My Thursday Night Thoughts

Recent scholarship is showing that the incident of the Magi did indeed take place when Jesus was an infant - as the Bible says, “when Jesus was born” (Mat. 2:1). They’re finding out that the Inn was joined to a house, thus, Matthew’s account and Luke’s account did NOT happen several years apart; and that the Magi could have been right outside Jerusalem on an expedition when they first saw the star.

Jesus said that a person must be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3). Some churches teach that one must believe, or ask Jesus to come into their hearts, in order to be born again. Actually it’s the other way around. To use an analogy: If someone threw a life preserver (of salvation) to a dead man flouting in water, he couldn’t grab it (believe) unless life (the new birth) was first given him.

How do the Left Behind proponents explain the seeming contradiction they have with Matthew 13:30? The tares (the lost) grow with the wheat (the saved) in this world until the end of the age at harvest time (see Mat. 13: 36-42). The tares are gathered first, and this is at the harvest. If there is a resurrection before this, then it is against the householders wish to leave them grow together until the harvest. Explain.

People that don’t believe in hell like to ask this question: How can a loving God send anyone to hell? To answer this question, you have to understand that the question presumes a special love for the elect aimed at those He’s sending to hell. This kind of love would never send its subjects to hell. This is the first problem with the question. The second problem is that they are omitting the fact that God is a “just” God.

It has been ingrained into so many Christian heads that Bible prophecy is only to be understood in a Left Behind way. That to consider any other options is totally ludicrous. So, I’m tempted to give them a choice: They can either choose the blue pill or the red pill. If they’ll choose the blue pill, this conversation never took place. But if they’ll choose the red pill, they will see pass their beliefs to how things really are. Lol.

God has a special love towards His Bride (the Church). It is obvious that John 3:16 describes this special love. But it is often misunderstood that “world” means all human beings who will ever live. Here world means: “the human race.” It isn’t an all-inclusive number, but a “kind” of creatures - man. I love chess sets; but that doesn’t mean I love every one. He loved man, in that He gave Himself in love for His sheep (John 10:11, 26).

I once joined this “Creation/Evolution” group on FB thinking it was Christian. It wasn’t. The atheist’s swarmed in on me like a bunch of bees. It was too many against one. They were pressing me to answer a question regarding biology. I didn’t know the answer. Then the name calling came. Sometimes it’s right to walk away. It was obvious that these guys (some being experts in biology), were just interested in making a mockery of me.

Why do I spend so much time dwelling upon the characteristics of God? Because it is only natural for us to have a false understanding of God before our conversion, and carry this idea into our Christian lives. A low view of God always brings a higher view of man. We have to be taught against our natural way of thinking: that it is according to God’s PURPOSE and GRACE, not freewill, that man is saved.

I’m sure everyone has met people at one time or other who are really good at a certain subject or practice. It is because they have spent a lot of time with it, maybe most of their lives, that they are so good at it. Yet these people will run into those who will (off the top of their heads) tell them how it is. A deaf ear, and no consideration of their experience. Sad. You know, I might not know about a lot of things, but I do know something about theology.

It’s funny how the ones who insist upon freewill actually believe the way I do whenever they pray. What do I mean? You will never hear them pray thanking the Lord for their strength of will which brought them to Him. Where it was by their freewill which enabled them to grow in Christ. No, they always thank the Lord for opening up their blind eyes, and for revealing His Word to them. We never pray a freewill prayer, but always a free grace prayer.

When people find out that I don’t believe in freewill (meaning: free of foreknowledge), I love to see their reaction. They inevitably take me to John 3:16, and say that salvation is for “whosoever.” But the verse isn’t saying that salvation is for “whosoever,” but for “whosoever believeth in him.” You see, the text isn’t saying anyone can, but anyone who “BELIEVETH IN HIM.” You might say, “No, it’s for whosoever!” And I’ll say, Are you saying eternal life is for those who will NOT believe?

Any person we give the gospel to could believe in Jesus, yes. This is true, because we don’t know who the foreknown believers will be. But the ones God foreknew who would not believe, can’t believe in Jesus. This is a fact. The outward call is for everyone, yes; but the only ones who will believe are the ones who were foreknown to believe. The others can’t,  because God’s foreknowledge is certain that they will not believe.

It is not uncommon to hear false biblical views expressed by people not familiar with the Bible whenever death occurs to someone dear to them. What do I mean? Well, you will hear them say things like, “He is now looking down upon us and watching over us.” Or, “If you’re ever feeling down, or have a problem, he will be there for you.” I’m sorry, but either the person is in heaven or in hell. The power to intercede with us is God’s alone.

General statements can be rather slippery. What do I mean? Sometimes I’ll hear it said, “God loves everybody.” Well, What does that mean? “That He loves everybody!” Well, Do you love your spouse in the same way you love your friends? “No.” Do you love your friends in the same way you love strangers? “No.” God’s love for His Bride (the Church) is different from His love of the rest of humanity (a providential kind of love).

When someone uses phrases like: God spoke to me, or, God told me this is true; they are actually speaking infallibility. I mean, how can you argue against a revelation of God? This kind of talk ends all reasoning with someone as to whether something is true or not, because you can’t falsify a revelation of God. My understanding of Scripture is always open for correction. Their’s is canceled out by this kind of talk.

It is sad when Christians close their minds off to other Christians, refusing to consider the reasons of their discoveries in Scripture. Have you ever tried to convince someone of something, and that person said, “Whatever you say won’t convince me otherwise”? What can you say? Nothing. Maybe another time, but.. with such an outlook.. no. I like to think that I have the openness to be corrected and persuaded of the truth.