COMMENTS
AMERICA THE PRODIGAL
We were given everything. We have squandered it.
And now, we might have to eat some husks as did the biblical Prodigal.
Then in agony and profound reawakening to our spiritual basis and reason for being, we will return to the divine. There we will find spiritual resupply and an infinite source and
substance in all aspects of existence including identity.
Then again we will be able to be the beacon for the world.
DO WE QUALIFY TO BE "RAPTURED"?
Jesus said believers would do his works (Jn. 14:12; Mat. 10:7-8; Mk. 16:17-18; Acts 1:8; Rev. 2:7; 11, 17, 26: 3:5, 12, 21; 21:4, 7, KJV). Are we doing this work of "labourers" in his "harvest?" Well, surely a little. Mostly, though, we believe we only have to accept Jesus' death instead of his mighty work of defeating death (death from the "world," not from his all-good God). We may awaken to Jesus' spiritual state in the "Rapture," but, as I see it, instead of removing us from the scene, this empowerment will equip us to do more of the work at hand.
NO ONE "LEFT BEHIND"
Well, since God fills all space, you can't be left behind. 
Some may experience a great awakening, and "rise" and "be with the Lord," but the Lord is everywhere. I suspect the enlightened (who experience in a degree spiritual Creation instead of material creation) won't be going to some remote location, but will find themselves equipped for advanced overcoming work right here on earth. After all, Jesus and the Kingdom are coming here - - that is, to our consciousness.
All eventually get out
All eventually get out, and even the dead eventually rise. Any left out of this great awakening are only left out temporarily, and will in time respond to the preaching of "this gospel of the Kingdom" by the awakened and empowered ones. The "old man" left behind as we "put on" the "new" is simply old concepts of self, and these vanish harmlessly and incrementally. My "drinkin' man" was left behind as I spiritually grew, but nothing died, nothing was buried, no entity was left behind - - it was only a concept, and what came forward was better. When 2+2=5 is corrected by 2+2=4, nothing is lost, and new avenues open up.
THE PROPHESIED FIG TREE AND GENERATION
For more on this subject, see the free full paper under Booklets on the home page, but below is a short summary.
The disciples wanted to know the time of the end, and Jesus replied with a parable describing a fig tree putting forth leaves - - and that "this generation" (presumed to be the one to which he was speaking, but possibly the generation that witnessed the new leaves) would not pass away until the end occurred. Ever since then, followers have tried to fathom his statements. But if we see that the leaves are the ability to overcome evil, as in Jesus' healings and remarkable works, which he said believers would also do, "the generation" is those in any age that are doing these works. The works when done by great numbers of Christians, bring on the "end" - - the end of evil, not of good, or of the progressive introduction of the divine Kingdom to our consciousness on earth.
FORGIVENESS AND PARDON ARE FINE, BUT WE STILL NEED COMPLETE CLEANSING AND NEW BEING
We're forgiven and pardoned, but Jesus also provided the deep cleansing that we need - - healing sin and showing us that no matter how awful our sins, we can bring ourselves and all our sins (even those below the floorboards, so to speak) before the benevolent God and begin our cleansing process. God always gives us a path in which to work out our sins over time here and hereafter, and in which to put on the new man and harmlessly put off our old concepts of who we were.
IS GOD SAVAGE OR HARMLESS?
Writers of the Bible certainly portrayed on many occasions a savage God (suc
h as in Leviticus 26:14-39). But they also portrayed the harmless, loving God of the 23rd Psalm, for example, and of course Jesus' ministry. Primitive people saw the powers of the "heavens" as death-dealing forces, spirits, even deities of dangerous storms, volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, severe winters and so on. Death was supreme, and came from nature and some animals. This was the only framework humans understood, and as their concept developed from wild forces to reasoning deities, they assumed a guilt-and-punishment rationale for their being oppressed and killed. Since everyone was guilty in some degree, everyone should die. However, the religions, which were also developing, invented the "scapegoat" concept wherein someone else did the dying, and the sinners didn’t pay.
Jesus presented the harmless yet all-powerful God
Jesus reversed the entire system from the nature of his real all-good unchanging God down through perfect benefits even to sinners. As for death, he raised the dead, told followers to raise the dead, then overcame death himself, to break our "prison" (Isa. 42:7; 61:1; Lk. 4:18) of death. Death is in the carnal mind (Rom. 8:6, 7a), "enmity against" or the opposite of, God, and no part of God's law.
PROGRESSIVE BIBLE?
Leviticus 26:14-39 gives us a God so tough that we 
don't need a devil. In contrast, Jesus revealed a kind God. The Bible takes us through to the end of all evil. Along the way, it moves us from the terrible God-concepts to the real God as Love, unchanging, and our unchanging ambience. It moves us from material concepts of God to God as Spirit (Jn. 4:24). It moves us from God-concepts killing us to the real God healing us.
SHOULD RELIGION BE PROGRESSIVE, NOT BOXED-UP TIGHT AND FINAL?
Religion - - God bless it and its many dedicated people for whom I have the greatest respect - - often sticks with positions which the Bible itself has left behind in its progressive march equipping us to help finish-off all evil as in Revelation 21:4, 7. Every other discipline on earth constantly looks for, and crosses, new frontiers. Where would we be without progress?
The Wright brothers
Should we have stuck with the first Wright Brothers airplane, said this is IT, locked down the lid, attacked all who would change things as heretics, invoked a terrible God-concept who would kill us if not here, then hereafter, or torture us forever? Well, of course not. But there's a pattern in that illustration, and religion could well do without that pattern. Today, change is said to be the only constant. Religion naturally fears dilution, and even more, loss of control. But today, the Spirit is "on all flesh," direct to and with individuals, and this - - and what it's teaching, and the results that are occurring - - are harmlessly changing religion.
Change won't destroy churches
Direct worship by individuals anywhere, anytime, and by groups, won't destroy churches. People love church, but massive changes are in progress. Jesus said believers would do his works, and that the Spirit (Holy Ghost, Comforter) would teach all that he had taught. Today, tens of millions of ordinary people from the pews, and independents, are doing things that far exceed the limits of what was expected from entire denominations and clergies of only 50 years ago. We are emerging into the upcoming Age of Overcoming.
ARE THERE HELPERS ABOVE US? YES, PLENTY OF THEM
The Bible depicts angels, also angels appearing as men, routinely helping us. We're also constantly helped by the Holy Spirit "on all flesh." (It's not always the Spirit who speaks to us, but one of our helpers.) We read too in the Bible of - - and we hear - - a little voice behind us. Our hopes, confidence, results and peace are raised by accepting their presence. (Of course, let's remember that the Bible advises care in being sure our guidance is from above not beneath.)
ARE THERE ZONES, LEVELS, AND THREE OR SEVEN HEAVENS ABOVE US?
Zones and levels, yes, as we go up, but heavens-several, I dunno. I believe those references are simply to progressive zones of consciousness as we go up. We can rise in prayer at times literally into a higher zone. We don't stay there, but we're generally improved. In the Bible, there are ascensions, as spiritualized people got completely "outta here" - - leaving no physical remains, indicating translation not mere removal of the physical body. There are thousands of testimonies today by people - - including many in several books - - telling of "near-death experiences," with different (subjective) descriptions of what's just above us. They had restored bodies, but bodies that were closer to being a consciousness than a physical thing. God's perfect, infinite heaven is spiritual, and our thought has to grow much more in order to comprehend even part of it. Some believed their experiences were in "heaven," but were really, in my opinion, just in zones of higher consciousness.
Advancing states of consciousness
These zones aren't architecture or set structures, but made up of the Spiritward collective consciousnesses of those there - - consciousnesses mixing in different degrees with the divine. Most leaving this earth will enter right away into "a better place" on their way further upward. Then do all go into an advanced state? Not necessarily. Minds (consciousnesses) that won't fit into the advanced state, may even drop into a lower collective consciousness state until they purify enough to advance. I'm sure there's a hell in that sense - - a hell of their own making, not made by a sadistic God.
Everyone gets all the way out in time
And everyone gets out in time. Does God ever torture? No. Is there a tough God with a little black book? No, but one's sins certainly are exposed in the divine Light. God's program to deal with our messes and limitations is entirely in the other direction from punishment. It's called healing and progressive change. I think we'll find 70 times 7 continuous new opportunities to straighten ourselves up, and to cleanse ourselves, and to qualify to incrementally move upwards, and to help others.
(Note: Many Bible references to heaven or the heavens are just to the astronomical skies - - but even these can have spiritual overtones to the viewer.)
SHOULD WE TODAY BE MAKING HUMANITY BETTER THAN ADAM WHO WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN GOD'S IMAGE?
Today, the secular world is busy making a better human than Adam, said by many to have been God's image. Is this somehow sacrilegious? First we might question whether faulty material man was ever God's image. Does God eat, eliminate, have sex, reproduce, have diseases, accidents, age, decay like the Adamic human? Nah. Spirit's creation is spiritual. Jesus (coming from his spiritual state but even in his fleshly appearance presenting a flesh higher than the Adamic as he delivered his message) told us that everyone born of the Spirit is like the "wind" (Jn. 4:24; 3:6-8 - - esp. v. 8). So as for making a better human the right way, realization of spiritual reality even in small degrees beneficially and tolerantly improves humans on their way out of the flesh entirely.
Paul spoke of the way out
In Adam all die (at least once on the way out, except those who ascend, skipping that step), while in Christ all are made alive. Paul spoke of the way out (a way out both while here - - and hereafter too, no doubt, if we are to achieve the goals of which he spoke) by stages of realization of the higher being (for example, II Corinthians 3:18 - - changed from inspiration to inspiration until in the Lord's image).
IS GOD'S CREATION SPIRITUAL OR MATERIAL?
The Scriptures tell us of the ever-present spiritual Kingdom, and of things existing through the "vail" or "veil." Visitors come from there. The Bible, though, has to use material terms to describe the spiritual, and work also with the subjective concepts in the minds of the viewers and writers. Jesus often but in no way exclusively used parables. The changing of the flesh comes from spiritual awareness because matter is the outward appearance of the carnal mind, and that mind is changed by the "mind that was in Christ."
Spiritual encounters change us and our situations in the Bible pattern
Spiritual encounters throughout Scripture produce healings, supplyings and protectings in the Bible pattern. Elisha's realization of the Kingdom broke the siege of Dothan. The spiritual Creation does the trick, but since the "natural man" has trouble seeing the spiritual (I Cor. 2:14), we hang onto our mortal and material dangerous mess as God's Original Creation. In fact, though, don't the Scriptures show us how to progressively, harmlessly and transformationally get out of this lower devilish creation of the carnal (material) mind that is not "the mind that was in Christ Jesus"? Consider too in all this that many material-sounding descriptions are attempts to tell us of spiritual Creation.
IS HUMANITY IN SPIRIT'S IMAGE, OR IS LITTLE-SEEN SPIRITUAL MAN OUR REAL AND BETTER BEING, IN GOD'S (SPIRIT'S) IMAGE?
The limited mortal human who is subject to death, has to eat, drink and eliminate - - and at best is only "half," needing the opposite sex, who is also only half, to complete it. This can't be God's image. God doesn't age, isn't subject to diseases and natural disasters, doesn't reproduce to keep up with the cycle of life and death. God doesn't live in nature's killing-and-devouring framework (when Scripture shows us the lion and the lamb - - Isa. 11:6-9). Jesus said God is Spirit (Jn. 4:24), and that man who is of the Spirit is spirit (Jn. 3:6) - - is like the "wind" (Jn. 3:8). That would be a great help in getting out of mortality's toils! And yet, we stick with a limited - - anthropomorphic - - God and man.
Michelangelo
I love Michelangelo's honest effort on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, but as art. It depicts, of course, a big anthropomorphic (human form) man-God pointing with His finger and creating a similar Adam with genitals showing. Well, we don't throw away our baby shoes, our steps of history, our museums, but we move thought forward - - move it in accordance with the highest, often unseen, inspired Bible perceptions, and the great potentials for humankind that these deliver.
HOW DID THE MORTAL REALM GET HERE? DISCUSSION OF KARL ROEBLING'S"KNOCKOFF THEORY," ALSO EVOLUTION, CREATIONISM AND INTELLIGENT DESIGN
Please go to the Home Page and click on the Booklet title to open the paper on this interesting subject. Download free.
"I CREATE EVIL," GOD SAYS - - BUT DOESN'T THIS MEAN THE DIVINE PRESENCE STIRS EVIL TO VIOLENT REACTION?
Creating evil would be out of character for the God of Jesus, and out of line for the eventual elimination of all evil. The evil "created" by the divine is only the backlash from evil when it is confronted by the Presence which eliminates it. And then, as usual, evil blames its evildoing on God.
Backlash from evil in the end-times (of evil)
Backlash from evil intensifies in the end-times of evil. Regarding the seven last plagues in Revelation, it appears that the angels bring vials of plagues (this even appears to John to be the fact), but the angels bring the purity and power which eliminates evil - - and the plagues are the angry reaction from evil, blaming God. Anything else would be out of character for God, and would not fit the pattern of the Bible to end all evil (which is the message of John, and the Bible's overall message).
IS JESUS NICE IN HIS FIRST APPEARANCE, TERRIBLE IN HIS SECOND?
Nah. That would mean Jesus Christ was not the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Alpha and Omega aren't different. Keep an eye on the overall, reliable, pattern of Jesus - - the pure fountain giving forth sweet water not bitter - - and stay out of God-will-kill-you. God will instead preserve you from death, even raise you from the dead.
DOES THE SWORD IN JESUS' MOUTH IN REVELATION SLAUGHTER HUMAN FLESH?
No. The account makes it seem that way, but destruction of flesh would be out of character for Jesus whose ministry showed only help for the flesh, even healed sinners. The sword depicted in Jesus' mouth is the Word, but the Word lifts us out of flesh, heals, protects. The sword (see Hebrews 4:12) spiritually divides good from evil, the necessary step precedent to ending evil. The carnal (material) bondage drops away, and the human identity transforms upward in light of divine identity. To end evil was often biblically connected with ending evil people, but these were the only terms which people of the time could understand.
Jesus doesn't slaughter flesh
The slaughter of the flesh by Jesus in Revelation is a figure of speech using old terminologies and subjective seeing. The harmless sword of the Spirit or the Word, separates non-identity (such as similar-appearing tares) from the wheat. Jesus with that "sword" in Revelation is separating - - with the tribulum (or threshing instrument). He is threshing, not thrashing. He is performing acts of that sense of "tribulation" (from "tribulum").
In the manner of the wheat and tares, the grain and chaff, and other similes in the Bible, the evil is proven to have no identity, and is ended. There's no harm in ending two-plus-two-equals-five. And no people are harmed by Jesus (although evil's uproar and resistance may be very destructive, as depicted, and it, as usual, tries to blame this on God).
To navigate successfully through Revelation to the end of all evil, it's necessary to join Jesus, and study his biblical ministry and how he presented himself. His qualities of healing, transforming, and improving never change.
THE CARNAL MIND OR DEVIL OR EVIL IS ENTWINED WITH GOOD IN MANY PASSAGES IN THE BIBLE
In Scripture, messages of evil posing as God - - the "liar" (Jn. 8:44) which "deceiveth the whole world" (Rev. 12:9) - - appear, often cleverly entwined with and at other times squarely rebutting the good. In Christianity's upcoming Age of Overcoming, the divine Kingdom - - with preexistent spiritual identity for everyone - - sorts it all out and takes command, leading to the end of all evil as in Revelation 21:4, 7. The violent upheavals are from evil, wanting to hold onto its captive creation, and wanting us to blame God.
Separating is necessary before Victory
Discerning the divine message from the death message (often mixed in with it in Scripture - - and, for that matter, in our lives and religions and sense of God), can be difficult. However, it has to be done, so that the divine can be applied frontally to the evil, towards ending it. Much religion incorporates and argues for death, making confrontation of it, and elimination of it, difficult for the time being.
THE CONTINUING EXODUS AND RESURRECTION
The Exodus as we move from material creation (Egypt) to the spiritual Promised Land or Kingdom is continuing, and is far from over. Canaan as a physical land is ordained and remains, but is still in the temporal world. Jesus emphasized the spiritual, saying the Kingdom was at hand, but that we didn't see it. The Kingdom is the same as the spiritual Promised Land. Seekers are still hunting the spiritual Land and still working their way out of the death-centered flesh.
America's role
The US is specially ordained as a way station for the continuing Exodus, and also as the vestibule for the Kingdom coming to earth's consciousness - - however, it has slipped far down from its ordainments. Along with much of Western Civilization, much of the US is instead going deeper into the "world" and the flesh, not out of it. Still, a significant number of climbers are busy moving upward.
While the continuing Exodus moves us out of the flesh, the continuing Resurrection - - which is connected to it, and is part of what's going on - - moves us steadily out of death. Jesus' Resurrection extends forward into his followers, and is the element in their raising of the dead, and their raising themselves from death, and is the overcoming of death that relates to the end of all death in Revelation, and to the time when the dead shall rise. The Exodus and the Resurrection both are continuing, and continue until the end of evil as in Revelation 21:4, 7.
EARTH'S PYRAMIDAL SYSTEM WILL BE REPLACED BY THE CITY FOURSQUARE
The pyramidal organizational system is the carnal mind's torture chamber - - inequality itself, murderously competitive, holding out the promise that we'll find our identity, success, even satisfaction, at the next ever-smaller "musical chairs" floor. It is a rule-from-the-top, food-chain, system exalting a few, dumping on the rest. It's a scapegoat temple, oppressing and killing the necessary bottom which scapegoats the sins out into the Great Beyond via innocent victims. It's a prison, a false manipulator of emotions, and massive disappointer. Most relate to the top only vicariously - - but vicarious living and thinking (and structuring ourselves in that manner) vacates our own identity as we live through others who possess pyramidal place, stardom, money, glamour, power, and activity in life, business, entertainment, sports, and so on.
Where we find our real life and identity
Instead, we find our real identity only in God (Col. 3:3 - - our lives "hid" in God), and have to break the grip of the pyramidal magnetisms and dicta in order to do so. The pyramid insists upon ruling the earth, and to do so, it amalgamates and amalgamates (as we see in progress today) - - and ultimates in "666" the super-sized world pyramid ruled by one man. It is replaced on earth by the city foursquare (Rev. 21:16; see also 21:1-4; 10-27) - - emblematic of the always-existent Kingdom and spiritual Promised Land. This reveals for us an equality higher than anything we ever conceived, and fulfills our noblest ambitions many times over - - and on a scale we haven't even imagined, with unlimited holy freedoms.
(See Booklet on Pyramid on Home Page.)
CHOSEN PEOPLE - - "POWER JUDEO-CHRISTIANITY" TODAY
Do we first choose the divine, and this opens the pipeline and it seems we are chosen? Or does God initiate things by choosing? I think the ancient Hebrews had a skylight open to their preexistent creation as Spirit's image and likeness - - a skylight through which God could call them. In any event, the status on earth requires constant maintenance, and the Hebrews dropped away from their Spiritual Vision into a material sense of things.
Jesus revived the spiritual awareness and covenants - - and these things extended to cover the Gentiles, in that case, the Christians (See Gal. 3:7, 29). (See also the Abraham website in LH column.) But the specialness again slid down instead of continuing to gain spiritual heights. However, in the modern age, those touching the divine and touched by it, are coming on stronger than ever, with "signs following." After much more development, those in a relationship with Deity will be effective in the broad job of ending all evil on earth.
As for the question of which chooses first, along the way Jesus early after his Ascension chose Saul of Tarsus - - who certainly wasn't choosing him! But seldom does God break through our resistance, despite trying (see Mat. 23:37, "O Jerusalem…"). "The ball's in our court."
The continuum
Now where are we going with this topic? The "chosen" or covenanted people are not just a few in the deep past, but the special "chosen" relationship extends to any in all time who connect and climb. Particularly, I think this is shown today - - and will be seen more - - in "power-Christianity" or "power Judeo-Christianity" (the Judeo an important factor when we consider that some of the ancients in the OT exhibited extraordinary powers not being exhibited in the present, and that Christians use the Bible written by Jews OT and NT). This power today provides many healings, protections, supplyings and changes of character - - and all this is growing immensely worldwide. I believe there is an upcoming "Age of Overcoming" where doing the works which Jesus said we would do (see below) will be commonplace, leading to the end of all evil (Rev. 21:4, 7).
THE UPCOMING JUDEO-CHRISTIAN AGE OF OVERCOMING
Christians (and Jews who are interested in the ancient Hebraic power-tradition) will either get busy in spiritual overcoming (including protection needed by Christians and Jews), or be swept beneath the waves of materialism, diseases, maybe radiation in the air, bad and twisted governmental ideas and actions coming against them, and so on. Their destiny is to cover the earth with a knowledge of God as the sands of the sea, and as the waters cover the seas - - a knowledge of God that overcomes evil.
OT and NT spiritual power continuum
Jesus' overcoming power seen in the NT often cited the OT. The power is a continuum seen throughout Scripture, but Jesus advanced the expression of it on earth, broke our "prison" of death. Overcoming-power - - to the degree it could be understood - - was central to the Early Christians, but the successor churchdom eliminated divine healing, although some appeared in the "night" for "works" that Jesus had predicted (Jn. 9:4).The key thing is that this power is among us again, and on a broad scale - - with much more to come. It leads to the elimination of all evil as in Revelation 21:4, 7. We are told by Jesus to be participants in this overcoming activity (see for example, Jn. 14:12, Mat. 10:7-8; Mk. 16:17-18; Acts 1:8; Rev. 2:7; 11, 17, 26: 3:5, 12, 21; and again, Rev. 21:4, 7, KJV).
HOW DIVINE HEALING WORKS - - THE BIBLE PATTERN
There's a Higher Reality - - the Kingdom (or the spiritual Promised Land, or the City Foursquare, shown symbolically) - - that has always been existent, present and complete in all ways, though our eyes hide it (it's "hid" in that sense - - Matthew 13:44) because the natural man doesn't easily see the things of the Spirit (I Cor. 2:14). It includes our spiritual identity as the image and likeness of Spirit. What then is the mortal realm?
The mortal realm is a knockoff - - not the Original
The mortal realm is a knockoff (see under "Booklets" on the home page) - - a pseudo-reality with oppressed and helpless material humanity. Beneficial changes occur where humanity encounters the omnipresent, tolerant, benevolent Higher realm or its personages in any form.
THE "FALL" IS ONLY FROM SPIRITUAL THINKING TO MATERIAL - - SO CLIMB BACK UP
Grab the spiritual Kingdom as in Matthew 10:7-8 and in the Lord's Prayer, and climb up from the lower.
THE ALLIGATORS ARE PART OF THE SWAMP, NOT OF GOD
God posts road signs kindly warning us to stay out of the swamp 
or "you will surely die." But in we go. Then we say God kills us. However, God doesn't kill us, the alligators do. God helps us get out of the swamp and any and every bad situation, even if it's all our fault, and no one shoved us, which is usually the case. God even helps us in hell (Ps. 139: 7-10; Rom. 8:38-39).
CAST YOUR NET?
Jesus told the disciples who had fished all night and caught nothing, to cast their net on the other side of the ship. This they did, and it instantly was filled with fish. Doesn't this mean to cast our net into the spiritual reality - - the Kingdom? Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom," where all things are.
TURN OTHER CHEEK
Continuing from "Cast Your Net" above, doesn't "turn the other cheek" mean the same thing - - in this case, turn to the spiritual reality, one's own spiritual identity in the image of Spirit ("God is a Spirit" - - Jn. 4:24), and even the spiritual identity of one's attacker? And not to just stand there and get hit? When we turn to the Spirit and our higher spiritual identity, a solution will appear.
This pattern applies also to him that takes your coat, to give him your "cloke" also. Give the situation the Spiritual reality, for which the cloak in this instance is a metaphor.
JESUS' MESSAGE RELATES TO DIVINE HEALING
We learn that Jesus uttered things secret (Mat. 13:35) from prior to the world - - apparently the Word with healing power. Jesus taught this full message but people couldn't grasp it - - yet if they grasped it, they would be healed, he said (Mat. 13:15). He expounded all things to his disciples (Mk. 4:34), and indicated that they got the message (Mat. 13:16-17). Nonetheless, before he left, he said he had "yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now" (Jn. 16:12). He promised, though, that the full message he had taught would be reiterated by the Holy Ghost (Comforter, Spirit of truth) (Jn. 14:26). Along the way, and later in Revelation, he told followers to do his works (Jn. 14:12, Mat. 10:7-8; Mk. 16:17-18; Acts 1:8; Rev. 2:7; 11, 17, 26: 3:5, 12, 21; 21:4, 7, KJV). But how?
Jesus' full message
Joel said the Spirit would come on "all flesh" in the end-time, and this reference appears also in Acts 2:16-17, specifying the "last days" (of which the biblical happenings were a forerunner). And this full message - - although we learn and use only a little of it at a time - - equips us to heal spiritually.
Today, for well over 100 years, the spiritual message has been received in varying degrees, and ministered in varying degrees - - and these activities have continued to grow immensely and worldwide as acceptance, knowledge and experience by followers grows. But Christians in general still know and use very little of what the Holy Spirit is teaching. More knowledge and the Christian or Judeo-Christian Age of Overcoming are just ahead.
JESUS' TWO CENTRAL HEALING ORDAINMENTS
Of Jesus' many instructions to us to heal (Jn. 14:12, Mat. 10:7-8; Mk. 16:17-18; Acts 1:8; Rev. 2:7; 11, 17, 26: 3:5, 12, 21; 21:4, 7, KJV), the two central ones are Acts 1:8 ("Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you") and Matthew 10:7-8 ("Go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils"). The Acts ordainments became the main basis for nearly 300 years of Early Christian manifestations of divine power. The Matthew or Kingdom ordainments use the ever-availability of the higher Kingdom or spiritual creation, realization of which secondarily, harmlessly and beneficially modifies material creation and human situations, in the pattern of the Lord's Prayer, and Jesus' overall ministry.
GOD'S WRATH? OR THE DEVIL'S?
When the devil is cast from "heaven," it falls into earth and is wrathful because it knows its time is short (Rev. 12:7-12). As long as we thought evil came from God - - or that God allowed it, or that evil is too powerful for God to eliminate - - evil was able to pretend to us (that is, to lie to us) that it had a base. Without its base, parasitical evil is done for - - but not before it presents incredible depths of ugliness and puts up colossal end-time battles mistakenly believed by us to be God's wrath. The divine doesn't kill anyone, but does just the opposite.
THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE - - REVELATION'S SEALS ARE OPENING IN THE PRESENT TIME
Seven seals bind the book shown in Revelation. Since violence attends the opening 
of the seals, theologians have assumed the book contains God's wrath, loosed in the end-times and epitomized by the terrible "four horsemen of the Apocalypse." Instead, the violence is evil's reaction to the revelations of Jesus' full message (promised to come by the Spirit) which puts his overcoming knowledge and power into the hands of average followers (Jn. 14:12). This empowerment leads to the final overcoming of all evil (by Revelation 21:4, 7). For that reason, evil has "bound" the book - - sealed it up.
Seals opening in past 100 years
But the seals have been opening for nearly 100 years. The opening of the first four seals brings out the terrible four "horsemen" of evil (not evil horsemen of God!). In Tom Linder's expression, these "ride to the end." For an example of riding to the end, the second seal opened at World War II but the horse and rider ride to the end - - that is, the concept of global war with the high ethos of good vs. evil rides to the end of evil. Along the way, though, it becomes a different type of warfare entirely - - spiritual warfare (II Cor. 10:4). But we'll have to learn how that bloodless, harmless yet all-powerful spiritual warfare dissolves the last evil. (In addition, in the end-times of evil, there will be plenty of lesser wars, with motives mixed, and collateral damage.)
As for more seals….
As for more seals, the third seal's horse and rider (also shown in Revelation's chapter 6) is clearly described in the Bible as famine (said by me and others to also include famine for the Word) - - and it also rides to the end. The fourth seal - - again a horse and rider - - is pestilence. The fifth seal, at present also now open, isn't depicted by a horse and rider, but it also continues to the end. It depicts souls slain for the "word of God" crying out to God. Persecution of Christians is said by the US and UN to have been at unprecedented peaks over recent decades, but the Bible reference probably also includes Jews. The sixth seal of terrible trauma for earth hasn't opened yet. And friends, Armageddon isn't until the seventh. So fasten your seat belts.
The first seal - - false peace
But now you might ask about the first seal. Some say peace - - but that's hardly a negative. Some say pestilence - - but the fourth more neatly fits that. The second - - unmistakably described in the Bible as war - - is also described as able to "take peace from the earth"; therefore, the first has to be peace, right? Well, not exactly. In my analysis, it is "false peace." And what is false peace? False peace is when good and evil are put together in a "peace deal" that isn't real peace. For example, Marshal Foch said of the Treaty of Versailles that ended WWI, "This isn't Peace. It is an Armistice for twenty years" - - which proved correct!
Now, how can false peace "conquer" (Rev. 6:2)? It conquers by giving evil a place, protection, rights and extended life within the peace pact, instead of eliminating evil with the real divine peace. (I haven't seen my description of the first seal as "false peace" and its ability to "conquer," anywhere else.)
Today, can Israel and extremists be patched together in a "peace" deal? No, but they can be assembled into a "false peace" deal (which prophecies indicate will fall apart).
See my book, The Seven Seals of Revelation - - Do They Spell Destruction? – Or Unseal The Book Showing Us How To Overcome All Evil?, under Spiritual-themed Books on the Home Page. Click down to large picture of cover, and explanatory text.
PROPHETIC TIMING AND THE SPIRITUAL TELESCOPE
Today, it seems everybody is interpreting Bible 
prophecies, and trying to pin down the time that these will occur. We forget that the disciples thought Jesus would return with his kingdom early after his ascension. And that there was great fervor around the year 1000, believing it was the time for prophetic fulfillments. We experienced the same thing around the year 2000!
The time is now - - generally speaking
Nevertheless, I - - as many others - - believe we are TODAY in the prophesied general era for fulfillment. So why has timing been so wildly off? First, there's the "telescope effect." When inspired, the events can seem right on top of us, because we're looking through a sort of spiritual telescope - - but "objects may be farther away than they appear"! Second, there is the "ravine effect." Our glimpse doesn't reveal the ravines, raging rivers, beasts and nasty tribes below our line of sight. In any event, we're now locked into the end-time (of evil) events. That's about all we can say for sure.
THE WORLD IS WELL INTO THE FENCED CATTLE RUN OF THE "END-TIME" (OF EVIL) EVENTS
Cows in fenced-in runs may be on their way to feeding, breeding or even slaughter, but in any event, they can't get out of the run, or reverse direction. They're no longer free on the range but are locked into a destiny. The world is in the end-time's fenced-in people-run today - - one of indeterminate length but definite end. As for the US, it's part of this - - but the US has an ordained job to do relating to world spiritual victory. Its special job is to maintain a vestibule letting the divine Kingdom come to it and to world thought. This important job assigned to America is inescapable, and its destiny unavoidable. It never really had a choice.
So is the US doing what it's supposed to do?
Nooo - - the US has slipped 'way down. 
It loafs, wastes time, ignores its destiny and - - worst of all - - expands its sinfulness. Should it expect the two-by-four and the mule? Yes, I think the US will have such a wake-up experience, "get right with God" at a higher level than even most of our worshipful folks believe at present, and.... And well, we'll see, won't we. But in any event, the US, and the West, and the world are in the fenced-in end-time "run."
CHRISTIAN DEFENSE AGAINST DISEASE? PSALM 91 IS THE OPPOSITE OF TV COMMERCIALS
Psalm 91 tells us we can defend ourselves from all problems by using divine laws, promises, assurances - - and Christian TV today often preaches this. Directly opposite are secular TV commercials depicting us as having no defense against disease after disease - - dramatized with intense suggestion, with the trick of getting the viewer to identify with the grandmother or ballplayer or whoever before ARGHH! the disease hits and we supposedly need the pill or potion as our only hope (and a steady diet of these because they provide only maintenance, not a cure). (And worse, side effects are often dangerous.) Once, allergies were oddities. Today, 80 percent of Americans have allergies, one poll showed - - we can't breathe outdoors or indoors, or smell flowers, without somebody's pill. Diseases are given identities and hyper-dramatized as little toe-varmints with scratchy voices (folks - - these don't exist) diabolically at work on your feet, night and day. News and analysis won't blow the whistle on all this because the TV ad revenue is so great. But evening news ratings continue to decline as diseases are relentlessly sicced onto viewers.
Secular articles and medical journals are commenting
Even secular articles today claim the vendors are creating symptoms from scratch or from mere iotas of evidence so small that nothing of importance was there before the "belief" campaign. Medical journals are weighing in on the overdoing of all this. National newscasts once put the medical into segments after the 6:45 break, but now even lead off with detailed disease descriptions. Most of the feature stories - - human interest stories - - are now disease-centered. Even "Jeopardy" recently had a question about what pill Sally Field was representing on TV. Topping it all off, iconic newscasters on distinguished newscasts tell us "there is no known cure for" this and that disease which they're detailing for us. Does all this say Jesus was wasting his time?
GOD'S HELP TO US DEPENDS ON OUR COOPERATION AND OUR CONSTANT PROGRESS
God fills all space, but we have to become aware of the divine in our particular thought-system if we want it to help us in our consciousness. Still, the divine is already in there (Lk. 17:21b), and as we progressively realize that, our consciousness progressively resolves in favor of the divine, and we experience beneficially modified human conditions. "There is no spot where God is not" has healed many cases.
Success at one rung of the ladder requires progress to the next
A friend once said the stream of healings once experienced had dried up - - but that friend wasn't seeking new inspirations, or being willing to change. It can be hard on the pride of mortals to keep going up the spiritual ladder. But in any event, God never withholds. The divine is always there, the benefits always possible, but we have to progressively change systems.
To use a computer term, we have to often press the "refresh button."
We hear the question asked, "How can God permit" terrible things to happen? The better question is how can we unblock ourselves so that the divine can function in our consciousness and experience.
DO EARTHQUAKES, TSUNAMIS, HURRICANES MEAN JESUS IS COMING???
Indeed, Jesus said terrible things would precede his coming, but he didn't say they were a part of his coming. He said when these things come on earth, to "look up" for our redemption. I think that simply means that as earth rattles and rolls from material problems, to look up for the spiritual Kingdom, and for Jesus' spiritual identity which he said was always with us, and which includes our spiritual identity "hid" with Christ (Col. 3:3). This is our way out. The flesh ultimates in death one way or another, sooner or later.
Theology can be very dark, even arguing the side of death. It needs to "lighten up" both in the sense of easing up, and the sense of light.
Destruction is not from God
Destruction to earth - - end-time or otherwise - - is not sent by God, but is inherent in the mortal pit. However, when we look upward, our encounters with the Higher result beneficially in earthly protection, healing, supplying, good changes in our natures, and other improvements and helps - - in the same Bible pattern seen throughout Scripture.
DEATH, SIN AND OTHER MORTAL PROBLEMS ARE NOT CONCLUSIVE
Those who die continue in another state of consciousness. Death is not final or supreme - - the divine is final and supreme. As for sinners, they get healed not killed by Jesus' God here and hereafter. Of course, some sinners won't repent (which is the key step in going forward, and upward, and one major key to healings and transformations small and large). Those hard-nosed types find themselves in a place or places where their mind can realize they ain't goin' nowhere spiritually until they change and thus can fit into the next small or large stage of their progress. God never blocks or punishes. People block themselves, and stay in evil's hell-holes, and refuse the "way" out. But in time, all get out - - here and in hereafters.
WHAT?! ONLY 33,800 CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS???
This figure comes from World Christian Encyclopedia in 2000, with even more "splintering," to use their term, still the trend, and ten new denominations added each week. The figure is repeated in "Religion Watch" and "Current Thoughts and Trends" (Oct. 2000).
Of course, the figure counts activity in all the world.
How could there be so many?
A lot of these are just one church or small groups of churches with their own stated doctrine, not necessarily much different from major denominational orthodoxies, but with a structure enabling them to be independent and called a "denomination."
Another source speaks of some 350 "major" Christian denominations - - and even this is many more than people imagine are out there, but again, we are talking worldwide.
Does this bespeak catastrophic diversity? No, only that Christianity is more diverse than we believe.
COMMERCIAL RELIGION, CHURCH LAWS AND GOVERNMENT - - AND JESUS' RELIGION
We had the commercial religious and governmental concept in the prominent colonies such as Virginia. It was pyramidal in a sense, favoring the land and business owners at the top as righteous and as controllers, with only the "propertied" allowed to vote - - and the system not just creating and pushing down a bottom, but even allowing slavery at the bottom. Laws were "church laws."
Jesus ministered to the bottom - - the economically and physically worst-off. Hmm. Looks like two different things.
The 1960s
A wave of opposition in the 1960s to "church-based laws" wiped most of those off the books (the wisdom of which is still vigorously debated). But today, religious concepts are clamoring for laws and even constitutional amendments based in parts or all of a package of religious beliefs. This reappearance is linked closely with the school that owners should control everything - - a sort of "divine right of kings lite," and "cosmic right of owners."
Theocracy "lite"?
In the above, we see more than hints of a craving for "theocracy lite" - - as seen once before in American history. Critics are fearful of any of this.
And included in today's trends is the current cutting off of, or deeply marginalizing of, the bottom, forgetting that this was Jesus' primary ministerial zone.
Many sides and opinions
Well, there are many sides and opinions regarding all this, but a key question is: Does anyone talk about or even preach - - or live - - Jesus' religion as he practiced it, which didn't care for wealth or the theocracy of his time?
THE MAYFLOWER AND JAMESTOWN
The Mayflower seekers - - coming for religious freedom - - brought the torch of the Continuing Exodus to the New World. That's the special significance of that event touching the North American shores, and the reason that it has such a high place in history. In addition - - in the character of the torch of Exodus leaving mammon and its slavery - - the Plymouth Rock landing was non-commercial, and the group had no investors backing it, and expecting a return on their investment. The people were not coming for gold, etc., but for religious freedom and a new land or hopes for progress towards the spiritual Land.
Jamestown, earlier, and the Spanish, even earlier, were commercial
(and woven-in with the "commercial" or "governmental" religion)
Jamestown - - begun a few years before Plymouth Rock and raising its voice in recent years to get more attention and credit for its precedent position on these shores - - is certainly worthy, but was commercially oriented, and backed by those expecting a financial return on their investment. The Spanish who landed even earlier than Jamestown - - and established Florida's St. Augustine - - were generally treasure hunters, usually backed even by the monarchy woven with its governmental religion, expecting new lands for the nation, and great financial rewards mainly from gold.
AMERICAN MATERIAL "DREAM" OR AMERICAN SPIRITUAL VISION?
America is ordained to be the vestibule for the spiritual Kingdom of God coming on earth - - but in many ways, we're off the track today. In addition to our spiritual Vision, we also once had a clean material Dream - - but that once-clean material Dream is now dirty by comparison to its ideal in the past.
Without spiritual Vision, nations as well as people perish
"Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Pr. 29:18a). The vision of the spiritual Kingdom protects and provides because everything is there (Mat. 6:33), and the "Bible pattern" shows that encounters with the divine improve earthly conditions.
The downward course of the biblical Hebrews and their eventual disasters came after loss of their spiritual vision, and replacement of it with perception of nearly everything - - including deific things - - as material.
AMERICA'S DOWNWARD STEPS
America is the vestibule for the progressive coming of the ever-present spiritual Kingdom of God to earthly consciousness. We have a job to do, but the nation has taken steps in the opposite direction. US roots are in Bible times. Something different from our supposed Greek and Roman primary origins is here. A wake-up call like that of the mule and the two-by-four - - or that of the Prodigal who wasted all his God-given assets and wished to return, or that of Jonah who was given a job but ducked away from it - - will reorient us on our place and activity in the great end-time struggle of good vs. evil.
Steps downward
We started downward when we lost sight of the high and transforming Spiritual Vision, and the good results obtainable from it. We changed America's goal from the Vision to material gains and the "dream." Too, we have been installing the pyramidal rule-from-the-top corporate type of government upon democracy's head (when it's the opposite of democracy), and locking in classes instead of keeping equality open. We're asleep from mind-blotting entertainment and working two jobs to support a household, and no time to think. Our democracy-based republic is laudable but since the general population neither knows what's going on up top nor controls it, as a democracy we are currently operating "short" of the necessary heights from which to govern ourselves. We negate the bottom and any advocacy for it.
Beacon for the world
The American government is structured in an ordained way (whether it knows it or not) to let the Holy Spirit work its will here alongside the secular, without interfering with the Constitution or setting up any state religion. The nation's ordained spiritual future as a beacon for the world, will resurface at some time from its downhill journeys, and once again lead higher.
US FOUNDERS SAID, "GOD, YES" - - BUT NO STATE CHURCH, OR THEOCRACY (GOVERNMENT BY OR WITH A RELIGION OR ITS CONCEPTS OR ITS SPOKESPEOPLE)
God is apparent in our founding documents, and most individual founders were deeply prayerful (in their individual ways). They wanted religion here, but "freedom of" religion. Thus the state sanctions God, worship, and a multiplicity of religions among the people. So why do we hear that the state itself should have none of these factors? The prohibition is - - as many readers know - - against any STATE CHURCH. (Europe, from which many immigrants had come, had several state churches that ruled - - and many colonists and later immigrants had been oppressed or forced out due to individual beliefs.)
Pendulum swing
Today in the US, the pendulum has swung too far in the direction opposite to God, acting as if the government should separate itself from God. But God is included, folks. God is embedded. The nation is ordained. And has a mission for God.
So God is OK in our government - - as long as the state doesn't get into the business of saying what perception of God and how to worship, and what denomination is approved, and which ones not approved. And as long as the nation doesn't have laws, penalties and so on - - or dungeons as in olden times - - to enforce a particular "religion."
What about the Commandments?
What, then, about the Commandments? Where the sense of the Commandments is just the moral and law-code sense of the Commandments (as on the frieze on the US Supreme Court building, and in many courtrooms and legislative houses), I'm sure they will remain. But two other considerations come into play regarding the Commandments in government or public settings. One consideration is whether they are there in connection with any particular denomination, and the other is related - - whether there is a special push by any denomination.
That is to say, the Commandments in a nondenominational relationship, although acknowledged to be from God, aren't religion per se but are the moral and law code on which Western Civilization itself and most of the Bible were built. This sense of them will stay. As for denominational or group-denominational senses of the Commandments in public and governmental places, there will continue to be arguments about where, when, and under whose auspices to put them.
What atheist power?
Let's look for a moment at atheists, some of whom have insisted on eliminating God. Our God-inspired Constitution and nation permits atheists to speak out freely, and write - - but not to kick out God. The whole business of rule by tiny minorities with tiny political power isn't part of our system. But our system is tolerant of various viewpoints, and lets advocates state their positions; however, our system is rule by the majority (which of course has to guard against mob rule, and guard against harmful discrimination against minorities and minority opinions).
Christian nation?
As to the question whether we are a "Christian nation," we're a God-fearing nation, and Christianity in general, and Judaism in its varieties were and are the broad categories of worship with many diverse expressions and groupings. Will this change? The nation accommodates Middle Eastern and Eastern religions, but Western Civilization - - and especially the US - - along with the Judeo-Christian Bible, is the mental arena where the struggle between the coming divine and its opposites takes place, and things come to a head in the end-time of all evil.
In this coming-to-a-head, Israel and Jerusalem - - in both their spiritual and material senses - - are focal points in the struggle, and although the material sense of Israel and Jerusalem is in the Middle East, they are under the protective umbrella of the great spiritually-developing Judeo-Christian Age of Overcoming.
US the world beacon
The US will be the world beacon for all this - - maybe not the state per se, but the Kingdom coming on earth that will shine here. Sadly, much of the Mideast and non-Christian world will be in opposition.
CAN A PACKAGE OF BELIEFS CONSTITUTING A DE FACTO "STATE CHURCH" GOVERN AND PASS CHURCH-BASED LAWS AGAIN?
The US Constitution forbids a state church, but from colonial days forward, many "church-based laws" were on the books. In the 1960s, these were largely swept from our codes. Before that, for example, unmarried couples could not cohabit in much of the US! The anti-sodomy laws lasted a little longer, but are now gone. The merits of banishing "church-based laws" is still debated, some attributing the collapse of families and morality in general to their departure. One of the other sides of that argument is whether morality can be legislated.
A package of beliefs as a de facto state church
Arguments will continue, but fairly recently there was a national wave that a package or collection of religious concepts held by a broad landscape of different churches should in effect govern, and be put into legislation wherever possible.
This would not be a "state church" in the sense of one denomination but would dangerously be a DE FACTO STATE CHURCH due to its PACKAGE OF BELIEFS, its many supporting denominations, and its adherents in office - - many seeking new laws and even constitutional amendments based on the package's beliefs. Add to this, its many adherents running for office on the package or parts of it, and their political campaign demands for legislation and amendments based on it.
Well, all this is something about which there's more room for consciousness to be raised. And something to keep an eye on.
In the other direction, the nation might ask itself how much hedonism it wishes to allow (and evidently many people - - who are not of the package, of course - - want wide latitude in hedonistic directions, even laws of protection and the ending of restrictive laws and regulations).
Uniform moral code?
Can a "uniform code of religious, ethical, or moral thought and action" be agreed upon? Probably not. Could such a code be set into laws? Probably not. Could such a code be enforced if set into laws? Probably not.
But in any event - - and most importantly - - we have the individual's relationship to the infinite Spirit coming "on all flesh," teaching Jesus' message. Individuals in turn produce workable civil government with positions of sufficient breadth for a diverse population as we continue to work Spiritward. But that Spirit "on all flesh" will - - in my opinion - - remind us that the resisted Commandments are our moral code and basis for our laws.
NEW "SHADOW" STATE CHURCH?
The US isn't supposed to have a state religion. If a governing political party claims a package of religious concepts (not a denomination per se, but held by many denominations), and preaches these tenets and concepts in political speech to garner votes for its governing party, and wishes these tenets and concepts enacted into laws governing all others, then we've got a de facto shadow state religion.
WHAT ARE WE SAVED FROM? A DEATH-DEALING DEITY OR THE DEATH-DEALING WORLD'S "DEVIL AND DEATH"?
Is an adversarial, punishing God imputing sin to us, accusing us, putting us in frameworks where God will or might kill us, or torture us forever? With a God like that, who needs a devil?
Jesus so beautifully represented the real God that many today believe he was God. He - - get this - - healed sinners, classified them along with the sick which he healed, as needing the physician (Lk. 5:30-31; that is, a healer - - and of course he healed sinners spiritually). Revelation tells us the "accuser" is cast down (Rev. 12:10 showing that the "accuser" is not a part of God or the divine system). Paul said God doesn't impute sin (II Cor. 5:19). Has Jesus got a harsh side as well as the good one he showed - - a harsh side to be exhibited in his second coming? Jesus is the same "yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Heb. 13:8). James and John said God doesn't change (Jas. 1:17; I Jn. 1:5).
We may not want to admit it, folks, but there is no harsh, death-dealing God. God's all-good nature is omnipotent and spiritually higher than human good which - - although worthy - - is often evil's doormat.
But despite Jesus helping the world, he said the world hated him and his disciples (Jn. 15:18-19). The world resisted his spirituality and its power, which so often exposed its evils. But Jesus went on to say that he had overcome the world (Jn. 16:33). Furthermore, he said that followers were to do the same (Rev. 3:21; 21:4, 7 and others).
Mischaracterized God
Despite Jesus' many proofs to the contrary, we have mischaracterized God and God's system. Primitive beliefs about God (see my websites on sacrifice and atonement, which go into depth on what Jesus was really doing), were brought forward into civilized religions. They were based originally on death-dealing nature forces like terrifying thunder and murderous lightning, volcanos, floods and harsh winters. Later, the mere forces "became" gods in human belief, pointing to guilt (the tribes were plenty guilty), and demanding payments. From nearly the start, tribes dealt with ravaging death-demanding nature forces by partly feeding them with dead offerings. Later this extended into satisfying punishment demands by offering dead people - - but with the marvelous twist of not having the sinners pay with their lives, but grabbing someone else. Anyone else.
"Law of sin" vs. "law of God" - - they're opposites, not the same
Priests in many tribal cultures ruled with the "law" - - the epitome of the carnal mind's system, the "law of sin followed by death from God," whether articulated exactly in those words at the time or not.
This came forward into civilization, and I hear it preached every time I turn on religious TV. Jesus overcame the "law of sin followed by death from God" in everything he did. He routinely healed sinners, showed us that all have a way out, and once even asked, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" (Jn. 8:46) (which I take also to mean, which of you convinceth me of the sin and death-from-God system). Paul discredited the "law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2), citing Jesus and Jesus' opposite "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." The "law of sin" is the carnal mind's or devil's system, not God's system which Jesus revealed.
We misinterpreted Jesus' Cross and Resurrection in order to fit it back into our minds as the supreme example of sin, God's imputation and punishment, and death from God - - with God accepting a scapegoat. (The scapegoat sense is where the sinners don't pay for their sins but get someone else.)
The "wages of sin" are death, but these wages aren't paid by God because there's no death in God. Death is in the carnal mind (Rom. 8:6). The carnal mind pays the "wages of sin" to its suckers. God frees us, gets us out of the ensnarement.
Popular theology's central problem - - death doesn't come from God
The central problem with the entire death-from-God system and theologies, is that death doesn't come from God. Instead, it's the essential nature of the carnal (material, not spiritual) mind (Rom. 8:6) in which "all die." This carnal mind is "enmity against God" - - the opposite of God, not God, and no part of the "law of God" (Rom. 8:7).
Jesus' God overcomes death - - thus saves us from the devil
Jesus' God overcomes death. Jesus raised the dead, told us also to do so (Mat. 10:7-8 for example; and Jn. 14:12 and others).
In Adam (material or carnal-mind man) all die. So we are SAVED FROM this death or devil by Jesus using his all-good, all-potent God.
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and
blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that
through death he might destroy him that had the power of
death, that is, the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their
lifetimes subject to bondage.
(Heb. 2:14-15)
We aren't saved from a terrible God (because God ain't terrible), but saved by God from the terrible devil and death.
If Jesus overcame the entire sacrifice/scapegoat system, why did the Cross look so much like a super example of it?
For good reasons. One, the population could mentally connect with it (and still does). Then further growth can occur (despite many theologies that block growth). (Many Bible things enable us to "latch on," but the Bible and everything in it is progressive as it drives towards its goal of the end of all evil - - not the religionizing of it, and not the incorporating of it in any way - - by Revelation 21:4, 7).
Two, only by taking the undeserved blows from the world (not from God), and going to the bottom of death (Eph. 4:9-10; Acts 2:31) was Jesus in position to overcome all evil.
Three, for us to get out, we must know the carnal mind's package of all evil, and what Jesus did, and how we too overcome evil, as he told us to do. We don't do what he did "once for all" - - breaking our "prison," which we could not have done - - but we have to do everything else, including breaking the carnal mind's system in our lives.
Does God wipe out the world?
Although the material world is false - - a knockoff, not God's (Spirit's - - John 4:24) true Creation which is spiritual - - God nonetheless so loved the better parts of the material world in its struggles and cryings-out to God for deliverance (and even the hateful world - - Luke 13:34, "O Jerusalem....") that he sent his Son as the Savior (from the world's death, not from death coming from God). Jesus represented the spiritual and only Creation (and an infinite one including everything, as Jesus said, in the Kingdom, and all genuine and spiritual identities "hid" with Christ in God). This representation overcame the carnal mind's (or devil's) death (Rom. 8:6-7). In the supreme example of this overcoming, he first underwent death (Heb. 2:14-15 above). He was bloodied in battle on our behalf. Then he destroyed death and thus broke our "prison" (Isa. 42:7; 61:1, Lk. 4:18). Evil, and its system, was broken by him first - - "once for all." We could not have done that first part, but have to do all the rest of Jesus' works (in conjunction with the divine), and even follow in the steps of the first part, as we destroy "last" the "enemy" of death (I Cor. 15:26) and all the evils that accompany it, on earth. So there it is, we must do our part, working in conjunction with the divine (Jn. 17:20-23; Mat. 28:20b) as he said (Jn. 14:12, Mat. 10:7-8; Mk. 16:17-18; Acts 1:8; Rev. 2:7; 11, 17, 26: 3:5, 12, 21; 21:4, 7, KJV).
Theology will change. And thus open the great Age of Overcoming.
DON'T POINT AT ME, TV PREACHERS! - - IT'S BAD MANNERS
TO POINT, BUT IT'S ALSO PART OF THE INCREASING USE OF HYPNOTIC GESTURES IN TV PREACHING
There's a lot of TV preaching today - - entire networks global plus national plus regional. Many TV stations are 100% religious broadcasting. Well, good. There are interviews, documentaries, preachings (but too many entertainers for my taste). Regarding preaching, much today is at the hollering and leaping level. That's too emphatic for my taste, but might be just what the next person wants.
Hypnosis creeping in
But additionally, what's been creeping in is pointing, emphatic jabs with the finger or pointing with both fingers and other hypnotic use of the hands, voice and so on. The jabbing is becoming routine in close-ups when suddenly the finger or fingers are stabbed out at the viewers. Sometimes the arm is like a gun down which the preacher is peering with a seriousness approaching menace, and shooting his or her message in emphatic voice right through the TV screen into open minds.
Folks, these things are part of a rapidly-increasing display of hypnotic gestures and modes easily obtained in general TV stagecraft. The idea in all hypnotic gesturing with hands and close-ups of intense eyes, and the use of powerful voice emphasis, is to crash into the viewers' consciousness and embed the preacher's mind and points. But in absolute contrast to this, Paul used reason, enlisting the listeners' own minds to make their own decisions.
Mental and hypnotic implanting of points is controllive, and does not create a stable, thinking (not parroting) followership.
PASSIVE PEW-SITTERS OR ACTIVE DISCIPLES?
We see church structures packed with seated listeners in the thousands, and know also that hundreds of thousands or even millions more are listening on TV or hear it on reruns. But is this the real "church" format - - zillions passively listening to one speaker? Not really. Jesus spoke to gatherings of the faithful, but he encouraged any that "believeth" to do his works! (Jn. 14:12, Mat. 10:7-8; Mk. 16:17-18; Acts 1:8; Rev. 2:7; 11, 17, 26: 3:5, 12, 21; 21:4, 7, KJV.)
Are we missing an entire dimension of Christianity when we consider "church" to consist of an active speaker and passive audience? Of course there's some good in that, but…. But we ain't doin' the main part of what Jesus said to do.
With all due respect and affection, we're concentrating on being saved from a harsh God instead of being saved by recognizing Jesus' all-good God, and doing our part in overcoming the harsh carnal mind or devil on earth.
NO PROVISION IN ANSELM FOR OVERCOMING
And who is Anselm? He (around AD 1100) came up with today's interpretation of the Cross and Resurrection as initiated by a God who had to murder as payment due for humanity's sins - - but accepted Jesus' offer to be the scapegoat-sacrifice on our behalf, after which He ordered or allowed the torture and death of Jesus. As usual in the scapegoat pattern the sinners didn't pay - - someone else did.
(For what Jesus really was doing on the Cross and in the Resurrection, see above under "Does God wipe out the world?" Also read again above, Hebrews 2:14-15. click on Home Page on my Jesus book, where explanatory text opens below it. And onto my websites on sacrifice and atonement.)
Anselm's idea is passive, not active - - with no provision for overcoming
Popular theology stresses passive acceptance of Jesus' death as not only the key to heaven but the only key (and woe to those who don't accept). This builds death into the system - - and makes no provision for overcoming death! (This ties to Revelation's first seal of "false peace" broken from the book shown in Revelation - - the first thing necessary to undo in order for the rest of the divine message which overcomes all evil, to be grasped and used.)
(That God once was good, then had to punish brutally, then withdrew that penalty - - but kept it in reserve as the ultimate power for use when and if He needed it - - is halfway, but is not Jesus' full position that God is and always has been all-good, and that followers working with this all-good God can thus fulfill their assignment to help end all death and evil.)
(The all-good God obviates positions dealing with "righteous evil" from God - - with which so much religion is occupied - - and enables us to square off against devilish evil and get rid of it.)
Jesus raised the dead, told followers to do so (Jn. 14:12, Mat. 10:7-8; Mk. 16:17-18; Acts 1:8; Rev. 2:7; 11, 17, 26: 3:5, 12, 21; 21:4, 7, KJV), and personally himself overcame death.
Victory, not victimization
Victimization appeases evil, won't end it - - however, Jesus' Victory overcame it first, opening the way for our part, victory over the enemy, death, "last," clearing the earth.
Jesus underwent the earth's evils, went to the bottom, bled in battle on our behalf, won in conjunction with his all-good God (at-one, John 17:20-23), broke our "prison" (Isa. 42:7; 61:1; Lk. 4:18) of death, which we of material origin could not have done for ourselves, said follow me, said do my works (Hebrews noting, though, that some of his works were done "once for all").
Forgiveness and pardon is fine, but humanity still needs cleansing
Sins are always forgiven by God, and we're pardoned from penalties from a non-punishing God, but we're still trapped by our sins, sinful natures and appetites in the carnal mind's torture chamber of mortal life. We still have to work out every detail of every last sin in front of the all-benevolent, non-punishing, all-helpful Deity - - but this is done by stages here and hereafter. In Jesus' system, everything beneath our floorboards so to speak has to come out. We actually get cleansed - - for which Anselm's program doesn't provide (and a person in Anselm's program remains a sinner or a person with a past). Some of our real upward course can be easy, but some - - as indicated by Malachi (3:2,3) - - can be like smelting. Ouch. But it's beneficial, and we come out better.
We are furnished a road
The Bible progressively shows us that death-sacrifices to God in order to "connect," or "reconnect," or just maintain connections, are useless. We have only to say, Hello. We have only to praise, and give thanks. And ask for a course or path on which to live right and clear out our sins and sinful natures. We may have civil penalties. No matter how complex, or how many hereafters it takes, we are furnished a road.
So can we just sin and sin, and get away with it?
No. The mortal swamp is full of alligators. Sin is of course under many civil penalties and moral-code restrictions. But the main thing is that sin and the mortal realm comprise a hell-hole of death, disease, danger, potential accidents, fear, loss and so on from which we want to escape here or hereafter. And we want protection for those we love.
Sin defaces and dirties us. We innately seek to be clean again.
Sin's glory is always temporary - - a downward, often pleasant-seeming slide, but one into a pit with miserable thoughts and slippery walls defeating efforts to climb out. Go ahead and take the mortal realm's various poisons if you want, but the day (or night) will come when here or hereafter you will holler out for God and higher existence. And as Psalms 139:7-10 and Romans 8:38-39 say, God is right there (after all, God - - Spirit - - fills all space), to help. He has better identity for the seeker. The climb can be like Malachi's smelting, as many climbers can attest with a smile and gratitude.
What do we want to say to Jesus?
In meetings with Jesus, in prayers, in living our life, do we want to tell him his life's work ratified death? Or instead that he overcame it on our behalf - - at great personal expense - - for the purpose of showing us the way out of death's (the carnal mind's) grip.
Read again II Timothy 1:10 (Jesus "abolished death"), and Hebrews 2:14-15 (above), and "Does God wipe out the world?" (above). It's all in Scripture. We've just misinterpreted - - and we're wasting time, while the world suffers, and the power of Jesus' all-good God is available to heal the world's ills. The end of death and all evil, and our part in that work, is noted in Revelation 21:4, 7 (and in the many citations listing his instructions to us to do his works, shown above).
(Revelation 21:8 and similar negative-God concepts anywhere in Scripture are just the carnal or death mind which entwines itself with the good, often rebutting God or speaking as if it were God. This "enmity against God" is woven-in throughout the Bible, contesting the High, and trying to maintain the conviction among people that death originates in God. After being "cast out" of our sense of heaven, as accomplished in Revelation 12:9, this devil is baseless and origin-less, and thus he "knoweth that he hath but a short time," 12:12.)
The key
The key to the end of all evil is knowing that no element of it is in the real God.
See many examples in Scripture of the divine statement followed by or mixed with the dark statement. Where God says He will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse it, the first statement is right, but since God doesn't "curse," the second phrase is the carnal mind or opposite of, or "enmity against" God, trying to plant its flag (where it doesn't and can't belong), that God is both light and dark, both good and evil - - and thus claiming its basis for existence.
Devilish thoughts claim identity, play God, and deflect our minds from the right sense of God effective for use against all or any evil.
(For more by me on this subject, see my website on God, and the paper there entitled, "Do We Make God Fit Our Conceptions?" and the subheading there, "Two Basic Bible Streams." See paragraphs on "Progressive Bible" above, also on the "The Carnal Mind Or Devil Or Evil Entwined With Good In Many Passages In The Bible," above. And elsewhere in my writings and on my websites.)
CAN WE REPROVE ANYTHING IN SCRIPTURE?
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (II Tim. 3:16).
Many interpreters slightly rearrange the words to read, "All inspired Scripture is given by God"—leaving room to say that some just isn't inspired.
So can we reprove anything in the Bible? Yes. The Bible itself reproves things written there. Jesus reproved eye-for-an-eye or "the law" which wanted stoning for the woman taken in adultery. He also reproved calling down fire from heaven as Elijah had done (Lk. 9:52-56). And he reproved some Temple practices and people.
Well, we aren't Jesus, but we're told to "choose" between the opposites of "life" and "death" laid before us (Deut. 30:19-20) in the Bible. We might choose the life God is giving us, then reprove the death and other mortal mayhem from the carnal mind (Rom. 8:6-7).
We tend to believe that God has both good and evil, and that God lays his good and evil in front of us, from which to choose - - and that we are to choose the good "or else." But does that compute? Does that make sense? The thing that makes sense is that God is showing us the divine all-good (as Jesus showed us), and that the evil is in the world (as Jesus showed us), and that he told us to do his works overcoming evil. In other words, we choose the divine way, and reject (d)evil's way. (If we choose the wrong way, God isn't going to kill us - - the alligators in the swamp kill us. But when we holler to God, God is right there. And when we are willing to accept and change so that the divine can work in our consciousness, our experience changes to be more like the divine.
To accept the Bible without seeing that it shows us good and evil - - and that we are to reprove the evil - - can mean we accept evil as permanent, unassailable and, worse, as coming from God. That sings evil's tune.
For example, Leviticus 26:14-39 - - devil or God?
The carnal mind or devil likes to pose as God, and blame the real God for evil; so we need to look hard at any passages that just don't seem right, such as Leviticus 26:14-39.
We read in Isaiah 45:7, "I create evil: I the Lord...." But elsewhere the Bible shows us that the divine gets rid of evil. The Isaiah contradiction means simply that the divine presence which destroys evil arouses a temporary violent reaction from it - - "creates" evil in the sense of hitting the beehive.
The Bible cautions us about prophets who say, "he saith" (God saith) - - telling us it ain't always so (Jer. 23:31-32).
Ignoring certain Bible passages is a type of reproving them
We ignore Bible passages telling us that if someone advocates other gods we must kill that person (even if a family member). And that if it is found that in a village false worship is practiced, one must go and kill every inhabitant there, and even the "cattle," and burn the "spoil" and the "city" (Deut. 13:6-16). When we ignore such passages, aren't we in fact reproving parts of the Scripture (and rightly so)?
When we ignore Paul's remarks that women shouldn't preach in church, aren't we reproving? Yes. Maybe gently, but definitely.
The "tribulum" era
The "tribulum" is a threshing instrument. One sense of "tribulation" comes from that. Separating chaff from wheat, and so on. A huge era of this is coming up, and evil - - progressively exposed - - will then be progressively eliminated.
I know it makes people uncomfortable, but where the carnal mind or devil is entwined around and mixed in with the good in Scripture - - or often flatly rebutting the good - - this must be separated out in order to frontally march on evil.
There is no terrible God. That's a primitive holdover concept which Jesus banished. The great stage coming up is the Christian or Judeo-Christian Age of Overcoming.
A note on Israel
ISRAEL'S STRIFE-RIDDEN BORDERS - - AND THE BIBLE
The Bible predicts strife over Israel's borders increasing until the Big Blowoff of Armageddon in which the key factor in saving the little nation from destruction by the world is that "the Lord was there" (Ezek. 35:10). The Bible seems to tell us the whole world comes against Israel militarily. The attacking forces are destroyed, which indicates that the borders won't be truly settled until then.
World continues - - and later transforms - - after Armageddon
The Bible shows continuity of the world (as the globe or earth) after Armageddon (thus not the end of the useful globe or earth, but only the end of the "world" in the sense of thought-structures of evil). (See John 15:18-19; 16:33, the world's hatred, but Jesus overcame the world. See also Revelation 3:21, where we are also to overcome, and thus sit with him above.) All of this is precedent to eventual (but not immediate) change-out of the useful world (globe or earth) in favor of the city foursquare coming to our consciousness. This city foursquare (shown in symbol) - - or Kingdom or spiritual Promised Land - - was there in John's time, and is here today, but we don't see very much of it (read Paul on seeing "clearly" on occasion, "darkly" on others, and not at all on others).
So our vision will improve to effective access. Great beneficial and victorious results will come from seeking, seeing into, and progressively living, moving and having our being (Acts 17:28) in the living God and Kingdom where all things are.
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