Sex, Death, and Creator's Displeasure

This week I want to share a few thoughts about some contemporary social issues in light of Biblical principles. Next week, I hope to finish the series on the "New Testament Conception of Law."

Human sexuality is probably the strongest natural and instinctive drive of human nature. History, biblical and secular, offers a long of examples moral and social havoc of fallen men and women. The lives of many people have been marred by the guilt, shame, and corruption of promiscuity. Many families have been destroyed by it as well. The effects of these tragedies is almost always felt by the circles of society in which the damaged people relate. Most people may not realize how these harmful situations harm society at large. As experience has been translated into justifications or coping mechanisms followed with new ideologies to further justify and normalize the evils of these moral and relational tragedies, the slow but certain effects are absolutely realized.

Secular culture guided by humanistic values and beliefs is one such ideology. Its religion of scientism and its sexual mores fill news headlines, police reports, and various professional studies. From the plague of divorce and teen pregnancies to rape, abortion, pedophilia, and gay rights agenda, the effects legitimated by psychologically latent ideology given official sanction is a great problem of our time.

Notice, all of the above is in apposition to the biblical basis of Western political freedom and rights as well as its natural law ideology. Sticking to my original goal, I refer to some biblical principles to remind us of our past and future destiny as human beings and as society.

The beginning of all existence is not Darwinian evolution or any other science, philosophy or even religion. The beginning and ending of life is God created. In Genesis 1:1, the self-evident truth is a Supreme Being created all things. Science has not and cannot prove it false because it is absolute truth. When each of us dies, what many practitioners of the medical sciences have researched, which also supports the biblical truth, is that life and death are not the only absolutes. God is. Eternal life in heaven or hell is. Jesus is the eternal propitiation for our crimes against God and His absolute moral laws in nature.

Another self-evident truth is God made humanity, male and female (Gen. 1:27). God made it a law of nature for male and female as one unity to reproduce and multiply (Gen. 1:28). This is the beginning of marriage, of family, and of society (Gen. 2:24). Any other sexual relationships like adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, or pedophilia are not only unnatural but crimes against God, society, and humanity ( Lev.18:20; 20:10; 18:22; 20:13; 18:23; 20:15). Any government who legislates otherwise is committing crimes against the same. As the apostle Paul states in the first chapter of his letter to the Romans, these things are worthy of God's wrath (vv. 18, 25-32).

God's law demands the death for those types of sins. It is the same punishment God informed Adam and Eve would suffer for any transgression. The day you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will die (Gen. 2:17). Evil denies this (Gen. 3:4). However, experience proves it was and still is the truth. Man was separated from his Creator. Humans began murdering each other. They began lying to each other, and doing many other evils. The result was death. Adam did not drop dead physically because death is not just the stoppage of bodily functions. Death is separation of right relationships like between spouses and families. Tragically, death is the officially sanctioned law of American society and most of the world.

Death and destruction has already come upon the world. Liberal politicians, lawmakers, NGOs, among nations and the United Nations are plannning, promoting, legislating, and funding the death of all societies around the globe. Gay rights, abortion, no-fault divorce, so-called sexual freedom, and the like are the goals of globalists today.

They are the servants of Satan and death. They oppose God and His law in nature--otherwise known as natural law--without conscience and with impunity. The fact that they push abortion as a right of women for almost any reason whatsoever is an affront to the One who created the process of life and its development. God did not create it for humans to kill and destroy life at will or mere convenience. A just God is not going to be tolerant of such blatant evil.

In fact, the secularist dogma of tolerance is the same as prevailed in Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19). God is not tolerant of moral crimes. Many blameless animals died to satisfy the punishment of God on sin. This phenomenon is a universal human practice evidenced throughout human history and all cultures where Christianity did not have a significant influence. Jesus died in order to forever satisfy God's law and its sanction for the ultimate purpose of humanity's restoration and reconciliation to their Creator. When the prevalence of crimes perpetrated around the globe prove irreparable, the end-time wrath of God will come to end unrestrained violation of God's law and the perpetual violence of corrupt humanity's sadistic and masochistic practices. As God promised Noah and all of his descendants, God will not destroy the earth with another flood (Gen. 9:9-17). However, prophets and apostles foresaw a latter day of fire and brimstone (Gen. 19; Joel 2:30-32; 2 Pet. 3:3-7).

The more I learn about the issues and how liberal lie and deceive multitudes of people and even judges, some lawmakers, and others the clearer the evidence of the approach of the end-times. For example, Roe v Wade and Doe v Bolton established abortion based on deception and lies. The belief in Separation of Church and State is a belief in a liberal lie. Legal history shows Congress rejected strict separation during the framing of the First Amendment. Gay rights is another liberal legislative effort of deceit. Sexual orientation means simply homosexual behavior. No civil right, human right, natural rights, or Constitutional law has ever existed based solely on protecting bad behavior, especially behavior opposing natural law. Gay rights is another liberal act of lawlessness. That is why their secularism--the anti-Christ, anti-God, and anti-religion-ism--boldly lies about America's Christian founding and about natural law being non-existent or irrelevant to Constitutional law.

Therefore, Paul warning to the Thessalonians must be remembered in this treacherous and treasonous times. The mystery of lawlessness is already at work (2 Thes. 2:7). The one who comes will with the "deception of wickedness for those who perish" cause many to believe lies (2:9-10). Why? "Because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved." "For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took please in wickedness" (2:11-12). This has come with evolution, with liberal secularism, humanism, and now through the seemingly strong deluding influence of leaders of the gays.

New Testament Conception of Law: Contemporary problems and ancient solutions Part III

The focus of the last post was on the law in the gospels. Jesus never claimed to have abolished or negated the Law of Moses. Jesus said he came to both fulfill the law and to enable others to do the same. By doing so, he established the moral law of God and His governmental model for all time. Because his suffering and death satisfied God’s law and justice, faith in Jesus is the means by which we all may obtain God’s pardon for our sins or moral crimes against the law of God. In this, the love of God is reveal and experienced. God is not tolerant. Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection fulfilled the law. The law of faith annulled the law of sin so that everyone who believes can fulfill the requirement of the moral law. Was this the view of Paul taught in his letters? If not, what was Paul’s view of law?

Paul’s View of Law

Paul’s conception of authority is important to understanding his view of the Law. In his letters, Paul clearly outlined the order of his authority. God was the highest authority. Paul called God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Savior.[1] The authority of Jesus is almost as high as God is. Jesus is the Lord, messiah, savior, and our hope.[2] Paul’s apostleship was “according to the commandment of God our Savior and Jesus Christ, our hope.”[3] Jesus called him to be his apostle,[4] but God had ordained it. [5] Having been appointed to his apostleship and instructed by Jesus, Paul’s instructions to the followers of Christ were the commandments of the Lord Jesus.[6] They were the laws of the Jesus, Lord and Messiah. That is why he distinguished his opinions from his speaking on behalf of the Lord. His preaching and teaching was the same as Moses, the prophets, or Jesus himself.

When Jesus ascended to heaven, he created or recreated all rule and authority.[7] The office and authority of his Paul’s apostleship was one part of the new universal rule. Just as God ordained secular authorities, so were those in the kingdom of Christ. Therefore, whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God.[8]

Paul defined the Law as the covenant of promise made to Abraham.[9] It encompasses the Law of Moses[10] as well as the word of the prophets.[11] The law of God was holy and good.[12] Paul even regarded the law as spiritual.[13] As we will see later, the new covenant in Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the one promised by Jeremiah.[14] As portended by Jeremiah, the law of God fulfilled because of becoming of human nature.

Paul dealt extensively with the purpose of the Law. He taught that the law was made for the lawless, not the righteous (lawful); in modern conception, it is to regulate the moral behavior of citizens, protecting law-abiding from the destructive.[15] It seems strange that he would claim it was given so that transgression of the law would increase.[16] He preached this to explain how the power sin dominated human life because of rebellion against the can’t of the law. The knowledge of sin comes by knowing the law. The principle goes back to God’s warning to Adam’s eldest son Cain. When Cain revealed jealousy of his brother Able, God told him, “Sin lies at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master or dominate it.”[17] The problem is we all have failed to master it. As Paul wrote, “we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.”[18] Therefore, “there is none righteous not even one.”[19] There may be some who are self-righteous, but none righteous before God.

The law also serves as a tutor teaching us all about our need for forgiveness.[20] The law then lead us to Jesus Christ because his death satisfies the required punishment of God’s law.[21] His resurrection is our hope of eternal life when we believe on the Lord Jesus. When anyone “confesses Jesus as Lord and believes in his or her heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved.”[22]

This concludes the definition and purpose of the Law as explained by Paul. In the next posting, Paul view on the law will be completed. Many believe Paul taught the law of the old covenant ended with Jesus. Whether this is true will be covered in the last part of this series on the New Testament Conception of Law.
_____________________________________________________

Notes:
[1] 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 1:3; 1 Col. 1:3; 1 Tim. 1:1
[2] Act. 2:36; Rom. 1:1-7; 10:9,13; Php. 3:20; 2 Tim. 1:10; 1 Tim. 1:1
[3] 1 Tim. 1:1
[4] Acts 9:1-19
[5] 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal.1:1; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:1
[6] 1 Cor. 14:37; 1 Thes. 4:2; Tit.1:3
[7] Col. 1:16
[8] Rom. 13:1-3
[9] Gal. 3:15
[10] Act. 13:39, 15:5, Rom. 13:8-10, Gal. 3:15; 5:14; 6:2; Eph. 6:2
[11] Rom. 16:25-26; 1 Cor. 14:21; Isa. 28:11
[12] Rom. 7:12; 1 Tim. 1:8
[13] Rom. 7:1
[14] Jer. 31:31-34; 2 Cor. 3:1-6; Gal. 4:22-31
[15] 1 Tim. 1:8-9
[16] Rom. 5:20
[17] Gen. 4:6-7
[18] Rom. 3:23
[19] Rom. 3:10
[20] Gal. 3:22-25; 4:4-5href="http:
[21] Gal. 1:3-4; 3:24
[22] Rom. 10:9-10

New Testament Conception of Law : Contemporary problems and ancient solutions Part II

The focus of the last post was on the law of love. In the liberal or secular equation, the law of love equals tolerance of moral relativity, even immorality. In both the gospels and Paul’s letters, the law of love means fulfilling the moral law of God because of the abiding love for God and for others. This kind of love is result of experiencing the redeeming and restorative love of God. According to Paul, the law of love sums up the whole Law of Moses, but how exactly did Jesus and Paul regard God’s law.

Many believe the Mosaic Law ended forever with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Following this view to its conclusion, the view of life lived by faith and love is the only law of God. Moral law somehow ended with Christ. Is this liberal conception of law represented in the gospels, teaching of Paul or John?

Jesus’ View of Law According to the Gospels

Jesus said he came to fulfill the law not abolish it. When Jesus spoke about the law, he meant Torah law. The law of Israel was the Law of Moses. This is the law God gave Israel. Jews were subject to the laws of foreign empires like those of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. As it today, liberalization of local law gave some excuse to live immoral lives. Nonetheless, the law of God was Israel’s local law. It was under Roman influence that Jesus lived and died.

Under the laws of Moses, the Jewish people were promised a life of good health and healing. It seemed that Jesus had no problem with breaking God’s laws. He healed on the Sabbath. He and disciples picked grain to eat while traveling during the Sabbath. To many Jewish leaders, these actions were crimes against the law. To Jesus, the law was being fulfilled. No human heals another. Medicine does not heal. It enables the body’s immune system to fulfill its job of healing. Otherwise, medicine kills diseased cells or effected organs surgically removed. Because only God heals, Jesus was simply following God. Eating on the Sabbath was not a sin. Because Jesus followers had no food, they picked grain to eat. So how could picking grain to satisfy hunger be a crime to God? At least that is the implication. What offended the Pharisees more than doing some work on the Sabbath was the authority Jesus claimed for allowing his followers to do so. Jesus justified it by saying his was Lord of the Sabbath.[1]

Beyond these issues, Jesus explicitly said he did come to abolish the law or the prophets but to fulfill both. His position about law was made in the Sermon on the Mount, in which he said,

“Do not think I came to abolish the law or the prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say unto you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever annuls one the least of these commandments, and teaches other to do the same, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”[2]

When lepers were healed, Jesus instructed them to go fulfill the requirement of the law.[3] When a disabled man was healed, Jesus told him to sin no more.[4] When Jesus forgave an adulterous woman caught in the act, he told her to sin no more.[5] It seems Jesus was being tolerant towards the adulterer, but actually, he was simply being just. The unjust Jews did not fulfill the law by bringing the man also caught in the act. The law required judgment of both adulterers. Therefore, it was only just for the women to have a second chance as well. When we consider the various acts of healing, exorcisms, and forgiveness, we witness Jesus instructing those who received mercy instead of judgment for their moral crimes to sin no more unless worse consequences occur. Jesus did not give anyone an excuse not to keep God’s moral laws. Jesus upholds the validity of God’s law. Jesus in no way suggests that he has eliminated the requirements of the law of God. His purpose was not to create antinomianism or anarchy, but his purpose was lead all to fulfill God’s law.

Jesus made another interesting statement in the Sermon on the Mount. He said,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father…. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’”[6]

The key to understanding this statement is the word lawlessness. This means two things: (1) God does not accept people who live contrary to the moral law of God. How could people live in the kingdom of God if they will not live according to God’s laws? In Acts 2:36, Peter confirms that Jesus was made Lord of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ perfect fulfillment of God’s law does not excuse anyone from breaking it. On the contrary, followers of Jesus receive the Spirit of God in order to fulfill that law. Those who enter the kingdom do so through Jesus. When they do, they are still accountable for obeying the law of the kingdom. (2) Lawlessness also means doing work of the kingdom without fulfilling God’s will. Notice Jesus said those who do the kind of works he did was not a ticket to heaven. If self-aggrandizement was the purpose of those who healed the sick and cast of demons, the aggrandizement is their only reward. Most people can think of a charlatan who pretended to do miracles only to get rich. This is implied in Jesus’ statement. His statement also means those who do not do what the Lord wanted them to do. Beyond living out the moral law, when people disregard Jesus revealed will about doing or not doing something, for example, praying for someone in need or some other service would be to disobey the Lord, which is lawlessness. Of course, one cannot disobey what has not been clearly revealed or commanded.

Obeying a command from the Lord Jesus and keeping the moral law seems more like duty. It could seem as something motivated by fear of punishment or losing salvation. It cannot be denied that disobedience will result in God’s judgment not his blessing. The purpose of salvation is the restoration of individuals to a right relationship with their Creator and kinsman redeemer. This is an act of God’s love solely initiated by God, which is life changing. It is natural, therefore, for recipients to respond to God with thanksgiving and love. The writer of the First Epistle of John stated it best when he wrote:

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He first loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins. If God so loved us, we ought to love one another.”[7]

The motivation to love God is the result of God’s unmerited love experienced by us. We experience this unmerited love because of the terrible sacrifice and suffering of Jesus. He bore the punish we deserve for the moral crimes we commit against the law of God. Once we have realize the full meaning of Jesus’ suffering on our behalf, our experience love God’s love become the motivation of our love toward Jesus and God the Father. This what Jesus meant when he said,

“He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me; and he ho loves me will be loved by my Father… and we will come to him and make our abode with him.”[8]

Nowhere in the gospels will the reader find Jesus contradicting, replacing, annulling, or negating the law of God. In addition to the law of redemption, the law of Moses is God’s model of government, of constitutional law, and of a common law. Jesus did not negate that law. The death and resurrection of Jesus satisfied the justice required by God’s law concerning our moral crimes. Consequently, the sacrificial laws are no longer valid for redemption. "By the works of the law no one will be saved."[9] Salvation is by faith alone in Jesus. Without submitting to his Lordship, salvation is not complete. The love of husbands and wives and their mutual submission to each other makes a marriage relationship. In every marriage, one of the spouses leads and the other follows in most things. This is true in most covenant agreements as well. In the kingdom of God, the love between the Lord and us is a mutual one. However, the authority of the covenant belongs to Jesus. We follow and he leads, and God is pleased.

In the next post, Paul’s view of law will be explored.

Notes:
[1] Matthew 12:1-14
[2] Matthew 5:17-19 NASB
[3] Luke 5: 12-15; 17:11-14
[4] John 5:1-17
[5] John 8:1-11
[6] Matthew 7:21-23
[7] 1 John 4:10-11 NASB
[8] John 14:21,23d NASB
[9] Galatians. 2:16

New Testament Conception of Law : Contemporary problems and ancient solutions, Part I

The underlying problem in American culture is the law. The underlying issue of the cultural war is not liberal party politics versus conservative party politics; the most fundamental issue is the rule of law. The legal and cultural battles concerning separation of church and state, abortion, and gay rights are battles over the rule of law. Liberals violate Constitutional law while conservatives defend it. At least that is what recent legal scholarship demonstrates.¹

Just as the rule of law established though constitutions protects American social and political rights, the rule of law and Constitutional law is rooted in biblical conception of law. During the colonial era, some Christians, however, held a belief called antinomianism. It is “the belief that Christians are not bound by established moral laws, but should rely on faith and divine grace for salvation.”² Antinomianism was rooted in a peculiar interpretation of the gospels and especially the letters of Paul. The ramifications of such a doctrine lend itself to social and political anarchy, or its modern conceptualization by the “hippie” generation as doing your own thing. In academic circles, it is called post-modernism, which is actually difficult to define simply. Concerning morality, post-modernism rejects Western moral tradition. It was replaced by moral relativism—no moral absolutes, only what is right to each person or collective.³ The post-modern conception of morality is a return to antinomianism, except its version encompasses current politics, the ideal of the rule of law by written constitutions, and more importantly the Christian view of law.

The rebirth of the post-modern form of antinomianism is evidenced by statements of contemporary religious and political leaders who use the New Testament as justification for social policy and law. The often-heard message of social justice based on a theology of love is usually synonymous with the liberal view of tolerance. A morally tolerant law of love replaces all other conceptions of law upheld by both Jesus and the apostles.

It is readily admitted that the law of love is central to the teachings of Jesus and his apostles. Jesus claimed the greatest commandment of God was to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength as well as to love your neighbor as your self.⁴ Notice that Jesus upholds the revealed law of God. Jesus also commanded his followers to love each other as He had loved them.⁵ As the author of the first letter of John writes, this new commandment is actually the old law applied.⁶ The law referred to is found in both Deuteronomy chapter 6 and the 19th chapter of Leviticus.⁷ The apostle Paul takes the law of love further in many of his letters. For Paul, love is the summation of all of the law of God.⁸ He elaborates on the law of love in 1 Corinthians 13, in which he writes,

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. Love never fails….”⁹

Did Paul expect social laws, which are supposed to protect individuals from murderers, rapists, thieves, and the like, would conform to his definition of love? To make such a claim is more than incredible; it makes very bad exegesis and theology subservient to crime. Paul is not dictating legal codes for society, but a definition of brotherly love for followers of Jesus. His definition may be an extended application God’s agape love, but it in no way contradicts God judgment of sinners who reject His love through Jesus. More succinctly, God will offer no tolerance, grace, love, or mercy to those who live in rebellion to his moral laws. In the final analysis, the message of the last book of the New Testament, Revelation, is a restatement of the same old message of God. God will serve up capital punishment forever to those who live against His moral law.¹⁰ God does not tolerate moral crimes. Jesus had to suffer and die in order for God’s justice to be satisfied. God’s tolerance only exists towards moral criminals to the extent of atoning Jesus death, individual acceptance of the terms of forgiveness, and subsequent loyalty to Jesus, God, and the moral law. That is why Paul wrote,

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”¹¹

If your life ends without Jesus being the ruling Lord of your life, you will have no acceptance by God, no place in the kingdom of His son, no salvation from God’s eternal judgment, and no escape of the torments of hell’s justice.

It is true that the law of love is the central tenet of the kingdom of God, but not as defined according post-modern or liberal ideologies.

So then, what is the biblical conception of law according to the gospels and the writings of Paul? This will be answered in next week’s posting.

Notes:

1. Philip Hamburger, The Separation of Church and State(Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2002).
2. Encarta Dictionary.
3. http://www.angelfire.com/indie/mayasuraya/writing/postmodernism.htm.
4. Mark 12:28-34.
5. John 13:34-35.
6. 1 John 2:7-11.
7. Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18.
8. Romans 13:8-10.
9. vv. 4-8.
10. Revelation 1:1-3; 9:20-21; 11:17-18; 16:1-12; 19:20-21; 20:12-15; 21:5-8, 14-15.
11. Romans 10:9-10.

The Virgin Birth of Jesus: Is it a Reasonable Belief? ( Part I )

Christians believe Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. The two gospels explicitly proclaiming the virgin birth of Jesus is Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-45. The most succinct statement of the Christian confession is the Apostle’s Creed, which is the oldest version of Christian confession. The Apostle's Creed is as follows:

I believe in God the Father Almighty. And in Jesus Christ His only (begotten) Son our Lord, who was born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary; crucified under Pontius Pilate, and buried; the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost; the holy Church; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; the life everlasting. (see article by James Orr, “The Apostle’s Creed,” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Vol. 1, at www.reformed.org/documents/apostles_creed.html )

The Apostle’s Creed originates in apostolic times and was a baptismal formula. As such, new followers of Christ confessed this creed to confirm their faith in the essential message of the gospels and of the church. The Apostle’s Creed is the foundation of all other confessions including the Nicene, Chalcedon, Westminster, and other creeds. It is venerated by the Roman Catholic Church and by most Protestant Churches.

The clause of importance here is “Jesus Christ His only (begotten) Son our Lord, who was born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary.” Liberal scholars and their followers deny the possibility of the virgin birth. Because other ancient religions claimed their saviors were virgin born or otherwise supernaturally born, liberals believe the early church adopted the myth probably to make the gospel more attractive to superstitious ancient people. This skeptical view might be true. However, what is often behind liberal skepticism is their outright rejection of the supernatural. Liberals tend to deny all of the miracles mentioned in the Bible, not just the virgin birth. The Christian confession would be meaningless if the supernatural was not an experienced reality. As the Apostle Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:14) The faith was not an exercise in philosophy or superstition to allay fear of death. Faith is (was) based on seeing, hearing, feeling the resurrection of Jesus and of others. Therefore, healing and resurrection from the dead was an experienced reality during the apostolic era that continued well beyond the apostles’ witness of Jesus’ resurrection and heavenly ascent. In fact, miraculous healings and resurrections continue in our own time.

The virgin birth of Jesus cannot be proved, nor can it be disproved either. An appropriate question requiring a logical answer is whether it is reasonable to believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Merely dismissing the possibility because one does not believe in miracles or the supernatural is as meaningless as blindly confessing the virgin birth is true. To answer the question, one must consider whether any historical evidence exists that would support or refute the possibility of virgin birth. Is there any scientific evidence for virgin birth? If so, does the evidence prove the virgin birth? In addition, a search for evidence to support the reasonableness of Jesus’ virgin birth must consider any rational argument that might exist.

Skeptics readily supply a logical argument. However, from the outset, the argument by David Hume against testimonials for miracles must be discarded because medical testing confirms healing miracles based on religious faith do occur. We can also eliminate arguments against resurrection because many have occurred. More importantly, they are being medically and empirical verified. Consequently, by eliminating those two arguments that confirm the reality of God and the supernatural, much time will be saved in order to focus on the primary argument: is belief in the virgin birth of Jesus a reasonable belief?

In a future posting, I will begin to present an answer. Until then, a few observations from my past studies may be instructive. A number of years ago, I began searching for proof of the virgin birth of Jesus. I reviewed medical and scientific research on oocytology, regenerative medicine, genetics, reproductive behavior of animals and insects, neurology, paranormal science, and the like. Based on my less than fallible memory, I discovered research claiming virgin births do occur in nature. Men can have female type (XX) chromosomes of the 23rd pair just as women can have male type (xy) 23rd chromosomes. Women have a biological residue of male hormones that could be used in imprinting the genetic material of an egg. Imprinting is a hormonal process by which certain genes are turned on and off during various stages of cell development. These were some of my findings.

When considering people with terminal cancer and 6 month to live, my theory about people who have been miraculously healed because of religious faith is this: God answered their faith and prayers for deliverance. They were healed because the master geneticist forced aberrant cells to conform to His plan. The genetic information of cancer cells was changed to conform to normal cells. God spoke His word so that from quantum particles to individual genes all material aligned with God’s word. As it were, the blueprint of cancer cells was replaced by the blueprint of normal cells.

That is one reasonable possibility. It also gives an idea how I will approach my answer to the question: is the virgin birth of Jesus a reasonable belief?

Life Issues and Creator Rights

Modern debate about abortion, stem cell research, and euthanasia (remember, Terri Schiavo?) are issues concerning life. They encompass the life of a mother, the life of a child, the beginning of life at its most rudimentary biological stages, and the life of the disabled . Many believe medical practitioners are doing a good service to people troubled, threatened, or suffering. They view the issues as helping preserve a life that already is. When suffering becomes unbearable, they see the right to die as a merciful act. As long as the person has expressed their will, the right to die with dignity should be considered a good thing.

Opponents approach the same issues from the right to life and from the perspective of future consequences. The potential consequences are not merely about life after death or heaven and hell. Right-to-life advocates also consider the consequences for society in general. They see the immense value of life being diminished because of abortions that are often not real life threatening situations. The demand for perpetual creation and use of embryonic stem cells for potential cures while discounting, if not ignoring, the tremendous potential of other pluripotent stem cell sources further degrades regard for human life. Then, right-to-life advocates rightly regard these issues in light of the constitutionally guaranteed right to life.
No such right is guaranteed for death. The obvious reason is that death is a human certainty, but abuses of individual lives have been many throughout human history.

The biblical commandment "thou shall not kill" may used by advocates of life, but one party whose valid concern has not yet been heard. This party has more right to be heard than all other parties involved in the debate. That party is the Creator.

For Americans, the Creator's perspective is legally valid. As the Declaration states, it was the Creator who imbued nature with the right to life. Because life is not the work of science, government, or individuals, a long pause is necessary to consider what right does any one have to determine who lives or who does not. Abortion, stem cell research, euthanasia are all arbitrary determinations of who lives and who does not. Whether at the point of conception, at the blastocyte, embryonic, fetus, childhood, youth, adult, or elderly stage is all one continuum of human development. The Creator made it human life that way. Because human have learned how life develops does not give anyone a right to end life without just cause; otherwise, it must be considered murder in the sight of the Creator.

"Thou shall not kill" is a universal law evident in almost all cultures and societies. It means not to kill without a just cause. . Self-defense is a legitimate reason. The same is true of government executing a murder; it is a defense of a citizenry. Therefore, killing a human life at any stage without a just cause is murder.

It is also robbery. Death robs others of beneficial relations. Families, friends, associates, society, and even God are parties rob of companionship, productive activity, economic benefits, and other useful purposes when a life ends.

More important are the consequences resulting from killing and dying. If a person murders another and both are not morally right with God, they will both suffer eternal spiritual consequences. Heaven and hell are places where life and death continues. Because life and death are both relational states of being, all wrongful separations are forms of death including divorce. Ultimately, the punishment of hell is the eternal separation or alienation from God and loved ones. Heaven is the opposite. It is the continuation of beneficial relationships with God, loved ones, and others.

In the final analysis, abortion may be a necessary evil when actual life-and-death circumstances exist. Stem cell research should be encouraged and funded, but embryonic stem cells should be the very last source. It is hard to justify using live embryos when other types of stem cells are available and have resulted in actual cures not potential ones. In light of eternal justice in the Creator's world, the argument of sacrificing an unformed life for the potential end to suffering of others is not justifiable. It is not justifiable because a life sacrificed for others has already occurred. Jesus died so that human can have eternal life. His sacrifice encompasses realized promises of abundance and healing. Jesus is the means to divine healing. This is another reason why euthanasia is not justifiable in most cases. Because God is more than able to end a life suffering the pain and misery of disease, only euthanasia--if it can be called that--of non-responsive patients on life support could possibly be justified.

The issue comes down to whether society will continue on the path of rejecting God and defying the natural order. The ultimate decision is whether it is worth the risk of facing the judgment of God and an eternity of alienation and suffering.

What deniers cannot prove is that no God exists nor that an afterlife does not await all people. Science cannot provide any evidence to the contrary. Medical science has provided corroborating evidence of God's existence evidenced by healing of terminal illnesses and a great many testimonies to medical examiners of experiences of life while people were clinically dead.

It’s Been Two Days Since the Messiah—Are You Ready?

Two days ago, Jesus of Nazareth was born. Only a few moments ago his holy and short-lived life was snuffed out. He was crucified based on false charges at 30 years old. This was truly an astonishing tragedy!

God pronounced one and only penalty for ‘sin’, which is death. For individuals to be acquitted of past and present moral crimes, each person must meet God requirements. Like Jesus, we all must die. Ultimately, we will all suffer the eternal consequences of separation from God, but there is hope. In fact, the good news is that God regards Jesus’ death as having satisfied divine justice against all moral crimes of humanity. Thank God, Jesus paid the price. The catch is we must appropriate God’s gracious provision for the forgiveness of our legal and moral debt.

It is like being cited for breaking some law but not showing up in court. An unknown benefactor paid the fine, but before that payment can be applied to your crime; you have to appear in court and acknowledge the citation is valid. On then will the court apply acquit you of the crime by applying the payment, and by the grace of law expunge your crimes all court and police records.

So it is with God’s law.

More amazing than Jesus being raised from the dead--people are still being raised from the dead in his name--is eye witnesses reports of seeing Jesus carried into heaven like the prophet Elijah of old. Skeptics may doubt this. Paul, however, encountered the risen and glorified Jesus and so has many others since then. In fact, many people have encountered this same Jesus within the last 20 years. For example, a man crashed his plane; the fuselage exploded which caused the plane to burn. The fire raged all the way to the cockpit. Then, Jesus and an angel showed. Jesus assured the pilot that he was going to make it, after which Jesus blew on the cockpit until help arrived. Although I cannot recall his name, I did see photos of the pilot while he was still in the hospital. He bruise and swollen, but he was not burned. Another example of a modern visited by Jesus is an Egyptian government official who was angry that his daughter has converted to Christianity and was now in a European hospital dying, He had drawn up a legal plan to punish local Coptic Christians for some supposed crime. The night before his plan was to be implemented Jesus visited him. Thus changing his mind about Christians and their religion, he rescinded his previous orders and then left for Europe to be with his daughter. His daughter did not die. Instead, Jesus healed her; thus confirming his promise made during the visitation. A former Israeli officer crippled for life because of an accident also experienced healing by Jesus. So did a young Muslim Egyptian who was dying of a rare but severe form of shingles of the face, which was affecting his brain as well. He said he saw Jesus come into his hospital room and heal him.

Within the past 10 years, a number of well-documented resurrections have also occurred. An African pastor died and was three days later; he rose to life again. An Indonesian Buddhist monk died and was about to be cremated when he came back to life. While dead those 3 days, he saw Buddha while standing at the gate to hell. Later, he met by a man named Peter who told him about Jesus. After he came back to life, he told the crowd at his funeral that the Christian were right about Jesus being the only way to eternal life in heaven. Both of these resurrections have been investigated, collaborated, and found to be true.

What seems too incredible to be real is the fact that since Jesus' ascension until the present time all of these miraculous events have occurred in just two days. This may seem beyond belief to mere mortals but not to God. “For a thousands years is as one day, and a day as a thousand years” to the Creator. (Ps. 90:4; 2 Pe. 3:8)

This brings me to a problem requiring an explanation. We often hear prophecy teachers talk about the end time and the imminent return of the Messiah, about a millennial reign, and about a coming global peace. After thousands of years, these doctrines strike many as a lot of wishful thinking. Skeptics often scoff at such beliefs as myths or worse at childish make-believe. Yet, the warnings of prophets and apostles about such criticism must be heeded. Seemingly unfilled prophecy—hope against hope—is better understood in light of divine time rather than based on human conception of time. Based on God’s timetable, Rabbinical and Christian scholars believe that messianic end time prophecies will be fulfilled at the beginning of the seventh millennium or the seventh day of the creation of the habitable earth. Depending on the calendar followed, the seventh millennium should begin in either the next 50 to 1233 years. To the spiritual enemies of God, the time is short. To followers of Jesus the Messiah, it is not of utmost importance. What is crucial is being alert to what God is doing and aware of the progress of history towards the fulfillment of God’s promises. Jesus said, it is not for you to know times and seasons, but to be watching and always prepared for his coming, whether at death or at the rapture.

In the glorious realm of spiritual reality, time is short. Two days has passed, those beings who rule evil in darkness fearfully anticipate the dawning of the third day. While fear and anger grips the forces of God’s enemies, saints and angels both revel with joy in anticipation of that holy day when God shall rise from his throne to execute final justice. At God's right hand, Messiah Jesus also comes to administrate the eternal reign of God’s kingdom on earth. Vanquished to the abysmal prisons are the forces of violence and darkness, and filling their place will be the peace and righteousness that attends the presence of God. Amen.

Genesis 1:1—From God’s Perspective

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (1:1)

Looking down from heaven as it were, what did God see?

This is a trick question!

The ‘Big Bang’ theory postulates that all of the evidence available still supports the view that out of a void the universe was born. Scientists extrapolating back in time are led to the omega point. The omega point is the point of infinity. Infinity is more than an empty void; it is eternal nothingness. It is not possible for the finite mortal mind to conceive anything beyond this point, but there is one exception: God. God is the one human conception of a being that exists in nothingness. The human mind is capable of conceiving of such a being performing creative acts like themselves do. From idea to product, this being called God creates nature and its universe. This real logical but analogical conclusion derives from human experience. It is how human minds perceive a being in nothingness create out of nothing all that is. If it were not for real human experience of this being, God would merely exist as a mental construct projected beyond the omega point into the eternal abyss of nothingness. Like in the past, the revelation of God’s existence and care for humanity is still something humans experience is a variety of ways. Contrary to modern views, revelation is not merely something believed. It is what people experience that continues to verify and validate past revelatory experience as true and relevant today.

Returning to the question, if the universe—space and time—was created within the realm infinite nothingness and the eternal Creator was its designer and maker, God maybe saw a black empty void. Did heaven exist in which God dwelt? Some Jewish scholars believe the universe is like a compartment that is separated from the realm of God’s eternal existence. Maybe that compartment is the third heaven of ancient and modern theology, the original place of eternity. It is also possible, even likely, that that place as we morals understand it is an irrelevant misnomer to God. Even though God has accommodated human need, or at least ancient human need, for a localized Deity, God made it clear to the Israelites that He does not dwell in places of human making. A temple is not capable of containing His being. It is written, heaven my throne and earth is my footstool. (Isa. 66:1) Therefore, God is bigger than the universe. He reclines on heaven and rests His feet on earth. This either means the divine being fills the entire universe (in theology it is called omnipresence) or it means God’s nature is such place and time are not applicable, and maybe its meaning encompasses both.

I am not aware of any scripture that claims anything existed before God began to create the world, which included angels. A sage wrote, “I, wisdom dwell with prudence.... The Lord possessed me at the beginning of is way, before His works of old.” (Pro. 8:12, 22) The personification of Wisdom existing before that point is a creative, literary convention employed to describe of a personal quality of the Creator. According to the orthodox interpretation for the first chapter of John’s gospel, the son of God preexisted as co-creator of the universe. “In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with the God, and the Logos was god, the same was in the beginning with the God. And the Logos was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory of the only begotten from the Father.” (1:1-2, 14) The potential problem with the orthodox interpretation is that the Logos, like Wisdom, is a part of God. Logos is an idea. Here it is the manifestation of a specific idea of God. The universe is the reality of an idea expressed by God. Because it was a part of God, that Logos is divine or god. As mentioned in a previous post, David Bohm’s concept of a blueprint existing in every past of nature and guiding every part to create all that exists and can exist is very similar to the meaning of Logos as co-creator. Like wisdom as co-creator, Logos as co-creator is a literary convention personifying a characteristic of a person. A counter-problem of this unorthodox view comes in verse 14, which claims the Logos became a human person. Because the person referred to is obviously Jesus of Nazareth, the orthodox interpretation is apparently correct. There are those who interpret it differently. Some regard Jesus as the embodiment of the Logos, but not as the preexisting Logos. The Logos became embodied by being created in the virgin womb by God. Before a valid decision can be made about which interpretation is the most accurate and true, the entire context of both John’s gospel, its historical and cultural context plus the rest of scripture must be consulted before a true and accurate understanding is possible, which beyond the scope of this short article. Apart from question whether or not the Logos was the eternal preexisting son of God is the right interpretation, the divine Logos is a part of who the eternal God is and did in creating the universe. Therefore, it preexisted.

The answer to the question, “what did God see when He began creating the universe,” is this: God saw himself. Like a master builder, the eternal Creator envisioned His plan. His expression of it created the original energy that housed the plan just as DNA is housed in the nucleus of a living cell. From that speck of energy, the universe exploded into existence creating a void in which to expand and develop the Creator’s ideal.

As it says in Genesis One, “God saw that it was good.” If God was pleased, it must have been awesome for other created beings—angels—to have witnessed this incredible act of God. It had to be much more impressive than a great display of fireworks, or the terrifying magnitude of a shock and awe bombing of a nation, or even the explosive glory of the birth of a star. Of course, that is if other beings existed at that time.

Why is it when light shines in a dark world it is still dark? Part VIII

Any answers from realism cannot be trusted because they are based on the deception of natural realism. Therefore, moderns are forced to turn to the ancients, or to those who have continued to consult and learn from them. (from Part VII)

Nearly all ancient civilizations believed there was one supreme God over all others. Most believed this God was the chief architect and builder of the heavens and the earth. This is true of Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, Romans, Mayans, Asians, Africans, and Jews. Ancient Jews may have been the only truly monotheists, but they were not the only people who believed the Supreme God created the world. How many knew God created the universe as a speech act is doubtful. That the Hebrews knew is beyond question. Genesis cosmology affirms it. Writings of their sages do as well. The writer of Psalms 33 sings his stanza: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their hosts.” Then we have the sage who wrote Proverbs 8 personifying the creative word as a wise master workman. (vv. 22-31) Second Temple Jews still believed it was true. For example, the author of the Book of Jubilees wrote, “ Worship the God of heaven” who “has created everything by His word, and all life is from before His face.” (12:4) Other ancient authors like the penmen of Sirach and 4 Ezra wrote about the creation as the work of God’s word. (Sir. 42:15; 4 Ezra 6:43) Followers of Jesus also believed it. For example, Simon b. Jonah, also called Peter, affirms it when he wrote, “By the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water.” (2 Pet. 3:5) Later, St. Augustine wrote that God created the world by his word. (Confessions, Book XI, chapters 5-8) During the dark medieval era, the Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides arose to address the theological and philosophical issues threatening an assimilated end to the remnant of Jewish civilization. Following Moses Maimonides’ philosophy, we see its was an act of God’s will that created the energy and word which became the universe and all forms of life in it. (Guide for the Perplexed, ‘God Spake,’ pp. 96-98) Even today, as it was in the beginning, guiding the perplexed is the word of God. As the author of the Johannine gospel wrote, “In the beginning was the word… All things came into being through him…. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehended it.” (1:1-3, 5)

See also Part VII, Part VI, Part V, Part IV, Part III, Part II, and Part I.

Why is it when light shines in a dark world it is still dark? Part VI

The reality of naturalism is that moderns do not know much about reality, especially since they have rejected what is known outside of the unified theory of realism. (from Part V)

If what we think we see and experts of realism claim to know is not completely real, then how can we know what is? Asking the question reveals part of the answer, it has already been intuited. Modern realism is not able to supply the answer. As Jesus said, “if the blind lead the blind both will fall into a ditch.” (Mt. 15:14) Truth is as hidden as God is. Because the followers of realism fail to acknowledge their blindness, they remain lost in the darkness. The light of naturalism only reveals the surface of reality, but it cannot tell what it is made of or how it works. They believe they know and millions are as deceived as they are. Because they have peered into quantum depths and galactic heights, many believe their unified theory of realism is all knowing. Two facts prove their faith is an allusion: they have never observed atoms¹ or black holes² and their knowledge is limited to 10% of material reality at best. Scientists admit 90% of the universe is dark matter³, which they know almost nothing about. That is why the prophetic belief in ‘the-someday-they-will-know-all’ is self-deception. The deception of realism is self-induced because it refuses to acknowledge known truth. It is the reality the ancients knew without telescopes, microscopes, and atom splitters. They knew because within nature the light of God revealed what is in the darkness. Outside the limitation of finite nature the Creator gave some history lessons. Theologians call it revelation. The ancients simply called it seeing and hearing from God.

1. Russell Stannard, The God Experiment: Can Science Prove the Existence of God? (London : Faber and Faber, 1999).

2. Stephen Battersby, Do black holes really exist? New Scientist 18 June 2007, http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn12089-do-black-holes-really-exist.html (23 August 2007). It is apparent scientists do not know whether black holes actually exist. Other scientists have acknowledge that no scientists has ever verified their existence by actual observation.

3. Charles Seife,What Is the Universe Made Of? Science309 no. 5731 (2005), p. 784, http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/309/5731/78a (23 August 2007).

See also Part V , Part IV, Part III, Part II, and Part I

Why is it when light shines in a dark world it is still dark? Part V

The ancient writer ... knew something else moderns ignore. (from Part IV. )

The ancients had a glimpse of what was between the pixels. They saw into the other ninety percent of the universe—the dark matter. God not only formed light and created darkness, but He dwelt in the darkness (Is. 45: 17; Ps. 18:11). When the universe was a ball of liquid photons, an external observer would have only seen darkness. The essence of nature was light, but the outer darkness was an empty void. That is how Heinz Pagels described the early universe in Perfect Symmetry. (pp. 253-258) It is also what God revealed to the author of Genesis: “Darkness was over the surface of the deep.” (1:2) But within the empty darkness, “God said, ‘light be … and he separated the light from the darkness’.” (1:4) What the author of Genesis saw about the formation of the earth, astrophysicists see as the formation of the early universe. As it began to expand and planetary systems were being birthed, the light began to shine in the darkness. In the spectrum of light shown the word. The light we see is only a small part of that spectrum, but through the light comes the word of life. Without knowing it, many scientists confirm the power of that word. The late astrophysicist Sir Fred Hoyle believed the logic underlying the complex order organizing life in the universe against forces of entropic chaos was the work of a cosmic intelligence. (see The Intelligent Universe) Like Sir Hoyle, many scientists believe elemental life exists throughout the universe. (see Rare Earth by Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee) The intelligence intuited by Sir Hoyle and a cosmic blueprint by David Bohm points us to the light. That eternal word of God that still flies on the winds of light, and the strong and weak fields in nature give shape to that word. Because of it, the word still becomes flesh--the flesh of quanta, atoms, elements, molecules, organisms, and every form of life; yes, even the sons of God. On the winds of light, flies God’s word to humanity. It is also how angels communicate. Through dreams and visions, God communicates his mind. Like images transported by radio waves, God’s word is translated through perceptible light to the human mind. That is why the prophet Micah said, “Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.” (7:8) In a more poetic form, the ancient prophet Isaiah held a similar promise. The prophet perceived God saying,

“I will lead the blind by a way they do not know,
In paths they do not know I will guide them.
I will make darkness into light before them,
And rugged places into plains.
These are the things I will do,
And I will not leave them undone.”
(Is. 42:16)

Isaiah again writes,

“Who among you that fears the Lord,
That obeys the voice of his servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord and
rely on his God.” (Is. 50:10)

And as the ancient sage sang his Psalm,

“Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Ps.119:105)

Even though the sage meant the known word of covenant law and morality, the word of God in nature still speaks about its Creator (Ps. 19:1-4; 33:6; Ac. 17:24-31; Ro. 1:18-20) Beyond the evident, God, then as now, continues to show people the way that they should go. (Pr. 3:5-6) The problem is many moderns are blind to the evident. They seem to believe God has no voice to hear, they do not believe scripture was communicated by God to chosen men to reveal, nor do they think divinely inspired dreams and visions are real communication. Yet, the reality of naturalism is that moderns do not know much about reality, especially since they have rejected what is known outside of the unified theory of realism.

See also Part IV, Part III, Part II and Part I.

Why is it when light shines in a dark world it is still dark? Part III

What you can observe and measure is the only reality. In one sense a unified theory did develop. It even encompassed morality and theology. A relativity of morality was worked out in the twentieth century as well as the many forms of what some call scientific theology, or theology based of the unified theory of realism. One of its well-known theologians was Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. (from Part II) See also Part I.

What the movers and shakers of this unified theory of realism ignored was what the ancients already knew. An ancient letter addressed to those living in the Jewish Diaspora states, “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. (Heb. 11:3) In the New Testament, this ancient letter is called “To the Hebrews.” How could an ancient have known that information was central to nature. As written in the book of Genesis, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (1:3) The synonym of speech is information. Speech of an unknown language is intelligent speech nonetheless. Most people can not decipher the language that makes computer easy to use. Even though most do not understand it, computer language is still a form intelligent speech. DNA code is information. A marvel of modern science is the discovery of its language. Each new day, scientists are deciphering more of the function and meaning of its language. Even more amazing still, is the real possibility that through learning the language of DNA, men may actually discover the very speech of God. It may turn out to be the cosmic transformative grammar. Physicist David Bohm’s theory that a type of blueprint of the universe exists in every element of material nature is consistent with such a language and is certainly consistent with the ancient understanding of nature. From a quantum particle to the largest macro-organism, an informatic blueprint inherent in energy regulates the unfolding development of the material universe. Bohm’s theory has been incorporated into the unified theory of realism, it is also utilized by those who still see relevance in the ancient view. The late Sir John Eccles, a neural medical scientist, believed neural science and evolution led to a necessary conclusion, which he formed into a theoretic hypothesis. He claimed the human spiritual soul was not only real but it was possible of being proved. Therefore, He proposed the immaterial soul worked like a parallel but controlling brain with memory. Because quantum mechanics accounts for immaterial entities, Sir Eccles demonstrated how the soul acting on neuronal operations could control all functions of the brain and nervous system, which in turn explains the human will. As other neural scientists have proposed, the operation of the brain and nervous system is powered not merely by chemical energy but rather by a holistic web of photon activity. None of these modern discoveries in any way contradicts the truth known by the ancients. The essence of matter is information whose author is God.

(See also and Part I Part II )

Are We Living the End Time?

In the synoptic gospels, one of the signs of the Messiah's coming is the degenerate state of the world. That state is likened to the days of Noah.¹ The gospels emphasize a complete disregard of warnings of God's coming judgment.² Just like in days of Noah, judgment was promised to end the unending evil of human society. At the beginning of Matthew chapter 24, Jesus gives a list of things that will precede the end of days:

• Wars and rumors of wars
• Nation rising against nation
• Famines and earthquakes
• Religious persecution
• Increasing lawlessness
• Little love much narcissism
• Many rejecting the faith

Those birth pangs of the coming Messiah point to global violence, which was the divine indictment of humanity in the days of Noah. Violence filled the earth³ because humanity had corrupted its way.⁴ The intent of every thought was continually evil; therefore, human wickedness became extreme and unrelenting.

Is this not the state of American society today? Violence in America is approaching a level of precedence unparalleled in history. America is among the ten most violent nations according to international crime statistics.⁵ Abortion law gives legal sanction to an extremely violent act against human life and life’s Creator. Millions lives have been aborted not because of a genuine threat to maternal lives but because of psychological pain and inconvenience. Euthanasia is also serious issue. Besides the high profile case of Terri Schiavo, how many others have been euthanatized against their wills? The repeal of many laws regulating sexual behavior including marriage and divorce resulted in millions of incidents of rape, incest, pedophilia, homosexual abuse, and related sexual violence. Government policies maintain poverty, which is another form of violence. It is a more subtle form of violence but violence nonetheless. Because more Americans live under increasing stress, domestic violence is a major problem. As a result, nearly half of all marriages end in divorce because of problem with money, narcissism, and infidelity. Millions of children experience the conflict, stress and lack as a result, which often reciprocates in future crime and violence. Slavery is another form of violence. Before the 20th century, America enslaved the black race against their wills. Since the 20th century, all Americans are on the verge of being enslaved to government. The mechanism used is entitlements, which make citizens dependent pawns rather than independent players in life and popular government. From birth to death, government officials by hook-and-crook ceaselessly work to control every aspect of human life. They call it freedom, but it is simply enslavement.⁶ The increase of domestic and foreign terrorism is just another sign. It is a sign of discontent with government sanctioned moral corruption as well as economic and social injustice. It is natural backlash against the inhumanity of oppression in the name of liberty, equality, and prosperity.

The telltale sign of the coming judgment of God is the global spread of the above.

Then there is the sign of Lot mentioned in the synoptic gospel of Luke. As a subtopic to the universality of the similitude to Noah’s days, society will also resemble the societies of Sodom and Gomorrah.⁷ The theological depiction of Sodom is a completely gay society. The destruction of the two ancient cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, was a divine response to the evils of unrepented lifestyle. That view is supported by several verses in Genesis. After two holy angels had come to Sodom and were taken in by Lot,

“Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; and they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.’”⁸ After Lot and his family had left the city, “the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire (possibly a meteor shower) out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities…”.⁹

The fact that Lot had prospective son-in-laws in the city¹⁰ proves that Sodom was not a city populated only with gays.

What the story of Sodom reveals is the problem of tolerance. Sodom was a place were tolerance ruled. They tolerated behavior inherently unnatural and therefore evil. When holy men arrived, they sought to make them like themselves---corrupt and violent. However, tolerant Sodom may have been, it was tolerance rooted in lawlessness, corruption, and violence. The human body was not made for gay sex. As medical studies show, it damages body tissue, causes various types of disease, and often results in cancer. ¹¹ Therefore, it is another form of violence.

It is a form of violence now sanctioned by American government. Just as in the days of Noah, so it was in the days of Lot. The 21st century is now like the days of Lot not just in America but also around the world.

The answer to the problem is exemplified in an account similar to the story of Lot. It is found in the nineteenth and twentieth chapter of the book of Judges. An unnamed Levite was traveling to Ephraim with his concubine. Because the sun was setting, he stopped in a village in Gibeah, which was part of the tribe of Benjamin. One of the local residents offers him a place to sleep. While dining, a group of homosexuals came to the house demanding that the priest be given to them. Instead, the priest sent his concubine out to them. They raped and abused her all night. In the morning, the priest found her dead at the doorway of his host’s house. The priest cut her up into 12 pieces and sent them to all the tribes of Israel. Enraged by this heinous act, all of Israel’s leaders and warriors came to execute justice. When they had discovered the real reason, they demanded the Benjaminites to turn over the gay criminals. The tolerant society of Benjaminites refused. Therefore, all of Israel attacked and killed nearly all of the men of Benjamin.¹² This story demonstrates four principles necessary for social justice. First, the self-evident law of nature as well as the revealed law of God declares homosexual behavior is a moral as well as a violent crime. Second, it will lead to further violence and lawlessness without appropriate regulation. Third, violent acts and tolerance of violent behavior requires measured but certain justice. Fourth, justice must fit the crime, which the people of Israel performed upon both the murderers and the Benjaminite people that harbored them.

America’s rejection of its historical basis of law opened a Pandora’s Box of escalating evil. It started with tolerance and equality toward morality and religion and then to the national compact and laws. If John Locke’s writings represent American views of government and law, then tolerance of atheists was never intended. Locke wrote his treatise “On Tolerance’ that they were not to be tolerated. Yet, modern Americans have done just that. They replaced republicanism with secularism. Secularism does not tolerate religion in the public arena, especially biblical religion. That is the intended affect of Separation of Church and State doctrine. In fact, the values of modern secularism reflect humanism, which replaced the Creator with evolution science.¹³ That is why creationism and intelligent design is so vehemently opposed. Both threaten the myth of secularist propaganda about evolution being proven beyond refutation. Evolution of species has never been proven and is not even possible to prove or disprove it.¹⁴ More importantly, creationism and intelligent design threaten the new definitions of tolerance and equality making secularism possible. The secular credo now predominates American institutions and their ruling elites. So does violence. The prevalence of violence throughout American culture can be traced back directly to the implementation of the secular credo that undermined moral values and eventually annulled previous established moral law. The end product is spurious Constitutional law by which a vaunted reign of violence and corruption has been imposed upon all Americans and the world. It is being imposed on all nations through agencies of the United Nations and by activist non-government organizations or special interest groups supported by the UN.

As in the days of Noah and Lot, so it will be at the coming of the Messiah is the 21st Century.

_________________________________________

Notes

1. Mt. 24:37; Lk.17:26.

2. Mt. 24:38-39; Lk.17:27.

3. Gen. 6:11,13.

4. Gen. 6:11,12.

5. The Fourth United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice System, 2000-2002; < href=" http://bjsdata.ojp.usdoj.gov/dataonline/Search/Crime/State/statebystaterun.cfm?stateid=" target="_new">Bureau of Justice Statistics, Crime & Justice Electronic Data Abstracts, State Crime Estimates, 1960-2005, U.S. Totals.

6. Charlotte A. Twight , Dependent on D.C. :The Rise of Federal Control over the Lives of Ordinary Americans (New York: Palgrave, 2002), pp. 1-53. This book should be read by all Americans because gives intellectual tools by which to understand how and why and if issues and proposed legislation are a bunch of bologna meant to steal more power and wealth from us all.

7. Lk. 17:28-30.

8. Gen.19:4-5.

9. Gen. 19:24-25.

10. Gen. 19:12-14.

11. James W. Holsinger Jr., Pathology of Male Homosexuality, Prepared for the
Committee to Study Homosexuality of The United Methodist Church, January 14, 1991, available at http://americansfortruth.com/news/surgeon-general-nominee-dr-james-holsingers-1991-paper-pathophysiology-of-male-homosexuality.html.

12. Jgs.19-20.

13. An online version of Humanist Manifesto I and Humanist Manifesto II are available at and http://www.americanhumanist.org.

14. Michael Denton, “The Priority of a Paradigm” in Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (Bethesda, MD: Adler & Adler, 1986), pp. 344-358.

What can a child-like faith do?

James, the brother of Jesus, said that faith without works is dead.¹ Who would leave their house without faith? Every one believes they will be relatively safe beyond their home. Who would sit on a chair or drive their car? It takes faith to believe all chairs will hold them and all cars will get them to their desired destination. Even when a father is encouraging his child to trust in his ability to
catch her, she usually hesitates for a few moments before jumping off from a highplace. Once her dad has caught her, she demands to do it again and again and again.

Jesus said, “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”² This is comparable to a child jumping off a roof in the arms of her father. In fact, it is comparable in several ways: First, we are the human brain is hard wired to recognize the natural presence of God. The mystery of the divine presence is the awesome experience of newness. Most of us know the excitement of making a new friend or falling in love. Meeting God for the first time is like that. Once our gracious Creator has come near, we begin to recognize His still small voice. Then the call to jump comes … not merely a leap of faith but a risk of trust. The leap of trust risks failure of being wrong in hopes of being right. If God catches, the act of faith establishes a new trust—a do it again God kind of trust. The analogous catch means God also acts in a substantial way. God’s response may be healing, deliverance from an addiction, or some other miracle to a timorous situation; it could be an instantaneous experience of peace as if a heaven burden of guilt was lifted; or God’s act might simply confirm the reality of His presence some other way—maybe just by a subsequent feeling of His love and acceptance. Whatever God’s response, it is that concrete settling of trust that makes children want to repeat it over and over and over again--adults too.

Therefore, entering the kingdom of God means simply entering it at the bidding of the Lord Jesus. It is the excited, thrill seekers, heart thumping Yes to God’s invitation into the unknown. I dare even to think it might be comparable to running into a black hole and coming out on the other side realizing that you are not only still alive but aware of a whole new dimension. That dimension is called spirit, the realm of God and the core of one own being. It is at the core of you own existence that your trust relationship with God is fully experience. At the center of eternity, you meet God as the one you can trust forever.

In many ways, life as a child of God is difficult because of human nature. Living in a physical world in which social relationships are often oppositional to God’s ways makes adjustment to both worlds rather challenging. That is why Jesus came into the world to ransom us and to show us the way.³ The Jesus we encounter in the eternal spirit and in the Bible is the one who lived without moral or spiritual crime. He understands our frailties, confusions, lapses, and finiteness. He even understands the pain of sin. God accepted his death as sufficient punishment for all of our moral crimes called sin. Relying on God grace, our responsibility as children of God is to learn to live under His rule, and God made Jesus king to lead and teach us to do just that.⁴

“This is the work of God that you believe in him whom He has sent.”⁵ Jesus also said, “He who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also.” ⁶ If Jesus is king of God’s kingdom, how could we do his works without obeying his laws? Therefore, Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.”⁷ That is what the faith of God’s people does. For we live by faith and not by our senses.⁸

________________________________________________

¹ Jas. 2:17
² Mk. 10:15; Lk.18:17
³ Mat. 20: 28; 1 Tim. 2:6; 1 Pet. 2:21-25; Heb. 2:14-18
⁴ Ac.2:36
⁵ Jo. 6:29
⁶ Jo. 14:12
⁷ Jo. 14: 21
⁸ 2 Cor. 5:7; Rom. 1:17; Hab. 2:7

Israel in a New World

When colonists settled the east coast, they sought to create a new world. In the new world, Puritan ideals were put forth. Puritans believed in the God of Genesis. Because God created the earth, they believed the new land across the Atlantic was given to them to build a new world. They patterned their new society partly on inherent forms of church polity and partly on the Mosaic model of society. It was a biblically dominated new world. Our Puritan ancestors identified their new world as a new Israel. It was a city on a hill from which the light of Hanukkah would shine across the vast sea of humanity. Like the ancient festival, the Puritan Hanukkah celebrated the miracle of deliverance from the oppressive corruption of false religion and the restoration of Christian purity and freedom. Unlike the ancient Jewish celebration, the Puritan’s light of the world was to shine every day of the year. It was a celebration of a new way of life in a new world.

To put some critics at ease, this is not an effort of replacement theology. Although later in Massachusetts Bay history, Puritans did adopt the view of Massachusetts as literal New Jerusalem where the Messiah could return to establish the divine kingdom on earth. Many others did not cross the allegorical line. Instead, they envisioned a parallel world—a new civilization founded on Torah principles. We might describe it as a daughter of Zion. Those were the reasons why Puritans were known as Hebraists. Yet, most Hebraic Puritans believed God would resurrect the dry bones of the Jewish people in the land of the eternal covenant.

What this rather odd introduction is meant to do is point to a necessary reality of the Jewish people. It is the wonderful heritage of Jews wrapped in the mantel of Exodus. It is beginning and end of the meaning of Jew and Israel. Its alpha and omega is the divine intention of a future restoration of the Jews in a new world--a world of genuine peace, prosperity, and the complete realization of the kingdom of God. The ancients did create a new world as God led them. The tragedy is they failed to remain completely faithful to God.

So has the descendents of the Puritans.

Though a vast fertile land filled with potential and abundant life, fear of big problems blinded their faith in a much more powerful deliverer. Nevertheless, the Jewish people did enter the Promised Land. The promises of the King of universe were established upon agreement. The Jews began to live a new life in a new world where God was their King. All they had to do was obey His laws, and He would provide a rich satisfying life. As straying sheep, they strayed into the snare of the ravenous enemy.

This too is the story of Americans.

God is still a good shepherd. He always sought them and brought them back into the boundaries of his gracious kingdom rule. At least until they refused to return … until they went too far in their evildoing.

And, America is heading in that direction.

What about Jews in the 21st century? The world has witnessed the return of the Jews to the land God promised to them. This is a fulfillment of prophecy. Israel once again exists as separate government among a many nations. This too is fulfillment of ancient prophecy. They have fought three major battles with surrounding nations and have won each and every time. This is fulfillment of prophecy as well. From news reports and commentary originating from Israel, the impression given is that around 80% of the people observe the Torah. If true, here is a bona fide supernatural miracle. In spite of the good news, Israel has three current problems hindering its progress to the new world of yet unfulfilled prophecy. One is their liberal leaders who are loyal not to the eternal covenant but to covenants with the United Nations and with the American-Arab coalition. The second is the apparent fear of the enemies. From a covenantal perspective, the enemies of Israel are both internal and external. They are pro-globalist Jews, Islamist fascists, and Western globalists, and their goal is legitimating the global power of the UN governance. It is certainly is not establishing real peace. The third problem Israel faces is the fact that the Messiah has not yet come. Therefore, the first two problems have not decisively been resolved. When the Messiah comes, he will not apologize to Muslim, Christians, or Jews. He will establish the kingdom rule of God. All those who did not like the divine rule prior to his appearing will not have to worry about it. They will no longer exist in kingdoms of this world that the Messiah will inherit. It is not very likely that they will inhabit heaven either.

The challenge of Joshua is as valid today as it was when he spoke it at Schechem. Joshua said,

“[The Lord] has given you the land…. Now, therefore, revere the Lord and serve Him with undivided loyalty…. Or, if you are loath to serve the Lord, choose this day which you are going to serve—the gods of the [globalists] or the [secularists]; but I and my house will serve the Lord.” (24:14, 15)

The Jews of Israel are not the only ones who must make this choice, so must Americans. Because the earth is the Lord’s and all of its fullness, He can give it to whom ever he wills. The Lord created the earth, not evolution scientists, not liberal politicians, not the Arabs, and not the UN. The Lord has already revealed who is to have the Promised Land. In fact, God has already determined who will inherit the earth.

The question then is when … when is the day that God restores the fortunes of Israel? When will Israel be one people? When will it be that God is Israel’s God and David is king again? When will Israel leaders make God king? When will Israel and all people realize the promise of a new world?

Citizenship in God's Kingdom Means Freedom from Poverty

What Americans need now is not love, sweet love. In spite of the millions who live in poverty, Americans don't need to know how to get rich. Americans need to understand the meaning of kingdom.

I have been listening to Myles Munroe teach about the biblical meaning of kingdom. He pastors a church in the Bahamas. Bahama is a state of the United Kingdom. Munroe grew up under British rule, and he was a subject of the king/queen of the United Kingdom. Unlike Americans, he knows what it is like living under the rule of a modern kingdom. One of the scriptures he has quoted is Luke 6:20:

"Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."

According to Pastor Munroe, citizens of a kingdom do not speak of getting wealth because it is the king who provides for every need of his citizens. How his citizens live reflects on his rule. Poor citizens are a curse to a king. Therefore, citizens of a good king live well because it is for his name's sake. God is a good king. The prosperity message preached today is only relevant when it is in this context.

Paul taught Jesus was a king who desires his citizens to be rich. For example, Paul wrote to the Corinthians that "the Jesus Christ became poor so that his citizens could become rich. (2 Cor. 8:9) This is the redemptive grace believers experience as a result of his substitutionary poverty.

Does this mean all followers of Jesus--his citizens--are supposed to become millionaires? No, that is not what Paul meant. Here is what he meant:

"God is able to make his grace abound to you, so that always having sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good work." (2 Cor. 9:8)

We must not be mistaken by thinking his is a divine welfare system in the modern meaning welfare politics. Paul is teaching what Jesus in effect first did: Jesus sowed his life in order to reap a kingdom. Consider what Paul wrote just prior to the above.

"He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." (9:6)

We, therefore, sow what we need by investing our surplus to reap everything we need. This a principle of kingdom economics. What if some are poor and do not have a surplus? This is not a problem for consider what else Paul wrote:

"Now He (God) who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness." (9:10)

Here is a double blessing of kingdom living. God supplies an abundance of both material things and social and moral qualities required of his citizens. Sowing and reaping as giving and getting according to God's planned economy is called obedience. This is what Jesus meant when he said:

"Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these things will be added to you." (Mat. 6:33)

It is true that citizens of God's kingdom are as dependent divine government as the modern poor are on the welfare economy of liberal government. However, Jesus makes his people free while liberal governments enslave theirs. Dependent citizens and free popular government is a oxymoron.

Nevertheless, power, glory, and honor to authority are the ends of such governments--God's and man's.