Repentance in the Attic

Ah, summer. For the educator it often means several weeks of re-grouping and of course lots of extra chores around the house. One of these is most certainly going to be cleaning the attic. While up there yesterday, I ran across a copy of a sermon of Spurgeon about lukewarmness. Spurgeon is always trouble for the flesh. A message on this topic could cancel a lot of plans.

I was awake early this morning. Not wanting to go to my regular prayer place and awaken my wife, I decided to read the Spurgeon message first thing while I was in bed. Oh my. The letter to the Laodiceans could have had my name on it. How easily we let the world poison our walk with God. What a dangerous place is America for a saint aspiring to a separated holy walk. There were two things I knew I had to do.

My wife and I had re-subscribed to Netflix because of their large array of Bible-based movies. Now, you can read the Bible's version of the Samson story and not think anything evil inside. But Hollywood's version is not that harmless. The movies were not edifying us and we knew it. Good-bye Netflix.

Then the TV itself. I've struggled with it all my life. I've destroyed TV's, sent them packing in the garbage can where they belong, "sworn them off." I had a problem like that with sugar until one day many years ago I just said to the Lord, "I won't partake of processed sugar for the rest of this life. Period." God has given me grace to keep that vow nearly perfectly, when he saw I was serious about it.

Today, TV has just gone the way of sugar in my life, and I give Him the glory. I promised Him I will not watch TV alone, I won't watch network TV ever, movies, all the rest. The only thing I will allow before my eyes on that TV is a video about North Korea or some such ministry. Even "Christian" TV does not offer the blessing that it ought. I'll read the Word and worship alone before I will a "star" to guide me.

I put this all in writing to strengthen further my vow but also to suggest to all of you that TV, especially today, is not a necessary commodity. The news is more thorough on the Internet. TV "entertainment", whether drama or music or comedy is done by men and women that most of you would not have in your home. Why should they get to talk to you, but you don't get to talk to them? And sports? How does the saint justify all those hours given to watching men win an earthly prize?

But I must be careful not to judge. It has taken me so long to get here. And I have introduced my entire family and precious saints to this worldly waste. May God have mercy on me for all the hours given over to things that just do not matter. Lately I have not watched much but I've noticed that even the little I do experience brings down my defenses, and my desire to please God.

I am confident that my life is going to be fuller and richer now. Hey, I have not missed sugar. Nature has a lot of sweet things. I will not miss television. God has a greater vision waiting for all those of His who will seek Him with the whole heart.

Look for "Bob Faulkner" on http://sermonaudio.com - There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

How Close Can You Get to a Tiger?

I suppose the entire question of my entry today ought to continue... "before you get mauled?"

I started getting into tigers a few years ago when I found a Wal-Mart bigger-than-life poster of a tiger's head. That thing has been glaring back at me all these months, to my wife's regular disapproval. I've actually had to hide him in the walk-in closet. He's that intense.

Then came North Korea. Some of you may know that the Siberian tiger is one of that country's national symbols. A fitting one. Fierce. Aloof. Threatening. And beautiful. Like that Wal-Mart poster, North Korea has been staring me down, challenging me to stare back and wonder.

Next there was the Lincoln Park Zoo. Twice in the last few weeks I've made a trek over there just to get away for a day. Both times I was captivated by this very cat from the East. In fact, on one end of his area there is a place where observers can look through a glass barrier . Most don't go there because Kitty is usually prowling around somewhere else, if he's awake.

But occasionally he paces. Every time I saw him this week he was pacing. Back and forth. Back and forth. And for one magical quarter of an hour, he paced right next to the window. It's hard being my age at these times. Occasionally I actually do get excited about something, but I'm not allowed to show it. As quickly as I decently could I scrambled - no, just walked - over to the window. As people tired and moved on, I moved in, and within a short time I practically had my nose on that glass.

The tiger did better. Every time he came to where I was standing, he actually bumped his head on that window, then moved on in his circuit, 'round and 'round. I was literally one inch from one of the fiercest of all God's creation. And yet I lived to tell of it.

The people crowding in were making growl sounds and pretending their hands were paws, you know the drill. Mothers were teaching their children. Teens were impressing their friends with noises and gestures. Ol' Bob stood there in awe.

If the friendly cat had bumped that glass a little harder, and the smallest crack had formed, we all would have been lunch for pussy-cat. As it was, we were just an audience being entertained.

It hit me days later that many of us are involved in a spectator sport when it comes to North Korea. We read the stories, we visit China and South Korea, we give our money, we even pray, and we might even think we understand the animal on the other side of the glass. But we don't.

There is no way to know what people who live in a "tiger's" world feel, on the other side of a zoo window. "Remember the prisoners as if bound with them" may be one of the toughest commands ever issued. How can I really feel what they feel? Skip a meal? Pray a little more? Wear old clothes? Beat myself? Abandon all media?

Who among us dares to enter other worlds, as did our Lord? Who goes beyond the glass and suffers whatever consequences there might be? Until we do, we may be good story-tellers, good fund-raisers, teary-eyed romantics who feel imaginary pain, but we must not conclude that therefore we have taken up the cross which Jesus has our brothers carrying.

I trust I am not being too harsh. Zoos are for looking, and looking is a good thing. But eventually we must, I believe, shed the zoo mentality, go out into the field, and confront a tiger. Mauled or not.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , ovber 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Ark of the Covenant - Purpose

Hold on to your hat! Here comes one of the most, incredible stories of ancient technology, which ranks alongside the use of atomic forces and the 'Lost Chord'. Needless to say the editors of Scientific American who denied the Wright brothers had achieved airborne flight for months after Kitty Hawk won't or wouldn't believe this 'doozy'. I think it is a very good explanation that is part of something even more fantastic which explains the existence of accurate maps from over ten thousand years ago. But I also think these maps might have been the work of Mungo Man or the De Danaan they worked with.

The other possibility that would explain their existence relates to Lhasa and a spacecraft which Churchward as well as Bruggers The Chronicles of Akakor recounts from such things as the Lhasa Record which may only exist in the Akashic. If you have a better explanation I'd like to hear from you. Is it not important to explain such proven anomalies? Especially when they integrate with things we don't want to admit about man's far more advanced nature in ancient times. If we have blown each other apart before or created hyperviruses such as what killed the Mammoth (A current research underway by the American Museum of Natural History thinks it can be proven such a virus killed many large animals and that humans were the carrier.); does it warrant asking our leaders if they knew these things or why they didn't tell us? We are certain that our knowledge is not exclusive or even complete in these matters. Yet perhaps few people know how many disciplines and areas of how lives are under such oppressive control.

The maps themselves are dealt with under the Portolan Maps entry in greater detail and at this point we think it relevant to our discussion of the ARK to bring the Pyramid into the possibility of advanced prior civilizations on earth. Michael Bradley is a map expert and a good scholar whose work we have quoted before.

"Centre of the Earth's Land Mass, etc.

This is an important concept and I will explain to the best of my ability. It will be easier to appreciate somewhat better the truly significant placement of the Giza complex.

First let's consider two squares. One is 100 square units (miles, kilometres, or whatever) in area, the other twice as large, 200 square units in area.

{He illustrates two squares with pyramids on top from an overhead perspective with a line connecting the centre points or apex of the pyramids. Under the smaller square are 10 units and under the larger square is the figure 14.85 units. The 100 and 200 unit figures as mentioned are further repeated further under these two squares.}

We will find their respective centres by drawing diagonals. Where the diagonals intersect is the centre of each square. Together, these squares represent three units of the largest common denominator--100 square miles. So we'll draw a line, divided equally into three parts, between the centres of the two squares. Since one square is twice the size of the other, we will mark off two of the equal parts towards the larger square. This is the centre of their combined areas, given their distance apart. If they were closer together, or further apart, the point would fall elsewhere. Please note that this point is above the centre of the small square but below the centre of the larger one. It is a true geometric centre of the two areas that are separated by this given and arbitrary distance.

It is possible to ascertain the area of an irregular shape, although it is much more difficult to do than using squares.

The largest continent, Eurasia, happens to be about twice the land area of the American continents. These continents are separated by oceans. One can divide the separation into three equal parts, just as above, and find the 'centre of these two land masses.'

Taking this point, we can calculate Africa into the picture the same way. Africa is about 25% the area of Eurasia and the Americas combined. Therefore, the distance from Africa's geographic centre to the Eurasia-Americas' centre will be divided into five equal parts (i.e. the '4' represented by Eurasia-Americas, and the '1'(25%) represented by Africa's area). Marking off four of these five divisions towards the Eurasia-Americas centre, since this centre represents a combined land mass four times as large as Africa, will yield a new point, which is geometric, in this case 'geographic', centre of Eurasia-Americas-Africa combined. If we continue this process with the remaining large and small land masses--Antarctica, Australia, Greenland, New Guinea, Java, Sumatra, etc. --we will eventually arrive at a 'centre of the earth's land masses.' It will be as accurate as our method, plus the arbitrary inclusion of ever smaller islands, will make it.

A meticulous calculation of such a 'centre' will result in a point directly on the meridian (longitude) of the Great Pyramid but 6' (minutes) south of the Great Pyramid--but there's only sand in that location. The Giza Plateau is the first solid bedrock on the correct meridian {And Archaeology Magazine had the temerity to suggest the builders were merely imitating natural landforms with the Sphinx and Pyramid in last months issue.}. It is 6' in error from the true centre.

Sixty seconds of 101.3 English feet = l' (minute) of arc, 6080 feet on the equator = 1 nautical mile, whereas one 'common' or 'highway' ('statute') mile equals 5280 English feet. A nautical 'knot' is one nautical mile (6080 English feet) per hour of time; it is a unit of speed measurement, not of static distance.

Sixty minutes = 1 degree of arc, or 60 nautical miles at the equator. The Earth's equatorial circumference contains 360 degrees or 21,600 nautical miles = 24,872.73 common or statute miles.

All this sounds deceptively precise! In fact, of course, standardization of the length of the English foot, and therefore of seconds, minutes and degrees of arc, was not accomplished until the 1750s--and the size of the Earth was not measured correctly at that time. Just as the French Academy made an error in fixing the length of the metre, which was supposed to be one ten-millionth part of the surface distance from the Earth's equator to either pole, because they couldn't measure the Earth accurately, so also the British Admiralty made inaccurate geographic measures. Nonetheless, these measures remain accurate enough for most practical purposes. Nowadays, units of measure are fixed by correlation to electromagnetic wave-lengths {Could the ancients have been able to attune with Gaia's earth energy grid and send signals along it to record the time taken for a bounce back or echo?}. Since 1966, for example, the metre has been fixed as a division of the wave-length of Krypton 86.

A glance at the U. S. A. F. 'Azimuthal Equidistant Projection' Map of the world {see illustration in our section} will show that it is centred 'near Cairo'--i.e., at the centre of the earth's land masses, as calculated above, and precisely on the meridian of the Great Pyramid-- but 36,480 English feet south of the Great Pyramid at the true centre, which falls in an area of sand. A property of Azimuthal Equidistant Projection is that a circle drawn around any given point will have a circumference incorporating points of geography that are truly equidistant from the centre of the circle--the airplane or ship. This is not the case with large-scale maps drawn on the common Mercator projection {John Dee studied with Mercator and achieved high status in this field.}, which gives accurate longitudes and latitudes of all geography but must distort the polar regions in order to do so. It is also not the case with the Phillips projection, used by the UN, which shows the land area of countries in true proportion to each other but must distort the longitudes and latitudes near the equator in order to do so. These distortions arise from the problem of transferring the curved surface of a spherical Earth onto a flat piece of paper--the best that can be done is to know, and to choose, the kind of distortion that best serves any given need.

The location of the Great Pyramid at the centre of the Earth's land masses, unless it is truly a coincidence, implies the following. First, its builders knew the geography and size of the Earth quite accurately because they could not otherwise calculate the correct centre of land - masses. Second, they chose Egypt because the centre is there {It would be quite coincidental that they were Egyptian as well.}, and this means that Ancient Egyptian civilization may have arisen because of lingering cultural influences as well as because of the supposed advantages conferred by the Nile. Third, the three pyramids of the Giza complex, including the Sphinx, were built by someone other than the Ancient Egyptians--unless we are willing to grant them advanced knowledge as well--but then we must contend with the various correlations at Giza that all point to 10,500 B.C. as the origin of the Giza complex {I'll grant this date or 2,000 years later for the Sphinx, as well as the whole complex being designed at this time. I believe the capstones were used before the final Pyramids were constructed. It would appear there were other pyramids built to imitate this 'GREAT' pyramid. The issue of the Brazilian pyramids is yet to be determined, and it is possible they are even more 'fantastic'.}. Either the three pyramids and the Sphinx were built by an unknown culture long before the beginnings of Ancient Egypt, now dated as about 3200 B.C., or the Egyptians themselves have a much longer history than we think." (13)

Clearly there are many entries this impinges upon that we continue to develop. Before making another brief quote from his notes and then moving on to the ARK (An arc-transmitter that allowed large ships to send information back to the Pyramid for the mapping purposes.), I should address some other correlations with the Phoenician Pythagoras and his studies of the Pyramid. Some authors note the nautilus sea creature has a natural configuration of the mathematical concept or construct known as 'phi'. This is encapsulated in the Great Pyramid with its two complete tetrahedra. (Read Bucky Fuller's COSMOGONY or SYNERGISTICS for further insight.). Thales also had a Phoenician parent and he is credited by the Hellenizing Empire as the father of all sciences, but he studied the Pyramid and learned much about his limited knowledge from it. We have (and continue) shown the DNN of Homer and the Dana worshipping Scythians, Kelts and Iberian/Basque and Berbers are part of the Phoenician 'Brotherhood' that greatly pre-dates Pythagoras' 'brother- hood' or any Therapeutae and Great White Brotherhood. We are sure Churchward's Mu and the Mungo Man are connected with this conglomerate which will lead to Harappan and Easter Island connections to Kelts and many other enterprises from the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall.

"Pi is the ratio of a circle's diameter to its circumference, 1:3.14 or 7:22. Phi is the ratio of a line divided so that the length of the shorter segment bears the same relationship to the length of the longer segment as the longer segment bears to the whole undivided line, 1:1.618. This 'Phi' is sometimes called 'The Golden Section' {Key Masonic concept attributed to Pythagoras.} because there's something inaffably pleasing about the ratio. It was used by many Renaissance artists such as Poussin {Bradley shows how his art incorporated scenes and people of import and coded to give knowledge of when the family of Jesus or Merovingians were safely settled in places like Montreal and one might think another artist did the same when they were in America long before Columbus at Kingston where he has geologic core samples to show European influence.}, Michelangelo and da Vinci {An alchemist like his mentor - check 'The Dictionary of Alchemy' by Mark Haeffner.}; it occurs in abstract mathematics, as in the Fibonacci Series of numerical progression; it occurs frequently in nature, for example in the successive length of segments of the chambered nautilus." (14)

When I made my brief interruption earlier in reference to attunement with the earth energy grid and 'echoes' I was not being facetious. The vision Napoleon saw in the King's Chamber may relate to this through a time portal not unlike the 'Stone' that Michel de Nostradamus (who grew up near Rennes le Chateau) was able to glimpse the confusing potentials of the unsubstantial future we can change through creative, purposeful and FREE WILL. The kings chamber and the delta wave forms that a pyramid creates are part of the time structure and helical nature thereof (according to Al Bielek who has a time machine which a friend of mine has seen - more later). The possibility of what Bradley is about to say may have seemed even more likely than what I just wrote until the NEC labs at Princeton demonstrated 300X light speed last year (2001).

Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magzine
Guest 'expert' at World-Mysteries.com

Evangelism Now-Reaching Without Preaching

It seems evangelism has become too difficult in the minds of many Christians and too religious in the minds of everyone else. I regularly hear dedicated Christians describe our mission as if it requires a professional presentation and a degree to share the love of Jesus with someone. Churches have even gotten into the act by having professional tracts, church events and DVDs produced to "make it easier" for regular Christians but this implies, unintentionally, that regular Christians can't do this without such help and tools. Nothing is further from the truth. All anyone needs, to be a witness for Jesus, is natural, real, living faith and genuine concern for the other person.

Natural Christian Outreach: I had the same misconceptions as everyone else at my first ministry post. So, I started a door-to-door program that had pretty good success because we were taking prayer requests, rather than preaching at people. Later, I found we had better success turning the church parking lot into a flea market one Saturday a year, so we could meet our neighbors under more natural circumstances. Finally, after trying evangelism the traditional way for over 10 years, I've come to the realization that most people have their guard up before our second sentence is finished. Here in the USA, everybody is bombarded from every direction by thousands of Christians. All of these approaches have one thing in common...they are as systematic and impersonal as a cheap sales pitch. I'm now getting evangelistic junk email because some poor misguided souls feel they're serving God by irritating strangers with messages they didn't ask for. So, when we approach a loved one with the message of Jesus, it's easy for them to think they know what we're going to say, and reject it without listening. Natural Christian outreach starts with a person who is seeking a solution to one of life's problems. When people discover Jesus as a solution to their problems, He has value to them and they're far more receptive to the message. After all, Jesus healed and fed people...He didn't just preach at them.

Be A Witness Without Witnessing: Another thing that puts people off and negates our evangelistic efforts is "The Presentation." Let me be straight with you, no one wants a canned God. Canned God has been sold to people their whole lives. They don't like how He tastes, how He smells, His mushy texture. The next time someone comes into your group selling the latest in canned God materials, boil up a can of peas for him and ask him if this is the way he likes his vegetables. Serve him some stale bread on the side. The only way to serve God is fresh. If you don't have a fresh relationship with God daily then don't try to serve Him to others. Jesus didn't say to go witnessing, He said to be a witness. It's the nature of a genuine Christian that reaches others for Jesus, not the use of flashy witnessing materials. Jesus is living water that wells up in you to overflowing...but He's got to be flowing in you first.

Have The Bible In You, Not On You: This point is very much like the last. It seems many religious people carry a Bible when they "go witnessing." You may have noticed from this and others of my articles, I speak and write the message from the Bible without quoting it chapter and verse. You and I know the Bible is a highly valuable book...God's Word to us. We use it to guide our lives and often quote it to each other. To those we're trying to reach...it's just a book. You don't need to carry it, quote from it, open it and show people what it says...you just need to live it.

One of my fellow students in Bible College told me about his "street-witnessing" experience the night before. He finally got someone cornered, opened his Bible and started down "The Roman Road" with him. The man interrupted and started disagreeing. It ended with the man running away while the student yelled, "You're going to hell." I'll never forget what my student friend told me next. He said, "At least I planted a seed." What kind of seed? What kind of crop? Will anyone be able to talk about Jesus again with that poor man?

If you have the Bible in you, it will come out in your actions and your words without you even trying. The Holy Spirit will remind you of everything you need to say and do. You'll care more about the person you're talking to than yourself. Leave the Bible on your desk at home, where you can keep putting it in your life, then it will shine through your life in how you treat others.

Share Faith In Jesus, Not The Gospel: Many people share "the gospel" out of a sense of duty, in response to a preacher or book they read or to be active in the latest program their church has to "reach the lost." These people are not acting in the right motivations, and worse, not acting in faith. Faith says Jesus doesn't want anyone to die and that everyone who comes to Him will be drawn by the Holy Spirit. If we're acting in faith, we can leave it up to God to provide valid opportunities to share Him and we can leave the results to Him, as well. If our faith is in Jesus, we don't need to share the gospel, but to live the Good News. We don't need to tell the people they have sinned, that's the Holy Spirit's job. We don't need to judge them, Jesus will do that at the end of time. All we need to do is live the love Jesus has given us and let Him love and help others through us...and believe in Him for the rest. Nothing can be easier than sharing faith, because faith says there is no way to fail.

Glen Williams is an Ordained Minister, Founder and CEO of E-Home Fellowship (EHF), Inc. and Webmaster for http://www.web-church.com. He has been active in ministry since 1989. You can comment on his articles at Web-Church Christian Forums.

1 John 1 - Chapter 1 of John's Letter Explained

1 John 1 is not addressed to converts or Born Again Believers! How can this be I hear you say, and if it is not addressed to Spirit Born believers, how have 'Bible scholars', ministers, pastors and theologians missed this crucial understanding of God's Word? Under the title Recipients in the NIV Study Bible they clearly state 1 John is aimed at believers, but notice, they conveniently choose 1 John Chapter 2 to erroneously prove their point i.e. they go straight to Chapter 2 and in the process by-pass Chapter 1. Why do they do that? Easy, the NIV is the work of Bible intellectuals and theologians who are men with their own agendas. Unfortunately these agendas are not The Lord Jesus Christ's agenda and they never were.

Now, there are two factors of error or gross misunderstanding at work here. The first and most important factor is the error of reading the epistles as if they were, and are, written for the benefit of the converted alone. In fact this is a common failure of most 'Christian teaching'. The second factor of error, which leads to the first error is this: Paul's epistles are aimed at the converted or those being called; that is, Spiritually aware, so the above mentioned 'authorities' jump to the conclusion that all the epistles that follow Paul's epistles are also written to the same audience; to disciples, Spiritual beginners and mature Born Again believers alike. This is what I call 'one size fits all' preaching or, preaching as if to people all with same level of Spiritual maturity, but as I will prove, this is definitely not the case and especially in 1 John 1.

As an example, let's consider this; everyone is in church on a Sunday and a Spiritual message is delivered. Now this message maybe for those new to The Faith or it maybe for Spiritual children or it maybe for mature believers; some will say "is there a difference?" Well Paul certainly thought there was because he withheld his meaty teaching from certain congregations because they weren't ready for it:

1 Corinthians 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

I have only ever met one minister who differentiated or separated his flock for teaching. Why did he do this? After I have explained 1 John 1 I hope you will understand why he did.

So if 1 John 1 is not aimed at Born Again Believers, to whom is it aimed and what is the issue at stake here in this passage of Holy Scripture? Is the issue sin? Well yes, of course it is, but then again, no, it's more than that. The emphasis is more to do with attitude toward sin, a preparedness to admit to being a sinner, a willingness to confess those sins for the first time - honesty and truthfulness. Being prepared to not live in a state of denial; a state of mind of not kidding oneself - Truth, but before I get into the meat of this passage we need to understand the opening verses of 1 John 1.

1 John 1:1-5 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; Verse 2; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us Verse 3; That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Verse 4; And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. Verse 5; This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."

Look at these opening verses carefully. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard..." John is immediately setting the scene, style and approach of this letter or as some have commented - this sermon - a letter to be read aloud to the Churches, but what is the style or approach of this letter? It's as if it is all new to the listeners and of course, it is, because the first five verses amount to a declaration and the word 'declare' appears twice; verses 3 & 5. Now only new news is declared - no one ever declares old news, so these opening verses must be for the benefit of those who have not heard this message before; they were new to this message and teaching. Why would John 'declare' this news to those already converted? They already believe, don't they? Have they not heard this message before? Of course they have, they knew very well that the Apostle John was an original disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you noticed, too, the other important point here, a point more important than it being a declaration? I have put it italics along with the word 'declare' - "That you also may have fellowship with us". We need to understand this crucial point! This is telling us that these people are not yet in fellowship with the brethren of that Church; they are not yet in fellowship with the congregation of that church area and if you ignore this Truth then you do so at your peril.

OK, let's now move on to the meaty part of this chapter, and notice, John opens it with the word 'IF' (the biggest word in the world!) and he says it five times.So let's go through these five verses, one by one, and reveal the real message or Truth within them:

1) Verse 6: "IF we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:"

Straight away, John is stating an obvious fact; how can we say we have fellowship with The Lord Jesus Christ and walk in darkness; it's impossible and it is a total contradiction in terms and in Spiritual reality? So who are they that walk in darkness? Who do you think they are; the fairies at the bottom of your garden!!?? Why, it's those who are still in the world and are of the world and are not saved - they are the lost, they are those who live in darkness and they walk in darkness and, therefore, cannot "do The Truth". Why can't they "do The Truth", because The Truth is not in them? Why and how is the Truth not in them, because they have not been called of the Father to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit!? They are not Born Again or Born from above. So why did John make this challenging, opening statement? Why, to help these potential new converts to examine themselves to see if the Father was calling them to His Son or not - to see if they were "doing The Truth". Furthermore, if we say we have fellowship with Him and we are not disciples or Born Again, then we are liars - plain and simple.

2) Verse 7: "But IF we walk in the light, as He is in The Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Now what is John saying here when he says: "If we walk in The Light, as He is in the Light"? Let's be clear, the word 'in' here is a poor translation, because the Lord Jesus Christ is The Light, so He has to be able to walk 'in' the light for all The Light emanates from Him in the first place. The Lord Jesus Christ never walked in light that came from elsewhere or from another source, and I will rewrite verse 5 for the proof of this fact:

1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

Returning to verse 7, what is John saying here? He is saying 'If we?' Well, do we or don't we, do we walk in The Light or not, or perhaps more importantly; how can we walk in The Light? That's easy, or maybe it's not so easy. We begin to walk in The Light by confessing our sins, being baptised and receiving the Holy Spirit - becoming a Born Again son or daughter of God. Now we walk in The Light. Now we have fellowship one with another as brothers and sisters as Jesus' Blood has cleansed us from; now notice this - ALL SIN. All sin means all sin, not some of our sins but all of them!! Past, present and future, and don't let any blasphemer tell you otherwise.

3) Verse 8: "IF we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

OK, here's a question: What type of person is going to say they have no sin? Is a non believer going to say this or someone the Father is calling? Or, in this case, are these potential converts going to admit that they are sinners or not; are they going to say that they have no sin or confess that they do have sin? If they are going to say they have no sin they are then deceiving themselves. In this scenario of 1 John 1 the Father is probably calling some of them, and this question will challenge them and convict them, but not the others. Some of them will not have The Truth and some of them will have The Truth, so who is not going to be truthful? Now notice the last part "The Truth is not in us". If The Truth is not in someone, then they are of the world and not Born Again; they do not have the indwelling of The Holy Spirit. Now, if the Father is calling someone [John 6:44], this potential convert's awareness of sin is automatically enlivened; he or she will be made aware of their sins for the first time in their lives. Anyone reading this passage of Scripture, too, will also be convicted of their sins for the first time in their lives if they are being called. This is the whole purpose of 1 John 1.

If, on the other hand, we think this verse applies to True Believers or to those Born Again, let's try and apply it to them and see if it makes any sense. As an aside, I ask this question, for there are multiple thousands of mainstream Christians out there, who have been Baptised (albeit erroneously into the trinity) and do believe that this verse applies to them, and then they wonder why they find no relief from guilt and no peace - the peace that passeth all understanding. This means they do not live under grace.

OK, I've digressed a little there, but a necessary digression. So, is a Born Again son or daughter of God going to say they have no sin? Hello! Excuse me! Well, the first thing a switched on believer will say to this question is something like this: I have a body of sin that sins, but I, the Born Again Spiritual new man, do not sin because I cannot sin, so that means I can tell you quite plainly that I have no sin, apart from the sin in my body of sin which is no longer me, it's just a vessel that I reside in until I am resurrected and my body of sin dies. This also means that by telling you I have no sin I cannot be deceiving myself and the Truth is definitely in me. Please read my articles: "The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ - His True Grace, Not the Watered Down Religious Version!" and "Was the Apostle Paul a Schizophrenic? - Romans 7:14-25", for a full explanation of what it means to be truly forgiven, sinless and living free under His glorious grace.

Now bearing all this in mind, can you now see the nonsense of trying to apply this verse to Born Again believers? This verse can only apply to those approaching the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time - potential new converts. John is using this statement to invoke or prompt repentance within the souls of these new people whom the Father may, or may not, be calling to His Son.

4) Verse 9: "IF we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (emphasis mine)

John says, if we confess our sins. Now when do we do that? Well we know don't we, at the time of our calling and/or at the time of our Baptism? We need to understand, too, that confession of sins is a one off event, repetitive confession of sins is not required of Born Again sons and daughters of God. Please see my article for the proof of this Biblical truth: "Is Repetitive Confession of Sins, Biblical?" Moving on, John then tells us that if we do confess our sins the Lord Jesus Christ is faithful and just to forgive us sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, not some or only part of our unrighteousness, but all our unrighteousness.

Born Again sons and daughters of God have already confessed their sins, they are now walking in The Light and The Truth is now in them, so why would John re-teach this fundamental again, is he into preaching to the converted? No. True Believers who keep on believing are cleansed of all their sins and this cleansing takes place at Baptism. This verse, as with the whole of 1 John 1, can only apply to those new to the Faith and/or non believers being called. John here is encouraging those who were hearing the message to confess their sins for the first and only time.

5) Verse 10: "IF we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and his Word is not in us."

This verse just confirms and sums up what has already been said with the added dimension of telling the new converts that if they profess to be of The Lord Jesus Christ and they say that they have not sinned they make Our Lord out to be a liar as well, and His Word and Truth is not in them. By contrast, how could this verse apply to Born Again sons and daughters of God? Quite simply, it couldn't, because those Born of God cannot sin, so this statement could only be aimed at or only apply to those being called out of this world of sin and into His glorious Light.

Charles Crosby

http://yes2truth.com.istemp.com/index.html

If you wish to learn more please e-mail me at yes2faithatyahoo.co.uk If you do wish to e-mail me please replace the 'at' with @ - thank you

There are no contradictions in the Holy Word of God only the evil corruptions of men, within its pages, who have deliberately created them to meet the requirements of their satanic religious agendas - Charles Crosby

Revised and edited 7th September 2008

About Peace On Earth

True or false: Jesus came to bring peace on earth. The answer is clear but not the same answer as the world gives.

Wherever there is a true church there is division. The struggle toward the light is relentless. God's people will always strive to know, believe, abd obey God's Word. Actors in the same group will balk. They will go only so far and then stop. Hence, division. Eventually, persecution. Rejection.

How we all long for peace. But wars among the children of men will always be. Jesus did not come to solve that problem. Not yet. As He looks into the future from His day He calmly declares, "There will be wars and rumors of wars." That problem is not going away.

The children of God have their own special set of wars. But for them, the true ones, a personal peace is promised. Apostolic writers speak of the peace that passes understanding. The prophet says that God will keep in perfect peace those that trust in Him. Jesus Himself said, "My peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you," the you being those who are His true disciples. This promise was not given to the disciples who walked away filled with their own agendas.

Peace on earth, you ask? No, this message of the blood of a crucified God continues to divide families, communities, nations. The World Wars were religious wars, Catholic powers against Orthodox powers. In our own continent, Rome sought to subdue by political and military force, the neighbor of its ally Mexico. That neighbor, the USA, has largely stayed free of religious domination but is threatened now by Muslim inroads which likewise threaten Europe and the civilized world. War will always be, triggered by false ideas about who God is and what He wants.

But the angels, what of the angels and their beautiful song on the night Christ became flesh in a little Jewish village? They sang of "peace on earth and good will to men." Was it only a song, a vanished dream? Is there hope for this planet?

Oh yes, but all in good time. Peace will come to the entire orb when the Prince of Peace forcibly exerts His will as returning Messiah. He invites now. So subtle is His voice at times. He truly wants man to choose Him, since he has already chosen to love and die for them. No power plays. No strong arm. Those who tried such tactics in the Middle Ages got what military might produces: outward conformity. Lukewarm religion. Paganism filling the church.

The Christ of the Good News comes on the inside and saves sinners one at a time.

But the same Christ of the Good News will one day invite no longer . The heavens will open and every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that He is Lord. Yes, Kim Jong Il and all dictators from Nero to Napoleon to Hitler will bow the knee to Christ. Then the world will be free and at peace. Until then we carry the song in our heart, the promise, the reality that a warring world around us cannot comprehend.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website made to ask believers to pray for North Korea. Recently I have added Bible teachings to the menu. There are nearly 300 blogs , a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com Audio teachings at sermonaudio.com under my name.

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Ever Met a Man of God?

Ever met a man of God? Are you sure? What do you think a man of God might look like?

I think He would be simple, unassuming. He'd be holy, separated, but not weird. He would love the Word of God, every page, every line. Very quiet. Very powerful. A lion in the pulpit, a lamb one-on-one. Unafraid to preach the wrath of God so hot you could smell the fire and brimstone your nasty soul deserves. Able to lift a broken reed from the river bed, gently put it back together, replant it, and watch it flourish with joy. Full of mercy.

The man of God by which we measure all men of God is Jesus. Full of the Spirit, nailed to a cross. Buried in a rock-sealed tomb. Resurrected in power. Constant contradiction. Escapes near-death often but also escapes near-triumph. Judges sin. Forgives sin.

[Voice of the Martyrs founder] Richard Wurmbrand's faith always challenged me. Many have talked of the cross, his life demonstrated it. Many preach the prosperity that ends with a new car or house. Wurmbrand showed the true prosperity that comes from finding the gold refined in the fire. His life too was an enigma to most of us. He founded an organization, at the prompting of the Lord in his heart, that ministers to the needs of the suffering church. It is a relief organization. But in some of his writings he seems to indicate that he wished to be in the pit of suffering again, for there was the riches of Jesus Himself. No relief necessary, he might say. We who have not been educated in the school of suffering, but continue to go after men's degrees, cannot comprehend a man like this. A man of God.

Paul echoed this sentiment, wanting to know the "fellowship of His suffering." There must be something wonderful about dying to self. Laying one's own flesh and blood on the line. Fully surrendering. God's top men and women have experienced this triumph.

Ever felt God tugging at you, saying, "There's more, there's more?" Did you respond by getting out a catalog so you could put in your order? Or did you think that perhaps He was speaking of the "more" that starts with less? That's how men and women of God think. That's how Jesus thought. For the joy that was set before Him He endured the cross.

First the cross. Then the joy. If we can just get that in order, we're on our way to the fellowship He desires.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://www.sermonaudio.com - There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.