Monthly Archives: August 2022

Faith, Reasons to Believe

KNOWING GOD-PART 2-WISDOM IN THE BASICS-THE FACE OF A CHILD

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And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

John 17:3

In the last article, we looked at the idea that it is possible to know God. Keep in mind that this is different from a complete understanding. We will have an eternity to contemplate the love of God expressed in God the Father’s sacrificial love…Jesus’ life, death, burial, resurrection, mediation, and His creation of a new earth,

God Wants Us to Know and Understand Him

God wants us to know and understand Him, but mastery of this knowledge is impossible because of who we are (His creation) and who He is (The Creator). But, it is the basic things about knowing God that is important anyway. The most powerful and simple intercessory prayer recorded in the Bible came from the heart of Jesus before His death on the cross. As we read it in John 17, we will begin to know the basic things about God the Father and Jesus. These elementary things are powerful and dynamic. Let’s read the first five verses of Jesus’ prayer

Jesus spoke these words, lifted His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.  And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

John 17: 1-5

What can easily be seen in Jesus’ prayer is His acknowledgment and acceptance that His time had come. His pending painful death for our sins is only hours away. Jesus wants to avoid this death. He wants the cup of suffering to pass over Him. Nevertheless, Jesus defers to the Father’s plan that the sorrowful cup of sacrifice is drunk to the last drop. Jesus, the innocent lamb of God who knew nothing but love, and compassion, would die the death we deserve so that we can enjoy the life He deserved. We won’t have scars on our palms or side forever.  He will. The only imperfection in heaven will be those scars on the glorified body of Christ. These scars will remind us of our redemption from a sin-crazed world. That is why sin and rebellion will never raise their ugly heads again. See the source image Jesus’ death on a splintery rugged cross would bring glory to both the Father and the Son: even though the enemy thought it would scare Jesus away.  But love was stronger. In Jesus’ prayer, we can see that authority over all of us is given from God the Father to Jesus.  This is not a “bossy” authority but a protective authority.  Jesus, in turn, Jesus provides eternal life for those given to Him. But this eternal life is not arbitrary, by chance, ancestry, or anything else; it is through a developed knowledge of God the Father and Jesus. How does this life-saving knowledge come to the saved?  It is by learning about God through at least three basic sources in this world. Today, we will describe the first 2:
  1. God’s communication through His creation.
  2. The face of a child.
  3. The preserved word of those God inspired to write about God’s dealings with humanity from the very beginning. The story provides understanding.
    •  The life of Christ
    •  The faith of those who knew God.
Any of these are sufficient to create faith (trust) in a Creator God. This faith will lead to a changed heart.

His Creation

Anyone with eyes and ears can learn about God through His creation, or what we call nature. A simple walk or hike will lift the heart upward. As a young man with job responsibilities and a family, I would sometimes need to escape. This I did by hiking with a couple of Chrisitan friends for a few days in the Great Smokey Mountains or other such places near home.  I can still remember the burden removed from my shoulders as I walked only a hundred yards on the path into the woods. Today, the daily habit of short walks in the country setting of my home re-connects me to the reality of a Creator God. May be an image of tree, nature and grass Paul tells the Romans in the first chapter that God’s creation is sufficient proof of God’s existence and that we have no excuse for believing otherwise.

For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

Romans 1:20

Nature can help us understand the great mystery of His eternal power and even the Godhead!  Wow!  Think about that for a second or two.  But many will reject this knowledge.  Paul continues…

…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.

Romans 1:21-22

So even though the evidence is right there in their faces, they choose to be unthankful for the things that reveal God and sustain them.  Their thoughts become futile and dark.  They think they are wise, but they are fools—such a sad train of reasoning of the lost.  But God searches for ways to appeal to their intellect.  He draws them to Himself with kindness and the deep meaning of sacrificial love, as shown on the cross.

With everlasting kindness, I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer.

Isaiah 54:8

Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, with lovingkindness, I have drawn you.

Jeremiah 31:3

Yes, even the modest of God’s creations tells of the character of God.  Because of this, no man has an excuse to wonder about God.
“God is love” is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green — all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy The word of God reveals His character. He Himself has declared His infinite love and pity. Steps to Christ, p. 10

The Face of A Child

Perhaps nothing can reach the heart of anyone like the face of a child. There in that little t face with those bright eyes is the unspoiled, innocent face of God looking back at you. The love that a Mother and Father have for a child is evidence of a loving, caring, protective Heavenly Father. The righteous feelings and pride of parents explain the necessity of the sacrifice of their own lives and the overwhelming desire to protect to the uttermost. To parents, the life of that child supersedes anything else in this world. In the same way, God calls us adults, his children. How Jesus treated the little children of His day tells us how much He cares for us.

 Once when some mothers were bringing their children to Jesus to bless them, the disciples shooed them away, telling them not to bother him.

 But when Jesus saw what was happening, he was very much displeased with his disciples and said to them, “Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as they. Don’t send them away! I tell you as seriously as I know how that anyone who refuses to come to God as a little child will never be allowed into his Kingdom.”

Then he took the children into his arms and placed his hands on their heads and he blessed them. Mark 10:13-16

Image result for images of the face of a child
“Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as they” Jesus
Some of the most direct and threatening words of Jesus relate to those who would abuse a “little one.” There is good evidence in Jesus’ words that the little ones are not just children but adults who are tempted by another person

 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves.

Luke 17: 2-3

If you want to know God, observe the innocence of a child and how Jesus relates to them. If you want to see Satan, look at how he and his followers treat a child for selfish sake. Jesus is our protector and the apple of His eye. He, as our Heavenly Father, looks upon us as His children. This is what we can know about God through the face of a child.
Reasons to Believe

KNOWING GOD-PART 1-IS IT POSSIBLE?

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 Thus says the Lord:

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,

Jeremiah 9 23-24

There are many in this world (mostly atheists and agnostics) who say it is impossible to know God, much less prove his existence. I recently read on an atheistic website called The Center for Inquiry these abstracted and unprovable claims:

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1. Humans will never have the cognitive capacity to directly understand anything with infinite powers or qualities.

2. Humans will never have intellectual reasons to indirectly demonstrate the existence of anything with infinite powers or qualities.

3. There are only two kinds of proofs for God: direct understanding or indirect demonstration.

Conclusion: Humans will never have any proofs for God.

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They boldly make this statement:

“There is no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy life. “

It is interesting they assume that believers don’t enjoy life. They also suppose that believers are worried about proving God’s existence. If God’s people don’t enjoy life and are worried, maybe it is because of the ceremonies of religion and not the reality of the good news about God.

This same author wrote an article revealing the atheist’s hatred for religion. It was also ingrained into my brain when I embraced the faith of unbelief.

“Not Even God Could Make Me Religious.“

The words of atheists reveal the stubbornness of not seeking but rather falling back on superficial philosophical word games. Rarely do I meet an unbeliever who does not display a superior attitude and pride in their exegetic philosophies. The ideas of atheists rely on humanistic viewpoints within their circles that feed off each other. They claim science backs them up. This is their proof for unbelief and an excuse for hedonistic living.

Interpretive science is merely expositions that reach conclusions based on one theory of man’s existence and meaning-Evolution. A Creator is not considered because they don’t want to contemplate anything they can’t see and put in a test tube. Evolution conveniently takes away a superior being and the possibility of accountability for a life filled with narcissistic reasoning and unrestrained pleasure seeking. The theme can be summarized in one statement

Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”

When Jesus told the parable of the rich man, He repeated the condition of a self-serving approach to living….a short period of 70 years on earth.

And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.

Luke 12:19

Then, Jesus made this blunt statement of accountability:

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:20-21

As a convert from atheism to a believer of the only Creator God, I also hold a destain for religion. Even Jesus Himself reserved His most severe and condemning words for the religionists of the day.

Religious zeal can take two forms: One marked by an air of superiority, self-righteous judgment, and control. But true religion, demonstrated by real believers, will exhibit humbleness and concern for those who are on a dark road that ends in eternal disaster. Love and servitude will dominate the character.

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble…

James 1:27

Over the next several blogs, we will explore the difference between being religious and being real. But mostly, we will explore the fact that knowing God is not only possible, it is also critical.

This study of knowing God is not directed towards the atheist nor the agnostic, it is what God reveals to those who claim to follow Him. The question is: “Who are the religionists, and who is real?” I won’t use the philosophy of my words, but the words of the many people who knew God and had experience with Him as recorded in the books of the Bible.

I am not out to prove anything about the existence of God. There is plenty of proof for that despite the hard-headed unbelievers’ claims. Rather, it is God’s words spoken directly or indirectly through those who were inspired by His Spirit that will direct our paths. For those who seek God, whether a church-attender or not, a journey to know God will result in something an atheist stubbornly resists: real peace, real happiness, real hope, and real eternal life

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 1 John 15:13

Daniel and Revelation, Prophecies for Our Time, The Soon Return of Jesus

The 144,000 and The Vast Multitude-Who is Able to Stand?

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The most important question in Revelation 6 and 7 is not the identification of the 144,000 and the Vast Multitudes. Instead, it is John’s heartfelt, but worried, inquiry:

“…who is able to stand?”

Revelation 6:17b

Why would he ask this question? For context, let’s look at John’s vision in the last few verses of Chapter 6.

 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 

Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave, and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,  and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Revelation 6: 12-17

The events preceding John’s question are graphic! There is nothing to suggest the scenes are symbolic or related to anything other than the second coming of Jesus. God reveals to us, through John’s vision, the effects of the dramatic cosmic phenomenons on the earth and the lost who are alive at the second coming of Jesus:

  • The sky rolls back like a scroll as it prepares for the entrance of Jesus and His entourage. It is a glorious scene! The sky is filled with the glory of Jesus, the Father, and all the holy angels:


For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels,…

Matthew 16:27

  • Every mountain and island is moved out of its place. A universal upheaval of the mountains, islands, and seas. The Old Testament prophet Amos, like John, describes the earth as trembling; swelling, heaving, and the people mourning:

Shall the land not tremble for this,
And everyone mourn who dwells in it?
All of it shall swell like the River,
Heave and subside
Like the River of Egypt.

Amos 8: 8

  • This scene frightens men (mankind) who think they are powerful and rich…the so-called leaders of this world. They are contrasted with the powerful King of the Universe, who is making His way back to earth many of its inhabitants are shaking and mourning because the reality of their demise has arrived.
  • All the lost of this world run to dark places (caves) and ask the rocks to fall on them so they won’t see the face of the Lamb. They recognize that the day of His wrath has come. The redeemed have a different response:

“Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”

Isaiah 25:9

  • The lost ask the question: “Who is able to stand?” or, put another way, “who is able to survive the appearance and wrath of the Lamb?

Revelation Chapter 7 answers the question, “Who is able to stand?”

Author

Malachi asked a similar question:

“But who can endure the day of His coming?

And who can stand when He appears?

Malachi 3:2

Many today are confused about the second coming of Jesus, but the Bible has a multitude of verses clearly describing Jesus’ appearance. It is a destructive event that every eye can see (Rev. 1:7) No one will be wondering if He is coming or has come. It is not kept a secret. His coming is like the glowing light of lightning spreading across a dark prairie shining from the east to the west.

 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 

Matthew 24:27

The lighting is not about its quickness but rather the light that all can see.

The first time Jesus came to this earth, he came quietly wrapped in swaddling clothes as a babe in a manger. But the second time, he comes like a Lion, as a conquering King. God’s prophets and Apostles describe the events as cataclysmic in nature. Here are a few from both Old and New Testament prophets:

They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty When He arises to shake the earth mightily. 

Isaiah 2:19

And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the Lord of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger.

Isaiah 13:13

The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

Joel 2: 30-31

Our God shall come and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous (violent storm) all around Him.

Psalm 50:3

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night (unexpected), in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10

“For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will leave them neither root nor branch.

Malachi 4:1

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The Answer:

Immediately after John asks the question, “Who is able to stand?” we are shown a cosmic scene of 4 angels, on the 4 corners (North, East, South, and West), holding back 4 winds:

After these things, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, Revelation 7: 1-2

These 4 angels have the power to harm the earth and the sea or let them be harmed. So they are holding back the winds of strife until given the order to do so. But a 5th angel cries out with a loud voice.

“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

Revelation 7: 3

This “loud voice” in Revelation is like Paul’s description of Jesus’ return Paul records a shout and the voice of the Archangel (1 Thess 4: 16)

 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

1 Thess. 4:16

This 5th angel appears to be Jesus. The One in charge. But this is another study for a different time.

The Seal of God

Thee harm, or destruction towards the earth, is held back so the 5th angel, who has the “seal of the living God.” can do the work of “sealing” the servants of God in their foreheads. The forehead (or frontal lob) is the seat of human thoughts, logic, and feelings. So this is a very real work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, although symbolically presented. The purpose of sealing is to both protect and secure the person receiving this work of God the Spirit.

The prophet Ezekiel uses the same language and work when he talked about the people of Jerusalem being marked or protected before the destruction of Jerusalem:

“…and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it

” Ezekiel 9:4

It is interesting and revealing that the ones who had the “mark” on their foreheads (symbolic mark, not literal) were those who had sad feelings about the abominations done within its walls. They had a soft and humbled heart about the troubles and sins of the people. In the last days, those whose hearts hurt over the sin of this world will likely be candidates for the sealing taking place before the Lord comes. Jesus has recreated in them a new heart of flesh and, like Jesus, they seek the lost sheep to bring salvation.

Paul often talked about the Spirit that does the work of sealing, even today. Here are a few examples:

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1: 13-14

Notice the prerequisites for being sealed with the Holy Spirit:

  • Hearing the word of truth. The gospel of salvation (Faith or trust comes by the hearing of the word. See Romans 10:17.)
  • Believing is closely related to faith but is based on substance and evidence. It is not blindly believing; It has reasons to believe. This person uses the forehead to believe God-given logic and education in the word. (Hebrews 11:1).
  • Trust (aka faith) is a result of hearing the word and exercising trust in Christ. Without this faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6)

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

2 Corinthians 1: 21-22

Through the work of God, we are established in Christ, sealed by the Spirit given to us. Be careful that you “assume” you cannot be unsealed. It can happen by grieving away the Holy Spirit:

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4: 30

At the same time, you can be assured that the evidence of the Spirit in you is sealed by a heart that has been changed.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8: 16

This mark on the forehead speaks of ownership, as does a seal. A seal on the document often identified the owner and protected the scroll’s contents. Hot wax was dripped on the outside of the document, and a signet ring or stamp was impressed into the wax.

It is a great thing to acknowledge God as your owner. This is beautifully stated by the prophet Isaiah:

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.

Isaiah 43:1

In summary, the second coming of Christ is destructive for the lost, but those who look and wait for Him have a different response of joy and praise. Those who are sealed in their foreheads are protected from the wrath of the Lamb when Jesus returns with the glory of His Father and all the Holy Angels.

You can be sealed now IF you trust God and it is demonstrated and confirmed by His Spirit in you.

But what does all this have to do with the 144,000 and the Vast Multitude? Is the 144,000 a literal number and are only 12,000 from the 12 tribes sealed and saved? If not, what is the symbolism saying to us? This we will explore next time.