Moments of Clarity

[Odë:hgöd]

~
Mankind's mortal enemy; the Serpent-- a.k.a. the Devil (Rev 12:9 & Rev 20:2)
--has the ability to tamper with the human body and the human mind in ways not
easily detected; e.g. Gen 3:6-12, Luke 13:16, Mark 5:1-5, Eph 2:2, 2Tim 2:24-26,
and Heb 2:14-15.

However, there are moments of spiritual clarity given Adam's posterity so they can
make decisions about the things of Christ on their own without mental interference
from the father of all gaslighters, sophists, and deceivers.

For example: I was baptized an infant into a major denomination; and in time
completed enough catechism to undergo Confirmation.

So I knew about the crucifixion, but had somehow been led to believe that it was
due to unfortunate circumstances. In other words: I pitied Christ, but beyond that I
saw nothing of practical use in what he endured.

So I remained loyal to my denomination's beliefs and practices 24 years until one day
back in 1968 a Protestant man asked me-- in so many words --whether I knew that
Christ died to atone for my sins. Well; I had never once in all those 24 years even so
much as faintly considered that the cross might be to my advantage until that man
said so.

It was my first real moment of clarity and I could almost feel a sort of scum being
removed from the windows of my mind as I instantly realized that safety from divine
retribution was not only a distinct possibility but easily within my grasp.

The thing is: I had not been told that God was thinking of me when His son went to
the cross for the sins of the world. I was aware that he went to the cross because
of the sins of the world but had somehow never caught on that he went for
anybody in particular until that man talked with me; which was very fortunate
because at the time I had a lot to answer for.

I sincerely believe moments of clarity like that are not happenstance; no, they are
calculated so as to give people a fighting chance to do their own thinking about
Christ, viz: without assistance from a higher power, our spiritual perception would
remain forever obscured by the unseen world's activity in our heads.
_

 

[Lamb]

~
Mankind's mortal enemy; the Serpent-- a.k.a. the Devil (Rev 12:9 & Rev 20:2)
--has the ability to tamper with the human body and the human mind in ways not
easily detected; e.g. Gen 3:6-12, Luke 13:16, Mark 5:1-5, Eph 2:2, 2Tim 2:24-26,
and Heb 2:14-15.

However, there are moments of spiritual clarity given Adam's posterity so they can
make decisions about the things of Christ on their own without mental interference
from the father of all gaslighters, sophists, and deceivers.

For example: I was baptized an infant into a major denomination; and in time
completed enough catechism to undergo Confirmation.

So I knew about the crucifixion, but had somehow been led to believe that it was
due to unfortunate circumstances. In other words: I pitied Christ, but beyond that I
saw nothing of practical use in what he endured.

So I remained loyal to my denomination's beliefs and practices 24 years until one day
back in 1968 a Protestant man asked me-- in so many words --whether I knew that
Christ died to atone for my sins. Well; I had never once in all those 24 years even so
much as faintly considered that the cross might be to my advantage until that man
said so.

It was my first real moment of clarity and I could almost feel a sort of scum being
removed from the windows of my mind as I instantly realized that safety from divine
retribution was not only a distinct possibility but easily within my grasp.

The thing is: I had not been told that God was thinking of me when His son went to
the cross for the sins of the world. I was aware that he went to the cross because
of the sins of the world but had somehow never caught on that he went for
anybody in particular until that man talked with me; which was very fortunate
because at the time I had a lot to answer for.

I sincerely believe moments of clarity like that are not happenstance; no, they are
calculated so as to give people a fighting chance to do their own thinking about
Christ, viz: without assistance from a higher power, our spiritual perception would
remain forever obscured by the unseen world's activity in our heads.
_

Well you can't blame the denomination since I KNOW that they teach that Christ died for your sins!!! It was your lack of listening, so it wasn't the church, it was you.

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
An additional moment of clarity came when it dawned on me that eternal life and
immortality are not synonymous, i.e. not the same thing.

For example: Adam came into existence with immortality; which he later lost by
tasting the forbidden fruit. So immortality cannot be honestly described as indelible
(so to speak) because it can be revoked just as easily as endowed.

In contrast: eternal life is 100% indelible because it defines the existence of God;
the infinite being who always was, who always is, and who always shall be.

● 1John 1:2 . . The life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and
proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to
us

** That passage is of course referring to John 1:1-3 & John 1:14.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
When I was a young guy coming of age, it occurred to me that it would be the cat's
meow if I were as naturally pleasing to God as His son Jesus always is, because
then it would be very easy to attain to Heaven, and to stay in Heaven, without fear
of being kicked out:

"He that sent me is with me: the Father has not left me alone; for I do always
those things that please Him." (John 8:29)

I was very surprised, and excited, upon discovering that something very similar to
the very thing I wished for is contained in a promise that God made to Moses'
people.

● Ezek 36:24-27 . . I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home
again to your land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.
Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give
you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will
take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put
My spirit in you so you will obey My laws and do whatever I command. (cf. Jer
31:31-33)

That benefit was originally intended for the Jews but anon became available to
Gentiles too.

● Isa 49:5-6 . . And now The Lord says-- he who formed me in the womb to be his
servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in
the eyes of The Lord and my God has been my strength --He says: "It is too small
a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those
of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may
bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." (cf. Eph 2:11-19)

And sure enough, the benefit is reiterated in the New Testament per 2Pet 1:3-4
which says:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through
our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these
He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you
may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption that's in the world."

I should think it goes without saying that the divine nature would be a whole lots
more successful at producing an acceptable level of piety than the human nature
could ever hope for because even at its best the human nature is corrupt; which is
translated from a Greek word basically pertaining to damaged goods, i.e. broken.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
A home in Heaven is comparatively much to be preferred than cooped up in a fiery
netherworld; but to be honest about it, Heaven doesn't interest me.

It's an alien world with which I am totally unfamiliar; and when I leave here, I will
be leaving behind everything near and dear to me, e.g. photos, mementos,
souvenirs, collections, sights and sounds, mountains, creeks, rivers and forests,
clothing and equipment, tools, landmarks, entertainment, hobbies, my spouse, BFF,
and my aging Ford Ranger pick-up truck, etc, etc.

The culture shock tsunami of leaving all that I know & love and going to a foreign
land where I know & love nothing at all, is not my idea of a good time. Personally; I
dread the thought of having to start all over again from scratch.

NOTE: I've heard tell of folks thoroughly unable to form attachments to anything,
to anybody, nor to any place. When they leave this life, they will leave nothing
behind of sentimental value; nothing in the least, nothing at all. It's like they lived
their entire lives as turnips and carrots instead of sentient beings.

* The one thing I do look forward to in Heaven is the possibility of a library where
everything that can be known about the cosmos is stored. Carl Sagan would've
loved a library like that because he went to his grave with a lot of unanswered
questions. But now they'll never be answered because Carl was, at best, an
agnostic, and at worst, an atheist.

Submitted for moderator approval 02/02/2024 @ 06:49 pm Pacific Time
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
It puzzled me during a recent reading of the book of Leviticus that Moses was
authorized to consecrate Aaron to the rank of high priest because high priests are
the people's mediator between God and Man. Was Moses' rank actually higher than
that, i.e. Moses was superior to his people's mediators.

Well; as it turns out: the Old Testament's high priests mediated between God and
Man but they typically didn't communicate between the two as that task fell to the
prophets; among whom Moses was the first relative to the Law (Deut 18:15-19 &
Deut 34:10) and their tasks not only included the consecration of high priests but
also kings (e.g. 1Sam 3:20, 1Sam 8:22 & 1Sam 16:11-13).

Submitted for moderator approval 02/09/2024 @ 09:49 am Pacific Time
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
I grew up in a very strict denomination wherein the male libido was considered
naughty. For example Matt 5:28 which says:

"I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed
adultery with her in his heart."

That passage is a bounce from Ex 20:17 which says:

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's
wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs
to your neighbor."

Coveting, per se, isn't a sin because Paul encouraged the Corinthian Christians to
"eagerly covet" the best spiritual gifts (1Cor 12:31). To "eagerly covet" means you
go after something with the full intention of obtaining it.

An excellent example of evil coveting is Ahab's move to take Naboth's vineyard
away from him by despicable means per the 21st chapter of 1Kings.

Matt 5:28 has been used and abused over and over to condemn male libido when
it's not addressing a man's libido at all. It's telling men that when you go after a
girl; to do so for proper purposes rather than scheming to sleep with her in an
improper manner, i.e. out of wedlock; because it's wrong to be even be seriously
considering something like that.

Submitted for moderator approval 02/12/2024 @ 10:01 am Pacific Time
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
My first encounter with a Watchtower Society agent (a.k.a. Jehovah's Witness)
occurred in 1969. At the time I was young and inexperienced; and thus assumed
that the missionary coming down my dad's driveway was a typical Christian.

But when I spoke of my encounter with an older Christian at work; he became
alarmed; and urged me to read a little book titled "30 Years A Watchtower Slave"
by William J. Schnell; whom the Society at one time demonized as an agent of
Satan. I would not be surprised if it still does.

After getting my eyes opened by Mr. Schnell's book, I was afterwards steered
towards another book titled "Kingdom Of The Cults" by Walter Martin. No doubt the
Society demonizes Mr. Martin too.

Around late 1980, my wife and I attended a series of lectures sponsored by a local
church titled "How To Witness To Jehovah's Witnesses". The speaker (call him Pete)
was an ex JW who had been in the Watchtower Society system for near three
decades before terminating his involvement; so he knew the twists and turns of its
doctrines pretty good.

Pete didn't train us to hammer the Society's missionaries in a debate because even
if I was to best them scripture for scripture, they will not give up on the Society.
Their mind's unflinching premise is that the Society is right even when it appears to
be totally wrong. They are thoroughly convinced that the Society is the voice of
God, while my voice is regarded as no more valid than that of a squeaky little gerbil.

Later on, I read a book titled "Why I Left The Jehovah's Witnesses" by Ted Dencher.
I also read the Society's little brown book titled "Reasoning From The Scriptures".

(This was all before the internet and the ready volume of information available
online, e.g. YouTube.)

From all that vetting, study, and training I discovered that although the Watchtower
Society uses many of Christianity's standard terms and phrases, those terms and
phrases mean something entirely different in the JW mind than what I expected
because the Society has re-defined them.

All in all; coping with Jehovah's Witnesses has been an Herculean task because their
beliefs are such a tangle of semantics coupled with a bizarre assortment of twisted
scriptures, double speak, rationalizing, humanistic reasoning, and clever sophistry.

Submitted for moderator approval 02/16/2024 @ 02:22 am Pacific Time
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
For the longest time I sincerely believed the so-called fallen nature is propagated
via reproduction and inherited from one's biological father because most every Bible
teacher I encountered in the 56 years following my conversion has said so. But from
whence did Eve obtain it? (This isn't about the so-called original sin)

She was already fully sentient and fully constructed from material taken from
Adam's body prior to the forbidden fruit incident. Since himself tasted the fruit after
his wife was already in existence; then it was impossible for Adam to pass the fallen
nature to her by means of reproduction.

In the past, I suspected that the chemistry of the forbidden fruit had something to
do with the first couple's altered moral perception; but now I seriously doubt it
because Eve was the first to eat the fruit, and when she did, nothing happened. She
remained just as comfortable in the buff as before. It wasn't till Adam tasted the
fruit that she began to feel indecent; so I'm pretty sure that the underlying cause is
far more serious than the chemistry of that fruit.

FAQ: If Eve's altered moral perception wasn't due to the fruit, nor due to inheriting
it from Adam when she was constructed with material taken from his body; then
what?

REPLY: Mr. Serpent is the logical source, a.k.a. the Devil (Rev 20:2) He has the
power of death (Heb 2:14) and the ability to tamper with the human body and the
human mind in ways not easily detected; e.g. Luke 13:16, Mark 5:1-5, and Eph
2:2.

The Serpent was apparently all set and ready to wield his power the moment that
Adam crossed the line and ate that fruit. It amazes me how quickly it takes effect.
Not long after Adam tasted the fruit, he and his wife both immediately set to work
cobbling together some rudimentary aprons to cover up their pelvic areas.

FAQ: Why wasn't the woman effected by the Serpent's power when she tasted the
forbidden fruit?

REPLY: It was apparently God's decision that if sin and death were to come into the
world, they would come via a lone male's actions just as life and righteousness
would later be offered to the world via a lone male's actions. (Rom 5:12-21)

FAQ: When does the Serpent go to work on people . . . in the womb or out of the
womb?

REPLY: Adam and his wife demonstrate that it can be done on adults, but I'm
guessing that for most of us it's in the womb. (e.g. Ps 51:5 & Ps 58:3)

Submitted for moderator approval 02/17/2024 @ 02:30 am Pacific Time
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
When I was a child, Hell was academic, i.e. an article of faith. But not anymore
because now I'm 80 and most of my family has passed on. It's very, very probable
that my mom and two of my three brothers are down there. Somebody else's kin
suffering in Hell is one thing, but a quite different feeling about it when it's your own.

Submitted for moderator approval 02/18/2024 @ 00:52 am Pacific Time
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
● Gen 4:16-17 . . Then Cain went out from the presence of The Lord, and settled in
the land of Nod, east of Eden. And Cain had relations with his wife and she
conceived, and gave birth to Enoch

Back in the latter part of the decade of the 1960's, when I was just beginning to
seriously read the Bible, that passage led me to believe Adam's wasn't the only
family on Earth but that God had created numerous "cells" like his in various
places. My premise was based upon other parts of the Bible that reveal God doesn't
condone incest. (e.g. Lev 18:6-15)

However; the Adams were very definitely the only people on Earth back then.

● Gen 3:20 . . Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of
all the living.

● Acts 17:26 . . From one man he made every nation of men, that they should
inhabit the whole earth.

So then, Cain obviously married a sibling. But I had no clue as to how it was okay
for him to do so rather than patently wrong. Well; in time I discovered that the
laws of God, in particular His codified laws, are not retroactive. (Deut 5:2-4, Rom
4:15, Rom 5:13 and Gal 3:17)

Now that was truly a Eureka moment which I have found useful on numerous
occasions; especially when curious folks ask me to explain how Jesus' human
sacrifice was legal seeing as he-- a Jew --was limited to the atonements specified
in the covenant that Moses' people entered into with God per Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers and Deuteronomy, to wit:

● Deut 4:2 …You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything
away from it, but keep the commandments of The Lord your God that I enjoin upon
you.

● Deut 5:29-30 …Be careful, then, to do as The Lord your God has commanded you.
Do not turn aside to the right or to the left: follow only the path that The Lord your
God has enjoined upon you.

Well, the secret is: Jesus was designated, and scheduled, to die for the sins of the
world prior to both the world and the covenant. (Mic 5:2, 1Pet 1:20, Rev 13:8)

Submitted for moderator approval 02/19/2024 @ 07:37 am Pacific Time
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
FAQ: How was it legitimate for Adam's posterity to be given the death penalty for his
offense when so many passages in the Bible are opposed to passing a father's
mistakes on to his progeny? For example: Ezek 18:1–4, Ezek 18:18–20, 2Kngs 14:6,
Deut 24:16, 2Chron 25:4, and Jer 31:29–30.

REPLY: As was stated in a previous post: The laws of God, especially His codified laws,
are not retroactive. (Deut 5:2-4, Rom 4:15, Rom 5:13 and Gal 3:17)

For example; it would be wrong for God to hold my offspring accountable for my actions
now; whereas prior to instituting the Law and the Prophets, it would've been right
because God had yet to officially cease that practice in his association with mankind.

In other words: God-given rules of conduct vary in accord with the system by which
folks associate with God. For example: the covenant into which Moses' people entered
with God specifies a number of curses for their non compliance with the covenant's
rules; whereas the covenant by which Christ's followers associate with God doesn't
specify curses for his followers non compliance.

This particular moment of clarity was a mite confusing for me at first but once I got used
to the idea; it hit me what a huge advantage with which Christ's followers have been
blessed, viz: they practically have a license to steal, so to speak.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30)

That promise isn't an exaggeration. When Christ's system of beliefs and practices are
compared with Moses' system, there is in fact no parallel. Christ's system is so, so
much better.

NOTE: "Come to me" is an invitation that requests an RSVP so I urge interested parties
to find some privacy and speak up for yourself. Tell Christ you want in-- do so while the
offer is on the table. Don't procrastinate and risk losing it.

Submitted for moderator approval 02/19/2024 @ 05:06 am Pacific Time
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
● Gen 2:15-17 . .The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden,
to till it and tend it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying: Of every tree
of the garden you are free to eat; but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad,
you must not eat of it; for in the day you eat of it, you shall die.

That passage is a favorite among critics because the man didn't drop dead the very
day he tasted the forbidden fruit. In point of fact, he continued to live outside the
garden of Eden for another 800 years after the birth of his son Seth (Gen 5:4). So;
is there a reasonable explanation for this apparent discrepancy?

The first thing to point out is that in order for his maker's warning to resonate in
the man's thinking; it had to be related to death as he understood death in his own
day rather than death as modern Sunday school classes construe it in their day. In
other words: the man's concept of death was primitive, i.e. normal and natural
rather than allegorical, spiritual, and/or philosophical.

As far as can be known from scripture, mankind is the only specie that God created
in His own image, viz: a creature blessed with perpetual youth. The animal kingdom
was given nothing like it.

That being the case, then I think it's safe to assume that death was common all
around the man by means of vegetation, birds, bugs, and beasts so that it wasn't a
strange new word in his vocabulary; i.e. God didn't have to take a moment and
define death for the man seeing as how it was doubtless a common occurrence in
his everyday life.

So I think we can be reasonably confident that the man was up to speed on at least
the natural aspects of death and fully understood that if he went ahead and tasted
the forbidden fruit that his body would lose its perpetual youth and end up drying
in the sun like roadkill; so to speak.

In other words; had the man not eaten of the forbidden tree, he would've remained
in perfect health but the very day that he tasted its fruit, his body became infected
with mortality, i.e. he lost perpetual youth and began to age; a condition easily
remedied by the tree of life but alas, the man was denied access to it.

As we all know: the aging process is a lingering, walking death rather than sudden
death, i.e. mortality is slow, but very relentless-- it feels neither pain nor pity, nor
remorse nor fear; it cannot be reasoned with nor can it be bargained with, and it
absolutely will not stop-- ever! --until our body is so broken down that it cannot
continue.

"A voice said: Shout! I asked: What should I shout? Shout that people are like the
grass that dies away. Their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of flowers in a
field. The grass withers, and the flowers fade beneath the breath of The Lord. And
so it is with people. The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our
God stands forever." (Isa 40:6-8)

Submitted for moderator approval 03/03/2024 @ 06:28 am Pacific Time
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
● Lev 19:32 . . Demonstrate your fear of God by standing up in the presence of
elderly people and showing respect for the aged. I am The Lord.

In the beginning; Adam was made superior to his wife not because of his gender,
rather, because he was the senior of the two. (Gen 3:16 & 1Tim 2:11-13)

Rising to one's feet for the elders among us carries over to revering God because
He too is an elder among us. God likely doesn't look His age-- except maybe in a
figure of speech, e.g. Dan 7:9 --but we really should keep in mind that He's among
us as not only a better, but also a senior. So we would do well to step aside for God,
carry His bags, and/or hold a door open for Him not only because he's a deity and a
monarch, but also because He's older.

Submitted for moderator approval 03/11/2024 @ 05:57 am Pacific Time
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
● 1Pet 3:15b . . Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a
reason of the hope that is in you.

* There's a bit of a caveat that moderates those instructions located at Matt 7:8
and goes like this:

"Do not give that which is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine;
lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."

In other words: 1Pet 3:15b is limited to sensible folks and excludes those who more
resemble feral beasts than civilized humans. (cf. Rev 22:14-15)

Anyway: the Greek word for "hope" in the above instructions, and in others (e.g.
Rom 8:23-25) pertains to expectations; viz: it isn't wishful thinking, nor crossing
your fingers; no, it's a confident kind of hope that looks forward to something, and
fully expects to obtain it; i.e. it's an anticipating hope; viz: it doesn't pray for the
best, while in the back of its mind dreading the worst.

When people aren't 110% sure what the afterlife has in store for them-- if there is
even the slightest concern, anxiety, or unease --they can't possibly comply with
Peter's instructions for the simple reason that the hope that is in them, if any, is the
wrong kind of hope.

● Rom 12:12 . . Rejoice in hope.

When people are praying for the best, while in the back of their mind dreading the
worst, they have absolutely no cause for rejoicing; no; but they do have plenty of
cause to fear the unknown.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
Note the difference in the wording of these two passages.

"For God was pleased through him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things
on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the
cross." (Col 1:19-20)

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above
every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow: of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth" (Phil 2:9-10)

The Colossians passage speaks of reconciliation, whereas the Philippians passage
speaks of sovereignty. The Philippians passage includes things "under the earth"
whereas the Colossians passage omits them. In other words; things under the earth,
though effected by Christ's sovereignty, are unaffected by his blood, i.e. they won't
be reconciled to God.

Down at the end, when all is completed and set in concrete; the Bible says:

● Rev 22:11 . . Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile
continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is
holy continue to be holy.

Viz: it appears to me that there is no 100% plan of salvation, i.e. somebody out there
isn't going to make the cut.
_

 

[Lees]

Down at the end, when all is completed and set in concrete; the Bible says:

● Rev 22:11 . . Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile
continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is
holy continue to be holy.

Viz: it appears to me that there is no 100% plan of salvation, i.e. somebody out there
isn't going to make the cut.
_

That is a silly statement. God's plan of salvation is 100% assured. (John 17:12)

Nobody makes 'the cut' as you say. Jesus makes the cut for all whom the Father gives Him. (John 17:20)

Lees

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
● Rom 8:11) . . If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you,
then He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His spirit, who lives if you.

That verse isn't talking about the resurrected bodies that Jesus' followers are on
track to receive in the future. Those bodies won't be mortal; they will be immortal.
So then, the verse is speaking of improvements that take place for us now, prior to
our passing on.

According to Rom 7:5-25 the bodies we have now literally drive us to sin. However,
the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus is well able to overcome those drives; thus
freeing his followers from permanent slavery to their impulses and their natural
proclivities. (cf. Jer 31:31-34 & Ezek 36:24-27)
_