From Joy to Sadness

As we reported a couple of weeks ago we
were expecting another child. We are no longer expecting as today we
found out the baby apparently failed to thrive after the eighth week.
That was about the time we realized Birdie was pregnant. Birdie
started spotting yesterday around noon and the doctor said if it got
worse to go to the ER. We made that trip this morning where a
sonogram confirmed what we already feared. There was no heartbeat.
Birdie still has not technically miscarried yet but it is simply a
mater of time.

Please keep Birdie and I in your
prayers during this difficult time.

No Bones Here

I have given this a lot of thought and prayer after Luke asked me to throw him a bone.  The fact is that Christianity (following Yeshua) is an exclusive faith.  As appealing as it sounds to make it somewhat universal, by essentially saying there are layers of salvation based upon how you lived your life, it just does not line up with the things the Yeshua said.  Leaving Paul out of this, who from what I have read, simply expounds upon Yeshua's words, Yeshua, Himself in plain words, said our salvation is based upon Him and our faith in Him.  There is no in-between.  Sin and death are the problems. By dying (complete separation from the Father) in our place He paid the price for our sin demanded by Jehovah.  This in of itself was enough to satisfy His wrath, but Yeshua did not stop there He then conquered death when He resurrected Himself.  There is no amount a right living that we can do that can obliterate the sin in our lives. Even the smallest of sins would make us imperfect and unable to stand in His Holiness.  It is not that He intends to destroy us it is just that imperfection will simply not stand up to the complete perfection that is Jehovah.

The fact is that false beliefs of people like Mr. Nelson are extremely appealing to those who have loved ones outside of the faith.  It gives them a sense of comfort that just maybe their loved ones will not be completely separated from them.  But this is a false comfort, and is extremely dangerous.  It is dangerous because it gives us a sense of saying that I need not worry about Mom or Dad or (insert person here) as long as they live a relatively “good” life.  They may not be in Yeshua’s inner circle so to speak, but at least they are not spending eternity in the lake of fire.  The thing is he is deadly, eternally wrong.  His writings will ease the conscience of those whom just CAN”T give their allegiance to Yeshua, and in not doing so will spend eternity living with the consequences of that choice.

I believe I have shown that Mr. Nelson’s teachings are wrong using the Words of Yeshua and simple logic, and it would behoove you to actually sit down and read the Word without commentary from anyone other than the Holy Spirit.  It is amazing what you learn when you trust the true Author of the scriptures rather than listening to men try to interpret it’s meaning.  As I have said before I do not believe I hold some kind of authority on what the Word says, but I am a student and I try to listen to the Author. If you look through the scriptures you will see a thread of faith being the focus of salvation, not works. Basic logic would tell you this.  Abraham, Noah, Enoch, Melchizedek, and Joseph to name a few were men of faith before the Law was codified.  How then were they subject to the Law that was not yet written? The Word even mentions that Abraham’s faith was counted as righteousness. Even after the Law was written a thread of faith was involved.  The sacrifices were made, but it was faith that made the sacrifices real and faith in the future Messiah that was ultimately the real source of salvation.  Throughout history those who have sought out Jehovah have found Him.  As I have said before and the Word backs me up if you seek Him you WILL find Him.  All that keeps either your loved ones or my loved ones from Him is their own pride and willful rejection of His truth and offer of salvation. 

And LIFE Moves On

As most of you know we have a large family. Not as large as some, but larger than most.  It is getting bigger.  We found out last week that the nest will have to be expanded sometime in January.

Birdie is doing as well as could be expected excluding morning (all day) sickness. We are excited to be adding another child to our family, please keep Birdie and the new baby in your prayers.

A Travesty of Legislation

I normally do not post on the world of politics anymore but, a power grab by CPS is in play right now and has been placed on the Texas Governors desk in what amounts to a legislative ambush.  The fourth amendment rights of parents in the state of Texas are in dire peril.  We need to act now to prevent this travesty.

Go here, here and here for more information then got to:

http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/

Or call:

Toll free: 1-800-252-9600
Phone: (512) 463-2000

Or fax:

Fax: (512) 463-1849.

Firey Serpents and Yeshua

“I have some immediate questions: One question that I have right off the bat is about the word “believe” in 3:16. Perhaps Jimmy could help shed some light here. Does it mean that I believe that Jesus is the son of God? So does Lucifer, shall he have eternal life?”

While I am sure Jimmy could shed A LOT of light on this subject, I think I have the answer and I shared it in the previous post.  The key to understanding John 3:16 is in John 3:13-15.  It refers to the story in Numbers 21:4-9.

4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey.

5 The people spoke against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food."

6 The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

7 So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people.

8 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live."

9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.
Numbers 21:4-9 NASB

 

First off Luke, I was wrong about something.  I thought that the story about Israelites being bitten by snakes only made them wish they would die.  I was wrong the snakes were killing the Israelites. This is what happens when you reiterate a story by memory and don’t check the source.  When they complained to Moses asking Him to intercede with Jehovah to get Him to take the snakes away, Jehovah had Moses do something unexpected.  He had Him make a likeness of the snake and lift it up in the wilderness.  Then He instructed the people who had been bitten to look upon the snake and they would be healed and not die.  There was no merited favor, no works that needed to be done, simply having enough faith to look at the snake to be healed.  Simple faith that Jehovah would do what he said He would do.

It is interesting to note that Jehovah did not do what the Israelites wanted Him to do.  The most logical thing in their minds was to have G_d get rid of the snakes.  Instead He forced them to believe in faith that he would not let them die even if they were bit by one of these deadly snakes.  They would still suffer the consequences of their rebellion (being bit by the snakes) but they would not die if they had faith to look upon the image of the snake to be healed.  

Yeshua was pointing out that the kind of faith and belief in Him, the Son of Man, is the same kind of faith and belief the Israelites had to exhibit in looking upon the serpent to be healed from the bite of the snake.  If we have the belief in faith that He will do what He said He would do then He will be just and faithful and forgive us of our sins.  The Word does make reference the demons believing and trembling but not having faith.  So the key is faith, not believing that He is the Son of G_d, but believing IN Him and what He did for us.  Faith pure and simple nothing more nothing less.

 

16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes IN* Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NASB

* emphasis is mine

 

Belief, Faith, and Salvation Part 2

“I understand that God is Holy, and that prior to His incarnation as Jesus, He could not tolerate sin any more than we could tolerate His judgment. But once He incarnated, He walked each day with sinners, and patiently explained our errors, and led by example. Instead of being some overwhelming force of nature, He became one of us, albeit the perfection of man. If Jesus wanted to summon the chariots of angels and smite us all, He could have; but instead He wanted to show us infinite love and compassion. Otherwise why incarnate at all? He could have just nuked the planet from orbit and started over.

The only logical result, given our sinful nature and our lust for power over others, was that He would be put to death. God of course knew this before He ever incarnated, and therefore we know that God willingly sacrificed Himself… why?”

Why?  This is because Jehovah said from the beginning that the price of sin is death.  This was not simply a physical death but a spiritual death. Complete separation from Him for all of eternity.  These were His rules He could have done anything he wanted to absolve us of sin including starting over (He almost did), but His love for us stayed His hand.  Through the systemic sacrifices to atone for sin He set up for the Hebrew people he showed that the absolution for sin was through the death of a perfect sacrifice.  Even then He knew that the death of even perfect animals could not in fact absolve those sins.  These sacrifices were a sign of faith for His eventual sacrifice for us (though some could not see it).  The prophet Isaiah was one of the prophets who saw this clearly. Even then the people had to accept the sacrifice in faith.

Whether you like it or not, God is the one who condemns us. If I murder a man and stand trial, during sentencing the judge might scold me and say that my own actions have condemned me to a life in prison; but that is empty rhetoric. Look up the word in the dictionary, Eaglewood. It is the Judge that condemns. It’s not just a semantic distinction; God takes responsibility for His creation, and makes His judgment knowing full well the consequences for us. He certainly knows the consequences of our sin better than we do. And He also knows that the cotton candy approach of forgiving everything would not help us either.


But given that He is perfect and Holy, and could not tolerate the smallest measure of sin, He knew that heaven would be very lonely, and that virtually no one would have a chance at salvation. He might as well nuke the planet from orbit. Instead He had a better plan. He would incarnate as flesh, and force his perfection into the vessel of a human brain and body, to better understand us, and for us to better understand Him. He gave the power of judgment to this man, to Himself, to Jesus. He will act as our defense attorney, the prosecutor, and the judge. The facts will not be in dispute in this trial, so there will be no jury of our peers. Jesus will know our heart viscerally, as a human, in a way that the Father could not, but for His incarnation as the Son.

Jesus said, “I am the way.” But he did not mean that the only way to avoid the second death was to believe that He is the way. He meant that He will judge us. Period. Full stop.

If I were a Muslim, or a Buddhist, or even an atheist, Jesus might think I was pretty confused, but would He necessarily condemn me? You say yes. If I understand your logic, it is as follows: All are sinners, and all would be condemned, but because of some magic power called “absolution”, faith in Jesus is what will make Jesus decide that He should judge you worthy to walk with God.

First of all, define absolution and show me how this concept is biblical. Secondly, show me where Jesus says that it is belief in Him as the Son of God that will “save me”. Prove it.

Come on Luke send me a curve ball, something that might even challenge me as it is you just lobbed a 12 inch softball right over home plate.

The central core of the Christian faith is summed up in one verse but the supporting verses after it go on to show that your whole premise of judgment and why He came to not be supported in the Scriptures.  I for one will take what the scriptures have to say any day over the conjecture of  man and his agendas.

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
John 3: 13 – 21 KJV

13 "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.

14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."
John 3: 13 – 21 NASB

I used two different versions here the KJV and the NASB. I prefer the NASB as it is more literal than the KJV but the KJV is the more common translation.  As you can see Yeshua in his own words is saying that belief in Him is the criteria for eternal life and not perish. This is in verse 16, verses 17-21 state He was sent as a Savior not a Judge and sets down the case for the need for a Savior not a Judge.  Verses 13 –15 take some understanding of the history of the Hebrew people.  This is a story that Nicodemus would have been familiar with being a Pharisee. The gist being that when Jehovah had cursed the Israelites in the wilderness with snake bites that would not kill but make the people wish they were dead He had Moses fashion a bronze serpent and had him raise it up upon the desert and those that looked upon the serpent and believed they would be healed, were.  Yeshua used the analogy to show that salvation was analogous to this event in history and that salvation was through faith and nothing more.

“I believe that Jesus was the Son, the incarnation, the living, human God. I believe that He will judge me one day. But I do not believe that my belief in Him will make the difference in His judgment. It may help, but I don’t accept that it is the only measure. My faith in Jesus may make me a better man in this life, but I am not convinced that my faith alone determines my fate in the next life. There is a hierarchy in heaven, after all.”


“I guess I am disagreeing with you, technically. I am speculating that without Jesus we would all perish because God the father would not put up with our crap.

But I am also saying that it is not specifically the faith in Jesus that will save some of us (I hope me too), but rather the fact that Jesus has the capacity to understand us and measure our sin against our success at loving God and loving each other.

One point that was made by the article I showed you is that it is hard for people like your mother to love God when they think that God will send them to hell if they do not believe in Him. This runs counter to our nature and if it is actually the case, you should be able to a) prove it, and b) explain it in a way that an agnostic can understand. If you can’t do b, that’s ok. But if you can’t do a), then you are in peril because you may be contributing to your mother’s lack of love for God, which is definitely a problem.”

There may very well be a hierarchy in Heaven I will not disagree with you on that.  I would even go as far as speculate that the things we do in faith and out of love will determine to some degree our position in that hierarchy, but it has nothing to do with salvation or what is commonly referred to as justification.  We cannot earn justification no works we could ever perform will ever justify us to Jehovah.  And it is not that Jehovah cannot stand our sinful presence, it is that we could not survive in His perfect presence.  In order for us to survive that we had to be made perfect and based upon the rules Jehovah had set forth from the beginning only His death could accomplish such a task.  I know that it sounds wrong, it goes against our nature, but Yeshua said that His wisdom would seem foolish to man and that many would stumble and fall because they could not get beyond that obstacle of the simplicity of faith.

Being a former atheist myself, I understand that hurdle, yet being able to explain it is not always easy.  My mother’s lack of faith was used to illustrate that we are not comfortable with the thought that there are those who will choose not to believe.  My mother is openly critical of the hypocrisy that is rampant in the church. She uses it as a foil to bolster her claim that she wants nothing to do with Christianity if that is what Christians are like.  Nothing I have said has changed her view because her heart has been hardened for decades.  She made her choices a long time ago and no amount of impassioned pleading, or logical arguments is going to sway her.  That does not mean I do not pray that her heart will be softened and that one day she will see the truth.  But the choice is up to her.