The Beginning… was the End, Part II (The Answer)

For the last few years I have struggled immensely with something. I have pretty much kept it to myself because it felt blasphemous to talk about… and most of the answers I have been given from those in the know, just seemed like double talk or rhetoric.

I think the Bible is pretty clear about Gods plan for us, and the predetermined course He has set this world on since before creation… In other words He had an exact idea of who would do what, where and when right down to the minutest detail before the first grain of sand came into existence. It seemed impossible that we could simultaneously have free will and yet each of us follow the exact course for our lives that He has already predetermined… and for years now this has made no sense to me. I have lived my life just chalking it up as a God thing, and remained eternally grateful that He chose to make me one of His, in spite of myself. But this left me with another attitude that bordered on apathy when it came to prayer. Why pray if He already knows what He is going to do anyway? If the outcome is already predetermined then what is the point! I have wrestled God for answers to this for a very long time now, and recently I have had or He has given me an epiphany of sorts, I am not sure which so I will let you be the judge as to where it came from. But it works for me.

I believe whole heartedly that God has indeed set this world on a preset course of His making… and within the framework of this, still allowed for us to decide for ourselves exactly how we want to live. And when we pray to Him He hears us and answers accordingly. Sometimes we get a “yes” and sometimes we get a “no”, but we still get His ear and an answer. But even though He has already decided thousands of years earlier what the answer would be, it is still an answer that is relevant to us and timed for where we are and what we are doing at that moment in time. TIME is the key. Remember that we exist within time… but He exists outside of time. And if we don’t pray we get the luck of the draw or His divine providence… whichever way you want to view it. Because He still answers us according to what we ask or don’t ask for, when we ask Him.

Look at it this way… when we ask Him for something He is here at this very moment in time ready to do for us according to His will and our desire as His children… but simultaneously He is also still at the beginning of creation, planning for what we would ask for (at this moment) knowing in advance that we would ask, and making a provision in His divine framework so that He can answer our prayer at the precise moment we ask. You could view it as praying to God right here and now while at the same time praying to God at the moment He was creating and setting into motion everything that would be within the complex intricacy of how He wanted the world to run. So He really is answering yours/my prayer right now and He is hearing us right now… while still hearing us thousands of year’s earlier, and making preparation for the prayer you would ask so He could make a provision for the answer.

It sounds a little convoluted because it is… but then so is anything that try’s to answer a question that relates to time and it’s existence, while dealing with a Being that does not exist within time and provide some kind of rational answer as to the how and why of its inner working…

I don’t have a Biblical reference for any of what I have shared here. All I have is an answer that satisfies my yearning for understanding when I had none.

I pray it helps you as it has helped me!

Jim

In the beginning… was the end!

Before the first molecule of creation came to be, before time began, everything that would follow was played out in reverse. God knew the end before He ever made the beginning. And He knew what would take place in between it all, right down to the minutest detail.

Psalm 139:15-16: My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

He has pre-ordained the moments of our lives right down to the places we would live, and call home.

Acts 17:26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

God created time specifically for us, and therefore He lives outside of it. He exists simultaneously from the beginning to the end and every where in between. I once heard it described as watching a parade. We are on the street watching as it passes by. We can only see what is in front of us and what has already passed us by. But God views the parade from above, where He can simultaneously watch the parade from beginning to end.
I think Solomon understood this, and declared it when he wrote: “That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9.

I also think that some in the early church understood this thought of Gods simultaneous existence in time, and thought or hoped that they could convince God by petition to alter history so that their loved ones who had already passed could be prayed for, and by proxy be baptized and saved.

1 Corinthians 15:28-30 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?

I don’t believe that God would alter the course of history for them, or anyone else! But then, where does that leave us for our present and our future? If the past is indelibly written in stone, then so must be today, as well as our future! If the course of our life is already written, then where is our choice? In some respects (as it relates to His calling us to be His) we have none. In His sovereignty He decided before it all began, who He was going to call to be His children! But in another sense, just because what is already known has been written, does not mean we did not freely choose for ourselves that which we would do. We all have the choice to be who we want, to be His or not. But none of us have the strength to make the right choice, to choose Him above self, without God first choosing us.

John 6:44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…

It is a complete paradox. The Bible tells us that unless He chooses us first, we wouldn’t even pay attention to Him. And if He doesn’t chose us we will first choose ‘self’ over a relationship with Him. Not only that but, not every one He calls will choose Him or be chosen by Him…

Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

So what is the point of all of this? The point is simple! That which will be has already been, and that which has been, forcefully leads us to that which will be. The only variable in the whole lot of it is your mindset. Choosing to do that which has been decided already or rebelling against that which you have no choice in anyway. You will either choose to do the will of your Father as His child, anticipating with joy that which He has in store for you. Or do as you will, while God molds circumstance or time to conform you to His will.

The difference between the two is interminable. One leads to a loving relationship with the Father who loves you completely for all eternity, while the other gives you exactly what you choose. An eternity spent outside of that relationship, on your own… just as you willed.

Both, in places that are befitting of your choice.

I finally figured out what’s wrong…

I finally figured out what’s wrong…

What the world has become sickens me. From the continual perversion and sexual undertones that I see on TV, to what takes place in the hearts and lives of leaders that govern the land we live in.

We face a continual stream of meaningless wars; that appear to be more of a political tool for the elite than for any real cause. We would rather fight to be politically correct than fight to win… it all seems so lost. There are so many, many things that are wrong it is impossible to focus on any one travesty and look for its cure. It is like trying to offer aspirin to someone dying of a cancer that has riddled their body.

We truly live in the time when people are lovers of themselves, with a fascination for spiritual things without any interest in substance or truth.

I don’t have a message or want to try and offer a cure… I just want to go home… or see home finally come to me.

God must be sick of it too. It can’t be too far away now!

What Lies Below

I am lost, blind in the darkness of the depths that I have fallen to. The pressure of the deep is all around suffocating me, squeezing out the little air remaining in my lungs, yet still I am alive. My body shivers continually in the absence of warmth, strong currents continue to take me where I fear to go… ever deeper. I came here willingly, and willingly I continue on, passing the point of no return long ago. What lies above… what I left behind; is not worth returning to. It pales in contrast to the promises He made.

In blind faith I dove in to pursue Him, swimming ever deeper in search of the bottom… only to find there is none. Now, I have not the strength to continue swimming, so I fall. Drifting through the silent cold waters of what lies below. I often wonder if He knows I am here, if He even cares… I search in vain finding only the cold silence of the deep. I came here in pursuit of Him; I came here at His word, abandoning all vestiges of my life above; only to become lost as light was swallowed by the depth. As I continue downward I find others along the way returning to the hopelessness of what lies above. I plead with them to hold on a little longer, to stay the course…His course. I offer them hope and encouragement from that which I do not have. But they pay no heed, still they continue upward, returning to certain destruction.
As for me I press on. I will still cling to the promises He has made, overcoming the pain and fear that pursues me. I still believe… and because I believe, for me there is no other choice.

My only desire is to hear Him speak the words; “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!”

I WILL succeed in this endeavor… or die in my failure.

Significant Insignificance

That’s what we are, right? Significantly insignificant! At least that’s how it feels sometimes.

I read in Psalms where David writes in 1 Samuel; “God who am I that you would bring me and my household this far”, and I am mindful of a line in a popular song today that says; “Who am I that you are mindful of me?” There are many times when I sit out on my front step late at night staring at the stars, contemplating the sheer size of the universe and thinking similar thoughts.

In the context of the universe, we are just one of a billion microbes, living on an insignificant grain of sand on a vast beach, with countless of other billions of grains of sand. How is it that the God of all that is, can even find me in the midst of all the microbes scattered among all the other grains of sand, let alone know me by name and love and care for me! But He says He does! Not only does He know my name, but he knows me so intimately that He has numbered the very hairs on my head…

Luke 12:6-7 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

So even though at times I feel significantly insignificant, God tells me that I am significant to Him. He says that He loves me, and to prove it He laid down His life for me. And, even if I was the only microbe living in the midst of billions of grains of sand… He would still search me out and lay His life down for me, so that we could be together for eternity. And not just for me... it is an open invitation for any one wants to be exclusivly His!

Like the rest of the song says; “I AM A FRIEND OF GODS”, and you can be too!

Do we serve an awesome God or What?

Can you hear God?

I listen to a lot of Christian radio and most of what I hear is sound Biblical teaching. Once in a while (especially with some of the Pentecostal or Full Gospel preachers) I hear a thing or two that make you think; “Awe come on now!” I don’t want to discount what they saw or experienced because I have been witness to more than a few miracles in my own life, and I never want to limit how an all powerful omniscient God has chosen to reveal Himself. But one of the things that I continually hear, is preachers saying; “God told me… or God said.” Not that God can’t or doesn’t speak, I know first hand that God can and does speak audibly to people, but I really question the clarity or frequency with which some say they hear from God.
I am not talking about the still small voice you hear inside yourself nudging you in one direction or another. Or, the way He reveals His will through His word or the strong sense of direction you can have after praying or fasting. But, these guys make it sound like… “This morning, GOD SAID TO ME”… did he really say something to you? Did you physically and audibly hear His voice declaring His will to you? Or was it more of a subtle feeling? I really wish they would make it a little clearer as to the source or manner of their revelation. There have been more than a few times in my life when I could have used God’s clear and audible revelation to help me figure out what was going on… and to hear these clowns continually saying; “God said, or God told me, or my favorite, God told me to tell you”… makes me feel like I am either God’s red headed step child (which I am not) or I really need to question the credibility of their witness. If you feel the need to exaggerate how you hear from God, then what else are you willing to embellish on? Most of these people are the same ones who frequently fall into some unintelligible babble (that by the way Paul told us to keep to ourselves and do in private) and then turn around and frown on me, accusing me of being less of a Christian for not doing the same.

I feel like most of them fall into the same camp Oral Roberts fell into when he said in 1986; “God told me to raise 8 million dollars or He is going to call me home.” After that statement he should have lost all credibility as Gods spokesman! Do you really think the God we serve would threaten us with death over our ability or inability to be a fund raiser?

In the times we are living in I think it is more crucial than ever to closely examine the claims spiritual leaders make. To, analyze and scrutinize the foundation from which they are teaching to determine if it is scripturally sound or not.

Jesus warned us that there would be those who would come amongst us and lead us astray…

Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

And the reason they can do this, is because no one is verifying what they are teaching. I rarely meet a Christian who has even read the Bible cover to cover even one time… in their lifetime… let alone have a grasp of what the scriptures say. How can you know what God wants from you if you never read the words He uses to speak to you?

Contrary to what some may think, God is not going to stop you on your donkey and appear in a bright cloud of light to tell you His purpose for your life. But He will reveal Himself to those who diligently seek Him. And by the way, He can and does speak to us. If He has something to say and that is the only way it can be said, trust me He will do it… but it is not the norm!

The number one way each of us can hear Gods voice and also be protected against false teachers and wolves in sheep’s clothing is to pick up Gods word (daily) and determine for yourself what God is telling you…

…and if He has anything more to say after that, I am sure He will find a way to tell you.

Everything is not what it seems!

Have you ever seen the movie the Matrix?

If you have not, you need to. And while watching it, view it through the eyes of the nomadic Christian that represents our earthly existence. I think if the apostle Peter was here today he would make it required viewing for every Christian.

I believe this movie is the closest example mankind has ever created to show the reality of our eternal existence in relationship to this temporary home we call earth. My favorite part is when Morpheus introduces Neo to the concept of the Matrix. He tells him that the Matrix is not something someone can explain to you, it is something you must discover for yourself! Ultimately, Neo discovers that the world that he and everyone one else is living in is the façade which hides the reality of the prison that he and everyone else exists in. That, the control everyone believes they exercise over the course of their life is completely manipulated by the master that enslaves them. The concept of the Matrix is the perfect parallel to the life we live under the shadow of eternity.

This leads me to my point... I am completely convinced that we live in a time that was foretold of long ago. A time where God will soon shut down the Matrix and in an instant, all of us will discover the true reality of our existence. There is an odd feeling of something winding down or rapidly coming to a close.

Can you feel it, or is it just me? Isn’t there an impending sense of “Change” in the air? Not the sense of change our false messiah the ‘O’ man has offered us, but a change that is occurring all over the world. And even if you are only half awake, surely you can see that which Paul warned Timothy of in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 happening today in a lot of the churches that fly the banner of “Christian”.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Paul’s warning to Timothy was a warning to watch for this attitude in the church, not the world. This type of person did then, does now and always will exist in the world… but it is a new attitude which you can readily find in our churches today.

We live in a time when world leaders are feverously rushing at a frenzied pace to create a worldwide monetary unit under a centralized system of government. And the last hold out… us, you and I… the good ole’ US of A, have sold our birthright of freedom and autonomy to a false messiah who on the surface has promised to be our savior of change, when in reality he is the secret agent of change that the true leaders of this world have groomed to usher you and I… the good ole’ US of A, hog tied into their New World Order. What we are facing today predates the Ford and Carter administrations, but under their watch became very organized… and today the fruit of their efforts is coming to fruition! This monetary crisis, the fluctuating price of food and oil, this newest distraction “The Swine Flu” and so much more are all tools to distract us from the real problem we face, the stripping away of our freedom and rights as Americans. They are conditioning us to accept the shearer’s knife and to remain oblivious as his knife moves ever closer to our throat!

The link below is to a ‘You Tube’ video clip that is an hour and 53 minutes long… you can verify every claim it makes. Afterwards, like Morpheus said to Neo in the Matrix; “This is your last chance, you take the blue pill and the story ends… you wake up in the Matrix and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill and you will begin to see reality… and I will show you just how deep the rabbit hole goes!”

Watch the clip below… it truly is the “Red Pill!”

Here is a link to the clip you can open or copy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaQNACwaLw

Or you can watch it in the embedded link below.




…and go rent or buy a copy of the first Matrix, and watch or re-watch it. It really will open your eyes to a new way of thinking, the same way of worldview thinking that Jesus managed to impress upon His disciples. Neo was no more or less alive after he woke up, than he was before... but what he lived for and the way he lived were radically changed after he knew the truth!