Pocket Evangelist

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● 1Tim 2:5-6 . . Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all.

One of the New Testament Greek words for redemption is apolutrosis (ap-ol-oo'
tro-sis); which means: to ransom in full.

Another is lutrosis (loo'-tro-sis); which means: a ransoming.

Ransoms can be defined as considerations paid or demanded for the release of
someone or something that's stuck in a grave situation; e.g. overwhelming debt
that a debtor cannot possibly ever pay off, and or slavery from which the slave
himself hasn't, nor will ever have, the means with which to buy himself out.

The thing is: were it not for Christ's crucifixion, the best that God would be able to
offer anybody is a reprieve: defined as a temporary suspension of the execution of
a sentence especially of death, i.e. delay. In other words: there's coming a day
when the demands of Heaven's criminal justice system will finally be given its
pound of flesh, and that day would be humanly impossible to circumvent were it not
for Christ's crucifixion per Isa 53:5-6.

That's one aspect; there's yet another:

● 1Pet 1:18-19 . .You were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your
ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood
of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb.

"futile conduct" is no doubt relative to human nature-- every natural-born human
child comes into the world a slave to it; even the best of us; for example the
apostle Paul.

"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For
in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the
members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a
prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am!
Who shall rescue me from this body of death? (Rom 7:15-24)

FAQ: God created mankind with a nature that's bad to the bone?

REPLY: In the beginning, God evaluated His work and graded it not just good, but
very good, i.e. excellent. (Gen 1:31) Then came the forbidden fruit incident
whereby mankind's characteristics underwent a remarkable transformation from
their excellent condition to a corrupted condition; due in part to the Serpent's
handiwork. He has the power of death (Heb 2:14) and the ability to tamper with
the human body and the human mind in ways not easily detected. (e.g. Luke
13:16, Mark 5:1-5, and Eph 2:1-3)

The Serpent's power is binding; so that nothing less than Christ's intervention could
liberate mankind from it.

● John 12:31-33 . .The time of judgment for the world has come, when the prince
of this world will be cast out. And when I am lifted up on the cross, I will draw
everyone to myself.

FAQ: Why preach this to Catholics when they know it already?

REPLY: What some may not know is that this ransom is available to everyone
merely by consent and an RSVP to Christ letting him know they want in on it.

● John 6:37-40 . . Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will
not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do
my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who
sent me: that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should
raise it [on] the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees
the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the
last day.
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Forgiveness hinges upon timing. Folks on the wrong side of the netherworld are
stuck there because they let absolution slip thru their fingers when it was available.

● 2Cor 6:1-2 . . As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in
vain. For He says: In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I
helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

● Heb 3:8 . .Today, if you hear His voice, do not resist.

As a parallel case; the Pharaoh of Egypt was given ample opportunity to comply
with Moses' demands until the night when an angel came thru Egypt slaying all the
land's firstborn sons; even the firstborn among livestock.

Another parallel case is the Flood when Noah warned of an impending deluge year
after year until the day came when all not aboard the ark were slain; including
moms, infants, and elder citizens.

Compare the parable of the ten maidens wherein five weren't thinking. They let
themselves be distracted with a trifle and by doing so missed the party.
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● Heb 10:26-27 . . For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of
the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

That passage is basically a reiteration of Num 15:30-31 which is codified in the
covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and Deuteronomy. (For the purposes of a letter that specifically addresses Jews, a
"knowledge of the truth" would of course be relative to that one particular
covenant.)

Now the thing is: that covenant's rules and regulations are not retroactive. (Deut
5:2-4) Therefore they wouldn't be binding upon priesthoods established prior to
Aaron's.

Melchizedek (Gen 14:18) was exempt from the rules and regulations of that
covenant because he was the Almighty's high priest something like +/- 400 years
before Aaron. (Gal 3:17)

Jesus' priesthood is patterned after Melchizedek's. (Ps 110:4 & Heb 5:10)

Therefore, seeing as how Jesus' priesthood isn't subject to Num 15:30-31, then
neither are any of the people unified with him.

● Acts 13:37-40 . .Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through him
forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through him everyone who believes is
freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

** The word "freed" is translated from dikaioo (dik-ah-yo'-o) which basically means
just and/or innocent, i.e. acquitted; defined as an adjudication of innocence due to
a lack of evidence to convict. An acquittal is far and away better than a pardon
because it leaves nothing of record in one's personnel file to discuss in court.

NOTE: On the night of Jesus' birth, an angel announced good news of great joy.
Well; speaking for myself, as someone who had a lot to answer for, the availability
of an acquittal for willful sinners was very joyous news indeed.
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FAQ: Can a Christian be a Buddhist?

REPLY: Well, to begin with: classic Buddhism has no supreme being(s) like there is
in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism, i.e. classic Buddhism is atheistic:
consequently Buddhists experience relatively little anxiety about facing justice some
day.

Buddhism's goal is Nirvana. However; the Nirvana that Siddhartha Gautama taught
isn't a destination: it's a state of mind; and Buddhists who achieve Nirvana live it
here as mortals; not somewhere else as immortals.

Technically, Buddhism has no afterlife. When those who achieve nirvana pass away,
they go completely out of existence. But the ones who fail to achieve nirvana have
to go thru a process called Samsara wherein they undergo serial reincarnations;
which are quite a bit different than a standard resurrection.

Reincarnation doesn't return one's soul to their body, primarily because there is no
soul in Buddhism; instead, reincarnation reassembles one's karmic matter; which
doesn't always result in another human life, nor even the same gender. Sometimes
it results in a lower form of life, e.g. a horse, a meerkat, a moth, or a pheasant, et
al.
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● Gen 3:22 . . .The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.

The man became "like" one of us, which is different than becoming one of us. In
other words: the man became a tin God (Psalm 82) and his conscience-- which at
one time had the potential to be perfect in every way --is now a fallen conscience.

The Levitical system per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy specifies a
number of atonements for a man's behavior, but none are specified to atone for a
man's fallen conscience; not even Yom Kippur. (Heb 9:9)

But even if there were a Levitical atonement specified for a man's fallen conscience,
it would still need to be replaced with a conscience that has the potential to be
perfect in every way.

Well; the cross atones for a man's fallen conscience (Heb 9:14 & Heb 10:22) but it
appears to me that only a regeneration like the one spoken of by John 3:3-8 can
actually do something about correcting it. (cf. Ezek 36:24-27)
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The Old Testament has quite a bit to say about the kingdom of Heaven, and so did
Jesus in something like thirteen of his parables.

I decided for myself long ago that its venue isn't up. Instead it's down here on
Earth relative to messiah's future jurisdiction as monarch and ruler of the entire
world; which for now is in the hands of the wrong kinds of people.

For example; according to Isa 2:4, messiah intends to put a stop to war. Well; just
look at the kingdom of Heaven's politics today. War is common, even in the very
promised land itself.

Of particular interest to me is the prediction that "neither shall they learn war
anymore". Well; here in my land, kids as young as six are training in martial arts;
and boastful of the fact that they are able to disable somebody with their bare
hands.

My favorite atheist, Christopher Hitchens, once remarked that religion ruins
everything. He was so right. Well, that has to stop, and it will, as Isa 11:9 predicts
a one-world religion; and it won't be given lip service, no, it will be practiced. (Isa
2:2-3)

● Rom 3:23 . . All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

Well; in my own experience, that statement has been 100% reliable because I have
yet to encounter somebody who I felt was successfully duplicating God's sinless
perfection. So then, I've concluded that God has set the bar so high that nobody
can reach it. His own goodness is the gold standard and, speaking for myself, I
can't even come close to equaling it let alone topping it.

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

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

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

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

That benefit will make it possible for Moses' people to live with God on earth, but it
isn't sufficient for making it possible for them to live with God in heaven. However,
there is a benefit available that makes it possible for them to live with God in
heaven as well as on earth. It goes like this:

● 2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has given us everything we need for life and
godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and
oodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so
that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the
corruption that's in the world.

I should think it goes without saying that the divine nature would be a whole lots
more successful at producing an acceptable level of piety than the human nature
could ever hope for because even at its best, the human nature is corrupt; which is
translated from a Greek word basically meaning decayed, i.e. spoiled, as in gone
bad like when raw meat is left out for too long. Decay can be stopped but it can't be
reversed, and therein is a serious problem with the human nature: it's too far gone.
Hence Jesus' statement:

"Do not be surprised that I said you must be born again". (John 3:7)
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● Luke 11:1-2 . . He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one
of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.
He said to them: When you pray, say: yada, yada, yada, etc.

When I was a little boy, just about every night at bedtime I recited the classic lay
me-down-to-sleep children's prayer. In my opinion; a rote prayer like that one is
okay for getting kids started communicating with God.

Jesus' disciples were full-grown men physically. But they were just babies
spiritually. A prayer like the Our Father is a good place for spiritually immature
Christians to begin, but it's not a good place for them to stay.

● 1Cor 13:11 . .When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason
as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.

Now you take Jesus for example. There is no record of him ever even once praying
the Our Father. In point of fact, when examining Jesus' prayers, it's readily
apparent that he always prayed in a conversational style instead of rote. A really
good example of his style is located at John 17:1-26. Jesus' style is the style that
mature Christians are to follow as their role model.

● Eph 4:15 . .We should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ

● Heb 4:16 . . So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy
and to find grace for timely help.

The Greek word for "confidently" is parrhesia (par-rhay-see'-ah) which means all
out-spokenness, i.e. frankness, bluntness, and/or boldness.

Reciting a rote prayer like the Our Father is not what I call forthright, nor blunt, nor
out-spoken, nor bold. No; it's actually quite childish.

When people have been Christians for some time, and still reciting rote prayers, I'd
have to say that their spiritual growth has been stunted, i.e. they're not developing
properly because they haven't been getting adequate nourishment.

● Eph 4:11-13 . . And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as
evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of
ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full
stature of Christ,
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FAQ: Do you not know it is the kindness of God, rather than fear and threats of
fiery justice, that leads men to repentance? (Rom 2:4)

REPLY: If the Bible's God weren't so kind, then He wouldn't bother with giving His
creatures advance notice of the potential horror in store for them in the afterlife.

● Luke 12:4-5 . . And I say unto you my friends; Be not afraid of them that kill the
body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom
ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into Hell; yea,
I say unto you fear Him.

Was Christ wrong to instill a fear of God within his friends? No; I think he was
110% justified. For example: when I was working as a professional welder for the
US Army Corps of Engineers, we had weekly and monthly safety meetings wherein
we were shown some grisly photographs of real life industrial accidents involving
burns, chain saws, punctured eyes, explosions, falls, crane collapses, suffocation,
crushing, and the like.

Let me tell you: those safety meetings got our attention, and really made a sharp
distinction between the fool and the wise. Somebody like Billy Graham needs to get
out there and let people know that they're up against a celestial despot far more
dangerous than the CCP and/or North Korea's Kim Jong-Un.

A Danger Foreseen;
Is Half-Avoided.
(Cheyenne Proverb)

A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton
goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
(Prov 22:3)

The kindness of God has given the world fair and adequate notice of what to expect
in the afterlife. Those who don't care about it one way or the other would be well
advised to use what time they have remaining to begin preparing themselves for
the worst when they cross over to the other side.
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FAQ: Why is Palestine called the promised land?

REPLY: Back in the 17th chapter of the book of Genesis-- several centuries before
Moses --God deeded that region to Abraham, and to his posterity via Isaac, as a
permanent possession.

The covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy, isn't retroactive. (Deut 5:2-4, and Gal 3:17) Therefore
no matter how grossly, nor how often, Moses' people fail to honor their obligations
per that covenant, they will never lose possession of Palestine because Abraham
obtained it for them in perpetuity as an unconditional gift. There is always the
possibility of their losing sovereignty in that land, but never a possibility of their
losing ownership of it.

● Rom 11:29 . .God's gifts . . . are irrevocable.

** The actual borders of the land that God promised to Abraham, and to his
posterity via Isaac, delineate quite a bit more territory than today's squeaky little
State of Israel.

● Gen 15:18c-21 . . from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the
Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgasites, and the Jebusites.

The Euphrates is Iraq's eastern border. The "river of Egypt" is very likely the Nile
since there was no Suez Canal in that Day; though it's been suggested (with some
merit) this water might be a small stream south of Gaza known as Wadi el Arish.

If there's a map handy, it's readily apparent just how huge a piece of real estate
that God assigned to Abram and his offspring. It's very difficult to precisely outline
the whole area but it seems to encompass a chunk of Africa east of the Nile,
(including the delta), the Sinai Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Onan, UAE, Iraq,
Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

We're talking about some serious square mileage-- roughly 1,538,370 of them;
which is more than Ireland, United Kingdom, Scotland, Spain, France, Germany,
Sweden, Norway, and Finland combined!

Currently, Israel, at its widest east to west dimension, across the Negev, is less
than 70 miles; and south to north from the Gulf Of Aqaba to Shemona, about 260;
comprising a square mileage of only 8,473: a mere ½ of 1% of the specified region.

God has yet to give Abraham posterity via Isaac control of all the land. In point of
fact, the boundaries were very early on temporarily reduced for the time being per
Num 34:1-12)

The temporary boundaries run from the Mediterranean Sea eastward to the Jordan
River; and from the southern tip of the Dead Sea northward to a geographic
location which has not yet really been quite accurately identified. Ezek 47:15 says
the northern border passes along "the way of Hethlon" which some feel is very
likely the valley of the Nahr al Kubbir river which roughly parallels the northern
border of modern day Lebanon, and through which a railroad track lies between An
Naqib on the Mediterranean coast to Hims Syria.
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Heaven? Not Interested.

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

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

For many of us working stiffs, the first day on a new job is stressful and quite an
adjustment. The night before that first day can cause enough anxiety to keep us
awake fretting about what we might expect.

I'd imagine that, whether we end up in the right place or the wrong place in the
afterlife, we will be just as stressed on our first day there as the first day here on a
new job.

The anxiety associated with death is to be expected seeing as how most of us have
no experience at all with that particular journey. But much of my own anxiety in
regards to death is related to what comes after. Pity there are no guide books
available in print to prepare us in advance for the adjustment folks are required to
undergo as they struggle to fit into Heaven's (or Hell's) way of life.

** The one thing I do look forward to in Heaven is its library where everything that
can be known about the cosmos is stored. Carl Sagan would've loved that library
because he went to his grave with a lot of unanswered questions. But now they'll
never be answered because Carl was, at best, an agnostic, and at worst, an atheist.
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● Isa 53:2 . .He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is
no beauty that we should desire him.

Quite a few of the artistic representations of Jesus' face that I've seen depict him as
a rather attractive man but according to the Bible, he wasn't.

● Isa 53:3 . . He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised,
and we esteemed him not.

My youngest brother was a chick magnet growing up, and very popular in school
amongst both the boys and the girls. He was admired and had lots of friends; but
apparently Jesus wasn't so fortunate. He was more or less one of the nobody's in
his community rather than a stand-out, and his peers tended to ignore him.

● Isa 53:4 . . Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Like Job's friends-- who were positive the old boy deserved what he got --the folks
in Jesus' community assumed his medical conditions attested that underneath that
facade of piety he was actually a bad man.

People really couldn't tell just by looking at him that Jesus was somebody special.
In point of fact, his own cousin John the baptist had no clue that Jesus was the man
for whom God sent him to pave the way. (John 1:29-33)

All in all, Jesus didn't fit the picture of God's choice for a man destined to be the
supreme of all prophets; not even close, so it's no wonder folks who knew him were
astounded to be told he was "the one". (Matt 13:54-57 & Luke 4:16-29)
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FAQ: What was the purpose of Jesus' miracles?

REPLY: Well, there's an official purpose, but I see in them an alternate purpose that
speaks to me in a special way.

God has given His son a number of sheep to be his own. (John 10:29)

It is God's will that His son lose none of those sheep. (John 6:39)

So Jesus' miracles demonstrate (to me anyway) that he has all the powers of the
supreme being at his disposal to ensure the sheep remain in his custody; and that's
final because Jesus is stubbornly, and resolutely, determined to comply with his
Father's decisions. (John 4:34 & John 8:29)
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There's more than one Greek verb translated "love" in the New Testament.

For example John 3:16 which says:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

That verb doesn't necessarily express affection but is always benevolent. It's the
kind of love expressed in sympathy, courtesy, kindness, generosity, compassion,
empathy, civility, and humane conduct. We don't have to especially like someone
before treating them with this kind of love. For example Matt 5:44-48.

And then there's a verb spoken of during Jesus' last supper, wherein he said:

"The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I
came from God."

The Greek verb in that passage goes beyond benevolence because it speaks of
strong emotions like affection, bonding, and attachment.

All in all then, God pities the world, but He goes beyond and feels at home with His
son's followers.
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During dialogue with a Jewish man several years ago, I was asked a very pertinent
question that went like this:

"Jesus died for your sins up to the point of your conversion. What about the sins
you are committing now?"

That's a reasonable question coming from a Jew because Levitical atonements had
to be repeated over and over again. Even Yom Kippur, the great day of atonement,
is only useful up to that point and from thence Jews began accumulating sins
towards the next Yom Kippur.

Now supposing God were to stop keeping track of a Jew's sins on Yom Kippur?
Well; that would be the cat's meow because the Jew would then need to avail
himself of the great day of atonement but one time only rather than repeatedly
year after year after year.

Well; the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy doesn't allow for God to stop holding His people's sins
against them; whereas Christ's crucifixion is much better than Yom Kippur because
it does allow for God to stop.

● 2Cor 5:19 . . God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting
men's sins against them.

The Greek word translated "counting" pertains to inventory, i.e. an indictment.
Well, needless to say; without an indictment, prosecutors have no grounds for
hauling someone into court.

** There's a bit of a moral hazard under these circumstances. Due to the fact that
Jesus' followers are on an honor system instead of a legal system, they have an
incentive to become ever more sinful; hence Paul's urging them to cultivate self
restraint.

● Rom 6:1-3 . . What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may
increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

● Rom 6:12-14 . . Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil
desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness,
but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to
life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

● Gal 5:13 . .You, my brethren, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom
to indulge the sinful nature.

FAQ: If God is no longer keeping tabs on the sins of His son's followers, then what's
with 1John 1:5-10?

REPLY: God desires fellowship with His son's followers; which of course requires
transparency on their part. But the important thing is: according to John 5:24
nothing Jesus' followers do now goes in the books to be used against them later on
down the road at the great white throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15. Their sins
are no longer criminal matters, instead; now they're family matters. (1John 3:1-2)
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I myself have yet to meet someone able to produce sinless perfection, but some
folks in the Bible have been very commendable. For example: Josiah (2Kgs 23:25)
Zacharias & Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-6) and Paul the apostle. (Phil 3:6)

However: their level of success has been possible only because Moses' law provides
them with a safety net in the form of a reconciliation system. It appears to me from
Ps 40:6, Jer 7:22-23, & Hos 6:6 that God would rather the quality of His people's
conduct be such that they can get by without having to constantly resort over and
over again to a reconciliation system, i.e. a quality that is just as flawless as His
son's.

"I always do what pleases Him." (John 8:29)

Moses' covenant contains no provisions for reconstructing the core of one's being
whereas the new covenant per Jer 31:31-34 & Ezekiel 36:24-27 promises that very
thing by replacing human nature with a heavenly nature so that its beneficiaries
may always and forever do what pleases Him.

FAQ: The promises per Jer 31:31-34 & Ezekiel 36:24-27 pertain to Moses' people.
Aren't Gentiles claiming something that doesn't belong to them, i.e. stealing?

REPLY: God wants them in on the benefit too.

● Isa 49:6 . . Jehovah my God says: It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also
make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of
the earth.

In a nutshell:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and piety through our
knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He
has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may
participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by
evil desires." (2Pet 1:3-4)

The divine nature is much superior to the human nature with which Adam was
created. He failed to always please God even in very favorable conditions; whereas
Christ never failed to please God even in less than favorable conditions (John 8:29,
2Cor 5:21, Heb 4:15, 1Pet 2:22) Like they say: the proof is in the pudding.
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● Gen 14:18 . . Melchizedek was a priest of God Most High.

Mel was active in Palestine something like +/- 400 years prior to the covenant that
Moses' people entered into with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy;
and as the covenant isn't retroactive (Deut 5:2-4 & Gal 3:17) then none of its curses
for non compliance applied to him. (Rom 4:15 & Rom 5:12-13)

Now if none of the covenant's curses for non compliance applied to Mel, then
neither did they apply to the folks for whom his priesthood ministered; which at the
time included Abraham (a.k.a. Abram)

Seeing as how Jesus' priesthood is patterned after Mel's (Ps 110:4 & Heb 5:1-10)
then as it was for Mel and Abraham, so it is for Jesus and the folks for whom he
ministers.

The measure of immunity available to folks via the priesthood order of Melchizedek
is quite an advantage-- it's practically a license to steal, so to speak --and I could
only wish everybody knew about it because there are folks out there whose
slipshod compliance with the Ten Commandments has them on a direct path toward
a terrifying destination.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
FAQ: Did Jesus ever instruct anyone to pray to himself?

REPLY: Yes.

● Matt 11:28-29 . . Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest.

● John 4:10-14 . .If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a
drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.

● John 7:37 . . On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a
loud voice; "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."

When Jesus says "come" and/or "ask" he expects his audiences to reciprocate with
an RSVP.

● John 5:39 . . .You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them
you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you
refuse to come to me to have life.

NOTE: Prayer can be thought of as rapport: defined as a friendly relationship
marked by ready communication and mutual understanding; which is the opposite
of Matt 7:22-23 wherein Jesus informs a number of super-pious individuals that he
never knew them, i.e. they somehow failed to initiate an intimate, person-to
person, association with the one man in Christianity that matters most.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

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

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
Withdrawn
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

~
He looked beyond my faults,
And saw my need.
(Dottie Rambo, 2003)

NOTE: Solomon wrote 1,005 songs (1Kings 4:32) Dottie surpassed him with +/- 2,500.

Anyway, that one brief lyric says quite a bit.

● 1John 4:9-10 . .This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and
only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we
loved God, but that he loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our
sins.

Without Christ's crucifixion, mankind would have no safety net to rescue them from
facing justice with a very meticulous, unbiased jurist; and for sure the outcome
would not be to their advantage. But why would God go to the trouble?

The Greek word translated love in the above passage isn't necessarily relative to
affection. It mostly pertains to impersonal interactions, for example: kindness,
courtesy, charity, civility, tact, assistance, compassion, pity, and sympathy, et al.

Compassion plays a strong role in many of God's activities with mankind. It can be
defined as a sympathetic awareness of others' distress coupled with a desire to
alleviate it. A longing for sympathy is sometimes viewed as a character flaw; but
nonetheless, I think it's perfectly normal for people to crave it.

I've encountered folks on internet forums who actually resent Christ for doin
something for them that they didn't ask for. Well; the thing is; complainers don't
have to sign on for the benefit, after all; it is optional: sort of like the liberty that
homeless people exercise when they refuse a hand-out. But in this respect, we're
not talking about money and/or goods and services, instead, we're talking about a
man's life. i.e. an uncommon donation that's above and beyond the usual.

● Rom 5:6-8 . .At just the right time, when we were still helpless, Christ died for
the impious. Very rarely does anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good
man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us
in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
_