Category: Biblical Truth – theology

The Word says that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge is found in Christ Jesus

FEAR to Fear

FEAR to Fear!

There is a calm in the air, but it is more than calmness,
A stillness reigns as if danger approaches,
A wait with a sense of dread and fear!
Have you noticed that the economy seems stale and each day trends with more caution and concern?  Everything we read seems to be fear-driven, including stock markets, commodities, merchandise sales, and the State of the Union.  We are afraid of identity theft, hacking, immigration, inflation, rising Fed rates, and the list goes on and on! The news is permeated with record floods and other storms in a wide range of places, and accelerating violence that seems to be spreading to many segments of society!  We are in a cadence of fear. Remember those movies where the lead character notices an abnormal stillness just before the enemy attacks? Europe went through many invasions from the Goths to the Huns to the Ottoman hoards and each time a dread permeated the air as fear moved the masses.   We seem to be in the calmness before the storm.  Even the earth seems to recognize this!   For we are seeing earthquakes, droughts, forest fires, deadly viruses, and active volcanoes in diverse places and closer to home!

We all know that fear has permeated the elections from top to bottom! How many Trump and Hillary signs have you seen in front lawns; most likely very few!  And the media love to use fear to stoke our attention on the environment, race issues, Zika, guns, and any threat to their pet causes!  And of course ISIS, terrorism, civil violence, drug epidemics, and deadly crime permeates both national and international news on a daily basis!  We seem to be a world at the brink of war. One author compares our present predicament to the Spanish Civil War which he says was a rehearsal for WWII involving the Germans and many weapons soon to be used against Poland.  Every major military or economic power is involved in the Middle East or in dealings with the rogue regime in North Korea! There are now more refugees worldwide and many more who have been martyred for just believing in Jesus Christ!  Fear is worldwide!  And the traditional war of nations has morphed into a global war of sects, cultures, & religions affecting everyone!

I like to think of myself as an authority on FEAR since I was consumed with fear even as a young child.  My personal pathology began when I was a 5 year old foreigner learning English, when one day my big brothers confided in me that what I saw on the talking box called “TV”, was real. That night I was sitting on my Dad’s lap, when the “Werewolf” movie came on and panned in on a stranger walking across a bridge at midnight. The face, blood, and teeth that soon covered the screen blew me into a world of nightmares and fear of the dark. For years I was consumed by this fear as it grew and spread into other areas of my daily life. I was unbearably shy and afraid to speak up in class. By God’s grace I had loving parents who were there for me. They saw that I led a gang of kids in my neighborhood and so did not suspect anything.  I had natural skills in dexterity, throwing, and fighting and so no one including my brothers suspected how vulnerable I was. My Dad, however taught me to swim by throwing me into the deep end of a pool, encouraging me to swim for my life!  And my older brother did his best to trap me into an unwinnable boxing match with a much bigger kid from outside our neighborhood!  At times I felt that I was fighting for survival!

It was only after a persistent FEAR of public speaking in class that my parents intervened to get me socially involved. They got me into sports. Swimming and cross country running gave me the fuel to keep going and not give up!  Ironically this managed fear served to keep me out of trouble and anything that smelled of evil.  I was the good kid who obeyed his parents!

Now if you believe in the principalities of evil and the powers of darkness there was something more that was notably unusual about my life. As hinted earlier, I did not grow up in America; instead I was raised in some of the most spiritually cursed nations of the world!  My dad worked for the State Department and so every two years we moved from one nation to the next!  I was born in the slave port of Fortaleza, Brazil where the Brazilian form of Voodoo was birthed.  I spoke only Portuguese when we then moved to Caracas, Venezuela (considered one of the hottest places in the world and also the home of the world’s most intense lightening strikes). We moved to Laredo, Texas, where I learned English and the art of throwing rocks very accurately; then to Persia (Iran) where I had to defend my life against an Islamic gang of kids by rapidly and accurately throwing rocks back at them after they cornered me! We then moved to Pasay City, Philippines (the areas poorest and most drug invested city and where thousands were killed when a massive cyclone hit us only a year later).   I went to High School in Argentina which historically is one of the most cursed nations; as it was the only country in all the Americas to have totally wiped out its’ indigenous Indian groups! Of course Argentina was also the only South American country to side with Hitler, and many years later go to war against Britain!  Insolvent twice, it now suffers from government corruption, weekly mass demonstrations, and very poor leadership.  It is also interesting to note that the general condition of most of these nations has only grown worse with time!

College did not help my fear. I was lost in my insecurity and fear which ironically kept me out of trouble and made me a good student.  As a vulnerable young adult with parents 40,000 miles away, I had to learn the American culture in the midst of the Vietnam war!  Finally in my senior year the walls came down and with trepidation, I experimented with both drugs and alcohol.  Luckily, I soon took the entrance exam for Dental School, and scored one of the highest scores in Texas- having exhibited great dexterity on the chalk test and a natural propensity for visualizing spacial relations!  With a growing confidence, I grew comfortable in my compartmentalized fear. However, when I married I had to deal with the fear of relationship failure and abandonment. Both of which were self-fulfilling!     But things were soon to change for the better and in a very radical way!

Although Fear had become my friend, it was the fear of losing control that drove me to desperation!  As my marriage was unraveling and my wife was working the late evening shift, I turned to deep episodes of using Nitrous Oxide and began the process of losing both my identity and my direction.  Realizing that I had nothing to lose, I sought the opposing side of the supernatural; I turned to the God of my childhood and Jesus Christ who seemed to be the answer.  I prostrated myself on the floor of my office and surrendered everything including those fears and my dreams, desires, thoughts, and all that I possessed and wanted.

Amazingly God answered! And He gave me purpose and an irreversible identity founded on the Gospel and His Promises. God answered my prayers with simple replies that showed me a new way of thinking based not on fear, but on grace, peace, and faith. Initially I was confused since I had depended so much on fear, evolution, competition, and all those common thoughts of lust, greed, power, and popularity.  Now I had to depend on the Bible and what I could not see! Jesus said, “The Truth will set you free!”   Truth exposed my fear and all the evil associated with it as lies!   Light defeated darkness

So how was I going to process all these changes? In His Mercy God allowed me to continue in the Nitrous so that He could “speak” to me through visions and dreams. I had a vision that a door with fire and a looming shadow of Satan opened up behind me!   It was so real that I fled in fear to my car, but as I ran a voice in my mind warned me that my car would not start.  To make matters even worse all the lights in the underground parking lot were out!  So I sprinted up the ramp to the “Stop n Go” across the street and called a ministry that I had been listening to on the radio. They told me to put on the “full armor of God”, and to return to my car and restart it.  Instead I asked them to pray for help!  We prayed and just a few minutes later a car with a group speaking only Spanish asked for the location of a nearby hospital.   In Spanish I told them, and then asked if they would help jump my car, and they agreed! –  Prayer Answered!

I had other visions, each leading me closer to God and the Love I needed so much.   Since I had no one to guide me and since I did not trust anyone, God brought a Christ-centered dental assistant into my office.  She and her husband led me through the Word and into the mission field where I served for many years. I also took 21 hours at the Dallas Theological Seminary Lay Institute and many other intensive Bible courses! God healed my mind, showing me the fallacy of evolution, and continued to sanctify my heart and soul! He gave me a zeal to seek Him and know Him through his Word, his creation, and his Church. I sought Christian fellowship, prayer, and Bible study wherever I could on a daily basis!

Jesus Christ promises us that Love will drive out FEAR!  He declares, “Be courageous!  I have overcome the world!”  He does not, however, banish fear and presents in his life the picture of a son obeying a Father who demands obedience!   No longer a weapon of the dark side, fear has drawn me to God in obedience. I love Him, but I also have a healthy fear of the Almighty God who commanded that Israel “fear and dread” Him when they turned away from him. I know how easy it is to fall away in the flesh and disobey his commands, and so I allow enough healthy fear to keep me focused and walking in His Light.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding; acknowledge Him in all that you do and He will make your path straight!  Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear God and turn away from evil, and this will bring healing to your body and strength to your bones!”  Prov. 3: 5-9  I know God’s love in a very, very deep way, but no one has been able to convince me that love alone will keep someone or myself from sinning.  Even the Apostle Paul struggled with the flesh!

P.S.  Ironically I and a group of fellow ballroom dancers were just recently in the “eye of the storm” when hurricane Newton made a direct hit on Cabo San Lucas. I had prayed for cool weather since September in Cabo is usually very hot. Well it was cool and we lost electricity for over 24 hours! So I had plenty of time to write for this blog!! Another bit of irony is the fact that this cyclone was named Newton which is the name of the author of my favorite song, “Amazing Grace” . This storm in essence was “amazing grace” to many dry areas in the Baja Caifornia and to those suffering in the desert heat and drought of Arizona and New Mexico. We were also graced with some of the most incredible sunsets and a sea turtle that sought refugee nearby to lay her eggs! God has his hands in the renewal of life and the redeeming of souls through the “storms of life”!  Thank you for your patience in reading my personal account, as I know many of you have had your own ups and downs in life along with many unique phobias and fears! Just know that: “God loves you so much that He sent His Son to this earth, to die for you, so that you will not perish, but will have eternal life.”  Jn. 3:16

MIRACLES- the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth!

 

MIRACLES- the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth!

Miracles are mighty works of God to point us to the supernatural world. These mighty wonders should point everyone to God. Unfortunately many have become blinded by their own perceptions and deductions. Their perspective is like that of an ant that determines its universe by what it can touch, sense, or experience. If you are a naturalist you will always try to explain everything within the box of human knowledge. Anything outside that box is discounted as “dark matter”, “junk DNA”, “anti-matter”,  or other jargon that discounts the miracle of His Creation.

If there is a God, then there must be miracles!  Miracles are a sign that there is something outside the box. If God created the Universe out of nothing then everything must be subject to God’s miracle work.  What makes little sense are those highly educated people who claim to follow the Bible, yet try to explain all the miracles away with naturalistic phenomena and events.  If you want to believe in God why would you want to diminish His power and His character?     If you take the miracles away, all you have is human philosophy and conjecture! God gave us the gift of sight and the other senses so that we can enjoy the Miracles that He created past, present, and future.  And He gave us faith so that we could comprehend them.  Miracles have a divine purpose. They are not given to us just for entertainment. They reveal everything God wants us to know about Him;  His character, His creation, and His plan for us. The miracles in essence “open the door of the Universe” to our own finite senses and limited human knowledge and understanding.

Every miracle in the Bible is unique. Creation itself is the greatest of all miracles. When we observe the stars, the billions of species, and the unique miracle of earth itself there is no other explanation than – God Created it! As a doctor, a student of biology, and a dabbler in physics, math, geology, and genetics- I have the joy of knowing that there is no other logical, scientific explanation than, “God designed it”. Yes, God created and organized everything.  He created Life, Time, Space, and Matter.  The study of infinite number sequences called “Fractals” and the algorithms that grow out of them, has enabled cinematographers to replicate on digital film amazing forms of nature and the “supernatural” (Google the “Mandelbrot Set”).

Yes, even the supernatural follows God’s order and mathematics.   Science and God are not in opposition!  One particular scientist at NASA trusted in the Bible and calculated that the moon would have very little cosmic dust, and of course he was right- since he knew that the moon was only thousands not millions of years old.   He was right because he trusted in God’s Word!  The challenge is not “man conquering the unknown,” -it is man accepting the known Truth and allowing God to shine his light in our darkness.  God will give us wisdom as we experience, study, and understand His Creation.  For instance the miracle of Life is a “Miracle” that is only God given. We cannot create life out of chemicals, but we can study the living miracles so that we can treat and prevent diseases and even slow the degeneration of cells.

Our Universe was created by His Word and in His Light!  God created stars to bring the greater light and the angels in the “heavens” to help minister the “light” of His Word to mankind. We cannot measure the supernatural, but we can measure all aspects of life and nature, including invisible matter. For instance do you realize that it only takes about 5000 years to generate a population that we have today. If you believe Academic Anthropologists and their misconception that humankind began about 300,000 years ago, then the population of the earth would be more than a zillion times greater than what we see today! The fact is our earth is a privileged planet where only a slight change in rotational speed or deviation from the sun would have caused catastrophic events that would have destroyed all life. We also have a perfect moon that is at the perfect distance generating life giving tides and currents, and light for the night. God in his mercy gave us a means of navigation even when darkness falls. And most important of all we have enormous amounts of water on this special planet. Water as we know it has not been found anywhere else in the Universe, yet over 75% earth’s surface is covered by water and ice.  This allows for an extraordinary amount of Oxygen production, CO2 scrubbing and buffering of acids. It also gives life to an almost limitless amount of plants and animals. Ask the evolutionist and the proud Astrophysicist where water came from? They will tell you that after the earth cooled off asteroids brought water to earth!   WHAT?

Every kind of animal and plant has its own unique DNA. The human genome is so complex that it was only recently translated, and even then we did not understand how dynamic this language was. We realize now that “junk DNA” is necessary for both the production and repair of cells. We now know that human DNA is not just 10% different from an apes! Yes, we have been lied to, and this lie continues! How could anyone with any knowledge of science and logic suggest that language occurs by accident and that everything came from nothing? With all our accrued knowledge, and with all our specialized medical and research equipment, we cannot create any form of life! So how could even the most basic cell accidently form? The fact is: all of life’s processes are irreducibly complex and could NOT happen by chance. The scientist who tried to create life in a test tube after receiving enormous government grants gave up, and is now one of the authors of the “Illustra” series- which illustrates in beautifully detailed logic that empirical science supports the reality of Design and a Designer.

The miracles you see in your lifetime are countless, so enjoy them and recognize them for what they are- evidence that a Designer or Creator exists. This Creator wants a relationship with you. He loves you and He knows your every pain, thought, fear, and weakness. He seeks your heart. But realize this- it is our natural bent to reject Him and to seek our own way. His Word states, “This is condemnation, that light is come into the world, and man loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). We have the “light” of His Creation and of “His Word” and the testimony of people who know the Truth. Yet most want to be “captain of their fate” trusting in their own “goodness”. Again the Word says, “We all have sinned, and fallen short of the Glory of God”. The truth is we are not good and our hearts are inherently selfish and evil. But despite sin, God has a plan, “God showed his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus Christ said, “I am the Light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Don’t you want to escape the darkness and have the Light of Life? Jesus says, “If you continue in my word you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Don’t you want freedom from fear, doubt, guilt, and shame? Jesus walked on water, healed the man born blind -and countless others as an example of who he really is: God in human form – born into this world to save us and die for us! Through His Resurrection we are Redeemed and the door to heaven is opened. Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life, anyone who believes in me, even though he dies, will live”. If you trust in Him, in His ability to set you free from your sin, you will see the greatest miracle of all – your own transformation into a “new creation, “old things will have disappeared, and behold, all things are become new.” Then you will truly understand and appreciate all the miracles in the Bible and everywhere around you!.  You will know Him, and you will know your Identity, and most of all you will know Your Purpose!

EXPLORATION – X

EXPLORATION – X:  A mental and spiritual challenge to those who trust only in what they can see.

Do you realize that your government and your “super smart”, upper crust scientists are willing to spend billions of dollars to find a livable planet since our sun is due expire in 3 to 5 billion years? Would it not be better to “explore God” and save a whole lot of money?     Even though you cannot see Him -the evidence of His existence is much, much, greater than evidence of life elsewhere in this universe.

Note what happened to the men who experienced Jesus Christ 2000 years ago:  “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them,” (Acts 4:33).  Of the 12 Apostles eleven went to their executions boldly carrying the flag of faith and the Gospel message.  Yet today there are many who believe that Christ’s resurrection was only a “spiritual” resurrection, insisting that the idea of a dead body returning to life after three days in the grave is completely unscientific and impossible. This was not what the apostles preached with great grace and great power. They would hardly have been excited about any kind of spiritual resurrection, since everyone—both Jews and the pagan Gentiles—already believed in life after death. If that was their message, no one would have been drawn to them, and no one would have been stirred and transformed!  Even when the disciples saw the resurrected Christ, they first “supposed that they had seen a spirit” (Luke 24:37). Christ had to urge them to “handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see me have” (Luke 24:39) . When the disciples finally became convinced of His bodily resurrection, they were quickly transformed into courageous evangelists, willing die in support of their glorious message of salvation.

Jesus said,  “If I tell you earthly things and you do not believe – how will you believe heavenly things?”
If someone told you that bacteria and the invisible virus causes disease would you believe him? Of course you would! Do you realize that in the 18th century that very debate led to Louis Pasteur having to prove to the world that spontaneous generation (something from nothing) does not occur. Everything has a cause including the creation of the Universe. Simple logic shows that there must be an intelligent design and hence an intelligent designer. Yet, we have these men in white robes telling us that everything came from a big Bang, and that all life evolved from inorganic matter- life out of nothing! This theory of evolution is a cowardly lie perpetrated on others to draw them away from the true Creator of the Universe, God the Almighty. God is the Cause that created Time, Matter, Energy, and Space.

Jesus said, “ I’m the Gate. If anyone enters through me he will be saved.” He is the Gate Keeper and there is only one way in. If God doesn’t exist there would be no objective moral standard. How would you make any comparisons….it would be all relative. There would be no real objective “evil” in the world. The fact is God established the moral law and directed mankind to follow that law. Mankind, however, has more than often failed. For instance the American Constitution was established based on God’s laws and as usual through the decades our appointed judges have tried and often succeeded in making it “conform and evolve” to their own view of social justice. This is one reason why God had to destroy the earth with the worldwide flood and later send His promised nation, Israel/Judah, into captivity. Man has throughout time decided to ignore God and create his own gods and his own laws.

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and The Life, there is NO other way to the Father”. As stated earlier Jesus provided the path to eternal life by dying then resurrecting.  Jesus says to you and I,  “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”.    No other king, philosopher, prophet, wise man, nor wizard has resurrected, much less died for us!  Jesus then assured us, “ I have come that you might have Life, and that you might have it abundantly”.   Love, hope, goodness, patience, and even prosperity, health, wisdom, and other life changing gifts can be part of this promise;  each gift growing as one exercises their faith in Christ.

So Please take the time and effort to Explore God, and His Supernatural kingdom. God exhorts us, “To do justice, show mercy, and walk humbly with Him.” God wants us to Know Him so that we can have a relationship with Him.  Come to the Cross with humility and surrender.  God says,  “Trust in me with all your heart, lean not in your own understanding.  Acknowledge Me in all that you do, and I will make your path straight!”  Want to explore “X”, which is everything that the world and the powers of darkness have blinded us to? Then take heed to His Words and His promises!  Open the Bible which has been sitting on your coffee table or bookcase and READ; then take time to pray to Him in supplication and Thanksgiving!

Holy Kryptonite

A verse came upon me, a passage from the Holy Book, that is to the flesh- Holy Kryptonite. To the mind of man the forthcoming verse is alien and unappreciated. For these are the Words of a Supernatural God; words that have been sown into the born again heart and nourished by the Holy Spirit in order for that person to divine what is good and what is bad.  To reject the message embodied by this word is to reject the Spirit and can lead to the destruction of  both the giver and the recipient.   However, a regenerated mind, soul, and spirit is usually necessary to comprehend the power and truth of this Word. The word states, “That if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to lead us unto righteousness.” These are the Words framed by the Cross and the Blood of the Savior and illuminated by His Resurrection. The whole Truth and power of the Gospel rests in the complete digestion and consummation of these words into our very identity and purpose. For as we confess our sins the Holy Spirit who is sealed in us will help us overcome our carnal attitude and sinful habits so that we can grow into mature followers and sharers of the Truth. The righteousness of Jesus Christ imparted by this divine Counselor brings everlasting joy to our lives.  This is the life led by the Spirit and not by the flesh.

So, is it possible for just anyone to forgive without knowing God, and can this action bring righteousness? For instance a mother’s love for a child will bring countless opportunities for true forgiveness.   Likewise confession can be easy for some and much harder for others.  Does the confession of a small child bring him or her righteousness? Not necessarily – according to God who administers righteousness. Man does not attain righteousness based on self will and self pursuit.  It is an appointment given by God who is the Supreme judge of character and of the heart. The first man given this title was Abraham;  “and he believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness” Gen. 14:6.   Then there is the incident where David had mercy on King Saul who was trying to kill him.  He said to Saul:  “The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the LORD gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the LORD’s anointed.”  This is not to say that God will not see the good and noble deeds done by any individual.  Forgiveness and confession may bring a person to the face of God; to an opportunity to see God for who He is and to know and believe in the sacrifice made by the Son of God for sin.  For it is only by God’s Grace through our faith that we are saved, and it is NOT by our own efforts, so that no one can boast.  Righteousness will come after that supernatural bridge is crossed.

True Wisdom

True wisdom is revealed by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit reveals the deep things of God. Man cannot know the things of God without them being revealed by the Spirit. The Spirit says, “man’s wisdom is foolishness to God”. Jesus said learn from me and you will know the Truth and the truth will set you free. To pursue His wisdom and to learn from Him is to open God’s Word and study it. Wisdom is revealed in scripture and is manifest through our obedience to what it says. One Bible verse says, “If anyone lacks wisdom, ask God and he will give it to you generously”. So ask God for wisdom in your thoughts and prayer. Wisdom is not magic, it comes through prayer and faith mixed with action. Faith involves believing that God is the source that will give us what we ask.  Choose the time and the right moment to pray. Amazingly the simple step of praying is not as easy as most might think. Since prayer is a pathway to the supernatural, Satan and the spirit of the world will do all that they can to stop you, including distractions, doubts, and wrong thoughts.  Trusting in prayer, acting by faith, and learning from the process is the biggest part of wisdom.

A clear path towards wisdom is to combine the Word with prayer by praying the Word of God into personal application. Just open the Bible and pick any verse. “There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”. Think of how you can apply the verse to your life, your job, your relationships, your success or failure. Then talk to God. “God, help me to incorporate this truth in my thoughts and not to ever condemn myself for my failure to…….” Let the verse become real to you and to your goals and decision making. Plant the Word in fertile soil and it will grow into wisdom. “Seek Him with all your heart and you will find him”, is a verse that applies not only to salvation but also to growth in your spiritual life. Continue in your Bible study and you will see that life’s lessons will spring forth as the Spirit of God gives you deeper insight and vision.

What the Old Testament brings forth in the lives of great men and women pursuing God, the New Testament completes with the cosmic answer  to everything humankind needs for lasting fulfillment.  The Word teaches that Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law and Prophecies and through Him we are set free from both sin and death.   This supernatural fulfillment is both physical and spiritual applying to both the present and the eternal.  Jesus Christ will set you free and you will have freedom not to sin.  The Spirit of God through the Word of God will reveal to you that rituals and religious works cannot save you and that man made idols and rules will not save you.  The Spirit reveals that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.  It is the Word that teaches you to listen.  Listening with belief is the greatest source of wisdom.   Wisdom comes in knowing that only Jesus Christ can and will rescue you; that salvation is a Gift from God; and that it is by Grace through faith that you have been saved.  The Word of God tells us that “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ Jesus”.  This is one very good reason why we should share the Gospel.

Common wisdom should tell you that if you receive a precious gift that you should keep it a secret.  Divine Wisdom will tell you that you should share the Gift and do everything in your power to learn how to be most effective in sharing it.  The sad thing is that many  “Gift receivers” have shut themselves off to this Truth and either do not care to share the Gift or do not know how to share it. God commanded us to make disciples of all nations and the way to do this is to be a light to your neighbors, a city of God on a hill, or a nation that seeks the wisdom and will of God.  When you share the wisdom of God you will be blessed with more wisdom just as a flowing stream will not grow stagnant.  Jesus said, “whoever drinks of the water that I give him never thirst.  But the water that I sahll give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life”.  Jn. 4:14

Wisdom tells us to board the Ark if a worldwide flood occurs.  The church is the modern day Ark and the only “ship” that will save the lost.  So why do we not try everything possible to bring people into our Ark?  Is it a lack of love or a lack of knowledge?  Is it because the “gift receivers” have spent so much time enjoying the world that they have turned away from the “Gift” and are embarrassed to share it?  Probably all of the above.  Are you embarrassed to invite people into your home to tell them about Jesus or share a “Christian” DVD?  Are you more comfortable just watching sports together or laughing at a dirty joke?  We will be held accountable for our lack of love & wisdom!  In order to fulfill His command and save the lost we must study the Word and allow His Spirit to guide us in sharing the Gospel to the world.  The Fear of God is the Beginning of Wisdom!

Cosmic Coincidences or Not?

First I want to make sure that you understand what “cosmic” means.  Remember when you were a kid and how that word could transport your mind to the world of super human heroes and super natural villains.  Carl Sagan made it a common scientific word that ironically in his world of theory generated more fiction than the cartoons did.  You will not understand this until the end of this essay- so be patient.

Many of you have heard of the Privileged Planet and the simple fact that it appears mankind was “given” a special place to live and propagate.  Nowhere in the entire Universe is there a place like earth.  All our nearby planets and our moon  fit into a precise pattern that either shields us or actively improves the condition for life on our planet.  Thanks to the moon, tidal movements affect and generate ocean currents and other changes in ocean physiology that protects a very diverse ecology on this planet.  The simple fact that the Universe has a beginning implies that a Creator exists.  This Creator, or God, made something from nothing and created time, space, and energy.   This could not have happened by chance since it would go against not only every law of physics, but also every conceivable form of logic and common sense.  Carl Sagan tried to defy this very fact just like Darwin tried to formulate a man centered answer to why we have so many different species.  The fact is  God created the billions and billions of spiral galaxies (which by the way would no longer be in the perfect spiral form if left to chance and billions of years- for energy and time causes the energy of a spiral to unwind).  God also created DNA which is akin to a very sophisticated computer program and anyone who uses a computer or writes or reads knows that information cannot create itself.  This genetic information is what makes you who you are and  differentiates  every “Family” and “Kind” in the animal and plant kingdoms.

The ability to procreate -thus allowing for DNA to recombine into new patterns was God’s gift.   God started with a baseline of DNA combinations that formed the basic pure gene pool that He defined as “kind”.   These pure gene pools or “kinds” produced all the colorful and wild species that we see today.   This is what we call natural selection. For instance wolves produced all the species of dogs that we see today.  However,  it is impossible for two different “kinds”  to procreate with each other.  We do not see one “kind” producing a new “kind”.  For instance we do not see dogs producing a type of cat, or horse, or alligator.  All cats are of the same “kind”; everything from kitties to Lions to Bob cats.  All dogs are of the same kind: from wolves, to poodles, to Hyenas.  Human kind cannot and will never be able to “evolve” into an ape, nor will an ape evolve into a human.

Now back to the Cosmic issue.  Since God created the Universe, the word Cosmic implies a Divine and a supernatural element to our existence.  So as we continue in this vein of logic, we will see that many things that we take for granted or just cannot explain are in essence carefully planned by our Creator- wars for instance that were won by sudden storms or extreme weather.  We are given examples in the Bible of hail storms that destroyed cities (Egypt) or defeated armies (Judges and the battle Deborah fought for Israel);  of droughts that brought Empires to their knees as in the case of Joseph and Egypt;  of navies that we decimated by storms as in the case of Xerxes and Esther (more of historical nature); or of earthquakes that marked the moment of the Resurrection.  We have blood moons, sackcloth suns, falling stars, and a host of other cosmic events promised in prophecy.  In history we also see the weather related defeat of the Spanish Armada, the British marine forces in Washington in the War of 1812, the German invasion of Russia, and the great Chinese naval fleet attacking Japan.  History shows how fog has protected our men and other “good” military forces from being detected during war. There are countless other accounts of “super natural” events and conditions aiding in the survival of noble men and women in war  and in peace.

So lets address the main theme of this essay: is God directing events today?  Can and would God use ISIS or Iran or for that matter any enemy of America in the same way as He used Assyria, Babylon, and Persia?  Are we deserving of Judgment? Many seem to think so including many leading pastors.   Why for instance are we catering to concepts, philosophies, and behavior that mimic the pagan nations that God judged in the Old Testament.  We place the creation over the Creator in our worship of animals and evolution.   We place convenience and personal “rights” over the sanctity of life as in the case of wanton abortion.  It is estimated that with the new abortion pill, that our nation alone commits a million abortions per year!    We place “tolerance” foremost in the formation of new laws that elevate homosexuality and most other deviant forms of sexual behavior.  We glamorize violence, sex, drugs, and cosmetic beauty.  We exploit the young, the innocent, and the weak to promote our materialistic and narcissistic society.  We fill our void of loneliness and rejection with pets, alcohol, fantasy, and fiction. We have turned away from God and from the Truth that He placed on our path.  We have rejected a relationship with the Almighty God

Is it mere Coincidence that we are erecting a gate from the Temple of Baal at our most famous intersection: Times Square?   Is this significant?  It reminds me of the “Harbinger” verse in Isaiah 9:11 where the “curse” is misinterpreted by Congressional and other public leaders as being a blessing. They think that it is a “victory” call –  when it actually is a warning of impending judgement by God.   This pagan gate is not a “victory gate”,  it is a symbolic gate or door to a Hellish Temple and the worse form of worship- the sacrifice of babies. It has recently been reported that multiple “Baal Gates” will be delivered to cities around our country!  As stated earlier that form of pagan worship was why God allowed, and in fact motivated the great pagan Empires to attack and conquer Israel and Jerusalem!  The only Door that honors God is Jesus Christ who called himself the “Door” to eternal life.  He is both the path and  the Light that guides us through this dark, confusing world of sin.  He is the “Strong Tower” and our “Redeemer” who saves us from the penalty of sin and death.  It is no coincidence that the principalities of evil and the powers of darkness erect mosques, pornography shops, or cult structures next to churches and Christian charities.

It’s ALL About God’s LOVE- THE ANSWER

It is All About God’s LOVE

Yes it really is as simple as that. Everything no matter how far away, how deep or dark, small or infinite, of this dimension or not – is connected to and is a result of God’s love. It is unfathomable and beyond our complete understanding. It is reflected as Truth, and it reveals, and creates immeasurable beauty, hope, and faith. Through faith in Jesus Christ anything is possible.

How Ironic that God asked me to write about His love- when so much of my life was about running from this love. God’s love is the great anecdote for all pain, fear, and hopelessness. It is the remedy for all problems and solution to all doubt and despair. Yet most people like me run from it!   It is as if we were all contaminated with a virus that confuses us and grows in us unless it is removed quickly so that our originally designed system can operate at full capacity and harmony.   The Bible calls this “virus” SIN and it was introduced into our birthplace, the Garden of Eden.   Satan in the form of a Serpent suggested to Eve that she would surely not die (despite God’s warning) and that God was just trying to keep her from deeper understanding of knowledge (the forbidden fruit was from a Tree called “The Knowledge of Good and Evil”).   It was through this act of disobedience that SIN entered planet earth.   This affected all of earth and nature- hence the idea for Sin’s anagram, = the “Satanic Invasion of Nature“. God who designed our magnificent system then had to publish a working “manual” with limitations ( Bible & Ten Commandments) in order to provide a temporary solution to the problem and give us a working chance to make improvements and adjustments.. The LAW acts as a guide but is also a curse for it condemns us and is death’s signpost.

The human is the only body in all God’s creation that has a special space called “spirit”. By faith we can make a choice to transform this space into a Holy dominion occupied by the Spirit of God. Once a body is occupied by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit is sealed and will never leave. When that person physically dies that body will be transformed into an eternal “Glorified Body” that has all the characteristics of the sinless Christ when He was resurrected. When a living person “dies to self” and rises to new Life in Christ, sin no longer has power over that person and he or she is “alive in Christ”. This is often called a born again experience and as stated in 2 Cor. 5:17, the person is “a new creation, the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new”. This is a supernatural wonder of God’s love.

God in His Grace and Love gave us faith through which men and women are able to choose to “cover” and neutralize SIN by inviting the Jesus Christ into this divinely designed space. This happens when in repentance we accept His Gift. This is God’s ultimate act of love for His creation. “For it is by Grace through faith that you are saved, it is a Gift of God, so that no one will perish”. “For God so Loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son so that no one will perish, but will have eternal life.” It is the supernatural Blood of Christ that covers our sin and allows the Holy Spirit to live in us and to be sealed in us. Once this happens it is up to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit to transform our obedient mind, soul, and spirit into the “likeness” of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the supernatural anecdote that counters sin and preserves the power of God within. Prior to his crucifixion Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would take his place and provide a greater comfort and help. This is why GRACE is described as: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

God’s love for us is the answer to all questions of identity and purpose in life. The worst mistake that man can make is to resist God’s love and Truth. Man seems to have an inherit nature that blocks this love and urges us to run from it. We reject God’s Truth as stated in the Bible and try to generate our own form of “truth”. This nature and the “lies” that go with it are the opposite of “righteousness” and is often called “self-righteousness”. We saw earlier that this nature is a result of sin and rebellion, going all the way back to the Garden when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and seek the “Truth” through their own self endeavor. In doing this Adam and Eve, and by proxy us, chose to do things their own way, making all of us “captains of our own soul”. This is a soul crushing lie generated by Satan that can only be countered by the power of God through Jesus Christ. It is the work of the Cross and Redemption through Jesus Christ that transforms us into a new creation, set free from the power of sin and death. This is why a good anagram for CHRIST is: “Creating His Righteousness in Spiritual Transformation“.

The question is not why he loves me or if he loves me. There is no place that God’s love does not exist. Even Hell was created out of God’s love. Hell was created for Satan and his angels. It is man who chooses to reject God’s love and rely on their own effort and destiny. The rich man is an example of someone who rejected God’s offer. The rich man does not complain or claim it was someone else fault. He knew it was fair and that he deserved what he got…in the face of God’s righteousness. Whatever happens, God will be glorified and He will be completely fair and righteous in His judgement. That judgement is a reflection of his Love. Because God is completely fair and just. If a person chooses to reject God and do it their own way, God respects that persons choice.

God does not lie nor play games. He has presented the Truth and the truth is a reflection of His Love. Jesus said, “I AM the Way, Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the father except through me.” Jesus called himself the “Door” , the “The Lamb of God”, and the “Resurrection and the Life,” – all of which are the reflection of His desire to save us into eternity. What could be greater than a Love that brings fellowship with God forever? Yet, many choose to ignore this Promise or not to care about the consequences of unbelief: which could be the unforgivable sin. They are in essence choosing to be separated from God for eternity, which is in essence a place called Hell.

A recent survey asked people what they wished for the most. The Answer was LOVE. Unfortunately the world has done a good job of distorting true Love or “Agape” Love with a counterfeit, lust driven love. This superficial love is a desire motivated love that is most often very selfish and immature. In Contrast the unconditional Love that God offers brings a change of heart and mind through the Spirit. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. This freedom removes the “fog” of lies that enslaves us and keeps us from real Truth and Love. Truth and Love are further revealed to us in the Word of God which is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. Persevering in the Word sanctifies us and builds character, allowing the person to act and think in the will of God. Just as God created everything in this Universe, He now offers us the opportunity to change everything in our life and to affect others in a miraculous way.

Visions:

In 1974 David Wilkerson published a book called “Visions” that would immediately be panned by the media and denounced by his own Pentecostal Church movement. Now amazingly this book of prophetic thoughts has come true. God gave him a vision of America that has come true 100%. He was careful to note that some would not come true in his lifetime. He died in 2011 in a tragic car accident. He was right about our fall from Grace. He was right about the fall of major companies in a worldwide economic collapse. He was right about the revolution at the polls that would elect a popular President that will cause changes undermining our principles, an increase in cataclysmic weather changes, the rise and power of the homosexual movement, the legalization of marijuana, the increase in persecution of Christians, and the fall of major auto companies. So far the taxation of churches and a major earthquake in an unusual place have both not happened. Although the earthquake in DC that cracked the Lincoln Memorial might be notable.

As David Reagan stated our nation is now too far gone to turn back. There was a point at which God told both Ezekiel and Jeremiah not to pray for Israel or Judah anymore – for He would not longer give an ear. Paul understood this and in the book of Romans he clearly explains this step by step decline. First Paul states, “The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. “ In other words our conscience and sense of right and wrong should be evidence enough of a Divine Creator. But Paul also shows that the creation itself, the stars, planets, and everything else in this creation is manifestation enough of a divine hand. So there is NO excuse. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. HERE IS STEP ONE : the nation forgets what God has done for them. We were established as a Christian nation of persecuted refugees who gave God the Glory for their survival. All the great universities were created as seminaries and all the state constitutions gave God the Glory. So now as Obama has clearly shown we have grown vain and very forgetful of our heritage. The first fateful signs occurred when prayer and Bibles were removed from schools and all the halls of government.

STEP TWO: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. “ (INSTEAD OF GIVING GOD THE GLORY OF BEING CREATOR THEY REPLACED EVOLUTION AND ALL ITS GODLINESS AND TAUGHT IT AS TRUTH TO EVERYONE). This put the Bible, the Word of God and Truth into the category of “fable”, “lore” and good children’s stories.

STEP THREE: “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves”. This has manifested itself in wonton abortions and STD’s. We see this happening in all walks of life; from the piercing and tattoo halls, to the halls of Wall Street and the high professions. Homosexuality, sex abuse (SRA- Satanic Ritual Abuse), pornography, and many aberrant sexual acts are also on the rise and even worshiped.” When the highest court in the land gave honor & legality to this trend, our nation took a giant leap into darkness.

STEP FOUR: “For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, because they did not think it worthwhile to keep knowing God fully, God delivered them to degraded minds to perform acts that should not be done.” God said because of a rebellious heart he would give man and woman up to homosexuality as penalty. This is being manifested in widespread homosexual behavior and the growing transgender movement. Men and women are losing their identity just as our nation is. LOSS OF IDENTITY.

STEP FIVE: “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and viciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, haughty, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to their parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. Although they know God’s just requirement—that those who practice such things deserve to die” The FINAL STEP IS DESTRUCTION -Once the sin becomes so great their hearts ARE HARDENED and their influence affects everyone including the innocent children- Just as in the Days of Noah mankind will be doing everything evil in the eyes of God. At the point the most merciful thing for God to do is to JUDGE. (Romans 1:21-32)