I KNOW WHAT AN ATHEIST IS BECAUSE I WAS ONE

I read quite often that Christians are Christians because we were raised that way and never doubt. Well, I know better than that. I was an agnostic as a youth. My father was an atheist and my mother a weak Christian. I was made to go to Sunday school, but my parents did not attend either Sunday school, or Church. The reason given was I should make up my own mind about God and in order to do so I had to know something about the subject. Made sense then and it makes sense now.

When I became old enough to decide I turned to atheism. I thought the same way atheist think now. That if there was a God there would be no war, or anything else that was wrong for that matter. But I was only making up a god in my own mind instead of searching the true God’s word to find out why bad things happen.

I remember standing on my parent’s porch during a thunderstorm, daring God to strike me with lightning and feeling really brave doing it. How stupid can you get? It is what an atheist does.

If there truly is no God then there was no chance of being electrocuted by Him, so I had to ask myself, “Why was I feeling brave?” and the truth is, deep down inside I doubted myself. I, like all atheists, really was not sure.

I was being really stupid, or you could say I was being an atheist. An atheist would not admit it, but the truth is, it was arrogant, and ignorant, and I was acting just as any good atheist would act.

I remember hearing about the Mormon religion and thinking that it sounded right because they claim there is no Hell. Like all atheists do, that was just another attempt to create a god in my own mind: one that fit my qualifications for a God. You have to wonder how I ever thought I was the one to set qualifications for God!

The truth is, like all atheists, I had not thought it out. Being a good atheist I just accused everyone else of not thinking it out.

I was an atheist until I reached middle age, whereupon I came to my senses and instead of determining in my own mind what a God was supposed to do, or be, I decided to study what God had said about Himself.

I have been, and still am, amazed as I learn more and more about Him. There is absolutely no way that I could have dreamed up a God so wonderful, so awesome, so fair, so just, and so merciful. (I heard that “so what”) (You are reading, but you are not understanding) I suppose that is true because I am imperfect and God is perfect.

Anyway, atheist when you say that we are what we are, because we were brought up that way and we are to slow to learn different, you are absolutely wrong. It is really you that are to slow to learn. I know from personal experience that you are wrong.

THE BLIND MEN ALONG THE ROADSIDE

Most of those who study the Bible make the assumption that the three accounts of the blind men sitting along the roadside in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the same incident. I did also, but it dawned on me that it if I didn’t make that assumption it could be three separate incidents. There are some similarities, but there are differences that make it impossible for the accounts to be the same event.

In Matthew and Mark Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho and in Luke they were approaching Jericho. In the account reported in Matthew there were two blind men. In Mark and Luke there was only one.

If you take this as the same event reported by three different witnesses then it would be apparent that the disciples did not know where they were, what direction they were headed, and at least two of them couldn’t count to two! Well, I’m not buying that.

There are similarities in the stories. The blind men were all along the roadside, but almost all of the blind would have been next to the road as that is where the money was. When you beg for a living it only makes sense to be where the most men, with the most money, pass by. In today’s world they would flash by in their expensive car, but in those days they either walked or rode an animal. Either way, whether they walked or rode, the blind had a chance of presenting their request.  The odds of scoring were much better along the road so that is where you would find the blind.

Any of the blind, when they heard the crowd, would have asked what was going on. That is only human nature. Anyone who was asked would have told the blind man that it was Jesus and because the man that asked was blind would have told him that Jesus healed the blind. (That is also human nature)

Any blind man, when told someone could heal them, would have raised a ruckus to be healed. Everyone who asked Jesus to heal them was healed and anyone that suddenly received their sight would have followed the one that gave them that sight just out of love and admiration. Also their life would now be totally different, they could no longer beg. They would have no skills that would allow them to make a living, so what else could they do?

It is amazing to me that all of the blind men, when they found out it was Jesus knew that He was the Son of David, even though it was physically impossible as David had died many years before Jesus was born. Anyway, they all asked for mercy first, then they asked for sight and of course Jesus granted their request.

If I believe these are different accounts of the same incident I must find a way to reconcile how the Bible doesn’t accurately report what happened, just as most scholars do now, and I used to. However I will never again doubt the accounts, because I now believe they are three separate incidents, reported by three witnesses, at three different places, about four blind men.

I have included the three accounts just to make it easy for you to compare them.

 

(Mat 20:29-34 NIV)  As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

 

(Mark 10:46-52 NIV)  Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

 (Luke 18:35-43 NIV)  As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

YES, THE USA IS IN THE BIBLE!!!

There are those who say that the USA isn’t in the Bible. Well, if they mean by name they are correct. However the type of government is described. (If you have ears to hear)

Consider Daniel chapter two where the statue of king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is detailed. Notice that the governments that are in control at the end of time are of iron and clay mixed.

Metal is the symbol of all the governments. The head is of gold to symbolize the value of the government of Nebuchadnezzar. God chose and installed Nebuchadnezzar as the king. Man had nothing to do with it (Dan 4:25), therefore the government was of great value: even if Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t always merciful or fair.

The governments become of less value as time proceeds toward the end. They are of less value because men interfere in the process of choosing leaders. It is true that man could not choose leaders unless God let them, but God does let us and it degrades the government.

God let Israel have a king and He also let us have a president and I believe He will also allow separation of God and State (We say Church and State, but we mean God and State. Because Christians are the Church the term “Separation of Church and State would actually mean separating Christians from the State and though most believers of other religions and nonbelievers would like that, it is politically incorrect.). It seems to me that God gives us, and is giving us enough rope to hang ourselves.

(Dan 2:40 NIV)  “Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron–for iron breaks and smashes everything–and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.”

The end time government is a mixture of iron and baked clay (Verse 43). Iron because when compared with the other metals in the statue is of little value, though it is stronger than the other metals. Democracy has crushed and broken many of the other governments: though not all (not yet). It even breaks and smashes it’s own citizens.

The clay represents people, because we all come from Adam and he came from dust which is dirt and clay is dirt. So one can say we all came from dirt. (That ought to humble you) The clay is baked clay because our hearts have been hardened. We have hardened our own hearts by thinking that we should chose leaders. You know the phrase, “By the people, of the people, and for the people”. As a Christian shouldn’t we really be saying, “By God, of God, and for God”? Which phrase sounds right to you?

The truth is anyone who can not see the future is not qualified to lead, or even to choose leaders. It is only a guess if a bill will work as claimed (Usually it is only a “bill of goods”) and just speculation that a politician will do what he, or she promised. (Does anyone really believe a campaign promise?) Please don’t take my word for this, just check history.

Many think that the fourth kingdom is one ruler of the whole world, but the verses do not refer to one government. We know this because verse 44 says “In the time of those kings”; not king. The word kings is used rather than presidents and prime ministers because no one would have understood the present names for the prime leaders.

Though the metals and parts of the statue represent actual governments a better understanding is that they represent different forms of government.

Verse 43 says, (NIV) “And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.” Iron doesn’t mix with clay and the government doesn’t mix with the people either. The only time the government even seems to mix with the people is at election time. Do you think they have a motive other than our welfare?

(Just a thought, if your banker, bookkeeper, police, doctor, or anyone else purposely lies to you and harm results from that lie they can be prosecuted, but we expect a politician to lie and you can’t prosecute them for it. The person with the most power is the person with the least accountability! Could that be a basic flaw in the system? Do you think it possible that politicians would make a law that would allow prosecution for a “Campaign Promise”? If you do I’ve got a used bridge in Minnesota for sale and you are a qualified buyer!)

I ask you, “Are we united?” Doesn’t everyone have an opinion about everything? (Yes, I am also guilty) Do we all agree on any one issue? Just one?

I doubt that we can even agree on this post. The only other thing that I will add at this time is, “Watch out for the Rock”!

ATHEIST I KNOW WHY YOU DO THAT

A little while ago I wrote a post titled “Atheist why do you do that”. I asked for an explanation, but as of yet I have not received one that really answered my question. So far the only thing that you have done is try to ruin my faith in God. Which is what caused me to ask the question in the first place.

I guess me asking you to examine your own beliefs is just too much to ask. Even your silence was enough to make me think about your motives.

First I think I understand the game (I’m sure you will deny the accuracy of my deductions). You all hide and wait, then one of you throws out the bait (A Post). Along comes some Christian that believes you just don’t know the truth and he believes he can help you. He doesn’t know (At first) that you don’t care about the truth. When he bites and comments on your bait you all jump out and try your best to destroy his, or any one else’s faith.

The Christian is at somewhat of a disadvantage as he must answer with the truth as he understands it, but you have no such limits. Therefore you are free to attack his character, intelligence, or anything else you can think of.

Don’t take me wrong. The game can be fun for both sides if both sides understand the game and the Christian doesn’t take it too seriously. (Thinks he can help you)

However, that is not why I am writing this post. I know why you play the game.

No one puts forth much effort without expecting something in return.

So what drives you to put so much effort in trying to convince others that you are right is nothing more than pure vanity! You are proud of your intelligence and you just can not get enough strokes. Have you never pondered why anyone would be proud of something they didn’t produce?

It is impossible for you to learn anything because you would have to admit that you were wrong (Or not completely right) about something. You are way to perfect for that. If you were to admit that you could be wrong all of your friends would abandon you. You would not fit in with all of the super intelligent beings that have determined, by their own un-provable theories, that there is no God.

You need your friends because they give you strokes and you need strokes. When they leap out of the bushes they usually complement you for your great understanding and you, of course, must return the complement (If you don’t you might not get stroked the next time).

You may well be intelligent (No I’m not playing the game), but you waste it on yourself.

Why spend your time trying to convince Christians that they are wrong when, if their beliefs are applied, will only benefit you and all society? Is that really intelligent?

If you are truly intelligent go find a cure for cancer, find a way to go to the stars, do something constructive. Or would that put your intelligence to the test?

Actually your constant attempts to destroy Christian beliefs put your intelligence to the test and you fail!

“O” by the way, I’m not being a bad Christian for saying this. Because I am a Christian I must obey the second royal law “(Luke 6:31 NIV) Do to others as you would have them do to you.” If I were in your shoes I would want someone to wise me up.

THE PARABLE OF THE DISHONEST MANAGER

I really like contemplating the parables in the Bible. This parable is found is Luke chapter16, verse 1 thru 13. I have examined this parable from many other views. It seems everyone has the impression, because we are told what the manager did, that his master also knew. If you think this way the parable makes no sense at all.

In this world if one embezzles property or money from someone else, he or she will be angry, to say the least, and they will see that the dishonest person is thrown into jail: for as long as possible under the law. He certainly will not commend him. If you think the rich man commended the dishonest manager for stealing from him, ask yourself “would I commend someone for stealing from me?” Of course not! If you are an understanding Christian you might forgive, but never commend.

The key for understanding this parable is, the rich man didn’t know what the dishonest manager did and He never found out!

Think about it. The rich man trusted the manager until someone accused him of wasting the rich man’s possessions. The rich man was not watching over the manager and didn’t know how he was handling his possessions. That is why he called the manager in to give an accounting. The rich man knew little about dishonesty. If you don’t trust someone you can’t just accept their word. You have to do your own investigating and do it before they know you have lost confidence in them.

The manager was so inept that even he didn’t know what was owed to his master. He had to ask the debtors. I have to wonder if they didn’t already knock some of the debt off the top when they told the manager what was owed. The people of this world will seldom miss the opportunity to lower their debt if they realize no one knows what is really owed, and the dishonest manager didn’t know.

As I said, if you don’t trust someone to be honest you could not take his word that he is. After the rich man heard the accounting form the manager he would not have believed him, because he didn’t know how much was owed, he would have asked the debtors if the accounting was accurate. The debtors would have not only attested to the truth of the accounting, but would have lauded the talents and ability of the manager. After all they had just received a windfall and would like the manager to continue in his position, because if he was retained they might receive even more good fortune. Looking at it from another angle, they could not tell the rich man the truth, because they had become partners in the crime of embezzlement.

The master commended the dishonest manager because he didn’t know of the scheme and therefore the manager appeared honest and competent. The dishonest manager didn’t loose his position. The Bible doesn’t give the outcome of the accounting. It just says he was called in for an accounting. Why would a master dismiss someone when almost everyone praises him for his honesty and abilities? The Bible says the master commended the dishonest manager. Who would commend an employee and at the same time dismiss him? Notice that the dishonest manager was not commended for his dishonesty, but for acting shrewdly.

After I understood the parable I thought to myself, what did God mean. Why would God write a parable like this? What is He trying to teach us?

The answer, from my view, is found in the last part of verse 8 thru 13, and the key that led to this understanding is, God owns everything.

I am the dishonest manager and God is the master. God is a merciful God. He would like to forgive every one of all their debts and He has devised a plan where everyone, who will, can be forgiven. If someone in this world owes me a debt, do they really owe me? If God owns everything, then He owns what is in my possession. He is the true owner, not me. The debt is not owed to me, but to God: just as in the parable the debts were all owed to the master. God is not exactly like the rich man in the parable because God knows everything, and the rich man didn’t, but all parables come apart when carried past what they are intended to teach.

God uses wealth, money, and possessions to illustrate this parable, but debts can come in many forms and I don’t think God means that we should only forgive worldly wealth. Though He does include monetary debts (I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings).

If someone you trust steals money from you, haven’t they also stolen your trust? The truth, better said, is they only stole trust from you. The money really belonged to God. Only the trust was yours.

As a servant of God I do not have the authority to forgive all of an offense. When the realization that God owns everything becomes firmly imbedded in ones consciousness it will be clear that any offense is only really committed against God. Though I can and should forgive a debt in anyway it affects me, the debtor still owes God.

As I was reviewing this to post it I realized that the debtors were asked what they owed before any of their debts were forgiven. What do you owe? Did you give yourself life, a body, universe, mind, anything, or have you selfishly just used that which you were given?

JESUS “IS” THE SON OF DAVID 3

Let’s consider the genealogy of Jesus Christ that is listed in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38.

The first thing that we as Christians know is that Joseph was not the father of Jesus. The second thing is that the two genealogies are different. Christians have struggled with this ever sense it was written. We have looked for the key that would reconcile the two genealogies, but no one has really found it.

Now I have to laugh as those chills go up and down my back, as they do when God shows me something that He has hidden from me. (Hidden in plain sight as He does many times in His Word)

As I said, the first thing that we know is Joseph is not the father of Jesus, so why is the genealogy of Joseph even to be considered? Then you have to ask yourself, why do the two genealogies not agree?

The answer to the first question is it really doesn’t matter and the answer to the second question is “because” it really doesn’t matter. It is wrong on purpose!

Matthew states that the genealogy he lists is that of “Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham”, not the genealogy of Joseph, so it is only important that it correct from Abraham to Jesus. If Joseph was the father of Jesus both lists would have to agree, but he wasn’t. I might add that both of the genealogies do agree from Abraham to Jesus.

This agrees with the statement that the Messiah would come from David. If Jesus was to come through the line of David then Joseph’s linage would have been important and would have been properly listed. Also the verses that say before Marry and Joseph came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit would have to be removed from the Bible. It would have to read that she was found to be with child through Joseph.

I have reached a point in my walk with God that I do no longer doubt anything that is in the Bible. I have realized that I do not understand everything, but when I find something that doesn’t seem to fit I know it does and I am almost overcome with joy, because I know I have something more to learn; and usually God shows me the key to understanding it. (Not always as I don’t have a clue when it comes to prophecy)

Because I am so sure of the infallibility of the Bible I never thought of the possibility that God might allow an error on purpose; which after all would not be an error. The genealogies in Matthew and Luke from David to Joseph are just that. They are there to prove that Joseph is not the father of Jesus.

JESUS “IS” THE SON OF DAVID 2

After I wrote my last post I thought some might think that I may no longer believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Rest assured nothing has changed.

Spirit and flesh are different entities and it is possible for them to both occupy the same space at the same time.

Every believer knows that the Holy Spirit is part of them. I know that I have received the Spirit because I can feel it. God has given me the Spirit to teach me His ways. I do not audibly hear the voice of God, but if I am quiet I have thoughts that can not come from a sinful mind like mine. Those thoughts come from the mind of Christ which I was given when I turned to God. God teaches me if I will but listen and I’m no different than you.

Well, I am not the swiftest of students so I sin sometimes and as soon as I realize that I have sinned it seem as though the bottom drops out of my stomach. It is said that we are led by the Spirit, but the Spirit doesn’t lead me; He teaches me. If He led me I would not have sinned in the first place. He lets me sin so that I can learn that it is wrong to sin.

I believe that later when we all live with God the Spirit will lead us as Isaiah says in 30:21 (NIV) “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”” Right now I don’t hear that voice so I don’t always turn the right way. I am depending on my own understanding. Understanding that I am trying to base on the Word of God, but never the less, because I am not perfect I do not hear the voice of God until I sin.

Jesus was/is both man and God. He allowed Himself to be perfectly led by the Spirit of His Father. There was no reason to teach Jesus anything because He allowed Himself to be led exactly as the Spirit directed. He could hear the voice behind Him saying “This is the way; walk in it”.

John says the Word was God (John 1:1) and he said the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (1:14). I believe that the flesh that the Word became was the Messiah, the son of David and I am only echoing what God said (Mat 1:1, Psa 89:3, 4, 29, 36, Jer 15, 17, 18 and more).

Let me ask a question from the Bible and then give you my answer.

(Isa 51:1 NIV) Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

My answer is ME and now YOU also. (If you have ears to hear)

I must say one more time “Rabbis we have no disagreement, Jesus is the son of David as well as the Son of God.

JESUS “IS” THE SON OF DAVID

I have been following the posts titled “Analyzing Jesus” on the Politics & Religion blog. It caused me to examine the reasons why the Jewish people can not accept Jesus as the Messiah. They have a few really good reasons that they cite to support their views and they seem logical to me.

First as Numbers 1:18 says tribal lineage is traced through a person’s father. This seems to be a problem, not just to Christians, but also for the Jews. If the Messiah has yet to come how could one possibly trace His linage now, as the records are no longer available?

Laying that aside I am going to agree with the Rabbis and with God (of course). God said that the Messiah would come from the line of David and therefore He must.

Awe, but the New Testament says He “is” the son of David (Mat 1:1) and it also says that he was thought to be the son of Joseph (Luke 3:23). The Jews still think that He is the son of Joseph and all of the Christians think that He is the Son of God.

Of course because I believe the New Testament to be from God just as the Old Testament is I believe He is the Son of God (first born), but I also believe that all who accept Jesus as the Messiah are sons of God. Not the first born, but still sons of God.

I and most Christians have always viewed Jesus as having no earthly father. Mathew 1:20 says what was conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit and I guess in my mind I thought of Jesus as half man and half God.

Let’s think about science for a minute. We have learned much about DNA lately. We know that in most of our cells there are 46 segments of DNA. Twenty three of them came from our mother and twenty three from our father. The 23 that were in the egg of our mother became a new person when the 23 from our father united with them.

Man can create a new person today by taking the egg out of the mother, fertilizing it, and then returning it to her womb, and we can by using sperm that has been frozen create a new person from someone who has been dead for quite sometime. I said this to illustrate how far from nature man can go and still create a new life. We can also by artificial insemination create a new person. If even man can do such things would it be too much for God?

The Bible says Marry was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. God is Spirit and I don’t believe spirit would have DNA so God would have to supply the DNA for the male segments of DNA.

If you have followed me so far then you probably know what I’m going to say. Yes, David is the earthly father of Jesus. Jesus didn’t come through Solomon or any others in the line of David, but from David himself.

I am not making anything up. The Old Testament says the very same thing. In 2 Sam the seventh chapter God is talking to Nathan the prophet, and He says “Go and tell my servant David”, (2 Sam 7:12 NIV) When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.

The Genealogies in the New Testament only has to be correct from Abraham to David. I think that the discrepancies between the two descriptions are there to show us that Jesus came directly from David. If this is true it certainly is well hidden(well, not to the Rabbis), but then how could God explain artificial insemination to those who knew so little about how physical life is begun?

It is also only logical that Marry came from the line of Moses, as Moses brought the law and Jesus came to complete the law.

You can only begin to understand why this is a wonderful revelation to me. I have always thought of Jesus as half man and half God as Marry supplied the flesh and I thought the male part of Jesus was directly from God. So though I was told to be like Jesus I didn’t really think that I could be. Now I know that Jesus is the son of David as well as the Son of God I feel like there is a chance that I can be, at least somewhat, like Jesus.

If you are Jewish and think I am “nuts” (and of course you do) can you see that for a Messiah to come, one that would fulfill the requirements that are in the Old Testament, He will have to be similar in the form of birth (2 Sam 7:12)? How could he be counted as from the line of David when there are no records? If Jesus is not the Messiah there is no earthly hope for one.

I also have to agree with you that I was wrong about how I viewed Jesus.  You say that according to Christian teachings, Jesus had only a human Jewish mother, not a human Jewish father.  This human Jewish father would be essential for anyone to be a legitimate heir to the throne of David, which the real messiah will be. You were and are correct, but He does.