Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Holy Inheritance
A comment and response from “Options & Consequences”

“Holy Inheritance” posted the comment:
“Man, you're going home! It doesn't matter which you choose. On the Holy Inheritance blog today there is a post which I think is titled "Perfect Absolute Peace," or something like that. Although the message seems Christian, it surely is Buddhist, and Hindu, and Muslim, and Humanist. When you begin to see the oneness of all, you're very close.”

I know I am going home.
However, your view is of my ‘enlightenment’ is a very dangerous admixture of New Age Mysticism with Biblical truth.

I believe you have fallen prey to the first half of Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?”

I guess I failed to make my point. The only way to be ‘free’ from a deceitful and desperately wicked heart is the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

I could easily add a paragraph, “According to New Age Mysticism - I am not damned”. Since New Age Mysticism (N.A.M.) believes in a diverse mixture of mysticism, rational thought, and ‘one-ness’ with the universe - I am not damned. I recognize that many major and minor religions and cults entail a kernel of Truth. Additionally, N.A.M. accepts ‘all paths of enlightenment’ lead to ‘Universal Oneness’ and our actions ‘prove’ our association with the Divine and that we are ourselves ARE part of the Divine. I do try to do ‘good works’ as a natural extension of obedience to, and belief in God. The part of the Divine that rests in me is the Holy Spirit, given by God, according to the promise of Jesus Christ. Therefore, according to N.A.M. I am ‘closer’ to ‘Universal Understanding’.

Holy Inheritance, here is where the ‘model’ breaks down.

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."" John 14:6

There is no vacillation here.
Jesus did not say, “No one comes to the Father except through Me AND obeys the dictates of a religious denomination.”

Jesus did not say, “No one comes to the Father except through Me OR follows a religion established to the God of Abraham through Abraham’s son Ishmael.”

Jesus did not say, “No one comes to the Father except through Me OR denies I am the Messiah of the Covenant with Isaac, and follows ALL of the Old Testament Law of Moses.”

Jesus did not say, “No one comes to the Father except through Me OR follows the a “Path of Enlightenment” established by a man of insight who recognized the basic evil nature of man’s heart and came up with a way to ‘purge’ it through discipline and rebirth.”

Jesus did not say, “No one comes to the Father except through Me OR follows a pantheon religion of obedience to become part of a ‘greater good’ by being obedient to one’s station in life, and therefore entitled to move upwards in an endless cycle of rebirth.”

Jesus did not say, “No one comes to the Father except through Me OR denies my very existence and the existence of My Father in Heaven.”

Jesus did not say, “No one comes to the Father except through Me OR ‘believes’ in their own divinity and embraces the world in love, oneness and unity.”


JESUS was very clear, “"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."" John 14:6

My point is I believe in the simple truth God said, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 That the HOPE and FUTURE God gave us was His Son, fully God and fully man. That the Man, Christ Jesus, was sinless, was crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected, and “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
God gave us a perfect sacrifice so that we could be ‘acceptable’ in His sight.

Because I believe that, and try to obey the Bible, I still ‘make’ the ‘mark’ of religious institutes of man. Even if my belief in Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Savior, the Gift of God, His blood is the only necessity for inheriting eternal life, is ABSOLUTELY WRONG, I still might get into heaven anyway, according to various religions.

The opposite is not true.
Obeying Catechism and all the dictates of the Roman Catholic Church (or any ‘Christian’ denomination for that matter) WITHOUT believing that Jesus Christ’s blood shed on the cross for me is the only way to inherit heaven, will not get me into heaven.

Obeying all the commands of Allah in the Qur’an, believing in the God of Abraham, and the covenant with Ishmael, WITHOUT believing God gave me the gift of eternal life through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ will not get me into heaven.

Obeying all the Law of Moses, as set forth in the Old Testament WITHOUT believing that Jesus Christ is the Messiah of the Old Covenant, will not get me into heaven.

Following the “Noble Eightfold Path” WITHOUT believing Jesus Christ died for me, will not get me reborn in a more noble form or help me reach ‘Nirvana’.

Following the four Yogas WITHOUT believing Christ is the way, the Truth, and the Life will not let me reach Brahman.

Denying the existence of God and the supernatural divine, certainly WILL NOT get me into heaven.

Believing that we are all interconnected in a Universal Oneness of Love and already partakers of the Divine WITHOUT believing in the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ will not let me take part in the total fulfillment of His Perfect Love.

The ‘kernel’ of ‘Truth’ in most religions is that there is a ‘hereafter’ (a heaven of sorts - whether it is a mystical place, a state of mind, or a physical place) and a way to get there. Where the deviation occurs quite simply is ‘how’ to get there.

As the third part of the article, “Judged” presents it, THERE ARE NO BACK DOORS to Heaven. There is ONE door - Jesus Christ - no other way exists.

As Loren commented, “Jesus lived, and died, and rose again. This was foretold for centuries in advance and the effects of His resurrection have transcended the ages to still change lives today. None of those other religions can say anything close to this.

So what is life about? And what about the after life? Ask the only one who ever died and rose again. Everyone else is speculating, but He would really know. This is the most staggering truth mankind can ever grasp.”


If there is another way to reach ‘Heaven’, Jesus Christ’s entire birth, life, torture, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection is meaningless. Jesus Christ was who He said He was, The SON OF GOD, or history’s biggest fool.

If He was who He said He was, there is no way around, “"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."" John 14:6

If He was history’s biggest fool, then I am a bigger fool, because I believe Him… Even so, that still may get me into heaven because I am following ‘some’ of the dictates of various religions that ‘claim’ another way to enlightenment.

If I am wrong, I may get in the backdoor to heaven.
If I am right, I get in the front door. However, there are many ‘well meaning’ people that will not…

That said, I can not lose…
However, others can…

And THAT is the point…
You have the opportunity to be assured of a place in Heaven!

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Options & Consequences
OR
Gambling with Eternity

A friend of mine has a two and half year old son. He is a bright lad. Sometimes he has clarity of insight that borders on genius. A few weeks ago he was sitting on the front porch. He had a ‘snack-bag’ with him. In the bag was a mixture of oat ‘O’s (a snack he likes) and animal crackers. With careful intensity, he was determining what he would eat. He looked up with a grin and certainty then exclaimed, “Options are good!”

A week later, sitting at the dinner table, the boy faced a dilemma. His mom had placed a plate of ‘yucky’ green stuff in front of him. In plain view, but out of reach, was a bowl of strawberries (one of his favorite foods). He was told, clearly, that the green stuff had to be eaten before the strawberries. No green stuff, and there would be no strawberries. Unlike many two year olds, the boy did not have a ‘melt down’ screaming and kicking and carrying on (though sometimes he does have his ‘terrible two’s tantrums’). No, he perused his dilemma - eat yuck, and get strawberries or not eat yuck and not get strawberries… He looked up with an exasperated sigh and declared, “Sometimes options are bad!”

This from a two year old… Abstract concepts of the ‘reality’ of ‘free will’ and choice clearly stated based on observation and experience.

Options are good.
Sometimes options are bad.

Consider options in light of ‘eternity’ or 'the afterlife’ or ‘whatever comes after death’. We can say with some certainty that we are going to die. Sometime, somewhere, somehow all of us are going to die. We also recognized that according to almost every ‘religion’ or belief system, after death comes a judgement (see the three part article ‘Judged’).

By now, it should be obvious that I believe in the afterlife. I believe in heaven and hell. I believe everyone faces judgement. I believe that belief in Jesus Christ, as Savior is the ONLY way to get into heaven. I believe that the moment a person believes, confesses and accepts Jesus Christ as their personal savior, they are judged ‘not guilty’ by God, and become ‘inheritors’ of heaven [*].

The result of this belief system is a ‘moral life’. What it means is that I ‘try’ to obey the Bible, and its teachings. I try to obey the Ten Commandments. I try to love my neighbor, etc. I believe in moral absolutes, Truth, and attempt to live a life glorifying to God, attempting to become more ‘Christ-like’, and obedient to God.


Now, we live in a society of ‘pick a religion’. One is ‘free’ to choose what ‘religion’ one believes (in some countries - public espousal of religious preference is illegal or grounds for persecution, but the individual choice is still there).

Let us look at some options.
Consider this from my point of view. We know what I believe; it is on this blog continuously from the first article.

Options:
If I die and I am absolutely, positively, without a doubt proven WRONG, what happens? [We are going to ‘revisit’ “A Note From the Damned” 27 July 2005.]

According to the Catholic Church, I may not quite be damned. The Catholic Church has been vacillating on this point. The Catechism of the Catholic Church Canons 1258, 1260, 1263 offer the ‘opportunity’ of salvation outside the Church. Pope John Paul II said, in September 1998, “Normally, “it will be in the sincere practice of what is good in their own religious traditions and by following the dictates of their own conscience that the members of other religions respond positively to God’s invitation and receive salvation in Jesus Christ, even while they do not recognize or acknowledge him as their Savior.” It “appears” that while Catholics believe they are the ONE TRUE religion, that it MIGHT be possible for others to enter heaven.

In other words, The Catholic Church says that The Catholic Church is the way to Salvation, but their might be ‘back doors’. So, having attempted to live an ‘upright’ life, I might still get into heaven. I might have to do an extra millennia or two in purgatory for my ‘disagreements’ with the Catholic Church, but hey, what is a millennia compared to eternity? Eventually, I will make it to heaven.

According to Islam, I may not quite be permanently damned either. Islam holds that there are ‘levels’ of damnation and “heaven”. Islam contends that ‘salvation’ is by works. Having done good works in the name of ‘Allah’, I may get a shot at Islam’s heaven. While I have ‘rejected’ Islam, I have not fully explored Islam, so the condemnation of rejection may not be fully justified. At the same time, Islam does not ‘totally’ condemn the ignorant. Therefore, having done good works with faith, and being somewhat ‘ignorant’ of all that Islam entails, I may ignorantly merit some form of ‘salvation’.

According to Judaism, I may not quite be permanently damned either. I do believe the ‘Old Testament’, that is the “TaNaKh” or Jewish ‘Bible’. I believe in the God of Abraham. I do disagree with ‘mainline’ Judaism in the basic nature of man (Judaism believes man to be ‘good’, I disagree). Other than that, I honor the Covenant of Abraham and Isaac. I acknowledge (and support) the fact that the Jews are God’s Chosen People. Since modern Judaism is based on works, not sacrifices (as outlined in the Old Testament), then by doing good works and honoring the “God of Abraham”, I may merit ‘salvation’. While salvation to the Jews is ambiguous, my ‘obedience’ to and reverence for the ‘God of Abraham’ may warrant relief from ‘damnation’.

According to Buddhism, I may not repeat life as an annoying insect. While my main roadblock to ‘enlightenment’ and Nirvana is ignorance, I am not hopeless. By trying to follow the absolute moral truth as outlined in the Bible, I am following some of the ‘paths’ of the ‘Noble Eightfold Path”. I may not ‘reach’ Nirvana this go round; however, I may become someone more ‘enlightened’, perhaps even a Buddhist monk, in my next incarnation. Even if I go backwards on the wheel of enlightenment, there is still hope that one of these lifetimes I will reach Nirvana.

According to Hinduism, I may not be damned. Of the ‘Four Yogas’, I actually follow at least three. Jnana yoga: I attempt to understand the ‘unreal’ or supernatural way of the universe. Bhakti yoga: I wholeheartedly (try) to worship and love the ‘divine’ (I describe that divine through my understanding as the One God). I (try) to love my neighbor. Karma yoga: I (try) to do good works as an example of my love for the divine (usually) without regard for personal gain. I do not live a life totally devoted to meditation (the Raja yoga), I do spend time every day contemplating and conversing with the ‘divine’ (God). I may not ‘escape’ the cycle of birth and rebirth - entering Brahman - this cycle, I may be reborn into a more enlightened self in the next cycle. Ultimately, I have an eternity of cycles to ‘get it right’.

According to Humanists, I never have been damned. Since there is no God and no afterlife (heaven or hell), I can not go wrong. I live my life according to a code of behavior that gives me ‘pleasure’. I obey the law of the land. Worse case scenario, I am a little bit of a lunatic. My name is not in the history books, I have not amassed a fortune, and I am not 'considered' a great success (although with humanists - success is arbitrary so I may be a success). I have lived a lived a life that for me is okay. Why should I worry? There is no afterlife, so my ‘testament’ to life will be the number of people that show up at my funeral and my epitaph. Since I will not be around to know, who cares?

Options are Good.
If I am absolutely wrong in my beliefs, then the worse case scenario is that the ‘Divine’ will judge me as lacking, but I may still make it into ‘heaven’ eventually. The best case scenario is that my life will be ‘accounted for righteousness’ and I will be accepted into ‘heaven’. Meanwhile, I have lived a life ‘basically good’, I have HOPE, and I will die at peace (I will go kicking and screaming - but in the final analysis - I have PEACE about this life and the hereafter). Therefore, even if I am completely wrong, I have hope, I have love, I have rest, and I have peace.

Some Options are Bad.
If, on the other hand, I am absolutely right, what does that mean? "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."" John 14:6

No ‘good works’ will save anyone. No belief in a ‘religion’, denomination, or ‘church’ will get one into heaven. No suicide ‘for god’ will erase sins and bring ‘glory’ to Allah. No trappings of religious fervor will help one. No ‘path of enlightenment’ will mitigate a guilty verdict or allow endless chances to become ‘enlightened’. No human knowledge will explain away the existence of God when standing before His Throne facing judgement.
One not believing in the salvation offered by Jesus on the Cross face a ‘guilty’ verdict and be eternally separated from God.

As I said, I have HOPE for a better forever. I have love and rest in the knowledge that God calls me, “His own”. I have hope and peace, knowing I have been judged ‘Not Guilty’ and will spend eternity in His Love…

If I am wrong about salvation, so what?

If I am right, Hallelujah!

Can you say the same?
Is it worth the gamble?


Notes
[*] See the ‘comments’ for a partial listing of Bible verses showing that ‘Christians’ have already been judged righteous.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

A Time of Thanks

It is Thanksgiving, an ‘American Holiday’. It has many traditions. One of my family’s traditions (for as long as I can remember) has been to sit around the table and each of us tells a few things that we are thankful for from the last year. Having served in the Army, an old Army saying comes to mind, “Any Thanksgiving (or any day) that you are not being shot at, is a Good Thanksgiving!” Having had a few ‘bad’ Thanksgivings, good Thanksgivings are treasured.

This year, our ‘family reunion’ will be in the late Christmas season, since my family is currently scattered around the Globe (literally). So, I thought I would ‘share’ my Thanksgiving list with you…

Understand that my ‘view’ of Thanksgiving and the thankfulness I feel is viewed through the ‘lens’ of the sovereign grace of God (see the articles “Setting the Record Straight” and “Seeing Black and White in a World of Shades of Grey”). No thing happens that is not in His will according to His timing.

This has been an ‘eventful’ year for me.

10. Finally, through the grace of God, my disability claims settled. These claims relating to injuries suffered while in the military have been an ‘uphill’ battle to have them ‘adjudicated’. It has been a seven year struggle that finally ended with favorable results for me. [I learned many lessons about relying on God during these past seven years.]

9. The settlement of the disability claims has had two primary ‘results’ that are reasons to give thanks. The first is that I have been able to access more medical care in a timelier manner. The direct result of that has been a stabilization of my medical conditions (as stable as any ‘degenerative’ medical conditions can be anyway).

8. The second has been a stabilization of income. The last few years have been an odyssey through ‘relying on God’ when penniless and homeless. That odyssey, and the lessons regarding God’s view of debt are detailed in my other blog Unchained Slave - Free To Serve.

7. It is definitely related, but the opportunity to share my odyssey through an in depth study of debt both experientially and Biblically has been a real blessing in itself, and I am thankful for the opportunity to do that.

6. The opportunity of ‘entering’ the “blogosphere” is predicated on two inter-related things. The stabilization of income (I am now receiving disability pay that is ‘sufficient’ for my needs) and the ‘ability’ actually to ‘retire’ from the workforce (having to work seriously exacerbated medical conditions) have made my life much less stressful and allowed medical stabilization. It has also allowed the time necessary to read, research, and write blogs. I consider that a great blessing.

5. I am very thankful for my family, especially my parents. I love my mom and step-dad. It is funny, but there is an old adage, “The older I get, the wiser my parents become.” That is certainly true in my case. I really value the godliness and wisdom of my parents. This year it is particularly poignant. My mother, after hospitalization for a heart condition and fit with a pacemaker, is ‘fully’ recovered and back to her ‘old’ self. This was a scary and trying time. While we (the rest of my family and I) are confident that she is eventually bound for a far better place… We still value her in this life. At the same time, my step-dad, diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, is continuing to confound doctors having lived well past ‘their’ "best case" prognosis. Again, while assured that he is bound for a far better place, we still like him around. For a couple in their late 70’s their quality of life exceeds their doctors’ best estimates - a living tribute to the Grace of God.

4. I am thankful for friends. There are two groups to acknowledge. First, there are those friends, especially Ms. Nancy, Kathy, and Linda and D.L. that have opened their hearts and their homes to me. If it were not for them, I might well be celebrating Thanksgiving in a homeless shelter. They have supported me physically and financially through a number of tough years. (God has provided them to meet my needs when I did not know how I was going to make it.) Secondly, the friends I have made in the blogosphere. Loren especially (and his wife Nancy for ‘giving’ him the time to write and respond), has been a ‘God send’. His blog, "Pulpit of the Last Days", has been an inspiration and a place of learning. That does not even mention his contributions, challenges, and critiques of my blogs.

3. I would be very remiss if I did not acknowledge a great sacrifice. As I sit here pounding away at the keyboard, with a Bible on my desk, I have to give thanks. Without the sacrifice hundreds of thousands of men and women, this might not be possible. There are places in the world where internet access is limited, and owning a Bible is a crime. As a disabled combat veteran, and an American, I can truly appreciate the ‘oath’ to “uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States” that every member of our armed forces takes. Without these people, the FREEDOM that we Americans take for granted would not be possible. They preserve for us the rights and privileges we enjoy every day. If they are sitting at home with their families today, or in a foreign land, far from the ‘creature comforts’ we expect as ‘rights’ - they are all making sacrifices for us. If one agrees or disagrees with the “War in Iraq” or the “War on Terror”, that is ‘political’. The ‘right’ to disagree with policies regarding those wars is a ‘right’ they ensure. They do not ‘make’ political policy, they “obey the orders of the President of the United States and the officers appointed over” them. So wherever they (you) are… I thank them for that sacrifice.

2. I am very grateful for the blogosphere itself. Without it, I would not have had the opportunity to share my experiences with debt. More importantly, I would not have the opportunities to tell you about the wonderful gift of salvation offered by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. My brother once told me, “There are only two things that last forever, the Word of God, and people.” He is right. John 1:1-2 tells us the “Word of God” is a facet of God Himself. That leaves us with people. The soul lasts forever. The question is where a person will spend that ‘forever’. I am blessed and thankful for the opportunity to share how you can have assurance that you spend forever in the arms of a Loving God instead of eternally separated from Him.

1. I am thankful for God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 I am so thankful for God’s love. While I have lived through some very difficult times, I know that without God’s love, I would not have made it. Without His promises, His gifts and His grace - in this life - I would be far worse off than I am. More importantly, without His greatest gift, His Son’s sacrifice, I would be without hope. I KNOW I am not ‘good enough’ to make it on my own merits. There are too many skeletons in my closet to even think that any good I could do would ‘erase’ the sins I have committed. I am so thankful that God has PROMISED that through His Son, my sins are forgiven. Whether I die today, tomorrow or thirty years from now, I know I have been judged “NOT GUILTY”. How can one be more thankful for anything than that one simple fact?

Happy Thanksgiving…

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Destroying America - God’s Way - Part II

If one wants to destroy America, all one has to do is ‘test’ God. There is one place in the Bible where God says, “Test Me!” [1] It has nothing to do with ‘testing’ God’s judgement.

I am not a ‘doomsayer’. I am not a ‘hyper-conservative’ ‘Christian’ that has been saying for years, “If God doesn’t judge San Francisco and New Orleans, God has to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!” [2]

I am pretty much a simple man. I do not have the gift of prophecy or interpreting prophecy [3].

My primary concern in life is the ‘Great Commission’ [4]. In a nutshell, the song Amazing Grace (words by John Newton 1779) speaks specifically to ‘where my heart is’. There is the phrase,
“When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun...”

One must also recognize the obverse is also true,
“When they've been there ten thousand years
In Hell's bosom won,
They've no less days in torment's maze
Than when they'd first begun…”

Friends, an eternity separated from God is torment. Numerous articles here explain my earnest desire to count you a member of the ‘family’, and how you can ‘rest’ in God’s saving Grace.

However, having strayed a little, let us get back to subject at hand. I said I am not a prophet. I do not have that gift… Personally, I am grateful for that, it is an awesome responsibility. In matters of prophecy, I defer to others. I look to men of God that have studied Biblical prophecy for decades.

What I am ‘seeing’ through their words scares me. They are systematically outlining the destruction of America through the ‘lenses’ of Biblical prophecy. These are not ‘right wing hyper conservative’ Biblical bigots. These are not people looking for their “15 minutes of fame”. They are God fearing people looking at the historical and prophetic significance of events in America today. These people study the Bible regularly. They do not ‘jump on the bandwagon’ of the latest ‘religious’ fad. Many of them are ‘shunned’ because they teach the Truth, not what people want to hear.

In the three part article "Judged" we discussed the FACT that God judges everyone. We discussed the fact that God is a righteous God, and (in part 2 comments section) that God is Just. What we did not address is that God not only judges us as individuals, God also judges nations. Again, the focus of the “Judged” series is where we will spend eternity based on our individual judgement by God. However, in ‘this life’ as short as it may be, we must also look at other aspects of God and His judgements.
God judges nations based on their ‘community’ behavior. Specifically, Psalm 110:6 says, “He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries.” The Old Testament is rife with God pouring out judgements on nations. Sodom and Gomorrah are the ‘classic’ example, but that just begins to scratch the surface. The New Testament ‘God of grace’ is the SAME God of wrath from the Old Testament. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that God does not change. He is the same, “yesterday, today, and forever.” In other words, God continues to judge nations based on their ‘community’ behavior.

Review the article here, “Palestine vs. Israel” (July 23, 2005). In it, we discussed that God made a covenant with Israel (the Jews). He promised them the land of Canaan. This is a promise from God. It cannot be revoked. God gave the Jews the land of Canaan.

So, the question is what does any of this have to do with Biblical prophecy? More appropriately, what does God’s promise to Israel about Canaan, Biblical prophecy, God judging nations, and current events have to do with destroying America?

For about 50 years after Israel became a nation, the United States of America unilaterally supported Israel. Financially and politically, it was the policy of every administration to support Israel. Back in 1991, that stance changed. Since 1991, the United States has used political pressure on Israel to give up their land in an effort for peace.

We already know from “Palestine vs. Israel” that there will be no peace until all Jews are dead and all of Israel belongs to Palestinians (according to Palestinian philosophy). Now the United States is helping Palestinians carve up Israel in an effort ‘make’ peace. That is a dangerous thing. It tempts God to pour out His judgement on the United States.

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast many ‘hyper conservatives’ “Christians” came out of the woodwork saying, “See, God is judging New Orleans! I told you so!” It is an interesting point of view. However, some others took a much harder look at the devastation and came to a different conclusion.

William Koenig published a book, “Eye to Eye: The Consequences of Dividing Israel” available at Amazon.com. He published this book in 2004. In it, Mr. Koenig outlines how some of the worst and most costly natural disasters in America follow political actions dividing Israel. Understand what he is saying. Mr. Koenig asserts that many natural disasters in America are divine judgements. Taking Israel away from the Jews results in a natural disaster.

Whoa! That is a very strong statement. Mr. Koenig’s book examines the historical evidence predating publication in 2004.
Mr. Koenig asserts that:
- 9 of the 10 costliest insurance events in U.S. history
- 6 of the 7 costliest hurricanes in U.S. history
- 3 of the 4 largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history
- 9 of the 10 top ten natural disasters in U.S. history as ranked by FEMA by relief costs
- the two largest terrorism events in U.S. history

These are all catastrophes that did occur within a couple of days of the American Government influencing Israel to give up land or divide Jerusalem. [Again, this book was published eight months before Katrina.]

That is very strong ‘stuff’. How does Hurricane Katrina rate? If Mr. Koenig’s assertions are correct, then Katrina MUST be ‘related’. August 22, 2005 Israel, under U.S. and international pressure, completed a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The next day, Hurricane Katrina developed off the coast of Bermuda. It was only the most powerful hurricane in modern history. Katrina devastated New Orleans. She interrupted 25% of the U.S.’s crude oil production. She effectively shut down the largest port (in terms of tonnage) in the U.S. It is an ‘interesting’ coincidence.

So, Mr. Koenig is a ‘nut-job’. He is some ‘hyper-conservative’ ‘do-gooder’ preaching out of a tent somewhere in Oklahoma or Kansas looking for his “15 minutes”. He has picked some random events and pieced them together. Hindsight is 20-20. He just got ‘lucky’. In the first place, Mr. Koenig did not predict ‘Katrina’. He identified a pattern of events. One could call them coincidences, but that denies the nature of God. Mr. Koenig identified this pattern eight months before ‘Katrina’ was ‘born’.
However, he could be a ‘nut-job’. I do not think so. You see, Mr. Koenig has some ‘interesting’ credentials. Mr. Koenig is an unusual individual. In fact, he is rare. He is one of only 250 people in the world. Mr. Koenig is a White House press corps correspondent. He has passed Secret Service investigations and background checks. He has limited access (as an individual not part of the administration) to the President of the United States. Think about it. Here is a person that has access to The President. If he was a ‘nut-job’, there is no way he would have that kind of access.

Mr. Koenig is not alone. Many Christian leaders and Bible scholars have come to same conclusion as Mr. Koenig. Dr. David Reagan of "Lamb & Lion Ministries" has published an October 2005 ‘Special Edition’ of "Lamplighter" Magazine addressing this issue in a Biblical perspective [5]. In the ‘Special Edition’ Dr. Reagan cites numerous columnists and numerous other ‘Prophecy Teachers’ that have arrived at the same conclusions.

The bottom line is this. I am not a prophet. However, the conclusions of these Biblical scholars seem unavoidable. As long as the Government of America pressures Israel into giving up its land or dividing Jerusalem, America will pay a price in judgement. If one wants to destroy America, all one has to do is keep encouraging the Government to dice up Israel. The judgement of nations does not have the same ‘eternal’ consequences as judgement of people (although there are implications for the ‘Millennial Kingdom’). A question we as a nation need to ask ourselves - Do we want to stand ‘with the World’ or ‘with God’.


Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

That is my fervent prayer. That God will turn the heart of our ‘king’, President Bush. I pray that the President will stop trying to divide Israel, and start defending her again.


It is ironic that as I write this, "Fox News" has two articles that are ‘pertinent’.
The first, "Rice Brokers Mideast Border-Crossings Deal" talks about how Secretary State Condoleezza Rice has brokered a plan to ‘surrender’ control of a Gaza Strip border crossing from Israel to Palestinians. Its date is 15 November. The second, "Tornadoes Charge Through Midwest" talks about the spate of tornadoes that slammed the Midwest and Southeast U.S. overnight, and it is dated 16 November. Is this another coincidence?




NOTES:
[1] God says, “Test me,” in Malachi 3:10 - 11 regarding blessings bestowed on one for ‘Giving to God’. One should take note of Malachi 3:9 - God curses the ENTIRE nation for NOT giving to Him.

[2] The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is in Genesis 19. Genesis 19:24-25 specifically tells us God destroyed the cities.

[3] The Holy Spirit bestows Spiritual Gifts on all believers according to 1 Corinthians 12.

[4] “The Great Commission” found in Mark 16:15, “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Crf. Matthew 28:19)

[5] Dr. Reagan outlines some of the significant events (and the judgements) since the change in the Administration’s dealings with Israel. Additionally, Dr. Reagan points to some of the historical consequences other nations have faced, from the Roman Empire to World War II.

[**] Read the ‘Comments’ for some additional information.

Monday, November 07, 2005

Evolution A Theory
Philosophy and Science

The Theory of Evolution is an amazing thing. It is the greatest religion in the world - a religion that requires both less and more faith than any other religion. Evolutionists have more faith and more faithful adherents than any other religion. The basics of Evolutionary Theory are simple. It accepts all, rejects none and embraces a need in humans to believe (in something). Evolutionists fall into two categories. The first category is the majority. It is comprised of those that believe without true knowledge because ‘science’ says so. They are blind to the reality of their beliefs, but accept because it is practical. The philosophy of the theory is easy to embrace. For these, it takes little faith and grants great license. The second group is the hard-core faithful. They know the truth of the theory. They believe with a faith rivaling even that of a suicide bomber believing they receive blessings by blowing themselves up - as long as they take some enemies with them to the after life.

The majority of evolutionists do not truly understand the science of the theory. They accept the theory because it is easy to believe. The primary advantage to believing evolution is relief. The philosophy of belief is readily acceptable. To an evolutionist, because we are descended from primordial ooze, there are no absolutes or moral imperatives. Anything is permissible without consequence. Every major religion requires accountability. There are ‘rules’ in the religion. To be a ‘faithful follower’ one must abide by the rules. To ascend to a higher level on must obey the guidelines of that religion. This is true of all religions except evolution. With evolution comes freedom.

The religion of evolution is all accepting. There are only two absolutes. The first absolute is that the theory explains everything. The second absolute is that there are no absolutes. One can embrace evolution and any other religion in the world and still be right. The defining characteristic of evolution, the religion, is the importance of self. Again, there are no moral imperatives except what is ‘best’ for the individual. All of ‘society’s’ or any other religion’s rules are subject to interpretation. Evolution explains the existence of societies and religions by simple extension. From fish to primates, there exists a social order. The higher the level of intelligence the more sophisticated the social order. Therefore, humans, having the highest intelligence, have the most sophisticated social order. However, that order is secondary to the imperatives of the individual. Society’s rules do not necessarily apply. “It is only wrong if you get caught,” is the ‘optimal’ awareness of self. Further, if one does something that is ‘wrong’ by ‘society’s’ standards, it is society’s fault.

There exists some ‘manifest’ inconsistency in society’s norms if one does something that society calls wrong. For example, an individual steals a TV to pay for a drug habit. There is a flaw in society. Society’s social order has not evolved enough to encompass that individual. It is society’s repression or discrimination of that individual that caused the individual to ‘turn’ to the escape of drugs. The ‘laws’ of society do not bind that individual because society repressed or discriminated against the individual. Therefore, the theft of the TV is not really a crime. It is a ‘cry for help’ to a society that ignores one’s needs.

How liberating is a philosophy or religion that requires no accountability? It is freedom to the ‘unknowing’ faithful to live within such bounds. One can, literally, get away with murder - as long as one ‘justifies’ their actions within a framework of faulty society based on no absolutes. The lynchpin is the idea of ‘survival of the fittest’. By justifying ones actions, one is ‘more fit’. The unknowing faithful accept the science of evolution without scrutinizing its framework. There is truly bliss in ignorance. The vast majorities of evolutionists do not understand its science, but accept without knowledge because of its ‘easy out’ philosophical ramifications. Most accept because it gives them liberty without conscience.

Evolution, the religion, can accept any action, belief, or behavior - as long as it does not threaten the religion. Even the‘unknowing’ ‘believer’ in evolution will defend the theory. The reason is simple, by threatening the theory; one threatens liberty without conscience. That would mean a ‘believer’ might actually be ‘accountable’. That is unconscionable. An attack of the theory is a galvanizing, unifying factor bringing a defense stronger than many religions could muster. If the theory fails, then too the philosophy of life fails…

That is a brief summary of the ‘unknowing’ majority. The theory itself is relatively unimportant. What is important is the philosophy of life the theory allows one to embrace. “I can do anything to anyone - without consequences - if I don’t get caught - and maybe even if I do!”

However;
There is another group of evolutionists. These are the hard-core faithful. They are a minority. They know and understand the scientific elements of the Theory of Evolution. They are those with the greatest faith. Their faith is greater than many religions in the world. To understand why this minority maintains a greater faith than some of the most ‘religious’ individuals in the world, one has to understand the science of evolution not just the philosophy of evolution.

Understanding the basics of the science of evolution requires knowing the difference between some terms. In science, some terms have different meanings than how they are ‘commonly’ used. The two most important terms related to scientific definition are law and theory. A scientific law or natural law is an absolute. That is, something defined as a natural or scientific law is absolute. It is proven. The ‘action’ or event is constant. An experiment serves as the proof of the law. For the proof to be acceptable, it has to be constant and consistent. The proof is contained in the experiment. The experiment contains certain elements. The experiment has to have a predictable, reproducible result every time. Using the Law of Gravity, if one drops a weight from a (any) height, the weight falls to the ground (or gravity source). The result is predictable. The result is reproducible. No matter how many times one drops the weight, it falls (unless acted upon by an outside force - another scientific law). It does not matter what distance the weight is from the source of gravity it falls to the source. This is a definitive proof. It has consistent reproducible results every time (there are even mathematical proofs that show the consistency of the reproducible results).

Conversely, a scientific theory is a model to explain an event without a proof. There is no experiment that yields a reproducible, predictable result. Additionally, the theory itself does not explain the event within existing known laws. Succinctly, a theory is never a fact, but instead is an attempt to explain one or more facts.

How does this difference between theory and law apply to the Theory of Evolution? First, let us ‘define’ the basics of the theory. According to the theory life, species, and humans evolved vertically [1] from non-living matter through the millennia to its present state. It bears noting that the Theory of Evolution itself is evolving. Scientists are at a loss to explain (or prove) the ‘original’ theory. They keep modifying the paradigm in an attempt to ‘explain’ the errancy in the original theory.

Evolutionists will argue that a ‘reproducible, predictable’ experiment does not exist because ‘nature’ takes millions of years and generations to produce a higher order of being. To date, science has discovered NO ‘missing links’. That is, science has discovered no ‘cross-species’ that bridges a gap between two completely different species [like fish to squirrel]. Many species have been found that contain one or more ‘elements’ of a lower species but a singular missing link at any stage of the evolutionary chain has yet to be found. Evolutionary scientists attribute this lack of a ‘missing link’ to a ‘beneficial’ mutation [a modification of the original model or paradigm]. That is, in a relatively small number of generations, a singular mutation occurs which radically alters the essential nature of a species (for the better). Again, there is no evidence of such an occurrence as it is a theory. One should note in current scientific studies, there are many examples of mutations. These mutations are either neutral (having no affect on the subject) or detrimental, causing negative affects.
Additionally, scientists have been trying since pretty much the beginning of ‘scientific study’ to create life. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein aside, the re-animation of dead tissue or the creation of life from non-living matter remains elusive (do not think scientists are not trying it).

The millennium of generations is another matter to consider. Since the first studies in genetics and recessive versus dominant genes, there has been an experiment that encompasses “millennia”. The “fruit fly experiment” is still in use in both high school and collegiate biology. The basics of the experiment are simple. Four variations of a fruit fly (drosophila) (red eyes - curly wings, red eyes - straight wings, black eyes - curly wings, and black eyes straight wings) are cross bred to examine dominant and recessive genes. The relatively short life cycle of the drosophila allows this experiment to be conducted in a single semester. This experiment has been reproduced literally billions of times. (Consider the math, if this experiment is done in 10,000 schools world wide - a significantly low estimate -, with an average of five generations per experiment over 20 years that is a million generations of drosophila [2].) The results have always been the same… A predictable gene drosophila is the product. That is, one can predict the results of the offspring before the offspring hatches. Consider that this experiment is repeated year after year, in school after school (it has even in been done in outer space), the results are always the same and always predictable.

In the entire history of this experiment, no one has ever bred anything other than a drosophila. If evolutionists are correct, a ‘beneficial’ mutation SHOULD have occurred. Evolutionists contend that a ‘beneficial’ mutation will occur in a ‘radical’ environment and manifest itself in a relatively short number of generations. Knowing the conditions in one’s high school, one could extrapolate that the ‘radical’ environment requirements are easily met. Consider just the differences in environments between a high school in Maine and one in California. Add temperature differences, other factors like concurrent experiments in the same lab, or the differences between Earth and outer space and the geometrically exponentially HUGE possibility for a ‘beneficial’ mutation is mathematically astronomical. Yet, this uncontrolled controlled experiment has consistently produced a predictable result. There is no record of anything other than a drosophila ever resulting from this experiment.

One might argue that some ‘beneficial’ mutations have, in fact, occurred but not been reported. Considering the astounding significance of such a mutation, it stretches the limits of ‘suspended disbelief [3]’ to accept that. Very few college or high school science teachers would not recognize the importance of such a mutation (not to mention the students recognizing its importance). The fact is no one has ever reported such a ‘beneficial’ mutation.

In its modified paradigm, the Theory of Evolution fails to provide a proof for its three basic tenets. 1. That life can come from non-living matter. 2. That there is any significant evidence of a ‘missing link’ or a ‘beneficial’ mutation. 3. That within a millennia of generations a beneficial mutation will manifest.

When one considers a scientific theory, one must weigh the theory against scientific or natural law. The theory of evolution, in its basic essence, requires the ‘suspension of disbelief’ in Natural Law. That is, the theory of evolution contradicts Natural Law. Specifically, the Theory of Evolution contravenes the Law of Entropy (also known as the Second Law of Thermodynamics). The Law of Entropy states that a system goes from order to disorder. This is a Natural or Scientific Law. It is a ‘proven’ law, in that it provides a predictable, consistent, reproducible result (that is also demonstrated by a mathematical proof). An example of the Law of Entropy is an ice cube left on a kitchen counter. The ice cube reacts to its environment and becomes ‘room temperature’. If the room is warmer than freezing, the ice cube melts (at the same time slightly lowering the overall temperature of the room). In the scientific community, the Law of Entropy is so fundamental, “if anyone has a theory that violates the Law of Entropy then, without any discussion, that theory must certainly be wrong.”

Every ‘beneficial’ mutation ‘step’ up the evolutionary ladder from primordial ooze to human beings is a direct violation of the Law of Entropy. That means that One of the most fundamental natural laws has had to be broken thousands of times by random chance (a non-reproducible chance) to ‘create’ a higher order of being. Here is where the Theory of Evolution meets faith. For a scientist to believe the Theory of Evolution, they have to believe that a “fundamental bedrock” of Natural Law is flawed. An evolutionary scientist (the knowledgeable hard-core faithful) must ‘believe’ a theory that “must certainly be wrong”.

Disbelieving the Law of Gravity with great faith will not allow one to fly. Disbelieving the Law of Entropy with great faith will not ‘make’ evolution true. Regardless of the paradigm, scientifically, the theory of evolution must be false if it violates the Law of Entropy. There exists no modern (or historical) paradigm for a theory of evolution that does not violate the Law of Entropy. It is with great admiration, one must respect the ‘faith’ of a person intimate with the SCIENCE of evolution. They know they are believing in a theory that (by definition) MUST be wrong - and dedicating their lives to trying to prove it right.

To put it in a simple (borrowed) form: It takes much more FAITH to believe we evolved from a rock, than it does to believe that God created the Universe.

Consider this:
The Theory of Evolution exists as an effort to explain facts. It exists without any incontrovertible evidence, and in direct violation of Natural Law. It is accepted as truth when it, by definition, is fundamentally flawed and must be wrong. The Theory of Evolution is in reality a philosophy and religion of convenience. It absolves the individual of any responsibility. It creates in itself a ‘social structure’ of complete selfishness, allowing the believer to act how they want without restraint. While for the ‘unknowing’ majority, it is a religion of license, for the knowing it is the greatest faith. It is a faith that actually defies Natural Law and its consequences.

As stated, it takes more faith to believe the Theory of Evolution than it does to believe, “In the beginning, God”.

The bottom line is this:
The Theory of Evolution is not so much science as it is a philosophical/theological argument to disbelieve in God.





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Notes:
[1] Vertical evolution is the change in an object/species to a higher (more complicated) object or species. This is different from horizontal evolution that is the adaptation of an object or species to its environment without a ‘fundamental’ change in species.

[2] The number of generations does not take into account: the number of drosophila per experiment (a minimum of eight - one male and one female per variation). Calculate the number of students participating with their own ‘batch’ of flies (if there are 10 students per class per experiment). The companies that provide the drosophila (the drosophila has a two week life cycle so one company providing ALL the drosophila for the experiment has to hatch a minimum of 26 generations a year of eight flies per school [minimum]). Factor in the fact that the drosophila experiments are not 20 years old but actually 100 years old. [This math is almost impossible - but trying to calculate the actual number of generations of flies over a 100 years results in numbers well into the billions]. This does not take into account the additional research labs world-wide that use the drosophila in genetic experiments (conduct a Google search for either drosophila or “fruit fly experiment”).

[3] Suspended disbelief is that state where one ignores the unbelievable, in fact accepts the unbelievable as ‘true’. - An example from modern culture, “Harry Potter” requires one suspend their disbelief in magic. For the sake of the story one believes there exists a society of magic users practicing magic while the ‘World as we know it’ calmly continues around us.