Not one person has ascended into Heaven except Jesus – according to Jesus!

I would like take issue with the traditional view that faithful Christians go to heaven when they die. Truly, our treasures/rewards and our future bodies (dwelling places) are kept safe in heaven, and I acknowledge the angels, the armies of heaven, the book of life and so on, are in heaven, according to scripture. But, nowhere in the scriptures are we told plainly that we will reign in heaven or even live there. Jesus said, “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man”(John 3:13). That is quite self-defining, don’t you think?

Then there’s the oft stated theology that after Jesus was raised from the dead, all the people of the Old Testament were transferred from Hades/Sheol to Heaven or Hell at that time. Where does scripture say that?

Peter declared on the day of Pentecost (many days after Jesus’ ascension) that David had not yet been raised from the dead and was therefore still in his tomb (Acts 2:29-34). The New Jerusalem is shown as descending from heaven to the New Earth in Revelation 21. That does not infer that we will live with God in heaven, but that God will dwell with us in some fashion on the New Earth (2 Peter 3:13). The early Christians emphasized the resurrection of the dead as the future Christian hope, where the Western view has become so Platonic that the resurrection has become an afterthought. Why does scripture tell us to hope in and look for the resurrection to life when one is already judged (which would be a prerequisite to entering heaven anyway) and possessing an eternal spiritual “body”? According to what many believe, people who have died have already been judged and given a new body. But, according to scripture, if there is no resurrection of the dead, then those who have died in Christ have perished (1 Corinthians 15:16-18). How could that even be a consideration if a person is already safe in heaven? Peter says God will “judge the living and the dead” at the same time (John 5:28, 1 Peter 4:5)

I got started on this after seeing so many books and supposed personal accounts of visits to heaven and hell that are available on the internet. If Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, heard things that cannot be repeated (2 Cor 12:4), how can people later be allowed to repeat them? I absolutely believe all these published reports are pure bunk!

I don’t believe a word of anyone who claims to have visited either place. The Bible states plainly that every person will die and after that comes the judgment. The judgment is clearly going to occur on “the day of the Lord”, a day when everyone, small and great, will both see God (Rev 1:7) and assemble before the throne to be judged (Rev 20:12) for the deeds done in their bodies (2 Cor 5:10, 2 Timothy 4:1).

What is the purpose of being judged? In our world and the next, it is to determine your ultimate fate, is it not? Therefore, just as we hold persons in jail to await judgment (this being an ordinance of God), surely this foreshadows the reality in the eternal realm. Jesus promised the thief a place in Paradise; not heaven. Lazarus was raised from the dead, not called back from heaven! Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep.” (John 11:11) which I believe is what scripture proves happens to those who (as in the ancient view of Daniel 12:2) fall asleep in Jesus.

The parable of Lazarus and the rich man was meant to show the Jews that their view of who was accepted by God was skewed by their thinking that being blessed in the “here and now” was indicative of God’s being pleased with a person. On the contrary, a man they considered cursed because of some secret sin found himself in Abraham’s bosom while the man who was “blessed” found himself rejected by God. And please consider that if a man was being tormented by literal flames, he would hardly prioritize a drop of water on his tongue! Again, this was parable, and was a story used to illuminate the truth of the law to the blind. I could go on about parables, but that would involve a lot of other digression.

If anyone were qualified to tell us what lay beyond the veil, it would be Lazarus, or Tabitha, or any number of others who were raised from the dead, including Samuel! But none of these have l;eft any record of this transition from life to heaven and back, have they? Because, as scripture says, “The dead do not praise the LORD, no do ANY who go down into silence.” (Psalm 115:17)

If the dead in Christ will be raised first, that fulfills Paul’s declaration that the living believers will not precede those who have died in Christ. Scripture says, “Christ will bring with Him” those who have died in faith, but where is He bringing them from? There is no reason to believe they are being brought from heaven to be united with their bodies. Rather, there is every indication that the words “also bring with Him” simply means that ALL believers will be brought with Christ to where we will be with Him forever: the New Earth and New Jerusalem.

Jesus says that those who are qualified to partake of the resurrection to life (Luke 20:35) will be “like the angels in heaven”. But, that does not infer they will be IN heaven!

Quoting Mark 12:27, where Jesus says, “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” does not mean that the dead in Christ are in heaven rather than the grave. Jesus simply means that those who are in Him are not really dead, but have already secured the promise of eternal life. This is what scripture affirms (Luke 20:37-38, John 3:16) even though it is obvious that their bodies have died/perished. But, if their bodies will be raised, then their bodies are an intrinsic part of who these people are. Else, why is there a resurrection of bodies at all? Paul goes further and says, “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” (Romans 14:9)

Paul states to the Jews when he was arrested, that he was on trial “with respect to the hope and resurrection of the dead” (Acts 24:21, 26:8), not the doctrine of going to heaven when one dies.

When Jesus rose from the dead, it is easily proved that he did not go to heaven. Peter says He went and preached to the spirits in prison. Jesus told Mary that he had not yet ascended into heaven when she saw Him the day He arose from the dead. So where was he for three days and nights? In Hades/Sheol, the place of the dead.

Matthew tells us that many people rose from the dead (not from Paradise, Heaven or hell) when Jesus died on the cross. Yet we know that these people did not rise to eternal life, but only restored to mortal life for a short time, since scripture assures us that Jesus is the first of those raised from death forever (Acts 26:23, Romans 6:9) and is “…the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep“(1 Cor 15:20).

Lastly, what does the Bible say about our souls? Are they ever referred to as being immortal? No! In fact Paul says that it is our bodies that will be changed into imperishable vessels. So, it follows that our souls need a body to dwell in. Without a resurrection of the body, the Bible leaves no clear alternative for where our souls reside after death. Even the mention of the souls of the dead being kept under the altar in John’s Revelation, indicates that these souls are held in some form of containment “until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete” (Rev 6:11). What were these souls told to do until the consummation of these things? They are told to “rest” which is synonymous with “sleep”.

Simply put, the resurrection makes no sense at all unless it is the Great Hope of the Christian, a resurrection with only two options: eternal life or eternal death and only as a result of that final resurrection and simultaneous judgment.

Peace on Earth?

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
(John 13:35)

I am the type of person who hopes for a Christian utopia, but I also am aware that it doesn’t really exist as long as we are in this corrupt human bodies. Oh, there may be fellowships and individuals who come close to seeing true “Peace on Earth”, at least among themselves, but it does not exist anywhere for very long.

Why is this? I think it is because we do not really believe that God is more powerful than our emotions, our selfishness and our sin. I confess, many times I struggle with the good vs. evil conundrum, and wonder why it seems that “good” so often seems to lose the battles.
If you could change the way people think, the way they act, or even what they watch on TV, would that really make a difference?
I used to think so. I have fellow Christians who have given up TV entirely, but I have trouble with some of the stuff they read. I have restricted any kind of strong drink in my house, but not wine, because 1. The Bible does not restrict its use entirely, and 2. I believe it is good for the body in moderate amounts. This may very well not sit well with some of my fellow Christians, but the point really is that we cannot restrict or enforce our own ethics or morality on anyone! This is where the Christian Right and groups associated with them, who perceive Christianity as an “us against them” kind of warfare, get it wrong. Prohibition did not work! It only made things worse, in the short and long run.
I wish every Christian would give up things I am uncomfortable with, but I have to remember Romans 14 and the words of Jesus, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; “ (Luke 6:37) . But, let’s not forget that Jesus also said, “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? “ (Luke 12:57)

So, in that spirit, where I understand that I cannot make or force anyone to do according to my will or follow my morality or conscience, I offer this small treatise on how I believe many justify a Christian becoming a soldier or a policeman, and how I believe they have to twist the Word of God to justify that.

Here is the scripture used to justify a person who is a Christian joining in the military (note that I do not fault those already committed for a term agreed upon prior to their conversion):

Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.” (Luke 3:14)

This is supposedly an affirmation by John the Baptist that being a soldier is an acceptable occupation for a Christian. However, there are certain points that are overlooked by taking this at face value.

1. These are John’s words of instruction, not the words of our Lord.
2. Scripture does not indicate that any Gentiles were coming out to hear John preach. No Roman soldier would have any impetus to see what the hubbub was about except perhaps to observe and insure it was not a political uprising. A Roman solder would first have had to become a Jewish proselyte before John would have been willing to baptize him, which, I might add, would have required him to desert his employment as a soldier.
3. There is absolutely no indication that these were Gentile soldiers, serving under Rome. It is much more believable that these were the same temple police referred to in Luke 12 than military men. The Jews were an exception among all the conquered peoples of Rome, in that Rome’s emperors allowed the Jews to continue their unique sacrifices and temple worship as well as exempting them from sacrificing or honoring Rome’s gods and goddesses.
4. As policemen, these “soldiers” were an adjunct of the Sanhedrin and had the power to arrest and bring to court any who broke Jewish law or were disturbing the peace. However, according to the laws in place at that time, they also were not given the power to condemn or kill anyone (John 18:31). Something many can relate to is to think of British “Bobbies”, who for ages were able to perform their duties without a lethal weapon being issued to them.

Another scripture taken to mean soldiering is acceptable is the story of Jesus’ encounter with the centurion in Matthew 8: 5-13. However, Jesus was not, at any time, trying to convert Gentiles. Rather his mission was to the house of Israel. True, Jesus did not condemn the man’s occupation, but neither did he commend it. What he commended was “with no one in Israel have I found such faith”!

Further, Jesus himself said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24). Of course, this and his other conversation outside of Israel on a personal level were to Samaritan women at the well and the Samaritan villagers. I believe this was God’s way of showing that even these “dogs” who were of mixed Jewish blood, were part of the flock of the lost sheep of Israel.

But, pointedly, while Jesus honored the faith of those Gentiles who exhibited it, he did not preach the gospel to them about himself or the Kingdom of God.

Of course, someone will mention Cornelius the Roman centurion whom Peter was sent to and the jailor in Acts 16. Let’s look at these briefly, but carefully:

1. Peter explicitly states that the purpose of his visit was explained by the angel that appeared to Cornelius as an evangelistic one (Acts 11:14).
2. True, Peter does not require the centurion to abandon his post, but neither does scripture infer that this man was anything more than a local governing emissary with some military authority. There are many positions in the military that do not entail the use of any weapon at all. It does not imply, by any means that he was a man who would obey the rule of Caesar over God since he is termed a “God-fearer”. If push came to shove, I am certain he was of the character that would refuse to participate in violence against others.
3. Cornelius was obviously familiar with the name of Jesus and his crucifixion, and was well on his way to being converted when Peter arrived.
4. The jailer apparently was issued a sword as a part of his equipment, but this does not mean that he was also an appointed executioner, either. He was about to take his own life, which an unconverted person without a knowledge of the gospel would be justified in seeking in his circumstance.
5. However, the jailer in no way threatened harm to anyone but himself, and he apparently did not have an armed guard at his disposal, else they would certainly have been placed on high alert after the earthquake.
6. A person can certainly fill the role of a policeman or jailer without ever having to take a life or use violence instigated by retribution against anyone. In both cases, restraint and capture are the desired end result, not death.

The Holy Scriptures cannot to be used to justify violence against anyone, ever. If we were still under the Old Testament, such could be the case, I will admit. But, as Christians, we are by virtue of our very title not under the old law, but under the new law which is simply comprised of two things:

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. (1 John 3:23)

And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
(1 John 4:21)

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. (Luke 6:27-28)

One can hardly obey the commandments of Christ and be intent on and willing to kill people they don’t even know and have never even met. Many people who were deadly enemies during wars found that they had much in common after such war and were unanimously regretful of the lives they had taken.

Say all you want about men having to die in order to preserve our freedoms, but I say to you what Jesus said to Pilate, “”You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:11a) as regards what government and what rights we are given.

Those who pervert the Word of God in order to justify their carnal aims are not of the gentle flock of Jesus Christ, who never advocated or lifted his hand against anyone for any reason. If that is our example, that (not other flawed human beings) is what me must aspire to and follow.

Is Rob Bell right about Hell?

I have read the book, “Love Wins”, and found it quite a mess of conflicting views about what scripture says and doesn’t say. Bell is understandably rejecting the idea of unmitigated punishment for lost souls. Bell has apparently embraced Universalism as the answer to this problem and this is where he has erred. Jesus certainly did not say, ”

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few”

…unless it was true.

When I was very young, I was raised under preaching that talked about God’s wrath, eternal torment, forever free-falling in the Bottomless Pit (no indication that anyone will be thrown into this in scripture!), and being tortured by demons (no scriptural reference to that either!). I spent much of my childhood in abject fear of Judgment Day because the emphasis was on perfection…or else!

I believe that the traditional view of Hell as a place of unending torment is the root cause of Bell’s dismissal of such an end for a person who never hears the gospel. God is a fair, just, and blameless Sovereign. So, what is “just” about throwing Satan, the False Prophet, and all who did not obey the gospel into the same Lake of Fire? To eliminate them from the New Earth and New Heaven, where only righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13, Rev 21:1-5) with an emphasis on God saying “Behold I am making ALL things new.”.

It is absolutely incomprehensible that Satan and Joe Nobody, who never heard the gospel or rejected it because of a bad experience with a false professor of religion, should share the exact same punishment.

This is what causes many to stumble: the idea that God will torment Grandma forever, just like John Wayne Gacy, because she couldn’t wrap her head around a particular theology, even though she was a good neighbor and was a very moral person. Yes, she will be damned to eternal destruction

because of her unbelief

, but I believe, in God’s fairness, she will suffer much, much less and for a shorter time than Mr. Gacy, or Hitler, for that matter. That’s my opinion, of course, but it’s based on the overall picture God paints us of Himself.

I reject the idea of eternal torment, not because it doesn’t suit me, but because the emphasis on punishment in the Bible is destruction, not never-ending pain and torture. This is the only reasonable interpretation of Jesus’ statement in Luke 12:48 and the emphasis of the “dead bodies” in Isaiah 66:24, which is what Jesus references when He speaks of “their worm” not dying and the fire not being quenched. Jesus states it plainly, when He says, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) Can anyone argue that God does not know how to destroy both?

Part of the issue is the false notion, propagated by tie-ins to Socrates’ and Plato’s teaching of an eternal soul.

Scripture informs us that only “those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life” to (Romans 2:6-8). Some erroneously refer to Paul’s writing, “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). Paul is explicitly speaking to believers here. How can an unbeliever be able to lay hold of this declaration, “”O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)

The emphasis is on eternal (no recourse) destruction, or punishment for unbelievers. The only thing Jesus says never dies is “their worm”, which simply emphasizes that there will be no halfway consumption or elimination. Eternal death, or the Second Death mean the same thing: absolute annihilation. When something dies, without any hope of resurrection, it ceases to be. I realize that some will say, “Then I don’t care if I go to Hell. I’ll just cease to exist.” While that may be true, there is not a word in scripture about how long it will take for the Lake of Fire to consume YOU! It may be a very, very long time, depending on your level of rejection and sin. Rejecting God’s free offer of forgiveness is not something God takes lightly. “For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:29)

It’s not a pretty picture for those who reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It will not be a place where you will be partying with all your friends (Matthew 13:49-50).

Notice, too, that only at the end of the age (not at the Rapture) will the evil ones be separated from the righteous. This conforms with the order of things in Jesus’ parables concerning the Last Day, when Christ appears and is seen by ALL (Read Matthew 13, again).

The Resurrection of the dead to eternal life in a perfect new world is the Great Hope of the Christian. Period!

The Sensuous Pulpit

How many recent fads can you think of that have passed through the churches, in general, over the past few decades? How about “Positive Thinking”, “so-called revivals of the circus variety (Brownsville, Lakewood), the Emergent church, the Purpose Driven drivel, and recently: “God’s Love is Unconditional” and “Christian Sex” seminars?

I apologize, but I couldn’t think of any appropriate pictures for this topic, other than sarcastic ones. And I don’t want to overdo that! I made the mistake of doing a Google Image search (thinking my filters were still intact) for “Christian sex”. There are lots of images, many of which I wish hadn’t popped up, but I should have expected a dart or two from Old Satan.

The “fad” that has aroused my indignation is this preoccupation in many churches these days with “Marital Workshops” that are almost always tied into “Sex Workshops” for Christians. I think the need for these things pretty much evidences the selfishness and carnality of the church, as a whole. Please note that I am not inclined to equate “church” with Christianity! The “church” I’m referring to is the highly secular and humanized version which is so predominant in America.

When Paul addresses sexual issues in the Bible, it is done, not with sensual embellishment, but with grace and enough clarity to state what needs to be addressed. For what reason? “…So that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” (1 Corinthians 7:5)

When the gifts of the Spirit are listed in scripture, which one of these, pray tell, covers the gift of “sex expert”? One man, in particular, teaches men to purposely eat sweet foods (I guess it’s unimportant whether that is good for the man’s health) in order to make their sexual discharge taste good! This is something I would have expected in the old Penthouse Forum magazine; not in a “Christian” seminar or on a “Christian” web site. There was a time when oral sex was labeled Sodomy, but now it is both taught as acceptable and desirable. Can I absolutely say oral sex is sinful? Not specifically, but when these men (and women occasionally) preach or teach it as acceptable behavior they are doing precisely what Paul warns against doing (in principle) in 1 Corinthians 8:9-13. In essence, these people may very well be harming people’s consciences by convincing them to do things they feel intrinsically are wrong! Scripture makes no bones about doing things we “think” are wrong: “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)

I personally believe that there are occasions when masturbation is an “escape”, but I am not convinced it is a rule that everyone should or could follow. If it is done to anyone’s detriment or deprives one’s mate as Paul warns against, then it is selfish and not self-preserving or right.

Yes, the Bible says “the marriage bed is undefiled”, but scripture also warns us against these “sensual” men who, “entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” (2 Peter 2:18-19) and, while Paul applies this to unregenerate persons, it still hits the mark, because they prove “They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” (Ephesians 4:19)

You cannot tell me, honestly, that anal sex is anything but unnatural, filthy, unhealthy, harmful, and absolutely, from a moral standpoint, degrading. Can you? Dare you? And yet, we have “Christian” sex experts and marriage counselors going around telling couples to go home and engage in this, “as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone”! Ask any honest physician, especially one who has dealt with the ramifications of homosexual intercourse, and they will tell you that anal sex is ultimately very harmful to the body.

I am no “sex expert”, but I speak from the viewpoint of a person who was once a very lascivious and perverted person. I KNOW that engaging in these forms of experimental sex only leads to more depravity and a desire for more experimentation. How long would it be until one partner wants to “choke” the other in order to experience what some consider the ultimate orgasm? Would our sex experts say this is also okay as long as no one actually is “hurt” by it? It’s ridiculous! God saved me from this kind of stuff and now we have preachers leading their flocks down the path of sexual liberation, so-called. This is of the devil, folks!

What many seem to fail to see is that this is a rampant obsession in the churches today and people are considering it a liberating thing. It is evident that this is only taking hold because church going people are not reading their Bibles with a mind that seeks truth, if they truly read it at all. Many, I’m afraid, are reading with eyes and minds that cannot understand, because they are not Spirit led (1 Corinthians 2:14).

What Paul describes in Romans 1:24-25, “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” is precisely what is happening to these people who think they are saved, but are not, or were and have sunk into slavery to the flesh. May God have mercy on those who have fallen from grace!

Again, I quote Paul, “I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.” (Romans 6:19) and “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)

Please read Ephesians 5 in its entirety, with an open an honest heart. And consider how verse 1, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” can be in any way compatible with this obsession of pleasing the fleshly desires with sex games, toys, and unnatural experimentation.

I welcome all comments in good taste, including those that disagree.

What sins DOES Love cover a multitude of?

How many of you have wrestled with what Peter means when he says, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) or when John tells disciples who see a brother or sister sin a “sin not unto death” to pray for that person in order for that sin to be forgiven? (1 John 5:16)

Consider this, as well: How many times would God only hear and forgive persons when someone specifically chosen by God interceded for them? I can think of Abraham praying for Abimelech (even though Abraham had effectively caused the sin), Moses for Israel, Job for his friends, and so on. God would only hear the prayers of a righteous man in these instances. As a result, I have become inclined to think that the blind man Jesus healed was correct in his supposition that, “We know God does not hear sinners.” (John 9:31)

Of course, if a person is penitent, like the tax collector Jesus used for an example (Luke 18:13) or a man seeking God, as Cornelius was, then God’s promise is true: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8)

Anyway, all hat to try and unravel this particular knot of what kind of sins does our love cover and what are these sins we are to pray for for the sake of others? It appears, to me, that these must be sins of ignorance on the part of the offender. In other words, we may feel and know that what a person has done is an offense to us, someone else or God, but since we are also to bear with the weak in faith, the weak minded, and new Christians, doesn’t this indicate that it is far better for us to overlook certain things than to condemn them at first sight? Now, remember, I am approaching this from the view of these being sins of ignorance (call them tactless sins, maybe).

I may not approve of the TV shows a new Christian watches. Am I to condemn these shows outright and make the new Christian feel that they are thereby in danger of damnation? I don’t think so. I believe that what we are supposed to do (and it has taken me quite a while to reach this conclusion) is bear with this for a time, for a season in which we bring our concerns to God and ask the Holy Spirit to convict these new babes of what is not pleasing to God and convince them of what they should do. After this season of faithful prayer and consistent right living on our part, we should not be surprised to see changes in this person’s life in the areas we are concerned about. On the other hand, if no changes become evident, then we might want to consider another approach.

Here is an example of what I am speaking of. Any input or advice is much appreciated, as I have not completely satisfied myself as to how to answer this, but here goes:

I have an acquaintance who has, for over two years, claimed to be a believer, and with whom I have been a confidant of sorts concerning her marriage. She has a lot of issues that we have discussed and some of my scriptural advice she seems to have taken to heart. On the other hand, though I have been adamant about what I believe the Lord says are very limited reasons for divorce and remarriage, these things she has been resistant to. Number one, her first husband has never been sexually unfaithful to her, and as far as I can tell, she doesn’t admit to having cheated on him. As a result I have simply directed her to Paul’s admonitions in 1 Corinthians 7 and Romans 7:1-3.
Another issue was baptism. I explained the necessity of it, gave her literature about it, and she even attends a church which supposedly teaches it as a necessary response to the gospel. However, to the best of my knowledge, she has never followed through on this.
So, just this past week I received an email from her letting me know that she is now married to the man she was seeing for the last six months. I was never informed of any divorce, so this was quite a surprise. On top of this, she seemed quite pleased to inform me that her first husband actually Emceed the wedding, providing the music and that her own daughter ..by this first husband.. walked her down the aisle.
My reaction? I was disgusted. Primarily because she felt that having her first husband there condoning it, and her daughter “giving her away” made everything just fine. To me…it was just typical American dys-functionality on parade and she doesn’t even realize it as such.
Based on my own prayers concerning this and the fact that she has been previously advised by me to not follow this path, I don’t believe I need to swoosh down on her and overtly rebuke her. She knows what she is doing is wrong. She just simply has chosen to reject God’s advice and take her own path.

So, as regards my earlier quandary, does this situation even apply to Peter and James’ admonitions? I don’t believe so, because this IS a sin unto death, in my view. This person has rejected the Word of God, knowingly or even willfully ignorantly, and I don’t know that my prayers can now afford her any protection or forgiveness.

Any thoughts?

Full preterism error!

This fellow seems to have all the answers, claiming that there is no future return of Christ or resurrection, or new world and new heavens: http://www.allthingsfulfilled.com

Unfortunately, his site will not allow me to post any questions or rebuttals. So, here goes on my own site:

I am a partial preterist, at present. And that is because the second resurrection that Jesus referred to in John 5:28-29 that an hour was coming when ALL the dead that were in the graves would be raised. So, when do you suppose that happened? I believe the destruction of Jerusalem fulfilled much of Matthew 24, but not all. The scriptures are clear that Christ’s return would be visible and completely unexpected. Peter was not speaking hyperbolic when he said, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:10-13)

I do not, by any means, believe this is symbolic of the age of regeneration Jesus spoke of, where he explained, “but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” (Luke 20:35-36)

I don’t know of anyone who is like an angel living in this present world. And if one were to take this literally, then only those who do not marry would be “sons of the resurrection”.

Sorry, I think you are trying to put everything behind us, even though Paul makes it clear that the SECOND resurrection is the Christian hope (Romans 6:5, Philippians 3:7) and at that time alone we will be changed instantly into a form that is like Christ is in Heaven and will never die again (Daniel 12, 1 Corinthians 15). I’m afraid this is exactly the error Paul speaks of in 2 Timothy 2:17-18.

Is being wrong, good?

I ran across a very good lecture from a lady named Kathryn Schulz. Her short lecture was on the idea of being wrong, and that coming to that conclusion, is not a bad thing. Rather it is the source of every age of enlightenment. Until a person realizes they are wrong about something, they believe they are right….right?

When you really think about it, the statement, “The more I know, the less I understand”, is true.

I am sometimes quite convinced that I know a lot about a particular subject or that I have a reasonable answer to a question or problem. The problem is when someone challenges that premise with a logical rebuttal. A while back, I was very distressed about the validity of certain things I taught others. I mean, I know what the Bible says about many things and most of it makes a lot of sense to me. But, the truth be told, there are also many things about God and truth that I cannot comprehend. That, in part, is why I started this blog. I can never be absolutely sure that everything I believe is true, really is. That is where faith comes in. Jesus said we must become like little children if we want to see the Kingdom of God. This doesn’t mean we assume everything is plain and simple, either.

I thank God that He gave us the scriptures, because without their plain presentation of the fallen condition of mankind, it would be impossible to figure out how we could ever communicate or be on a r4elationship level with our Creator. It is very comforting to see that, without exception (Melchizedek and Enoch we know too little about to say), each hero of the Bible failed to be right about everything. In fact, they were all wrong about something. And, by being wrong they were able to learn something about themselves and about God.

I recently read the biography of John Wesley, by Henry Rack called Reasonable Enthusiast. Now, many people assume either that Wesley was absolutely right about what he taught, or absolutely wrong. I tend to believe he was, like all of us, right about some things and wrong about others. It was revealing to me, to see that Wesley was constantly validating his own assumptions by the experiential nature of other people’s feelings and experience. In fact, to his dying day, John Wesley had doubts (according to his own journal) about whether he was right about some of his teachings. Lorenzo Dow, an extemporaneous and itinerant evangelist of the late 18th century, once felt that the new form of melodic singing that was made popular by Wesley and his brother Charles and Isaac Watts, were not conducive to evangelism. He was especially unconvinced that songs written by laypersons and based on popular tunes could have any spiritual effect on his audiences (see Nathan A. Hatch’s excellent short analysis of early American Evangelicalism ), but was soon convinced otherwise.

I have real problems with people that believe things that are not plain in scripture. That includes everything from “entire sanctification”, to “speaking in tongues” being evidence of salvation, beliefs based on experiential feelings or impressions, women as pastors, prosperity being a promise to believers, “divine healing” being promised to all, and much more. I am of the partial-preterism persuasion regarding eschatology, since the rapture and the idea of Christ actually reigning in person on the earth for an insignificant period of 1,000 years and offering sacrifices for His own sinless self (Ezekiel 46:2) seem quite absurd theology in light of the book of Hebrews.

At the same time, I am more and more convinced that none of us see more than, as Paul said, “through a glass darkly”. It is presumptuous for me, or anyone else, to think they are “it” and have all the truth or know all the ins and outs of being a Christian. I have many goodhearted and sincere brethren, whose ideas about what is acceptable worship, fellowship, and service differ from mine. But, I also know the scriptures say “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” and “No one speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is cursed.” (1 Corinthians 12:3).

I worry about becoming ecumenical, which seems to imply compromise. But this is pretty much where I am at these days. Paul says, “Don’t judge anything before the time (the day Jesus judges everything)” (1 Cor 4:5). I used to have a lot of trouble with appearances and I believe that there are things we can discern as wrong or out of bounds, but I have found people’s hearts are what count, not their appearance. Tattoos and piercings are wrong for me, but I cannot judge that for others. I am uncomfortable with them and these automatically make me question a person’s sincerity as a Christian, but I have been surprised by the level of maturity and godly concern for others in people who don’t think these things are sin. As one wise man of God once asked me, “What are they doing that is unscriptural?”. True, Moses’ Law said the Israelites were not to cut their skin “for the dead” or write on their bodies (Leviticus 19:28) and I see this as God saying, “You will not be like the nations that surround you.” Does it apply to us today? To some extent, I believe it does.

Jesus says, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16) and He prayed for us, in John 17:20-23, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:20-23) Isn’t it Satan who has divided the church? It certainly isn’t God who wants believers to be separated over foolish suppositions and creeds.

Simply put, the only rule for separation is when people don’t live righteously (1 John 1:7) or teach something that isn’t scriptural (2 Thess 3:14, 2 Timothy 2:23) in any sense. One example is that Mary was a virgin and sinless. Nowhere in scripture is there even an allusion to that idea. Or, the idea that everyone will get to heaven by whatever path they choose.

I was raised and molded in my thinking, by the tyrannical Christianity I grew up in. I never did completely buy into the idea that “We are right and everyone else is deceived” mentality. But it had a lasting effect on me. I fear being wrong, but scripture also says, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7) So what if I am wrong about a lot of things, as long as I, 1. Love God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength and 2. love my neighbor as myself (i.e. never do or consider harm to or ignore the needs of anyone), God tells me I will be accepted by Him, for Christ’s sake (Romans 13:8).

I believe God’s Word is the truth, but when you consider the almost innumerable disagreements we all have about the meaning of certain scriptures, isn’t it fairly plain that we are all wrong about something? Perhaps we need to surrender this human weakness of thinking we have to have everything exactly correct in our theology and practice and just concentrate on the gospel:

1. Man is fallen and cannot help himself or ever come to enough knowledge to save himself from death (Romans 3:23, Galatians 3:22)
2. God has sent His perfect and everlasting Son to take our place, erase our shortcomings, and reconcile us to God through the shedding of His own blood (Romans 5:6-10)
3. God raised Jesus from the dead, by His power and to fulfill His promise that He would free us from captivity to this present world and the evil one who bent everything to wrongness (Romans 6:9, 8:11)
4. Everyone who believes this is really true will be saved from death and all future judgment of condemnation when they repent, confess Jesus is Lord, and are baptized into His body for the forgiveness of their sins (Romans 6:3-8, 10:9-11; Acts 2:38)
5. Continuing in this belief is absolutely required in order for your faith to be proved valid (Romans 6:16, James 1:3, 2 Peter 1:1-9)

Beyond these things, there are many disagreements. But, if you confess Jesus as your Lord, have been immersed in His name (the Greek word baptismo means immersion), and are pursuing the holiness “without which no one will see the Lord”, then I extend to you the right hand of Christian fellowship.

Your comments, even if you disagree, are welcome if presented with a “I could be wrong…” attitude.

Happy New Year! But, don’t count on it.

I have been very negligent of my blog, and if it has caused anyone to question my faith, I am sorry. I am still holding fast, but being human, I’ve also been through a very dry and trying last six months.

Now that I am officially in the beginning a a New year, I am going to try and get back to blogging. I find it cathartic and a way of journaling my thoughts, so it is better to continue than to ignore it, I guess. In any case, I certainly hope that everyone who has had a rough year will have rest and peace this year from the same troubles. However, “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22) is a scriptural reminder that in this life, we are not promised our dreams will come true. But, we are promised whatever we ask, believing, we shall receive. There’s a caveat to that, of course. We Americans are not accustomed to having a lot of faith, because we have become (to quote Pink Floyd) “comfortably numb”.

I do not personally know more than one or two people who claim to be Christians who truly do seem to rely on God for almost every need in their lives. Not through laziness, bad luck, or other personal disposition, but they have learned to hate this present life enough to count the things we hold dear as less than cow manure.
Some people would consider me an unpatriotic American Christian (there is no such thing, by the way – you’re either of the world or of the Kingdom of Christ) for saying this, but it has been proven throughout history, that the church is always more alive when it is hurting and needy. I think the time of hardships for America is overdue, and has been delayed only because of the few truly faithful Christians who remain in this country. Notice the similarity between the number of deaths suffered over the last decade by countries who have no claim to being any kind of “Christian” nation. The Indonesian tidal wave deaths of 2004 were about 250,000 and we see that Haiti has now suffered a comparable number of deaths since the huge earthquake of last year.

What I fear is that America, despite all her good works and generosity, is storing up a huge cup of wrath for her decades of wickedness and perversion. If Romans 1 is an indication of a people gone past saving, present day America would certainly seem to fit the bill. Satan’s line of attack now is to get the remnant of American Christians to become nominal in their daily lives, as well as worship, and I believe we are quite there.

I confess, I have given up facebook, because it was just becoming too much of a distraction for me. Even when the discussions were spiritually based, I felt drained rather than encouraged by them and was convicted that I was neglecting, like Martha, the more important things of personal evangelism and involvement in others’ lives – in reality. The final straw was when I began noticing my Christian friends were beginning to sound, and act, a lot like my non-Christian friends. It was very discouraging to me, because it seemed more a thermometer of the real-time dissolution of saltiness in many lives. I am feeling a lot less salty, myself, and am quite alarmed by it.

So, while I intend to begin blogging again, I cannot promise anything other than my desire to be completely honest and upfront with my observations: of myself and the so-called Christian culture that is so typical these days.

God have mercy on us all, even if it means we lose all the things we’ve made our temporal gods.

HWY to Perdition is a popular road – even in church

I am increasingly amazed at the lack of respect paid to people based on gender or age. While we live in a so-called “tolerant” society, or at least one that is advocated, what I see is the complete dissolution of gender anything.

Although much of what passes for fads these days have more than temporary consequences (tattoos and piercings for instance), what really bothers me is this: young men (and older ones, too) referring to their female companions as “dude, guys, man” and so on. There was a time, not that long ago, when men only used certain words when ladies were not present and even immoral men saved their coarsest conversations for the bar or the garage. Now, it appears that it is acceptable for young men to use one or two bottom rung profanities in every sentence. And the young girls not only aren’t offended by it, they partake in the same language that used to be heard coming from only aged and jaded prostitutes. I hear conversations on the train all the time that are crass and crude and completely disrespectful, and not just from the drunks and the bums, or only the “gang bangers”, but from kids going to college.

I see where some younger so-called ministers of the gospel, claim that words are just that: words. They only carry the connotations that culture forces on them. One person’s bad word is normal and harmless to another. It’s all just cultural you know. Haven’t they ever read the book of James and his discussion of the tongue and how it is the most harmful thing we use? And many of these up and coming “pastors” and “preachers” buy into the books that Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet, and off the wall types like Peter Rollins, write. McLaren, at least, is pretty up front with his agenda, writing a book titled “Everything Must Change”. Everything, Brian? Everything? What about “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and tomorrow”?

What liberal toleration and those Co-Exist stickers really promote is lawlessness; make up the rules as you go and change what doesn’t work for you. A return to no rules, no standards, just utter chaos and eventual anarchy. Men and women compete, it seems, to see who can be the most vulgar, shocking and rebellious. I try to always save my seat or open doors for women, especially older ones who appreciate it. But, more and more, I either get a reluctant nod or no acknowledgment at all of my trying to be a gentleman from even older women. Now, when I see a dozen healthy men sitting and women my age or older standing, I wonder what happened to the idea of men treating women with respect and women actually appreciating it, instead of being offended by such courtesy.

Thanks to Gloria Steinham and others of her ilk, women wanted equality and, for the most part, they have achieved it. When gays are granted the right to marry and adopt society are destroying the last vestiges of what it takes to make a family. Oh, some gays may very well make better parents than some heterosexuals do, but they cannot reproduce, they cannot pass on good or bad genes, and like the old communal religious groups like Shakers who advocated for celibacy, they may very well end their own club by dying out.

Because most Americans have bought into the idea that they should pursue their own happiness even if it is at the expense of society, marriage and children, these young girls tolerate a man speaking to them like they were dogs. Perhaps they don’t have a parent who will even try to help them draw boundaries and say, “That boy/girl isn’t good enough for you!” Every teenager thinks they know more than their parents, but parents still have to set the standards or their children must settle for whatever is acceptable within their peer group.

It works the same way in the church. The leaders/elders must set the standards high enough so that people will realize they are just fakes if they cannot attain to normal Christian standards of living. When they fail, as many will, they need to know where they fell from. Otherwise, the church standard becomes a free-for-all.

This is where our society is heading. And unfortunately, while reading movie reviews by those who also claim to be followers of Christ, we find movies being rated “Acceptable” and “Mildly Offensive” when they include regular blasphemy (misusing the name of Christ Jesus and God), overt sexual innuendo and what used to be considered off-color humor, nudity, and constant reference to the sexual vernaculars of the day. When “Christians” can say things about these movies like, “it may bother some people, but it didn’t shake my faith” or “what is offensive to some people isn’t necessarily offensive to me”, the church no longer mans the tiller of the common conscience in America, or the Western world, much less the minds and hearts of their congregations. We are, once again, living in the days of the book of Judges when “every man did what seemed right in his own eyes”.

On that same thought, it really, REALLY, bothers me that many in the so-called church accept pornography as a “typical” addiction among Christian males. Excuse me? Doesn’t scripture tell us that “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” (Romans 8:6-7 ESV) How about this? “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:21 ESV) Yet, this is practically preached as a common sin and thus made reasonably acceptable in the Christian life.

What the problem truly is, it appears to me, is that modern day Christianity (or what passes for it in many cases) has lost the fear of God. I was a porn addict for decades, but I am convinced that if I were to succumb again I would be giving up my profession of faith and thereby a castaway. I am tempted very, very often, but I have a fear of entering through those gates which will lead only to ruin. I am not free of this addiction by willpower. I tried that route many times, but always fell back into pornography. I could not live without it. But, that was also before I came to a knowledge of the truth and made myself a slave to Christ.

If you are addicted to porn, drugs, lying, stealing or any of these things, the Bible says you are still a slave of Satan.

“Dear friends, now we are God’s children. What we will be isn’t completely clear yet. We do know that when Christ appears we will be like him because we will see him as he is. So all people who have this confidence in Christ keep themselves pure, as Christ is pure. Those who live sinful lives are disobeying God. Sin is disobedience. You know that Christ appeared in order to take away our sins. He isn’t sinful. Those who live in Christ don’t go on sinning. Those who go on sinning haven’t seen or known Christ. Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you. Whoever does what God approves of has God’s approval as Christ has God’s approval. The person who lives a sinful life belongs to the devil, because the devil has been committing sin since the beginning. The reason that the Son of God appeared was to destroy what the devil does.” (1 John 3:2-8 GW)

Why should Christians be afraid?

Are you afraid of Judgment Day?

Growing up, I can hardly remember a time when I didn’t have, in the back of my mind at least, a fear that TODAY was going to be Judgment Day. There were other days when I’d get very frightened that “This is IT!” when I’d hear thunder, see a red moon, hear a cart rumbling down a hallway, or even a horn blowing unexpectedly.

This is because I was brought up in an environment of fear and judgment. I was many times convinced to go to the “altar” and pray to be saved (not a biblical concept at all). The problem was, I was never taught what real faith, trust and hope were. I don’t believe I ever “got” salvation as a child, because I was doing my praying and begging out of fear, not out of an appreciation for Jesus’ sacrifice or a thankfulness for God’s grace and mercy. Rather, I was taught that I either repented or when I died (which could be any minute!) I would find myself falling into “the bottomless pit” where black fire and demons would torture me forever and ever and ever. Nowhere in scripture do we find any indication that demons or imps will torture the lost or that souls will be cast into a bottomless pit!!

What I did not realize at the time was that these folk fit the description Paul made concerning his fellow Jews who would not believe the gospel:
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.” (Romans 10:1-3 ESV)

So, as a kid, I was mentally and spiritually abused. I thank God, however, that after 30 years of being away from this religious teaching, I finally was able to read the bible with a fairly unbiased and unrestricted view. I just wanted to see what it really said. I am so glad that God makes it plain that ALL men and women are corrupted by our fallen nature. Only a true and loving God would allow us to see what hardheaded and ignorant men the disciples were until they witnessed Jesus resurrection and ascension. Then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, who cleared up all their misconceptions about Christ and His mission, they changed the entire world! And they were still not perfect!

The scriptures tell us a healthy fear of God is good and wise. Many do not even think about God until they experience a life-threatening situation, and by then, for many, it’s too late. But, the fear we should have is more a sense of awe and wonder; how small and unworthy we are as specks on this huge earth, which itself really is not even a speck in the enormity of the universe.

1 John 4:18 says “There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

Why should Christians not fear? Because we are “free from the law of sin and death”. Jesus was “made sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” That’s what the legalistic and perfectionist types neglect to tell us from God’s Word. The other extreme are those who say we can sin all we want and not worry about it. Both are viewing God’s grace and salvation through the lens of the flesh; one focuses on every little sin and the other no sin at all.

My favorite verses these days are:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1 ESV) and

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1-4 ESV) and

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27 ESV)