Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

"We cannot conceive of a Creator who knows the end from the beginning, one who is Love, who has infinite wisdom, and infinite power, giving to any being life, life which is never to end, but to continue in suffering to all eternity. The Bible does not teach it anywhere in the original languages. God’s punishments are remedial and take place within the span of the ages during which He is accomplishing the making of man in His image and likeness. Punishment will last no longer than is necessary to bring man to hate his sin and be reconciled to his Savior." G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945) The Cross and the Ages to Come "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18) "Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of t...

”These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40) Who were those “all commended for their faith" ? The list is the hall of fame of the Bible…Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel. They were commended for their faith but did NOT receive immortal life that God has promised. God has promised to make us perfect… but not in this age…for now we all die. Now we can only believe the promise of God that…. “…as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” for “just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man” and these earthly bodies will be “buried in weakness and raised in power; buried a natural body but raised a spiritual body…The perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mor...

"Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the LORD says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” Oh, what a sinful nation they are—loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him." (Isaiah 1:2-4) The "LORD"  is Yahweh who became flesh and dwelt among us, He is Jesus, "the Holy One of Israel"  that  Israel turned their back on and had crucified when He came the first time. They are no longer the people of God but are termed "not my people" . "And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” (Hosea 1:9) But there will come a day when Israel will again become His people. "...and I...

"Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? And you know what is holding him  back, for HE CAN BE REVEALED ONLY WHEN HIS TIME COMES." (2 Thessalonians 2:1-6) The "man of lawlessness" Paul is speaking about is the Antichrist. There will be a final govern...

A few days before His crucifixion Jesus told His disciples about His return... "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,  but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be tak...

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) It appears obvious to me that the word “perish ” as used in Scripture simply refers to a person staying dead after becoming deceased. If there is no resurrection then death wins and nothing follows. However, the above Scripture says that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish” and that all “come to repentance” . There will be "victory" over death, our last enemy. So, what is God saying in the above verse? He says that NONE will perish and that ALL will come to repentance….because it is the WILL OF THE LORD as Paul tells Timothy... “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for ALL…For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; WHO WILL HAVE ALL MEN TO BE SAVED…For there is one God, and one m...

“Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies; do not be afraid…for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” (Deuteronomy 20:3-4) Before they entered the promised land Israel was told they would do battle with their flesh and blood enemies, but not to fear for the LORD would “save ” them…and He did. Today we are told that the struggle of mankind is with another kind of enemy… “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) Again, however, mankind is not to fear the "forces of darkness" for the LORD has promised to save...and He will. “In the world you have tribulation, fear not for I have overcome the world… put on the full armor of God…take up the shield of faith…take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit...

Jesus instructed humanity on how to pray. ”But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44) “...when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."  (Matthew 6:6) "...when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too." (Mark 11:25) “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25) "...bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:28) Until humans do this, the joy and peace that comes from believing in the God of the Bible will remain an  enigma . As Paul says... "For at present we are observing by means of a mirror, in an enigma, yet then, face to face. At present I know out of an installment, yet then I shall...

  When religion frustrates me I return to the basics I learned from my parents. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 KJV) "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23 KJV) How "sin" is dealt with is not that complicated. The bible tells me sin is dealt with as follows: The flesh and blood "mortal" bodies that all humanity are born with "in Adam" will be destroyed in death and returned to the "soil" from which it came. It is replaced by a glorified "immortal" spiritual body that all humanity will have "in Christ" at the consummation of the ages. "As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22 KJV) Jesus was the first to come out of death into immortal life but the rest of us will follow. That is the good news that even a child can comprehend - efforts to expand this...

“Love is never lapsing: yet, whether prophecies, they will be discarded, or languages, they will cease, or knowledge, it will be discarded. For out of an installment are we knowing, and out of an installment are we prophesying. Now whenever maturity may be coming, that which is out of an installment shall be discarded." (1 Corinthians 13:8-10) There are those who think there are still gifts of the spirit operating in the church today. I do not. My study of the Bible has convinced me that these once necessary gifts have not been operating in the body of Christ since the Apostles Paul and John received the final revelation of what God wanted humanity to know. The Bible is the “maturity” which was “coming” and it is now complete. Until it was completed our knowledge of God’s plan was “out of an installment” . Only that written in the pages of Scripture is authentic prophesy written by the prophets. There are no prophets today because the scripture is “complete” . “…since sure...