Teachings – Page 59

What Does It Mean to be Saved?

February 20, 2014February 21, 2014 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 25 of 57 in the series Mysteries

Question Twenty-Five

What Does It Mean to be Saved?

One of the most common questions that comes up when anything from the Bible is discussed is:

“Are you saved?”

I have an unorthodox approach on many lines of thought and my dialog in a discussion may go something like this.

Him: Are you saved?

Me: I’m saved from a number of things. What did you have in mind?

Him: Are you saved from sin?

Me: What do you mean by that?

Him: Well, I mean, are your sins washed away?

Me: And what do you mean by that?

Him: I mean that if you accept Jesus into your heart your sins will be forgiven and you will be saved.

Me: It doesn’t say anything in the Bible about accepting Jesus into your heart.

Him: Sure it does.

Me: Where?

Him: (He looks but can’t find it for it is not there.)

Me: Look, You’re just not clear what it is I’m supposed to be saved from.

Him: Are you an idiot? You need to be saved from your sins.

Me: And what is sin?

Him: Everyone knows what sin is.

Me: Then you should be able to tell me.

Him: Sin is the transgression of the laws of God.

Me: Does that include all the laws of the Old Testament such as putting gays, witches, disobedient children and Sabbath breakers to death? Are you a sinner because you do not put your neighbor to death who goes to work on the Sabbath?

Him: Well, no. The law of Christ superseded those draconian measures

Me: So what law can I break that would be considered a sin?

Him: Any of the Ten Commandments

Me: I thought the Ten Commandments came from the Old Testament. Are you saying they are a part of the Law of Christ?

Him: Well, Jesus supported obeying the Ten Commandments.

Me: So are the Ten Commandments the Law of Christ we are supposed to obey?

Him: They are not specifically the Law of Christ.

Me: So what is it in the Law of Christ that was supposed to have replaced the Laws of Moses that will be sin if transgressed?

Him: (He does not have a clear answer.)

Me: Let me help you out here. Let’s read the words of Jesus. He was asked, “Which is the great commandment in the law?

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matt 22:36-40

Would you agree then that all the commandments supported by Jesus “hangs” or is summed up in these two commandments?

Him: Yes, I suppose. That seems to be what he is saying.

Me: Jesus reinforced this idea when he said, “ Matt “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Matt 7:12

So to sin then I would have to violate the spirit of these two commandments. For instance, if I stole something from my neighbor that would violate the idea of loving him as I love myself, correct?

Him: Yes, I suppose.

Me: To better understand sin it may be helpful to examine the Greek from which the word was translated. The word “sin’ in the New Testament comes from HAMARTIA which is derived from HAMARTANO which means “to miss the mark.” In other words, when the Greeks 2000 years ago shot at a target with an arrow and missed they “sinned” (HAMARTANO) or missed the target. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon tells us that the Greeks also used it to mean “an error in understanding.” I suppose that if you error and miss the truth you are missing the mark, wouldn’t you say?

Him: I suppose.

Me: So when we sin we are really making an error and not seeing or acting on what is true. Do you agree?

Him: Sounds right.

Me: If we apply this understanding then we could say that when we are saved from sin we are saved from error. In other words, salvation is seeing and acting on what is true rather than illusion. Do you suppose this is why Jesus said, “The truth shall make you free?” (John 8:32)

Him: Interesting to think about.

Me: That was almost the same as saying, “The truth will save you.”

What do you suppose is the main error that Jesus came to save us from?

Him: I suppose it would be errors that take us away from loving God and man.

Me: Yes, and there is one huge error, above all the others that takes us away from that love. Do you recall what Jesus often said about the sins of the people he healed?

Him: He told them that their sins were forgiven.

Me: Yes, and right after he told them that they were healed physically. Do you suppose they also felt different within themselves?

Him: I would imagine there was a big difference.

Me: And what would that difference be?

Him: Before their sins were removed they probably felt weighed down with guilt. I’m sure it was a great relief to have that removed.

Me: I agree. Does guilt serve any useful purpose rather than make us feel sick emotionally and physically?

Him: It makes us realize the seriousness of our sins.

Me: But it also paralyzes us and takes us away from the love of God and man. Now remember the original Greek for sin meant to “miss the mark.” When the Greeks shot at a target and missed they were said to have sinned. Let us suppose we have two archers trying to perfect their aim. The first one feels no guilt when he misses and the other one does. Which one will perfect their shooting first?

Him: Probably the one without the guilt.

Me: Yes. When the one without the guilt misses he may get a little irritated with himself but he immediately picks up another arrow and tries again. But imagine the other guy missing and then feeling weighed down with guilt because of his error. He may feel unworthy to shoot again until he feels punished. It may be a month before he shoots again. How long will it take this guy to become a perfect shot?

Him: Quite a while, if ever.

Me: In fact, it would be plain silly to punish yourself with guilt just because you make a mistake, wouldn’t it?

Him: But many would not change their ways if they didn’t feel guilt.

Me: And you have just struck on the great error that Jesus came to save us from. To understand, consider the archers again. They both want to be perfect in their craft. Guilt has nothing to do with this desire. It exists independent of guilt. The one who allows guilt to get in the way is at a standstill in his progress.

This same principle applies to any error we make. Let us look at two men who decide to be better people. The first has made a lot of mistakes but realizes that feeling guilty does not change the past and just moves ahead correcting his mistakes and doing his best. The second man also has a lot of mistakes in his past but feels very guilty when reflecting on them. He doesn’t feel worthy to move ahead. His guilt makes him feel like he needs to be punished first and he feels paralyzed with fear. Which man is taking the most common sense approach?

Him: I never thought of it that way, but I suppose it would be the first.

Me: Do you recall a popular greeting Jesus made when encountering his disciples?

Him: He often said, “Peace be unto you.”

Me: Yes, and he is also called the “Prince of Peace.”

Could his disciples accept the peace he offered if they were weighed down with guilt?

Him: Probably not.

Me: Considering this line of reasoning we can conclude that all the acts and teachings in the life of Jesus had the great purpose of removing our greatest error. His salvation was to save us from the error of guilt, for when guilt is removed the door to peace is open to us. Is this not wonderful knowledge?

Him: You’ve guided me toward some interesting thinking but I doubt if many regular Christians will accept it.

Me: All have difficulty thinking outside the box, but truth cuts its own path and it is always just a matter of time before it is accepted.

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Are We the Most Wicked Generation?

February 18, 2014 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 23 of 57 in the series Mysteries

Question Twenty-Four

Are We the Most Wicked Generation?

There is one message that most people who have attended church have heard many times which is this:

We are living in the wickedest time of all history. As evidence of this, we are told to look around and witness the wars and rumors of wars, man’s inhumanity to man, the high divorce rate, abortions, crime and many other things. Preachers also cite the Bible as evidence. For instance Jesus said, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt 24:37

The idea here is that the people at the time of Noah were so wicked they had to be destroyed, so if the last days are like that then the people today must be pretty bad also.

On the other hand, the scripture referenced does not talk about the wickedness of the people but the fact that the people were caught off guard by the flood. Even so, will the people not be prepared for the coming of Christ.

When I was younger I accepted this idea that the people of the world were getting worse all the time without questioning. I seemed to receive verification of this each time I picked up the morning paper and read about the outrages of the day.

Then one day, decades ago, I was reading an interesting book and the author made the statement that the world was not getting worse but better and gave several examples. I immediately saw that he was correct. I felt kind of embarrassed that I did not see this sooner as it seemed so obvious when one thinks about it.

Yes, there are lots of terrible things happening in the world but overall we are doing much better than we used to. Here are some examples;

(1) The elimination of slavery. Slavery for most of our history was a common practice among most nations and races. It is just the past few centuries that most of the world has ceased this practice and we are much better for doing so.

(2) Human sacrifice and cannibalism. This was a common practice in the ancient world, but very rare today.

(3) Fewer deaths from war. Since the close of World War II there has been a smaller percentage of the people die in war than any time in recorded history.

(4) Longer Life Spans. We have went from an average life span of around 25 years in the Roman era to advancing to about 40 by the 1800s. In the United States it is now 78 years and higher than this in some parts of the world. Part of the reason for this is fewer people are murdered and killed in war.

(5) Child labor and abuse. It wasn’t long ago that pre-teen children were forced to work up to 15 hours a day 6-7 days a week. We have now risen above such abuse.

(6) Torture and inhumane death sentences. During most of our history torture of enemies, or even dissidents was common procedure. We’re not talking about something mild like waterboarding several individuals. Instead, authorities did things like:

• Stretching victims on the rack.

• Roasting them slowing alive. If they were lucky they were just burned at the stake.

• Gouging out their eyes cutting off tongues, ears and other members.

• Hanging the victim until he was unconscious, resuscitating him and then hanging him again.

• Disemboweling the victim and pulling out his beating heart while he is still alive.

• Drilling holes in his head.

• Feeding victims to the lions.

All these things are unheard of in the United States and other civilized countries that are condemned by many religions as being the wickedest ever.

(7) Insensitivity to human needs. In the old days it was often “each man for himself” attitude. Now whenever there is a catastrophe people reach out to help the victims. Even in times of war the Red Cross is usually allowed to assist the wounded.

(8) Insensitivity to animals. It is only in recent times that the general population has shown much concern for pain and distress we may cause to animals.

An incident that seemed to be a turning point happened in my home state of Idaho. In 1981 the southern part of the state was experiencing an overpopulation of jackrabbits, which were eating millions of dollars worth of grain. 600 farmers decided to do something about it and rounded up over 15,000 of the rabbits and clubbed them to death with baseball bats, tire irons and ax handles.

This made the national news in a big way. The image of Neanderthal farmers clubbing poor little bunnies to death really struck a chord. If they had burned them, shot them or poisoned them it probably wouldn’t have raised such eyebrows, but the image of clubbing rabbits with baseball bats and tire irons was just too much. The nation expressed outrage toward the farmers and had little sympathy for their financial loss.

I remember thinking at the time how unusual this outrage seemed to be as, until that time, no one seemed to care what happened to jackrabbits as they were somewhat of a nuisance to many.

Yes, until recent times, cruelty to animals was generally overlooked by the masses. Just a few centuries ago cruelty to animals, even cats and dogs was seen as good clean sport. In Medieval Paris it was considered fun to slowly roast a cat alive and laugh as it shrieked in pain as it was lowered into the fire.

In England they would nail a cat to a post and players would batter it to death with their heads. Until recently dog and cock fights were popular entertainment. When I was a kid in the Fifties my Dad would often take me to cockfights where they fought to the death.

(9) Homicides and violent crime is much lower today than in centuries past.

The bottom line is that humanity has its flaws and there are a few bad apples among us, but overall we are making progress and becoming better as a whole, not worse.

Here’s my judgment derived from a lifetime of observing and interacting with people. About 90% of the population are fairly decent people trying to live their lives the best they know how. Of the remaining, about 9% are just plain irritating or obnoxious. The remaining 1% range from somewhat crazy to outright dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

I don’t see God as being angry at the 90% of decent people we see about us or even a large percentage of them. If calamities befall them it will be from natural cause and effect.

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Is Jesus Coming Again?

February 14, 2014 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 22 of 57 in the series Mysteries

Question Twenty-Three

Is Jesus Coming Again?

According to a Pew Research poll taken in 2006 79% of Christians believe that Jesus is going to come again sometime in the future. Then another Pew poll taken in 2010 shows that 47% of Christians, or 41% of the general population, believe that he will show up by 2050.

A large percentage of these believers see the world as we know it ending when he returns. Others see his return as less disruptive but marking a transition into a new and better age.

There are also differing beliefs about how he will manifest. Many see him literally showing up in the clouds of the sky with millions of angels to wipe out the wicked and forcefully establish his kingdom on the earth or rapture the righteous into heaven.

Still others tell us the Greek for “coming” in Matt 24:3 is PAROUSIA and should be translated as merely “presence.” Therefore, the world will somehow be endowed with his spiritual presence, rather than him showing up in a physical body.

Then others who believe in a Second Coming see Jesus as showing up as one of us, but having extraordinary talents that will help humanity move toward the goal of “peace on earth, goodwill toward men.”

So, what is the truth of the matter here? Will Jesus really show up again, and if so, how?

The answer to the first is a definite yes. He said he would come again and indeed we can look for him to show up in some manner. The scriptures themselves provide some clues on the matter.

Will he show up in a blaze of glory and destroy the wicked by fire? To see if this may be true let us examine how he dealt with those who rejected him 2000 years ago:

“And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

“But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” Luke 9:52-56

Here we gain a grand insight into the thinking of Jesus. The apostles had the idea that since this particular village rejected them they needed to be taught a lesson and that Jesus should command fire to come down out of heaven and consume them. If this were to happen, they wouldn’t have that problem any more as other towns wouldn’t want to suffer the same fate.

To this idea Jesus gave them an unexpected rebuke saying, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.”

And what manner of spirit is it that wants to destroy men’s lives? That is the spirit of evil, not the good that is in Christ.

There may be great destructions and calamities in the future but they will come from either men or Mother Earth, not from Jesus throwing down destruction upon us as his mission is to save, not destroy.

So how about the second option? Will we somehow be endowed with his presence and how could that happen?

A clue is given in the Book of Revelation:

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Rev 3:20

According to this there will be those who hear the knock, will open the door and Christ “will come in to him.” If the actual presence of Christ is in your neighbor, John Smith, then the presence of Christ is on the earth, is it not?

This makes sense. After all, Jesus said, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.” Matt 28:20

So one of the ways that his coming materializes is through the dwelling in various disciples which allows his presence to be with us always till the end of the age.

And what happens at the end of the age? Will he actually walk among us again? Perhaps the scriptures give us a clue as to when this shall be.

In giving the signs of His coming Jesus says that first there shall be great tribulation, as never seen before. When Daniel talks about this tribulation he tells us that it applies to the “holy people.” (Dan 8:24) This would most likely mean the Jews.

So what was the greatest tribulation that ever happened to the Jews that, if it was not shortened, then none of them would have been saved? (Matt 24:21-22)

That would have been the systematic extermination of the Jews under Hitler, the greatest antichrist in our history.

After this tribulation Jesus is quoted as saying:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”Matt 24:29-30

This is a description of “the sign of the Son of man in heaven.” Most think this will be some great sign they will see in the sky telling them that Jesus is coming. They overlook a very important point. The scripture says that this sign will make “all the tribes of the earth mourn.” If this is a sign that Jesus is coming then why would everyone on the earth mourn when they see it? Surely someone would be happy to see a sign that indicates his Lord is on his way.

Well, there was such a sign that did cause all the peoples of the earth to mourn. It even caused the most sincere believers in Christ to mourn. What was it?

The answer is given in the name and description of the sign itself. Remember, it is called, “the sign of the Son of man in heaven.” “Heaven” comes from the Greek word OURANOS. And what other modern word comes from this?

Uranium.

If we substitute “uranium” for heaven we can see a startling new meaning revealed for instead of the sign being in the sky it would read “the sign of the Son of man in uranium.”

And what does it say about this sign given right after the tribulation of the Jews?

“The powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” If we substitute uranium for heaven it then reads:

“The powers of uranium shall be shaken.”

We know the powers of heaven will not be shaken but right after the genocide against the Jews was ended the powers of uranium were shaken and the first atomic bomb exploded.

This great sign did indeed cause all the peoples of the earth to mourn. Even though it helped to end the war all were terrified about its use in the future.

Could you imagine someone two thousand years ago trying to describe an atomic blast. Perhaps he would say that it would be so bright that it would blot out the light of the sun and the moon and would appear with “the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Wait. That is exactly what Jesus did say and it is a perfect description of an atomic blast.

So, does this give us a clue as to when Christ will again appear?

It does, for after talking about this sign he says, “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Matt 24:34

This tells us that of those who were alive in 1945, when the atomic bomb first exploded, will not all pass away by the time Christ comes again. A number from that time will live to be over 100 so according to this logic he should show up before 2050.

But consider this. His presence may have already been among us. Remember his promise that he will come into certain disciples and abide with them. Since 1945 it is quite possible that his presence has rested upon a number of disciples and servants to the human race and worked directly through them.

But will he come as a physical being walking again among us? I believe that is the plan and it is the hope of many millions including myself.

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Is the End of the World at Hand?

February 12, 2014 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 21 of 57 in the series Mysteries

Question 22

Is the End of the World at Hand?

Believers have often talked about the end of days, or the end times, as if they are just around the corner. As I write this I am 69 and this attitude has not changed in my lifetime. I remember back when I was a kid that religious people were telling me that the Second Coming of Jesus, the end, or some type of general apocalyptic doom or collapse was coming within a couple years. “The time is so close at hand that it’s scary to think about,” was the general tone I heard.

After I learned a little history I discovered that the end times has been seen as something just around the corner for thousands of years, dating back to the Bible itself. The Apostle Paul wrote this:

“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: I Thess 4:15-16

The fact that Paul said, “we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord” indicates that he personally believed that many in his day would live to see the end times.

Talk of the end times did not cease with the death of Paul and his generation. Each succeeding generation had their prophets and teachers warning the people that the time was short. As the year 1000 approached concern about the time of the end increased and then faded for a while when nothing happened.

In the 1800s there was a renewed interest in the end of days. The Mormons officially called themselves “Latter -Day Saints” because they thought the Second coming and the end of times were at hand. Most of those who joined at the founding of the church believed they would live to see Jesus coming in clouds of glory. Now more than 180 years has passed since the founding of the church and life is still going on as normal.

The Adventist movement was another in that century that was anticipating the end of days. William Miller and Samuel S. Snow were famous for preaching that Jesus was going to arrive no later than sometime in 1844. Many thousands were expecting this and some went so far as to give away all their possessions. After the date came and went the followers were greatly disappointed to the extent that the time was even named “The Great Disappointment.”

Charles Taze Russell who founded the Jehovah Witnesses predicted that 1914 would mark the time of the end. When that didn’t materialize other dates surfaced and failed.

Since that time there have been too many end time predictions to mention. We read about some strange ones in the news on a regular basis. Several known to most people involve the Hale Bopp Comet, Y-2K and the 2012 Mayan prophecies.

So what is the reason that so many have such a high expectation of the end of the world? Does the Bible spell it out?

It appears on the surface that Jesus is responsible for all this expectation of the end of the world. In Matthew Chapter 24 we read of an answer he gave to his disciples’ inquiry:

“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Matt 24:3

There it is. The disciples asked for signs of the end of the world and Jesus answered them with lots of predictions.

The problem is that a key word here is mistranslated which alters the whole meaning. The Greek word from which “world” is translated is AION. This is the word from which the English “eon” was derived and has a similar meaning. The disciples were not asking about signs of the end of the world, but of the end of the age. Most of the newer versions now translate this correctly, but until recently this mistranslation set a false tone for an end, which was not really predicted.

An age has a beginning and an end. The end of an age is the end of a cycle of time, not the end of the world.

The second Biblical scripture that gives people the idea that the world is coming to an end is the Book of Revelation. If a believer reads this through and expects the events predicted to literally take place then, yes, it would seem that the Bible predicts the world is coming to an end, and soon. After all, that is what the first verse of the book says – that the things in the book “must shortly come to pass.”

Actually, the grasping of that first verse is the key to understanding that the Book of Revelation has been misunderstood for 2000 years. Let us take a look:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Rev 1:1-3

John was shown things “which must shortly come to pass.”

This seems to be an odd statement indeed when almost 2000 years has passed since it was written and most believe that the events have still not come to pass. Where is the great comet striking the earth? Where is the antichrist and where are the waters that are turned to blood, etc? 2000 years is not a short time by any standard, yet the scripture says these things would “shortly come to pass.”

Now note the end of verse three: “the time is at hand.” Not only is the time short, but the time is at hand.

2000 years is a long time in anyone’s book and who would say today, that “the time is at hand,” if they were writing today and predicting events that would take place in the year 4000 and beyond? No one.

If we take the scripture at its word then obviously it was not talking about the end of the world. The first sentence gives us a key of understanding. It says the book is a “Revelation of Jesus Christ.” “Revelation” here comes from the Greek APOKALUPSIS. Does this Greek word look a little familiar? It should, for it is the word from which “Apocalypse” is derived. The book is sometimes called “The Book of Revelation” and other times “The Apocalypse,” but in reality the name is the same. “Apocalypse” is the Greek rendition but “Revelation” is the English of the same original word. Let us examine the Greek word a little more carefully. APOKALUPSIS is translated in a variety of ways including, “revelation, be revealed, to lighten, manifestation , coming and appearing.” It is derived from the Greek APOKALUPTO which means “to take off the cover.” This is perhaps the reason the Concordant Version translates the word as “unveiling.” In fact, their translation does not name the book Revelation, or the Apocalypse, but “The Unveiling Of Jesus Christ.”

“Unveiling” has a deeper meaning than the word “revelation”. A revelation of Jesus Christ could occur by having a brief vision and seeing his image. But an unveiling is a different story. A brief vision could not do this. To unveil Jesus Christ would imply the revealing of his mystery, layer after layer until there is a full understanding of the Master himself.

That which will shortly come to pass for the reader is not the end of the world, but the understanding of the mystery of Christ. This understanding is presented throughout the book in symbolic language that reveals this mystery and was not intended to tell us the world was going to end soon.

I have written a whole book, called “The Unveiling” explaining the meaning of the Book of Revelation. Here the reader will be amazed to discover a fascinating interpretation unlike any seen before.

The original question was, “Is the end of the world at hand?”

The answer is no. The world will continue for millions of years. The real question should be, “Is the end of the age at hand?”

The answer is yes. A new age is dawning upon us and the old is passing away. It is up to us to make sure the coming age is a good one.

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Did Humans And Dinosaurs Live At The Same Time?

February 10, 2014February 11, 2014 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 20 of 57 in the series Mysteries

Question Twenty-One

Did Humans And Dinosaurs Live At The Same Time?

So, do Bible believers really think that humans and dinosaurs lived in the same timeframe – and why would they believe this?

The answer is this.

As we said earlier 30% of the American public accept the Bible literally whereas 49% see it as inspired but do not take every word of the King James Version literally. Of the 30% of literalists. most believe that man and the animals have only been on the earth for around 6000 years. If this is so, then the dinosaurs and humans had to live here together at one time. And what happened to the dinosaurs? They believe they were destroyed in the flood of Noah about 4000 years ago. They do not accept the scientific methods of dating since it disagrees with their interpretation.

Most of the 49% of the non-literal believers accept the scientific evidence that we live on an ancient planet and the dinosaurs perished millions of years before modern man. They do not see that acceptance as any reason to diminish their faith or acceptance of the inspired words that are in the Bible.

So, do the fundamentalists have a point? Do they have any ground to stand on? If we accept the discoveries of science we cannot accept that men and dinosaurs lived together, right?

The answer may not be as simple as one would think. This is not because the earth may be just 6000 years old but because the existence of humans on this planet may go much further back in history than commonly believed.

Here is some of the evidence:

(1) The Klerksdorp Spheres.

These are numerous grooved spheres found South Africa, dated at 2.8 billion years old.

Over the past several decades, South African miners have found hundreds of these metallic spheres, one of which is pictured below. Some say these are obviously man made but others who think this is impossible theorize that they were somehow naturally made in the ancient earth.

(2) Metallic Vase from Pre-Cambrian Rock

This vase has been dated to be over 600 million years old by some but many orthodox archeologists see this as an impossibility and try and explain it away.

This bell-shaped vessel measures 4-1/2 inches high, 6-1/2 inches at the base, 2-1/2 inches at the top, and about an eighth of an inch in thickness.

The body of this vessel resembles zinc in color, or a composition metal, in which there is a considerable portion of silver.

On the side there are six figures of a flower, or bouquet, beautifully inlaid with pure silver, and around the lower part of the vessel a vine, or wreath, also inlaid with silver.

The carving is exquisitely done by the art of some cunning workman. This curious and unknown vessel was blown out of the solid pudding stone, fifteen feet below the surface.”

According to a recent U.S. Geological Survey map of the Boston-Dorchester area, the pudding stone, now called the Roxbury conglomerate, is of Precambrian age, over 600 million years old.

(3) Ancient Footprints.

First we have a fossilized rock found in Nevada dated from the Triassic era which would have been 213 – 248 million years ago.

Next we have another footprint discovered in a seam of coal in Fisher Canyon, Pershing County, Nevada dated at around 15 million years ago.

(4) A 100 Million Year Old Hammer

This hammer was discovered in June 1934 imbedded in cretaceous rock, on a ledge beside a waterfall outside of London, Texas. This type of rock from the cretaceous period would be 75-100 million years old. The unusual metallurgy is 96% iron, 2.6% chlorine and 0.74% sulfur (no carbon). Density tests indicate exceptional casting quality.

Michael Cremo, who is the author of the massive volume called Forbidden Archaeology, has done a tremendous amount of research on evidence indicating the antiquity of intelligent humans on the earth. He is a thorn in the side of orthodox archaeology, but has indeed given evidence to indicate the case is not settled about the age of the human race.

An interesting collection of evidence he has compiled are pictures and carvings from ancient civilizations of dinosaurs. You can check them out HERE.

How did primitive civilizations in our history know about dinosaurs? Is it possible that stories of them were passed down generation to generation from ancient humans who actually lived with them?

Unlike the Christian tendency to believe in a young earth, the Hindus go the other direction and many believe intelligent humans have been here for billions of years but civilization has been destroyed every 4.3 million years and has started over again. They see the entire lifespan of the universe as being over 3 trillion years.

Theosophy and the Ancient Wisdom teach that self aware humans have been here over 18 million years but leave open the possibility that even more ancient humans could have been here but vanished in some type of cataclysmic event.

Just a few centuries ago scientists agreed with the Bible interpretation that humans have been here for about 6000 years, but serious investigation has kept pushing back the date to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and finally clear back to an estimated 4 billion years at present. Every few years we discover that humans are more ancient than previously believed.

What will be the scientific consensus 100 or 200 years from now? It will be interesting to see.

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Keys Writings 2013, Part 21

February 9, 2014 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 23 of 25 in the series 2013

Nov 3, 2013

Night Before Christmas

This has been circulating around the web. Kinda cute:

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the White House

Not a creature was working, not even his spouse;

No stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

because Michelle and the kids were in Hawaii spending 7 million there;

The Obama voters were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of free cell phones danced in their heads;

And mamma with her free healthcare, and unemployment benefits with no cap,

Had just settled down for a free winter’s nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the mail box I flew like a flash,

Tore open the mail and got my free cash.

The welfare check hadn’t got wet in the snow

Obama was still passing out free dough,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a sign I must not work, at all of next year,

With a Socialist driver, so conniving and quick,

I knew in a moment he was their Saint Nick.

More taxes for the working and spending pretty much insane,

and he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

“Now, Daschle! Now, Boxer! Now, Franken and Reid!

On, Pelosi! On Feinstein! On, Baucus and Biden!

over the debt ceiling! No spending fire wall!

Now tax away! Tax away! Tax away all!”

Nov 5, 2013

Radio Show

I was on a national radio show this morning with Lorraine Hurley. Here are the links to the audio if you want to listen.

Hour One

Hour Two

The commercials are not filtered out so you might want to fast forward through them.

Nov 7, 2013

Obama’s Accomplishments

Here’s a response I made today to a reader’s letter to my home paper:

Reader:

“Why do liberals like Obama’s policies?” Let’s see … equal pay for women…

But does Obama really practice this? Women working in Obama’s White House are paid 87 cents for every dollar paid to men. Looks like he hasn’t even accomplished this on his own turf.

Reader:

Ending two wars

Well, he did pull out of Iraq on Bush’s timeline, but where’s the second war that’s ended? We still have 54,000 troops in Afghanistan.

Reader:

Applying new fiscal safeguards to reduce the likelihood of a repeat Wall Street crash (Dodd/Frank)

Dodd-Frank outsourced the Constitutional duties of Congress to bureaucrats to make rules to regulate the financial industries. So far it hasn’t done much but induce paralysis through fear of what is to come. Here’s a good article on it.

Link

Reader:

Overseeing the end of the Bush recession and ushering in nearly 20 straight quarters of GDP growth;

Yes, we are technically out of a recession, which can occur with consistent lethargic growth such as we have now. During the Obama years of 2009-2012 average annual growth in real GDP has been only 1.075 percent the lowest in 60 years. Between 1980-2000 the average growth rate was three times as much.

Reader:

Elimination of gender discrimination policies in our military (DADT) and national government (DOMA)

That did actually happen and most liberals are happy over it.

Reader:

Reduction of unwanted pregnancies and severe health maladies through no-cost health care prevention legislation

Unwanted pregnancies were decreasing when Obama came in office probably due to the recession forcing people to be more careful about birth control for fear they could not afford another child. Can’t find any evidence to support any reduction in health maladies through anything Obama has done. There does seem to be a lot more mentally unstable people out there though.

Reader:

Encouraging all Americans to participate in a, now, uniform health care industry.

I assume he is talking about Obamacare. Even many liberals who find their premiums doubling are turning on Obamacare. Exit polls from Tuesday’s election in Virginia and New Jersey show a majority are against it, according to CNN.

Reader:

Reducing the size of government

That’s a good one. The fact is the number of federal employees has risen under President Obama. There were 2,790,000 federal workers in January 2009 when the president took office, and now there are 2,804,000 workers. Even by lefty math that is an increase. That number is going to go way up after Obamacare is fully in force.

Now some state and local governments have decreased because of the bad economy but those decisions are not made by Obama’s bureaucrats.

Reader:

Reducing the deficit:

Yeah, right. You have to compare one Obama year to another to come to that conclusion. The deficit has averaged over a trillion a year under Obama, over twice the average of Bush.

Reader:

The ability to overcome the irresponsible intransigence within Congress and pay our ‘legal obligations’ on time.

Most of the irresponsibility was his for not willing to compromise and his fighting tooth and nail for irresponsible spending.

Nov 10, 2013

Common Stuff or Not?

Reader

I long ago figured out everything you have written about without ever reading your books.

I doubt this. I have had others make a similar boast and then were unable to reveal a single new principle on their own or give new light on a known one. Can you really say you understood how the Molecular Relationship worked before you read about it here – assume you have?

I have had numerous people command me to follow then or I will burn in hell or some such thing, but this has always been the only ammunition they have. What do you have to offer here?. Present your case and if I see some light i will take it in. I follow no one just because they think I should. The Holy Spirit would have to confirm any new direction i take.

If you want to establish some credibility here first give us your name and tell us a little about yourself.

Nov 11, 2013

The Light of the Soul

Tom asked about the accuracy of the Book of Mormon and the Bible. As far as the teachings of both of the books go I will say this. They are both close to 100% accurate for the reader who studies them through the light of his soul. On the other hand, they both will be very much in error to the one who relies on the discerning power of his lower self. This especially applies to those focused strongly in the astral body.

As far as the actual quality of the teachings of the two books go, I would say they rate close to the same. I see them as two of the highest quality scriptures given to the world.

Most people acknowledge that the actual words of Jesus are of extremely high quality and many see them as unsurpassed. Even so, many without soul contact have used these great words to start unjust wars, torture and kill heretics, and force others to convert at the point of the sword. But those with soul contact read the same words and help their neighbors, love their fellowmen and perform many good works.

Words written by writers with soul contact contain quantums of spiritual energy that are not seen or felt by those trapped in the lower self. The student with contact releases those packages of pure spirit and is edified and sees with clear vision.

Some of the Old Testament stories and teachings are highly criticized by some as being very barbaric. They say that if there is a God that he must be one mean son of a gun. What they do not realize is that the spiritual leaders of the race give out teachings predicated on the consciousness of the people they are working with.

Yes, it is true that by the standards of right and wrong today many of the things ancient Israel did was fairly barbaric. They took the land of Canaan by force and slaughtered their enemies. They put people to death who violated commandments that wouldn’t even get you a ticket today.

What is overlooked is that they were head and shoulders above other groups of people in their standards of civilization. They didn’t go in for human and child sacrifice as did many of their neighbors. Neither is there any record of them practicing torture as was the standard procedure of many ancient peoples.

They had the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Code which gave them law and order that laid the foundation for many of he laws throughout the world today. Other nations at that time didn’t have such an intelligent structure.

Thus if one reads the Old Testament in the light of the personality he may see only barbaric things whereas the one in the soul can see the works of Spirit throughout and find much wisdom within its pages.

Tom asks

Also, is giving money to one’s pastor consider the right thing to do by GOD and is it giving to God himself? Is giving to charity’s the right thing to do?

If you are giving your own money you have a right to give it to whoever you want. Of course, you want to avoiding giving it to someone who will do harm, a hitman for instance. If you give money to someone who is using it to help people then it will be accounted as good karma in the bank for you whether it be a minister or a non religious person.

Tom:

Also, if a poor person gave 20 dollars and a rich man gave 200 dollars who gave the most in God’s eyes for the release of karma. The poor person could not afford to give 200 but only 20.

Jesus threw some light on this:

Mark 12:41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

Mark 12:42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

Mark 12:43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

Mark 12:44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

The sacrifice the person makes to give adds to good karma as well as the amount that is given. They are two different causes and thus the karma is different with them both. The widow benefitted by obtaining the greater spiritual growth. Those who give more but of their abundance will experience little personal growth from it but if the money actually goes to accomplish some good then they will gain good karma of a different kind. In the case of the rich in the parable most of their money went to line the prophets of the priests and did little for the service of the people.

Nov 19, 2013

Healing

So, what is the secret of spiritual healing? That is the big question that few have attempted to answer beyond the orthodox one which is to merely have faith.

Yes faith is important for both he healer and the patient, but the word had a different meaning in the time of Jesus than it does now. Many Christians today see it is as mere blind belief but those who wrote the scriptures saw it differently.

In the New Testament faith comes from PISTIS, which is derived from the root word PEITHO which basically means “to prove a thing true or false by evidence, argument, reason or experiment and through the guidance of your inner authority.”

A scripture that is in harmony with this comes from the Book of Hebrews, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb 11:1

Faith does not follow blind belief, but follows the direction pointed to by evidence and then either confirms that the evidence pointed to the truth or proves that it did not.

Now we have evidence that spiritual healing works and belief in them is on the upswing.

In 1991, 73 percent of Americans believed miracles “definitely” or “probably” happen. That number rose to 78 percent in 2008. More recently, a 2010 Pew Research Center report found 79 percent of Americans believe in miracles. Other polls give an even higher number.

So why do so many people believe in miracles when men of science claim that such is only a superstitious belief?

The most potent answer is evidence. A Newsweek poll revealed that 48% of us have experienced or witnessed a miracle and 63% know of an individual who has experienced one.

A person with real faith will see this evidence and want to follow it to its conclusion in his life. He therefore tests the evidence and attempts to manifest the miraculous in his own life.

Now most miracles that people experience are from healing and if we want to understand the principle behind them, then, perhaps we should examine the greatest healer of all time, namely Jesus.

So, did Jesus explain the power behind his miracles? Actually he did. So, what was it?

Most people would automatically say it was God but that was not the answer Jesus gave.

Assignment: Jesus, explained the power that generated the miracles attributed to him. What was it and where was it found? Why was he needed in order for the power to manifest? What part did he play?

Nov 23, 2013

Alternative Healing

I’ve been spending some time on the Statesman posting my thoughts and the negativity toward me seems to be growing. It is an amazing thing that people get so angry over opinions

I must be a glutton for punishment, but I feel impressed to continue. At least it keeps the mind sharp and gives me ideas for other writing.

I’ll give you a sampling from just one subject covered Thursday. I’m limited to giving you my posts but you can go to the link if you want to read the dialog of those who responded to me.

First, I responded to a letter that stated that cholesterol-reducing drugs will be recommended for one third of the adult population and thought this was because of a push from the big drug companies. T

In response to this I wrote:

Good observation Jeff. Placing a third of the people on the dangerous statin drugs is crazy. We wouldn’t need any of these drugs if people just went on a good diet and exercised a little. Besides high cholesterol is not always a bad thing. It is a natural fat that’s essential for human life and whether or not it needs treated depends on a number of factors and even here the best treatment is a diet of unprocessed foods.

Mercoloa has a good article on this subject: LINK

In response I was told that I was not a doctor and didn’t know what I was talking about and was reckless dangerous and arrogant.

To that I said:

I do not need your authority to post my opinions, thank you., I suppose that if some authority told you to jump off a bridge you would. I don’t take the word of anyone without testing it to the best of my ability.

Actual results and experience is the best test of what works and it has certainly worked for me and everyone I know who has tried it.. I do not take prescription drugs but those who I know that do are a mess. Some of them take a half dozen or more. Some take drugs to counteract problems from other drugs creating a viscous circle. That’s not a good thing no matter what their position of authority is.

There are good natural alternatives to almost every chemical drug unless you let yourself get in such bad shape you are beyond the point of no return.

Natural healing is not a left-right thing. Both sides are in on this and and surprised that no liberal here has voiced support in it since I have posted here.

Next I was accused of rambling and speculating. I responded thus:

If it works it is not speculation.

Also it has been proven that there are a lot of negative side effects to the statin drugs. If you think you can use them without judgment on your part you are fooling yourself.

Then to a guy who said he takes a lot of statin drugs I said:

So what alternatives have you actually tried? If you are examined by someone who is educated in alternatives he could get you off of the drugs and your health would be greatly improved. For instance, do you use any sugar substitutes that are not natural like diet sodas?

Then to a guy who says he eats steak & eggs and ice cream for breakfast I said:

Eating steak and eggs for breakfast is a lot better than diet sodas. Didn’t you tell me you’re still a young guy? When you are over 60 you really reach the test of your lifestyle. Not eating the artificial sugar is in your favor. A reasonable amount of ice cream made with real sugar won’t do you much harm. I wouldn’t recommend it for breakfast every day. It could lead to diabetes when you are older.

Next to the charge that I should listen to the beast of authority I said:

The biggest mistakes in history were made by trusting authorities just because they are authorities. So, if you were alive in 1847 you would have sided with the establishment and condemned Ignaz Semmelweis for giving evidence that doctors should wash their hands. You would have laughed and made up an imaginary tin foil hat on his head like the rest of the doctors of his age.

Things have not changed. those in power still try to make the innovators look like idiots.

At least the health innovators have the last laugh. They live healthy carefree lives while the authorities struggle with their diseased bodies.

Then I was asked why we live longer today. I said:

Actually one of the biggest reasons is better dental care. In the old days there was a tremendous number of deaths attributed to dental problems.

Refrigeration is another reason. We don’t have do eat a bunch of unhealthy old beef or salt pork.

In addition because of great improvements in shipping we have access to fresh fruit and vegetables year around. There is less poverty so there are a lot fewer people on starvation diets. Read the Grapes of Wrath for understanding. I could go on and on.

Next I was accused saying that one size fits all in treatment. I replied;

I’m not saying one size fits all. I am saying the opposite. Not all who have high cholesterol are in danger. All the factors need to be looked at. Some doctors are black and white about how they prescribe and others take a more holistic approach. The drugs you take may be doing you more damage than your high cholesterol. Your liver could be affected. I don’t know your diet but many people think they are eating the right foods for themselves and are way off the mark. If I were you I would read everything i could related to cholesterol ad get an opinion or two from alternative healers.

I am not saying we should not listen to authorities, but we should not blindly do what they say without doing all that we can first to understand what is best for our situation.

After this I received a vicious round of attacks from a number of posters. I ended this thread with:

I’ll make one reply to this last batch of negativity – some of the worst I have seen on the web. What an unhappy downward thinking bunch. Like attracts like.

There are many reasons why we live longer. Increased sanitation is one. Medical advances have helped but many of the drugs pushed on us do more harm than good. To fully explain why we live longer now would take a treatise and that’s not the purpose of this forum.

Alternative medicine and natural technology has greatly increased in effectiveness. (A poster) seems to think natural healers live like the Amish but the idea is to use anything that works whether it be traditional or alternative. Many like yourselves have tunnel vision about what works and outright reject many things that could help you.

Alternatives to drugs have worked for me and everyone I know who has tried them with no side effects. Why you do not think this is a good thing is strange.

And this bunch has lumped alliterative healing in with what they call the extreme right wing. This is crazy talk. There are more Democrats into my way of thinking on health than Republicans. Go to Boise Coop and mingle and you’ll find most of them are Democrats. Unlike this bunch they are civil.

Nov 25, 2013

Virgins and More

I tried to talk some common sense to the Statesman forum today but received the usual negative response. Here are some of the things I wrote.

Dian makes a good point that we cannot help everyone. It would be nice if we could but such is not the reality at present. The parable of the ten virgins teaches this principle. As the signal came to meet the bridegroom it became apparent that only five of the ten had enough oil in their lamps for he journey. The five who lacked asked them to share. But the five with the oil said that if they shared then all would run out part way through the journey and none would benefit.

This applies to us. We need to share what is wise but if we borrow and spend too much we will run out of oil (money) and we will not be able to help ourselves let alone others.

Here’s a thought. If everyone did their best to help their family and loved ones there would be little need for social programs.

A poster insisted I was wrong and didn’t want to help the poor. To this I said:

Another totally false accusation. If a person borrows on his credit cards, goes bankrupt and then loses his power to help others he then becomes one of the needy asking for help himself and no one benefits.

Helping people with other people’s money, and borrowed money at that, is not real help and, like the parable of the virgins, none will reach their end goal.

I’m a big believer in helping people but I believe in helping people with resources I have, not with resources I have to borrow and occupy.

We are losing our power as a nation to help people because of irresponsible financial decisions. If we get ourselves back on a good foundation then we will be able to help more than ever, and it would be from our abundance rather than borrowed money that belongs to our kids.

You accuse me of being greedy and you are not, and your claim for being generous? You want to give away other people’s money. And who’s money is that?

(1) Borrowed money

(2) Our children’s and grandchildren’s money.

Some generous guy you are.

Another poster asks: “Who are you to be the one who chooses which “virgin gets the oil?”

You need to argue with what I say, not with what I do not say.

The virgins with oil in their lamps had the full vessel of oil not because someone chose that situation for them but because they worked hard to obtain the oil. The five wise virgins chose for themselves. No one chose for them.

The five foolish virgins that didn’t see the need to gather the oil at that time suffered because of their shortsightedness.

The point of my post had nothing to do with some bureaucrat, or some other person, deciding who gets oil and who does not. The choice is already made. If you have earned money you have done so because of choices you made. Let me illustrate the point I was making in a parable so maybe you can understand.

Caroline has two kids, Jim and Jeff. Let us say that Jim wants to see Lady Gaga when she comes to town and the ticket costs $200. He works hard and saves up $300 figuring he might need a little extra. Jeff also wants to see her but he has no money and asks Jim for $200. Jim says, “I’d love to see you go, but if I give you $200 then I will not have enough and will not be able to see her.”

Jim has a perfect right to deny Jeff the loan or gift, you would think.

The mother, Caroline, thought she would even things out and forced Jim to give Jeff $150 or half of his money. Jim was upset and protested, “Now neither of us can go.”

Caroline replied, “Maybe your dad or one of or friends will supply the extra $50. Now get out of my hair.”

They each tried to raise the extra $50 but there was not enough time and neither of them got tickets and Jim was out $150.

The point is that there is a limit as to how much a person, group or nation can help other people. It may have been practical for Jim to loan Jeff $50 but too much sharing destroyed his goal.

Our nation should stick within its budget. If we decide to use money we actually have to help people, fine, but generosity crosses the line when you have to borrow and endanger the lives of future generations to do so.

The poster thought this statement was ignorant:

“If everyone did their best to help their family and loved ones, there would be little need for social programs.”

I don’t think so. It is indeed a true statement, but I realize there are many who do not want to help anyone with their own resources and want Big Brother to do it all instead.

A poster insinuated I did not understand the difficulty people have who may have to chose between food and insurance. I responded:

I was in that situation for over 20 years but I did not expect a handout from Big Brother. It was a no brainer in choosing between health care and food. We always chose food and chose good food so we stayed healthy and needed minimal health care for my family. When we went to the doctor we just paid cash. Our medical costs were less than the insurance premiums would have been.

Did I see myself as a poor victim as democratic voters do today? Not at all. Today we have a victim mindset that is turning us into a nation of wimps.

Here’s another post I made:

Harry Koehler presented a lot of truth in a few words. Layne Crea asked an important question:

“Why would the insurance companies do something legally questionable and financially idiotic to help President Obama save face?”.

Here’s the strange part that I’m sure the insurance companies are considering. Since Obama is asking them to break the law, which is Obamacare, to reinstate policies then they could be subject to a very expensive class action lawsuit. This threat plus the tremendous extra expense will make them very resistant to helping Obama even if they wanted to. Obama, Pelosi and Reid are caught in a trap of their own making. Who says karma doesn’t work?

Nov 27, 2013

Bill Ayers Admits He Wrote Obama’s Book

We suspected this may be the case. Now we have proof. LINK

Dec 3, 2013

More on Healing

Here are some scriptures revealing the actual words of Jesus after his healings;

Matt 8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Matt 9:22 Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Matt 9:28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

Matt 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

Matt 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Matt 17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

Matt 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

What was it to which Jesus gave credit over and over for the miracles? Students will often say it was God or a special power that Jesus had that caused them to take place. But this is not the direction that Jesus indicated. He did not say “God made you whole,” or “I made you whole.”

To find the key to power we must examine his actual words.

Here is a popular pronouncement he made: “thy faith hath made thee whole.”

Here are several others:

“as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.”

“According to your faith be it unto you”

“great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.”

What do all these phrases have in common? They all direct us away from depending on an outside god sitting on a throne, or even Jesus himself, and point somewhere. But where?

Where does faith come from? It comes from inside of us. The great secret that is hidden in plain sight in the words of Jesus is the power to heal and perform miracles lies within ourselves. Jesus made this plain when he told a woman, “great is thy faith: be it unto thee EVEN AS THOU WILT.”

In other words there is magic within us activated by faith that unlocks a power so great that we can make things happen even as we will. That is an amazing thought, is it not?

And where is the limitation? There does not seem to be much for he said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

So what is this power within us? The scriptures give several powerful hints.

“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21

So where is the kingdom of God? It is within us.

And where is God? Answer: In his kingdom.

Where then should we look for God? Answer: Within each of us.

Where then lies the all powerful presence of God? Answer: Within each of us.

This is confirmed in the book of Revelation where it describes those who are redeemed and saved from the mark of the Beast. “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.” Rev 14:1

So where is the name of God found? Again it is found within our thinking consciousness in our foreheads.

And where the name of God is found, God is found, and his power becomes manifest and available.

Question: If God is within us and we have all power to do according to our wills then why does this will seem to be frustrated? How is it unlocked so miracles can happen?

Dec 5, 2013

Sleep in the Middle Ages

Here’s an interesting article:

How Our Ancestors Used to Sleep Twice a Night and Highlighting the Problem of Present Shock

LINK

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Is the Bible Anti-Science?

February 7, 2014 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 19 of 57 in the series Mysteries

Question Twenty

Is the Bible Anti-Science?

Many nonbelievers and skeptics make fun of believers as well as the Bible as being anti science, anti reason and thinking that is contrary to common sense. The basic idea is that anyone who gives the wisdom of the Bible any weight belongs with the flat earthers of the Dark ages.

And speaking of the flat earth, perhaps that is where we should start because one of the main accusations against the Holy Writ is:

“The Bible teaches the earth is flat, covered by a solid dome called the firmament.”

And why do skeptics think this?

They quote this scripture from the King James version:

“And he shall … gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” Isaiah 11:12

From this they assume the Bible teaches the earth is a flat piece of ground with four sharp corners at each end.

The first point to make is that this phrase is still in use today by people who know the earth is round. It is used as a figure of speech and not intended to state the earth has four actual corners.

On top of this the word “corners” is a mistranslation from the Hebrew KANAPH. This is more accurately translated as “extremity, farthest reaches or border.” In this context the prophet was merely saying that Judah will be gathered from the farthest places they have been scattered from all directions. Nothing about the shape of the earth is indicated here.

Critics say the Bible teaches the earth is covered by a great solid dome which it calls the firmament and the stars are tiny lights in it.

Many ancient peoples thought the earth was flat and was encircled by a dome. Some ancient books that didn’t make it into the Bible indicate the writers had some odd beliefs like these but the Bible itself does not.

Obviously the firmament mentioned in the Bible was not a solid dome. We are told that God created the birds that “fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.” (Gen 1:20) Obviously the birds do not fly in a solid dome, but the atmosphere which is part of the firmament.

The dome idea is reinforced by this scripture from the King James:

“It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.” Isa 40:22

They say “the circle of the earth” is the dome but to many it sounds like a description of the rounded shape of the earth. Job reinforces this:

“He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, at the boundary of light and darkness.” Job 26:10 New king James.

Sounds to me like the ancient prophets saw the circular form of the earth on the horizon of the waters and were commenting on it.

The critic notes that the Bible says God created the Moon as a “lesser light.” They say that God didn’t seem to know that the moon doesn’t have a light of its own but reflects it from the sun.

This is a weak argument. Even today most people talk about the light of the moon, but that doesn’t mean they are saying it creates its own light.

Contrary to popular belief the Bible supports many scientific beliefs that have only been proven in recent times.

Here are a few.

(1) The Expanding universe. This was discovered in 1929 by Edwin Hubble but the Bible made references to it thousands of years ago.

We just quoted Isaiah saying that God “stretched out the heavens.” The Bible says this several times. Here is another:

“I, with my own hands, stretched out the heavens and caused all their host to shine…” Isaiah 45:12,

Astronomers are now telling is that the universe is “stretching” outward like a balloon.

(2) The earth is suspended in the vacuum of space, or virtual nothingness.

Job 26:7, “He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.”

(3) Instead of being the center of the universe the Bible teaches the earth is governed by the heavens.

“Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, or fix their rule over the earth?” Job 38:33 New American Standard

(4) Matter and form were created from the invisible:

“…that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” Heb 11:3 New American Standard

Science now teaches that the universe came from a singularity that had no visibility.

(5) The universe will have an end.

Einstein has recently been proven wrong about the steady state eternal universe, but the Bible, thousands of years ago, told us that the universe is not eternal. It says:

“Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.” Psalms 102:25-26 New American Standard

The Bible seems to tell us here that when the universe dies it will be replaced by another.

(6) The air around us has weight.

Ancient man thought that the air and wind didn’t weigh anything but the Bible says:

“When He imparted weight to the wind and meted out the waters by measure.” Job 28:25 New American Standard

(7) Water on the earth and sea is recycled into rain.

“He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain.” Job 36:27 New Living Translation

“…who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land– the LORD is his name.” Amos 9:6, New International Version

None of the Bibles are perfect in their wording as the wording within it was created by fallible humans, not attempting to be scientific, but to present spiritual truths. Even so, the Bible is amazingly accurate for a book containing writings that are thousands of years old.

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Was There an Adam and Eve?

February 3, 2014March 18, 2017 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 18 of 57 in the series Mysteries

Question Eighteen

Was There an Adam and Eve?

Essentially, when we are asking if there was an Adam and Eve we are asking if there was a couple who were the first among us as self conscious humans, distinguished from animals – who are not self conscious and capable of logical thinking.

The answer is there had to be the first of every species, including the human race. Undoubtedly there was a male and female that was the first of our species. In other words, there was without question an Adam and Eve if we merely define them as the first among us.

The question on the minds of many extends beyond this. They want to know if there was an Adam and Eve as described in the Bible. Here’s the answer.

Humans have been on the earth, not for 6000 years, but for millions of years and during this extensive time period there have been numerous cataclysms, new beginnings and racial changes. Indeed, there was a first Adam and Eve about 18 million years ago, but since that time there have been many disruptive events and new beginnings. Each new beginning had a new Adam and Eve. The last time this happened was about 6000 years ago as related in the Bible.

The Genesis story was written to represent all the Adams and Eves in the history of the planet as closely as possible, but was not meant to be exact as in each new beginning humans have had has been a different story.

The last Adam and Eve, which was far from the first, appeared on the earth about 6000 years ago and the history in the Bible is basically an account from that time period onward. There have been numerous lost civilizations whose history is not mentioned in the Bible but many legends of them still persist in Hindu scriptures and other writings and traditions.

Question Nineteen

Where Did Cain Get His Wife?

In Genesis, chapter four we read;

“And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.”

The orthodox explanation is that Cain married his sister or niece. This would have to be the case if Adam and Eve were the only humans on the planet at that time but this does not seem to be the case.

The Bible indicates that Cain was the firstborn and Abel the Second. We are given the impression that Cain killed Able when they were young men and then shortly after Abel’s death it is written:

“And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.” Gen 4:25

The Bible tells us that Adam fathered “Sons and daughters” after Seth but none others are mentioned before that time.

But here is an interesting point and that is right after killing Abel and being cast out Cain went to the land of Nod got married, had a child and built a city.

How did he get married and build a city in an outcast land separate from Eden where Adam, Eve and their family lived? There would have had to have been people available outside of Adam’s children for that to have happened.

Yes, there indeed lived other humans outside of Eden. After a time of great destruction most of the human race was killed and Adam and Eve in Eden represented a new beginning of a new race of humans to be cultivated by the guides of the race toward a higher consciousness.

There were numerous other survivors reduced to primitive living outside of Eden and this is where Cain found his wife. Cain gathered these survivors and built a city.

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Is Evolution Contrary to the Biblical Teachings?

February 2, 2014 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 17 of 57 in the series Mysteries

Question Seventeen

Is Evolution Contrary to the Biblical Teachings?

Many believers despise the idea of evolution and see it as an attempt by atheism to undermine God, the scriptures and all that is holy and good. Just mentioning the word in any context will make their hair stand on end.

Then there are other believers who accept evolution in varying degrees, seeing that God uses this mechanism of creation. Some literalists tolerate such views where others see any such acceptance as apostasy and heresy.

Let us start our discussion by examining what we know for sure about the subject. Fundamentalists often speak of evolution as if it has no true existence anywhere, but this obviously is not true. Here are some areas where we should all agree evolution does take place.

(1) A child evolves into an adult.

(2) As we study our learning evolves from the simple to the complex.

(3) Computer programs evolve and become more capable and sophisticated.

(4) Civilization has evolved. We have evolved from hunters and gatherers, to farming, to manufacturing, to the space age, to the computer age, and show few signs of slowing down.

(5) Through selective breeding animals, plants and insects have been observed to evolve within their species.

(6) We have found skeletons of ancient humans that were definitely less evolved than modern man.

Okay, so certain types of evolution technically exist but the question at hand concerns the Bible’s teaching on it. Does the Bible really teach that there s no evolution?

First we must understand why many Bible believers see evolution as taught by science is not in harmony with scripture.

Many maintain that Genesis tells us that God created the earth, life on it and man from the dust of the earth, not some random selection from evolution. There is no mention of Adam and Eve evolving from a lower life form.

On the other hand, many believers have looked at the evidence of evolution as well as Intelligent Design and concluded that both may have played a hand. Perhaps God did use some type of evolutionary process in his work of creation.

That said, let us now look at what the Bible actually says or doesn’t say about the creative process.

(1) The word “evolution” is not mentioned in the Bible. It is doubtful that such a concept even entered the heads of any of the thinkers in Old Testament times. Since this was not a concept available to those who actually wrote the Bible then one cannot expect it to be argued for or against there.

(2) The Bible tells us that God spoke commands and then creation took place. As we noted earlier the time frame of creation is not clear, but in addition it doesn’t say clearly how the words of God were fulfilled.

Let us suppose I was telling a child a quick story of the things created by Steve Jobs saying, “And Steve said, let there be an iPhone created. And it was so, just as it was commanded, and Steve saw that it was good.”

Is this statement truthful? Yes. Steve did give orders for the iPhone’s creation and he was happy with the finished product.

Does this mean he just snapped his fingers and it instantly materialized?

No. Of course not.

So, when God ordered he creation of the sun, moon and stars does this mean they all instantly appeared?

No. The Bible leaves out the details of how creation took place. It takes a tremendous leap of belief and reason to think that the trillions of stars materialized within 24 hours of a command.

(3) The Bible does give us a hint that evolution was a part of the creative process. It says:

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” Genesis1:11

“Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.” Genesis 1:20

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.” Genesis 1:24

Notice that God spoke and the earth and the life on earth just didn’t materialize but the earth and the waters cooperated to “bring forth,” or perhaps evolve the life that we now see around us.

Concerning the creation of man, the Bible doesn’t give many details except to say that he was created from the dust of the earth, something we all acknowledge to be true. Many believers think that God just said the word and a fully formed human appeared in an instant, but that is not what the Bible says. Exactly what process was used is a mystery, but nothing in the Bible rules out the possibility of evolution guided by the intelligence of God.

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Does the Bible Really Say the Earth is Less Than 10,000 Years Old?

January 31, 2014 Joseph Dewey

This entry is part 16 of 57 in the series Mysteries

Question Sixteen

Does the Bible really say the earth is less than 10,000 years old?

The first item to understand when asking this question is this: Where does this idea come from? Most people have heard this figure from various believers but many are unaware of how it was derived.

The first step was to figure the time period between now and the birth of Christ, which is a little over 2000 years. In addition to this, Bible students have studied the genealogy of Bible names from Christ back to the time of Adam. The Bible gives enough lifespans of individual to enable students to calculate that Adam began mortal life just over 4000 years before Christ. The 2000 years to Christ plus the 4000 years to Adam equals 6000 years.

So far so good as far as most Bible students are concerned. However, the time lapse from the beginning of creation to the beginning of Adam’s life is problematic.

Many literalists say that before Adam all creation took place in just six 24-hour periods so the earth and the universe itself is only around 6000 years old.

Others will say that perhaps Adam’s life began when he was expelled from the Garden of Eden and became mortal. Maybe he lived a couple thousand years in the Garden that need to be added to the age of creation.

Still others quote Peter who said that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years. (II Peter 3:8) Therefore, they reason that the creation days could have been a thousand years apiece rather than 24 hours.

Taking these things into consideration most literal believers think creation began 6-12,000 years ago.

On the surface, this seems to be what the Bible is saying, but if so it is certainly at odds with science and observed fact. For instance, the Hubble telescope has observed galaxies so far away that their light has taken 13 billion years to reach us. It is really stretching reality to say that such far away light has reached us in less than 10,000 years. Believers say that the speed of light was much faster at creation but the evidence doesn’t support this idea.

Let us see if the Bible really supports such a conflict with science.

The English translation, “day” comes from the Hebrew word YOWM. This doesn’t necessarily mean a 24-hour day but can also be translated as “time” implying an unspecified period of time.

This makes sense since the first three days of creation took place before the sun was created. Therefore the first three days could not have been days as we see them in our present.

Then the scripture makes this interesting use of “day.”

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the DAY that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Gen 2:17

Adam lived over 900 years after he ate the fruit so he obviously didn’t die within a 24-hour day from that event. But if we use the more generic Hebrew meaning which is “a period of time” for the meaning of YOWM, or “day,” then it makes sense.

So, the Bible tells us that God’s period of creation was six periods of time. It doesn’t say how long those times were.

The first couple verses of Genesis give us extra material to ponder:

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Gen 1:1-2.

Generally, these two verses are read as if they are taking place in the same time sequence, but such is not the case. Verse one describes an event that took place billions of years ago and verse two describes a scene that has existed periodically on the earth over millions of years, the most recent of which took place prior to the beginning of our present civilization.

In examining this scripture one may wonder how it is that the earth can be “without form and void” after it is created. It could not even be considered a planet if it was truly without form and void. Fortunately, to the justification of the original author, this is a grave mistranslation.

The words “without form” are translated from the Hebrew TOHUW which literally means “to lie waste” or implies a “desolation”, or “destruction”.

This sheds an entirely different light on the subject and Isaiah gives evidence that there was a time lapse between verses one and two; “He (God) created it (the earth) NOT in VAIN (“Vain” comes from the same Hebrew word TOHUW) but formed it to be inhabited.” Isa 45:18. Since the earth was not created in a state of TOHUW or destruction, but was formed to receive inhabitants then the period of destruction described in verse two had to take place after a significant time lapse.

The Bible thus tells us in the first verse that God created all there is but gives no time reference when that happened. It could have began 13.8 billion years ago as science teaches.

But then in verse two we are told that the earth was laid waste indicating that a great destruction occurred.

Was the six days of creation merely representative of six time periods where God was working to restore the earth to a habitable state?

Was the Adam and Eve of six thousand years ago merely a new beginning, the start of rebuilding a civilization that was lost? Many ancient records and teachings support this idea and amazingly, so does the Bible.

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