Love in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Phil 3:9).  God does not love [approve] the obstinate sinner, God loves a repentant sinner (2 Pet 3:9).  Neither did God make you as you are; you are who you choose to be. Ponder the meditations “The Gospel” and “The Testimony” in gospel-truth.co.za.  We might be in for the shock of our lives…

If you are wondering whether you can frustrate [misuse, exasperate] the grace of God, and Jn 9:31 gets our attention, the following scriptures require our careful consideration as well: Mt 12:43-45; Lk 11:24-26; Jn 5:14; 2 Tim 3:13; 2 Pet 2:20; Heb 10:26-29…

The possible connection between sin and adversity, and blessings and righteousness

Many people are of the opinion that the prospering people (rich, healthy, successful and fortunate) are so blessed by God; and that those who find themselves in some form of adversity, are being punished by God.  Even calamities in nature are attributed to God punishing or “guiding” people [back] to Him.  Is this correct?  Where does this idea come from and is it scriptural correct?  Does God really need bad to show His Goodness? Not even humans can rightly say this is logical and morally acceptable yet accuse God of it!

There are many atheists, people from other religions and ungodly people alike who seem to enjoy great success, health and wealth – often more so than the very pious “Christians” who think they are doing what God wants them to.  We have numerous examples in the Bible that support the suspicion that the theology of a God-father is flawed.  We have a Father-God Who is good only (Jn 10:10)!  One example is the comparison between two kings, one seemingly good and one bad, in Amaziah and Jehoash (2 Ki 14). We read that their lots were opposite to what many would expect because the good guy had it bad and was slain by the bad one while the bad guy got the riches and won the battle.  Likewise, Job seemed to have thought – and was told so by his friends – that his sin was the cause of the terrible things that happened to him.  However, we note Job’s idea in 1:21; God’s word in 35:16, and Job’s subsequent realization/admission in 42:3.  At most Job had unbelief in 3:25, if we refer to Is 5:18-21.  The sobering fact that emerges is that the calamities were not caused by God.  In the NT, we find that all God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus Christ at Golgotha when He paid with His Blood at His cross for all sin of all mankind once for all – Heb 10:14; 1 Thess 5:9; 2 Cor 5:19.  Jn 3:17-21 also clearly states that man should take responsibility (response+ability) for his own actions; and, when things happen outside our control, that we should be able to overcome if we are in the right place spiritually (Phil 4:13).  This will come only from inside (1 Jn 4:4) and not from outside.  Hence does God not have any need for calamities and adversities to herd us [back] to Him.  There is only One Way, and that is Jesus Christ (Jn 14:6; Acts 4:12), Who alone can set us free (Jn 8:32,36).  Even in the OT they had to believe that God would send our Saviour Joshua Messiah to pay on our behalf.  This is rather God’s will [plan], not what religious theologians have come up with and their followers stubbornly cling to – Mk 7:13; 12:24.  It is foolish to combine good and evil, blessing and calamity, and think the two are connected with a manipulating god behind all – Mt 5:45; 7:9-11,15-27; Js 1:6-8.  The same principle is found in Mt 12:25

Blessing is probably greatly misunderstood

Contemplate Eph 1:3; 2 Pet 1:3-12 (Ampl).

A blessing – or a curse – is not imparted like voodoo. So please be careful of religious play-actors speaking blessing over you – they are probably totally ignorant of what they are trying to do. God has no part in evil and false practices such as hypnotism or magic. A blessing (or curse) is rather a declared result! In Is 45:9 God says He declares what is right. Of course, He can! He is not a manipulator and will therefore not force [“make”] any person right [blessed] regardless of their choice(s) and insanity. (Insanity is basically to expect a different outcome whilst blindly carrying on to think and do the same). To speak a blessing to someone seems at most thus a kind of congratulatory remark where you acknowledge that someone has ended up in a good place or a type of declaration that you grant someone (and those they love) every [improvement in] success and wholeness in spirit, soul and body. They then have to make their choices carefully on their own. Contemplate Jn 3:3; 2 Cor 5:17; Mk 7:13; 12:24 and 2 Pet 1:3-12 with the meditation “The Will”; specifically “The will of God” on P.9-11.  There you should make the right deduction from Rom13:14 with Mt 5:43-48 and Eph 1:3 (even Jn 10:9.  Read the scriptures!…).

By the way, the Word that could not return without result was Jesus Christ – Is 40:5; 55:10-12 with Jn 1:14!!!
Note also, that you need accurate knowledge of God [Jesus Christ] to be set free – Jn 8:31-32; Rom 10:1-4; 2 Pet 1:2-4.  We need to follow Him (1 Jn 2:4; even Jn 4:23-24; Rom 8:14 with Jn 14:6, 26) and this is only by being a true disciple (Mt 28:19-20; Rom 12:2).

Note at Mt 19:23-24.  (Also, Mk 10:25; Lk 18:25) This is often a difficult saying – especially for a reasonably wealthy Christian – to digest. Therefore, a tradition developed that Jesus perhaps referred to a gate in the Jerusalem wall, called “The eye of a needle” because it was too narrow for a camel to pass through; seemingly as a metaphor to draw a parallel with people such as those with enough wealth to make them feel accomplished and fulfilled to the extent of rejecting the need for a Savior in Jesus Christ.  A difficulty then, is to deal with scholars that say they can’t find any hard evidence that such a gate in that wall in fact physically existed. It therefore appears that this explanation was yet another desperate attempt derived from a misinterpretation; and in this case, of Mt 7:13-14.

But further investigation and closer reading will reveal that this reference is not to a specific gate in only one wall [at Jerusalem], but a generic name for a type of gate [door] that was found in most great walls of cities, that had a smaller door for night-usage inside the big door [gate] that was used during daytime.  In Mt 19:24 Jesus said “… the eye of a needle”, not the needle.  A camel could in fact go through such a “needle” opening [at night], but only if the material possessions were offloaded and the camel knelt in front of the door so that it could be forced though in a lowered position, albeit with great difficulty.  There are obvious analogies in this process for land dwellers to grasp.

For sea-going fishermen, there is an equally good analogy as the word kamilos in Greek means rope; while the word kamelos in Greek means camel.  When translated into Latin, the ease of a misinterpretation is obvious.  Even if scholars in ancient Greek could make the word camel win, is the context more indicative as it is likely that a rope could even also have been made from camel hair!  More specifically, as Theodore R. Lorah explains, does the word for rope in these ancient languages probably actually speak of a rope used to anchor a massive ship (a hawser). The hawser would often be braided, and likely would have been the thickest size of rope that anyone at that time could have imagined. Lorah writes, “The image of the oceangoing vessel with a heavy, braided rope hawser holding to the anchor or tying the ship to the pier makes the image much stronger…” in reference to this exaggerated metaphor.  So, in both Greek and Semitic languages the difference between camel and a ship’s hawser is so similar that it makes total sense there would be translation confusions. As Lorah summarizes:  “As they used their hand-held needles and thread to mend (fishing) nets, Jesus said: “It is easier for a hawser to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Even though in both cases it is an exaggerated metaphor, the word we choose does change the impact of the passage. A camel passing through the eye of a gate is hard, but not uncommon. A ship’s anchor rope passing through a sewing needle would be both impossible and unheard of.  Like an arrogant affluent person wanting to join a Kingdom where the humble are the ones who are blessed (Mt 5:3,5; Lk 18:10-14). The crux of the analogy Jesus used was therefore in any case rather the lesson of self-righteousness, as pointed out by Jesus in the context of Mt 18:4 and 19:14 with the indication that this wealthy man in Mt 19:16,20 seemingly also missed the point that Paul made in Rom 3:20,28; even Gal 5:4,18.  The meditation on this website entitled “The Covenant and The Law” expands on this.

Therefore, ponder Mt 11:25-26 and see the relief in the verses following (28-30), with Lk 12:32!  Jesus was therefore probably just making – in context – the point that it was a fatal and utter useless error of a self-righteous person to attempt saving himself [impossibility to succeed through self-righteousness; Lk 18:9; Phil 3:9].  Mt 7:14, as yet another example, is not even saying that the narrow [right] path is difficult to follow [travel on, live out from a Godly thought-life with Christ and His Holy Spirit dwelling permanently inside you], Jesus said the narrow path is difficult to find (especially among all the hypocrisy of the religious and their false dogma – Mt 7:14-23; 15:6-9)! Jesus in fact said that it (“the narrow path” with no alternatives) is easy – Mt 11:28-30!

Observe also, that just as in Mt 21:43 and the all-important -principle explained by Jesus in MT 13 (note verses 10-23 with Heb 4:12-16); is it not about material things that will be taken away (money with its false suggestion of independence), but their own insight that will be darkened by their own choice to be short-sighted in self-righteous spiritual blindness (Phil 3:8-19; Jn 3:17-21).   Refer to Mt 11:25 (11:20-30; Lk 10:20-24). The poor, in an attempt to justify a poor-mentality, often tends to point to [parts of] Scriptures such as Prov 23:4a but overlook the last part of that sentence (23:4b), or quote Prov 28:20 while overlooking Prov 28:11-14 in context, just like Prov 10:4-7,13-16,21-24. The meditation “Riches” expand on this. As for now, see that the impossibility of a self-righteous person to enter God’s Kingdom, is exactly what Jesus referred to in Mt 19:23-24.  The context there was the rich young man (Mt 19:16-22) that failed to see what it takes to really follow Jesus and hence fail to declare and make Jesus Lord of all in all we think and consequently do (1 Jn 2:4-6; Rom 8:2; 10:1-4; Jn 8:32,36). It is thus impossible to save yourself (Rom 3:20,28) or obtain everlasting life on your own, however independent you think you are, as there is only one way to be righteous before God the Father and that is to accept the blood-offer of Jesus Christ on His cross at Golgotha and to actually follow Him – Jn 3:3,16-21.  Now observe the context of Mt 19:26 – the disciples heard this and were puzzled (v 25), so Jesus said “… With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God…” (Gen 18:14; Job 42:2).  Observe the connection with Rom 5:12; 8:1-4; 1 Cor 15:45,49-55… and the meditation “The Testimony” that expand on this…

Christians sing, “Draw me close to You, never let me go…” with a tear in the eye.  Is this scriptural, correct?  So, must God act on your request otherwise you stay afar? And then, Heb 13:5 is ignored?  Have we read what Jesus said in Mt 6:33; 12:28-30?  Did the lost son ask his father to reel him in with a long rope and then tie him at home second time around?  Not according to Jesus (Lk 15:17-20).  Perhaps we should be careful with our emotional (self-centered) religious piety and stop being so blinded by self-righteousness.  Reconsider carefully Eph 1:3 (Jn 19:30) and Jn 6:44; 12:32 (Acts 20:29-30); Heb 7:19,22; 10:22,38-39; and Js 4:8.  Then contemplate Phil 3:9 (Ampl) and study the meditations “The Covenant and the Law”, “Mixing Old and New”, and so on, as well.  It is entirely possible that we have had even the basics completely wrong.  Selah.

  • Smoking is Scriptural acceptable.  Someone who quotes Col 2:16-23 as if it gives them a license to smoke or use drugs; are either ignorant (deceived, grossly misunderstanding the context) or plain trying too hard to falsely “justify” a habit detrimental to their health.  God will not approve something detrimental to your health! This letter to the Colossians is about the Apostle Paul admonishing the Colossians about Gnosticism (a fusion of religion and philosophy of all matter being evil that caused them to claim that Jesus was thus not real or God); warning against the danger of legalism (Judaizers that held strict rules on kinds of food and drink permissible, religious feast days and circumcision); so modifying the Gospel (Gal 1:6-12) to a point of danger.  Paul warned them against empty philosophical heresies and to be properly integrated in the pattern of true Christian living, to be circumcised in the heart, meaning that they should be stripped of the corrupt fleshly carnal nature with its [detrimental] passions and lusts (Col 2:11).  The people who Paul said could not sit in judgement of them [that were changed to a new, higher spiritual life that laid down fleshly desires], were the people still trapped by fleshly desires and/or Jewish Law, rituals and religious symbolism.  It had nothing to do with justifying smoking a cigarette or using drugs or getting drunk, but rather quite the opposite. Verse 16 should be read with scriptures such as Gal 4:10-12; that reads with Col 3:16-17 and 1 Cor 10:31 (2 Tim 3:16-17; 4:2-4); 1 Cor 6:15,19-20. 2 Cor 5:17 says that a re-born [Christian] will show that the old [desires] have gone and the new have come…  If parents do things detrimental to their bodies, what example [message] does it give to the children [or non-Christians]?  How young can they start doing this, for if it is acceptable [right] then they surely can start as young as possible to imitate you? 1 Cor 10:31? Mt 18:6-7?
  • Saints need to sympathy with other saints.  Jesus showed compassion and humility without humiliation [resolve, practical usefulness in aid, support, improvement, healing, fixing], not a mere helpless pity.   There is a line beyond sympathy that plants the idea that God is dealing too harshly with a human or manipulates (Mt16:21-23).  Compassion in love-based sympathy is something completely different and closer to God’s Love, reflecting commitment, faithfulness, unselfish willingness to be of use and value to other without mortification.  Here is no place for self-glorification or ulterior [wicked, hidden] motives; hence usually done in confidentiality (Mt 6:1-4).

Note on the joy of the Lord (Eccl 7:14).  Carefully refer to Is 64:5; Ps 35:9; 63:1-11.  The crucial, vitally important distinction must be made between good and bad (even the mixing of the two, Gen 2:9; Rev 2:7; 22:14,19).  God alone is the Source of Life and all good; and the devil (even the self) is behind death and all things bad. Do not confuse the two (Is 5:18-21)!  A fatal error in reasoning is to connect these two extremes by thinking that, because you ended up closer to God after an ordeal, that God must have caused [orchestrated] the dread in order to get you closer to Him – this is wrong (Js 1:13; 4:4-8; 1 Jn 4:4)!!!  The fact that bad had happened, and that you could [always] have turned to God for help, does not make Him the culprit!!!  He is just always there for us.  He is not an insecure, underhanded manipulator!  Rather think how you got where you were [by yourself].  Of course, you’ll be closer to Him after dropping the false guides and self-righteousness and going to Him; but this does not mean He needed anything bad or evil for you to go to Him!  You could [should] have been that close – even in Him and Him in you – as He invited us to do from the beginning!  Consider the “roadmap” in the meditation “The Will” as well as the note on Js 1:3 and in the meditation “Christian Suffering” on www.gospel-truth.co.za, if you will.  No, the joy that is of the Lord, is when you realize that – despite any trial and difficulty – you can always rest assure in the fact that God did not cause it and is always available as your Saviour, Guide, Teacher, Intercessor, Comforter, and so on (Jn 14:26,27).  Only once we know Him to be above reproach, we’ll have that joy… and peace, not between men but between us and God (Mt 10:34-40; Heb 1:8; 4:12-16; Is 9:6-7) – always. (Rom 10:1-3; and rejoice in Rom 8:29-39; Phil 3:9-10; 4:6-9,13,19).

Remember also, that pleasure is not the same thing as joy. Pleasure is mostly an aim that tries to satisfy the self and then correlate closely to lust and greed; while joy is mostly a delightful result similar to a prize, a jewel, a treasure of the content and grateful heart (Note what Love [1 Jn 4:8] will not do in 1 Cor 13:5).

Note on Mal 3:3; Tit 2:14. It is a catastrophe to buy into the misconception [lie] that God will bring calamity over you in order for you to be “purified” in increasingly more demanding steps!  It became popular to preach that, to be purged as gold or silver, means to be heated by (God’s) fire to scoop off the impurities as it boils to the surface until you have been purified – step by painful step.  This might sound good but is not true.  When we contemplate Scriptures such as Num 19:12,19,20; 31:19,20; Job 41:25; is 66:17; Ez 43:26; Jn 11:5; and Acts 21:24, we see that it is the self [our own thought-life, “heart” of Rom 10:9] that must be purified such as read in Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 10:5; Js 4:8 with Js 1:6-8. This is why a coward is such a disaster and disgrace to God’s Kingdom (Rev 3:15-22; 21:8; Rom 1:16-22).  What, in fact, therefore, should happen to the real re-born Christian is that your Source inside (1 Jn 4:4; Phil 4:13) will show to be real when misfortune strikes for whatever reason; but never the reason that God caused any misfortune in any way, shape or form (1 Jn 3:18-24; Js 1:13). God does not need any mishaps, tragedy, disaster, etc. for any human to [be able to] go to Him! There is no other way than via Jesus Christ crucified (Jn 14:6; 3:15-21; Acts 4:12); hence 1 Cor 1:21-2:2!  There is no requisite anywhere in God’s Word, and it is illogical (screams against Who God is and is not), to think you have to be “tested” and then found good on your own merit to be able to go to God as if God’s salvation plan in Jesus Christ failed and needs God to manipulate us in addition to what is said in Heb 10:14 (and the rest of the Bible, in context, as expanded on in the meditation “The Gospel” in www.gospel-truth.co.za)!

Praise God!  Here is a prime example of thought processes – our choices – messing up our lives and what God, our Creator, had in mind for us.  If we choose to believe the world system, lead by Satan the destroyer, we will buy the lie of having an incurable “disease” which is actually (only) sin.  For any sinner there is always hope: choose to get back in God’s will!  Get out of that “place”!  You reap what you sow – in kind!

When we talk of “steps”, we are not propagating a set of religious rules, but “steps” as in a walk [a continuous process].

Step 1

Confession means to acknowledge sins specifically, individually, verbally, mentally and spiritually.  God is a Spirit, so 1 John 1:9 is you (Jn 4:23,24).  Make the decision.  You have to decide and to choose.  Exercise your will: commit to your healing!  Ps 32:5-7; Prov 28:13. See the free choice in Lk 10:6…

It is very important to understand I Jn 1:9 correctly.  The confession of sin does not save anyone; confessing the Truth that the Blood of Jesus Christ paid for all sin once for all [and then following Christ in us until the end faithfully and diligently – Jn 14:26], is what saves the sinner in the end. Neither do we have to confess sin in order to remain saved, but we admit specific wrongs to come back into agreement with God and out of agreement with the devil.  The confession, then, is aimed at killing all double-mindedness (Js 1:5-8; Jn10:27), not to pay for that sin.  Jesus Christ paid – once for all – for all sin of all mankind on His cross at Calvary – it is done (Heb 10:14)!  Confessing [admitting] sin stops Satan [a defeated foe, Col 2:15!] from dominating us [our thought-life] through that sin – by our choice – and we admit [submit to God’s grace] that we draw the forgiveness and purity of Jesus Christ, that is already in our born-again spirits, out of our flesh [unrenewed way of thinking, Rom 8:6-15; Gal 2:4-6,14,19; 3:11-13]; and get in Him when He is in us as in Jn 14:26. If we genuinely love Jesus, we will hate what He hates (Rom 12:9), and follow Him [His teaching, Spirit-Words that is Life continually and habitually with joy because we see results on prayer and prophecy and we do good in His Kingdom on earth and so be useful].

Note that Jesus paid for “old” [past] sins – Rom 3:25; Heb 6:6-8; 10:26-29; 2 Pet 1:9. Jesus did not pay for anyone to continue in sin.  The meditation on homosexuality also refers to this vital point.

Step 2

Repent.  Repent means the next decision: to permanently change your mind [way of old thinking of law/self-righteousness] and definitely stop doing what is wrong and to turn your back on these specific sins [even voice of the devil] you confessed.

2 Peter 3:9. Repentance is only genuine – and useful – if it is accompanied by a complete and permanent change of mind and accompanying deeds. To be reborn (Jn 3:3,5; 2 Cor 5:17; 1 Pet 1:18) also means to renew your mind and then bear good (useful) fruit -Jn 15:1-5.  If you don’t move away from it, you will stay there – by your own choice – so please do not blame God!  Once you can say [believe and live] the prayer at the end of this chapter, your mind will be renewed – you get the software included and downloaded for free.  Jesus paid. We will now trust Him sufficiently to believe in Him (follow Him)

Israel was in slavery for about 458 years.  Once through the Red Sea (water baptism), they had to move on to the promised land.  Note it was due to their own rebellion that they found themselves in the wilderness (Rom 9:31-32; Dt 9:6,13; Acts 7:51).  They were in the desert and walked around that mountain (Gal 4:25) for 40 years.  An infant cannot grasp this concept and Jesus said in Mark 16:16 that those that believe (grasp) this be baptised.  Not infants who would not comprehend this and grow up confused and under the false impression that this process included them into a covenant because someone made a promise on their behalf.  (See meditation on baptism and 1 Tim 2:5).  The wilderness is not your camping place as a Christian.  Try it on your own, or swim back through the Red Sea, and you are back in slavery – by your own choice.  Jesus has paid and has His Spirit available to indwell you permanently (Jn 14:23-26) …

If the 1.5 million (some say 3 million) or so Israelites chose to be obedient, they could have been in the promised land in weeks.  It took them 40 years – through their own disobedience, rebellion and distrust…  In God!  So why are we so stubborn and dull?  We think we are “enlightened”, “better”, “advanced” and “modern”, yet fall into the exact same trap as they did over 3 000 years ago?!!  SOFTWARE, that’s why!  God is gentle and caring – and eternal: no beginning, no end!  Not only giving us a Bible and examples to learn from, but present prophecy… today…  He gave us His Son, our First-born (Heb 2:8-13) for us to be sons of God (Eph 4:12-15) …  and what about Heb 11:40?  And we pretend to wait on God???  How arrogant and ignorant are we?

Note, also, that the Israelites still had to go through the Jordan river, the boundary into the promised land, in April when the river was full.  Also, that they still had to fight giants to get want they wanted/needed.  Can anyone show character, heritage, knowledge of (Source of) strength if there were no challenges? What do Jesus in Mt 12:35 and Paul in Gal 5:22,23; 2 Cor 4:7 say? Can you see that we must not embrace our enemy [adversity] thinking it will develop good virtues; but rather be glad that we have an opportunity to show what God has deposited into our inner self!  Js 1:3 has a fresh meaning, does it not!  Praise Jesus!

These tests [challenges] are the only way we can personally know What and Who God is – and can be – for us.  We discover whether we have really chosen His teaching and if we are indeed following Jesus Christ.  When we blindly or stubbornly follow dogma or a gospel about Jesus Christ, situations will seem to be impossible.  This earthly life is our university, our training camp, our sorting grounds, and our destination (1 Thess 4:13-15)!  Here we discover who really loves, trusts and chooses God – it could not happen in heaven: there no difficulty, pain or negative emotions exists!  So don’t read this to forget and buy the lies of Satan again!  With Jesus as your strength, you can do this!  On your own you will fail.  So, do you get the picture?  HAVE A PERSONAL, LOYAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THE FATHER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON!   It is simple!  Accept it.  Choose it and move on to…

Step 3

BELIEVE IT!  Really, truly, honestly accept it in your thought life (heart) and follow the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent (Jn 4:23,24; 14:26)! Then have yourself Baptized. Refer to the meditation entitled “Baptism”.

John 3:16. Download that software!  Come on, don’t delay your own benefits!…  Accept that wisdom Romans 10:9    of God He wants to impart to you.  He has done all He could for you.  Listen to that “little” voice of the Almighty God Who are talking to you through your “intuition” and conscience” … Whatever.  If you find yourself in a dry, water deprived place and need to fetch water for your family and your own very survival – please don’t pitch up at that big stainless steel tanker lorry with a ridiculously puny container!  Take a big one!  The bigger the container, the more you get!  And the emptier it is [of self] the more space there is [for Christ].  Your faith is that container.  Your faith determines how much you can receive.  BELIEVE!  Can you now see why God had to leave you some “difficulties” in the [His and your] Bible?  His Word – love letters – for you?  Can you see why God had to leave you mysteries?  Note some were actually benign little non-essential things that were hijacked by the specialist deceiver, Satan.  You were had.  The hidden lessons are all for your benefit to be revealed as lessons from your Revealer Jesus Christ, who is the Word Who became flesh and dwelt amongst us (Jn 3:1-3,14) and wants us to realize we need the faith of a little child – not a great intellect corrupted by worldly thoughts, temptations and deceptions of the father of all lies: Satan.  Look where it got us!  You must realize that we need the faith (mindset, thought processes, software) of a little child – Mt 18:1-7.  Verse 3 says: “…  I (Jesus) assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven…”  (Matthew wrote for the Jews who avoided the Name of God to honor their tradition and so “Kingdom of heaven” translates to and is the same as “Kingdom of God” as written by Mark, Luke and John who wrote to the Greeks with no such tradition).  Note the word “never”!  Understand that this reference to children was then, and still is today, shrugged off by the (devil of this) world as naive to make it sound ridiculous; but these qualities and characteristics in a HEALTHY child Jesus referred to, are vital.

Little children can be observed as follows

  • Inquisitive.  They are in awe, [is open to] grow and have joy.
  • Trusting.      They believe, receive and accept without question.  Had the big, strong men and “intellectuals” this attitude, they would have crossed that desert much quicker.  So their flawed character suffered (Gal 6:7)
  • Sensitive.    They readily expose hypocrites and fakes – they are genuine
  • Innocent.    They will not attempt to reason God out of His own creation
  • Exuberant.  They are spontaneous, forgiving, trusting, responsive, anxiety-free and therefore free to be exuberant and boisterous.  These are qualities [results] God loves as it shows real trust in a Giver, Protector, Creator-Father…
  • Forgiving.    Their anger lasts a moment.  They don’t bear malice for long.  (Mt 6:12,14,15)
  • Dependent.  They are parent conscious.  They are parent-dependent
  • Bold. Some say ignorant, but they are uninhibited by distrust and unbelief (fear), they are often exhibiting a child-like spontaneous confidence without being brazen.
  • Honest. To the point of embarrassment…  to Satan (Jn 8:43-47)

God loves little children. (Mt 18:1-14)

A negative childish quality, however, is that a child cannot yet take what a mature man can (Jn 16:12) …

“To believe like a child” (Mk 10:15) is vital, i.e., not to be a self-righteous educated intellectual snob (Mt 11:25).

Note. This is not saying that a child of God is naive [a narrow-minded dupe] – 1 Jn 4:4!!!…

Perhaps now only can you progress to step 4.

Step 4

Receive (John 1:12).  Receive the wonderful loving Kingdom and inheritance God the Father had in mind for you…  as His receptive [trusting, mature] child.  Yes, He loves you.  Be that child to Him (Eph 4:12-25; Rom 8:14-17; Heb 2:8-16!).  Give Him your heart, your mind, your spirit and your soul and He will save you.  His Name is Jesus Christ.  Accept Him as your Saviour, your Redeemer and [continue to] Live for [with] Him!  Don’t let His sacrifice – and provision – for you be in vain.  Why settle for the partial religious offer?  He is God, your God.  1 Cor 12 teaches us the Holy Spirit is like a pharmacist:  all is available to you, but you (only) get what’s needed at a specific time…

Just understand that salvation is not a once-of and forget. It is a continual process so that we may be saved in the end (1 Cor 9:24; Heb 12:1). Yes, Jesus has done His part once for all (Heb 10:14) in His death, burial and resurrection but we certainly have to be [remain] useful in His Kingdom on earth by following His Holy Spirit as our Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, teacher and Guide inside of us (Jn 14:26).

As far as baptism goes, refer to that meditation but for now, prayerfully ponder Mt 3:11; Mk 1:4,8; Lk 3:16; Jn 1:26,33; 3:3,5,6; 1 Cor 1:17; Acts 1:5; 8:36,38,39; 10:47; Acts 11:16; and Acts 19:1-6. Note that baptism in water addresses the past (the burial the of old sinful life) and rising in a new future in Christ; then, the Holy Spirit must be received (the baptism in the Holy Spirit) to empower you as Jn 14:26 says.

Take note as well, that when we have shown that we have repented, we have ourselves baptized in water after we confessed our specific sins toward God the Father; we believe Jesus the Son of God is Lord (not a babe in a manger) and receive His Holy Spirit at our second baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit. This is the triune God we are then serving henceforth faithful until the end.

Remember that these steps are a process that can be moments or many years long, it depends on us.

So, if we try to raise children outside the will of the God that created us, we battle for instance, to distinguish between a child demonstrating dominion and a child rebelling against authority…  We also completely miss the comparisons between the physical and spiritual that God caringly but unintrudingly gave to us:  that between the stages we grow through in the flesh and the exact same stages we go through in our spiritual growth – once we are born-again.  This is also how God gently helps us to [later] understand what is happening to us in the spiritual realm as we grow closer and ever closer to our Source of Love.  Interesting how the teenager in both realms is the closest to adulthood and in both cases the biggest headache to all…  Miss it as a parent and a second chance of being a grandparent will probably come by the grace and blessings of our faithful, patient, immutable magnificent Giver of life and love.  And you thought “hide and seek” was a game!  You’re training your child to seek and find their heavenly Father, friend (1 Chronicles 28:9). Have you heard Him through your conscience and intuition?  It is He! See why Jesus said He is meek and humble?  An Almighty, Omnipotent, Omniscient Creator is called “a little voice inside of you”!…  It is sobering to think on Jesus’ definition of a hardened heart, when we are astonished at a wonder or a sign He has done – as if He couldn’t really do it – and now we think our amazement is worship or praise! (Mk 4:23-25; 6:5,6,52; 8:35-38)!  Mk 4:25 with Rev 22:18,19…  Ouch!

Offense affects you negatively and rubs off on those around you.  It is the first step in a downward spiral that will destroy you as bait of Satan.  Offense is being angry, hurt or displeased, or feeling insulted – even “on behalf of Christ”.  It is an act of stumbling! (Miriam-Websters dictionary).  Offense is like a snake around your loved one’s neck – if you can’t stand snakes.  You can say to them: “… remove that snake and I can hug you again (be more intimate), but as long as you hold on to it, I cannot come closer.  I can still say I love you from here, but I will not come closer.  The choice is yours – do you want Him close to you? Only self can be offended, the emotion of the puffed up and clever selfish soul.  The Spirit is immune.

Examples in the Bible that point out what offense is, are Joseph and David who overcame offense and received the blessing (promises fulfilled) of God, as opposed to Zacharias and his son John the Baptist who had Jesus say: “…  Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me…” – Lk 7:23. It appears as if God “returns to His place on high” (Hos 5:15) until we acknowledge our offense without admitting a problem, it cannot be treated and ultimately healed because we must break all bonds with it.  1 Jn 1:8-10 teaches us that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us.  But if we confess our sins to God, He will keep His promise, He has forgiven all sin when Jesus paid for it with His Blood on His cross!  If we say that we have not sinned, we make God out to be a liar, and His Word is not in us.  So, it is about unforgiveness and lack of commitment/faithfulness that indicates that we are still holding onto our offenses.  We do not forgive because those who offended us deserve it, but because we deserve the freedom that forgiveness can bring us!  See how Jesus Christ stays the King?  He has done all He could for us.  He left the choices all up to us…  even though it grieves your Father if you choose to ignore His perfect plan for your salvation, does He still leave it up to you.  Why don’t you surrender your will to Him?  He knows everything.  Your price was Jesus Christ!  In other words, if you were the last person on earth, Jesus would still have – and He has – died for you…  Jesus was humiliated naked [only in the eye of the ignorant, 1 Cor 1:21-2:2] for you by choice.  Not ashamed.  He conquered death for you so Satan cannot have any hold over you anymore.  That empty grave testifies:  Jesus is your Redeemer, your Saviour, your friend.  Resurrected and absolute authority.  All things have the same components and essence as their source.  God is your Source.  Trust His Holy Spirit to be your Helper and your Guide.  God wants to look at you and see Christ.  What does God see, looking at your thoughts?…

  • Church is a physical building, a place you go to show others – including God – that you are religious.  If this ritual totals your religion for that week, you are dead right!  This is typical of religion: no relationshipThat is a human building.  A facade, a shell, a sorry lie, for you are meant to be the bride of Christ prepared until He comes again.  Consider the meditations entitled “Church” by the author.  Will you find it acceptable if your spouse (worse, their thoughts) would only spend 1/168 hours with you, and the remaining 167 hours of a week prostituting?  Is God happy when you go to Him last, after all the medicine (drugs), physicians and funds have run out of effect, ideas or substance?  Do you expect spectacular return on poor investment, or an excellent benefit from recklessness (to “perish” in 1 Cor 1:18-31, even Jn 3:16)?  Why do we expect, even have the audacity to demand, uninterrupted loving care from God while we blindly waist countless hours on the enemy’s lies?  Allowing to be infiltrated by the bombardments of negative emotions, majority opinion and commentary of secular “experts” and sensational worldly “news”?…  Consider Phil 4:6-8 again.

The amazing thought about this last point is that God is God, our Source…  and we – His creation – ignore Him, distrust Him, insult Him, betray Him, forget (!) Him, say He is dead because we killed our relationship, refuse stubbornly to accept His help (Word) and the awesome and Perfect Price He paid for us…  We think we can have Christ crucified and resurrected over and over again.  No, this happened once!

Some people somehow think that the Creator of the universe will be deceived by feeble-minded mimicry of prayer with sporadic, hurried monologues or just as insulting  repeating the same old tired words of rhymes thinking we are stirring God with our prayer life.  Why do we have this “church-voice” that does not even sound like us?  Do we really think God is stupid?!!!  Won’t it at least sound more genuine if we would talk tenderly to God like we would to a dear friend or a loved one?  Why do you think do you connect with God in your darkest hour, your deepest most painful affliction?  Could it perhaps relate to our sincerity and our realization of the uselessness in self-reliance?  Could it be that we then stop thinking of ourselves as the initiators of goodness who has to beg God to help…  while He has been waiting over 2 000 years for our high and mighty theological selves to start believing Jesus Christ?…  to live (remain)!…

Prayer literally means to express your desires (verbally) to God in submission to Him as Source of all good.  As long as your desires are not expressed, they are still in the planning phase.  God knows all your needs and what you are thinking, but if you are specific, it will build your faith when you see how wonderfully God answers.  How else would you have known you got what you asked for?  He remains your Lord and King!…  What do you want?  Jesus, knowing the man was blind, still wanted him to express what he wanted (Lk 18:35-43).  To actually say the words: “I believe that I believe”.  Double-minded prayer is totally ineffective (Js 1:6-8), i.e., while filled with self-righteousness [law].  Be humble and genuine, He is.  If you think He is too “distant”, too “busy” with more important things in the universe somewhere else zillions of light years away:  no.  He is omnipresent.  He is immutable – always the same: true, faithful, creative, caring…  and perfect, immeasurable love…  the Source of it!  that’s an indication of how big God is.  But if you are worried about the fact that God knows everything and has a plan before you ask – rebuke the enemy in Jesus` Name (doubt, fear…  remember your guard?).  And do not despair:  we do not pray to try and change God’s mind or to “stir” Him into action, this is how Satan hijacks your mind.  Prayer is the act of surrender to God.  Recognize that He loves you – because of Jesus you are worthy!  A righteous person is one who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and is born again by faith in the living God.  Remember: faith is not a feeling; it is your choice (action).  Not faith in works of man (self-righteousness), but faith in the ability of God (righteousness of faith – in the work of Jesus) – see Js 2:14-26.  If you love Christ (like a loyal, faithful, deeply in love bride) and seek God the Father as His child, will He give what is best for you.  You will know what is in His will, what not.  Everything you then ask for – specifically – in His Name [not Moses’ name, or self], you will receive (Jn 14:13-15; Mk 11:24).  So, prayers are not vague, general requests, but specific and clear – like God.  He wants communication.  Communication is not vague and unclear!  His Helper, Comforter and Teacher – His Holy Spirit – will help (Rom 8:26, 27).  By receiving Jesus, we receive the righteousness of God within us.  This Scripture in Romans also points to our expectations of immortal, everlasting Life (v 11). More of this in the meditation entitled “The Testimony”.

Prayer etiquette:  Is there only one set way?  Very unlikely, but it seems that the right Person to approach in prayer is God the Father.  If we want to make any requests, we do not approach the Lord Jesus or the Holy Spirit; we approach the Father – in the Name of Jesus Christ because He said we could.  But Jesus Christ is God and if we ask Jesus to help, He certainly would.  Likewise, the Holy Spirit by speaking in tongues to Father (Rom 8:26).  Jesus Christ gave us His authority and to His ministry on the earth (Jn 16:23,24,26,27).  Refer to the meditation called “Trinity” by the author, but as a feeble attempt to explain the concept, consider God the Father as [like] the President, Jesus like the managing Director and the Holy Spirit like the executive Director of the same company.  God conceives the idea, Jesus says it (Jn 1:1-3, 14), the Holy Spirit does it – They always work together as a triune Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (“We” in Gen 1:26).  We have fellowship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – 2 Cor 13:14; 1 Jn 1:3-4; but all through Jesus Christ (Jn 14:6; 3:16).  Because God is unchangeable – especially concerning His Word – can you not ask God to change or go against His will:  this is when your prayer will have no results because they are not in Christ with Christ in us at that moment.  God are all these Persons at once.

Some kinds of prayers are: –

  • Prayer of agreement (two or more based on the Word and love of God – Mt 18:19,20)
  • Prayer of petitioning (a solemn, formal request – 1 Jn 5:14,15; Esther 5:6-8; Heb 4:16; Ps 20:5)
  • Prayer of binding (not people, but their sinful actions, things improper and unlawful – Mt 16:19; 18:18,19).  Not witchcraft, but agreement pretty much as the first above.
  • Prayer of loosing (breaking up enemy strategies of bondage, depression, anxiety, tension, Mt 18:18)
  • Prayer of supplication (a definite, humble, earnest request – Lk 8:41, 49-56, not panic or repetition – Phil 4:6).  Think of the continuous supply of Holy Spirit inside of us…
  • Prayer of intercession (for others, not ourselves – 1 Tim 2:1,5; Heb 7:25; 1 Sam 12:23).  Think in terms of intercepting flaming darts of the enemy (principal thoughts of Eph 6:12; Is 54:13) …
  • “Interrogatory” prayer. Perhaps this is the most powerful. This is when we ask of God specific answers and insight and wisdom (Jm 1:5) and discernment (2 Sam 14:17; 1 Ki 3:9,11; Job 6:30; Ezek 44:23; Jonah 4:11; Malachi 3:18; Mt 16:3; Lk 12:56; Heb 5:14).

For a more complete examination of prayer, consider the meditation “Prayer” by this author.

When we do not see results yet, we maintain a close relationship, a fellowship with Him, and will we know to say; “thank you, Lord” and be patientthen expect [trust,believe] and hope (2 Cor 4:18; 5:7; Heb 11:1) …  Hope in faith [trust] is not the world’s empty and powerless wishful thinking.  We trust Him and have faith in Him to fully submit to Him that is wise, knowledgeable and love beyond our comprehension.

We probably misunderstand how to pray, and our inconsistency with His Word (Will) cause us to probably misinterpret and greatly misunderstand what supplication (Lk 8:41) and persistency (Lk 18:1) is.

Col 4:2 is our key: “Be earnest” also means to believe what you are doing.  This implies that you know you will get what you have asked (in God’s will – Jn 14:12-15), and not that you can change God’s mind (make Him move quicker to fit your schedule) by nagging (irritating?) God!  God is not a human!  If you earnestly believe in His Word, then you accept that He has heard you and – as far as He is concerned – has already done (granted, foreseen, paid for) it but will manifest the result in His omniscience…  when it is best for you in His Kingdom!  We now have to wait with patience (trust), and “steadfastness” in prayer life (not the same single prayer requests repeated – Col 4:2, Amplified) but here comes the amazing thing:  You “guard” and “be steadfast” and “persist” in that one request withthanksgiving”!!!  Not “nagging” or repeating the same request over and over as a gentile would do in disbelief (Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 6:7!!  Jesus also reminded them of 1 Kings 18:25-29).  Jesus also explained this in Mk 11:24!!  Watch Hebrews 13:8 and Js 1:5-8…  Please note that God has heard your first request – in His Name (Stature), ie, in His will – and will still grant it; but all the rest, that is, numbers two and onwards of repeating the same request has no effect and only shows unbelief and ignorance and Rom 8:26 kicks in by the grace of God.  But understand that the devil is not slow to exploit this gap and eventually cause despair by using his spiritual warfare weapon of guilt… see below…  This is how it works:   Thanksgiving before you see the result shows your faith (trust and believe in God’s promises) – this a gentile cannot do.  This distinguishes and separates you from unbelievers.  Obedience to God is the rockbed your house is built on (remember Matt 7:20-27?), so again we see the true love of our Servant-King:  we benefit from doing His will!  Because Praise and worship has a hidden truth, we activate and release the following two tremendous powerful forces when we exhibit sincere (“earnest”) thanksgiving prior to seeing the results: (a) We use a mighty weapon of Faith that causes the devil to flee [sneak away] – he can no longer corrupt (accuse) our conscience by giving us guilt and “unworthiness” (his weapon to cause distrust and unrighteous, undeserving feelings in us that results in despair that actually accuses God of being a liar!  “Devil” means “accuser” and “slanderer”) – 1 Jn 3:19-24; Jn 12:50 (See “The Testimony” by this author for a shock!); and (b) we, as a result, strengthen ourselves by “guarding” this request by constantly and consistently [“persistently”] reminding ourselves through acknowledgement that He will do what He promised when He knows will be the best time!   He is God your Father.  He loves you.  This is fruit of the lips (Josh 1:5, Rom 8:28).   We now show the unbelievers faith they cannot understand in the flesh.  Note that Jesus did not pray the same prayer again in John 11:41 (the prayer He referred to in verse 41) but for the purpose of instruction, He mentioned the motivation for even referring to it in verse 42.  If God thought it so important for the people around Him (us) to take heed to thank God before you receive, it must be of great importance, not so?  Note also, how people marveled at the fact that Jesus gave thanks in Jn 6:11,23 and also Mt 26:27! Jesus obviously referred here to proof that He was the Messiah, but also see the demonstration of faith by thanksgiving prior to manifestation.  Ask God – yourself – prayerfully to show you this in your heart (Heb 12:1-2).  Prayerless people think they are self-sufficient people, otherwise they would be humbly praying.  Yet, understand Mt 10:8 (Gen 1:26-28)!…

Phil 4:6-8 has some sound advice.  Isn`t it wonderful that when we talk to God openly, honestly, and sincerely, that we allow Him to start the healing process through our confession (admission, submission, understanding step one)?

Remember that the OT way of praying [approaching] God the Father today would be an insult to Jesus Christ!  David’s approach in Ps 51:10-12 is not valid today after what Jesus Christ overpaid for us all (Mt 9:17; Lk 9:62; Heb 8:13; 9:8-12,24-28,14; 10:1-26,35,38; Eph 3:20; 4:24; 2 Cor 5:17).

For more on the subject of prayer, consider the meditation entitled “Prayer” on this website.

Is seeing now believing?

No, that is still accepting what you would not believe – Heb 10:38; 11:1.

Where is the most dangerous place in the world?

Outside the will of God.

Earlier we saw how praise could be a God-given technique/method/mechanism/desire to help us give our problems and hurt to Him (by focusing on Him), but there is more – apart from adoration and thanksgiving, can praise serve as a weapon to counter the devil`s attack of guilt.  Because God knows you intimately [compassionately] He knows that only He – as far as you are concerned – can overshadow your hurt.  He also equipped you to use your mouth [yourself] to expel the devil who accuses your conscience in an attempt to give you guilt (unrighteousness before God) through praise.   Think about 1 Jn 3:19-24 again.

The frogs in Rev 16:13 croaks in the night of Rev 12:10 and Ps 121:6. Also see 2 Cor 10:3-6; Eph 6:10; John 16:33, etc.  Between Luke 10:19 and 18:7 the unclean spirits of Satan (frogs that croak at night?) can be driven away by not only prayer, but praise – having the same effect through our submission, dedication, dependence and intense focus on God through Jesus Christ when we sing our love to Him…  Whenever we sing praises to God for Who He [specifically in Jesus Christ] is to us, or while we talk with Him, can Satan not be with us. Just take note that Jesus drove demons out of Jews immediately after their “service” on their Sabbath in Lk 4:40-41; also, Jesus’ warning in Mt 5:23-24The point therefore is that our accuracy is key (Hos 4:6; Rom 10:1-4); and not merely our genuineness [intent]… hence this website with all of its meditations as a whole.

In the words of Isaiah 43, the Lord Who created you says: “Do not be afraid – I will save you.  I have called you by name – you are mine.  When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you.  When you pass through fire, you will not be burnt; the hard trials that come will not hurt you.  For I am the Lord your God, the holy God of Israel, who saves you…  …  I will give up nations to save your life, because you are precious to me and because I love you and give you honour (!).  Do not be afraid, I am with you!”  And when did God save us?  On that cross at Golgotha, in Jesus Christ!  All we have to do to acquire it without God [Love] forcing it down on us, is to believe Him that this is so – and follow HIM!

May we say a prayer together?

Thank you, my Creator.  Thank you, my Almighty heavenly Father, for wanting to save my spirit and soul and body for eternity…  with no less than Your Son, Jesus Christ!  May Your will be done, on earth… in my heart and in my thoughts…  as in heaven.  Thank You Father, that You loved me this much when I was still Your enemy.

Thank You that You paid for all my sin.  I have sinned.  I need your salvation and your irreplaceable love.  I want to stay alive with You, and live for You, Father.  I accept your awesome offer Jesus.  Come into my heart, Jesus.  Be my King and my Lord continually. I want Your peace.  I will never turn my thoughts from you again.  I need wisdom and help.  I want to know you more accurately and closer, Lord Jesus.  I believe that I believe!  I now receive Your love and Your salvation and Your peace and lasting Life.  I want to mean something for others.  I want to be a giver, Lord, like You.  Please help me.  Thank You, Jesus, You are my Lord and my Friend forever.  I love You with every thought and every fibre inside of me.  Amen.

Who are you?

The most important question any human can ask is what Saul asked Jesus on that road to Damascus:

“…  Jesus, who are You?”  (Isaiah 53`s prophecy and John 1:1-17; Col 1:13-17; Acts 26:13-18).  Once it dawns on you, once you “click” Who Jesus is, can (will) you ask the next most important question – as Saul (Paul) did: “…  What do You want me to do for You, Lord?”   We should want to imitate Jesus by giving, not taking like the enemy, especially not the “glory” of Mt 6:1-4.  Leaders should serve [give freely and gratuitously and outrageously] as Jesus did, and still does.  They should build His kingdom, not their own empires.  Let`s briefly look at one more lie of the enemy before we touch on who we (you) are in Christ…

Now, referring to Ps 139, consider this:  where can you hide from God, or “exclude” Him, or “cut Him out”?  Note how we (churchgoers) are still stuck with the wrong software (thought processes of thinking we can earn blessings and are punished by God if we fail to obey Moses’ law).  Unless we are re-born and as a result have renewed the mind (John 3:3); unless we have downloaded the software from Him that created us, we will continue to battle to think like Him, to submit our hearts (thoughts) to Him.  “Heart” in the Bible mostly refers to your core (spiritual thoughts), as the “heart” of the ocean or the “heart” of a forest. So, without the rockbed of obedience (submitting our thought life to Him), we`ll be that house on sand – a lie.  The deepest part of you is your spirit, not your soul!  The mind is part body, part soul.  But hang on, we`re getting there!  Please allow me first to illustrate another angle on [corrupted] thought processes: –

How many of us make a quick morning prayer (monologue?); or close our eyes, bow our heads and say thank You for the food we are about to have.  The moment we say “amen”, we think the switch” or” tap/valve” goes to the “off”/” closed” position again and we try and be our own god until we call Him again!  Tell me, have you not in your spirit, “heard” and “send” thoughts of gratitude when you smelled that food?  When you saw it – ready for you to enjoy?  When someone showed the interest and care to invite you to share the moments where they could give to you?  Did you not “pray” then without the ritual we go through that other people can see? Did you not have a conversation, a communication with Him as the Giver of all good things, perhaps making a little intercession for the less blessed [that they will somehow realise they can move closer to His will, who has blessed in Jesus Christ]?  Have you taken dominion over the natural as a Spiritual son of God and blessed that food in your body?  We seem to not realise we are like a bride that is “blissfully” unaware that the cellphone is still on, and we walk around with a “live microphone” …  imagine what the Bridegroom hears “accidentally”!  Now see why Eph 4:29 says what it says.  My Bible tells me that Jesus pre-paid all the “live cellphone lines” of all of us – yes, it was extremely expensive and an outrageous act of grace [unmerited favor] and mercy and Love…  but what do we use it for?  Do we realise what we are ignoring out of ignorance?  We “think” and “imagine” our connections and authority in Christ are off.  Not so.

For a short discussion on the body, the soul, and the spirit of man[kind], see the short meditation by this author entitled “Body, Soul, Spirit of man”.

Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.   – 2 Timothy 3:16,17.

Conclusion

We cannot really “conclude” anything in the eternity of God; therefore this “conclusion” is no more than a humble effort at “ending” this discussion highlighting some thought processes.  The idea is to use these briefly mentioned topics as a springboard to launch ourselves right into oneness with our Triune God.

So, in “conclusion”, we see that all He asks us to do, is for our benefit!  He wants us to be sincere (in His will) – He is and will always be.  He wants us to trust Him and His infinite wisdom…  so, we can benefit from it!  He wants us to discern between (His) truth and the enemy`s lies…  so that we can have true joy and peace beyond our comprehension!  Why are we so stubborn and self-destructive and blind?  Why don`t we believe Him unconditionally?  We should lay aside the sins which so easily ensnares us – especially the sin of unbelief.  Jesus remains unchanged.  Jesus Christ is Lord.  An amazing thing is that God, the Almighty Creator and Sustainer, lets us determine the value of what we give (back).  From Scripture it seems that only when we give what was most precious to us, does it activate God’s spiritual laws that results in a blessing to us.  He gave the most precious there was in all of heaven – Jesus Christ – for us.  So, what is the most precious we have to give in return?…  Yes, that`s right – our self!  Then only do we get in Him all we need!

Note.  Our whole heart, our whole soul and our whole mind (Mk12:29-31) …  our most precious [part of] us, is not a work [self-righteous effort]; but is right if it is a result [proof] that we are totally given to Him.

1 Kings 17 tells us that, because of the drought, the water the widow gave Elijah was valuable; but the little cake was precious because that was what she would have given her dying son (and herself).  The moment she gave something this precious, she and her son were very blessed.  Mk 14 (v 4) tells us of the precious nard oil (a labouring man`s wages for a year) the woman poured over Jesus` head – and see:  her name is mentioned as long as the Gospel is preached …  now again! (vs. 6, 8-9).  Ps 126:5,6 shows that we reap in joy.  Mk 12:41-44 shows what “stirred” Jesus to point out to His (trainee) disciples what determined if something was precious: not the numerical value, but the value the giver considers her/his gift to be!  How is that for a infinitely Genius gracious God that honours you?!  After bringing Jacob`s most precious (Benjamin), they were given wagons full (Gen 45:19).  Consider 2 Cor 8:1-3 that mentions the “abundance of joy” in the midst of an ordeal and severe tribulation that overflowed in wealth of lavish generosity on their part.  God loves a joyful giver.  That`s an indication of how much He loves us all.  He gave His most precious – Himself!!!  Only this Godly love can attract sinners to the Giver and Source of love and Life.  Please see the magnificence and the brilliant beauty in the love of God and pass it on abundantly and selflessly to those who expect it least – those hurting souls that are trapped in the destructive pit of lies and deception of the enemy.  To the rebellious scientific and religious world, we need to speak His name and live His Life.  Go for everlasting life [that is far superior to after-life].  Take Jesus really seriously (Jn 16:9) …

So, 2 Cor 8 tells us how the Macedonians showed in an unusual and particular way they had received the grace of God by their generosity.  They were able to combine affliction, joy, poverty and liberty!  Their free-willing giving (“beyond their ability”), that is, they gave spontaneously, without having to be pressurized, coaxed or cajoled.  They first gave the most precious gift – themselves.  Then afterwards it was easy for them to give their material things – their money.  Please don’t freak out, God does not need your money and I don’t want it.  Read the meditation “Tithing” and “Riches” by the author.  Be true and trust Jesus to have a worthwhile and meaningful, effectual life in His Kingdom on earth!

It simply means there was first a committal of their lives to Jesus Christ, then they willingly gave in the sense that they wanted to help in the collection – even to Jerusalem, whether that material value was used in full and accurate knowledge of Jesus Christ or not, the motive was pure.  Is this why God looks at our hearts [mind, thinking, motive, intention]?  Isn’t God just magnificent!

It is more about being unselfish givers like our outrageously generous Giver, than our pretentious painful sacrifice.  It should be all about His Kingdom and not our camouflaged self-indulgence, self-praise, self-pity and law or our empires.  It’s more about Jesus Christ, than all about Him.  See the Light (Jn 1:1-5).

Epilogue

To summarize, can we see that the OT generally had man witnessing a fleeting [passing] glory.  Jesus Christ has provided a NT where the glory should be visibly lasting.  Not a hereafter, but an everlasting.  The different interpretations come from our mindsets, not God.  As long as we keep on trying to achieve righteousness, or to impress God, or show love [from our self, own efforts], are we totally ignorant of Who God really is.  Only when we know Jesus personally, will we reflect Him personally.  For example, if you try to live out 1 Cor 13 [be the source emanating this Godly Love], you can only fail!  This is because this Godly Love is Jesus Christ (1 Jn 4:1-4,6-11; Rom 13:14; with 1 Cor 13:1-13; Jn 1:1-4,17; 14:6; 17:15-26).  May you get the revelation.

Peace and joy and ever-lasting Life to you in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen!

[1]1 Sam 8:6,10-18; 15:22-26…  a strong foreshadow; we should put on God’s armor, Jesus Christ… then Rom 8:30-37

[2]  Gen 3:14; Job 4:19; Is 52:2; Mt 10:13,14; Lk 10:8-12; Acts 13:50,51; 1 Cor 2:2,5-9; Ps 102:14. The devil eats the carnal-minded that rejects Spiritual Truth. A true relationship with Jesus Christ can only come after the death of religion.

[3]  God said (Gen 22:2), yet Ishmael was 14 years old when Isaac was born and was Abraham’s elder son (Gen 16:2-4); but Ishmael was not the son of promise from God (Gal 4:21-31).  One part was dust [from below, man’s idea, religious, not acting out of faith/trust in God’s word], the other like stars [light, from above].  Gen 22:17,18 with Gal 3:16,29.

[4]  Idol worshippers offered their children to Molech, so for Abraham (a Chaldean), to be certain that he heard from God to offer his only [true, promised] son, must have been due to a very close relationship with God (Gen 24:40). For Abraham to think they would both be back after three days, he had to believe God would raise Isaac from the dead.  We see a role-play of Abraham as the father [his son dead in his mind for three days]; Isaac the son [obedient unto death, carrying the wood on his back up to his place of offering, asking “where is the lamb?”, but being the Lamb Himself]; and the servant Eliezer of Damascus (Gen 15:2), whose name is not mentioned again but rather put the spotlight on Isaac the bridegroom for whom he had to find his bride… (Gen 24; Jn 3:29,30; 14:26; Rev 21:2).  This place was also where David later stood (Ps 121:1).  Indeed, this is the very place Paul referred to in 1 Cor 1:21-2:2!

[5]    Isaac was 40 when he married his niece Rebekah (Gen 25:20). Gen 23:1.

[6]    Mt 11:25,26; 16:17; 21:16; 18:3; Ps 8:3

[7]     Amazing to consider Enoch and his relationship (Gen 4:17,18; 5:18-24 with Rom 8:11-20; Gal 3:8; Jn 1:1-5; Col 1:13-20)

[8]      1 John3:8

[9]      John 14:6

[10]     Phil 4:7

[11]     Mt 18:1-6; 23; and see the connection to Mt 21:33-45; with Mk 11:20-23 (Dan 2:44,45).

[12]     Jn 7:39; 16:7; 14:16-29; Acts 2:33

[13]   Luke 13:27

[14]   Jn 6:47-51

[15]   1 Cor 15:1-11; Acts 2:32; 1:2, 3, 9;

[16]   Jn 14:6