(03/30/2013) Acknowledging Divinity?

      Belief in the divinity of Jesus, damnation and salvation are topics, today, along with more on the blasphemy of Ananias and Sapphira. The “Yahoo! Answers” writer using ID “Nikolas” (Level 1 with 95 points, a member since March 29, 2013) posted the following:

To Christians: Would a just God send a good man to hell for questioning the divinity of Jesus Christ?

Hello, I’m asking this question because I was wondering if someone who followed all the teachings of Jesus Christ and was genuinely a good person (as far as not stealing, or cheating, or wishing harm on others, etc., and lives by the golden rule) would still be condemned to an eternity of pain and torment simply because they found it very hard to believe that a man from 2000 years ago was the son of a deity without any empirical evidence. I recognize that Christianity is based on faith, but is it Just or fair to say that if you do not fully, with all your heart believe this tiny little impossible thing that you must suffer an eternity in a fiery,uncomfortable hell? Would a Just God do that to someone he/ it loved?

If you have any biblical verses to add to this discussion I would very much appreciate it. Thank you!

THE BATTLE AXE: Separated and Sealed? (03/29/2013)—Ananias and Sapphira were not guilty of disobeying the laws of Moses, or any specific commandment from Jesus. The two did not preach doctrines that were heretical, did not violate longstanding custom and tradition, and made no open and public display that would immediately cause schism within the holy congregation. As he had done with Adam and Eve, the Adversary entangled the pair through subtlety, and used them as instruments to introduce defilement of spirit to the early church. The “children of disobedience” can not be recovered by dis-fellowship, excommunication, or a simple act of exorcism that would cast out unclean spirits seeking to shelter themselves within an unsuspecting victim. For those who are the “children of the devil” their original, inborn spirit (we say, their nature) becomes increasingly combative against GOD, and generates awareness, presence and self-will that no longer respond to divine law, divine righteousness, and sacred truth. Judgment was necessary that would supply more than simply punishment, warning and instruction. A strong carnal, and visceral message had to be sent throughout the flourishing church—a physical body in the earth to contain the Spirit from Jesus in the heavens. (See Ephesians 2: 1-9, 1st John 3: 10, and John 8: 42-51, KJV.)

THE GOLDEN ARROW: For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. (1st Peter 3: 18-22, KJV)

THE DOUBLE DAGGER: GOD Hiding in Plain Sight (03/26/2013); The Spirit and Pentecost (03/27/2013); The Love of GOD (03/03/2013); Our Need for a Son (03/04/2013); Did Jesus Know? (12/22/2012); The True Miracle (12/23/2012); More Than Salvation (11/27/2012); Son of Man (11/28/2012); Given The Cloud of Witnesses (11/29/2012); Love in Christ (10/23/2012); Divine Self-Sacrifice? (09/30/2012)

Nikolas, here are some thoughts from an older person (senior citizen, golden-ager, etc.) you may find helpful. The judgment of created beings and living creatures is more a matter of their content of divine substance than a matter of their sins:

      
     Apart from various devices introduced to mankind by the Creator, human beings cannot focus their awareness to maintain a correct relationship to GOD as a person. In addition to limits imposed by the frameworks of time and space, human minds repeatedly shift and switch the location of control among various mechanisms of the flesh. Included are appetite (such as hunger, thirst, craving for sexual contact), sense (such as hearing, seeing, tasting, touching), and mental function (such as desire, dreaming, forgetting, imagination, recall, thought).

      GOD is a spirit, and ordinarily does not reside in visible, material form (like fog, mist or smoke). Mature Christian believers trust that GOD has appeared to mankind in the flesh (called Incarnation), and has made himself known to the flesh as the person, Jesus of Nazareth. The divinity of GOD and Jesus is one; however, the humanity of GOD is only in Jesus, and through Jesus, in mankind. The many sacred operations and divine tools used by GOD to show himself to Creation must also include birth, death, divine law, judgment, re-birth, resurrection, revelation, sanctification, and wrath against sin. Saying this another way: GOD may only be known as an aspect of ones own makeup and spirit by exclusively using the tools supplied from GOD.

      Sin splinters the constant awareness of GOD that was originally deposited within created beings and living creatures. GOD has not created sin; and sin is no carnal, material or spirit thing. GOD is not subject to sin; and sin contains no divine substance. We say, sin is “no thing” having dimension; yet, sin has direction, effect, and presence. Sin may dominate the self-will of created beings and living creatures. Angels and mankind have not created sin; nonetheless, sin was first “discovered” among the holy angels who opposed the existence of divine law, of divine person, and thereby, of all that exists. Through a serpent that was used as a device by a renegade from heaven, sin became a permanent aspect of human existence upon the earth.

      There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, the salvation of mankind is through the grace of GOD, and not by our good behavior, pleasant conduct and efforts to appear noble before GOD. Because belief is temporal (comes and goes), and resides along with our tainted collective conscience, and our rebellious self-will that are subject to sin, mankind can not understand the things concerning Jesus Christ through mere conversation, logic, and reason any more than a newborn understands “mama” and “dada” without the complex experience that internalizes the sounds, their significance, and the know-how of when and where to use them.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(12/13/2012) The Price of Humanity?

     Echoes of the often posed question from Scripture (what is man…?), and the value of human life are in view today.  Also, there is more on the condition of one who commits suicide.  A “Yahoo! Answers” writer using the ID “pepito” (Level 2 with 838 points, a member since January 2, 2011) posted the following:

If God is at the core of a person, what does that say about the price of humanity?
Seemingly so tiny, just a speck in all creation, that’s what we are… but isn’t god Himself eternally simple? Does one have to be grandiose and assuming to carry God within his heart? Or does God prefer the humble and sincere? What is the value of human life compared in terms of Christianity versus Atheism that only sees life as chain of material events?
“J’me pelle Rouge” : where you see nothing, I see eve erything.

THE BATTLE AXE:  Suffering for Suicide? (12/12/2012)—Suffering is a temporary condition that exists only among beings that have not completed their mortality.  In the same way suffering in the flesh is ended by death, suffering in judgment is ended by the second death.  Suffering is not “permanent” or “unending”; and there is no eternal suffering that will exist among (or be continually witnessed by) immortal beings.  In divine judgment, the actions, attitudes, behavior and life events for created beings and living creatures serve like letters of the alphabet that are fitted together and pattered to spell out words.  Ones spiritual condition, divine content and sacred substance are “spoken,” heard, and read as a kind of spirit language from their actual deeds, choices, and interpersonal exchanges.  Relationship for, through and with GOD generates living experience that is incorporated within the Word in the same way air from the lungs and vibrations of the vocal cords produce the phonemes and syllables that comprise speech and utterance.  Focus is not upon the noise or sound that is made; focus is on the meaning and value signified.  The time, place and manner of a person’s death have their weight in ones individual judgment only when properly fitted with all the many details of their birth, life, service, suffering, and worship.  More than simply narratives and sequences of carnal, material and social life are produced; an image and its name, like a photograph, that mirrors the spirit-being then emerges (see Revelation 3:  5 and 20:  12, KJV).  Elements we as humans might quickly describe as “suffering” may repeatedly be regarded as merely growth or service; and much of what we take to be reverence and worship, may be shown as void, and having no value at all.  (See Ezekiel 33:  30-33 and Matthew 7:  21-23, KJV.)  Divine forgiveness and the death of Jesus upon the cross do not dismiss sin, justify how a person may die, or give license for wrongdoing.  Rather, they promote the growth of divine spirit, repentance, and taking accountability for ones choices.

THE GOLDEN ARROW:  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?  For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.  But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:  (Hebrews 2:  3-7, KJV)

THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  On Seeing Jesus Serve the Poor (12/03/2012); Hero or Zero? (12/04/2012); Son of Man (11/28/2012); More Than Salvation (11/27/2012); Mankind’s World (11/20/2010); Filthy Rags? (11/19/2010); For Our Sin’s? (11/21/2010)

     With their eyes fixed upon Jesus as their redeemer and savior, the mature Christian believer sees both a duty and a privilege to place high value upon human life.  Almighty GOD is understood to be spirit; and he has appeared in flesh (we say, Incarnation) to further establish godly awareness and intention throughout the aspects of human experience.  The presence of mankind is essential to the full revelation of divine being, sacred process, eternal purpose, and sovereign truth.  How believers esteem, honor, respect and serve one another derives from (1) what GOD has bestowed as our endowment through creation, (2) the added supply of divine substance provided through the earthly and heavenly ministrations by Jesus Christ, and (3) from sacred knowledge of the human predicament, and the documented history of human makeup being transformed following Creation.
     Just as our the experience of the natural world would be incomplete without the many created beings, living creatures, planets, stars and waters, the universe is incomplete and unbalanced without mankind.  Those dwelling in heaven are neither mortal nor immortal.  Included are angels, sacred beasts, and other spirit-beings.  The Eternal GODhead (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is immortal and incorruptible, and continues to appear in varying forms that display spirit-person.  It is the excellence of mankind that humans acquire knowledge by life experience, may be edified, and may grow in accordance with divine law and godly presence.
     There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, the “simple” things of GOD are also always profound—that is, they have widespread application, consequences, depth, detail, and divine aspects that cannot be known except as revealed by GOD.  To those lacking insight, the birth, suffering, death, and burial of Jesus will appear as only another obscure and wretched life.  Through operation of the imparted, indwelling spirit (we say, the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, the Spirit of Prophecy, the Spirit of Truth), treasures of everlasting glory are properly discerned and recognized.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC