God Only Works with Honesty
Author: Christopher
•8:36 AM
When I arrived at work this morning a little before 8am, I noticed that we didn't have any coffee. Since life without coffee is not going to happen, and since the boss let's us purchase coffee on the company card, I headed out to the closest store, a CVS. 

At CVS, I headed straight back to where the coffee k-cups are at, and then I picked up some creamer, too (just in case). I had been really wanting some munchie snacks for later, and since I love chocolate chip cookies, I grabbed a 10 for $10 special. It would cost me a buck.

Or, I could put it on the company card. It was after all, only one dollar.

Noboday would know.

I would. And, God would.

But, it was just a dollar.

Then a thought came to my mind: the supernatural can only happen in a pure heart with an honest mind.

So, I decided that I would rather have God on my side, and pay for my own cookies.

I set down the coffee and creamer, and said to the lady that the cookies would be on a different card. She rang them up on the company card.

Then she rang up the cookies, and without my asking, she scanned the $1 OFF coupon that showed up after the coffee...and I got my cookies for free.

A little lesson this morning. God only works with truth.

*munch munch*
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Is Reincarnation Biblical?
Author: Christopher
•4:48 PM
There's an old saying that Christians sometimes use to refer to the new birth, "Born once, die twice, born twice, die once." The nonbeliever will die both spiritually and physically, but the born again believer will only die physically. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that "it is appointed unto men once to die" and that is the end of that.

But wait a second, what about reincarnation?
Most believers take belief about reincarnation and lump it under the heading lies-the-devil-tells-some-people, and then summarily dismiss it. I used to do it myself.  It's a deception plain and simple.

And yet it isn't plain and simple. At least not to me anyway. I saw a story once about a young boy who remembered growing up in a different county. He was able to direct his parents to his 'old' house; he knew things that he just shouldn't know. He could describe the inside of the house without ever having been inside it. This story changed my view on reincarnation.

It wasn't that I questioned the biblical idea of dying once. It just brought this topic of reincarnation out into the open where it couldn't just be dismissed with a thoughtless wave. And there are a number of similar cases of children recalling past lives -- just Google it.

Well, I think I have found the answer to this puzzle, or at least it is one that satisfies me. I have been reading a book titled The Field by Lynne McTaggart. It's all about the latest scientific research in the ZPE field, aka the ether. In this book, one of the physicists makes the startling discovery that memories are NOT stored in the brain. They are instead stored outside the brain in the ZPE field (this is the extremely powerful quantum field that underlies everything and permeates everything). Indeed, it is speculated that the ZPE field stores all information that has ever existed! (I realize that such an idea may be very foreign to you if you think of your brain as a computer, but prior to the invention of the computer, the brain was thought of as a lens focusing light, personality, etc. In those days, ideas came from God from outside the body. Inspiration means exactly that.)

Now, if my memories are stored outside my brain, it is quite possible that every once in awhile somebody else might accidentally link into it and get the wrong memories. It's like two computers with the same IP address or two houses with the same mailbox number -- sometimes the mail gets sent to the wrong house!

There is some evidence that yogi masters can access the ZPE field by inducing an alpha state in their brain waves. This same thing occurs when people are hypnotized. If that's so, then it also helps to explain why people who are hypnotized often come away with memories of past lives. They accidentally link up to the wrong address when they were under hypnosis. They experience genuine memories!

I like this argument a lot. It allows the Bible to be true while also allowing that, at times and under certain situations, some people do have memories of past lives. It also enables a skeptic like myself to say that just because you remember living that life does not mean that you are the one who actually lived it; it just means that you remember it.

What do you think?






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Why is the Old Testament God so mean?
Author: Christopher
•8:57 PM
This is my answer to a friend's post about the God of the OT who seems so contrary to the grace of the NT:

 I have gone through many of these same thoughts myself. I finally heard a fella say something last year that really helped me with the OT stuff.

The basic premise goes like this: When people reject God, they also reject grace. And, especially with the nation of Israel, this is so true.

Back then, it was as if Israel stood before God and said, "Let us see what it's like to live a life without grace." They refused Him and all that he is.

And God gave them what they asked for. He gave them hard religion, curses, plagues and death.

What I mean is God was NOT showing them what He was like, He was showing them precisely what HE is NOT like.

Read that again.

This makes what Jesus said even more amazing. He healed, he fed, he comforted, he wept, he forgave, etc., and then He said, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father."

It was as if He were answering this question that you and so many others have raised, "Is this murderous tyrant really God?" (paraphrased) No. It isn't.

That is life without God. That is life without grace.
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But John was left in prison...
Author: Christopher
•1:25 PM
After a year in a dark cell with his freedom taken away, John the Baptist wondered about this One whom he had proclaimed as the Messiah. Where was the kingdom? "Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?" (Luke 7)

But Jesus replied, "Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." 

God is God and He does it His way, not ours, in His time not ours. 

 And John was left in the prison. He died there. 

Wow, I can so identify with this! Like John, I have proclaimed the Lamb. I have seen heaven opened as it were. I have seen the multitudes repent and turn to the Lord. But now, for the last four years, I have not had a pulpit. I have not had a congregation. I feel shackled and locked up.

Lord Jesus, did I do it right? If I did, then why have I been set aside? Why am I voiceless in this wilderness? All I want is to stand before the people and shout the grace of God, and to be heard.

Will I die here? Without ever preaching again? Without ever seeing another soul turn to you?

I am tempted to be offended at You. I am tempted to despise the darkness and the loneliness. 

In my heart is anguish and jealousy and frustration. 

I wish I could send you a messenger like John did. 

Maybe then You would answer.

 
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Men Want to Prolong Life, But Not God.
Author: Christopher
•3:44 PM
Men want to prolong life. They don't want it to fade. They don't want it to end. They are afraid of it ending.

But not so with God. God has full confidence in his own resurrection power. God does not feel the need to prolong life. He knows that when a life ends, it can be resurrected to a newer, better life; A prolonged life only drags out the dying.

But men don't understand this. When the Lord Jesus mentioned that he would be crucified and then raised from the dead, Peter's response was, "This shall not be unto thee!" (Matt. 16).  Peter was not saying that Jesus shouldn't rise from the dead. He couldn't see that far. He couldn't see past the dying part. He didn't want Christ to die. The minds of men can only see up to death; they can not see through the death to the resurrection.

But God can and often does. Have you ever noticed that many of the miracles in our lives are not prolonging a life, but resurrecting a new one?

The treads on my car tires had begun to wear through. I prayed for God to reveal his mighty resurrection power. Well, that's not really what I prayed. What I really prayed was, "Lord, I need new tires. Please give me new tires." No sooner had I spoken the words than the left front tire blew out. God had allowed it to die. This was scary for me because in my human mind I wanted the new tires without the death of the old ones. But that is not how resurrection power works. It can't be raised to new life (quickened) unless it first dies (I Corinthians 15:36).

And God gave me new tires.

One day while I was at work, my wife called me. "Honey, the clothes dryer is on FIRE." After making sure that the right people had been notified, I hung up the phone and began dancing around the office with a big smile on my face. My boss wondered what had happened. I told him that we were getting a new dryer! Then I explained that God had allowed our old dryer to die, which could only mean one thing (since we obviously needed a clothes dryer), we were going to get a better dryer!

And, of course, we did.

When my job died, I wasn't so happy about it. I prayed the prayers of prolonging for months, but things at work just got worse. The dying was being dragged out. I was scared that one day I would arrive at work to find that we were permanently closed. Oh, how I worried and prayed. And, I sent out resumes and more resumes. But no hope came. Then just when I was as terrified as could be, God made a way through death. That job died, and a new and better one sprung up in its place.

God has full confidence in his resurrection power. Because of this confidence, he often will let that which we want or need the most to be taken away from us. He lets it die in order to answer our prayers. And he gives us a new life, a new job, a new set of tires.

So, maybe we need to stop praying for the situation to keep going.

Maybe we need to have more faith in God.

And pray for something new.


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Why are the lost condemned?
Author: Christopher
•7:59 AM

Start with the basics.

The Law has been taken out of the way, done away with, nailed to the Cross, replaced by a new covenant, etc. Pretty much every NT book restates this in some fashion, so we know that it is true.

If the Law is done away with FOR THE PURPOSES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS -- it is not done away with as an example, as a source of wisdom, etc. ---then it must also be done away with as a source of condemnation.

So, on what grounds does condemnation rest?

Gotta use our fine-toothed comb here: Men are NOT condemned because they reject Christ. They ARE condemned because they have not accepted Christ.

The lost do NOT all have to hear and REJECT the Gospel to be condemned. They do have to be in a position to have never accepted, because they never heard, because a preacher never came to them.

To coin a phrase, they are condemned for their un-in-Christ-ness.
Remember, it is not so much that they are condemned by God; it is that they have not been justified by Him (because they have not believed in Jesus, Romans 3). The whole world stands condemned. It is God's mercy that has found a way to save some.

The Law therefore -- and for those who don't even have the Law, their conscience -- serves to agree with God that all men have sinned and need a Saviour. It bears witness. It, the Law, is not so much a judge handing down condemnation, as it is a witness for the prosecution. It is not the rules that are broken which bring the fine/imprisonment; it is the voice in the onlookers' stand which says, "The Judge is just."
Think of two countries which are at war: The Good one and the Bad one. Adam came from the good one, but when he rebelled against God, he moved his citizenship to the bad one. Problem is, the king of the good country has already stated there will be a total annihilation of anyone not in the good country. (Why? dry leaves cannot exist in the presence of a burning Fire. Their natures are too different. The unrighteous cannot exist in the kingdom of Righteousness once it fully takes effect.) So, Adam is in a bad place. Adam has some kids. They are now citizens of the bad country by birth; they are also destined for annihilation.

Now imagine all 7 billion current descendants of Adam --All citizens of the bad country. Are they condemned because they have heard and rejected the Gospel? No, not at all. They are condemned because they are sinners -- By nature.

But, God in his mercy, left the throne of the Good country, moved into the Bad country and started telling everyone that there was a way to escape the annihilation that was coming. They could just believe his words, and he would in his mercy, allow them to move their citizenship to his Good country. Most mocked, some believed.

Those who believe are justified, and their citizenship is moved. They are saved because of their new POSITION which is 'in Christ.'

Those who do not believe are not justified, and their citizenship remains that of their fallen, father Adam. They are lost because they have not received a new POSITION but remain 'in Adam.'



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Split Personality Churches
Author: Christopher
•11:46 AM

I'm going to write up this note not to be critical, but rather to point out this glaring inconsistency which plagues our churches. Colossians 3:16 tells us that the songs we sing "teach us." The problem is that some of our songs are teaching heresy, and we as a church are singing them without any thought for what they're actually saying.

First, we sang "One Thing Remains" which is positively awesome. It is a song clearly rooted in New Testament truth, and it sings forth this truth in FAITH.

"Higher than the mountains that I face

Stronger than the power of the grave This song looks BACK to the Cross and Resurrection

Constant through the trial and the change This song talks about God's constant love

One thing remains

One thing remains

Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me

Note that in this song, God is the initiator. That he is generous, loving, kind.

On and one and on and on it goes

It overwhelms and satisfies my soul This song teaches that God's love in Christ is sufficient.

And I never ever have to be afraid

One thing remains

In death and in life I'm confident and covered by the power of your great love

My debt is paid there's nothing that can separate my heart from your great"

Note again, my debt is paid, nothing can separate me from God's love

Isn't that wonderful? In faith, we sing about the work of the Cross, God's constant love, the debt that's been paid, and how great God is. God is worshiped and his people are edified.


Then, we sang "Fall in This Place." This song was clearly written with an Old Testament mindset. It calls for God to do things which He has already done. It is, therefore, full of doubt. It does NOT believe the New Testament truths of Scripture which claim that God has ALREADY finished the work.

There were many people who were stretching forth their hands to God during this song. Pleadingly, though, not thankfully. That is sad seeing how that in Christ, God "has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3), and we are not lacking any good thing. Here are those lyrics:

"Take me to the place lord

Where there’s nothing else but me and you We are already in that place. Christ is our life.

Longing for your presence Christ dwells in our hearts by faith. His presence "NEVER leaves nor forsakes us."

I know that you are calling me to you If you are saved, God is NOT calling you to himself. He did that already.

Pre chorus

Here I stand

And long for your embrace This is a very common cry of the carnal Christian who walks by sight & feelings

Nothing else

Could ever take your place

Chorus

Come holy spirit The New Testament clearly teaches in Acts 2 that the Spirit came already. Live it by faith.

Fall in this place

I need more and more of you God has already given you the Son & the Spirit. You don't need more of God.

Fill me again with the power of your spirit We do need to walk in fullness, but this is achieved thru faith not doubtful pleading.

Lord i’m crying out for

More and more of you This would be more New Testament if it read, "I'm yielding more of myself to you."

Bridge

Lord i’m crying out for

More and more of you (oh)"

This second song literally made my wife cry. It puts the children of God in the place of beggars. It's underlying tone is that God gave stingily when he gave at the Cross and when he poured out the Spirit in Acts. It walks by sight and feelings, not by faith. It pleads with God to do what he has already done.

An Old Testament Levite might sing this song, but not a post-Resurrection believer. Do you know that when the Spirit "fell upon" the early church, the same Greek word is used for when the Father "fell upon" the returning prodigal son? It is the word for embrace. God has already embraced the church and HE HAS NEVER LET GO.

We ought to thank God for his great love, as the first song does, not plead with him to show his love, as the second song does. We ought to be worshiping God for his finished work, not pleading with him to do more.

These songs are teaching us older believers, and they are also teaching young believers who are learning about God through them. Are they learning the right things?

What do the songs teach in your church?

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