January 1st - New Year's Resolutions

New Year Resolutions:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart...” (Proverbs 3:5)

"Do not worry about anything..."  (Philippians 4:6)

"Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things..." (Colossians 3:2)

"...do what is right, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

"...lead a quiet life, attend to your own business, and work with your hands." (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

"...learn to be content." (Philippians 4:11)

"...rejoice in the LORD..." (Psalm 97:1)

"...grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."  (2 Peter 3:18)

December 31st - Year End Thoughts

Here are my year end thoughts.

"I commend you to God and to the word of His GRACE..." (Acts 20:32)

"Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, that is superior to every frame of mind, shall guard your hearts and your apprehensions in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

"For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him (Jesus), and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross. Once you were alienated from God the Father and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence." (Colossians 1:19-22)

"Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

Trust in God and His Son Jesus to  have a Happy New Year! 

December 30th - Fuel for the Fire

“…be filled with the knowledge of His will…” (Colossians 1:10)

Many years ago I began to examine my doctrinal positions. In doing so I had to face squarely a question that I had avoided. That question was - Is it really God’s WILL to separate Himself from unbelievers, keeping them alive eternally to punish and torment them in hell? 

When the people of Israel begin to burn their children in the fire as an offering to Baal Jeremiah was told by God...

"They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal - something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind." (Jeremiah 19:5)

When the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar wanted to punish those who had refused to worship him, he had them thrown into a furnace of fire...

“But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.” (Daniel 3:6) 

When two of the disciples of Jesus wanted to reign down fire from heaven and destroy the Samaritans Jesus told them…

"You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." (Luke 9:56)

I am now certain that the doctrine of eternal conscience torment is not of God - it is a false teaching.

Paul told Timothy...

"...instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines or devote themselves to myths..." (1 Timothy 1:3-4)

This is a quote from one of the Saints of the Catholic church from the middle ages...

"The blessed in the kingdom of heaven will see the punishments of the damned, in order that their bliss be more delightful for them." - Saint Thomas Aquinas

And the following is a quote from two sermons of Jonathan Edwards, a Protestant preacher whose sermons are still delivered by misguided Christians in our modern era.

“The sight of hell's torments will exalt the happiness of the saints forever. . .Can the believing father in Heaven be happy with his unbelieving children in Hell. . . I tell you, yea!"

We are warned by Paul to avoid such insane teachers...

"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

The Apostle Paul told Timothy what to teach…

"...this is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…" (1 Timothy 1:15)

"God our Savior wills all humans to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus, who have Himself a ransom for ALL..." (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

"...we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of ALL humanity, especially of believers. Prescribe and  TEACH these things.” (1 Timothy 4:10)

Paul warned Timothy two thousand years ago that... 

"...the Spirit explicitly says that in subsequent eras some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons." (1 Timothy 4:1)

The plan of God is to reconcile all to Himself through the blood of His Son Jesus. It is the demonstration of His love, grace and mercy.

"God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

"For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone." (Romans 11:320

“...through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20)

"...that God may be All in All.”  (1 Corinthians 15:28)

Every teacher will give account to God for what they taught, and their false teaching will be burned up.

"For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light.  It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved - even though only as one escaping through the flames." (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

December 29th - All Justified by Faith

"Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not being observed." (Hebrews 11:1)

Faith means we assume what the Bible says is true and will come to pass even though we are not currently seeing it in our present world.

"Being, then, justified by faith, we may be having peace toward God..." (Romans 5:1)

We do nothing to acquire faith, it is a gift to us by God that allows us to hear and believe the message of truth, the good news of our salvation. We are justified when we believe God.

"...we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will...it is by grace you are saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works..." (Ephesians 1:11-2:10)

Having faith is not as easy as it sounds...

"...unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I WILL NOT believe...Eight days later...Jesus came and stood among them...Jesus said to Thomas...stop doubting and believe. Thomas replied, My Lord and my God." (John 20:25-28)

The majority of us  are like Thomas, we must SEE to believe. It is not our fault, that is just the way God made us. Nevertheless, it is right (just) for us to have faith that...

"...in Christ all will be made alive...the last enemy to be abolished is death...so that God may be All in all." (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

December 28th - Crude Matter or Luminous Being?

"Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter" - Yoda

As I get older, I anticipate more frequently the change that is coming to this "crude matter" of flesh and blood.

"Thus also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is roused in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is roused in glory. It is sown in infirmity; it is roused in power. It is sown a soulish body; it is roused a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15:42-48)

We all have corruptible bodies of flesh and blood which eventually wear out, some sooner than others. But when the final trump has sounded, all of us will become "luminous beings" - changed into an immortal image of Christ in a new "glorious body".

"Lo! a secret to you am I telling!...we all shall be changed, in an instant, in the twinkle of an eye, at the last trump." (1 Corinthians 15:50-51)

"Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body." (Philippians 3:20-21)

We are not luminous yet, just crude matter - but a glorious transformation is our destiny!

December 27th - Back to the Basics

As each new year comes upon me, I remember the basics in my thoughts and meditations about God and our Lord Jesus Christ. I remind myself of the good news of God that I “accepted” concerning Jesus His Son.

“Now I am making known to you, brethren, the good news which I brought to you...I gave to you what I accepted, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was entombed, and that He was resurrected the third day according to the scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

When I focus on the grace of the “good news” I have peace with God and a hope for the world in which we live. I start each new year remembering the good news that I accepted as a child, the "indescribable" and wonderful free gift of His Son who will deliver me and my family from death by resurrecting us to immortal life. I then make a New Year’s resolution to live another year in appreciation for His unmerited favor, and resolve to do the best I can to treat those I encounter during the new year with a measure of the grace given me.

“For the saving grace of God made its advent to all humanity... thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (Titus 2:11; 2 Corinthians 9:15)

December 26th - We Do Not Get to Vote on Who God Saves

"Out of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things" (Romans 11:36)

"...in accordance with the riches of God’s GRACE He made known to us the mystery of His will... to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ…according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will." (Ephesians 1:7-11).

God knew from the beginning that Jesus will save humanity from their sins and bring unity to all things. 
I suppose that is why we are instructed to pray for ALL humanity, not just the people we like.

"I am entreating, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, pleadings, thanksgiving be made for all humanity, for kings and all those being in a superior station, that we may be leading a mild and quiet life in all devoutness and gravity, for this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our Saviour, God, Who wills that all humanity be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and humanity, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent ransom for ALL." (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

I do not get to vote on who gets saved - and neither do you! Yet, it is my sincere belief that when the plan of God is consummated, all creation will have been saved out of death, confessed that Jesus is Lord,  and enter the New Heaven and New Earth.

"For let this disposition be in you, which is in Christ Jesus also, Who, being inherently in the form of God, deems it not pillaging to be equal with God, nevertheless empties Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming to be in the likeness of humanity, and, being found in fashion as a human, He humbles Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, also, God highly exalts Him, and graces Him with the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5)