The Problem of Evil

Since the beginning of time, there has been a war raging in the cosmos. It is a war that starts in heaven when Lucifer decides that he wants to be God. Lucifer was God’s most beautiful creation. He walked before the throne room daily and was considered an archangel. But Lucifer became jealous of God, and it was out of that jealously that Lucifer convinced one third of the angels to join his efforts to overthrow God and become God himself. It was at this point He ceased being an archangel and became the Prince of Darkness. The Devil’s revolt resulted in him being cast out of Heaven by God and ever since Satan and God have been enemies.

In our time we look forward to the day that evil will no longer hold sway in the world. We long for a heaven on earth. And one day there will be a new heaven and a new earth. But until that day comes when evil is finally no longer, evil still remains and causes much pain on the earth. In God’s original creation everything that God created was good. In fact for a time, humanity itself knew no sin. Then man sinned, and evil manifested itself into the world. Evil can be defined “as the refusal to accept the true God as God. True evil elevates itself or another to replace God.” The question often arises, if God being holy and just knew that evil and sin would come to the earth than why did He not prevent it or stop it? There are three reasons why God allows evil to continue in the world and they are the following: 1.) God created man with free will and thus gave man the ability to choose to accept Him or reject Him, 2.) The fact that evil and suffering is so prevalent in our lives reveals the fact that we have our own inadequacies and that we need God, and 3.) God allows evil because He does not want His children to get used to the present life because as the Bible says, we are just pilgrims and sojourners passing through and as believers, Heaven is our final eternal state.
God created man with free will and thus gave man the ability to choose to accept Him or reject Him. God did not create evil. God did create persons with freedom who could practice it. So we are who actualize evil, not Him. He could have created a world without the possibility of evil, but He preferred a world with free choice. God created us with the power of choice. To quote from Ravi Zacharias,
“What would it take to create a loving world void of evil? A world in which love is capable of meaningful expression and experience would also imply a world in which there is choice. If someone tells you that they love you, those words mean something because they are freely given. If you learned that someone had told you they loved you but that they had been forced to say it, their words would not mean very much. Thus, if we want to speak of a loving world, we must also speak of a world in which choices are exercised. And in such a world, there is also the possibility of choosing a course of action that is not loving, i.e. evil.”
True love implies and demands a free choice! Or else you would have a fixed environment in which humanity would be robots. Alvin Plantinga claimed the following:
“If God creates human beings with true, morally significant free will (where humans can freely decide to act in ways that really do advance goodness in the world, or really do cause evil in the world against self, others or world), and if God wants a world in which there are significant amounts of moral goodness, it’s possible that God cannot get that kind of world without significant amounts of moral badness as well. After all, if people are left free by God, then the morally significant states of the world will in large part be up to the decisions of humans, not up to God.”

The fact that evil and suffering is so prevalent in our lives reveals the fact that we have our own inadequacies and that we need God. Simply put, all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. When Adam and Eve sinned, God promised that one day there would be one coming that would be a sacrifice for sin and would make a way for people to have there relationship restored to God. That was done when Jesus died on Calvary. Jesus took all of humanities sins, and bore them for all of humanity so that people might have a chance to be saved and inherit eternal life. We see here that “Christ’s atonement guarantees the final end of evil and suffering”. Alcorn says, “The drama of evil and suffering in Christ’s sacrifice addresses the very heart of the problem of evil and suffering. One day it will prove to be the final answer.” The answer to the problem of evil and suffering according to Alcorn,“is not a philosophy, but a Person; not words, but the Word.” Jesus Christ is the answer to the problem of evil. Only He can help us with the feeling of inadequacies and the feelings of hopelessness. Only He can save humanity from their sins. Only Jesus can provide true lasting peace.
God allows evil because He does not want His children to get used to the present life because as the Bible says, we are just pilgrims and sojourners passing through and as believers, Heaven is our final eternal state. If everything was perfect and no problems ever surfaced and there was no pain in life then people would not have to rely upon God anymore for anything. Alcorn points out that “in order to appreciate our eternal future, we will remember the sufferings of the present.” Because we have pain and suffering, we must rely upon an Almighty God. Human beings do not have all the answers. Dinesh D’ Sousa writes.

The only way for us to really triumph over evil and suffering is to live forever in a place where those things do not exist. It is the claim of Christianity that there is such a place and that is available to all who seek it. No one can deny that, if this claim is true, then evil and suffering are exposed as temporary hardships and injustices. They are as transient as our brief, mortal lives. In that case God has shown us a way to prevail over evil and suffering, which are finally overcome in the life to come.”

So in reality, in the big picture evil and suffering is only temporary. So every trial and every tribulation that we may face in life is well worth it, because one day those that believe in Jesus will receive new resurrected bodies that will no longer be corrupted. We will be in Heaven where Jesus is, and there will be no more sin. Revelation 21:1-7 best illustrates what will happen in the end: 1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
In conclusion, we have seen the three reasons why God allows evil to exist in our present world. According to Ed Hindson and Emir Caner,
“What evil forces us to conclude is either God is not good, or that our conception of God’s relationship toward us needs serious rethinking. The evidence about evil drives us decisively to this latter conclusion. God uses evil, suffering, and disorder to drive us to Himself. If He gave only good, we would be self-satisfied. If he had given immediate death when we sinned, He would be just. That He gives us partial goodness and partial suffering now forms a texture of hope that in the future, He will in fact make all things right in a final consummation and restoration. God is not through: He will continue to work on us, like a persistent sculptor working the metal with hard blows and constant lighter corrections, to help us become worthy of happiness if we receive Him and submit to His plan. On most occasions, it seems, we do not know why God allows certain evils. But we know someone who knows these things, and we can therefore trust Him to make good on His promise that “he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Romans 13:11-12- And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Wake Up Church of the Living God! I write this exhortation tell you that it is time for the Church to arise out of its slumber. It is time for the Church to let their candle burn bright again in a lost and dying world. While the world becomes more and more inherently evil, the Church needs to realize that our redemption draweth nigh, and we as a Church need to be about doing the Lord’s business and laboring for the King so that when He does return, he will not find us lax and apathetic towards the things of God.

The Church of the Living God has been duped by the demonic doctrines of hyper Calvinism and hyper Pragmatism. What I mean by hyper Calvinism is the belief that God predestined the elect (saved people) before the foundation of the world and that since they are predestined to heaven there is no way for them to turn from irresistable grace. On the other hand, God predestines some people to go to Hell and there is nothing that they can do to change their eternal destination because God already predestined it before the foundation of the earth. This particular idea is heresy, but nevertheless it is spreading in the churches of America at a unprecedented rate. What is so appalling about this particular aspect of Hyper-Calvinism is the fact that it teaches that some people from the moment they were born are damned to Hell and there is nothing they can do to change their destination! Oh, but I have good news for you. The Bible says that God would have none perish but that all might come to everlasting life. Focus on the word ALL. That is clear that God wants all of humanity (that includes every man, woman, boy and girl that has existed or ever will exist) to be saved, and to experience everlasting life. The fact of the matter is that God created us with a free will. People have the choice of whether to accept what he did on Calvary, or people can reject what he did on Calvary. God wants us to choose to love him. If we did not have a choice or a free will then we would be no better than robots.

There is also a heretical doctrine spreading known as Hyper-Pragmatism. Pragmatism says that if it feels right then it is okay to do. The truth is that every man thinks he is right in his own eyes. Pragmatism is currently sweeping through the Churches at an astonishing rate. Many Churches are compromising their convictions in order to appease the flesh. Many Churches are using the methodologies of the world and are in effect saying it is okay to use the world and the world system in order to keep people entertained and keep people happy. Folks the truth of the matter is that this whole idea of collaborating with the world is heresy and has no place in the Church of America. Churches have become so worldly and they have bought into the idea of pragmatism and the sad truth about it is they don’t even know it. When a evangelical Church in this country is playing secular songs in the pulpit there is something wrong. Not too long ago a evangelical Church played the AC/DC song I am on a Highway to Hell. The sad truth about it is that many people in that Church is probably really on the highway to Hell. It is so sad to see the Churches in America for the most part become so apathetic and become so duped by demonic doctrines. It is obvious that they are not reading the same Bible that I read. The Bible clearly states in 1st John to love not the world neither the things that are in the world. The Bible clearly tells the Church that we are not citizens of this world. We are pilgrims and sojourners passing through.

We must never expect the Lord to bless a church that is duped by these doctrines. We must never expect God to bless a church that is full of proud and conceited people. God will only start to bless the Church of the Living God when it is humbled to the dust under a sense of its own shortcomings. When the Church does this then God will look upon the Church with mercy. God blesses his people when they begin to pray, as well as when they confess their sins. The prayer is urgent, humble, and believing; therefore, it has to speed to the throne of God. “God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us”. These agonizing desires will be part of the mourning of a Church that is conscious of having lost the blessing from God when the entire Church is interceding with urgency and persistence.

Prayer is the best resort of an earnest people. I can testify to this. In my church (Second Baptist Church), we have had prayer meetings in which everyone has been stirred, much as the trees of the forest are moved in the wind, and afterward the presence of God has always been manifested by conversion of souls. Our best times of prayer have always been followed by joyful harvests of new believers. Churches everywhere must be prayerful, intensely so, or else they cannot expect that the sound of abundant rain will be heard throughout their land.

I call on the church to awake, to confess their sin, to awake to struggle in prayer for the souls of men. The the Lord God will visit us from on high. Come Holy Spirit, and rouse your slumbering people Stir up the lazy multitude of believers, for when Your power is felt, then the bright day of triumph has dawned upon us.

Introduction

The Resurrection is what makes Christianity different than all the other religions in the world. Without the Resurrection, Christianity would have nothing to stand on because Jesus Christ would have been just a mere mortal man. But can Christianity be validated? Did Jesus Christ really resurrect from the dead and authenticate His claim to be God? There are at least three reasons why Jesus rose from the dead and they are the following: 1.) The fact that so many people testify of seeing Jesus after His resurrection, 2.) The fact that the apostles were willing to die for what they believed in. and 3.) Paul’s conversion from being a murderer of Christians to preaching the resurrection of Jesus. These are the three reasons that will be discussed in detail in this paper.

Post Resurrection Appearances

The fact that Jesus appeared to so many people after the Resurrection authenticates Jesus’ claim to be God in the flesh. Jesus appeared to over 500 people after His resurrection. The fact that Jesus appeared to over 500 people at one time is more than enough evidence to suggest that Jesus did in fact resurrect from the dead.

J.N.D. Anderson writes of the testimony of the appearances:
“The most dramatic way of dismissing the evidence would be to say that these stories were just mere fabrications, that they were pure lies. But, so far as I know, not a single critic today would take such an attitude. In fact, it would really be an impossible position. Think of the number of witnesses, over 500. Think of the character of the witnesses, men and women who gave the world the highest ethical teaching it has ever known, and who even on the testimony of their enemies lived it out in their lives. Think of the psychological absurdity of picturing a little band of defeated cowards cowering in an upper room one day and a few days later transformed into a company that no persecution could silence- and then attempting to attribute the dramatic change to nothing more convincing than a miserable fabrication they were trying to foist upon the world. That simply wouldn’t make sense.”

So we see that that the character of the witnesses who saw Jesus after His resurrection was exemplary. In fact, these people were transformed by what they saw.  Josh Mcdowell in his book Evidence for Christianity gives a list of all the people that Jesus appeared to and they are the following: Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, to women returning from the tomb, to Peter later in the day, to the Emmaus disciples, to the apostles without Thomas, to the apostles with Thomas present, to the seven by the Lake of Tiberias, to a multitude of 500-plus believers on a Galilean mountain, to James, to the eleven, at the Ascension, to Paul, to Stephen, to Paul in the temple, and to John on Patmos. The fact that Jesus appeared to so many people is evidence for the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead
Persecution and Death of Apostles

The second reason why Jesus rose from the dead is the fact that the apostles were willing die for what they believed in. Norman Geisler and Frank Turek state that:
“the New Testament writers suffered persecution and death when they could have saved themselves by recanting. If they would have made up the Resurrection story they certainly would have said so when they were about to be crucified (Peter), stoned (James), or beheaded (Paul). But no one recanted- eleven out of the twelve were martyred for their faith (the only survivor was John, who was exiled to the Greek island of Patmos). Why would they die for a known lie?”

Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, had this to say about the apostles:
“Twelve powerless men, peasants really, were facing not just embarrassment or political disgrace, but beatings, stonings, execution. Every single one of the disciples insisted, to their dying deaths, that they had physically seen Jesus bodily raised from the dead. Don’t you think that one of those apostles would have cracked before being beheaded or stoned? That one of them would have made a deal with the authorities? None did.”

The apostles would not have subjected themselves to all the persecution and ultimately execution if the resurrection did not happen. The fact that they would not recant and went to their death suggests that they had a life-changing experience. Jesus really did rise from the dead and the people who saw him literally shook the foundations of the world for the cause of Christ.
Some critics suggest that the apostles stole the body of Christ and that Jesus really did not rise from the dead. Again, why would the disciples not come clean to the authorities and admit that they stole the body before they died. The body was not stolen. Jesus Christ really did rise from the dead. Others state that Jesus did not actually die. They state that he swooned. Now this argument can be taken apart because of the brutality of Jesus’ death. Crucifixion was a brutal way for someone to die. It is a known fact that Jesus’ friends and his enemies thought he was dead. Geisler states that “the Romans, who were brutal executioners, whipped and beat Jesus brutally to the point of collapse. They then drove heavy, wrought iron nails through his wrists and feet, and plunged a spear through His side. They didn’t break his legs to speed death because they knew he was already dead.” When Jesus was laid into that tomb there was no doubt that he was dead. So knowing that fact and knowing that the disciples were willing to stake their lives on the fact that Jesus died, was buried and that he rose again is pretty solid evidence to suggest that Jesus literally rose from the dead.

Paul’s Conversion

The third reason why Jesus rose from the dead is Paul’s conversion from being a murderer of Christians to being the greatest missionary who ever lived. Paul, who at one time was known as Saul of Tarsus, was present in the stoning of Stephen. He was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians when a bright light knocked him off his horse and blinded him. Paul heard a voice and questioned the voice asking the voice who it was, and the response was, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.

According to Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner,
“ recent scholars agree, for a variety of reasons, that Paul is the most reliable witness to Jesus’ resurrection appearances. Once an adamant adversary of Christianity, Paul explains that he jettisoned his unbelief after he saw the risen Jesus. Given his conversion from the ranks of Jewish scholarship to one of Christianity’s greatest scholars, Paul is certainly viewed as an excellent witness to the resurrection appearances.”

Paul was taught by the great Jewish teacher Gamaliel, and was on track to possibly become a member of the Sanhedrin. His scholarship was brilliant and many suggest that he had a P.H.D in his time. The fact that he was so opposed to Christianity only to suddenly become a Christian suggests that he indeed had something miraculous happen to him. He did have an encounter with Jesus Christ and that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and that He is indeed Deity.

Conclusion

To summarize what has already been stated Douglas Groothius declares:
“The New Testament reverberates and glistens with the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. The Gospels record Jesus’ teaching that he must be betrayed, killed, and rise again. Then they all testify that his tomb was empty and that he appeared to his disciples as he said. The Book of Acts records the preaching of the resurrected Christ as its central fact. The various New Testament letters and the book of Revelation would melt into nothingness without a resurrected Jesus. The resurrection is attested to by four separate Gospels, the history of the early church, by the letters of Paul, Peter, John, James, Jude, and the Letter to the Hebrews. There is a diversity of credible witnesses. Since the New Testament volumes show considerable fitness in terms of historical reliability… this is a good initial reason to accept the resurrection as an objective reality.”

C.S. Lewis writes this regarding Jesus:
“I am here trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic- on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a mad man or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

I choose to believe He is God. He is my Lord and my Savior and I will preach that He rose from the dead till the day I leave this body. Even if there was no evidence to suggest that He rose from the dead I would still believe because I have faith. Faith is believing God when you can not see the tangible reality. I was not there when Jesus rose from the dead, but I have the Word of God that tells me that there were godly men who lived with him and saw him after he rose from the dead. That is enough evidence for me.

Many people have concerns about the images children – especially girls – see, and the things they think about. Especially because a recent study showed that girls are hitting puberty at an incredibly early age, something which will have many far-reaching social consequences.

Thankfully, such children don’t have to go through life worrying. While it’s normal, and okay, to be concerned, we can be certain that if we cast our cares on Jesus, He will help us through.

This problem can seem especially daunting, of course. Children don’t develop extremely complex comprehension of things quickly. One could say that God, in His love and wisdom, allowed children to enjoy the fun of childhood longer, so their minds could develop before their bodies underwent a change. Even if the more extreme findings from the early 1800s aren’t typical, there has certainly been a decrease in the age of puberty over the last few decades.

Mankind consistently messes up the perfection of God’s system through sin, and this is no exception. Whether its chemicals, the many images Hollywood and Madison Avenue throw at our children, or a combination, mankind has warped things to the point that it’s hard enough for young adult women, let alone girls, to understand the simple truth.

What is that simple truth?

God knows you’re beautiful. He made you, and He loves you, just the way you are. You are a champion in His sight.

Different societies have different images of beauty. But, all focus on the outside. The Bible tells us that “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) When children hit puberty, they begin to look more and more on the outward appearance of things. They won’t just think of a boy or girl as a nice playmate, or a good friend. They’ll start to think of how cute they are. Their hormones will take control. When they haven’t mastered the art of resisting those many impulses that cause them to act before thinking, problems surface.

They not only start to think about others in a different light, they begin to think of themselves that way. They may play grownup or teenager when little, but the ability to comprehend all that is involved in real life is limited. It’s like a three-year-old who pretends to cook dinner. They may throw something into a play oven, then get it out, without any comprehension of cooking time, recipes, or anything else that goes into making a meal. Let alone the mess that can result when they fix breakfast in bed for Mother’s Day, only to leave Mom with much more work when she comes downstairs.

We can see, then, that the problem of girls hitting puberty as younger ages is a big one – not only for the girls, as there will be those who reach it at the age they were meant to, but also for boys. And, this hasn’t even mentioend the parents!

So, what is the solution? The solution is the focus on the fabulous princess that God wants every girl to be – and the wonderful prince He wants every boy to be. Fabulous and wonderful not for what is on the outside, but for what is on the inside.

See, everyone has an internal monologue, which tells them things about themselves and the world. It can send positive or negative messages. The Psalmist may have hidden God’s Word in his heart, that he might not sin against God (Psalm 119:11), but God’s Word also has plenty of verses we can teach young people to hide in their hearts so they can learn to enjoy life and be free from the temptation to look like some Hollywood supermodel – someone who has likely been photo cropped, anyway, so doesn’t even look like that.

Consider verses such as Philippians 4:8 (things to think on that will help them: true, honest, just, lovely, etc.), Galatians 5:22-23 (Fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, etc.), Romans 8:1 (“There is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” – which deals with sin being taken away, but which can help those who try to condemn themselves for not being good enough for something), all of Psalm 139 (such as being fearfully and wonderfuly made), and so on. So many thoughts can be part of girls’ and boys’ lives, thoughts which can build them up, as we are taught to edify one another.

How to Have that Perfect Relationship with God

That Holy Spirit guidance is there so that we may have life, and lfe more abundantly. (John 10:10) God wants us to have a good self image – but He wants us to have the right self image. An image based on the inside, which is the most important. It’s the part that is ultimately going to matter.

It’s true, of course, that we all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. He can’t have that perfect relationship with us because of that sin, so we can’t go to his perfect Heaven when w4e die, and we keep turning from Him here – as noted, messing up His perfect plan.

Thankfully, as quoted in Romans 8:1, there is a way for you to have no condemnation in you. You don’t have to be condemned for that sin, separated from God’s perfect love forever in a horrible place of suffering.

He reconciled Himself to each of us while we were yet sinners; He died for us before we could do anything for Him. (Romans 5:8) Then, the third day, He rose fromt he dead. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, etc.) He defeated sin and death, because He – jesus Christ – is God in the flesh. He was able to take our sin away, and make a way for us to have that perfect relationship with God again.

We just have to receive that forgiveness. He sees each person – you – as a wonderful person, beloved of God. And, all you need to do is believe with your whole heart that He has saved you from your sin, and call on Him to forgive you. It is by grace you are saved through faith – and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

It’s as easy as AB: Admit you’re a sinner, Believe Jesus Christ – God in flesh – died for your sins, and rose fromt he dead, and Choose to repent – turn from those sins and invite Him into your heart to make you new on the inside.

Dealing With Problems Once You’re Saved

of course, teens, tweens, and everyone has temptations. Even Christians can fall for those negative thoughts if they’re not careful. That internal monologue needs to be closely guarded.

There are resources out there which can help. There’s a great book called “Before You meet Prince Charming” for girls, which can help them to see and learn to focus on that wonderful beauty they have – the ministry which promotes this, “Tomorrow’s Forefathers,” has a number of good resources. There are probably a number of local ministries, such as “Stealing Hollywood,” which help girls to understand these things.

The most important thing to remember, though, is that a positive self-image starts by realizing that you are someone special for your inward beauty. Kindness, gentleness, long suffering, and so on are fruits of the Spirit for a reason – they help to build in us the kind of people God wants us to be. People who care about the heart of others, and who want to make a difference in the world by putting God first in their lives.

Because when we start to see God as the ultimate goal, and Christ as the way, then we start to see how those things of the flesh really don’t matter in the long run. Oh, they’re wonderful tools to provide pleasure for a time, between a married couple.

But, that same married couple will grow old together, become wrinkled, feeble, and son on together, and lose the outward things of youth. However, if a person has placed his or her trust in Christ, their joy, kindness, peace, love, and so on will be forever. Because while those crushes of youth will fade, there is nothing which can separate us from the love – deep, unconditional love – of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

The recent announcement that Wal-Mart would tag clothing with the RFID chip, and the chip’s use for other purposes, has raised concerns among privacy advocates, as well as questions about whether the RFID chip might be the Mark of the Beast, as discussed in Revelation 13. Perhaps not as many have heard of RFID specifically – indeed, my fingers seem to want to type RDIF. (Relax, Dude, it’s Friday?) However, the notion of chip implants for numerous purposes is in the news a lot.

The fact that God’s Word told of microchip technology – as well as webcams and other things – over 1900 years ago isn’t the only thing that makes many wonder about chip implants. Privacy advocates also warn that they could lead to an Orwellian society in which everything is monitored.

A look at both sides reveals this to be a fascinating new technology. It’s not all horrible, as it has great uses. Still, in the wrong hands, it will, someday, led to great troubles. As we’ll see, the Mark of the Beast is clearly not the same as the RFID chip as used in 2010. However, because it could be used for evil rather easily, it is definitely something that – like the above webcams and satellites – could be used for evil purposes. However, there is a way to escape such a fate.

What Is the Mark of the Beast?

First, a look at Revelation 13 shows what the Mark of the Beast will be:

16 And he [note: the false prophet] causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast [the antichrist], or the number of his name.

This Mark is used for control and identification. The world ruler in this period will have great power. However, he won’t be just any ruler – he will eventually proclaim himself God (Dan. 9:27, 2 Thes. 2:4, Revelation 13, etc.) Indeed, that verse in Second Thessalonians says the ruler, known as the Antichrist, will exalt himself “above all that is called God, or that is worshipped.” He will force and demand worship. This is unlike God, as the Lord Jesus Christ lovingly lets us choose whether or not we wish to serve Him. He simply lets us know there can be severe consequences to our choices if they are poor ones.

In the beginning, though, this ruler will be just a great man – some will call him the greatest leader ever. He will unite many behind his global agenda. He will bring peace. In fact, he will likely be responsible – though maybe behind the scenes – for the rebuilding of a Jewish temple in Jerusalem. In the middle of a seven-year period, though, he will break a covenant with the Jewish people, and wage war against them. (Dan. 9:27)

His mark is one of control. Note that nobody may buy or sell without it. They will be forced to declare allegiance to the Antichrist and his government. Either he, or his realm, will suffer a deadly wound which will be healed.

Rev. 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon [the devil] which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
…
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

You can read all of Revelation 13 on your own, but notice that the one who sets up this image will also be the one implementing the Mark of the Beast. Through holograms, computer animation, or some other means, the image will speak.

We see, then, that the Mark of the Beast will be much more than just an ID tag. Oh, it will most likely contain that. It’s quite possible that it will contain all vital information. At the rate things are going, it could contain an internet connection!

People have worried many things were the Mark in the past – Bar codes, credit cards (VI is 6 in Latin, and the number of the Beast is 666), tattoos, and so on. The reason people believed things like credit cards were the Mark is because they twisted Bible prophecy to their own era. That’s normal – the Thessalonians did the same thing. Believers were confused because they thought they were supposed to all disappear in the twinkling of an eye, instead of dying one by one. Paul had to comfort them that those who trusted Christ as Savior and then died were in Heaven; (1 Thess. 4:13-18)

This doesn’t mean the mark won’t be like any of those. Each of those places us closer to the Mark. The Mark isn’t RFID in the way it is being used now. However, the RFID chip, like a credit card, is an ID that means people are more accustomed to these things.

it is a sign of the times. In other words, we probably know now how many of those things in Revelation chapter 13 occur.

We must read the Bible literally. Sometimes it’s hard, like before satellites, webcams, and the like, Rev. 11:9-10 (all the nations of the world looking on two dead bodies) was hard to understand. Like the Mark of the Beast, though, it will happen. Something will be put into people, to cause them to be monitored, to swear allegiance to the Antichrist, and so prevent them from buying or selling anything without it.

Still, privacy experts are worried. So, what is RFID, and what isn’t it?

The RFID Chip and Other Implants

Despite the typo I mentioned, RFID is not a typo for Relax, Dude, it’s Friday. It stands for Radio Frequency Identification. An RFID tag is used to monitor an item, animal, or person by using radio waves. It can be used to track and identify merchandise. However, it can also be used to monitor animals – such as finding lost pets – or humans. The FDA has approved one – called Verichip – for use in humans; and it has raised even more alarms.

It can be read from farther away than traditional bar codes. (A funny sounding term when one considers those haven’t been around for that many decades.) This leads to numerous concerns, such as identity theft. It also could be monitored if a tracking device such as a GPS system were placed inside of one.

There are, of course, benefits to RFID chips as well. At times, mankind has invented things and even put them into mass production without considering all the possible drawbacks or increasing safety first – people died on rare occasion from shocks caused the earliest lights, for instance.

While there are safety concerns, proponents of the chips, if they were honest, would likely acknowledge the potential problems, and promise to solve those, as was done with electricity. After all, microchip technology does allow things to be identified faster than ever, monitored for problems easier than ever, and so on.

However, problems with insulating electrical wires enough are technical in nature. It’s easy to fix a light switch when you have the technology. It’s impossible for people to fix human nature totally – sure, they can make things better, but imperfect people can’t lift other imperfect people above the level of imperfection. They can’t make people perfect.

Since people can’t become perfect on their own, there will always be people out there who can use microchip technology for their own, evil ends. Some of these can easily become leaders of entire nations. In other words, the RFID Chip as it is being used now is not yet the Mark of the Beast.

However, it’s easy to see how it can be. It’s easy to see how something that is meant only for identification can rob a person of liberty, and be used to control everything he or she consumes. It’s quite possible that the information on a chip can be programmed, so that a person’s identify can be changed or wiped out.

And, given human nature, it’s only a matter of time before someone does just that.

What’s better, though, is knowing how to avoid the pain and suffering. God has clearly wanred us that this Mark will be used as a sign of worship to the Beast, the devil. And, He has provided a way to avoid it.

Rev. 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

How to avoid that terrible fate?

q. Remember, this world is not our home. We will spend forever in one of two homes, Heaven or Hell. The verses above describe Hell. The Bible tells us many times what Heaven will be like. It is a place where nobody has seen, heard, or imagined the wonders. Just picture a world with no suffering, no pain, no death, where everyone is peaceful – including the animals!

Heaven will be filled with the most joyous things, and most amazing sights and sounds. It will be like a person, totally blind from birth, suddenly seeing perfectly. Our finite minds can’t grasp the wonders that await us.

The way to avoid the Mark now is to simply “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31) We are in the Church Age, and have not yet seen the worst that mankind will do. That may be hard to believe, with the increase in violence, hatred, lawlessness, and so on. But, it will continue to get worse.

Right now, though, you can put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you for your sin. We don’t all commit every sin. There are some who have never stolen, for example, but who haave told lies. No sin can enter into the presence of God. So, God Himself, in the form of a man, Jesus Christ, came to this world to die on the cross, and to rise from the dead. He took your sins and mine on Himself (2 Peter 2:24), taking the punishment so we could go to Heaven.

And, the wonderful thing is, He will come live in you right now, and guide you through the many problems of life. He does that through the Holy Spirit, which is another way God manifests Himself.

All if takes to do ths is to receive Him by simple faith: believe that He died for you and rose from the dead, that He took the punishment for your sins, and repent of them. That means agreeing with God that you need Him to save you, and invite Him to do so; invite Him to come live in your heart to change you on the inside.

One day, He which letteth (the Holy Spirit) will be taken out of the way, and the “man of lawlessness” (the Antichrist) will be revealed. (2 Thess. 2:7-8) If that time has come by the time you read this, you may still receive Him by faith, like above, but things will be a lot tougher. You may well be one of those who is beheaded in the end for the cause of Christ. However, you will be sure of going to heaven, and in the meantime, you can trust in God to guide you through things. It’s just that His Holy Spirit will not be able to indwell believers in the end, since He will have left the earth. Instead, He will be on believers to guide them, just as He was in the Old Testament.

Thankfully, we know that at that time, if you endure to the end, you will be saved.

One man, made from the dust of the Earth, bears the historical responsibility for tearing apart the very fabric of creation.

This one man and his wife – “flesh of my flesh” ADAM, made in the likeness of loving Father and Creator God, succumbed to temptation, and did what some have described as irreparable damage. Irreparable to man that is. Certainly NOT irreparable to God!

They were cast out of their Eden for their sin, forced to till the soil for food, to work for shelter and bear children in pain. Generation after generation – uncountable through the eons was loved mercifully by their creator God. Every one of them known intimately, every hair on their heads counted, and still they struggled for freedom. Freedom which separated them further from the time, created with them solely in mind.

Evil perpetuated, sanctity negated, ‘leave me alone I will choose my own fate’ their perpetual cry! A gift once given can never be rescinded – freedom to choose, to decide, to live or to die.

Loudly we hear them proclaim “We want a king”, a ruler like the other nations have…… They have an eternal King whom they deny!

And still they cry out “We choose to worship”, as the other nations worship – but not you Lord God – just idols and beasts… we know you not!

And through it all God pondered and watched. His hand always at the ready to assist if asked, his heart crying in longing for his rebellious children.

Chances and opportunities were given time after time. Prophets, wise men, holy seers sent with tidings and announcements –to be ignored and cast out. Promises fulfilled yet evil spread its ugly manifestations.

The King looked down from the heavenly throne, crying in pain at the loss of his beloved children. The chosen ones, here since time began, have no direction, no way; the veil was in place and masked the view. The way was closed.

To bring them back to the home prepared, required the divine act of redemption! Through the very gift of himself, through life and love, from the Alpha and Omega only, could this be accomplished.

The Triune Godhead has always known that mankind would waiver between flesh and spirit. So offering himself, in perfect love, to repair the fabric that Adam had destroyed “The Word made flesh” would come.

The ‘Word’ spoken at creation, never absent and always alive, had chosen to be birthed, to live and die – fully human and fully divine. He would open up the way.

Would they listen, would they follow and obey? There was always a chance they would deny him. Time and again they had refused, why would this be any different we ask.

They were his own, his chosen ones, and live amongst them for thirty plus years he did. He taught them, led them, prayed with them and cried with them. He turned water into wine for their wedding feast and danced with them, healed them, cast out their demons – and still they doubted!

They saw in him an earthy conquer, one who would defeat the occupying forces in their land, but that was not who He was, and to his death they led him, without ever knowing the real reason for his coming. The times were cruel, evil reigned; rulers feared him, and the crowds were swayed! But he had known since before time began, that this was to be his destiny, and he came willingly to the eternal sacrifice as our redeemer.

For by so doing – his sacrifice would repair the rift caused by his Adam, and the veil would be forever destroyed and the way made open to any who chose to traverse his path.

I want to be with Him, forever, and He has promised I may. For He Lives. He is the first to rise from the dead. I cannot fathom what it took for Him to assume a human form, to live and to die – crucified for my past present and future sins. Yet he took it all upon his shoulders, mine yes! And the sins of every other human being since time began and still to be born.

Willingly he accepted this most terrible death……… he stared death in the face and defeated it. He stared evil in the face and defeated it. He sat at the right hand of God the Father, stared Him in the face and said ‘I love them Father, forgive them please.’Father, I want everyone you have given me to be with me, wherever I am. Then they will see the glory that you have given me, because you loved me before the world was created.
John 17:24 (Contemporary English Version)

One Man (ADAM) tore apart the fabric of creation, and in its place we find the veil. There was no access to Our Heavenly Father and evil prevailed.

One Man –Jesus, through his death tore apart the veil. He took upon his shoulders our iniquities; He opened the way to brings us home.

Freedom is ours to choose, what will it be? Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life, our eternal light – or eternal darkness?

I beg you – Choose life and light!

Why is the sky blue? It’s among the most asked questions children have – almost a generic one to show the curiosity of young people and the joy of learning that comes when youngsters are encourged.

Some may not think of light scattering through the atmosphere as the primary answer, of course. Some may first think of jokes, like Lucy’s in one Peanuts comic where she said crabbily, “Because it isn’t green.”

Others may think poetically about the sky, as it reaches up to infinity. Oh, sure, the atmosphere only goes so far, but even it goes much farther than we can imagine, or see, thinning until it is merely a few molecules per square mile.

And yet, the same sky – blue, thanks to the light scattering from the sun – reaches all the way down to the ground.

Isn’t it amazing? We don’t think about it, because we’re used to thinking of the “sky” as way up there. But, if we put on that same childlike faith that kids have, we realize that just sitting up on an adult’s shoulders feels like we’re “way up there.” And, we’re actually walking around in a sky that begins way down at our feet. Good thing, too, or the atmosphere wouldn’t allow us to breathe, if it started only a few dozen feet up.

Why is it down that far? Why are we allowed to breathe in that sky that starts not somewhere many feet up, but right down at the ground? becuase of an unseen force called gravity.

It’s important to remember why the sky is blue, of course. And, it’s also important to remember other great things as school starts back up.

1. Learning should be fun.

Not every part of learning – or anything – will be fun. Even a great athlete like LeBron James has parts of the sport he doens’t like – same with pretty much every NFL player by the end of training camp.

People dream of being like them in some way, though, because they do something that their fans think would be lots of fun.

In the same way, we should get through the boring stuff like those NFL drills, with an eye toward the big picture. We will gain so much knowledge, and hopefully the wisdom to use it.

After all, think about how cool it is to muse about the sky like I just did – and to consider that you’re in the sky right now, in some ways. Not high up, but you are in the atmosphere.

2. The sky and space are like life

That unseen force holding us down, which he need to rely on, is the same one holding that atmosphere we need so much. That force is gravity.

It doesn’t end there, though. There is an invisible force lovingly guiding each of us, too – one who wants what’s best for us, and who knows even better than we do. But, He’s not just an unseen force.

Shien a flashlight on a far wall. Where is the light? Int he flashlight? Ont he wall? Actually, it’s everywhere on a straight line between the flashlight and the wall – we just need a special instrument to see it. Just like that instrument we need to see God – faith.

Like the sky, God’s love is unfathomable, reaching out beyond what we can perceive, except that His love is many times greater than that. It is infinite, just as space is. Space, with a few atoms of hydrogen per square light year at times – but still, atoms of some element, just like the sky has. That’s right; particles and waves exist out in space, so space is not completely empty. The atoms and electrons spread to unimagined thinness and heights, and then the particles and electromagnetic waves still keep going. And, other particles and waves come at us from the deepest reaches of space.

They are drawn by an invisible force called gravity. Gravity, which we rely on by faith, unthinking, to hold us down, to keep us from flying into space. Just as we must rely on God to help us, and to save us.

Because you see, gravity does something else wonderful for us. It not only keeps that atmosphere on the ground, preventing it from fleeing away and stopping all breath. It keeps enough atmosphere down on the ground, so anyone can breathe in it.

In the same way, God, in His love, doesn’t expect us to reach out to His unfathomable heights. He reaches down to us. In fact, He came down to us, in the person of Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins, and rise fromt he dead, so we could get to Heaven, and also so we could enjoy life more abudnantly here.

3. God wants you to breathe freely

God doesn’t force you to come to Him. Just like He doesn’t force people to breath ehte atmosphere. A person could live their whole lives breathing something in a spacesuit. The question is, why? It would take so much effort, and there wouldn’t be the joy of living and breathing freely. Plus, the body would die anyway, so all that work would be for nothing.

God has something better for you, though. He has verses like Philippians 4:8, Galatians 5:22-23, the Commandments, and so on, that help us to make this world a better place. They’re not rules that we’re forced to follow; they’re rules He set up to lovingly guide us, and make the world better for us – and for others.

He lovingly reached down and tdid that, because we couldn’t reach up to Him. But, we have a problem. We dont’ always keep His commandments.

He made a way to reconcile Himself to us, though. He came to this world, int eh person of Jesus Christ. he lived a perfect life. He could do that becuase He was God in flesh. God the Father God the Son, and God the Spirit are all God – just as ice, water, and water vapor are all H2O. He was perfect, because He had to be to take our punishment – He didn’t have to be punished for His own sin. He died on the cross for you, me, everyone, and rose fromt he dead. He’d defeated death and sin.

Now, each person must simply receive Him by simple faith. Call on Him to forgive you, for all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom. 10:13) He has allowed you, by grace alone, to not only get to Heaven and have eternal life, but to have it here on Earth, also.

4. God can change things with you putting your whole trust in Him

Things can be very tough at school. You may wonder if you’ll ever rise up above al lthe gossip, mean talk, and superficial lifestyles people have. Well, on our own, we can’t, but God promises in his Word, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13)

So, trust Him to help you show His love through your actions, and your words, and you will make a difference. People will see something different in you, and will ask why – then, you can tell them how to have Jesus in their hearts (through the Holy Spirit) as well. But, you need Him as your Savior first, before you can help anyone else to do so.

He loves you, and wants you to live for Him, though. Not becuase you have to, but because He wants you to admit you’re a sinner and seek forgiveness for your sins, a change in your heart, so you can show others His great love.

Because, there’s a world of hurting people out there, many at school. People who are waiting to be told all about Christ’s love.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

In my humble opinion, the phrase ‘God helps those that help themselves‘ is a lie from man. For me, it is no different than these other phrases that are used to tickle the ears of the flesh: God hates sin but loves the sinner, God just wants me to be happy, God created it, so it must be good, I’m not hurting anyone so it is ok, etc.

I posted the other day a copy of a blog post: Who is God? It’s a quick read if you have a moment. The context is about not leaning on our own understanding of God, but to lean on who God says He is. There is a lot of deception out there by man and even our own thoughts and reasoning can deceive ourselves. We should be very thoughtful, wise, and watchful so that we do not allow our understanding of God to trump His Truth. We should examine everything and place every thought into captivity.

In this post, I’m going to discuss why ‘God helps those that help themselves’ is  a deception -

Where do I get the information to support my statements that this statement is a lie and a deception? The Word of God speaks for Himself. A bunch more scripture could be posted, but here’s a couple:

Ephesians 2:1-9 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

2 Corinthians 10:17-18 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Titus 3:3-7 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Isaiah 25:4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

These are spiritual things, pertaining to our souls. When someone says ‘God helps those that help themselves’, they are speaking things of the flesh, works, deeds, etc. The scripture seems pretty clear, God loves us and helps us because we are helpless without Him. Praise God!

There are other catch phrases that are very deceptive, such as ‘God just wants me to be happy!’ It’s very deceptive because it sounds good to the ears. Of course, without a doubt, God wants us to be happy and enjoy life. This phrase is very dangerous deception. There is a fake enjoyment and happiness (one of the flesh), and a real enjoyment and happiness (one of God).

I have heard this many times in life (and have probably used it too) from friends, in the context of talking about drinking, having sex outside of marriage, and other things that are contrary to what God commands – “It’s fun, and I’m enjoying my life. What’s wrong with that? I’m not hurting anyone. God just wants me to be happy! I’m happy and enjoying life doing these things, what’s wrong with that?!” Ugh, Lord, I pray for eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to receive your truth.

The truth is that all of these things are selfish ambitions (the motive is glorification of self). Also, they are 100% contrary to God. The truth of the matter is that God wants us to be Holy. What does the Lord say? -

Leviticus 19:1-2 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

Leviticus 20:7-8 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I amam the LORD which sanctify you. the LORD your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

1 Peter 1:13-16 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

When we are walking with the Lord, in agreement, then oh boy. TRUE joy will flow. Not happiness as we understand in the flesh, but the joy of the Lord will fill us. His joy is not based around a worldly happiness, i.e. nice home, green grass, new car, perfect relationship, making tons of money in a desired career, glorifying the flesh with sex, drugs, drinking, etc. His joy is of spiritual things. Smiling in the storms of life, a sense of contentment, surrounded by peace, because the Lord is with thee! It’s truly a blessed place to be.

Surely, the Lord pours blessings on us, such as a Godly marriage, a comfortable home, a dependable car, etc. but these are a result of being in a right standing with God. We have to be very careful on this because we can focus on blessings of God and end up doing righteous works, which are not of God but of selfish motives. (We obey merely to get something in return, which is ungodly/selfish). It all starts with a right heart for God. Yes, we will receive blessings, praise God. If that’s why we are doing what we do, it’s a glorification of self still. I have done this myself, Lord forgive me and renew a right spirit within me. Ok, I’m going off on a tangent..

The phrase ‘God helps those that help themselves’ is a lie. The only action we take is to believe in the Son of God, die to self, place Him Lord over our lives, surrender, etc. But even this action, it’s God helping us through the Holy Spirit. Salvation is of the Lord. He alone jolts the souls. The real translation of this phrase should be:

God helps us because we cannot help ourselves

Praise God, thank you Lord for helping us. We were once lost, but we are now found. We were once dead in our sins, but we are now alive. Praise God.

joseph @ http://www.serious-things.com

(taken from a recent post on my blog: God helps those that help themselves)

Related article “Followup – God helps those that help themselves“

Making friends is on many minds, especially for people moving to new places, or going to a new school or college, as many will soon. How does one do it? And, how does one go from mere acquaintance to “best friend forever“?

I remember, years back, a story of a child who came home from Kindergarten, and announced they’d made a really nice friend, and played with them for a few straight days. When asked their name, the child replied, “I don’t know, we haven’t gotten that far yet.”

Sometimes the easiest things in the world are the things we make look the hardest. Sometimes, we get so bogged down by rules, such as finding out everything about someone, and calculating – usually subconsciously – if we want to spend time with them, we forget to actually try to make a friend.

On the other hand, the opposite can also be true. We decide we’re going to just “hang out” with someone, and they end up leading us down the wrong path because we know nothing about them, and they are actually living a life that’s a bad influence on us, when we should be the leader in a situation.

So, how do we strike a balance?

It’s not like Kindergarten, where you just start playing together, or middle or high school, where you can join a club or watch sports – even if you and your new friends can only commiserate on how bad the team is. It’s not like college, either, where your dorm leader has fun activities and you can sit around and laugh about answers to questions like, “If you were a tree, what kind would you be?”

Or, is it? As noted, we often make things too hard. Yes, some cities have more hurried people who appear less friendly, but there are ways to do it without being led astray by the wrong kinds of friends.

First, Decide Who You Are

It would be easy for me to write, “You have to be a leader.” It’s harder for some people, though. Some are naturally shy and need to really work at it. Some suffer from heartbreak that causes them to be in a shell. Some have difficulty even knowing how to begin a conversation, because their brains are wired differently; I have a very good online friend with Asperger’s Syndrome, for instance. One great uncle, as well, has always had trouble meeting new people.

Still, while everyone’s friend making style is a little different, the Bible says, “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Prov. 18:24) We can turn to the examples above, from school, to consider not only how to go about finding friends, but also, how to cultivate that friendship with the One who will always be faithful, Jesus Christ.

The Kindergarten Connection

It’s easy to walk up to someone and say, “Do you want to play?” Or, just start playing ball or something with them as they are playing. Kids are often much more open to this than adults. Most kids don’t go through hundreds of scenarios and try to pick up dozens of cues. Sometimes, of course, they might wonder how – or if – some other kid will play with them. But, this is where it’s important, as adults, to encourage children to talk to kids who are shier, who are challenged in some way, or something else.

Adults don’t have playgrounds, or play kickball or hopscotch; about the closest is when great joy causes one to start skipping, which can be good exercise. Even if we did, kids don’t develop into BFF just by playing together, though it can start like that.

Children go from playing together to sharing things about each other. They realize they have common interests. They show compassion when each other is hurting. Even if that is just a shoulder to cry on, sometimes that is the best thing there can be. And, that’s the important thing to take from the “Kindergarten Connection.” Like my initial story, don’t worry about walking up to someone and learning everything before you make a decision. Get involved at a church, volunteer, do something that interests you. Go to a neighborhood meeting – or, if there’s no association, form one. If you’ve moved into an area, have a “Good Neighbor” cookout and invite those on your block. (It’s not hard – just go around with invitations telling them you will have, for instance, burgers and chips, they can bring their own food, and you’re doing it to meet your new neighbors. In an apartment, you can still hang out in the lobby a little and greet people. You don’t have to have a one-hour conversation at first – this is that first recess where you play together.) One interesting idea: Iintroduce yourself at the end – so people recall your name.

Even if you’re not as outgoing as some of these, this site for shy kids and this one on socializing provide other good, encouraging ideas, which can be analogized to adult life, if you’re an adult.

That’s the way it happens in higher levels of school, too – clubs, sports, and other interest groups are formed, because older kids and young adults can handle more structure than little kids, who need time to be kids, too. We think it’s harder because we had good friends where we lived before – and we go from having one or more to having none. Whereas, kids realize they’re starting from scratch, and just figure someone will come along. Or, we’re like the one who takes the lead, and starts doing something, and we join in with them.

Think of it as constant networking and building relationships. You won’t build one with everyone, just like you didn’t become best friends with all 20 Kindergarten classmates; you may have had too different of a personality than a few, you never connected with a few, and one or two might have scared you. You might not have found that BFF till classmate number 2 or 8 or 19 – or maybe it was even someone in a different class! The point is, keep trying those interest groups. Will you find people who aren’t interested? Sure. But, when you start jumping rope on the playground, you don’t have hundreds of kids flocking to you, either. It’s usually just a few at most. However, one or two winds up being one you play with more often. There’s a lot of trial and error. Maybe one group won’t provide a BFF, but it will lead to one, or some other activity will.

Of course, it will then take a while till your new friends learn about you – and maybe even longer till you find someone you can confide in. The wonderful thing is, though, that Jesus knows all about you, and is ready to be the best possible friend right away.

What a Friend We Have In Jesus

The fact He calls His disciples friends shows that He is ready to be the best possible friend right away; but it’s not the only reason. He is God in flesh (John 10:30, etc.), and he created the world; by Him all things continue to exist. (John 1:1-3, Col. 1:16-17, etc.) he created the entire world; each of us, in fact. And yet, He wants to be friends with us.

At first, you might wonder, “What can I have in common with Him?” It’s easy to do, and it’s one very big reason why we don’t pray like we should. But, God says in His Word that He understands our problems, and – while we pretend we can handle them all ourselves – He calls us to go boldly before the throne of grace for help with things (Heb. 4:15-16). He will give us wisdom whenever we ask for it (James 1:5), peace that passeth understanding (Phil. 4:7), and so many other wonderful things.

It’s easy to see, then, how Jesus is such a wonderful friend. He sticks closer than a brother – and a loving sibling is born to help in times of trouble. But, Jesus sticks closer, He will help us through anything. And, the wonderful thing is, He loves at all times.

That kind of love – unconditional love – is hard to find in this world. It’s the kind we want in a best friend forever. Best friends, after all, don’t just let us walk all over them or let us mess up our lives. BFFs are willing to come up beside us and lovingly say, for instance, “That’s not going to be very good for you.” They know us so well, and despite our faults, they love us – but they also love us enough not to let those faults drag us down. And, if someone snaps and says, “Who cares? I’m going to do what I want, and you’re not my friend if you try to stop me,” that BFF is there to support them if that bad choice (getting drunk, going out with a certain person, or whatever else that BFF knows is bad news) leads to horrible consequences.

See, we don’t always do what’s right. In fact, that was the whole purpose of Jesus’ coming to this world in the first place. God made this world perfect. There was no sin in it – no bad stuff. But, people chose to start sinning, and that sin had bad consequences. The worst was, it separated us from God.

God made a way for us to become His friends, though. He reconciled us to Himself, by taking the punishment for our sin. Each person has to pay a price for their sin – unless they let God Himself pay that price for them. What an awesome friend, who would take the punishment for our sins!

That price that was paid was the only price big enough – Jesus came to this world and died on the cross willingly, shedding His blood as he died. Then, on the third day, He rose from the dead. He was able to do this because he was God. And, he is just waiting for each of us to call on Him – each person just needs to repent and receive Him as Saviour. That means to choose not to be a sinner anymore, but to let Jesus change you on the inside. Because, as a true Friend, that’s His job.

In fact, once you have Him living inside you through the Holy Spirit, He will always be an ever present help in time of need. He will always guide you in the right direction, and away from thigns that might cause you pain – He’ll always provide a way to escape problems. And yet, if you rebel against Him, once He has sealed you with the Holy Spirit, he will always be there to lovingly welcome you back. Just like that best friend who, even if you refuse their advice with disastrous consequences – will still love you.

And, you can have such fun with Him, too. He’ll open your eyes to so many good things, and so much joy – why, the Apostle Paul mentions joy dozens of times in an epistle he wrote in prison, the Book of Philippians! Jesus came so we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

So, how do you get that friend, you ask? Remember that example, where the child just started playing with someone? It’s that easy. Just go to Him by faith. It’s as easy as ABC:

Admit you’re a sinner, that your sin – things you say, think, and do that displease God – keeps you from God’s perfect Heaven.

Believe that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, lived a perfect life, then died on the cross, taking the punishment for your sins, and rising from the dead the third day. And, that this did all that was necessary to reconcile you with Him, and get you to Heaven.

Choose to receive Jesus Christ’s forgiveness on the cross for your sin, and allow Him to enter your heart and make you new on the inside, and to come live in you; let Him give you a heart that wants to follow Him, and not sin. You won’t stop sinning right away, but just like that friend who will always guide and help you, He will begin a work to help you grow closer to Him, and He will complete it, even unto the day of the Lord. (Phil. 1:6)

That’s all there is to it. You can call on Him right now, in fact; whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom. 10:13) Just call on Him to forgive you of your sins and save you from that horrible punishment, separation from God forever in a place call Hell; a place only meant for the devil and his angels, but where people go who reject His love and offer of friendship.

He is a faithful friend, though, who will never leve you nor forsake you. And, He wants you to keep drawing close to Him. Not only that, but He wrote His Word, the Bible, to tell you of His grace and mercy, and also of how badly He wants you to avoid His judgment. He also wants us to go out and tell others about His awesome friendship.

Remember, though, that it’s all by His grace and mercy. He is the Creator of the universe. He didn’t have to choose to make us friends. He did, though, because of His great love for each of us – for you, for me, for everyone.

And, He’ll be that shoulder to cry on, that one to confide in, that One who can help you through anything. He loves you more than you can imagine.

In an act of love, a married couple have sexual intercourse, a wonderful time of intimacy, during which, if the biological ‘time’ is ripe, the male sperm will impregnate the female ovum and a new life will be conceived.

At no time during that act of intimacy can I imagine the (soon to be) parents shouting ‘STOP’ —–  ‘what if this new life is deformed physically or mentally, will we abort it?’.

Yet these days it seems it is perfectly OK for the mother, or both parents to decide because my fetus is ‘defective’ I don’t want it, and I will kill it now rather than love it into life.

It sounds rather harsh doesn’t it? And yet if you read the report from ninesmen.com you would be left thinking this was so.

Two families are preparing to take legal action against hospitals for not detecting their unborn babies had Down syndrome (DS),  a chromosomal disorder which can affect a child’s development. Both couples claim they would have aborted their unborn children had they known they carried this disorder.

What is Down syndrome?
Down syndrome (DS), also called Trisomy 21, is a condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in the way a child develops, both mentally and physically. It affects about 1 in every 800 babies.

The physical features and medical problems associated with Down syndrome can vary widely from child to child. While some kids with DS need a lot of medical attention, others lead healthy lives.

Though Down syndrome can’t be prevented, it can be detected before a child is born. The health problems that can go along with DS can be treated, and there are many resources within communities to help kids and their families who are living with the condition.

I love my Daughter one claimant says!

“Had the presence of Down Syndrome been diagnosed at the time of the first trimester ultrasound and/or at the time of the second trimester ultrasound, a time frame which permitted the termination of the pregnancy, then the (mother) would have terminated the pregnancy,” the statement of claim says.

So this begs the question: What price for a life? ‘I Love her’, but I would have aborted her, and now I want compensation for having had to go through the act of birthing and raising a defective child! Sounds very contradictory to me! Define love please?

I personally find it very difficult to understand how this couple (and others) can ‘sue for a child who was born as a result of negligent care.’

Surely the only negligence here was that the parents did not take sufficient care when having intercourse, which led to the pregnancy in the first place. How can you claim wrongful birth!!

Maurice Blackburn lawyer Kathryn Booth said she was investigating whether appropriate ante-natal management and testing, including an amniocentesis, should have been offered and performed.

In 2003 the High Court ruled parents could sue in the event of a wrongful birth, she said.

New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania have legislated against such claims. But in Victoria, people can sue for compensation for the continuing costs of raising a child to the age of 18, where the child was born as a result of negligent care, she said.

In the second case, Western Health is being sued over a birth at Sunshine Hospital in December 2007.

The parents allege a failure to “exercise reasonable care” of the mother, “advise (her) in relation to the risks of Down syndrome given her age” and “provide (her) with the option of ante-natal screening.

“In the event that Down syndrome had been detected, (she) would have elected to undergo a termination of her pregnancy,” their statement of claim says.

The parents claim to have suffered “depression, shock and anxiety” and “pain and suffering during pregnancy and delivery”.

All life is a precious gift. If you cannot handle this fact, then I personally suggest you do not have children. You think that is a harsh reply from me? How are your two children going to feel, when they grow up and learn, that to you – they were not wanted, needed or desired, because you found them defective. You would have legally had them killed before they could draw their first breath. You cannot handle the stresses of being parents to a Down Syndrome Child. You have put a price on raising them to adulthood.

This seems more like follow the dollar to me – plus a very callused heart. Forgive me sounding so judgemental please.

All I can think of right now is praying for you all. Parents, innocent children, legal practitioners and abortionists!

Father God, giver of all life:
I hold up the families of these two children to your throne of grace.
It seems fairly obvious that they do not know you personally Creator God,
Or the gift of life that you have endowed your human family with.

A life so precious, that you sent Jesus into the world
to save us all from eternal damnation,
through an eternity separated from your love.

Please teach them Father God, that they can obtain forgiveness for their
callus intent, if they turn to you now in faith and love.

Murder is wrong – no matter what the prevailing circumstances.
Your Holy Word tells us in the simplest of terms:
Thou Shalt NOT Kill, no ifs, buts’ or maybes.

I also hold up to you the perpetrators of abortions,
The Doctor’s, Nurses’ and other hospital staff who are complicit,
along with the lawyers and judges responsible for passing the laws
enabling legal abortions in this country.

I plead with you Lord,
Open up their hearts and minds to the Love you have so freely give us all.
Soften their inner being so that they too will freely receive the grace
and the faith they so desperately need to stop these killings from taking place.

For the innocent disabled children Lord,
Send someone into their lives to teach them about real love.
Teach them the real love that Jesus brought to us over two thousand years ago.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, (Jn 14:16)
These are very special children Lord, and are beloved of you.

Humbly I pray.        Amen.

References:

Down’s Syndrome

Herald Sun’s report on the two (suing) families

The Fork in the Road – Choose Wisely (part three)

For the purpose of continuing this article I want to take a slight turn, a different direction, which will ultimately bring us back, full circle.

Most people at the local level who are serious about cleaning up their  environment, will watch news articles, maybe even buy a book or join a local environmental group. They may take part in a tree planting exercise, or take an active part in Clean Up Day happening cose by. They will use Envio Bags in preference to plastic bags at the supermarket, and they will recycle where they can. This is all part of being a good citizen of Planet Earth.

So far, so good…… nothing sinister to be seen!

Now consider, as a family, as a group, talking this through. WHY do we do the things just mentioned in the previous paragraph? More than likely, especially with children, the answer will include some reference to ‘saving the planet for future generations’, which is what they are being taught at school, on TV, and probably from their parents. But where did the original idea come from? How far back do we have to go? Is it a recent thing, or have we been doing it this way ‘since forever’?

Let me give you a clue – it is by no means the only answer, but it does form a good solid part of it. Are you familiar with The Earth Charter?

As practising Christians we know through biblical prophecy that the end times will see a system of global governance and one world religion. We know that this framework will be used by the Antichrist to deceive many. You may not realize, however, how close we are to these events coming to fruition.

Since 1995, Mikhail Gorbachev and Maurice Strong have co-chaired a global process with the purpose of implementing the Earth Charter on a global scale and ushering in the one world religion.

The Earth Charter Commission approved the final text of the Earth Charter in 2000, and it has since been embraced by the United Nations, many religious leaders around the world, the majority of world governments and countless Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) and activist groups. A little research into the principles and text of the Earth Charter document sheds new light on current political speeches, media reports, and news headlines of the day.

Environmental Groups and NGO’s who participate in the Earth Charter Dialogues are succeeding in their demand for more airtime of ecological disasters, environmental devastation and other sustainable development obstacles. Under the cloak of an environmental crisis and impending doom, they hope to gain wide acceptance of the Earth Charter, which contains much more than a new environmental policy.

How many times lately have you heard the terms “global community”, “globalization”, “world economy”, “sustainable development” or “interdependent world”? These are all phrases that appear throughout the Earth Charter along with other New Age terms such as “circles of compassion”, “triangles of meditation”, “reverence for Earth and Cosmos”, and “Mother Earth”.

Let’s go back several thousand or so years: You remember the Bible event recounting how the Ten Commandments were given to Moses and why?

To make a long story short, the Egyptian Pharaoh finally lets the Israelite slaves go free after Egypt experiences several nasty plagues. They miraculously cross the Red Sea and escape the pursuing Egyptian army, which is destroyed behind them. Moses then leads the people through the desert to Mt. Sinai where he goes up to receive “the Law” from the Creator.

Ten simple rules are inscribed on two stone tablets which Moses brings down with him. But, alas! In the 40 days that he is gone, the Israelites return to Egyptian style idol worship. Moses smashes their golden idol (and the tablets) to pieces, and the Earth opens up to destroy the idol worshippers.

The “covenant” (law) was a promise to the Israelites that their society would prosper if they observed the laws that had been revealed to them and would suffer the consequences if they did not. Moses was instructed to build a special wooden box with carrying poles in which the tablets of the Law were to be stored and transported whenever the tribes of Israel moved their camp. This box, referred to as the “Ark of the Covenant”, was the centerpiece of their tabernacle.

Here’s a synopsis of the basic rules as written in Exodus 20:1-17

• Respect the Creator, who is the only true “God”. Don’t create idols or worship any created thing.

• Respect the life and property of others. Don’t murder, steal, or tell lies.

• Respect the family structure. Honor your parents, and don’t engage in adultery.

• Rest without working on the last day of each week, and remember the Creator.

• Eat only clean, healthful foods.

• Avoid sexual perversion (incest, sodomy, bestiality, etc).

• Use honest weights, measures and money for all commerce.

• …and so on.

I think we are all familiar with the laws as given to us and we know that in our modern society, our governments, our leaders, our schools and learning institutions, even our courts of law, do not place much credence in them. But how does this show that the Earth Charter is going to lead us down the road to perdition?

In the late 1990’s, a document called the “Earth Charter” was drafted by a group of prominent Humanist-Socialists including:

Steven Rockefeller: Philosophy professor. Nephew of billionaire globalist David Rockefeller. Chairman of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Scholar on the works of Humanist patriarch John Dewey.

Maurice Strong: Canadian billionaire and energy industry executive. Long-time U.N. officer and “assistant” U.N. Secretary-General. Organizer of the U.N. Rio Earth Summit and promoter of subsequent “environmental” programs for global management.

Mikhail Gorbachev: Former premier of the Soviet Union and chairman of the Russian Communist Party. Head of the Gorbachev Foundation and the “environmental” group Green Cross International.

Follow the links and read about these people. Learn just which organizations they belong to and how much power and authority they do have.

Continued in part four……………….

The Fork in the road – choose wisely (part two)

Your eternal hope for everlasting life is encompassed in your faith in Jesus.  Jesus would have you be a good steward of your environment right? 

So daily you pray – pray to the earth that is your mother right?

“The earth is not dead matter. She is alive.
Now begin to speak to the earth as you walk.
You can speak out loud, or just talk to her in your mind.
Send your love into her with your exhalation. Feel your
heart touching upon the heart of the planet. Say to her
whatever words come to you: Mother Earth, I love you.
Mother Earth, I bless you. May you be healed. May all
your creatures be happy. Peace to you, Mother Earth.
On behalf of the human race, I ask forgiveness
for having injured you. Forgive us, Mother Earth”
- US Student Textbook, “Prayer to the Earth”

“I pledge allegiance to the Earth and all its sacred parts.
Its water, land and living things and all its human hearts.”
- Global Education Associates, The Earth Pledge

“The spirit of our planet is stirring!
The Consciousness of Goddess Earth
is now rising against all odds,
in spite of millennia of suppression,
repression and oppression inflicted on Her
by a hubristic and misguided humanity.
The Earth is a living entity, a biological organism
with psychic and spiritual dimensions.
With the expansion of the patriarchal religions
that focused on a male God majestically
stationed in Heaven ruling over the Earth and the
Universe, the memory of our planet’s innate Divinity
was repressed and banished into the
collective unconscious of humanity.”
- Envision Earth

“Christianity is our foe. If animal rights is to succeed,
we must destroy the Judeo-Christian Religious tradition.”
- Peter Singer, founder of Animal Rights

Again I ask you to read the quotes, search for the truth in their meanings, see that behind the ‘green movement’ of saving the planet and climate change there is a deeper meaning transitioning, taking place.

Our young ones are very susceptible to these ideas and ideals – they want to be part of the movement to change our way of life, they feel they have a good reason to do this, and are somewhat fearless in their approach. Behind the “Green, Save the Planet” movement is an occult cabal!

“What if Mary is another name for Gaia? Then her capacity for
virgin birth is no miracle . . . it is a role of Gaia since life began . . .
She is of this Universe and, conceivably, a part of God. On Earth,
she is the source of life everlasting and is alive now;
she gave birth to humankind and we are part of her.”
- Sir James Lovelock, Ages of Gaia

Look at it this way, those who want you to save the planet, are leading you down the path that will teach you that there is no God ‘out there’. The Earth is your mother – they even name her Gaia.

GAIA: Pre-Olympian Greek earth goddess, worshiped as mother of all. She mated with her son Uranus and bore Titans, the Cyclops, and Hectoncheires. Worship of Gaia continued after the rise of the Olympians, and she was regarded as a powerful influence in marriage, healing the sick, and divination. She was represented as a gigantic female form. Earlier cultures also had religious concepts of a great earth goddess.

The concept of Gaia as earth goddess has been revived in New Age ecological and mystical beliefs. On September 6, 1970, Otter G’Zell, founder of the Church of All Worlds, one of the early modern Neo-Pagan organizations, had a vision of the unity of the Earth’s planetary biosphere—a single organism. He shared the vision with other church members and wrote about it in 1971 in the periodical he edited, The Green Egg.

Atmospheric biochemist James E. Lovelock had a very similar idea at somewhat the same time and through his books Gaia (1979) and The Ages of Gaia (1988) emerged as the leading proponent of this modern Gaia hypothesis of the earth as a living organism. His books propose a dynamic interaction between life and environment, with earth regulating life, and life regulating earth, virtually a single self-regulating entity.

Reading the news today it is hard to imagine a time when climate change, resource depletion, environmental catastrophes and ’saving the planet’ were barely mentioned. They now rank among the top priorities on the social, political and economic global agenda. As I said, 50 years ago it was not even talked about by the ordinary person.

To the core of my knowledge there has only ever been ONE living manifestation of God, and He died in Jerusalem in 33AD. He also rose from the dead and ascended up to heaven, where He will remain until the appointed time of His second coming. (Mk 13:32-33) He suffered and died for our transgressions and opened ‘the veil’ so we may once again be with our Creator God, Trinitarian Family in eternity.

Is “knowing” love so very difficult? Is “accepting” love impossible? God is love! Yet people keep looking elsewhere.

In this modern age there has been an enormous resurgence of cults. Cults that worship everything from the sun above (the cult of Ra) to the ground we walk upon (Gaia worship), and everything in between. There is also a strong resurgence in occult practises.

Is there a difference between a cult and the occult? Technically yes.

Cult or Occult?
These words are sometimes confused because the expression a cult often sounds like the word occult.

Cult most commonly means a religious sect organized around a strong leader and requiring beliefs or commitments not typical of other related groups. It can also refer to a following of a particular religious figure or icon within an organized religion or a fanatical following of a particular entertainer, athlete, film, television show, or historical figure.

Cult is normally a noun, though it can be used as an adjective meaning “having a cult following” as in a cult film.

Occult literally means “hidden” and generally refers to the pursuit of some kind of magic or secret supernatural knowledge or power. It is most often used as an adjective but is sometimes used as a noun.

The verb to occult means “to hide from view,” and is used most commonly in scientific or specialized fields such as astronomy, navigation, or optics.

The latest cult to hit the scene is the Cult of Eckankar.
A Mahanta is the spiritual leader of Eckankar (Ekan-car), a “living manifestation of God”.

Sri Harold Klemp (1942- ) became the 973rd Eck Master in 1981; he now heads the movement as its Mahanta.

Eckankar is a religious and spiritual path, sometimes called the Religion of the Light and Sound of God. Its name can be translated “co-worker with God”. Eckankar members are called ECKists or ECK chelas. (“Chelas” means “student”).

Whether or not to define it as ‘occult’ waits to be seen.

Eckankar does not attempt to evangelize the world by aggressively converting individuals to their religion. They do not actively proselytize. However, they do advertise their presence and distribute literature to interested persons.

Members generally sing or chant a mantra for 20 to 30 minutes each day. HU (pronounced “hue”) is a common mantra; it is an ancient name for God, and is considered a love song to God.

I was reading an article by Marsha West recently on the very subject of HU…. (say it like an outward breath…..) Marsha tells us:

HUers claim that chanting the HU will put you in contact with “divine spirit.” It keeps you centered, focused, clear. “Sing it morning noon and night, wherever and whenever you need it.”

Words to describe HU by the youth of Eckankar (ECK) on a video they made are: Love…discovery…bliss…detachment…divine…silence…infinite possibilities. They chirped that HUing “answers all my questions…keeps me calm…reminds me I’m never alone…reminds me someone always has my back…allows me to love life…focus on my spiritual eyes…let my worries melt away.” “I say, ‘let the blessing be’ and I feel like I’m in a new world.”

I say, “Blessing? What blessing?” The new world you’re entering is the world of the occult! Involving oneself in the paranormal is unwise, unsafe, and even addictive!

The ECK website reveals that HU is an ancient name for God. But the god they sing to is not Jehovah. They sing to the ancient Egyptian god, HU.

“Eckankar uses the singing of HU’s name as a spiritual connection to the Heart of God. They sing the name HU to draw closer to the Divine Being. For the people who follow this faith, the desires are reported to be love, freedom, wisdom, and truth.”

A web search will bring up many references to HU, but specifically seeking an Egyptian reference I found the following:

The Egyptian god Hu was one of the minor gods in some respects, but he was one of the most important gods for those serious about Egyptian deities. Hu is the power of the spoken word. He personifies the authority of utterance.

So far, we know Hu as the personification of Divine Utterance. However, some legends maintain that he was not just a part of creation, but that he was the creator. It is said that as Hu drew his first breath, there was in that sound the essence of his name. Hence, we have the name Hu, which sounds remarkably like the sound of an expelling breath. With each breath Hu expelled, creation took place. The first breath created the Soul of Osiris. His last creation was the Sun.

So it is said that Hu is the Word of God, the first and the last breaths, Hu Hu.

In the beginning was the Word, and The Word ‘spoke’ creation into existence (Genesis1), sounds mightily like their using this in their cultic religious beliefs to me!

But there is not too much similarity from there on in……

ECKANKAR PRACTICES & TEACHING
ECK was founded in 1964 by journalist Paul Twitchell (he met his Maker in 1971), an eccentric, occultist, and self-proclaimed soldier of fortune. Twitchell claimed he was the unique incarnation of God on earth, the “Living ECK Master” and that only through him and ECK could a person find truth and salvation. Not surprisingly, ECK contains all the key elements of a cult.

Here is another dangerous area we should be steering our impressionable youth WELL AWAY FROM.

Chanting, meditation, karma, soul travel – Even if “everyone’s doing it” Christians must not dabble in any crazy mixed up belief system that outright rejects the God of Scripture.

The god ECK founder Paul Twitchell believed in is “ignorant, internally inconsistent, in need of wisdom and education, negative, unawakened, wondering, poor, unhappy, not content with his creation and in need of assistance.” Twitchell also uttered this blasphemy: “You will never find God by searching for Him. He is here and now within you!”

I repeat, ECK is steeped in the occult and devotees who chant/sing the HU will go into an altered state of consciousness (ASoC). This practice can be dangerous!

Learn about and steer your kids away from it if necessary. The age we live in is a dangerous one for many reason, not the least being that cult and occult practices are blooming!

Salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone!
The Bible specifically says, without any other possible interpretation, that there is only one God, one faith, one baptism and one way to God the Father – and that is only through His Son Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus says that He, and only He, is the way, the truth and the life leading to God the Father and that no one comes to the Father except through Him!

Some references for you:
Eckankar cult

Evidence that Eckankar is a covert occult organization and a front for the Illuminati

The HU sound

Marsha West – To HU or not to HU, that is the question

The HU Page

Egyptian HU reference

The basics of salvation Through Jesus Christ alone

Other Christian informative articles can be found at http://justmeintchristian.blogspot.com/

Key #1 to Happiness – A relationship with God

I believe that having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the most important key to finding happiness.

“In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore”.  Psalms 16:11 (NKJV)

Knowing the one who made you, who planned your every feature and personality trait, who saw every day of your life before the foundation of the world – knowing this one is truly the cornerstone and the foundation of happiness.

There are several reasons why we experience happiness through a relationship with God.  Through this relationship, we find our origin, purpose, and destiny, which is a prerequisite to happiness (Read Gen. 1; Eccl. 12:13 and Matt. 25: 46).

It’s part of our DNA and how we were made.

An iPhone without any applications just wouldn’t be the same device.

A bicycle is meant to have wheels, without which it won’t work

A car meant to have steering…without it, it will drive, however, it will not work at it’s potential.

As humans, we’re meant to have deep emotional connections with others, without which there will be a void in our lives that can’t be replaced by anything else.

A baby is meant to have a mom and a dad who loves and cares for them, without which the baby will grow into a person with psychological issues through much of their lives.

When we ignore our need for God, life does not seem to work correctly.  In the same way as the above examples, God made us to have relationship with Him.  In a sense, God completes us.  When we choose to ignore that relationship, we fight against nature and our purpose and therefore elude happiness.

The Bible also says…“and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
Phil 4:6-7 (NKJV)

“Happy are the people whose God is the LORD”!  Psalms 144:15 (NKJV)

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full”.  John 15:11 (NKJV)

Some people mistakenly believe that when we become Christians, we will not have any more problems.  The Bible clearly tells us that we will have trouble in this life.  The good news is that when we have a relationship with him, God becomes our great comforter in times of trouble.  Also check out my article on “Why do bad things happen to good people!”

”these things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33 (NKJV)

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”.  Psalms 73:25-26 (NKJV)

“Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.  This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life”.  Psalms 119:49-50 (NKJV)

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”.   Psalms 23:1-4 (NKJV)

For additional verses check out our article on “Comfort”.

The biggest reason to start a relationship with God through Jesus His Son, the one and only Savior Messiah, is not for happiness…that is just a by-product.  The biggest reason to accept Jesus as our savior is because He was the only One capable of paying our ransom.   There will be a judgment day.  On that day, we will all be judged for our sins.  He does not use a sliding scale but judges by his perfect standard.  There is only one way to have a perfect record…it’s not by being a good person (check out “Are you a good person” – A test), but to accept His Son, Jesus as your savior.  He has paid the price for our sins, however, we need to accept that gift in order to receive it.  Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, there is a peace and happiness that comes from knowing that regardless of what disappointments or losses we face here on earth, our eternity is secure.  This is a peace like no other…in good and in bad times.

How to find happiness – Daily Exercises:

Put the following exercises into your routine daily…even multiple times per day for the next two weeks.

• Pray to God to reveal himself to you (God answers prayer)
• Ask Jesus to come into your heart (read the articles on “Salvation” below and let us know if you made a decision for Christ)
• Get a Bible and start reading it daily
• Find a bible teaching church (see link below)
• Feel free to e-mail us with questions
• Sign up for our e-mail reminder as soon as a new key to happiness is published

For more on what it takes to be saved check out:

Salvation – Questions and answers

Salvation – What it takes to be saved

Who is Jesus

Repentance – Key 1 to Salvation

How to find a church

Are you a good person – A test

May God answer your prayers mightily and may you find true and lasting happiness – Amen!

Additional Resources

How to find Happiness Course – Never miss a lesson – Get notified via e-mail as soon as a new lesson is available!

How to find Happiness Introduction

How to find Happiness – Key #2 – Being Thankful

How to find Happiness – Key #3 – Learning How to forgive yourself

How to find Happiness – Key #4 – Learning How to forgive others

How to find Happiness - Key #5 – Living in the present

Where’s the Church

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” Revelation 4:1. The Apostle John was given a special preview of future events as they would occur in Heaven. John wrote the book of Revelation approximately 2,000 years before the events he was allowed to see would actually occur. Our Lord Jesus Christ allowed this Apostle a very special gift and John wrote about all He saw as he gazed into the future.

The book of Revelation can be a little mysterious for believers who don’t understand what it’s all about. Many denominations just write this book off as allegory or dismiss it as past history with no bearing on the future of the Church. When I was first saved I asked my pastor about the book of Revelation hoping, as a new believer in Christ, to get some clarification about a book that had fascinated me for years, long before my becoming born again. I was seeking answers from a man who I presumed would be able to enlighten me as to the mysterious writings in that book; he had been a pastor for many years. His response to me was simple, “I don’t understand the book of Revelation therefore I just ignore it.” Consequently I never asked that man another question about the Bible and after a few more painful years at that church, my family and I left that non-denominational denomination. I went on to study my Bible and to place much emphasis on eschatology. I now understand the book of Revelation, and you can too.

There are 22 chapters in the book of Revelation, but after the first five chapters the only people who need concern themselves with the next 17 are those who will be left behind after the Rapture of the Church. Within the first three chapters Jesus addresses believers as well as others who think they are His followers but who are actually living a lie. As we can see from the verse above John is told to explain to all who will read this book of prophecy some of what Heaven is like and also who’s already there.

Remember, the voice which called to John in verse one above told him he would show John the things that must occur “hereafter”, in other words, things that must happen (in the future). John couldn’t have had any idea how far in the future this would occur, but he is sure of his location. He records the events as they occurred as the Holy Spirit directed.

“And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:2. John was in the spirit. Why? Because no sinful flesh can enter Heaven “…and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” Isaiah 64:6. Jesus Christ is in Heaven, and in the flesh, but He was and is sinless. His righteousness is perfect.

John was given an awesome gift as was the Apostle Paul; they were both given a glimpse of Heaven, an advance look if you will, into the Throne room of God Almighty. John goes on to explain what he saw there and his explanation is what assures all believers in Christ that they will not see the tribulation week unfold.

“And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” Revelation 4:3. John was looking upon the Throne of God as God sat on His Throne. He uses the most descriptive terminology possible at that time to provide readers with understanding as he views God’s glory. John hands believers in Christ a most glorious insight into what awaits all those who place their trust, their faith, their lives in Christ’s hands, a peek at Who awaits us at the Throne of God.

John’s next view is quite significant for those who will be Raptured. “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” Revelation 4:4. The elders spoken of here by John are representative of Christ’s Church. This is where we who follow Jesus Christ realize that we are, at this point and from here on until sometime just after the end of the tribulation week, assembled before the Throne of God worshiping Him and giving Him all glory, honor and praise.

In Revelation 5:9-10, the twenty-four elders sing a song of praise to Jesus, and they cry out: “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9. In that passage, the twenty-four elders are clearly speaking as representatives of all God’s people, of the great company of the redeemed (Christ’s Church).

“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:10-11.

“The white robes and crowns of the elders seem to indicate that they are indeed human beings – in glory, of course. Angels are sometimes presented in white robes or garments (Mark 16:5; John 20:12; Acts 1:10), but saints also have white robes (Revelation 6:11; 7:9; 7:13-14) as a picture of their imputed righteousness (Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 3:5-18). However, we never see angels crowned, but believers are and will be (1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4).

Therefore, redeemed, glorified man sits enthroned with Jesus, on lesser thrones, to be sure, but thrones none the less. We are joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), and we will reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). John, through Jesus’ insistence, gives the Church a wonderful picture of the saints in Heaven, and kneeling before God, and recognizably way before the wrath of God is unleashed on a Christ rejecting world.” – David Guzik

“… four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb…, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:8, 10. At the end of the Great Tribulation the saints will return with Jesus Christ as He assumes His visible position as King and reigns over all of earth for 1,000 years. This is proof positive for all the scoffers and naysayers who reject the Rapture that the saints (those who belong to Jesus Christ) are in Heaven and that we are made kings and priests and that we will reign with Christ on earth. If we are to come back with our Lord to rule and reign with Him, at some point we must have left earth to be able to return to earth. Clearly, the Church will not be here during the seventieth week spoken of by Daniel the prophet.

From this point and throughout the remainder of the book of Revelation, the tribulation and the wrath of God is clearly portrayed with no further mention of the Church (the body of Christ) being on earth. The seven year tribulation week becomes the point where God once again turns His attention to Israel. Even though the majority of Jews are blinded to the truth of the Gospel during the first half of the tribulation week, at the 3 ½ year point of the tribulation week, when the anti-Christ introduces the abomination of desolation, we’re told that all remaining Jews on earth will be saved. And not only Jews but many gentiles will also come to faith in Christ during that final week.

The Bible clearly tells us that through Jesus Christ, and only through Him, can we ever expect to enter Heaven. John was a believer, a follower of Jesus Christ and he was allowed a trip to Heaven before his death. To be in the presence of God Almighty we must be purged of our sins. The only way to be purged of sins is to believe in Jesus Christ; to believe is to accept His truth and His Gospel through faith, faith in the fact that His sacrifice on that cross was to pay the price for the sin of the world, that all might be saved. The Bible is written to everyone and everyone can either accept it as truth or reject it as a fairy tale. Believing the Bible to be a fairy tale, though, doesn’t negate the fact that God’s word is true. Unbelief and the rejection of the truth will only act as a catalyst in the condemnation of that person.

Rejecting the Bible and thereby rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ will automatically place you or your loved ones in the next chapter of the book of Revelation. “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” Revelation 6:1-2. Enter the anti-Christ, not Jesus Christ, although Jesus Christ does return on a white horse in Revelation 19:11-16. This is not Him, this is a satanic dictator who imitates Jesus. He rules (a crown was given), he rules with a bow not a sword, and he exercises dominion over the earth (went out conquering and to conquer). But the results of his rule show that this is not the reign of Jesus Christ.

I think we can tell much about how a person understands the book of Revelation and God’s prophetic plan by seeing how they understand this first rider. Those who think Revelation is mostly a book of history believe that this rider is Jesus. Those who believe that this is a prophetic passage, yet to be fulfilled, mostly account this rider to be the antichrist. This final satanic dictator over men will be more terrible than all previous dictators. He will rule over men as a false Messiah, and lead man in organized rebellion against God.

This (anti-Christ) guy is going to demand everyone take his mark and worship him and if they don’t they will be killed (beheaded). From this point on the Revelation of Jesus Christ gets very disturbing, even gruesome. There won’t be any place to hide from the coming horrors, they will be worldwide, fierce to behold, and completely consuming in their vastness. No one on earth during this time will escape the tidal wave of tribulations. Those who miss the Rapture yet become believers during the tribulation week will fall prey to some of the horrors spoken of in those remaining chapters. Most will be martyred for their faith.

Only by becoming a born again believer in Christ now, before the Rapture, can we be assured of our non-involvement in all those horrors. The book of Revelation is God telling all who will read it that they will be blessed by it and that they should see their need for a savior and repent while there is still time. That’s the blessing. Read it for yourself and tell others to read it also. Keep in mind that you only have the first five chapters as a time frame for repentance and avoiding all those judgments which will ultimately prove God’s displeasure with those who’ve rejected His only begotten Son.

Those first five chapters of this awesome book speak of blessings, churches doing well and churches doing not so well, about things going on in Heaven, and about who is surrounding God’s throne. There’s no doubt about who’s there and who isn’t. Besides God Almighty, only angels and believers in Christ are there.

“…to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass…” Revelation 1:1. The word “shortly” in this verse means quickly or speedily. In other words, what John was about to witness were things that once they began their succession would bring quick and speedy results. Jesus said the signs we were to be watching for would come on this planet like a woman in labor (birth pangs). We are currently witnessing the beginning of many end times signs spoken of by our Lord Jesus. It seems, according to the book of Revelation, we’re now in the ninth month of labor.

Many will ignore the book of Revelation as my ex-pastor has. Many others will write it off as simply an allegory. Some will read it and dismiss it as having already taken place. God, on the other hand, is quite specific when it comes to this book and its wonderful blessing, and the future it holds. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 1:3. Folks the time is at hand for the prophecies that have been spoken of.

The book of the Apocalypse is a book of prophecy in which we are given the events that lead up to Christ’s return. “Apokalypsis” in the Greek is transliterated Apocalypse, which is translated Revelation in English. Its meaning is more simple than what many perceive it to be. It literally means “uncovering, unveiling, revealing or laying bare a mystery, of things before unknown”. The book of Revelation was never meant to confuse or scare anyone away; on the contrary, it was written to benefit each and every believer in Christ and to open the eyes of the lost.

So, the question is, how will you respond to God’s blessing as it’s associated with reading this book concerning “things before unknown”?

God bless you all,

Ron Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

All scripture is from the KJV