God Answers Prayer

When I was seven years old I had an obsession about logging trucks. One of my brothers drove one for a living and I was enraptured with the size and sound of them. Fair to say I would have been a logging truck if I could have and that I sounded like one when I was riding my push bike.

Anyway, one weekend I managed to go on a trip with my mother and stepfather. Much to his chagrin as I remember. Yes, our relationship was that good. Anyway to stay in Mum’s good books as he put it. He decided to throw me a bone and thought that he knew where he might get a scale model logging truck.

So we went to see a friend on a farm at Taupo and on the way back to Matamata through Rotorua. We stopped at the shops on Devon Street corner to ask if anyone knew the where abouts of the owner of the bookshop that used to be there? As it happened someone did know that whereabouts. It turned out he lived in near by.

We made our way to the residence. It was about six thirty in the evening as I remember and rapidly getting dark. We parked outside the residence, which was quite rural in 1968, and stepfather walked in to find the owner of the bookshop. He found him and talked to him for half an hour and then came back to the car. It turned out he didn’t make logging trucks anymore and wasn’t prepared to part with any that he still owned. Fair enough.

However, stepfather waxed lyrical about the quality of the man and his lovely daughters. One of which was about my age.  As we prepared to drive away I asked if I might meet the man and see the logging trucks. To which stepfather replied that the man wouldn’t want a boy like me around his family and refused to even entertain the idea of taking me to see them.

As we drove away resentment smoldered in my heart and I made a very specific prayer to the Lord. Father, could the daughter that was my age be my wife one day? We drove home and I forgot about the whole incident. Life happened and I thought nothing of it.

The next year I was sent to boarding school so as to give Mother and Stepfather the space to make this marriage work. After two years the marriage was all over and I came home to attend Intermediate School and after another two years I attended High School for a term before shifting to the Rotorua area where I attended High School.

I really enjoyed living in the Rotorua Area. The people were incredibly easy going and inordinately capable. High School was very relaxed but the teachers were again inordinately capable and fairly easy going. I learned a lot from them and owe a lot to them.

My Christian life flourished as well. I had been fortunate in the intervening years since 1968. Boarding School had involved attending Anglican Chapel six days a week and when I left my siblings were all becoming strong young Christians and I learnt a lot about scripture and doctrine from them.

When we shifted to Rotorua my sister gave me a Scofield King James Version Bible and I read that every evening. It was a wonderful help text and although I had a propensity to sin I think it helped me to have a strong enough faith to continue to make progress.

The reason I mention my Christian life was that I was walking out of school one Friday afternoon and I looked at a friend of mine and had the strangest experience. I had a strong feeling that he was going to be somehow connected to my future. It was an unsettling incident and I consigned it to being just weird and forgot about it as best I could.

Around that time a couple of young men came to the high school I was attending and became friends. Being rural lads we had a lot in common and it turned out that when they mentioned my surname to their father he remembered a young chap working for them with that name. They asked me if I had a brother who had worked for them some years before. I did some research and it turned out one of my brothers had worked for them on a farm they were share milking on in the mid sixties. .

One of the two young men left high school fairly soon after that to begin an automotive apprenticeship. The other stayed on for another year, 1978 if I remember correctly. He was always telling me about his beautiful cousin and one day introduced me to her when she came to the school on the back of her boyfriends motorbike. My friend ignored her boyfriend and introduced me to her as if recommending me to her as a replacement boyfriend. Quite and awkward interlude as I recollect.

I left school at the end of 1978 and worked on the family farm. I was always interested in enduro motorbikes and I  had several friends who also liked bashing around on bikes as well. Among them were my two friends from school. We had a couple of other dear friends from school days who joined us more often than not on the crop paddocks on one of the farms that our families owned.

The cousins of the girl I met were always talking about how she was going an telling me I should meet her and go out with her. I hadn’t really met her so I wasn’t particularly interested in their overtures. Time went by and we arrived at New Years Eve 1981. I took the opportunity to dance with the lady concerned at the local New Years dance celebration and over time we became an item. We went out together for a couple of years and I finally popped the question and we were married in the autumn of 1984.

It wasn’t until some years after we married that I thought of the prayer I had made as a seven year old in 1968 asking God if that girl could one day be my wife. I gradually recalled that the residence we went to then was my wife’s family home. Her parents had owned the bookshop and the model logging truck was still there.

The boy that I felt sure was connected to my life was her boyfriend with the motorbike. Her cousins were integral in encouraging me to pursue her and the connection of their family to mine through my brother working for their father played its part as well. Not to mention that if my family hadn’t moved to Rotorua area none of this would have happened.

So there you have it, Yahweh answers prayer. I asked if that seven year old girl could be my wife one day. Sixteen years later we were married and as I write this piece we have now been married for thirty eight years and have successfully raised six children and have a number grandchildren. All of this from the prayer of a seven year old boy to his Lord and God in the name of Jesus Christ.

Christianity: Shonky Doctrines of Salvation and Limited Atonement

 

Over the last few years I have looked into a number of the most common Christian and Protestant sects and denominations and tried to come to a rational understanding of some pf what they teach and believe about biblical truth and Church Traditions.

I’ve looked into Calvinism, Wesleyan Arminianism, Seventh Day Adventism and Roman Catholicism. The really surprising thing is that when it comes to Salvation that essentially what they all believe, and teach, in one way or another is based on or amounts to Limited Atonement.

Calvinism obviously rocks Limited Atonement at part of Tulip although what I’m talking about here is the Covenant of Redemption. An agreement said to exist between God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ made in the time of the beginning. This covenant as I understand it is to decide who will be elected to the Church and predestined to Salvation or alternatively  predestined to damnation and eternal loss. I would argue that this is not the Limited Atonement of TULIP which states the God chooses whom he will save as it pleases Him. No the Covenant of Redemption almost seems to imply that Christ’s work on the Cross was only sufficient for a certain number of souls to be redeemed and no more? Limited capacity to save mankind might be a better description than Limited Atonement in this case.

Now when looking at the Wesleyans they would say that they don’t believe in Limited Atonement. Quite the opposite in fact. However, because of the Wesleyan infatuation with the Doctrine of Scriptural Holiness it seems that they actually do. Even if they don’t realise that they do? You see the bible teaches that we are drawn to Christ Jesus by the Father and Jesus says that those who are His sheep listen to His voice and are in His hand. No one can snatch them from His hand. Yet the Wesleyan’s would caution that sanctification is based on personal holiness and that there is a real danger to the unrepentant Christian, who is un holy, of losing their Salvation. They appear to be implying that Salvation equals Grace plus works of holiness. I wonder if what they are saying here that the redemptive work of Christ Jesus is in some way deficient? Perhaps it seems to them that He cannot honor His pledge not to allow his children to slip from His hand? So it would seem that we must resign ourselves to strive hard at holiness in the process of working out our salvation? Why? Well it seems that there’s something lacking in Christ’s work on the Cross. Limited Atonement?

The Adventist’s also teach Limited Atonement by virtue of their Doctrine of the Investigative Judgement. Essentially most of the Adventist doctrines are related to Limited Atonement in some form or other. For instance they believe that Christ is not the only begotten Son of God and is in fact the Arch Angel Michael. Michael is the Prince responsible for the people of Israel in the book of Daniel. If Jesus was a created angel and not the only begotten Son of God. Surely, it follows that his sacrifice would be limited in value. So salvation becomes Grace plus works otherwise very few people would make it to heaven. Hence Jesus is in the Inner Sanctuary in heaven since 1844 deciding whose names are in the book of life.

This also explains why the Adventist’s believe in soul sleep as well. Because Jesus is in the Inner Sanctuary deciding who will make it to heaven. It would be most inconvenient if folks were dying and turning up in heaven before Jesus had worked out who was actually saved.  

There is another one of their doctrines that tends to sour the patch as far as Salvation goes as well. The doctrine of the Sabbath. Adventist’s believe that the Sabbath is the Seal of God from the book of Revelation. If you don’t keep the Saturday Sabbath they believe that you won’t make it to Heaven. So atonement is limited to those who have kept the Saturday Sabbath.

If you put all of these doctrines together particularly the Doctrine of the Sabbath but even Christ being Michael the Arch Angel. It explains why they see themselves as being spiritual Israel and the 144000 of the 12 tribes of Israel in the book of Revelation. It also comes down to the fact that the Adventist’s have put themselves back under the Law of Moses by keeping the Saturday Sabbath.

Finally, lets briefly look at the Roman Catholic Church. Now the Catholic’s don’t concern themselves greatly with the bible as they are more concerned with Church Tradition and this can be found in detail in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Essentially, the Catholic Church teaches that salvation is bestowed on the believer by the Church herself and that obedience to the Church and her edicts is the most important aspect of finding Salvation and making it to heaven.

The Pope and the Cardinals decide the Churches position on any given matter in Church Councils. This results in the Catechism which helps the believer to know their responsibilities in regard to the matters of salvation.

The basis of Salvation for the Catholic believer is salvation by grace plus the works of the individual believer. Most believers will not make to heaven when they die and will spend
 time in purgatory until they eventually make it to heaven at a future date. Time drags in purgatory so 100 years there might seem like aeons of time.

In any case Christ’s atonement is very definitely limited with the Catholic Church as virtually no one makes it to heaven without time spent in purgatory to pay for their sins. The quality of the holiness shown by the individual believer is paramount in deciding how long they will spend in purgatory. So it’s grace plus works and not Christ’s work on the Cross alone that determines salvation for Catholics, How this all works is decided by the Holy Roman Catholic Church under the governance of the Pope and the Cardinals.

So, why is there such a problem with shonky doctrines and limited atonement? Well in the Garden of Eden the Serpent attacked the character of God right from the start. He manipulated Eve by saying to her that God had said she may not eat the fruit of any tree in the garden. To which she replied we may eat the fruit of any tree but not the tree in the center of the garden. He asked why and when she said that God told them that if they ate the fruit of that tree they would certainly die. He said oh you most certainly not die and God knows that if you eat the fruit of that tree you will be like God knowing the difference between good and evil. So the devil sowed the seed of doubt in Eve’s heart. Causing her not to trust God’s honesty.

That’s the same thing he’s doing here in the Church with doctrines of Limited Atonement. When a new denomination grows up around a series of doctrines. Satan always attacks the capacity of Christ’s redemptive work on the Cross. The result is always the same, for some reason Christ’s work is limited in it’s ability to atone for the sins of the lost. So one way or another mankind is going to have to supplement Grace with works or else the number of people who can be atoned for is quite small. Christ therefore didn’t sacrifice for all but for a very select group of elect people.

Poor old mankind just can’t possibly believe that he has a wonderful God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but will inherit eternal life. So provision is made for all to be saved even though not all will believe. Yes it’s going to be an elect remnant who are saved but despite God’s best efforts not because of them.

The greatest single factor that underpins all of these shonky doctrines of these various sects and denominations is not mans total depravity. Oh no, it’s the devil’s attack on the redemptive capacity of Christ Jesus sacrifice on the Cross. It’s Limited Atonement and it plays right into the human heart’s unwillingness to believe that God is so loving that He would provide salvation for all if all should choose to accept it. All mankind needs to understand is that it is Grace that provides the ability to accept or reject salvation. It’s simple faith really. So there you have it my personal explanation for shonky doctrines and limited atonement.

I Timothy 4:10 “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

How it is....

 

Christians are people of faith and believe strongly that God is in control of the events that are playing out on the Earth and in the greater Universe. That is not to say God permits all of the bad things that happen to good people. When asked about that Jesus was clear that an enemy was responsible for those events that befall innocent people. But beyond the activities of Satan and his followers the Earth is the Lord’s.

Today many people think that there is no God and the was no Creation. Rather that the Universe has existed for a very long time and that all of the things that it contains are the result of a Big Bang that began the Universe 13 billion years ago and which also explains all of the items that it contains. Stars, planets, quasars, black holes and even life. They believe that everything came from nothing and that even the laws of physics simply exist without overt cause. Chaos produces order apparently?

The reality of how it is? Quite simply, Yahweh is Lord of All. Regardless of whoever says what, the truth is the that Yahweh is the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth and He is Lord. He is literally the only being of consequence that you need to know about. There are those who worship philosophies like evolution or atheism. There are those who worship Satan through any number of deities under the Sun. But there is only one God, Yahweh who is known as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Triune God. This is how it is.

You need to know about Salvation and how it is. There is only one name by which you must be saved under the Sun. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Who so loved you He took your sin on Himself and shed His blood in sacrifice, on the Cross, to pay the price of your sin. So that if you believe on Christ Jesus you will not perish but will inherit eternal life. This is how it is. Believe it and live or deny it and perish.

You need to know about Sin and how it is. In the current iteration of Western Society we’ve shelved Christianity, or tried too. We’re more focused on discrimination against the different sects in society and things like the science and critical race theory. Terrible Christians say things like the bible says being gay is a sin and women should be in submission to their husbands. This we are told is hate speech and discrimination and of course should be against the law. The reality is that the word sin applies to the breaking of God’s Law. One sin is basically the same as another and attracts the same consequence. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” So thanks to the sin of Adam and Eve we are all sinners. You man be gay or not in submission to your husband but I can tell you we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3.23). My sin is just as bad as yours and so is everyone else’s. We are all stand guilty before God are under sentence of death. That is unless you believe on Christ Jesus that He bore your sins on the Cross. In which case, He has imputed his righteousness to you and you stand before God justified. This is how sin is and how God empowers you to be successful in your Christian Life through repentance and baptism. Or not if you aren’t a Christian.

You need to know about Repentance, Baptism and Sanctification and how it is. Acts chapter 2 verse 38 says  “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” To repent is to have a change of mind or behaviour and as a Christian is turn away from sin and wickedness. In the Old Testament the people were called to repentance but because of the condition of their hearts were not able to genuinely repent from their sins.

In the New Testament because of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, when accompanied by baptism as a declaration of obedience to God. Genuine Repentance becomes available to the believer because the helper (the Holy Spirit), resides in the believer’s heart. This enables the believer to be justified, genuinely repentant and the sanctification process to begin in the believers spiritual life.

Sanctification is being cleansed of sin and made holy by the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart and sees you made into a temple of the Living God during the course of this life. It is generally accepted the process of sanctification is completed at the time of death for the believer or saint concerned. So God undertakes that the believing Christian will be sanctified in time for the resurrection body and eternal life. The process starts with repentance from sin and believer baptism.

Believer Baptism is commanded in (Acts 2:38) and is the process of physical immersion in water and is symbolic in Judaism of ritual cleansing. It is also symbolic of dying to sin with Christ and just as death involves being buried in the Earth and the body being covered so in baptism being covered totally in water symbolises burial. Being lifted out of the water symbolises sharing in Christ’s resurrection unto the newness of life (Rom 6:3-5). In symbolising cleansing baptism represents sanctification of the new believer. This is how repentance, baptism and sanctification is. God did this for you because He loves you.

You need to know about the Love of God and how it is. John 3 verse 16 says “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” God so loved you that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross at Calvary to make provision for the sinners of this World to be saved. That is if they believe on Him and that His blood shed as a sacrifice on the cross is applied to their sins through God’s Grace.

1John chapter 1 verse 9 states “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is the mode by which Gods love is expressed toward us as He sanctifies us (Cleanses) from sin and draws us closer to Himself. In 1John 4 verses 7-11, the apostle John tells us more about God’s love. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” NASB This is how God’s Love is.

Finally, you need to know about Prophecy and about the time in which you live and how it is. This final concept that I want to share with you is about this time in which we live. It is always important to know about Salvation and Sin along with Justification and Sanctification and God’s love. However it is good to have a grasp on the World situation and where we are in the prophetic calendar of events as it were.

Most people living in New Zealand would understand the feeling of unease that has been with us since 2016. Back then our Prime Minister John Key suddenly stepped down. This resulted in a switch to socialism at the 2017 election with Jacindar Ardern’s government sweeping to power. Since then we’ve had weird events every three to six months. Measles epidemics, mass shootings, Covid pandemic, anti conservative agenda, anti have speech agenda, anti farmer agenda, climate change disasters and legislation for that climate agenda. Even here in New Zealand it has been fraught.

Overseas we have China building toward war in the South China Sea. The Ukraine War has seen NATO mobilise troops along the Ukraine and Russian Borders. While Russia have continued the war in Ukraine and at the same time mobilised their ICBM’s which can hit the United Kingdom in three minutes and hypersonic missiles which are capable of striking the USA in fifteen minutes. Very disturbing.

It seems to me that the Third World War is at hand folks. You may not think so but that’s how it seems and it appears it will be nuclear. Even if this doesn’t happen. If we are honest about the impacts of Climate Change and the effects of a global population of eight billion souls on the planet. The prospects of the survival of mankind are not looking good even in the medium term. I’m not an expert and I may be wrong but it seems like our prospects are not so good and that this could definitely be how it is??? What do you think?