Einstein's Wisdom

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11)

There are two theories upon which all modern physics rests. They are Einstein’s theory of general relativity (GR) and quantum field theory (QFT), the mathematics of which are beyond my IQ and are "foolishness before God"...

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness; and again, the Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that they are useless. So then let no one boast in men.” (1 Corinthians 3:19-21) 

In layman’s terms GR is a theoretical framework that focuses on the big stuff like stars, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, etc. QFT focuses on the small stuff like sub-atomic particles, atoms, molecules, etc. Countless hours have been devoted by scientists in studying these theories looking for the so called Theory of Everything (ToE). As of today they have learned that GR and QFT both break down just before the beginning of the universe which they call the Big Bang.  Low IQ guys like me just believe that God “created all things” and that "the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God".

Many intelligent men think the idea that God created everything is a foolish myth.  Yet those wise men cannot explain creation apart from a Creator.  They should not "boast before God".

“God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

Missing The Mark

“For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ of Lord” (Romans 6:23)

I have been thinking about sin as that term is used in the Bible. It occurs in many forms and for individuals it ranges from innocently missing a free throw in basketball to murder in the first degree. But the greatest sin of the past 1700 years or so, in my opinion, is not individual sins, but the collective sin of most institutions of Christianity with respect to His plan in Christ Jesus to save the world.

Jesus Christ was sent by God to atone for and take away the sins of the world and he is proclaimed in the Bible to be the "Savior of the world".

"John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world… he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world…we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world… God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:14; 2 Corinthians 5:19)

Since about 325 AD the institutions of Christianity have encouraged others  to accept an “offer” to save, and added their own twist that anyone who refuses that offer will suffer eternal conscious torment in the lake of fire. There is no "offer" to save the world but the finished work of Christ in saving the world.

I sometimes wonder if it is this sin which will trump them all when Christians stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it has robbed the world, NOT of salvation which Jesus secured for all mankind, but of the KNOWLEDGE of the finished work of our Savior…

“This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things…And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming...For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ of Lord” (Romans 6:23)

Three Times Immersed

Jesus said…

"He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit" (John 15:5)

I once heard a sermon on evangelism which said the above means that saved people go out and win others to Jesus. The sermon went on to suggest that if we were not soul winners then we needed to make sure we had really been saved and quoted…

“…he who is wise wins souls.” (Proverbs 11:30)

Believe it or not he got a few “Amens” from the self-righteous folks who were involved in the ministries of the church…like me at the time. As a child growing up in the church from age 7 to 15 such sermons as these caused me to doubt my salvation and get baptized 3 different times, trusting these preachers and being convinced by them that I had not been saved. The truth is that none of those decisions and baptisms saved me. God saved me and everyone else through Christ Jesus 2000 years ago!

But what is this “fruit” that one who abides in Christ produces?

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Some people who never get baptized or go to church produce more of this "fruit" in their lives than some Christians I know…including myself. And many of them tirelessly teach their children to live virtuous lives and therefore, without knowing it, are the "wise" in that Old Testament proverb who  produce the "fruit" which can "win souls"…

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.” (Proverbs 11:30)

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

"The word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth." (Colossians 1:5-6)

The "word of the truth of the gospel" is rarely heard it in our churches…I presume because few pastors know what it is. Works are the emphasis at many churches...tithing, attending, joining and performing. But only those who know “the GRACE of God in truth” bring forth the "fruit of the Spirit".

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

People love you IF you bla bla bla….but God loves you unconditionally!

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Do Not Be Afraid

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men… Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed…These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority.” (Titus 2:11-15)

The Greek word for "grace" is “charis” and the Greek word for joy is “chara”. They are both from the same root. I have been told that there was not a great distinction placed between them in classical Greek. And the idea of joy includes thankfulness.

“Charis” (grace) is unexpected and undeserved favor joyfully given to another. “Chara” (joy) is the feeling experienced by both the giver and the recipient.

Christianity has so screwed up the gospel message that it is a wonder anyone experiences the joy of it so they can give God thanks for it. It is a simple message of "GOOD NEWS" for all.  When shared it brings "GREAT JOY"…not FEAR.

“But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”. (Luke 2:10-11)

We are to "exhort and reprove folks" with this gospel message of "great joy"…when folks grasp the grace of God in saving them, they thank Him.

Justified Freely

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the good news of God…regarding his Son…Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith…” (Romans 1:1-6)

If you are a Gentile like me, or a Jew who is tired of failing to keep the Law of Moses, there is some Good News from God given to the apostle Paul. You will find it in the New Testament books of Romans through Philemon.

This good news "brings salvation" to everyone.

“…it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16)

What is this good news that "brings salvation to everyone when they believe it?

“…all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:22-25)

This salvation is by the grace of God and is freely given as a result of the "redemption that came by Christ Jesus". All are "justified freely by his grace". We should be genuinely thankful to God for this GRACE in which we stand, expecting to one day be resurrected to immortal life...

"…the dead will be raised imperishable…for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:52; Romans 6:23)

Evil People Saved

The worst of Judah‘s Kings was Manasseh…

"So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel" (2 Chronicles 33:9).

But evil Manasseh humbled himself before God.

"Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom" (2 Chronicles 33:12-13).

And all other ungodly, hard hearted, evil Israelites will be humbled and saved…

“…a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." (Romans 11:25-26)

All Humbled And Saved

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble…and whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (1 Peter 5:5 and Matthew 23:12)

Even Gentile King Nebuchadnezzar…

"Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?" (Daniel 4:30). 

God opposed this self-exaltation by driving the king out into the fields to eat grass like an animal and became humble... 

"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven…and those who walk in pride He is able to abase" (Daniel 4:37).

All Gentiles who are not humbled in this life, will be in the next, after they are raised to stand before the Great White Throne and give account…

“I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it…I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne” (Revelation 22:11-12)

Is there any doubt at that moment all will be humbled by the event and the revelation of all their evil acts?

But all will be exalted and bring God glory when…

“…at the name of Jesus EVERY knee WILL bow…EVERY tongue WILL confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father…if you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Philippians 2:11; Romans 10:9)

All Redeemed By Christ

“The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU. So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer…Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us…in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:8-14)

Christ Jesus not only redeemed Israel from the curse of the Law, but the Gentiles as well (everyone else). And in Christ Jesus the unconditional promises made to Abraham rests on ALL because one day ALL will believe.

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things…EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (1 Timothy 4:9-11; Philippians 2:10).

Therefore, if the Bible is true, ALL will be saved and confess that Christ Jesus is Lord. We can chose not to believe that, but if you believe that the Bible is actually God’s Word, then eventually all will be saved.

Love Keeps No Record Of Wrongs

“Then David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. Nathan replied, The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” (2 Samuel 12:13)

My wife is the love of my life. In my eyes she is the perfect wife and without her I would only be half a man…she completes me and has done so for 40 years. I love her without reservation. She is also a great cook. But even the very best cooks learn by experience…and husbands learn to keep their mouth shut…by experience.

Early in our marriage she prepared meat loaf for supper. At the time we had a pet Saint Bernard who lived with us in our apartment in Norman. “How is it she asked” so I placed my plate on the floor in front of Puppy Casey. He sniffed it and licked it and then went over and sat in the corner. I laughed and said to Casey “I know what you mean”. Sue Ann didn’t think it was funny. She did not kill me but she did start me on an involuntary diet for about a week.

Life is where husbands learn they should keep their mouths shut…or pray and hope for forgiveness. Sue Ann loves me and so she forgave me, just like God has done for all us sinners. We suffer for some of our sin in this age, account for all of it later, but forgiveness is always the outcome of true love…and I sure am glad!

“…as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us…Love is patient, love is kind…it keeps no record of wrongs…Love never fails…the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life…” (Psalm 103:12; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Romans 6:23b).

Power To The People!

“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength...those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31)

Use common sense when you read verses like the above. Look around and observe your personal experience with life. It is our experience to grow old, get weaker, suffer from that condition, and then die. None of what Isaiah says becomes permanent in this life. Some suffer more than others, and often it is the very best and most faithful to God that suffer the most like Paul…

“…in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, and I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)

He suffered all this for sharing the good news that Jesus is the Savior of All, and will reconcile all creation to God, and that God will become All in All (1Timothy 4:10; Colossians 1:20; and 1 Corinthians 15:28). And when Paul prayed to God for deliverance from his suffering God told him…

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9)

So WHEN will the weak get power and gain strength? When will the young who become old and weak have their failing strength renewed? And when will Paul’s weakness become perfect strength?

NOT IN THIS LIFE, common sense tells us that aging, weakness, and death is the plan of God for us all in this Age, and the Hope of all is the "resurrection of the dead"…

“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.” (1 Corinthians 15:13-15)

What's Your Motive

"Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” (1 Corinthians 4:5) 

“each will receive their praise from God” - Each will receive praise from God based on "motives of the heart".

We are not to judge others motives, but God does and will praise all whose motives are pure.

Dark Times End - Glory Follows Suffering!

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

Peter was speaking to dispersed Jews who were undergoing severe persecution. But the truth about suffering applies to all mankind in this age. However, GLORY follows the suffering. That is the good news of the Bible. I have become tired of religious doctrine which ignores the good news of the Bible in favor of the bad news of Greek mythology. All have sinned, it is true, and suffer death because of it, and that is by the design of God himself. But what follows the suffering is Glory for all creation.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us…for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope…for we were saved in this hope…if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” (Romans 8:18-25)

Throughout history mankind has shown its inability to live in peace, and therefore suffers. Our dark times will end.

“…for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all…weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning” (2 Corinthians 4:17: Psalm 30:5)

We Will Be Like Him, Just Not Now

"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, WE WILL BE LIKE HIM, because we will see Him just as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

Not now…but "when he appears".

Bad News - Good News

The bad news…

“…when you were slaves of sin…the outcome of those things is death.” (Romans 6:20-21)

The good news…

“…you were not ransomed with corruptible things, like silver or gold…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot... who gave Himself as a ransom for all..."      (1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:6)

Not Even One

The bad news…

“They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good…there is none righteous, not even one.”  (Psalm 53:1 and Romans 3:10)

The good news…

"I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more…for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life…for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…." (Jeremiah 31:34 Romans 6:23; and Ephesians 2:8-9)

Not even one will be left behind, none are righteous, but all will be saved.

From Death To Victory

The bad news…

"…the dead know not anything …" (Ecclesiastes 9:5).

"… there is no work, or device, or knowledge, or wisdom in the grave where you are going" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

"The dead praise not the LORD…" (Psalm 115:17).

"In death there is no remembrance of Thee: In the grave who shall give Thee thanks?" (Psalm 6:4-5).

The good news…

“…for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed…then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:50-54)

All die, that is the result of sin, but death is to be swallowed up in the victory of immortal life.

Israel Saved

"Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel…I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people…they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," says the LORD. "For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31, 33-34)

Long ago, God promised a new covenant of grace for His people Israel. "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel." 

Someday, the Israelites will turn to Messiah as a group and enter into this promised covenant of grace.

"And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins'" (Romans 11:26-27). 

This will take place when the Lord Jesus returns to this earth. 

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn" (Zechariah 12:10). 

Grace is not exclusive to Israel.  Grace has appeared to all, and brought them salvation.

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men..."(Titus 2:11)

The Second Man

"The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust…Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:37-49)

I love the Bible and what it says seems perfectly rational and reasonable to me. God created mankind and set in motion the plan for mankind to be made into the image of God and have dominion over the Universe. The "first man" was Adam - he failed.  Jesus is the "second man" and succeeded.  He is the prototype, and the Bible reveals to me that all mankind are to be made like Jesus…the "hope of glory" for all mankind…

"… Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)

Satan would rob mankind of its greatest man...Christ Jesus…by making him God. Or worse…by making man himself God. Mankind is God's work in progress and Christ Jesus has triumphed to reveal God to the rest of us….not the religions of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, nor any of the others.  Jesus is the image of God. The rest of us are still of the first man mentioned above, all children of God waiting to be raised by Jesus into a spiritual body at his return. We will not be like God, we will be like Jesus, the image of God.

I did not learn this from attending church and I did not learn it from philosophers who abandon religion in favor of the reason and inspiration of educated men...I learned it from reading the Bible.

"Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule… God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until His task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns…now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is…for God rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” (Genesis 1:26; Philippians 1:6; 1 John 3:2; Colossians 1:13-15)

My New Year’s Resolution was at first the following…

"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2)

Then I remember a recent experience I had in "getting lost in my heavenly thoughts".

I was driving back to Sayre from OKC. I was on the North side around Penn Square on the loop headed WEST and home to Sayre and supper...lost in my thoughts about Heaven and how best to communicate my faith on Facebook. The next thing I knew my cell phone rang and Sue Ann asked "where are you?" I looked at the next road sign and noticed I was headed WEST and a few miles from Shawnee…. Sooooo I answered Sue Ann with the only logical answer I could come up with... "I was abducted by aliens and they dropped me off in Shawnee! - I'll be a little late getting home for supper"

Sue Ann didn't believe me!

So I altered my New Year’s resolution to read….

Under no circumstances will I set my mind on things above while driving my car...at least when Sue Ann has supper waiting on the table.