Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

The First Fact Checker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. Proverbs 14:5 (ESV)

One of the cardinal sins God condemns is bearing false witness or lying. This is because God by nature always speaks the truth.

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

Jesus told us that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) All truth is God’s truth. Truth leads to life and freedom. As Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

God’s truth produces life and saves us from destruction; whereas the purpose of lies is to deceive and destroy us.

When God first created the world and put Adam in the garden, he provided every fruit tree for his food, except one, which was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That one was off limits. God warned Adam that, if he ate from it, he would die. That was the truth. If Adam believed that truth and kept away from the deadly tree, he would live. In direct contrast, God also put the tree of life in the garden. If Adam ate that, he would live forever. This is the backdrop for the appearance of the world’s first “fact checker.”

Anyone who uses the worldwide web to gather information knows about fact checkers. These mysterious people, who supposedly know most everything and are completely unbiased, act as judges or arbiters of what is true and false. But just who are these people? What are their credentials? Can they be trusted? Do they speak truth or have a political agenda? Are they paid by the people they are protecting? Many never ask these questions. They simply accept what the fact checkers tell them.

I and many others refuse to accept the narrative being given to us by our government and the mainstream media and have turned to alternative sources of information. But even these must be regarded as potentially suspect. The truth can be hard to find. When we have alternative sources of information which contradict each other, how do we distinguish truth from a lie? It takes a commitment to truth, time and effort to research, and a reliance upon the Bible and the Spirit of truth to guide us. The sad fact is that human beings have an absolutely horrendous track record in this department. We generally are too lazy, too biased, too self-centered and self-reliant, and too easily manipulated.

One great indicator of what is true is what big tech is censoring.

They never censor anything coming from the Left, no matter how hateful. But when people from the opposite political spectrum are over the target, they get plenty of flak. We are living through a time when the truth has fallen in the street, to quote the words of Isaiah. (Isaiah 59:14) However, another Bible verse assures us that nothing can stop the truth. (2 Corinthians 13:8) For the truth to remain hidden, it must be actively suppressed, which God hates and will judge. (Romans 1:18)

Adam and Eve, newly created in a perfect world, never having been mistreated by God or deceived, fell for a lie that challenged God’s words and defamed his character the first time it was presented to them.

Satan appeared in the form of a snake and “fact checked” God. Here is how the conversation went.

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2  “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3  “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” 4  “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5  “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6  The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. Genesis 3:1-6 (NLT)

Satan “debunked” God’s warning, declared it to be a “conspiracy theory,” and made Eve think she was a rube for believing it. Sound familiar? Satan accused God of having an agenda of wanting to keep them back from something good in order to maintain his elevated status as the only one who knew good and evil.

In one bold faced lie, Satan, the first fact checker, undermined truth, demonized the truth teller, and manipulated Adam and Eve into making the choice to kill themselves.

The Bible warns us that sin leads to death. (Romans 6:16) Proverbs warns us about “snares of death.” (Proverbs 14:27) It seemed at first that Satan had been right. Adam and Eve did not fall over dead when they ate the forbidden fruit. It must have looked as if they got away with disobeying God, but appearances can be quite deceiving. Death indeed penetrated their being that day. It took years for physical death to follow, but spiritual death was immediate. Guilt and shame filled their souls for the first time, inspiring them to try to hide from God. But despite their outright rebellion and their horrendous death producing choice, God in his mercy promised to send a Savior. Hallelujah!

Satan still uses lies to ensnare and kill us. If we believe his lies and act on them, we put ourselves on a pathway to ruin.

And let us not over spiritualize this. Satan’s lies are not confined to the religious realm. Yes, it is true that he uses lies to persuade people to sin against God’s moral commandments, but he also seeks to destroy people physically and emotionally by leading them into making destructive decisions in the natural world. Smoking cigarettes might be a good example. There is nothing inherently sinful about smoking, but now we know that it is very destructive to our health. My grandmother became addicted after her doctor advised her to start smoking for health reasons. He did not mean to lead her to addiction and death, but he did. She died of emphysema later in life. Bad advice led to a bad choice that eventually killed her. I believe she is in heaven today because her faith in God sustained her, even in sickness and through death.

Let’s Get Practical

Today fact checkers are working overtime “debunking” the “conspiracy theory” that the Covid “vaccine” is actually or potentially harmful.

However, many reputable scientists and doctors have been sounding a warning against taking this injection for some time now, but the media and big tech are working hard to “debunk” their warnings. (I put some links below if you wish to read more about this.) Is this mRNA injection falsely labeled a “vaccine” God’s gift to mankind, is it a lethal bio-weapon being unleashed on humanity to depopulate the world, or is it something in between? What is the truth?  Should we get the vaccine, refuse it, or wait and see?

I am of the opinion that the so-called “vaccine” is at the very least a serious medical mistake being pushed upon a naive and unsuspecting public to make billions of dollars. At the worst it is a de-population bio-weapon. Regardless of whether I am right or wrong, I see no good reason for it to continue to be pushed now that so many serious side effects have come to light and the so-called pandemic is over for all intents and purposes, at least where we live.

Let’s ask ourselves some serious questions.

  • Why would anyone choose to allow whoever is behind this experimental injection to alter the immune system God designed for us?  Are we really smarter than God?
  • Why allow “scientists” to use us as their “lab rats” in a worldwide gene therapy experiment with unknown consequences, especially when the death rate for Covid is so low and there are low-cost effective medicines (HCQ and ivermectin) to treat it? Remember no mRNA injection has ever successfully passed animal testing because the animals did not survive.
  • Why trust people who have lied to us in the past?
  • Why “vaccinate” young people who have a very minuscule chance of contracting Covid but who run the risk of being harmed or even sterilized by the injection?
  • Why turn the human body into a manufacturing center for the most toxic part of the virus, the protein spike? Why indeed?

Can you imagine how Adam and Eve felt after experiencing the full impact of their fateful decision to believe the lie pushed by the original fact checker in the garden?

There was no “re-do” for them. They could only live with the consequences while depending on God’s amazing mercy. If I am correct, we are in the midst of a modern day garden of Eden type lie that is designed to destroy us. We are being told, “You will not die,” but thousands have already succumbed after receiving the “vaccine”. Some predict deaths in the millions before it is all said and done. I certainly hope that they are wrong.

Adam and Eve failed their test because they so easily mistrusted God, thought they knew better than God, believed a lie, and acted on it.

How are we doing? As for me, even if my conclusions are incorrect, I do not think I will ever regret voicing my legitimate concerns. In the past, that is what America stood for – freedom of speech. If I am right and people take heed, perhaps what I have written will save some lives.

We all must make our choices before God and live with the consequences, while depending on his mercy and grace to help us, even if we decide wrong. Thankfully, God is greater than all the schemes of man. (Psalm 2:2-9)

May God give us all the wisdom, courage, and faith to do the right thing.

Below are links to some resources on the purported dangers connected to the “vaccine”. These are simply samples. Do your own research. Don’t rely on Google, which is censored. Use Duck Duck Go for searches.

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Why it is impossible for some people to understand and believe the truth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus said some very interesting things about why people reject truth in the 8th chapter of John’s Gospel. The Jewish leaders for the most part opposed Jesus to the point of plotting to kill him. John records some conversations between our Lord and those leaders which highlight the tension and antagonism between them. Being a prophet, Jesus did not shy away from telling the truth to people, even when it produced a furious response. Below are some reasons the Lord gave why people refuse to listen to the truth.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33  “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” 34  Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35  A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 37  Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. 38  I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” John 8:31-38 (NLT)
  • The first reason that the Jewish leaders resisted truth was because it revealed that they had a sin problem. When we refuse to admit our need for God’s help it erects a barrier to the truth. The pride behind this refusal did not allow truth to enter their hearts. Jesus said that there was “no room in your hearts for my message.” The proud refusal to acknowledge our sin and turn to God for help is behind our hatred of truth.
  • Secondly, his listeners were tuned in to the devil. We get our information from somewhere – either God or someone else. In the garden of Eden, after God found Adam and Eve hiding from him, he asked them, “Who told you you were naked?” Satan has been speaking into the hearts of men, women, and children ever since. Jesus told the Jewish leaders that their inability to hear God’s words indicated they were listening to the devil. If we love the devil’s lies, there is no room in our hearts for God’s truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:10)
“Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. 40  Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. 41  No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.” 42  Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. 43  Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! 44  For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45  So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! 46  Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47  Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” John 8:39-47 (NLT)
  • Thirdly, people hate truth because they are not related to God. Although every person can claim God is his or her Creator, only people who have been born again by the Spirit can say that they are God’s children. Until we are born of the Spirit, there is no affinity between us and God. We cannot love the truth because nothing in us loves truth. We naturally believe lies because our “father” is the father of lies.

None of us can love God’s truth unless the Spirit of God does an internal work to change us on the inside, which is the essence of the New Covenant.

“The day is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32  This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the LORD. 33  “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34  And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the LORD. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NLT)

If people have no interest in the gospel or are hostile to it, we can be sure that they have no room in their hearts for God’s message because their father is the devil and they are only able to hear lies.

We should never give up on them, however. God is able to use the power contained in the Word of God to transform hearts through the internal work of the Holy Spirit. Who knows? We may be given the privilege of sharing the Good News with a Paul, someone who is initially hostile but in whom God is working. That would have been I. Thank God my wife did not easily give up!

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Hope for People Who Feel Dirty on the Inside

The gospel provides hope for us to be set free from any sense of feeling dirty on the inside because of past sins and failures.

Many cultures have a clear understanding of the stark contrast between clean and unclean and between what is holy and what is defiled. In the West, we generally do not major on this, but this does not mean it is unimportant. Most Western theology of salvation (soteriology) is based on a Guilt-Justification paradigm, which is courtroom related and easy for litigation-conscious people to understand. Guilt and condemnation plague many sin-conscious people, driving them toward the gospel’s amazing offer of forgiveness, justification (being declared “not guilty”), and restoration to the family of God. However, in some cultures the guilt problem does not figure as strongly as being “unclean.”

In Western society, perhaps the closest we can come to understanding this is when people simply feel dirty inside because of some past sin they committed or was done to them. Sometimes we may feel tainted by some embarrassing family connection, thinking that we share guilt by association. People who have experienced sexual abuse often struggle with this. It is akin to shame, but a little different. Shame can be related to something specific we have done or failed to do, but feeling dirty on the inside is more pervasive and systemic and less specific. We can present the gospel in a way that can help people become free again.

The Guilt-Justification Paradigm

Simply put, under the guilt-justification paradigm those who commit serious crimes are guilty, condemned, and deserve to be punished. The judge has a responsibility to pronounce judgment on the convicted criminal, who must pay the price for his transgression.

Using the guilt-justification paradigm to present the gospel, we are all criminals who have violated God’s Law, God is the judge, and death is the just sentence for our crimes of rebellion and treachery against God and his rule. (Romans 6:23)

Since all have sinned, mankind’s situation seems hopeless. Old Covenant sacrifices merely delayed the inevitable “lowering of the boom” by a just God. Paul wrote that the Law’s function was to convince us that we are hopeless sinners and to prepare us to receive the glorious good news of forgiveness and justification in the gospel. (Romans 3:22)

Contrary to what anyone would have expected, Jesus, God’s own Son, died in our place, taking upon himself our just condemnation and punishment from God. As a result, we who believe this message and declare allegiance to Christ, are forgiven and declared “not guilty.”

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1 (NASB)

The gospel offers the only way out of the hopeless situation of being justly condemned for crimes actually committed. This model for presenting the gospel has opened the eyes of countless people, enabling them to come to faith in Christ and escape certain judgment.

The Unclean – Clean Paradigm

But what about those from cultures in which guilt is not nearly so great an issue as being unclean? Here is an insightful quote from “The Gospel for Shame Cultures” by Bruce Thomas.

In observing one particular culture, I have noticed a curious thing. While my Muslim friends and neighbors do not worry much about “little sins” like lying and cheating, their daily lives and religious rituals seem to revolve around something which I would consider to be even less significant, namely their ceremonial purity. The intensity of this insecurity has caused me to consider that defilement might be a basic human problem as serious to some as sin is to others.

Suddenly a lot of things made sense. It had always puzzled me why Muslims make such a big thing out of not eating pork, not getting licked by dogs, and keeping the fast, when sins like lying, cheating, and stealing are treated so superficially. Few Christians seem to comprehend, for instance, the seriousness of eating pork. Dwell for a moment on the revulsion you feel when you think about a Stone Age tribe eating human flesh, and you will begin to understand something of the degree of disgust most Muslims have for the idea of eating pork. It is probably not a sin issue but an issue of ceremonial cleanness. Thus, because eating pork is the worst possible state of defilement, and more attention is given to ceremonial purity than moral purity, the pork eater (George Bush) is worse off than a murderer (Saddam Hussein). (Link)

If we are culturally aware, we understand that “our” way of seeing and doing things is not the only way. The Bible recognizes the significance of ritual or ceremonial uncleanness and also makes a big deal out of it, especially under the Old Covenant.

Jesus brought clarity and insight into our understanding of Old Covenant scriptures. He revealed that God is actually concerned with the condition of the heart, not outward ceremonial cleanness.

The Pharisees, who focused mainly on ceremony and the Law, criticized Jesus and his followers for not maintaining proper ritual cleanness. Here is what Jesus told them.

And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15  There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” Mark 7:14-15 (ESV) 

17  And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18  And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19  since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20  And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21  For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22  coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:17-23 (ESV)

The Old Covenant Law served the purpose of revealing God’s holiness and our sinful state in order to lead us to Christ.

God has always been concerned with the condition of man’s heart. Ceremonial cleanness pointed to actual cleanness which requires a cleansing of the heart. Only God can do this for a person.

Since the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you. Deuteronomy 23:14 (NASB)

Old Covenant uncleanness was a serious problem. Its effect was to isolate offenders from God’s covenant people and blessings. It usually happened when a ritually clean person touched something unclean. Certain conditions of the body rendered people unclean, too. Leprosy was a particularly serious and incurable disease that rendered a person unclean and resulted in permanent isolation. Imagine the loneliness of a leper, knowing that he or she was cut off from family, friends, and the covenant community. Their situation was hopeless apart from God’s miraculous intervention. Many people today also feel cut off and isolated because of a sense of inward dirtiness and shame.

Importantly, whenever clean people or objects contacted uncleanness, they became unclean. In the Old Covenant, uncleanness was more powerful than cleanness.

In addition, unclean or unholy humans, without some sort of ceremonial purification, had no right to be in God’s direct presence or to touch the holy things of the temple. In many ways, God was off limits to ordinary people. They had to relate to him from a distance through mediators called priests.

Jesus, Communicator of Cleanness

This is where Jesus changed everything. He was (and is) the ultimate Clean Person, God himself. He was not subject to the same ceremonial laws as ordinary humans because he was the fulfillment of everything they represented and toward whom they pointed.

Our Lord was immune to uncleanness. He could touch unclean people and make them clean again, while suffering no adverse effects himself.

Jesus’ ministry demonstrated his amazing power over everything unclean. In Mark’s gospel, the first act of power Jesus did was to drive out an unclean spirit. (Mark 1:25-26) Later in the same chapter, Jesus healed a dreaded unclean leper by touching him and commanding him, “Be clean.” Mark wrote that “immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.” (Mark 1:42) In Chapter 5, a woman who was ritually unclean due to bleeding, dared to touch God’s temple (Jesus), hoping that she would be healed and cleansed as a result. In the Old Covenant, she likely would  have been struck dead for presuming to touch God’s Holy of Holies, especially as an unclean person; but, Jesus, the Author of the New Covenant, mercifully allowed her to touch him, which resulted in her being miraculously healed and cleansed.

The unclean touched the clean and was made clean while Jesus suffered no ill effects!

Later in the chapter, our Lord took a dead girl by the hand, which under the Law would have made him unclean, and he raised her from the dead. Once again, the clean triumphed over the unclean. Death was conquered by Life.

Ultimately, Jesus dealt with the real problem of mankind, internal sin induced uncleanness. He did this by dying on the cross, carrying in himself our uncleanness.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB)

And here we are again back at the Guilt-Justification paradigm. One flows right into the other.

New Covenant Cleanness

Under the Old Covenant, ceremonial cleanness only dealt with the external, never with the real issue – the human heart and our sin problem.

Jesus addressed the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders, who prided themselves on keeping the external features of the Law, while remaining oblivious to the things about which God cared most.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28  "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:27-28 (NASB)

We understand from the New Testament that cleansing and forgiveness are two sides of the same coin.

John the Apostle gave us the following insightful promise.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB)

This verse ties together justification and cleansing. Jesus’ blood sacrifice as the Lamb of God paid the just consequence for our sins, providing us with forgiveness and a right relationship with God. It also cleansed us from all moral uncleanness that made us a stench to God. This is a one time transaction with God that plays out day to day as we continue to live by faith in his faithfulness. However, since we still sin on a day-to-day basis, we need to be regularly cleansed through the confession of our sins.

Jesus compared this to having our feet washed, another example of cleansing.

Peter *said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” John 13:8-10 (NASB)

When we place our faith in Jesus and his finished work on the cross and his resurrection, we are made clean before God in the most basic and essential sense. We are recreated in God’s image and become his children for all eternity. However, as we go through life, we become dirty on the “outside” and need a less drastic cleansing that is provided when we confess our sins to God and one another.

Summary

Because Christ died for us “outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:13) as a person made unclean by our sin, those who put their faith in him no longer need to be concerned about ritual cleanness.

The ceremonial and sacrificial aspects of the Law were completely fulfilled by Christ and rendered obsolete. The moral requirements of the Law, however, are eternal. The “law of the Spirit of life” works in all children of God to assist us to live out these requirements from the heart through the power of the Spirit.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3  For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4  so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 (NASB)

When we share the gospel with people who relate best to a clean-unclean paradigm or who battle with feeling dirty on the inside, we should tell them how Jesus took our uncleanness upon himself so that we are no longer excluded, dirty, shameful, or cursed.

Jesus draws the unclean, the ashamed, and outsiders to himself, touches us, cleanses us, and makes us part of God’s forever family.

Prayer

Jesus, for so long now I have felt unclean, ashamed, and cut off from you, your presence, and all the blessings that could have been mine. Thank you for becoming unclean by taking my sins, shame, and guilt upon yourself so that I can be cleansed from everything that has blocked me from God. I confess my sin to you and thank you for forgiving and cleansing me in the inside. Help me to live for you from this day forward. Amen.

as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” Romans 9:33 (ESV)

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How the Gospel Liberates Us from Fear of Rejection and Abandonment

 

 

 

 

 

In the last post, I showed how the gospel sets us free from fears associated with invalidation or lack of proper affirmation. Our true identity is derived from the one who made us. Unless we are connected properly to the Creator, we cannot possibly know for sure who we are, our value, or our purpose. The lack of proper validation produces insecurity, often leading to the expectation of being rejected and maybe even abandoned because we believe we are not “worth” loving. When life corroborates these fears with the actual experience, it implants lies and fears deep in our hearts. The gospel can set us free.

Adam and Eve experienced partial rejection after they sinned when they were expelled from the garden of Eden. In actuality, they rejected God, bringing his judgment upon their lives. Even though our first parents were excluded from the garden and blocked from partaking of the tree of life, God did not abandon them. In the very process of addressing their sin and proclaiming his judgment upon it, he also graciously promised Eve (and us) that one of her descendants would crush Satan.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15 (NIV)

This is the very first messianic promise and an important foundation stone in the gospel message. In a real sense, this is the first gospel presentation, which is a beautiful proof that God never even thought about abandoning his creatures, even after they so rudely rejected and rebelled against him.

Sadly, we have shown over and over again how susceptible we are to lies. Satan finds fertile ground in our hearts for sowing deception, of which he is a master. Jesus called him the father of lies. Men and women over the ages have continued to believe the original lie that God does not really love us. When we begin to attribute bad motives to God, we are in trouble. Adding to this original lie, Satan convinces people that God has rejected and abandoned us, too.

It is a natural and spiritual truth that we can only give away what we possess. Sadly, rejected people only have rejection to impart to others. We cannot “fix” ourselves. Only the Creator – Sustainer – Redeemer has that ability. Only God is able to break the chains of fear that are associated with these lies, and he began the process with his Son.

The dramatic proof that God has not and will never abandon us is the cross.

Jesus experienced the affirmation of his Father at his water baptism, at the transfiguration, and at many other times. He was secure in his identity, his value in God’s sight, and his mission. This allowed him to endure and triumph over the vicious and violent forms of rejection and abandonment he experienced during his ministry years, which crescendoed during his passion and crucifixion.

The prophet Isaiah informs us that Jesus was well acquainted with rejection. (Isaiah 53:3) He knew the pain of being called a bastard son of unmarried woman. (John 8:41) He knew what it was like to be spurned by those who held religious and political authority and power. (John 7:48) He knew how it felt to have masses of followers turn away from following him. (John 6:66) He experienced the pain of betrayal by one in his inner circle and being denied by one of his closest three. (Luke 22:48, Matthew 26:34) He was abandoned by almost all his followers when the passion began (Matthew 26:31), but his relationship with his Father enabled him to weather all that. God wants to establish us in his love, too, so we will not be moved by rejection and abandonment by people.

During his passion and crucifixion, the pain of rejection and abandonment reached its peak. He was spat upon, mocked, beaten, publicly humiliated, reviled, and finally crucified unmercifully. He maintained his composure and confidence through it all. At the last, in some mysterious way, it seems he experienced abandonment by his Father. Theologians speculate that when Jesus “became” sin on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21), the Father was forced to turn away momentarily from his beloved Son. The curse or judgment of God against sin fell upon the innocent Lamb of God. (Galatians 3:13) What agony Jesus must have felt when he uttered, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) This was a quote from Psalm 22:1, a prophecy by King David, which Jesus fulfilled.  In summary, Jesus experienced every aspect of invalidation, rejection, and abandonment at the hands of men and, at least for a moment, by his heavenly Father when he laid down his life on our behalf as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

As a result of what Jesus endured for our sake, we can experience freedom from the lies and fears associated with invalidation, rejection, and abandonment.

Here are some of the Bible promises we have if we put our confidence and allegiance in Christ.

However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT) 

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17  that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 18  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:16-18 (NASB)

The gospel of grace informs us that our acceptance with God hinges upon our Lord Jesus’ perfect life and sacrifice, not on our own performance.

This pulls the rug out from under the accusation that we are not good enough for God to love us. Our relationship with our heavenly Father, the Creator-Sustainer-Redeemer, is based upon our being “in Christ.” When Father looks at us, he sees his Son. (Galatians 2:20) When we worship him, we do so “in the Spirit.” The Spirit of Christ who resides within each believer cries out, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15) Although, we are not divine, we have the Spirit of God indwelling us, giving us the same relationship with Abba that Christ has. (1 Corinthians 6:17) This is the secret of the Christian life and the means of our liberation from fear.

God has done the “heavy lifting” through his Son, but we must do our part, too, which is to meditate upon the scriptures and believe them. The Holy Spirit within will help us.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32  and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32 (NASB)

I leave you with this fabulous passage to think about. Hopefully you will be inspired to believe the truth about God’s love for you. You might even wish to pray the prayer below.

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17  By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18  There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:16-18 (ESV)

Prayer

Father God, I have wrestled with lies and fears all my life. I now come to you because I put my faith in the love you have for me, which was demonstrated when Jesus died for me on the cross. I choose to believe the truth that you will never reject or leave me. I now realize that I am your beloved child. My sins are forgiven and my destiny is secure in Christ. Help me from this day forth to live and serve others out of the security of your love for me and the truth about what you say about me. Help me to be a faithful messenger of your love and truth to others. Amen

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The Dangers of Playing God

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prior to writing this article, as a good shepherd, I have tried to sound a warning to God’s “sheep” regarding the dangers associated with the experimental Covid “vaccine” by forwarding articles and videos to people who have showed an openness to such information. Yesterday, it suddenly struck me that there is also a theological reason not be “vaccinated.” Here is my attempt to share my thoughts. I hope it will help you decide what to do, if you have not already received the injections.

Satan, the being Jesus identified as the father of lies in whom is no truth, apparently came to a point where he decided to play God (Isaiah 14:12-15). He wanted to take over God’s throne, but it did not turn out well for him. If he could not be God, he decided to spread his misery and rebellion to planet earth and humanity. Being a liar, he used what he knew best to deceive Adam and Eve into disobeying God, promising her that doing so would enable her to become “like” God, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:5) The big lies Satan released upon these unsuspecting and naive humans were that God cannot be trusted to do the right thing, disobedience to God will produce good results, and sin will not result in death.

I submit that these are the same lies being used to trick people into receiving the experimental gene therapy called the Covid vaccine. We are being told that we cannot trust our God-given immune system, tinkering with God’s creation will produce good results, and altering God’s design will not result in death.

Indeed, Adam and Eve did come to know good and evil on a first hand basis, but it caused them to lose their spiritual link with God and introduced death into humanity. Adam and Eve were already created in God’s image, but they wanted more. They thought they knew best. It destroyed them.

At the tower of Babel, mankind once again tried to play God by building a tower to reach to heaven and make a name for themselves. (Genesis 11:4) God stopped that sinful work of pride in its tracks and scattered mankind over the earth by confusing their languages. Nevertheless, the Babel principle remains: humans still want to play God.

God sent his Son to actually elevate humans to the throne of heaven. The thing Satan covets God will give to anyone who puts their faith in the Son. This is why Satan hates believers.

Jesus is the second person of the Trinity, who became a human and came to earth to testify to the truth (John 18:37) and make a way for us to sit on God’s throne as co-rulers, enjoying his glory and authority forever. (Ephesians 2:6) The only way we get to enjoy these things is by entering through the doorway of repentance. To repent essentially means that we decide to stop trying to live independently from God and willingly surrender to Christ’s benevolent rule. It includes being sorry for having lived that way in the past and for all the wicked things we did and thought while in that mindset. Faith allows us to accept what Christ accomplished on our behalf – forgiveness, being made right with God, being restored to God’s family, being set free from all that enslaved us, and being given the rights, privileges, and authority of sons and daughters of God. We cannot earn this, steal this, or in any way accomplish this on our own. It is a gift pure and simple to those who will repent and believe.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5  even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6  and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7  so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8  For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:4-9 (NASB)

Unfortunately, those who refuse to accept the gracious offer of eternal life and sonship through the gospel still are trying to be God and steal his glory, thinking they know best.

In my opinion, one of the latest examples is the mRNA vaccine.

Instead of being grateful and awed by the immune system given to us by the Creator, men and women, who probably believe we evolved out of nothingness, fearlessly tinker with God’s creation in an effort to improve upon God’s design.

What could go wrong injecting a synthesized mRNA sequence into our immune system?

The following has been extracted from Moderna’s own website.

At Moderna, we are leveraging the fundamental role that mRNA plays in protein synthesis. We have developed proprietary technologies and methods to create mRNA sequences that cells recognize as if they were produced in the body. We focus on diseases where enabling targeted cells to produce – or turn ‘on’ – one or more given proteins will enable the body to fight or prevent a given disease.

      • We start with our desired sequence for a protein.
      • We design and synthesize the corresponding mRNA sequence – the code that will create that protein.
      • Before synthesis, we also engineer that mRNA sequence to optimize the mRNA’s physical properties, as well as those of the encoded protein.
      • We deliver the mRNA sequence to the cells responsible for making that protein via one of several modalities. Reaching different types of cells requires different delivery methods.
      • And, once the mRNA – the instructions – are in the cell … human biology takes over. Ribosomes read the code and build the protein, and the cells express the protein in the body.

I feel sure that many vaccine scientists believe that great good will come out of this new technology, which, by the way, has been falsely labeled as a vaccine. It is hoped that this new technology will lead to a cure for cancer and other diseases; but we must consider whether using it might be as when Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Will it release a “Pandora’s box” of disastrous consequences upon the human race? Many think this is a distinct possibility.

Due to the current Covid “pandemic emergency,” this “vaccine” was manufactured and distributed without having successfully navigated the normal animal safety trials, despite there being two known effective treatments for Covid – hydroxycholoriquine and ivermectin, not to mention vitamin D and zinc. These treatments have been suppressed by big pharma and the media to allow the vaccine to be introduced. (Here is a very good short video of a presentation by Dr. Ryan Cole on this subject.)

All previous mRNA “vaccines” failed animal testing because within several months the animals died or were severely compromised when exposed again to a wild pathogen against which they were supposed to have developed an immunity. (Here is a video segment by Dr. Tenpenny which exposes this – go to minute 21:35) Dr. Tenpenny warns that animals previously tested with other mRNA “vaccines” were permanently altered by the vaccine so that the virus actually penetrated their DNA by an irreversible process called transduction. Here is another good video interview on this subject with Dr. Lee Merrit.)

The big question before us today is this. Will we start seeing a massive death event in a few months experienced by all who have received the mRNA injection due to being primed to experience a fatal cytokine storm? We certainly hope and pray not. Time will reveal the answer, however. The verdict is still out. In addition, it is feared that many may develop various autoimmune disorders. We are already seeing people develop blood clots. Many have experienced other weird symptoms, including death. It is also feared that the “vaccine” can produce sterility in women. Spontaneous abortions have already followed some pregnant women who were vaccinated.

What is my point? It is certainly not to ring a death knell on behalf of those who already submitted to receiving an injection of an alien synthesized mRNA sequence. We hope for the best for all of you.

However, I warn those who are pondering whether or not to receive this experimental gene therapy that doing so is tinkering with God’s creation and submitting to a trans-humanist agenda. I personally think it is another attempt at playing God and thinking that we know better than God. I predict no good will come from this.

True vaccines use the body’s defense system. This shot alters it.

I don’t know about you, but I plan to stick with God’s design, not experiment with man’s.

Below is a wonderful video compilation of doctors from around the world sounding the alarm. We do well to take heed. It is found on Bitchute, one site that is not censored.

DOCTORS & MEDICAL EXPERTS WORLDWIDE WARN HUMANITY AGAINST TAKING THE COVID19 VACCINE

I understand that some of my readers will dismiss this article as being a “tin foil hat” conspiracy theory. We are living in an era when truth is hard to discern at times. I have sounded the warning. It is up to you what you do with it. We shall soon know who was telling the truth. We will also soon know the truth about the gospel. According to the Bible, when we die, we will all stand before Christ’s judgment seat. If we ignored his warnings and refused the gospel offer, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. Don’t refuse God’s amazing offer of eternal life through the gospel. If we miss that one,we will discover that we made the greatest mistake imaginable. If the vaccine kills us, that is only our physical life, as precious as that is; but, if we refuse the gospel, it will result in a spiritual death and an eternity without God, which is far worse.

Prayer

Jesus, I repent of my misguided attempt to live without you. I now choose to come under your benevolent rule. Please forgive all my sins and give me eternal life through your indwelling Holy Spirit. I believe you defeated death on my behalf when you rose from the grave. Thank you for loving me so much. Help me to serve you all my days and tell others about the good news. Amen.

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Faith Waits During Dark Days

 

 

 

 

 

Darkness often descends upon those who are waiting to receive a promise from God. God allows our faith to be tested to prove its genuineness. (1 Peter 1:6-7) Persevering faith brings great glory to God. King David spent years waiting for Samuel’s prophecy of his coming kingship to be fulfilled. Even though he was anointed king as a young boy, he had to wait for God’s timing. So did Abraham and countless others. Joseph was also a great example. The scriptures say the following about his wait.

Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him. Psalm 105:19 (NASB)

How discouraging and dark were those years of captivity in Egypt? How distant and unreal did those boyhood dreams of having authority over his brothers and parents seem? Was he tempted to cast away his confidence? There is no indication that he ever wavered.

The Letter to the Hebrews encourages us to likewise remain strong during our dark days of waiting on God to fulfill his promises to us.

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36  For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 (NASB)

Jesus told his disciples before he ever went to the cross that he would be crucified, but would rise again after three days. They were not able to grasp or believe his words. As he hung dying on that instrument of torture, the altar upon which he freely gave away his life as payment for our sins, he announced, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) He announced to the world, heaven, the angels, demons, Satan, and his Father that his mighty work of redemption was complete. Nothing more needed to be done on his part. All that remained was to wait for God the Father to do his part – the resurrection.

How do you suppose the disciples felt during that Sabbath between the crucifixion and the resurrection? Were they able to rest in and rejoice that, just as in the creation, God had finished his work? Or did they wallow in despair, confusion, and self-pity? What would you have done? What have you done when God has required you to wait for him to fulfill a very specific promise to you? Maybe you are in just such a time right now. How is your faith doing? Is it getting stronger? That is what God wants. That is what happened to Abraham when he had to wait twenty-five years for a promise to be fulfilled.

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” 19  And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. 20  Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21  He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. Romans 4:18-21 (NLT)

Faith is able to wait during dark days because it is focused on God’s faithfulness and it is upheld by God himself. He is the Author and Completer of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)

However, Jesus is compassionate when we waver. This is shown in the resurrection account of his appearance to the two disciples who were walking to Emmaus. They had lost hope, but Jesus chose to appear to them before he ever visited his main disciples. How remarkable! In fact, his chief band of disciples still did not believe! If you are struggling to keep the faith during your wait for God to fulfill his word, know that God is there for you. Hang in there, just as King David wrote so long ago.

Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. 14  Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD. Psalm 27:13-14 (NLT)
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When Deception Rages like a Storm, What Is Our Anchor?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bible warns that Satan has been permitted to release his lies in an overt effort to deceive the entire human population.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8  but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9  And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:7-9 (ESV)

His lies began in the Garden of Eden and continue today in an unprecedented way, as his minions use all the tools of media and computer generated images to weave a shroud of deception over the world. There are alternative sources of information from the mainstream media, but even they often are guilty of deception. This is because sin has made us all deceivers, going back to Adam and Eve, who bought the lie that God did not have their best interests in mind. Since then the truth has always been questioned and lies are easily believed. That is the human condition.

It is only by God’s mercy and grace that anyone is able to escape this “matrix” of deception. The Holy Spirit is called the “Spirit of truth,” and he works inside those whom God has called to himself to open their eyes and ears and hearts to perceive and believe the truth.

Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.  Matthew 13:14-16 (ESV)

Now those who have a God-given love of truth find themselves in a quandary. Where do we turn? What is our anchor in the storm?

As would be expected, God has given to us a benchmark of truth to which we can and must turn – the Bible. Jesus, who is God’s truth in human form, told us that the Scriptures are absolutely true and can be believed and followed.

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world 15  I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one. 16  They do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world. 17  Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. 18  Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. 19  And I set myself apart on their behalf, so that they too may be truly set apart. John 17:14-19 (NET1)

Love for God’s truth is what sets us apart from those in the world who are not part of God’s people. (2 Thessalonians 2:10)

Satan always works to undermine our faith in God’s Word. He did this in the Garden when he asked Eve, “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1) He does it now. Satan “owns” the public school system, the media, higher education, and much of the government. He uses these platforms to disseminate his lies and undermine truth and devotion to God at every level.

The only hope for us, the only anchor we have in the storm, is to rely on God’s truth that is found in the Bible and upon the Holy Spirit, the one who guides us into that truth.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:13 (ESV)

The Bible and the Spirit testify to the One who is called the Truth, our Lord Jesus Christ. All truth points to him. Ultimately, our faith must be anchored in him, a person, the full expression of God’s truth to the world. (John 14:6) Faith in him anchors us in every storm and protects us against the devil’s lies. (Hebrews 6:19)

Prayer

Jesus, I feel confused and lost in a raging sea of deception. I turn to you. The Bible says you are the Truth and the only Way to the Father. I receive you and all you did for me when you died on the cross. Thank you for forgiving my many sins, for putting me in right standing with your heavenly Father, for setting me free, and for giving me your Spirit of eternal life and freedom. I give myself to you and acknowledge that you are my Lord and Savior. Help me to live the rest of my life for you. Teach me your truth and help me to be a disciple and fisher of men. Amen.

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Today’s Most Pressing Question: Who Is Lucy and Who Is Charlie Brown?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps. 16  The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence. Proverbs 14:15-16 (NLT)

Anyone familiar with the Peanuts cartoon strip knows about how Lucy routinely tricks Charlie Brown by removing the football just as he tries to kick it. She never changes, and he never ceases to trust her. Today we see much the same thing being played out in our nation. The mainstream media continues to lie, and the general public still believes their propaganda. There is now so much conflicting “information” that it is getting more and more difficult to distinguish between who is telling the truth and who is lying. Another way to put this is that we are no longer always sure of who is Lucy and who is Charlie Brown.

The MSM loudly and constantly declared that Trump colluded with the Russians for four or five years in an effort to prevent his reelection. Though proven wrong, the MSM never apologized or backed off, and, despite their proven lack of truthfulness, much of the public continues to believe their message. Now we are being told by the same proven liars that the last election was not stolen, that COVID lock downs and mask mandates are necessary and effective, and that the experimental “vaccine” is safe. Lucy is assuring us that this time she is not going to pull the ball away. Trust her, Charlie Brown.

Intelligent people whom I respect have been unwilling to heed the warnings of numerous doctors and other health experts against taking this “vaccine,” declaring that such warnings are rubbish, junk science, and conspiracy theories. Many have taken the vaccine, despite its not having passed the normal kinds of safety testing, ostensibly because they are desperately afraid of a virus with a 99.7% survival rate that is curable by using hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. If those who are doing the warning are correct, those who take the vaccine are gambling their future health that Lucy is telling the truth this time.

The most pressing question of our day is who is Lucy, and who is Charlie Brown? Who is telling the truth, and who is a conspiracy theorist or liar?

We are living in a time of unprecedented deception largely because we have become so clever at manipulating information. Germany under Hitler suffered from what is taking place in the US and around the world. It took a World War to deliver them. Perhaps God will be more gracious and merciful to us. Eventually the truth, at least in part, will be known. Until then, pray for the wisdom and courage to pursue truth, even when it is disparaged, persecuted, unpopular, and very inconvenient.

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Basic Doctrines of Christ: The Resurrection from the Dead in Everyday Life

 

 

 

 

 

One of the dangers with any doctrine is postponing it until the indefinite future. This is what Martha did regarding the resurrection just before Jesus restored life to her brother Lazarus. Jesus told her that he is the resurrection and was able to raise Lazarus immediately, but her thinking restricted the matter until the end of time.

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24  Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27  She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” John 11:23-27 (ESV)

When Jesus returns in glory, he will indeed raise us from the dead, but even now we can experience resurrection life on a daily basis. There is only one problem associated with this process, however: to experience resurrection there must first be a death.

Imagine the horror Jesus felt as he hung on the cross as he experienced separation from his Father as the sins of the world fell upon him! You and I were born into this world separated from God because of Adam’s sin, but this was the first time for Jesus who had experienced glorious unity with his heavenly Father for all eternity.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) 

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 (ESV)

Abraham also experienced a version of this in what the Bible calls a “terror of great darkness” (Genesis 15:12), at which time God confirmed to him an everlasting covenant. God’s eternal unconditional promise to Abraham was based on what Christ accomplished millennia later. God is not bound by time as we are. The benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection reverberate through time backward and forward for all eternity. Jesus experienced completely the horror of darkness that Abraham felt in part. Nevertheless, God required Abraham to go through it.

Later in Abraham’s story, the death-resurrection principle played out again. God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the son of promise for whom he had patiently waited for 25 years! Amazingly Abraham immediately obeyed without questioning God and was ready to complete the act when an angel stopped him. This, of course, foreshadowed Father God’s actual sacrifice of his Son upon the cross. In writing about this act of obedience by Abraham, the author of Hebrews states that our faith forefather trusted in God’s ability to raise the dead.

It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18  even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19  Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead. Hebrews 11:17-19 (NLT)

What Abraham did revealed his faith that God will fulfill his promises, even if he requires us temporarily to let go of them. Some call this “death of a vision.”  When we are willing to let something apparently die that is a precious promise to us, in the hope that God will yet restore it in his way and his time, we participate in the resurrection principle.

Paul wrote about this to the church in Corinth.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; 9  indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; 10  who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, 11  you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (NASB)

The resurrection principle requires that we cease to try to keep ourselves and our promises alive through our own strength, but instead abandon ourselves to the faithfulness of God.

This is what Jesus did on the cross. As he descended into the abyss of death and experienced complete weakness and relinquished all attempts to save himself, he abandoned himself to his Father, the great Promise Keeper.

And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:46 (NASB)

This was the culmination of Jesus’ faith walk, but he professed his faith in God’s resurrection power often prior to his crucifixion. He repeatedly told his disciples that he would die on a cross and be raised three days later. For us to properly experience God’s resurrection power, we must have faith in his ability to pull it off.

To experience resurrection, it is important that we understand and embrace the process. Jesus knew he had to die first in order to be raised. The same is true for us.

What has God promised to you that seems hopeless at this point? Have you released it into God’s hands? Are you able to trust him to give it back to you, if you give it to him? That is how we experience the resurrection in everyday life.

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Basic Doctrines of Christ: The Resurrection from the Dead – Beyond Imagination

 

 

 

 

 

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)

Imagination can be used in a good way to go beyond our previous experience. Many great advances have been made by those whose imagination fueled innovation.

When it comes to the resurrection and what lies ahead for those who trust in Christ after our earthly lives comes to an end, even our imagination is insufficient. What God has in store for us is far more wonderful than anything we can conceive. Imagine that!

A common conception of heaven pictures angels floating on clouds playing harps. How boring does that sound? The glimpses of heaven provided in Scripture are anything but boring. Those who claim to have died and seen heaven tell of sights, sounds, and experiences that are beyond description. The apostle Paul was among that group.

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3  And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4  and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (ESV)

When our Lord rose from the dead, he was sometimes not immediately recognized. Something had happened to him that made him different from before. At other times, he was clearly recognized by those to whom he appeared. He was able to appear and disappear. Walls were not a barrier to him. He had a real body that could be touched. He was able to eat food. What kind of body did he have in his resurrected state?

Paul said that we really cannot imagine what the resurrected “spiritual” body will be like.

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36  You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37  And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38  But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39  For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40  There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42  So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43  It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45  Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46  But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47  The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48  As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49  Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 (ESV)

When we plant a seed, we get something very different when it sprouts. We see a complete plant that is able to produce more seeds! The seed we plant must “die” before it can “resurrect” as a plant. The seed goes into the ground where moisture causes it to “decompose” in order to be re-composed as a brand new plant. This is a picture from nature that gives us some idea of the resurrection process.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25  Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:24-25 (ESV)

One thing we learn from what the Bible says about the resurrection is that our bodies are important to God, important enough for him to eternally save them, too.

He created our bodies to house our spirits, making us unique creatures who are able to interface with both the physical and spiritual worlds. How extraordinary!

God will eventually re-create heaven and earth (2 Peter 3:13), making a suitable place for resurrected people to inhabit. Imagine that, if you can.

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