THE USES OF NOTHING

Parmenides maintained that reality is such that the "All is one," by which he meant that the "All" is a kind of homogeneous sphere. By this he concluded that all appearances to consciousness such as change, motion and nothing are mere illusions. Even though he used good logic to arrive at these conclusions, for all intents and purposes his conclusion was useless and meaningless.

The practical truth is that man lives in a world of appearances, change, motion and nothingness. Even if all this were an illusion, this world, nevertheless, is the only one we know and as such becomes indistinguishable from reality itself.

Therefore, nothing must be real to the mind. Nothing can be no appearance, and yet it is real. Nothingness can only be real as an idea in the mind. How consciousness acquired this singular idea of nothing when it never appears remains a real mystery. Man's finite mind is just too small to ever figure this out on his own.

Yet, this fact reminds us of other ideas that could not have been acquired by direct experience even though they are real. Their usefulness to consciousness makes them real. "Infinity" is a real idea even though it has never been seen, felt or smelt. "Justice" has proven itself to be a useful concept even though no one has ever directly seen it. One suspects that these kinds of ideas could only have been given to the mind by an infinity being the possibility of everything. But this means that the Infinite must know everything; consciousness being one of its possibilities. If this is true, then there must exist an Infinite Consciousness that we call God.

The first use of nothingness is that it is space. We move through it and we observe motion in it. Space separates objects and thereby contributes to their recognition as individual objects. In addition, something and nothing together unify the world into a whole. How we humans can outwardly move through a mere idea in our minds is another real mystery. One possible explanation ( with due credit to Bishop Berkeley) is that space is a perception in the mind of God.

The second use of the idea of nothing is that it separates ideas in the mind into individual, recognizable ideas. By use of the idea of nothing, the mind can separate general ideas such as "roundness" or "redness" and recognize that they apply to all things round or red. If one imagines two objects in one's mind, one round and the other red, one will notice that they are separated by a space which is the idea of nothing. Also, one thought follows another in moments of time, but that which divides one moment from another is the idea of nothing.

The mind holds the power to create or invent different systems, selecting those ideas that compose each system from all of the ideas that we know. The creations of these systems has been a continuous process throughout the history of mankind. Some of these systems are most useful because they benefit the most people. Others are far less useful because they benefit only a small number of people while being detrimental to the rest. Some systems benefit no one. They are simply destructive. Many such systems have been invented and created by man such as: systems of law and government, education, religion, science and technology, roads and many others.

The word "nothing" has two basic meanings. The first meaning is simply "emptiness" or the "void." In the second meaning, "nothing" should really be two words; "no thing." In this case, the "thing" means any object of consciousness, and "no" means to equate the "thing" with the negative. The objects of consciousness can never be negated by nothingness, but consciousness can use the idea of the negative to equate a particular object or idea with the negative in order to exclude that object or idea from inclusion in a system which consciousness is in the process of creating, inventing or considering. For example, when one considers the simple system called: "a straight line," one will always keep "no curves" out of this system.

Whenever man creates a particular system, whether beneficial or destructive, he always includes those ideas that fit in with the other ideas, or those ideas that he desires to be in his system, and excludes all others by using the idea of nothing. The third use of the idea of nothing is that of a principle or rule that excludes all unwanted or unuseable ideas from any system under consideration.

One of the laws of the universe is that information cannot be destroyed. True ideas cannot be destroyed, but they can be considered to be equal to nothing as far as their inclusion in any particular system is concerned. False ideas cannot be destroyed either, but the difference between these two ideas is that false ideas are actually equal to nothing whereas true ideas can only be considered as equal to nothing in order to exclude them from a system. For example, when an idealistic philosopher contends that certain materialistic ideas are "not real," he does not mean that they can be destroyed. He only means that they are equal to the idea of nothing as far as his idealistic system is concerned. He also may believe they are false. For another example, the false theory that produced the false idea of "aether" in space, can never be destroyed as ideas, but the false idea "aether" actually means nothing in the sense of "empty."

True and false systems alike always comprise true and useful ideas, but false systems always produce false ideas. False ideas are real as ideas, but because of their equality with the idea of nothing, they always indicate an absolute nothingness hidden by the idea of nothing. Thus, the fourth use of the idea of nothing is that it indicates an absolute nothingness that lies outside of human experience. As a simple example of this truth, consider the false system called a "mermaid." A mermaid comprises two true systems called a "fish" and a "female." If one subtracts these two true ideas from the false system, one is left with the idea of nothing as a product of this system. But the true idea of nothing actually indicates the nonexistence of the mermaid. So, if one then subtracts even this true idea from the false system, one is left with an absolute nothingness which constitutes the actual nonexistence of the mermaid. Nonexistence constitutes the only unreality. Humans never experience it except as it is indicated by the idea of nothing. Nonexistence seems to be nowhere and at no time.

If humans never experience unreality then all appearances must be real whether given to the mind or coming into the mind through the senses. The whole of reality appears as something, the idea of nothing, or as ideas equivalent to nothing.

THE CHRISTMAS ROMANCE a short story

     The ladies of our church had well decorated the fellowship hall for our annual Christmas party. Resplendently adorned with green and red ornaments; gold and silver tinsel, an enormous Christmas tree stood at one end of the spacious hall. Stolid statues in a manger scene, with Mary holding baby Jesus while Joseph, sheperds, and sheep looked on, lent an air of purity and holiness to this festive occasion.
     Every year, each child got a small present from the church. Pastor Hadley played Santa Claus, calling out the children's names and handing out the presents. Every child crowded around the tree eagerly waiting for his or her name to be called.
     I hopped from one foot to the other with excitement.
     "Joey Harper," Pastor Hadley finally called, waving my green-wrapped present above his head and looking around as if he hadn't seen me.
     "Here I am," I hollered.
     "Oh, there you are." Pastor Hadley grinned. "I might have known that you would be right up front."
     He handed my present to me. I plopped to the floor right there and ripped it open at once. It was a shiny blue yo-yo. Oh no, I thought, a little disappointed. I'm not very good with one of these things. I stood and slipped the loop at the end of the string onto the middle finger of my right hand. I flipped the yo-yo toward the floor, but instead of spinning and coming back to my hand, it merely flopped around at the end of the string.
     Pastor Hadley noticed my problem. "Here," he said, "let me show you how to do that." He slipped the loop onto his finger and wound up the string. Then, he quickly spun the yo-yo, making it barely touch the hardwood floor. The toy creeped away from him across the floor. "That's called walking the dog," he informed me. Then, with a bare twitch of his middle finger, the yo-yo jumped back into his hand.
     Pastor Hadley put the toy back into my hand and gently rubbed my head. "Practice, Joey," he instructed. "You have to practice every day."
     After a scrumptious buffet dinner supplied by covered dishes brought by most of the ladies, Pastor Hadley stood before the Christmas tree and held up his hands to draw attention. "Can I have everyone's attention?" he announced. "Bess, come here please."
     My mother nudged through the crowd and to Pastor Hadley's side. They each put an arm around each other's back. They gazed at each other with sparkling eyes.
     "Bess and I have decided to make this announcement at this party," Pastor Hadley excitedly exclaimed. "Thanks to what we believe to be the will of God, we plan to get married in June."
     This did not really surprise me since I had seen Pastor Hadley come to our house almost every day since Thanksgiving.
     For a moment, the crowd tittered. Then, everyone broke into smiles and began to shake Pastor Hadley's hand, congratulating him. Most of the ladies hugged my mother.
     Everyone seemed to be happy except my other mother. She was my mother's mother, but instead of Grandmother, she insisted I call her Other Mother. She caught my mother by the arm at a moment when she was standing alone. "I would like to speak with you alone," Other Mother whispered through clenched teeth.
     "Drop by the house later," Mom answered, moving away to talk to some of the ladies.
     Later that evening, Mother sat in her favorite chair in the living room, knitting, and talking with Pastor Hadley while we children; my cousin Darlene, my sister Sarah and I, sat cross-legged on the floor playing Chinese checkers.
     I was glad to see my Mom feeling so content. She had been sad for a long time after my Dad had not come home from the war.
     Suddenly, the front door swung open and, unannounced, Other Mother stomped into the room. While holding her lips firmly pressed together, she quickly began to jerk off her white gloves, one finger at a time. "I would like to know," she spat, "how you two could embarras me the way you did."
     "What do you mean, Mother dear?" Mom rejoined.
     Other Mother's narrowed eyes widened a little with pretended shock. "You know perfectly well what I mean," she thundered. "How can you two get married? It's scandalous."
     "Everyone seemed to be happy about it," Pastor Hadley replied.
     "They put on a good front," Other Mother snapped. "They were actually quite shocked. For heaven's sake Bess, you're nine years older than him."
     "So, I like younger men," Mom replied, suppressing an impish grin.
     "Bess!" Other Mother exploded. She gazed upward in mock prayer. She closed her eyes and bit her lip. "Lord, help me," she gasped. She crossed her arms and stared at Mom. "Well, I just talked to Sister Hitchcock on the phone, and she agrees with me."
     "That toady," Pastor Hadley replied, laughing. "She's never been known to disagree with you about anything."
     "All right," Other Mother sighed. She wiped an invisible tear from the corner of one eye. "A mother can only try to do her duty, but if you two insist on going through with this travesty, I won't be coming to the wedding."
     "Suit yourself," Mother retorted, this time with a look of boredom.
     Other Mother slowly began to pull her gloves on. "I've done all that a mother can do," she moaned. She trudged toward the door, glanced back and slightly shook her head. She slipped through the door and quietly closed it behind her.
     Pastor Hadley sipped his coffee and then peeked at Mom. He chuckled.
     Mom looked back at him over her knitting and smiled.

COMMENTARY ON EMPIRICISM

David Hume and the empiricists maintain that all that man can know for certain is that which we attain through our physical senses. All the rest that we know is uncertain because we obtain it merely through belief and habit. This philosophy suggests that only knowledge that comes through the senses can be real, whereas knowledge that comes from belief or habit is always suspect, and therefore, less than real.

However by experience, beliefs and habits have proven to be useful or useless depending on how they are employed. If a belief or habit improves a person's life, causing them to be healthier in mind or body, then that effect would seem to be just as real as feeling any solid object. Even more real in some respects because beliefs and habits can improve lives whereas the feeling of a solid object is mainly neutral in this effect. It is difficult to understand how anything that is useful cannot also be real.

In fact, if one examines all sensory feelings and their ideas and all abstract feelings and their ideas in their simplest forms, one will find that they all are useful in one way or another. This rule is a universal fact. If all sensory and abstract feelings and ideas prove themselves useful, then they all must be real. Thus all of the objects of consciousness must be true and real in their simplest forms.

Habits and beliefs are useful or useless combinations of these basic realities. Whether habits and beliefs are useful or useless, the basic realities that compose both are always true and real.

A habit always combines basic realities. If a habit, such as regular exercise, improves one's health, then the effect of that habit can only be true and real. If a habit, such as smoking cigarettes, tends to destroy one's health then the effect of that habit is destructive, reducing one's health toward nothingness and to that effect proves not true and not real. Thus, the habit of smoking cigarettes constitutes a false combination of basic realities that is real as an experienced habit, but its effect is a tendency toward an absolute nothingness which is not true or real; that is, a complete loss of health.

Falsity itself is real since it is a name that identifies combinations that produce useless, empty or destructive effect. Nothingness is also real, but only as an idea . One of the uses of the idea of nothingness is that it identifies the effects of false combinations that reduce reality towards absolute nothingness. Unreality always equals absolute nothingness. A mermaid is a false combination of the realities of "fish" and "female." Yet, the effect of the mermaid is a real nothingness which as a real idea, in turn, identifies an absolute emptiness which is the nonexistence and only unreality of the mermaid.

The false combination of basic realities called: " the theory of aether in space" proved useless because the effect of this false theory revealed that "aether" does not exist. Thus, the idea of "aether" equals the idea of nothing. The real idea of nothing proves useful because it identifies the nonexistence of "aether." The absolute nonexistence of the "aether" is the only unreality of the false combination.

Thus, reality appears in five forms: basic realities, real combinations of basic realities, false combinations of basic realities, names for the effects of false combinations , and the idea of nothing and all terms that equal nothing. The basic realities and their true combinations are always real. False combinations and their effects are also true and real in the sense that they indicate the unreality that should be discarded, avoided, or left behind. The idea of nothing is useful in many ways with no room to explain here. One of the main uses of the idea of nothing is that it points to the absolute nothingness inherent in all false combinations which is the only unreality in human experience. Actually though, humans never experience absolute nothingness because it does not exist in any place or at any time. Unreality is never experienced.

As an experiment, if one should read any page in a dictionary one will find that every word will fit into one or more of the five categories of reality. One must use some thought though.

As for the reality of habit, by habit we expect the sun to rise every morning. The empiricists maintain that this habit is less than real because the sun may not rise one morning. While the empiricists are right that the sun may not rise in the morning, they are wrong to aver that habit cannot be certain. If the sun does not rise in the morning, we humans can be certain that that true and real combination of basic realities called "the sun rising every morning" has drastically changed. Perhaps that basic reality called "gravity" has been subtracted from this real combination. Perhaps that basic reality called an "explosion" of the sun has been added to this real combination. Of course, an "explosion" can be a true or false combination depending on how it is used, but if added to a macro reality like "the rising of the sun every morning," then an "explosion" can be considered a macro basic reality. In any case, if the "sun rising every morning" fails to happen one morning, then we humans can be certain that some basic reality has been added to, or subtracted from, this real combination. We humans can also be certain, by a real habit, that as long as that true combination called "the sun rising every morning" holds exactly as is, then this reality will never fail.

As for the reality of belief, this basic reality proves useful in such combinations as: "confidence that a particular unproven system will prove useful." If such a system is tested and proves to be useful and real, then one's "faith" in that system has also been proven to be real. However, if such a tested system proves to be useless, then one's "faith" becomes equal to the idea of nothing which, in turn, indicates an unreality that should be usefully discarded.

If a Christian has "faith" in that system called: "the sacrifice of Christ that saves one from sin and destruction," and this system proves to be useful and real, then that Christian gains the effect of that system which is "everlasting life."

ON THE NATURE OF REALITY chapter 18

CONCLUSION

     If unreality never appears to duality except as hidden behind the idea of nothingness, then how can reality possibly appear to nonconsciousness? If unreality distorts the difference between the squareness or roundness of a lighthouse as seen from a distance, would not unreality obliterate all differences in all objects in the complete absence of duality? In fact, distance may be nothing but a recession of objects toward nothingness from a observer’s point of view. In the absence of duality, unreality would swallow all differences, and time and space, rendering evolution impossible.
     Whenever the simple true ideas appear, there is creativity. Whenever absolute nothingness does not appear, there is total disorder.
     Let those who claim that reality does not have to appear in order to be real take this into consideration. An object which does not appear has been separated from space and in time. Where is it in space and time? Such an object exists nowhere and at no time, even if it has potential real existence. Reality must appear in order to be real. Those who claim otherwise have slyly admitted that their kind of reality is really equal to nothingness.
     What allows them to aver that reality does not have to appear in order to be real? Is it not their dualities to which these objects have appeared, therefore isolating them in space and time? In order for them to convince us that reality need not appear, let them describe objects of which they have had no experience. Let them merely tell us when and where they are? In order for them to do so, they must first use their minds to make the objects real in outer or inner duality, and that is precisely the necessary task of duality in any universe.
     Materialists do not prove the reality of unexperienced objects by saying: "If they are there, then they are really there." This is merely to utter the first half of tautology. One can not prove that it is raining outside by saying: "If it is raining, then it is really raining." One must look outside to see if it is raining.
     However, there is a tautological truth in saying: "Either it is raining or it is not." Similarly, the same truth must be said about unexperienced objects. "Either an unexperienced object is there or it is not." However, this simple fact points out the truth that while an unexperienced object may possess potential real existence, as long as it remains unexperienced, its existence is equal to its non-existence, and chaos prevails. Only duality can establish reality.
     Furthermore, when duality establishes reality, only that which is real can appear to duality because unreality never appears. Unreality merely distorts reality within false combinations which, in turn, always comprise simple true ideas.
     To the skeptics, materialists, and atheists who doubt the existence of reality, a believer in Christ can only respond: Relax, all objects, ideas, and feelings are real when reduced to their simplest forms, and no matter how weak they may appear to be.
     Falsity hides behind the idea of nothingness as a kind of vicious cycle. Absolute nothingness affects reality by causing false combinations to arise in the world and in the mind. Sin, decay, disorder, impractical systems, and even optical illusions, to name but a few examples, demonstrate the destructive effects of absolute nothingness on reality. In turn, the ineffectiveness inherent in false combinations cause absolute nothingness to mar reality.
     Even so, absolute nothingness can not diminish the infinite set of simple true ideas by one whit, because even every false combination comprises simple true ideas. Infinite Duality can not be diminished or limited by absolute nothingness because Infinite Duality is also the infinite set of simple true ideas; that is, the Living Word of God. Absolute nothingness exists nowhere and at no time, and therefore, it can not diminish or limit Infinite Duality. The non-existence of a mermaid is nowhere and at no time. The effectiveness of a broken down automobile is nothing. It gets one nowhere and at no time. Yet at all times and places, mermaids and broken automobiles and all other false combinations, comprise simple true ideas.
     Skeptics, evolutionists, and atheists have produced the philosophy of nihilism. Nothing could be more logical to them. They believe that everything came from nothing and will return to nothing. To them, nothingness is all-powerful. No wonder they believe that everything is relative; for example, that there is no real difference between good and evil, or that any differences are only temporary. True to God’s description of them in Proverbs 8:36, they hate God and they love sin and death.
     Suppose our universe and all other universes had been, and forever would be, void of all duality. Would it really matter whether they existed or not? The only way that something can matter is if it matters to duality. The nihilists and evolutionists merely think in terms of existence being equal to non-existence. To them, values have always been equal to nothing, and even sensory perception becomes equal to nothing at death. The strange thing is, if they had no minds, they would be right. However, they do have minds, and those minds should be committed to trying to discover the absolute difference between truth and falsity.
     Today, scientists speculate about the possible existence of other universes. Yet, the most they can say is that these universes may exist, or they may not. Is this not an admission that they think in terms of existence and nonexistence being equal?
     If one despairs, one might well consider throwing oneself into the void of nihilism and evolutionary theory. Existential courage can not save in such a case because it would be swallowed by the void as well. Firepower beats willpower every time. If there is no God, then absolute nothingness holds all the firepower.
To those who despair, believers can say: Believe that God is real, and so are His creations. The recreation of man’s fallen spirit has been made real through the vicarious sacrifice, burial, and resurrection of God’s Son. God himself has provided the way for repentant sinners to escape the destructive effects of absolute nothingness.
     God is love, self-sacrifice, beauty, joy, righteousness, and all of the infinite true simple ideas united in Infinite Duality. The infinite set of true simple ideas are united in the Living Word of God who is the Lord Jesus Christ. The infinity of the Word is the Spirit of God who is in every possible place at every possible time. The Infinite Consciousness of the Word is the Father. The being of God constitutes an Infinite Reality.
Man possesses a limited set of true simple ideas that can be reduced or expanded. Yet, man is incapable of expanding his knowledge to the extent that he can save himself. Through the revelation of His Word, both written and living, God has provided the necessary information for man’s salvation.
     Faith can not be obtained through self-effort. It must be given to man by God. As Hebrews 11:1 teaches, faith consists of those substances and evidences that man can not see but which God has provided. Even the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ death on the cross could not fully see what Jesus was actually doing. For a time, the eyewitnesses of his resurrection did not realize what it really meant.
     However, they could remember what Jesus had told them that it would mean, and they did receive the Holy Spirit to teach them what it all meant, as Jesus had said they would.To repent of one’s sins and to receive this revelation from the Holy Spirit as to what Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection actually means, is to have faith. God made it easier for the eyewitnesses to believe, as Jesus pointed out to Thomas in John 20:29. Nevertheless, they had to receive God’s revelation of the reality of salvation, exactly as one must do today.
     To anyone who desires to escape the eventual destruction caused by absolute nothingness, and to obtain everlasting life, the believer can point to John 14:6 where Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth , and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

CONSCIOUSNESS AND NOTHINGNESS

                             CONSCIOUSNESS AND NOTHINGNESS


How much does a dead body know? Absolutely nothing. A body can only know if it is alive and conscious. The knowing part of the body either departs the body after death or it vanishes. In either case, all must agree that a dead body knows absolutely nothing. A dead body has no awareness whatsoever of time and space. Time does not pass and space does not exist. A dead body even knows nothing about nothing. It absolutely knows nothing at all.

What about a whole universe composed of lifeless matter and energy? Consciousness does not inhere in lifeless matter and energy. Would not such a universe be in the same condition as a dead human body? In such a universe, time could not pass and space could not exist. Even nothingness could not exist in such a universe. This universe could only be equal to absolute nothingness.

One might object that one can imagine such a universe with space and passing through time. Yes, but then such a universe would not be a consciousless one. The consciousness of this imagined universe would reside in the mind of the one imagining it. The mind of the person imagining it gives time and space to it. One can only get an accurate view of a universe composed only of lifeless matter and energy if one refrains from imagining it; if one abstains from lending one's mind to it. In such a case, the only accurate view of such a universe would be one of absolute nothingness.

The physicists who study quantum mechanics have discovered that elementary particles, such as electrons, exist simultaneously as both a wave function and a particle until measured by a conscious person. By the way it is measured, consciousness can cause an electron to become either a wave or a particle.

Does not this same condition exist for time and space? Time is measured in seconds or hours or years by consciousness alone. Time that is not measured is no time at all. A unit of space, no matter how large or small, must be measured by consciousness to be space.

One might object that a person can look through a telescope and see that the universe is billions of years old, and therefore, the universe must have passed through time and space prior to the emergence of consciousness to observe it. Yes, but then one must assume that our universe was consciousless before the time that consciousness observed it. If a dead body holds no consciousness, and therefore, knows absolutely nothing; and lifeless matter also holds no consciousness, and therefore, knows absolutely nothing, then how could our consciousless universe have passed through billions of years? Furthermore, if quantum mechanics has demonstrated that our universe needs consciousness to determine the difference between matter and energy, then how could our universe ever have been a consciousless one? It seems more reasonable to assume that our universe possessed a consciousness prior to human observation. This assumption would better account for the existence of space and the passage of time before human observation. This consciousness could only be the mind of God.

ON LOVE AND THE LAW part 3

Here read (KJV) Proverbs 10:12 I Peter 4:8 I Corinthians 13:8 Romans 13:8-10 Romans 7:13

The law is rigid, hard and inflexible. As such, the law cannot be made to apply to every situation in life. The purpose of the law is to show the guilty just how guilty they are. In other words, where the conscience may be vague, the law is direct and clear. Those who violate the law God condemns to death because He is determined to cleanse His universe of all of the filthiness of sin.

On the other hand, love is completely fluid and flexible and can be made to apply to every situation in life. For this reason, situations exist in life where love trumps a strict application of the law. Romans 13:8-10 teaches that love has already fulfilled the law. One of the meanings of fulfill is "to complete." If one could love God and one's neighbor with a perfect love, then one would have no need for rigid laws. One would automatically do whatever the law requires and even more. The problem is that all humans are sinners, and therefore, cannot love perfectly. The law teaches humans that they are sinners. God's love frees humans from sin, and therefore, from any need for law.

Even human law recognizes that when a person motivated by love violates the law, then that person is usually given a lighter sentence than one motivated by greed or hate or some other negative motivation.

That which humans cannot do because of original sin, God who is Love, can do perfectly. God created all things. This means God created even negative elements such as "hatred" and "jealousy," but these elements are positive as God uses them. As used by humans, "hatred" is almost always cruel and sinful. But when God uses "hatred" He is wholly motivated by love, and therefore, He uses it in an absolutely perfect manner. Hebrews 1:9 teaches that God loves righteousness and hates iniquity. God hates iniquity because it destroys people, but He loves the righteousness of His Son because He saves people from their sins. Song of Solomon 8:6 teaches that, for humans, "jealousy is as cruel as the grave." But Exodus 20:5 relates that "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God," and Exodus 34:14 reveals that one of God's names is "Jealous." God's use of jealousy demonstrates His fierce determination to protect His people from all of the destructive effects of sin and evil.

Lies were not created by God. They were not created, but they were invented, by Satan. However, lies always comprise false combinations of true elements that were created by God. For instance, in Genesis 3:4 when the serpent told Eve: "Ye shall not surely die," he lied. Yet, every element of his lie is a true and useful element that was created by God. "Ye" means Eve was a real person created by God. "Shall" is a true element which means: "an act of the will." "Not" is a real idea of nothing which means in this case: "The real considered as a negative." "Surely" is a true element which means: "for certain." "Die" is a real element which means: "to separate the disobedient from God's presence." The effect of this invented false combination was that Eve was convinced that she could escape the death that results from disobedience. The result of her and Adam's disobedience proved useless and ineffective. On the very day they disobeyed, they died spiritually and God cast them out of His garden.

However, God knows how to use even lies in a wholly loving and creative way. God knows perfectly how to use Satan's own weapon against him. God demonstrated His ability to do this in I Kings 22 when He used a "lying spirit" in His efforts to protect His guileless servant Jehoshaphat from the evil machinations of Ahab. Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18 do teach that God cannot lie, but both of these verses are about God's promises to His people. God cannot lie to His people, but God can use lies in a wholly loving way to protect His people.

The Bible records that in the Great Flood and in Sodom and Gomorrah, God destroyed huge numbers of people. After God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He sometimes commanded the Israeli army to destroy whole cities with every man, woman and child. Atheists charge God with cruelty for doing this. Actually, God was merciful to humanity as a whole when He took these actions. The humans that God destroyed or had destroyed were themselves very cruel and wicked. They sacrificed their children to their gods, and did many other very cruel practices. These people were very much like the Nazis; wholly given over to evil.

God destroyed this wickedness for the same reason that one would pull the weeds out of one's garden. If a gardener does not weed his garden, the weeds will take over and his vegetables will be choked out. If God had not, from time to time, destroyed huge numbers of wicked people, then their progeny would have become so numerous that the light of God's future gospel would have been so dimmed that few humans would ever be saved. God was merciful in that He made a way for His future gospel to shine brighter in the world so that the maximum number of people would hear His gospel and get saved. God destroyed even the children of the wicked because they were their progeny, and would have carried on the wickedness of their parents. Even in modern times, whole nations have become devoted to evil as did Nazi Germany prior to WWII. Everyone knows the terrible price the free world had to pay to protect itself from the horrible darkness that they would have brought to the world had they won. God is merciful. He will do whatever is necessary to protect His people from the horrible darkness.
                                              Here read John 3:16

This glorious gospel that saves mankind from sin and evil is nothing less than the death, burial and resurrection of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus took the sin and evil of every human that ever lived on Himself when He died on the cross. Jesus sacrificed Himself for them; taking their just punishment on Himself. His shed blood will wash away the sin of all who will believe in Him. God demonstrated His great love for the world in the crucifixion and resurrection of His Son. All who repent of their sins, and put their trust in Him, will be saved forever from the horrible darkness.

ON LOVE AND THE LAW part 2

                       Here read I Kings 22: 1-38 II Chronicles 18:1-34

Another good example of how this rule applies in God's Word(KJV) occurs in the story of the alliance of Jehoshaphat and Ahab. Jehoshaphat was a godly king of Judah, but he was unbelievably naive and idealistic. Ahab was the wicked king of Israel. Apparently, Jehoshaphat believed that because the people of Israel and the people of Judah shared the same lineage and language, that he could make an alliance with the king of Israel and both countries could be friends. Jehoshaphat was such a simple person that he did not realize that whenever goodness tries to ally with evil, the evil will always attempt to use the good for its own selfish purposes.

Ahab quickly found a way to use his new-found friend when he persuaded Jehoshaphat to join his army to Ahab's army in a fight with Syria. The hapless Jehoshaphat eagerly complied, but being a godly man he wanted Ahab to ask a prophet of the Lord about the wisdom of this venture.

Instead, Ahab gathered four hundred false prophets who would be sure to tell him that which he wanted to hear. He also thought that this false display would deceive Jehoshaphat into doing that which Ahab wanted. However, Jehoshaphat's loyalty to God overcame his naivete, and he insisted that Ahab call a prophet of the Lord to enquire of him. Ahab answered that there was one such prophet, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but tried to dissuade Jehoshaphat from calling him on the grounds that Micaiah was prejudiced against Ahab, always giving him an evil report. Jehoshaphat, knowing that a true prophet of God always gives a true report, simply told Ahab that he should not say such a thing.

Ahab, seeing that he could not get around Jehoshaphat's insistence, had an officer call Micaiah to prophesy. Secretly, Ahab told the officer to try to subvert Micaiah to agree with the false reports of the false prophets who were putting on a show for Ahab to convince Jehoshaphat that Ahab's campaign against the Syrians would be successful.
True to his status as a genuine prophet of God, Micaiah told the officer that he would report only that which the Lord told him to say. Micaiah was very courageous to take this stance because he knew that Ahab had the power to cast him into prison. As it turned out, Ahab did exactly that.

When Ahab asked Micaiah about his prophecy as to whether or not Israel and Judah should go to war, Micaiah answered that the king should go to war and prosper. Apparently though, Micaiah had said this in such a sarcastic voice, that Ahab immediately demanded that Micaiah report the truth of God's word. Ahab was smart enough to know that he could not accept this answer because he knew that everyone, especially king Jehoshaphat, had heard the unmistakable sarcasm in Micaiah's voice and that his answer would create doubt in Jehoshaphat's mind. In order to overcome this doubt, Ahab had no choice but to demand that Micaiah provide a true answer. Micaiah promptly complied, telling Ahab that Israel would lose the battle and his army would be scattered over the hills.

Ahab then immediately fell back to his old tactic of complaining that Micaiah simply held prejudices against him. This quick switch had its desired effect. Jehoshaphat's putative doubt about Ahab quickly changed to his having a doubt about Micaiah. Thus Ahab's clever trickery persuaded the gullible Jehoshaphat to ally with him despite Micaiah's following explanation of the vision that God had given him.

Micaiah then related his vision about how God had employed a "lying spirit" to deceive Ahab into going into a battle that would destroy him. However, Micaiah's message was meant for Jehoshaphat, not Ahab. Despite all of Ahab's show and machinations, God was trying to get the message to Jehoshaphat that Ahab was not his friend, and that he should not go to war with him. God knew that the naive Jehoshaphat needed special protection. Indeed, through his whole life Jehoshaphat received God's special protection.

For a human to lie to another person in order to cause his destruction constitutes a definite sin. Yet, God not only allowed, but commanded the "lying spirit" to deceive Ahab. This fact makes God directly responsible for the lie. God lied to Ahab. Did God sin? Absolutely, He did not. Because of His love and mercy toward Jehoshaphat, God desired to destroy the evil Ahab in order to protect Jehoshaphat. At the same time, God tried to get a message to Jehoshaphat that he should separate himself from Ahab.

Jehoshaphat knew that the false prophets were not of God. He had heard the sarcasm in Micaiah's voice. He also had heard Micaiah's true account of the vision that God had given him. Incidentally, Micaiah had not lied about relating only that which God had told him when he gave his sarcastic answer. He merely repeated that which the "lying spirit" had told Ahab.

God did everything He could to alert the simple Jehoshaphat to Ahab's evil intentions. Yet, despite all of God's efforts on his behalf, the addle-brained Jehoshaphat went to war with Ahab anyway.

When they went to the battle, Ahab told Jehoshaphat to keep his royal robes on, while Ahab disguised himself as an ordinary soldier. Ahab's wicked intent should have been apparent to Jehoshaphat. Ahab knew that the Syrians would go all out to kill him, so he tricked Jehoshaphat into wearing his royal robes so that the Syrians would mistake Jehoshaphat for him. This is exactly what happened, but God's special protection for Jehoshaphat prevailed and spared him from harm. However, Ahab was killed by a stray arrow shot in the general direction of the Israeli army. Thus, God's justice prevailed in the end.

This story constitutes one of the best examples in scripture of how any action perfectly motivated by love and mercy trumps the law and cannot, in itself, be sinful. During WWII, America and its allies used many lies and deceptions against the evil Nazis and Fascists in order to save lives and shorten the war. These actions were not sinful. In fact, they were noble and good because they were completely motivated by a desire to save the freedom-loving people of the world.

ON LOVE AND THE LAW part 1

Here read II Corinthians 5:21 Matthew 12:1-14 Mark 2:23-28 Mark 3:1-5 Luke 6:1-11 Leviticus 24:5-9
I Kings 22:6-23 II Chronicles 18:1-22 Hosea 6:6 Micah 6:6-8 Numbers 28:9-10

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Lord Jesus Christ never sinned or broke the law of God. He could not sin because He was God in human form and had no original sin in Him that would compel Him to sin. He is Life itself, and so when Satan tempted Him, He simply overcame Satan by quoting the Word of God. Thus He proved that Life cannot be destroyed.

One day the Pharisees rebuked Jesus for allowing His disciples to glean on the Sabbath day. They were trying to accuse Jesus of violating the law so that they could gain some power over Him. Jesus ignored their misreading of the law. The law of gleaning taught nothing about not gleaning on the Sabbath, and the law of the Sabbath rest allowed eating on the Sabbath.

Instead, Jesus chose to rebuke them in another way. He reminded them of the story of how David, and they that were with him, had eaten the shewbread which, by law, only the priests were allowed to eat. Then, He reminded them how, in the law, God had ordered the priests to make a special burnt-offering sacrifice on the Sabbath day. The subtle contrast between these two stories conveyed a message to the Pharisees that Jesus knew they would miss. The priests could hardly be blamed for violating the Sabbath by following God's command to sacrifice on the Sabbath, and David could not be blamed for showing mercy to himself and his followers when they were hungry, even though he technically violated the law by eating the priests' shewbread.

Jesus then emphasized His message, which again He knew they would miss, by flatly telling them that He was greater than the temple. Jesus used the temple as a symbol for the law because the temple held the law. Jesus' subtle message to the Pharisees was that He was God, and that God alone decides when His law has been violated and when it has not.
Jesus further emphasized His message by quoting the prophets Hosea and Micah who had taught, by the inspiration of God, that mercy was better than sacrifice. Jesus' message should have been plain to the Pharisees. It is good to obey God by sacrificing animals, but it is better to practice mercy which these sacrifices symbolize even if one technically violates the law by doing so.

Jesus then further spiked the ire of the Pharisees by brazenly telling them: "For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day." This message was unmistakable. Since God is Lord of the Sabbath, and therefore Lord over the whole law, then He retains the right to decide when love and mercy trumps a technical violation of the law. Thus, God held David blameless for eating the priests' shewbread because he was wholly motivated by love and mercy when he did so.

Immediately following Jesus' attempt to teach the clueless Pharisees, He entered a synagogue where He healed a man with a withered hand. This healing was a direct example of that lesson He had just been teaching.

The Pharisees asked Jesus if He wasn't violating the law when He healed this man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees considered this to be work on the Sabbath rest. The hypocritical Pharisees ignored compassion and mercy and demanded that the people observe a very strict adherence to the law as they interpreted it. They did this because they wanted to control the people themselves by making them forget that God is merciful. By putting impossible demands on the people, the Pharisees could dump guilt on them for the slightest infraction, knowing that whoever can be made to feel guilty can be controlled.
Jesus exposed their hypocrisy when He pointed out the fact that they had no problem rescuing animals on the Sabbath, but had no compassion for the rescue of people. Jesus then plainly told them the whole truth of the matter when He said: "Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days." No person ever violates the law of God in any act that is completely motivated by love and mercy even if such an act constitutes a technical violation of the law.

One caveat follows from this rule. One must be wholly motivated by love and compassion. If even the slightest amount of selfishness should enter into the motivation, then the act is ruined and that person has sinned. Remember the proverbial warning of the expert stunt performer: "Don't try this at home." Jesus is the expert. Humans are not.

Even human law recognizes this rule to a certain extent. For example, a person who commits a so-called "mercy killing" usually gets a light sentence because the judge realizes that even though that person may have been motivated by love and compassion when they killed a suffering loved one, that killer may also have been partly motivated by selfishness in wanting to rid himself of a burden. Soldiers in combat who kill their comrades who beg for death because they have been horribly maimed, usually are not punished at all. In any case, one must be extremely circumspect when contemplating an act of mercy that violates a law. Usually, one would be better off to leave these types of actions to God alone.

ON THE NATURE OF REALITY chapter 17

HEAVEN AND HELL

     Unbelievers have spread many canards about heaven. As I Corinthians 2:14 indicates, unbelievers completely misunderstand spiritual matters. Unbelievers have spread such foolish rumors as that in heaven humans will have angels’ wings and will do nothing but sit on clouds playing harps.
     However, verses 15-16 reveal that believers retain the potentiality to understand and to judge all matters. Verse 16 clearly teaches that believers possess the "mind of Christ." This means that having been "born again," believers have been spiritually reconnected to the infinite mind of God, and thus possess an infinite amount of wisdom from which to draw.
     I Corinthians 2:9-13 teaches that God reveals His eternal truths to believers beginning in this life and continuing into eternity. This means that believers will eventually possess more simple true ideas and their true combinations than unbelievers can ever have. Believers can draw greater wisdom from their spiritual reconnection to Infinite Duality.
     Such facts can not mean that believers have nothing to do. Believers need to spend time praying, studying God’s Word, and listening to the Holy Spirit. Believers should battle the corrupting effects of sin and confusion every day. God’s will is that believers should work hard to become more like Christ. God acquires greater glory when believers use their freedom to discover greater truths. As Jesus taught in Luke 9:23, believers should take up their cross daily and follow him.
     As I Corinthians 15:42-57, Philippians 3:20-21, I Thessalonians 4:13-18, and I John 3:2 teach, some day, in the resurrection and translation of the church, all believers will be transformed into spiritual-bodies like that of the resurrected Christ. This does not mean that believes will become gods, or that they will ever be as good as Jesus. Rather, it simply means that in their eternal home, believers will be forever disconnected form all sin and confusion. Their spiritual-bodies and minds will be perfectly clear of all corrupting influences so that they will be free to spend forever in learning more simple true ideas and in creating more true combinations. Believers will spend eternity worshiping God and learning more and more about Him. Believers will never know everything at once as God does, but they will be like bookworms in an infinite library continually consuming the infinite wisdom of God. Believers will spend forever learning new and beautiful truths that they can not now even begin to imagine. Only believers will be allowed to spend eternity learning more about science, art, mathematics, wisdom, and goodness. This privilege is reserved for those who humble themselves to God.
     Skeptics and atheists have long argued that Christians exaggerate the importance of man by putting him at the center of the universe. They argue that since there is no God, then mankind is merely one form of finite intelligence among many finite intelligences scattered throughout the universe. They assert that because many of these intelligences may be superior to man’s, then man is probably a relatively unimportant creature in the universe.
     However, it has never been true that Christians put man at the center of the universe. Christians put God at the center of the universe. God is the only being who is truly important. As Revelation 4:11 and 5:9 teach, God alone deserves all glory, praise, and honor. Man is merely a fallen creature on whom God has bestowed His love and grace.
     Actually, the skeptics and atheists are the ones who put man, or some other finite intelligence, at the center of the universe. They put their faith in finite intelligence alone. Whether that intelligence belongs to man or some other creature is immaterial to them. To their way of thinking, finite intelligence is the greatest good. Finite intelligence will ultimately save mankind, if he can be saved, from all adversity including the collapse of the universe.
     Their opinion reveals the height of arrogance and pride. The destructive effects of absolute nothingness have proven far too powerful for any finite intelligence to handle. Yet man, unwilling to admit that he needs help, shakes his puny fist in the face of the absolute nothingness that will one day crush him. Absolute nothingness simply overwhelms finite intelligence.
     Mankind needs true humility. I Peter 5:5-6 teaches that men must humble themselves to God in order to receive grace and exaltation. As Jesus taught in His parable in Luke 18:9-14, such humility must be an admission of complete and utter helplessness in one’s combat with sin. The repentant sinner must empty himself of all pride and any thought of self-help, and come to depend completely upon Christ for his salvation. The repentant sinner must open his absolute nothingness to the creative powers of God already accomplished through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son.
     In John 14:6, Jesus taught that He is the only way to God. He is the truth, and He is the life. This fact means that religion teaches that, to one degree or another, man can do something to help himself overcome his sin. God’s Word teaches that there is absolutely nothing that a man can do to overcome his absolute nothingness. A repentant sinner must humble himself enough to admit this fact to God. Then, he will be able to completely trust Christ for his salvation. Anything short of this is as unacceptable to God as was Cain’s offering. Thus Christianity may adopt some forms of religion, but true Christianity is not a religion, but rather, true Christianity comes into the hearts of believers through faith in the finished work of Christ. Hebrews 7:25 teaches that Christ alone saves to the uttermost.
     Some believers, who are also members of some religion, may yet be saved because God will forgive their sin of trusting their religion, which amounts to a lack of faith in Christ. Probably, all those who truly love Christ will be saved regardless of their Christian religious affiliation. However, believers must love the Christ of the Bible. They must love Jesus who is God and not some phony Jesus who was invented by their religion and who is less than God. True believers do fit into many categories, but they are all destined for heaven and they all possess an eternal fellowship with Christ. Those who do not believe that Jesus is God are not true believers.
     All unbelievers, whether they are atheistic or religious, are bound for hell. Because of their disconnection from the eternal Spirit, they are destined to sink toward absolute nothingness forever. Their dualities can never be broken because they were created by God. Absolute nothingness can never completely destroy anything created by God.
     This is truly a horrible fate, to sink forever toward destruction without ever being completely destroyed. Yet, one must remember that they descend into hell because they chose to put their faith in finite intelligence. For the most part, religious beliefs are in what man can do, which also amounts to belief in finite intelligence. In pride, unbelievers choose to believe in themselves rather than to humble themselves enough to ask God to save them. Even if God were to accept them into heaven, their condition would be far more horrible for them than hell itself. In heaven they would be compelled to admit that there is an Infinite Power far greater than themselves. Since they do not love God, they would be forced to live in constant humiliations. In time, they would beg to be sent back to hell. No doubt, all those in hell believe that someday their finite intelligences will devise a plan to get them out of there. They will always have a kind of hope.
     Thus, for those who have faith in finite intelligence, heaven would prove a far worse punishment than would hell. Yet, there exists a finite punishment that is far worse than even the eternal punishment of hell. This punishment is the same kind that the Apostle Peter suffered shortly after denying Jesus. This is the punishment of believers’ remorse.
     Imagine the depth of agony that Peter must have felt as recorded in Luke 22:61-62. Yet, he faced his remorse and allowed it to carry him to repentance, and as always, the forgiveness of Jesus. Jesus wanted Peter to know that he was forgiven in John 21 when Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Vestiges of shame would not allow Peter to reply with the strongest word for love; that is, the word "agape."
     In contrast, Judas Iscariot also felt remorse for his betrayal of Jesus. Yet, pride kept him from allowing himself to be guided to the humility of repentance. Instead, he chose the lesser punishment of killing himself and going to hell. He would have to suffer many terrors in hell, but at least, he would not have to suffer the humiliation of having to repent. Because those in hell become demonic, in time, he would come to be glad that he betrayed Jesus.
     Believers who commit suicide and those who die while living in deliberate disobedience suffer a tremendously profound remorse and subsequent repentance before the judgment seat of Christ that proves to be a worse punishment than all of the fires of hell could ever inflict. Yet, they can not lose their salvation and go to hell because God wills it so. They are predetermined to be conformed to the image of Christ because God wills it. In conflict with God, believers always lose. God wills that they suffer punishment worse than that of hell until such time as they repent.
     The doctrine of purgatory is not taught in scripture. Purgatory would be a form of temporary hell in which the prideful could expiate their own sins. Only Christ can expiate sin, which accounts for the need for humility within believers.
     As II Timothy 2:13 indicates, for Christ to deny His believers; He considers to be the same as denying Himself. Because He is literally their death, their life, and their righteousness, Jesus considers believers to have the same level of acceptance with the Father as He does, even if they quit believing. He can and will correct them, but He will never deny them. Note what Jesus said to Saul in Acts 9:4: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me"?
     II Corinthians 5:10 and I Corinthians 3:12-17 teach that there will be a judgment of believers. I Corinthians 3:15 indicates that this judgment is for the saved. In this judgment, sinful believers receive a far greater punishment than they would ever have received in any temporary hell.
     Verse 15 teaches that a believer’s evil works will be burned. Verse 17 indicates that God will destroy him. Yet, verse 15 states that he will be saved. This is not a contradiction. Apparently, that part of the believer’s personality that still clings to sin will be destroyed along with his evil works. This requires a depth of remorse and agony unknown to those in hell. Those in hell are punished forever, but at least they are allowed to remain what they are. Having a part of oneself destroyed would require a greater agony in finite time than could the fires of hell in infinite time.
     Jesus evidently referred to believers’ punishment in Matthew 5:25-26, and in His parable recorded in Luke 12:41-48. This parable refers to a judgment of servants, and scripture never refers to unbelievers as servants of God. Jesus taught in His parable that faithful servants will be rewarded and unfaithful ones punished. What divides those who are punished from those who are rewarded? This judgment belongs to Christ alone. Eventually, Christ will bring all punished believers out of their agony upon repentance, forgive them, and restore them to fellowship with God and their fellow saints. This happens because God’s perfection of believers is unchangeable and inevitable. This is what God has done, and is doing, and He can not fail.
     Chapters 21 and 22 of Revelation describe heaven as being unimaginably beautiful. This constitutes an apt environment for believers; they being directly connected to the infinite creativity and wisdom of God. The greatest joy of heaven is that believers will see Jesus and will forever praise and worship Him. Believers are also those of the human race who will enjoy progress forever. Believers will spend eternity in education and creativity, and all for the glory of God.
     Hell is the appropriate place for unbelievers. Their suffering will prevent them from thinking about how to concoct any more evil. Eventually, as Revelation 20: 14-15 and Revelation 21: 8 indicates, hell and death and all unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire where they will be thoroughly purged of all possibility of  devising any more evil at all. God fully intends to eliminate all sin and evil from His universe. However, if any unbeliever will simply put their faith in Christ's power to save them, then He cannot refuse them as He has promised in John 6: 37.

untitled poem

A squawking seagull
Soaring over sandy shore,
Hails halcyon days.

untitled poem

Stretching tiny wings
To test its strength, a fledgling,
Finding freedom, flies.