Author Archives: osheadavis

Snake Basterds & Loving your Neighbor as Yourself

“But when the set time had fully come,
God sent his Son,
born of a woman,

born under the law.”[1]

Some time ago, a famous so-called Christian writer, Joshua Harris, renounced Christianity[2][3] on Instagram. It has caused an uproar. What I found interesting was the comments at a certain pastor’s Facebook page. I assume the commenting friends of the pastor are professed Christians, because most non-Christians do not normally befriend Christian pastors because they like them so much. The pastor had a harsh rebuke for Mr. Harris, because of the dishonor Harris caused by implication, that God’s revelation is false. The comments that followed about this post, were mostly harsh rebukes to the pastor for not “loving” Harris and not rebuking him “privately”—which is logical nonsense, because the persons doing so were both harshly rebuking and publicly rebuking. Harsh rebukes are not loving, so don’t you do it you cruel, heartless, person—as I harshly and dogmatically rebuke you. How much hypocrisy and nonsense one can fit into one small sentence is amazing. LOL! Such thinking is faulty and broken. Do not publicly rebuke people for it is an ethical wrong, while I publicly rebuke you. Dumber than dumb. Both, if their ethics are true, would make them moral monsters themselves, but I digress.

Getting past the Redwood tree sticking out of their eye, the issue for such persons is that emotional and outward displays of gentleness/kindness is primary, and God is secondary. I remember one so-called Christian, after leaving Christianity, updating their religious affiliation on Facebook as, “Kindness.” The one redeeming aspect of this was their honestly. Many have a man-centered view on this aspect of reality. Their final authority is their emotions, God is only a memorial or knickknack. They submit to feelings; they do not submit to God’s Word. They worship man, and God is put under their boots. They use God to promote what “they” think kindness should be. They use God as a steppingstone to elevate man, they do not honor or respect Him.

Genealogy was and still is a big deal to the Jews. There is a reason for all the list of genealogy in the Scripture. It was a bigger deal if you could prove you were a direct descendant of David and Judah, rather than from Dan. If your father was important and you were the first born, you had a larger inheritance.  Therefore, calling someone an illegitimate bastard, was to give an insult at a debasing level. This was something that even the Jewish leaders tried to insult Jesus Chris with saying, “who is your father,” knowing the rumors about Mary being pregnant before marriage.

Growing up I thought calling someone a “son of a dog” (aka. An illegitimate  bastard of a dog) was about as low as an insult one could get. However, not until I read Jesus calling people bastard children of Satan and bastards of snakes did I realize there was more dehumanizing, more vindictive names to call a human being, “made in the image of God.” Think about this. Jesus did this in ministry time. He did this in front of other people.  The people He insulted where important, popular people. He did this, not as God, but as a man under the law. Therefore, pastors call the same type of people snake bastards and Satan bastards, and then do this in a Sunday service—of important people, in front of a crowd. They say this to image bearers of God.

Did Jesus fail the command? Did He fail to love His neighbor? Was He not born under the Royal Law to love your neighbor “as yourself?” This means, this is how Jesus wanted to be treated if the context was reversed. Think about that.

I say, let the disobedience be on the theologians, who have no idea what Peter meant when he says to be gentle in apologetics, rather making Jesus Christ violate the Law. Also, the apostle Paul and John totally violated the “command” for a gentle and respectful speech to others. The Old Testament prophets have many revolting ways (sometimes sexually graphic ways) they insulted unbelievers and persons who resisted the truth. There are so many juicy, dehumanizing and nasty things they said, one could write books time about it. Wait! It was by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It was not only the prophets themselves, but some is direct discourse from God Himself in the nasty, dehumanizing name calling of the Image bearers He created. God did it, the prophets did, the Apostles did and the cornerstone Himself did it.

Paul says to rebuke them sharply. Titus 1:12-14 (NIV), “One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth.”[4]  Yet, how many disobey and dissent against this command of God? Do you? Paul stereotypes these people in dehumanizing, vile, cruel names. This was his “rebuke” of them. Then commands Titus, and by implication all teachers, to do the same.

Also, Paul says for those who claim to be Christians that we are to publicly judge them (Corinthians 6). We will one day judge angels, and so we are to practice making public judgments of each other in this life. Yet, how many are in willful rebellion to Jesus on this? Do they call Jesus master but willfully disobey Him? If I see this, how much more does God see your disobedience?

How many times did Jesus publicly and harshly name call and rebuke people? He called people pigs, snake bastards, stupid (morons), liars, hypocrites and sons of Satan. Jesus used the Greek work for “moron,” for people who resisted the Scripture and were forfeiting their souls to hell. He called people morons, in front of their peers, and in doing so, Jesus publicly shamed and emotionally embarrassed them. And Jesus did this while, “born under the law” (Galatians 4:4). Jesus, right after name calling the Jews as “liars,” and “Sons of Satan,” asked if anyone can prove He has sinned? That is, sinned according to the Law of Moses. They could not.  Therefore, all His harsh rebukes and publicly calling people morons did not break the commandment to “LOVE your neighbor as yourself,” otherwise, He broke the command of God and forgiveness of sins for mankind is lost. The Law of Moses (and prophets) teach we ought to not only love our neighbor, but also love God first, and this includes bringing people to Yahweh as true worshipers.

Did Jesus’ harshness “push people away,” or was Jesus to stupid to know this?

Jude 1:10-13 [LEB]

“…all that they understand by instinct like the irrational animals, by these things they are being destroyed.
11 Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain, and have given themselves up to the error of Balaam for gain, and have perished[j] in the rebellion of Korah.
12 These are the ones feasting together without reverence, hidden reefs at your love feasts, caring for themselves, waterless clouds carried away by winds, late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted,
13 wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shameful deeds, wandering stars, for whom the deep gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity. ”

Let us not forget the vileness and creative poetic-ness of the rebukes given to human beings by Jesus and the authors of the N.T.

Apart from the immeasurable, de-humanizing insults Jesus gave when calling people bastards of Satan, I could not insult a person more horrifically, nor as poetically and creatively as Jude his brother. I guess Jude learned from His older half-brother the ins and outs of how to properly give de-humanizing name calling. Even Martin Luther has nothing on Jude. Think about the horrible realty Jude is describing in his vile name calling here. As much, as cruel atheists have tried to name call me in debates, they do not measure to the vileness, dehumanizing and cruel names to which Jude name calls false teachers.

Jude calls them dumb/irrational animals. Not just animals, but dumb animals. As a side note, according to Facebook to refer to a person on the level of an animal to showcase a human as inferior is, “hate speech.” Their standard outlaws the prophets, apostles and Jesus Christ Himself. They are called “Twice dead.” As if being once dead is not enough; they are twice dead? “Up rooted trees.” To say this of a human being created in God’s image is rather the insult. “Waterless Clouds”? Ouch! They are “wild” and “foaming” up their shame? “A wandering star”? Wow! This is a horrible insult to call a human being! Then to merely say hell is not enough for Jude, he needs to really describe hell in a sharper rebuke: “whom the deep gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity.” Ouch!

Morons or Unwise?

Matthew 23:19, “Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?“

Jesus is calling people morons. There are two Greek words which are translated as fools or foolish (etc) in most Bible translations.  One is on the more offensive side, such as moron or stupid. The other means unwise, irrational or ignorant. Here, Jesus is using the more offensive one.  The Jewish leaders had forfeited themselves from entering the Kingdom of God. This was due to their moronic and irrational traditions that said such things as, “the gift is greater than the altar.” Christ’s argument was that His Divine Nature, being God, has infinite value, and therefore, this is the altar it makes His human body an acceptable offering to His Father for our sins. In summary, the altar is greater than the gift.  Christ was saying only God could save men from their sins, and He was there.

Jesus used this more aggressive word of moron when referring to the stupid virgins who forfeited their soul, Matthew 25:2 “Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish[morons].”

Again, this is in context of taking about ultimate questions of reality. That is, in context of talking about Epistemology, Metaphysics, Logic, and Ethics. In context of these big questions that are revealed by Scripture people reject it. In this context Jesus calls them stupid morons. Jesus is not saying these overtly cruel names to people who dislike His use of Samsung over the iPhone, (not over personal things).

As a contrast, Jesus used the word for “fool” to describe his disciples, but its Greek was not “morons,” but “unwise.” And so, for those who are at least trying to understand but are messing up, Jesus called them “unwise” and “weak in faith.”

There are other times Jesus applies the less harsh form for example in, Luke 24:25, “Then He said to them, “O foolish[irrational] ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!”  Jesus Christ is talking in disguise to His disciples right after His resurrection. He is amazed how slow in the head they were in connecting the dots in the Old Testament, which spoke about His death and His glory.  As I stated before, it appears that Christ lessens the harshness of His name calling depending now how hard He and His gospel are being resisted.  The disciples are trying to understand, yet have totally missed it.  Therefore, Jesus calls them irrational and slow to understand, when so much of the Old Testament speaks of God’s Son and the gospel.

People who are willfully not believing and spreading a bad report/unbelief are called MORONS.  Those who—even if slow—are at least trying to understand are called UNWISE. To know which, takes some discernment. It does not mean one must always follow this in any one particular case, but that it being a common theme in the N.T. should have some resemblance in a Christian’s own life.

The biblical preachers followed both of Christ’s examples in the use of name calling.  To the Galatians, where they seemed to be honestly trying to understand Christ, Paul called them irrational and unwise.  Yet, in the book of Romans, to people resisting God so hard they are unwilling to yield to Christ, he calls them morons

Galatians 3:1, “O foolish [irrational] Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?”

Romans 1:22, “Professing to be wise, they became fools [morons].”

Peter and Context.

1 Peter 2:3-14, 3: 13,15-16,  LEB

“… Subject yourselves to every human authority for the sake of the Lord, whether to a king as having supreme authority, or to governors as those sent out by him for the punishment of those who do evil and the praise of those who do good…”

.. And who is the one [i.e. authority] who will harm you if you are a zealous adherent for what is good?…

“…always ready to make a defense to anyone [i.e. authority] who asks you for an accounting concerning the hope that is in you. But do so with courtesy and respect, having a good conscience.”

The context is painfully obvious. However, if there is one thing I have learned with so-called theologians is that they and those who scream the loudest to read a verse in context, are the ones who in practice, do not do it.

The context is authority. Do good and authority will most likely praise you. However, if the authority hurts you for being a Christian and for doing good, then you will not lose you reward. On the other hand, if you do evil, then the government is God’s extended authority to punish you.

First, the term, “everyone,” in verse 15 does not mean all people, because the term “all,” or “everyone,” is seldom meant this way in the Bible. Almost always, it is within a context of a particular group. The context of the group here is “human authorities.” For example, in verse 18 it reads, “For Christ also suffered once for sins,.. for the unjust.”  The “unjust” does not mean, “all unjust”; rather, this term refers to the particular group in context of Peter’s letter, called the “elect.”

Secondly, one might think verse 8-12 in chapter 3 means there has been a move away in context of “human authorities.” This would be a naïve mistake, and poor reading comprehension. Verse 13 and 14 speak of, “who is the ONE who will harm you,” and, “do not be afraid of THEIR threats.” In context, the one spoken of who has the power to bring harm is the human authority, and the one who has the power to threaten with fear is the human authority.

Third. The Greek word for “defense” or “answer,” is where we get our English word for apologetics. It is a rational defense of the Christian faith.  That is, when Jesus in John chapter 8 was doing apologetics. He was preaching and defending the gospel. Jesus did this in a positive proof of the good news. He likewise did so by tearing down the falsehoods and arguments of the Jew. Or as Paul says, “tearing down arguments…that is raised up against the knowledge of God,” 2 Corin.10:4-5. Apologetics includes both.

What does this teaching from Peter 3:15 look like?

Acts 23:3–5 (LEB)

3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! And are you sitting there judging me according to the law, and acting contrary to the law do you order me to be struck?” 4 And those who stood nearby said, “Are you reviling the high priest of God?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, ‘You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Paul does not apologize for the insult or the curse itself, but only apologizes for speaking that way to a human authority.

Conclusion

If there are people willfully teaching bad doctrine or hindering the good doctrine from being heard, then the rebukes become very harsh, even curses. Paul even prayed that the harm the coppersmith did in hindering good doctrine being believed, would be returned back to him. See Jude speaking of false teachers: it is one insult after another. 2 Timothy 4:14 “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.” In essence, Paul is praying like an vindictive Psalm over this person.

Yes, the vindictive Psalms are still for today. As a superior species of human, as a saint of God, as a co-heir who is seated with Jesus at the right hand of the Power, you have authority to pray such things today.

Whether it be pastors rebuking things they ought, or issues in movies, or business, or politics, many Christians unmask their spiritual perversion and adultery. They show how little they regard truth, and how much they love viewing the world from “their” human observation, emotions and calculations of kindness. They even judge God himself by these human superstitions.

Their god is not Yahweh; rather, their god is their spiritual belly of emotions. Their condemnation is well deserved. May God repay them for the harm they have done to the Church. They have a “man-centered view” on what it means to have a God-centered view of loving your neighbor. This man-centered view of kindness is in first place too them; God is secondary.  I know many professed Christians are dumber than bricks, do not know the Scripture and are in willful rebellion to God, but to reject God in disobedience over your emotions is Plus Ultra Stupid.

Jesus was always surprised to see faith in people, because it really is such a richly scarce possession. The same is for today.

“born under the law“

EndNotes—————-

[1] Galatians 4:4

[2] Sexual sins can be forgiven. But to disbelieve God’s word is truth to begin with, means you are not a Christian. It is a horrific dishonor to God, by making God to be a liar and man (as a starting point) truthful.

[3] Harris kept saying phrases like “according to historic Christianity.” In my experience this is often an indicator that one’s epistemology is empiricism (starting with man as a starting point of knowledge (i.e. speculation)), and not Scripture. Any other sin issue that might be exposed later, is secondary to this issue of epistemology.

[4] See Vincent Cheung. Rebuke them Sharply.

Fear Contradicts Faith

“Anxiety is fear. When you are in fear it means you don’t believe God.”
Bill Winston, twitter 10/18/2020
Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, [a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
Hebrews 11:1 (AMP classic)
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You cannot have “assurance, proof and conviction” of the reality of God’s unlimited and unmerited supply of love, power and provision to you and still say you are “anxious” or fearful. It does not mean you have no faith, but you cannot claim a mature faith with fear.

You cannot say “I have “assurance, proof and conviction” of the reality of God’s promise that Jesus became poor for me so that I could be rich (2 Cor. 9:8, 8:9),” and still experience anxiety about financial provision.

The same is about forgiveness of sins. You cannot say “I have “assurance, proof and conviction” of the reality of God’s forgiveness of all my sins, once and for all, in Jesus, and still experience anxiety, when approaching the throne of Grace, to ask for help and goodies.
The same with healing, (etc.)…(etc.).
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Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
(1 John 4:18 NLT)

Biblical Politics!

How the does Bible demonstrate what is the Christian way to deal with Politics?
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The disciples prayed Psalm 2 to the Father, and moralized it to ask God to give them healings, miracles and abundant spiritual powers to “judge” the government. God responded back, “It’s all yours,” by giving then what they asked. The point here to consider is that God approved of their prayer and how they wanted to deal with an overreaching Government. You can pray this today and receive because we know God approves of it.  God gave their eschatology and doctrine of government, His stamp of approval. Odly, most religious fanboys, will implore any other way to deal with the government, other than the one way that Scripture records that has God’s positive approval. Plus Ultra Stupid!
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Acts 4:18-31 NLT
18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
21 The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God 22 for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.
The Believers Pray for Courage
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— 25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,
‘Why were the nations so angry?
Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
and against his Messiah.’[a]
27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
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31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

Seek Yahweh and His strength

Seek Yahweh and his strength; seek his face continually!..
He is feared among all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens…
strength and joy fill his dwelling…recognize the Lord,
recognize that the Lord is [valuable] and strong.
Then say,
“Save us, O God of our salvation; that we give thanks and.. [value] in your praise.”
–1 Chronicles 16:11, 25-26, 27-28, 35
(LEB and NLT). [ ] -by author, (value for glory).

“God’s Will,” – Is, A Fish for Fish

If [animal sacrifices provided by the priest] could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared…

For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

Our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so.

For he says,  “This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day,  says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.

Then he says, “I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”

(Hebrews 10:2,10,12,14,16)

First we will discuss what “God’s will”[1] necessitates here, and Secondly, dive more into what it means for “God to be our God” and “we His people,” which is stipulated in the  new contract.

Hebrews points out in more than one place that the result of “God’s Will,” (for us to be holy), is for us to approach His throne of grace and receive what we ask of Him

The first mention is in Hebrews 4. What is the application for knowing our high priest has redeemed us? The idea of having peace with God is the ability and position to approach God, in His throne room of grace, to ask and then to receive the help we are asking for. There is no way to spiritualize this away. It is about receiving what we are asking for. Jesus when talking about prayer to God, teaches us something that opposes eastern religious like Buddhism (etc.). Such paganistic religions teach us that even if we do not change God’s will in our prayer, we have changed inwardly for the better, by seeking God. People who say such things are spiritual perverts. They are deceived and blind. Jesus contradicts this superstition about prayer and God, by teaching us that God gives a fish for a fish, and the Spirit for the Spirit. Let Buddha be damned, and Jesus and His teaching be highly valued.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you, if his son will ask him for bread, will give him a stone? Or also if he will ask for a fish, will give him a snake? Therefore if you, although you* are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him? Matthew 7:7–11 (LEB)

Since it is God’s, and not man’s definition that a “good” God gives you the very thing you ask for, anyone who teaches otherwise is spouting a doctrine taught from demons. Some bark up like mad dogs that, “what if you ask for something bad?” Yet this is not a relevant point because James says if you ask God for evil things (“God help me murder this person”), then you are God’s “enemy,” and so prayer is the least of your concerns. Since I am addressing Christians or those who at least claim to be so, and not sworn enemies of God, I will ignore logically non-relevant points. Thus, if you ask you will get what you ask for, Jesus says, in more than one way, in case we missed it. What Jesus is doing here with prayer, is the same He is doing throughout the “Sermon on the Mount.” You have heard it said “do not murder your brother, but I say to you, do not do it, even in your heart.” When Jesus teaches on judging people, His point presupposes that you are able to judge your brother, and to do it without hypocrisy. You do this by removing the wood from your own eye first. Some wicked fools say, “you cannot judge without hypocrisy”; yet, Jesus contradicts this in His sermon. He teaches the true ethical standard God demands for judging, and He expects His disciples to do it. It is good news to see in the new covenant, God promising to give us ethical power, “I will write my laws in your hearts.”

In this context of Jesus repeatedly correcting the low opinion of people’s thinking on God’s commands and standards, Jesus talks about “prayer and faith.” Thus, when we see Jesus saying, “if you ask God in faith, you get the very thing you ask for,” then we can infer the presupposition behind it, at least in the broad sense; and so, Jesus’ teaching is in opposition to the people’s low opinion of what they think prayer and faith should accomplish. It seems little has changed in 2000 years, for who can find a person who values and does prayer the way Jesus demands it? The Jews had a perverted and low view of prayer. From the Mount, Jesus corrects their error and describes the true ethical standard that God commands about faith. Whatever the low valuation of prayer the Jews had, it was not to the standard of, “if you ask in faith, you will get what you ask for.”  Jesus is expecting and demanding, (just like He demands us to not even lust in our hearts after another woman), to pray and get what we pray for.  Jesus in essence says, “You have heard it said, if its God’s will, then you might get what you pray for. But I say to you, It is God’s Will for prayer, if you ask in faith, you will get the very thing you ask for, because God is the good Father.” This is the type of Being we are dealing with. You must deal with Him and not someone else. Do you know Him?

Back to the two passages in Hebrews.

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most,”
(NLT Heb 4:16).

Next, after several chapters of doctrine and theology about how Jesus accomplished salvation, Hebrews 10, starting in verse 19 gives us the conclusion or result.

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.

By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise,”
(Hebrews 10:19–23 NLT)

God being faithful to His promise is in context of the New Covenant. We will talk more about this later.

Here we are again seeing the same thing. Since in “context” of Hebrews 4 defining approaching God’s throne is about getting answers to our prayers for help, it therefore, does not mean the opposite here. The end says, “for God can be trusted to Keep His promises.” The promise that He will not remember our sins, and that He will be our God who loving gives us help when we ask for it. The emphasis is on two points here by the preacher. One is the category fact or truths. You are holy in Jesus right now. You are beloved and stand before God without Him remembering your sins against you. The second, is that you stand firm, believing these truths. You stand believing you are categorically holy, righteous and a child of God. That you believe you can boldly walk into heaven and push the door of God’s throne room open, and then you ask like a beloved son, for Him to help you. And that you stand believing He is the Good Father as He defined Himself to be in His word, so that He will indeed give you bread for bread.  The first part is always true, due to Christ’s finished work, whether or not a particular Christian has weak faith about it. However, if one has strong, unmoving faith about Jesus’ finished work, then truly you stand before God and He will answer your prayers.

The point is that Scripture makes the logical (or necessary) connection from Jesus’ atonement that makes us holy, to boldly going to God and getting “fish for fish, healing for a healing,” when we pray for help. Because the connection is not merely sufficient but necessary, then it is a “modus ponens” logical connection. If Jesus made you holy by His body, then you necessarily have access to boldly receive the things you ask for in faith.

If these two are necessarily connected, and they are according to Hebrews, then the logic of modus tollens applies. That is, if you deny the consequent you deny the antecedent. If you negate the application, you negate the foundation. If you negate getting our requests answered at God’s throne, then you negate being made holy by Jesus’ body. Novices play with the Bible like its play-dough. Their pet theories and traditions are not harmless when they make mistakes. They condemn themselves and turn the body of Christ in a spiritual casualty, in order to be fanboys of the past.

So to summarize, Hebrews knows no gospel that does not bring a person who is already perfected and “holy” to the throne of God, to ask and receive what we ask for. “God’s will,” is thrown around much today, but rarely do I see it used how the Scripture uses it. The preacher says it was “God’s Will,” to make us holy; however, we learn more.  There was a pre-determined point for why God desired to make us holy and perfected. The necessary result (or a previous in order Decree of God) is a person, according to Hebrews, who by faith (who assents they have been made ‘holy’), stands at God’s throne, to ask and receive what they ask for. The conclusion is obvious, it is “God’s Will” for you to stand in faith, with your head held high, before His throne, to ask and receive a fish for a fish, mercy for mercy, son for a son, health for health, wisdom for wisdom, wealth for wealth, inner strength for inner strength, protection for protection in your time of need. To say this is “not God’s will,” is to logically say it is “not God’s will” for us to be made holy by the body of Jesus Christ.

Many educated people feel proud of their intellect and academia, but in their fanboy affirmation of the past–such things as cessationism and things like “only if it is God’s will” (negating God’s promises)—they expose themselves as plus ultra perverts. They think they know logic and knowledge; however, deductive logic, like math and truth, is not flexible. They try to bend the sword of truth to pervert it; however, they only end up impaled on it. Leave these voodoo practitioners, and return to standing firm in the truth that you are holy, and standing before the throne of grace. God made the world and defines His world as He wants. His Word defines you as already a holy child, who when you ask for help, then you will get the type of help you asked for.

The “Will of God” is that He is your God, and you are His people.

We just discussed the connection of God’s Will to prayer in His throne room (in context of Hebrews), now we will further look at this connection within the new covenant.

Hebrews 8 when quoting the Old Testament about the details of the New Contract says,

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

(Hebrews 8:10 -quoting Jeremiah 31)

Hebrews 10 reveals it was “God’s will,” for us to be made holy by Jesus’ body. Then a few verses later it quotes Jeremiah 31 (the new covenant promise) as proof for this, “I will no longer remember their sins.” However, it is important to remember to read this in context. Hebrews 8 quotes the fuller promise of the God’s covenant with the Elect, from Jeremiah. It mentions that “God is our God, and we are His people.” The logical connection is the new covenant. It was God’s Will for us to be made holy by the body of Jesus; the way this is given is the promise of the new covenant. In other words, if it is “God’s Will,” for us to be holy, which is a new contract promise, then the new contract is “God’s Will.” Also, God is not under any pressure or obligation when He makes a promise. He is the only being who has intrinsic self-existence, self-freedom and self-definition. Thus any promise He makes is by definition “His Will,” because in total freedom and foreknowledge and power He made a choice. Also, the new covenant was stipulated by God and not man, thus, it is perfectly what He wants, or the perfect stipulation of “His Will.” This contract given in oath of Jesus’ blood, promises that God will be our God and we His people. What does that mean? This is important because it is “God’s Will” for Him to be this to us. And it equally, God’s Will, for us to be this to God.

Isaiah 41:10 says regarding God “being a God to His people,” which is a commonly quoted promise verse (as it should be) says,

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

About king Hezekiah it said in a more indirect way through king David, however, the point is the same, God is Hezekiah’s God, and Hezekiah is God’s people.

“Return; you must say to Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘Thus says Yahweh the God of David your ancestor, “I have heard your prayer and I have seen your tears. Look, I am about to heal you.” 2 King 20:5

However, the first major stating of this phrase and an explanation of its meaning is found in Leviticus.

 “I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you.  You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest! I will live among you, and I will not despise you.  I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.  I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high,
(Leviticus 26:9-13 NLT)

This is a foreshadow of the New. That is, what you see here is much more so in the new blood oath, by Jesus Christ. The freedom from the slavery of Egypt is in the, New Contract, about us being freed from sin. Freedom from the conscience of sin and from Satan’s oppressive accusations, because God remembers them no more against us. So much so, we can march in the throne room of heaven to ask from God what we wish, “with our heads held high.” But that is just one part of “God being our God, and we being His people.” As being freed from Egypt is the foundation for the other blessings, so too within New Covenant. That is, God’s promise is NOT blessing them with surplus crops in Egypt, but in the promise land. Their blessings awaited them in the promised land, not in Egypt. They needed freedom from the yoke of slavery first. Jesus does this for us in the New Contract. He frees us from sin and its guilt, so that He has a righteous foundation to lavish all His other blessings. Our promise land is not so much a place, for it is foundationally being brought near to God. There is however, a place for Jesus’ throne, and yet, the scripture says we have already (past tense) been raised and set with Jesus at God’s right hand. . In 1 John 3 he goes so far as to command us to keep our thoughts where our lives are at, and our lives are not on earth, but are already hidden in Jesus, who is at the Power’s right hand. Thus, even if one wishes to make the promise land heaven, our lives are there. John also says in chapter 4 that “as Jesus is so are we in this world.” Jesus with awesome power, frees us from the law and Satan’s oppressive accusations against us. Now, He gives us a surplus of the Holy Spirit for miracles and healings; which is to say, since we are already in the promise land through Christ, Christ therefore, pours the promise land’s and kingdom’s power into us on earth by the Spirit. Paul even says Jesus became poor for us, so that we might become rich, by His substitutionary death (in context it is decisively about money). Thus, Jesus multiplies our bank accounts and barns, because, in Jesus, our lives are already connected to the promise land. Our lives are even connected right up next to the Power, because our lives are connected to the valuable Person who sits at the Power’s right hand. If the blessings were so great in the Old Contract, then much more now when the Promise Land we are connected to  now, is the true heavenly one! He pours over us an ocean of unmerited favor that is all for the taking by faith. How could someone be so depraved, so as to despise the oath of God, confirmed by the blood of His Son?

“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.”

MADE holy. This causality is God’s doing, and it is His promise. To be holy relative to or “before God,” is more than not being punished. In Ephesians 1 it says holy and “beyond reproach.” This means we are perfectly moral and flawlessly ethical before God, so much so, we are beyond even the hint of an accusation against the demand for absolute perfection. By the body of Jesus, this is now our reality, “BEFORE GOD.” Even if our sanctification is not perfect, it is a non-logical point, because God considers you holy and righteous before Him. And God is not fickle or emotional like man. He promised to treat you as holy and righteous and not something else. Thus He interacts and treats you as perfectly and morally righteous. However, our holiness and righteousness by the body of Jesus, which we have now, is a God-level holiness, because it was performed by Jesus Christ and given to us. And so, our position with God is not us standing somewhere in the back corner of God’s throne room or somewhere even farther; rather, our position NOW, is with Christ at God’s right hand. Do you understand the position you have now in Christ and before the Power?

Christ being at God’s right hand, presently enjoys and partakes of the goodness that rightfully belongs to being in that position. Yet, we are now with Christ! Thus, to be made holy by Jesus, is to be a partaker of the holy God, now.

To be made holy is similar to how Paul said that we were made righteous in Christ in Romans 5:19.

“For just as through the disobedience of the one man,
the many were made sinners,
so also through the obedience of the one,
the many will be made righteous (LEB).”

By God’s sovereign control over His own creation, He authored and caused Adam to sin, and then by this He caused all mankind to be made into sinners by His direct and absolute causality. But the reverse is also true, but much more. God sent His Son and by His righteousness (holiness) God caused the elect to be made righteous. God is sovereign. Man has no free choice relative to God’s control on the ultimate level. God without asking humanity, and humanity not being free from God’s causality, made them sinners. Then God made some of them into His righteousness. However, there is even more to this sovereign control of God. In the New Covenant, God, without our consent and without us not being free to do otherwise, also made Himself to “be our God” and “made us to be His people.”  This New Contract is a packaged deal. If you negate one part, then you negate the rest.

To see what this means, consider the woman bent over for 18 years. Jesus said, because she was a daughter of Abraham it was “necessary” for God to heal His daughter. God was God to Abraham, and Abraham was God’s people. This is why Abraham was victorious when he defeated the 5 kingdoms and was blessed by Melchizedek, and why the other non-people of God were defeated. To be a true child of Abraham, means God is your God. We are so today in Christ (Galatians 3). This is a categorical truth. Recall an earlier comment about logical connections. A logical connection is only about “necessary” connections; logic is not about sufficient ones, for there is no valid inference with only sufficient connections.  Thus, Jesus said it was “necessary” for God to heal this woman, and not merely a good or sufficient reason. If God promises to be your God and you are part of His family, it is “necessary” for Him to benefit you with the goodness He promised.

Not in another place, or in a different time, but here and now, God is our God and we are His people. Act like it. Receive from your Father’s table. If God put you at His table (i.e. in Christ at God’s right hand) then it is God’s Will for you to partake of the fatness of His table. You have heard it said that God disciplines His legitimate children, and this is true; however, the other side of the coin is also true. Taking food from your Father’s table is necessary for you to prove you are His legitimate child. Illegitimate children cannot ask and get what they want from God. You, take and eat. This is what the sovereign God has done. This is the type of Being His is. These things already belongs to you. It is NOT God’s will that you do not take it. It is His will, that you ask and receive what you ask for, knowing God is your God and you are His holy beloved child.

Endnotes——————

[1] I will not deal with the teaching that “God’s Will” can categorically mean two things in Scripture, for I have done that elsewhere. For a quick read, then see Vincent Cheung, “Ezekiel 18:23 and 33:11.” The problem I often see is that most make a category error by mixing these two categories up. Conveniently, this fallacy is most often made when people try to avoid Jesus’ demand for us to get what we want in faith.

Jesus Finishes the Syllogism

Jesus Finishes the Syllogism:[1]

“Behold, a leper approached and worshiped him, saying,
“Lord, if you are willing, you are able to make me clean.”
And extending his hand he touched him, saying,
“I am willing, be clean.”
And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2-3)

The leper presents a partial logical argument or enthymeme. Most arguments are given in partial format for convenience. In this 3 premise modus ponens argument, the leper gives the first compound premise. The next two silent premises, is in reality the leper’s faith.

The partial argument when finished out relative to the leper:

H.1. (P) If You are willing, (Q) then necessarily you are able to make me clean.
H.2. (P) You are willing.
H.3. (Q) Thus, You are able to make me clean.

The interesting and precious thing here, is that Jesus finishes the man’s argument! That is, the leper gives H.1., and when Jesus engages the man, He finishes the argument with H.2. and H.3.

The leper says, H.1 (P) “If You are willing, (Q) then you are able to make me clean.”  Jesus then responds, H.2. (P) “I am Willing.” And then the conclusion. H.3. (Q) “Be cleansed.”

H.1 (P) “If You are willing, (Q) then You are able to make me clean.”
H.2. (P) “I am willing.”
H.3. (Q) “Be cleansed.”

In logic books and in logic class there were often boring and unrelative arguments for examples, and which did not have an practical application to me. Yet, here before us, Jesus the LOGOS itself, when He teaches logic, not only helps us with our syllogism, but the logic lessons are relatable arguments that affects our lives with good, in the land of the living.

Endnotes—————-

[1] This is technically a Modus Ponens, or propositional logic, and not 3 premise categorical logic.

The Tree of Endless Power of Life

First Garden of Eden:

A lesson of Faith. A lecture man failed. God said, “Do not eat this tree of knowledge, it will kill you.” Satan, “did God really say that; does God really know what He is talking about? Look! Consider it from your observations, does not this tree look good?”

Mad did not have faith in God. Man had faith in his observation, being enticed by Satan.

The Second Garden of Christ:

A lesson of faith. A lecture many men still fail. God said, “This tree of righteousness, and this tree of endless power of life, and this tree of healing, and this tree of prosperity, and this tree of Abraham’s blessings is yours to freely eat by unmerited favor.” Satan, “did God really say that: does He know what He is talking about? Look! Consider it from your observations, do not these trees look too good to be true, for a sinner like you?”

Many men still have no faith in God. Men believe their observations, being enticed by Satan.

Jesus: “I Am Surrounded by Perverts!”

Luke 9:23–24 (LEB)  And he said to them all, “If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross every day and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me, this person will save it.”

Luke 9:40-41 (LEB)  … they were not able to [cast out the demon].”

So Jesus answered and said, “O unbelieving and perverted generation! ⌊How long⌋ will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here!”

Here is a simple question. Who does Jesus call perverts? Our societies, will use that word to describe particular people; however, since God is our intellectual foundation and Jesus is our salvation, it should be rather important to note who they call “perverts.” To pervert something is to make something curved when it was straight, or to make something that was running efficiently, to now run in a malfunctioned manner.

Jesus in Luke 9 says that famous quote about taking up your cross and following Him. To lose your worldly life, but find a new and better one in Him. Thus, with Jesus in a close context of saying this, and if He was going to use the word “pervert,” then one might suppose He would find a man caught with a hooker, and say, “look, this pervert has not taken up his cross to follow me.” However, that is certainly not the case here in Luke 9. Rather, the Scriptures found it important to highlight Jesus using the word pervert, but in a different context. Again, Jesus is still in near context of saying, “take up your cross and follow Me.” And soon later He points out some “Perverts,” who were not faithfully, taking up their cross. What we learn from Jesus’ use of a pervert is that bearing one’s cross is more than the obvious ethics of, do not murder, and help the poor, (etc.). To carry your cross, is to carry “faith.”

The followers of Jesus were asked to cast out a demon. This takes a level of faith to do this. In fact, dear readers, including you, how many people do you know that if Jesus ask you to cast out a demon, you have full confidence you/they can do it? This is the context that Jesus followers found themselves in. Their faith failed to produce this “goodness in the land of the living.” When it was exposed to Jesus that His personally trained disciples could not perform this basic act of ministry Jesus yells out, “O unbelieving and perverted generation!”

And so, the “perverts” were His very own apostles and other followers. Jesus discovered His disciples were not taking up their cross (putting off their old worldly unbelief and self-weakness), and following Him (putting on the new man who is filled with faith, courage and heavenly power). To carry your cross, is to carry miracle working “faith.” This Kingdom of God, or the new creation of the Christian, is a straight line. This straight line is faith, courage, and power. For a Christian to be weak, unbelieving, and fearful, is to make this straight line curved and bent. It is outright perversion.

Jesus yells out in public that His disciple were Perverts for not having the faith to cast out demons and work miracles. Imagine if that was you on the receiving end of Jesus’ outburst? What if you were being yelled at, in front of other people, by Jesus, that you are a pervert for not having faith to work miracles? Would you still follow Him? Would you be offended? What if you were hoping for Jesus to find an adulteress man to shame for not taking up his cross, when it was you He shamed for not taking up your cross, because you are a pervert who could not work miracles by your faith?

Thank God, the disciples did not leave Jesus. They received His rebuke, and continued to look to Him for help. One day not soon after, power came down from heaven and clothed them, so that even their shadows were more effective in ministry than entire churches today will ever be.

Timelessness:

[This is a first draft from a small section of my upcoming Systematic Theology book]

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who lives from everlasting to everlasting,”
Psalm 41:13 NLT

“there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God
Genesis 21:33 NLT

God is timeless, or exists in an “eternal state.” What does that mean?

God is Spirit, Power and intellectual. Thus, what is timeless is spiritual, intellectual force.

Time is a measure of change. Without any change, in any degree, there is nothing to measure, and if there is nothing to measure, then the concept of time is meaningless and nonsense.

Thus, all material existence is automatically ruled out in being attributed with timelessness, because all material things change. Even invisible things like the mind of man, changes as man learns new things; however, we will focus on the issue that matter is not timeless.

Vincent Cheung commenting on this says,

Matter cannot be eternal, in the sense of being timeless, for there is no before and after with that which is timeless. And if there is no before and after with matter, then it would be impossible for it to be one way before and another way after. Therefore, if matter changes at all, it cannot be eternal. And matter could not have existed forever, for if matter is bound to time but has existed forever, then it would have an infinite past. But if it has an infinite past, it could never have reached the present. If it has reached the present, the past cannot be infinite. Therefore, matter is not eternal, but bound to time, and it originated at some point in time.

God is uncreated. He is eternal, timeless, and immutable. And he created the universe out of nothing, that is, without the use of any existing materials, since there were no existing materials when he created. All linguistic and historical arguments that attempt to suggest an opposing view must be wrong. In fact, these kinds of arguments are irrelevant unless the logical arguments based on the very ideas of matter and creation are demonstrated to be inconclusive.[1]

To further explain this. By this we know that any naturalistic or evolutionary claim that matter has “always existed” is bottom of the barrel stupid. To always exist with change, would mean an “infinite” chronological measurable time/distance. Another way to say infinite in regard to time or distance, would be “an unreachable distance.” If it is reachable, then it is not infinite; matter’s history of change is not an unreachable distance, if the distance to the past is reachable. Evolution teaches matter has always been here; they say this because if it was not, then either matter was created, or “self-created,” which is a contradiction. Either is not acceptable for evolution. Thus, since timeless is out of the question, they make matter eternal. However, that is a contradiction, and as shown before, a contradiction does not exist in the mind or in reality. To say matter has an “unreachable” distance going into the past, yet, we have “reached” this “unreachable” distance by being here today, is Plus Ultra Stupid.

God, as the Scripture says, exists from “everlasting to everlasting,” and this is as the “I AM who I AM.” He is also said to be immutable. And so, the I AM who I AM, has always been that way, and will forever be that way. Thus, God’s existence is not eternal properties that might change; rather, God’s existence is an eternal state. For this reason, “emotions,” are not part of the Divine Nature. Emotions change, but God does not change. God is timeless; yet, emotions by definition are measurable, and thus, are not timeless.

Therefore, what is timeless is God’s mind, or what is timeless is God’s powerful thoughts about all things. There is nothing to measure in God’s eternal state, because there is no change. Thus, God’s thoughts are not learned. God’s thoughts are not in a linear progression like man is with his limitations. God has always self-existed as intuitively knowing all things in “one thought” (i.e. “eternal unchanging state”), without progression. God did not have to wait to create, to see (although this is wrong because God does not have eyes) images to associate certain thoughts with things to know them better. God has always known that He would create. Included in God’s thoughts about all things, as an intuitive and never changing thought, was creation. This is why after creation, God does not change. This is why God is not different between the Old Testament or the New Testament. The eternal state of God’s intuitive thought about all things, has not changed.

God is also said to be perfect. And thus, for God to change is not only a denial of His timelessness, but it would be a change for the worse; it would be to liberate from perfection; it would make Him less valuable; it would be a serious downgrade. If you have been following what has been said about God’s nature, for God to change it would mean God would have to exchange a truth for a lie.  This is an impossibility.

This does not mean there is no such thing as logic or order to God’s mind; rather, it means the logical order of God’s mind was not chronological in time, but always known intuitively as one thought. For example, the decrees of God. God ordered the history of the world, before it was created. But this ordering has always self-existed with God as one intuitive thought. For man, who is not timeless and has a limited about of thoughts they can think in any given moment needs time and a progression of thoughts to see this ordering. This will be discussed more later, but the same is for logic and God. Because God has already known all things, it means any thought applied to creation is a deduction[2] for God, because it is merely pinpointing specific information that was part of God’s original timeless intuitive thought. For God, any specific thought about creation, does not add more information to His conclusion. For my readers, this section is dealing with many abstract concepts, however, to help see this, consider it with Jesus. Starting with Jesus’ divine mind before creation and His timeless eternal intuitive thought about all things, then go down to the incarnated Jesus who limited His mind (but the Divine Mind did not stop or change), any thought He had is still just a deduction from His timeless intuitive thought about all things (Even what He would think and say as His time as incarnated Jesus).

End-notes————–

[1] Vincent Cheung. Sermonettes Vol 1. Chapter 2. “Creation: In the Beginning.” 2010.  Pg. 7

[2] Vincent Cheung in an email first brought this to my attention, when I was discussing logic with him. Once I thought about it, it was rather obvious God’s thoughts are deductive by plain definition.

Deduction simply applies the knowledge

Helped a friend work out a syllogism yesterday, regarding God’s absolute sovereignty or causality. The important thing to remember here is that deduction is an application of knowldge, or that is, deduction does not manufacture new information and then add it to the conclusion, which is what induction does. For this reason all induction is a non-sequitur, that is, all inductive conclusion are, “it does not logically follow.” By importing new information not from your source premises, you just ruined all validity.
Deduction simply applies the knowledge already stated to particular instances. If the bible says, all men have sinned, then to say this to the particularly man Oshea (Oshea has sinned), is simply “applying” the knowledge. It does not makeup or manufacture new information to shove into the conclusion like induction does. Thus, when the Scripture shows a doctrine that God is the ulitmaite sovereign and absolutely controls all things, then to “apply” this knowledge one would need to affirmed it on every particular instance.
G.1: All [things that happened/ens] are [ caused by God].
G.2.: All [Adam’s fall] is [a thing that happened].
G.3. Thus, [Adam’s fall] is [caused by God].
Or since this is about causality, or ontology, I personally put such into propositional arguments. Here, I would put an extra conjunction in the antecedent, and so it would technically be a Natural Deduction format, but for simplicity, we will look at it as a basic Modus Ponens.
H.1. If (P) God caused/s all things to happen, and (Q) Adam’s fall is a thing that happened, then (R) God caused Adam’s fall.
H.2. P and Q.
H.3. Thus, R