Those Other Angels

There is a conspiracy out there. There is only one. There is an adversary who opposes God and all God represents. The enemy is the author of deception, by which he has taken over the inheritance of God's children. (We battle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12) The Bible tells us to be wary of being misled by the the wicked one, who seeks to ensnare us by wonderful lies and lure us away from the safety of Christ, our only Savior. (And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14) We are warned not to let the gospel be changed so as to eviscerate the heart of the what saves us. (But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.Galatians 1:8) The Bible is quite clear that the scriptures end with the book of Revelations. (For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelations 22:18-19)

What is the main thrust of the lie that Satan tells? The main symptom of demonic deception is the elimination of the Lordship of Jesus Christ, either by denying who Christ is, or by elevating man to the status of godhood. The lie creates the illusion of a level playing field.(For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. I Timothy 2:5,6)

Desire of Nations, Come

Are you tired? Are you dreading the start of the day, where you take your place in the game? I am seriously not meaning to detract from your sincerity, when I say that what you are feeling is a good thing! Are your eyes open to the double face of society? Does the hypocrisy wear you down? Good for you. Do you feel as if you cannot keep up? Congratulations. Does the competition spark a conviction that you are not good enough? Even better. To be able to get ahead by reason of pretensions, pride, and slanderous gossip is the method reserved for those without conscience.

You are being schooled in a better way. Jesus is calling us to be a warrior for the truth of His name. Each time the gospel, the good news, is shared, the Lord has won a battle.

"There is a price to pay! The world turns dim and gray." It is a blessing to be, for His sake, rejected in the here and now. It is a blessing to be hurt and bewildered. It is good to not be fulfilled by things that cannot satisfy. He is instilling in us desires that only He can bring completion to. "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad", for the Lord rewards, those who are His, from His own hand. He personally, holds and comforts the disowned, the disenfranchised, the lost innocents who cry out to Him. It is a compelling of the heart, His to ours. There is no harm that His pure presence cannot heal. It is the ultimate justification of our needs (for Him) and our efforts (for Him) to find our rest and perfect peace in Him.

Wadda Ya Mean, No?

You tell me you have good reasons for not giving your life to Christ? (Please excuse me for a moment while I get a grip on my exasperation.)Whatever objection is raised I have heard it before. I would like to entertain a few of them for you.

Christianity is for the weak. Well, of course! I am glad we could start off in agreement. Only Jesus can take the weak and foolish and win battles with them. Now you didn't think any rational person would surrender, to be saved, if they could very well do it themselves? The message I hear underneath this is that you believe you are the strong one. You believe you can save yourself.

It's a wicked world we live in. You have to be the tough guy so nobody will want to take you down. Honestly, there's a lot you just don't know. The biggest, baddest dude was once a terrified child, even if he does not remember it. God remembers. He knows that it is an issue of trust. He knows that each time you defend yourself with your anger, you place another brick in the wall of your prison, further away from Him, from what it is that you really need. Him.

I'd have to surrender my intellect to believe in fairy tales. That's putting it rather insultingly! The biblical narratives have more historical corroboration and material evidence supporting their validity than any other events of ancient history. Any "evidence" speaking against God and the Bible is only a parroting of opinion, flying in the face of the facts. Is is simply rebellion given voice. If it was really the truth you wanted, you would be doing the research, and reading the Bible. (Jesus said when you know the truth of who He is, it will set you free.)

I'm okay (a good person). By saying this, you are making a lie of God's standards, placing your own morality above His and making it clear you do not care what He thinks at all. What we do, is work for what is convenient for us, for what will get us what we want. God's perfection allows Him to accept suffering, even more than all the rest of us, to bring about the greatest good for us. How many people would you be willing to suffer for? Would you do it for someone who treated you badly?

If you will not willing surrender to the persuasions of gentleness and a shockingly exhilarating freedom, then you have become God's artwork despoiled, vandalized by the lies of pride. Humanity without Him is but an empty husk, a twisted shadow of the image of loving dominion (Jesus) that we were meant to be.

Proof God Exists

There are a lot of offerings on the topic of proving the existence of God. Where to begin? There is the fact of literally fulfilled, word for word Bible prophesy, happening in both biblical times and in our own. There is the evidence of deliverance, of the change to glowing positive, in the lives of those who commit themselves to Christ. The obvious order, majestic beauty, and intelligence in our world, each lend their voice in proclamation of their creator. Abundant archaeological findings verify the names and places spoken of in the Bible. Two of the gospel accounts are the reports of eyewitnesses of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. All these examples testify for God!

Yet, there are some for whom nothing of what God does is sufficient. No proof is enough proof. If it were merely a matter of intelligence, it could be assumed that they are mentally challenged. No, what is happening is that these self appointed revisionists of history, and mockers of the sacred, have become mere pawns of God's(love's) enemy. They choose to be objects of His derision when they turn to fight the Almighty. There will be no one who can rescue them.

The one proof that the rejectionist will never have in his life, of the great and good God, is a personal relationship with Him. He will never know the joy of the miraculous, the gratitude of specifically answered prayer, and the wonder of how infinite is the wisdom of God. There will never be the dramatic, awe inspiring intervention for him, of the healing hand of God. He will never have his pain turned into glory. There will be no comfort, for pain will only increase. True love is hidden from his comprehension. The one thing he needed most of all, the proof of God's caring, tender, solicitous involvement in his own life, he has dismissed as just so much trash!

And You?

All of us know one. There is a person in our lives who stands out. It's not for a positive reason, but for their ability to make choices that cause pain and destruction to everyone, including themselves. This unhappy individual discredits whomever they are associated with. The natural impulse is to distance oneself, to sever the relationship.

An obviously needy, manipulative, and angry evildoer has a largely unrecognized advantage over his brethren, who reserve for themselves the "superior" moral position. His malfeasance is a matter of public knowledge. He has already suffered through consequences and public censure. He is cognizant of his need to change and his total inability to do so. He has only one more step to take to change his misery to glory. The pain which drives him can land him in the embrace of the only One who can save him.

Far less fortunate (except in his own mind) is the man who is satisfied with his own moral character. This "good person" sees himself as a cut above those indulging in the grosser sins of the flesh. However, the difference is only superficial, only what can be seen by the eye. The reality is, under the skin, we are all the same. The corruption made so manifest in one life, festers under a thin disguise of civilization and education in another. It is only foolish pride which blinds him to his condition. He might have controlled, or masked, some of the symptoms, without availing himself of the cure for this fatal disease. There is a cure, an opportunity, free to those who are not too proud to ask......"
John 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

Is Faith Compatable With Reason?

I do not think the question should be approached (this time) with an attempt to scientifically prove the existence of God. There is plenty of information out there that could be presented, ad nauseum, which is persuasive in favor of, rather than supporting the alternative view of evolution. After all, "the only proof for evolution is the assumption that it is true"! Instead, a different way of thinking could be brought to bear by changing this question slightly to "Is faith reasonable?" The answers then can be understood on a more viseral level.

God is reasonable. He says "Come now, and let us reason together" (Isa 1:18) He wants to negotiate. Thing is, any debate with God is a losing proposition for the opposition, as I am sure Satan can attest. How can you argue with the One from whom comes only good for His people? You will very willingly be seeing it His way in short order.

Which reminds me of the next point. Why would anyone want to be a member of a religion? Religion has requirements and rituals for attempting to appease it's god. God, who reveals Himself in the Bible, instructs us to trust Him. He has done and is still doing the work which is our salvation. He knows we cannot. Anything we do for Him is just love on our part. What could be more inspirational than that?

What is outside the bounds of what is reasonable is turning away His free gift. God is under no obligation to prove Himself to us in any way, but because He is both just and merciful, He has left us with the record of His miraculous love. The one who refuses will be the one who is proved to be the fool, stripped of all semblance of reason.

He Still Bears the Scars....

How do you know when somebody loves you? It shows in what they do. The ultimate, the highest, the overflowing of it's expression, came how Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Jesus came into a sin darkened world and experienced the worst it had to offer so as to snatch us from the fire.

The call has gone out. No one will be refused participation in His love feast. Admittance is free for the asking. Our chosen inheritance is to experience His all out, all giving love. It is also to be remade into His image and likeness, with His perfection of character.

Our choice has consequences. There is pain and suffering involved in the shedding of our selfishness, when we die (with Him) to all but love. He was there before us and will not let us suffer for long. When we stand in front of Him, He will forever remove all our pain and the attendant scars. We will remember only the love, for His scars remain. We will be gazing in wonder on the open face of victorious love, whose disfigurement is the mark of truest beauty, and the measure of how greatly He values us.