tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53647721961451716742024-03-06T01:15:27.455-07:00ReasonI post my writings here from time to time. My hope is that with all the panic and misinformation around, together we can Reason out the truth and find peace.Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-7845212980091167342011-11-23T12:01:00.003-07:002011-11-23T12:20:26.007-07:00Thanksgiving - Take some time out<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWJcRi1gS1aCEZst1byHspbYj9g5BrB_OZWVWzRz3klYE0me6A2feXgPtYGySFqy-YraKc383jfQthXbqEvHR5pY39iZWYJwtItDWendEWEFl_FjL6fCVjzZeoMC3bbpQfaxa0slIVKk/s1600/thanksgiving.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWJcRi1gS1aCEZst1byHspbYj9g5BrB_OZWVWzRz3klYE0me6A2feXgPtYGySFqy-YraKc383jfQthXbqEvHR5pY39iZWYJwtItDWendEWEFl_FjL6fCVjzZeoMC3bbpQfaxa0slIVKk/s320/thanksgiving.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678273280666688882" /></a><br /><br /><br />I love the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. Its the time of year I look forward to the most. But its also the most stressful time of year.<br /><br />We worry about the family coming over for Thanksgiving dinner. We worry about not being able to cook everything needed or things coming out right. We worry about the war in Iraq. We worry about the national debt. And on and on. Lets face it, we just seem to love to worry.<br /><br />Have you ever noticed that despite your endless worrying, nothing seems to turn out any different? The only thing worrying does is put grey hairs on your head and add wrinkles to your face.<br /><br />We have so much to be thankful for here in America. The war in Iraq is ending come the end of the year. I bet you that tomorrow (Thanksgiving), you will so much food that you wont even be able to get rid of all the left-overs. (If you dont, let me know and I will give you some of ours.) If you are a Christian, you no longer have to worry about Dying. We found the fountain of youth! Its Jesus. <br />And on and on...<br /><br />My challenge to you today is to take some time out and stop the worry. Take 10 minutes out of your day. Tell the kids to go play and leave you alone for a while. If your spouse is around, ask him or her to leave you alone for that time as well. Lie down on the couch, turn on some soothing music like Classical or Jazz (Something without words). Turn off the lights and come up with 20 things that you are thankful for.<br /><br />For an alternate to the couch, 10 minutes in the bath works too. Run a nice bubble bath, light some candles, turn off the lights, and play some soft soothing music.<br /><br />Then think about just 20 things that you are thankful for. I can come up with 20 things without even breaking a sweat. Can you?Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-82740985855167988322011-10-12T06:48:00.005-07:002011-10-12T16:47:56.690-07:00Soddom and Gomorah - Their sin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MUtFEQofrZvvnJubKepEr3nSJPMEFYmNx-_vguDzqs_8xQdFjECU90LmWfOY8pgKggvSY4MWQH0VnFPjp0iBApLI5ZlKgTIL_aROXC5vQ4lCve4SncLXQZkR0v44wfcvf2eqVAaP9gY/s1600/Self+Righteous+cartoon.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MUtFEQofrZvvnJubKepEr3nSJPMEFYmNx-_vguDzqs_8xQdFjECU90LmWfOY8pgKggvSY4MWQH0VnFPjp0iBApLI5ZlKgTIL_aROXC5vQ4lCve4SncLXQZkR0v44wfcvf2eqVAaP9gY/s320/Self+Righteous+cartoon.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662756326977027474" /></a><br /><br />Everyone has probably read of heard the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. We tend to pass judgement on the city a lot. We think how horrible they must have been. We think to ourselves; "They really got what was coming to them."<br /><br />In Church, we are told that their sin was really bad and God sent his angels down to check out the place. If the sin was found to be that bad, the place was to be wiped out. Abraham pleaded with the Lord because Lot lived there. <br /><br />Then the angels arrived at the city and the men of the city wanted to have sex with the angels. <br /><br />While sexual sin was bad enough, what does the Bible really say about the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?<br /><br />According to Ezekiel 16:48-50, this was Sodom and Gomorrah's sin.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. "'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.</span><br /><br />Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed because they were arrogant, proud, ate way too much, and did not help the poor and those in need. <br /><br />Does this sound like and nation and people you know? <br /><br />It sounds like America to me. The US has the most over weight population on the planet. We have become a nation of over weight couch potatoes that only seem to care about ourselves. Only a few select organizations and Churches do anything for the poor and needy. Some of us do give to these organizations and Churches so that we can make ourselves feel less guilty. <br /><br />So, the next time you think about Sodom and Gomorrah, you need to thank God that he has not passed the same judgment out on America that he dealt to that city. Our sin is no less grievous.Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-28335678576999359212011-10-10T17:07:00.010-07:002011-10-10T17:54:33.414-07:00Sometimes I am ashamed to call myself a Christian<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5G1H8MeBOX6-jOjKjwHTqJGsOsL6Bi4yB_hf8hBnAmlxEkrd-vWN2AHzLknzOMWO27FNChpQM65SVm4Eiv_FRpHEibdN_QJZy4tERhIazvaVPJK7WGp-KfE5AyeH5taHvSQ_W9PxWckE/s1600/god+or+satan.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 295px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5G1H8MeBOX6-jOjKjwHTqJGsOsL6Bi4yB_hf8hBnAmlxEkrd-vWN2AHzLknzOMWO27FNChpQM65SVm4Eiv_FRpHEibdN_QJZy4tERhIazvaVPJK7WGp-KfE5AyeH5taHvSQ_W9PxWckE/s320/god+or+satan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662030238623902578" /></a><br /><br /><br />Sometimes I am ashamed to call myself a Christian.<br /><br />Dont get me wrong, I love my Lord and God and I will never be ashamed of Him. But there are those among us that call themselves Christians that make me ashamed to be counted among them.<br /><br />I watched the news the other night, as I often do before I go to bed. Steve Jobs had just died. This was a very sad day for all Apple fans. Steve Jobs was probably one of the brightest and most innovative men of the last century. <br /><br />I was shocked to see a story in the news about a Baptist Church in Kansas that was going to picket Steve Jobs funeral. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />You heard right. They picketed a funeral!! </span><br /><br />In all my years, I have never heard of anyone, much less people that profess to be Christians, being so......Idiotic and disrespectful.<br /><br />I made note of this place. I pulled up their web site to see what they are all about and try to figure out why they would do such a thing. I wish that I had never seen the site. In fact, Im not even going to name them or give their URL here because I dont want to give them the publicity.<br /><br />This web site is all about <span style="font-weight:bold;">hate</span>. They are saying that Steven Jobs was gay. Weather he was or not, I have no idea. But that is beside the point. Even if he was, Steve and his family still deserves respect and the comfort of God. <br /><br />Let me show you just a few things from this place's web site. God forgive me for even posting it here. <span style="font-weight:bold;">I want to show you how much hate is coming from these people and say that I completely disagree with them.</span><br /><br />Here are just a few direct quotes from their web site. <br /><br />"We display large, colorful signs containing Bible words and sentiments, including: GOD HATES FAGS, FAGS HATE GOD, AIDS CURES FAGS, THANK GOD FOR AIDS, FAGS BURN IN HELL, GOD IS NOT MOCKED, FAGS ARE NATURE FREAKS, GOD GAVE FAGS UP, NO SPECIAL LAWS FOR FAGS, FAGS DOOM NATIONS, THANK GOD FOR DEAD SOLDIERS, FAG TROOPS, GOD BLEW UP THE TROOPS, GOD HATES AMERICA, AMERICA IS DOOMED, THE WORLD IS DOOMED, etc."<br /><br />Not only are they saying that God hates sinners, but that he also hates America. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Anyone that hates America should leave!</span><br /><br />My Bible says that God is a God of immense love!!<br /><br />God does not just love those that he has saved. He loves all His children. <br /><br />John 3:16<br />For God so Loved the world that He gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. <br /><br />1 John 4:7,16<br />Dear friends, let us love one another, <span style="font-weight:bold;">because love is from God</span>, <span style="font-weight:bold;">and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God</span>. The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love...<br />Dear friends, if God so loved us, then we also ought to love one another. <br />...<span style="font-weight:bold;">God is love</span>, and the one who resides in <span style="font-weight:bold;">love </span>resides in God, and God resides in him. <span style="font-weight:bold;">By this love</span> is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, ..<span style="font-weight:bold;">There is no fear in love,</span> but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. <br /><br />In fact, its not possible for me to quote all the passages in His word that have to do with love. I would have to quote the entire Bible here. <br /><br />So please please please do me a favor and ignore any so-called Christians or so-called Churches that claim to know God, yet profess hate. <br /><br />They are not of God!!Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-82571867595001712032011-10-03T12:19:00.016-07:002011-10-04T14:37:34.517-07:00Meat controversary at Costco!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7AtwqYd7PCtCtI5RbpBmUgA4wd0jA3gRhwILknB5yeekoWCSRpqgm3LdLqexb-_m37WR2gbwBqCjYQ-g06DR0pOuojGVpHQmS8NEtEnfJNQh1bBaOrQSJsnfcaOZrLJm4S6af2rNGXQ/s1600/muslim+scare.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7AtwqYd7PCtCtI5RbpBmUgA4wd0jA3gRhwILknB5yeekoWCSRpqgm3LdLqexb-_m37WR2gbwBqCjYQ-g06DR0pOuojGVpHQmS8NEtEnfJNQh1bBaOrQSJsnfcaOZrLJm4S6af2rNGXQ/s320/muslim+scare.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659369832572265826" /></a><br />Maybe you have heard about this latest controversy. There is always someone complaining about something. I just got wind of it the other day. <br /><br />It seems that someone was shopping at Costco the other day and saw something that alarmed them. The label on the Costco sign above the meat said "Certified Halal".<br /><br />Now, I have been around long enough to know that people are dumb and panic easily. The word "Halal" is an Arabic word that means Lawful, or Permissible. Another way to put it would be; "Good for you". The opposite word would be "Haraam", which means Forbidden, or Unlawful. Another way to put it would be; "Bad for you". <br /><br />To me, this does not seem any different than our USDA label or the Kosher label. The USDA label tells us Americans that the meat is good to eat. Its passed inspection and wont kill us (Hopefully). "Certified Kosher" tells Jews that meat is lawful, or good for them to eat. <br /><br />"Certified Halal" is simply telling Muslims that the meat is good for them to eat. I dont recall hearing of any controversy when "Certified Kosher" was put on food. Now that its for the benefit of Muslims, it must be a conspiracy to turn us all into Mulsims or Satan worshipers. <br /><br />The main reason for all the hubbub seems to be that Christians think that they are being forced to eat meat sacrificed to idols. <br /><br />The way that Muslims treat their slaughter of animals reminds me of the movie "Avatar". In the movie, the Navi were the indigenous people of the moon called Pandora. When the people had to kill animals, they did so with great respect. They recognized that the animal gave its life so that they would live. After the killing, the Navi that did the killing, would pray for it and thank their God for the gift of food. The American Indians had similar practices as well. <br /><br />In Christendom, we also have a similar practice. Before we eat, we pray. In our prayer, we thank God for the food we are about to eat and we pronounce the name of Jesus over it. <br /><br />It seems that Muslims also have great respect for the food that they eat. When the animal is being slaughtered they say a prayer for the animal. They are required to mention the name of their God. I dont know this for sure, but my guess is that in this modern age, recorded prayer has taken over.<br /><br />What I cant seem to find is any mention anywhere in my readings of how and when this meat is sacrificed to idols. But even if it is, so what? <br /><br />When Muslims pray, they turn their heads toward Meca. Muslims pray to Allah, not the God that us Christians know. My guess is that some well-meaning, but totally off-base Christians, have decided that these two things somehow equate to this meat being sacrificed to idols. <br /><br />After 9/11, most Americans become paranoid of Muslims. We seem to be looking for them everywhere. It reminds me of the "Red Scare". Many of you, including me, are probably too young to remember the Red Scare. Im not sure what started it, but all of the sudden, everyone feared Communists (Russians). There was thought to be a Communist hiding behind every bush. People that were accused of being Communists were fired, jailed, ran out of the country, or worse. <br /><br />Now its the Muslims turn. I have all the sympathy in the world for those that were in 9/11, and the family of those that died there. But that does not mean that every Muslim is bad. We, as a nation, need to forgive and move on. <br /><br />From what I can tell, this is just another scare.....Seems like I read somewhere that fear is not of God. Oh yeah, I remember now. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Its the Bible!</span><br /><br />If you are still in fear over this, I would offer up a suggestion that should settle this once and for all. When you buy this meat, pray to Jesus before you consume it. At the name of Jesus, any bad mojo that was on or in the meat will poof. <br /><span style="font-style:italic;">1 Corinthians 8</span><br /><br />http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+8&version=NIV<br /><br />If you are still concerned about this meat, <span style="font-weight:bold;">Dont buy it!</span>Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-18304978663995480482011-09-30T08:47:00.005-07:002011-09-30T10:37:24.529-07:00I did it my way!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWsby18euoSPbgqS6YuMgBPohD8kVdJh4Q8ci-LeKAE4Yyg1gXwLxNldWEpEidkI3iU49n3Zb6Hlxu33yj2og2MaIEGdGhDELIekorVvjx8FXGrUyEUPW5YyqPYyGcw6oLNoq-wjE8ds/s1600/its+all+about+me.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 279px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWsby18euoSPbgqS6YuMgBPohD8kVdJh4Q8ci-LeKAE4Yyg1gXwLxNldWEpEidkI3iU49n3Zb6Hlxu33yj2og2MaIEGdGhDELIekorVvjx8FXGrUyEUPW5YyqPYyGcw6oLNoq-wjE8ds/s320/its+all+about+me.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658185291907920514" /></a><br />Ya know, I have always liked this song. The best known signer of the song was probably Frank Sinatra. The song causes great emotion in us and seems to stir our spirit. It has become an anthem for those that dont want to give up and press through in hard times. <br /><br />But just what spirit does this song really stir in us? <br /><br />The song starts out innocently enough. He talks about the end being near. He says he has traveled a lot and lived a full life. <br /><br />But then we get to the final verse of the song. "For what is man, what has he got, if not himself, he has naught. To say the things he truly feels, and not the words of one who kneels. The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!"<br /><br />The writer is saying that if not for man, we have nothing. No room for God, just man. This flies directly in the face of Christianity. Its Humanism.<br /><br />He goes on to say that he says the things he truly feels, and not the words of one who kneels. Us Christians are the ones who kneel. Again, he is saying that kneeling to pray is worthless. The only value in life is to depend on yourself and do things your way.<br /><br />The next line is even more troubling. "The record shows that I took the blows". If you are a Christian, then it was Jesus that took the blows so that you would not have to. <br /><br />All these years that I liked this song, I was singing an anthem to myself and ultimately to Satan. After all, it was Satan that wanted to do things his way. Satan did not like the way that God did things. He thought that he could do it better. He wanted to do it his way. Thats what caused him to be thrown out of heaven. <br /><br />Trying to do things "My Way" is what caused this whole mess of sin. As Christians, what we should really want is to do it His (Jesus) Way!Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-626906490542413882009-07-03T08:29:00.004-07:002009-07-03T12:16:51.818-07:00Tea party<p>Keeping it Real<br />July 4th Special Issue<br /><br /><br />July 4th, Patriotism, Paying Taxes and being a Christian.<br /><br />While you think about your bar-b-q, fireworks and parties this weekend, I hope that you will remember what this weekend is about. It’s all about our independence from England.<br /><br />To summarize; we just didn’t like it there anymore, so we decided we wanted to leave and start our own country. We started a pretty good one too. There are many soldiers in foreign countries that are fighting and dying, even this weekend, to protect our freedoms. Please think about them this weekend and take a few moments out of your day to reflect on all that God has given us.<br /><br /><strong>Paying Taxes<br /></strong><br />The latest fad to hit seems to be something called a Tea party. It is hard to find any real information on this movement. When you Google it, you get a lot of YouTube videos of rally’s, and the official Tea Party site. I went to their official site to check it out.<br /><br />The site talks a lot about how much the Obama admistration is spending. It even has a cute counter on it to let you see how much our national debt is. The site list other cutesy facts like how many times our debt would stack up to the moon and back. It list why the Obama administration is spending way too much. To me, it seems like a lot of hype with the goal of scaring you. Scare you into what you ask? Joining their movement of course.<br /><br />No don’t get me wrong. I don’t like how much the present administration is spending either. Neither do I like that I’m being forced to watch and support homosexual activities. In short, Im not a fan of the Obama admistration. I wanted to say that right up front. But neither do I think that we should be attacking our government.<br /><br />The Tea Party was set up with this specific name to be a direct reflection on the Boston Tea Party. In case you were asleep during history class, like me, I will refresh you on this.<br /><br />The Boston Tea Party was a direct action protest by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts, against the British government. On December 16, 1773, after officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, a group of colonists boarded the ships and destroyed the tea by throwing it into Boston Harbor.<br /><br />It was basically a revolt that situated around them feeling that they got unfairly taxed without appropriate or adequate representation. It was the Boston Tea Party that is said to have had a direct result in our American Independence.<br /><br />Now, I won’t go into if the Boston Tea Party was a good idea or not. I will only say that I do not believe Christians should take part in a revolt against their government.<br /><br />The Tea Party movement here seems to be saying that they do not want more taxes. Though as I mentioned before, I cannot verify much, as specific details of the movement seem to be hard to find.<br /><br />However, it sounds like a pretty similar theme to the Tea Party in Boston. I also found another web site that I wish to mention here. This movement is called Fairtax. Im not listing the site address here, because I don’t wish to promote them. This group has a disturbing agenda to say the least. They wish to abolish all personal tax and instead institute some sort of nationwide sales tax.<br /><br /><strong>Perhaps Im dense or something.<br /></strong><br /><strong>Doesn’t most every state already pay sales tax?<br /></strong><br />And if we were to abolish federal tax, how would we pay for our kids to go to school, feed the hungry, and all those other programs that the feds have?<br /><br />But this is not the main problem that I see with these groups. According to the Bible, we are to pay to Caesar what is Caesar’s. To update that; we are to pay to the federal government what belongs to the federal government. And who decides what belongs to the federal government. Well, they do of course. Hey, no one said that the system was perfect, but it’s the best that we have.<br /><br />This came from an email I received from <a href="http://www.gotquestions.org/">GotQuestions</a>. I agree completely with the them.<br /><br />“As far as a Christian’s responsibility towards government, we know from Romans 13:1-7 that we are to be subject to the governing authorities and to honor them, even when they are not honorable because it is ultimately God who has placed them in authority over us. So as Christians, we are under obligation to God to be model citizens, subject to the governing authorities over us by obeying laws, paying taxes, etc. However, our responsibilities are first and foremost to be obedient to God. In America, a democratic republic where individual citizens have the ability to change and influence government by voting or by being politically involved when appropriate and in appropriate ways, part of being a good citizen is voting and having whatever positive influence we can on government.It is very hard to love oppressive governments. However, as Christians we are still obligated to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-4). God will honor our obedience to this command, and in His perfect timing, He will judge leaders who turn away from Him.”<br /><br /><strong>I do have a few things to add to this. You knew I would, right?<br /></strong><br />Most that complain about paying taxes say that they don’t want to pay because<br /><br />The government is corrupt<br />They are just lining their own packets<br />We have way to much debt<br />Or they don’t like the agenda of the current government<br /><br /><strong>Now, listen up carefully folks.<br /></strong><br />According to the Bible, obeying ones authority, in this case the federal government, does not depend on if you like them or not, or if you think they are corrupt, or misusing your tax dollars, or even what their agenda is. God does not give us a choice in these matters. He tells us that we MUST obey all authority.<br /><br />It does not matter one bit if we like them or not. God says that all authority was set up by Him. Let’s follow through with that train of thought. If we do not obey authority, we are not obeying God. And if we are not obeying God, we are serving Satan.<br /><br />Simple, right?<br /><br />Have you ever noticed that most of the people that jump on these band wagons, of not wanting to pay taxes, are middle income to wealthy? I think it’s because most of these folks are greedy and want to keep their wealth. My opinion is that they are just a bunch or whiners that do not want to pay their share.<br /><br />There are millions of people in third world countries that would gladly give most anything to have even the smallest portion of what we have. If these people, that have nothing, were to be given the opportunity to come to America, they would not be whining and complaining about paying taxes. They would be so grateful for the opportunity, that they would gladly pay them.<br /><br />They would not be carrying signs in protest against our government and defying them. They would be grateful for what God has given them. It’s only those that live here and have lived like, or turned into, spoiled brats that do all this complaining.<br /><br /><strong>My advice for these folks.<br /></strong><br />Go live in the ghetto and slums of a third world country for a while. Perhaps after you have done without, you will learn to be grateful for what you have.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Just Keeping it Real<br /></strong>Pastor Phillip Dacus<br /><a href="http://needsmet.us/">http://needsmet.us/</a><br />208-899-5766<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-13708332466042520992009-01-17T08:41:00.006-07:002009-01-17T13:28:24.161-07:00My Theory on the Shack controversy and how we have put God in a nice little neat Box.<strong>My Theory on the Shack controversy and how we have put God in a nice little neat Box.<br /></strong><br />In the times of Jesus, the Pharisees got very riled up when Jesus appeared on the scene. That’s because what Jesus was talking about went completely against what the religious community believed and held dear. Their theology was so entrenched and impenetrable, that they just could not accept anything that went against it.<br /><br />In their defense, they thought they were being good religious folk and defending the faith. They just could not accept that the very same God that had written the Old Testament and given us all those laws could be the very same God that was now telling them that those laws were no longer in effect, actually summed up in Love, and now talking about forgiveness.<br /><br />The Pharisees had such a very tightly woven theology, that they just could not accept that God may be just a little different than the one that they have built up in their minds. They had put God inside a little box in order for the world and God to make sense to them.<br /><br />If anything, like this book, challenges that and indicates that God might actually have the capability to exist outside this box, it is going to cause them to revolt. Their universe, including their God must make sense to them.<br /><br />This is just a fact of our human existence. We are human and therefore bound by natural laws. Our human nature wants to put everything into a nice neat equation. Just like mathematics and science. We learn the formulas necessary to make sense out of how the universe works. If anything comes along to challenge our formulas, we resist it. It’s always been this way.<br /><br />In the days of Columbus, it was believed that the world was flat. That was what they needed to believe at that time in order for them to make sense of their world. That theory was challenged; people resisted, called Columbus a heretic, and just plain got angry. The history of the world is filled with many many more examples just like that.<br /><br />Anytime an accepted view or formula is challenged, there are those that will get angry and refuse to accept it.<br /><br />That is until it is proven? The world is not flat and neither is my God in a box.<br /><br />Just Keeping it real<br />Pastor Phillip Dacus<br /><a href="http://www.needsmet.us/">http://www.needsmet.us/</a>Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-23346857431206978852009-01-15T15:52:00.004-07:002009-01-17T08:40:56.646-07:00The Shack - ReviewI just finished reading "The Shack." I found it to be one of the most amazing books that I have read in years. Now that let back up a bit and give you a little history on me. I’m not a book person. I am a student and fan of the movies. Most books bore me. But when I heard all the controversy that surrounded this one, I knew I had to read it. So I rushed out to Amazon and bought it. And I’m very glad that I did!<br /><br />I entitled this review "What if God was one of us." For those of you that may not remember it, its a song by Joan Osborn. I chose this song as the title for my review for 2 reasons.<br /><br />First, because when it was released several years ago, it too was very controversial, just like this book. Some in the Church have hailed it as the best thing since Peanut Butter. Others have condemned it has heresy.<br /><br />(Ive come to the conclusion that anytime something comes along that inspires huge controversy in the Church, its something that I need to take notice of.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_PawcvFrMQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_PawcvFrMQ</a><br /><br />My second reason is because this song fits the book very well. What if God was one of us? Not just some entity that is far away up in the sky somewhere looking down in on us every now and then to make sure we have not yet blown ourselves up.<br /><br />I felt that I had to write a short disclaimer on my review of book; “the Shack.”<br /><br /><em>I have already received some flack for taking a positive stance for this book, as I’m sure many others have. It’s a highly controversial book among those in the Church. In fact, I have not seen or read anything that has generated this much controversy in quite a while.<br /><br />Most of this controversy comes from those that are very hard wired into their theology. They find that this book has theological flaws and see it has a threat. To this my response and disclaimer is;<br /><br />I’m aware that this book in not 100% theologically accurate. What I’m not aware of is why it is expected to be. It is a work of fiction. It’s not expected to be a replacement for the Bible. If you are looking for something that is 100% theologically accurate, read the Bible. Millions of people have found that this book has changed their perspective on how they see God and have grown closer to Him because of it. How can that be a bad thing?<br /></em><br /><br />I have never liked all the things we do to keep God at a distance. I have never liked how it is that we see God. As some far off distant unreachable entity. This book brought him down to our level. A fact that is really stirring up folks in the Church. Folks that have a nice little neat theology and cant stand the thought of it being messed with. Their image of God is so fragile, that it cannot stand any movement or challenge at all.<br /><br />If this is you, you may have a hard time with this book.<br /><br />But if you are dealing with issues like; why God allowed your son, daughter or other loved one to die, Or why there is so much evil in the world that seems to be allowed to flourish, or you are simply having a hard time relating to God, then this book is a MUST read.<br /><br />Dont miss this one!Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-24617211158217142552009-01-13T16:17:00.000-07:002009-01-13T16:18:00.516-07:00Is God Too Big??<strong> Is our God too big?</strong><br /><br />This might seem like an odd thing to say, but please bear with me.<br /><br />I was in a church service a couple weeks ago. The pastor was talking about why we don’t feel that God can meet our needs. He said that this is because we just don’t understand how big our God really is.<br /><br />Well, I do agree that God is big and certainly big enough to handle any problem that we have. But what I want to explore is the opposite problem. Is it possible that we have made God out to be so huge that we just can’t grasp Him at all?<br /><br />Let me explain what I’m thinking here. We spend our entire Christian lives putting God up on a pedestal. Our Church ceremonies are filled with pomp and circumstance. When we pray to God, we bow our heads in reverence and out of respect. In some churches, they have taken this reverence of God to huge heights like putting on robes, lighting candles etc....<br /><br />Now, please don’t mishear me. I’m not saying that God is not big and does not deserve respect. What I am saying is that we have made God out to be so huge, and so high up there and exalted, that maybe He has become too big for us.<br /><br />Most of what I have learned about God has been in the past few years and has been the result of becoming a father myself. I think it’s a bit ironic, and telling, that becoming a Pastor did not accomplish this. Only becoming a dad did.<br /><br />Let’s use your earthly relationship with your Father as an example. Let’s says that every day, when you come to your Father, you say “Hello Father.” “How are you doing Father.” ”Can I serve you today Father? “You are so mighty and able to help me father” You walk around bowing to your father, clothing your father with flowing robes and in general, just revering him and honoring him.<br /><br />Now, what kind of relationship do you think you will have with your father if all you ever to is this? Do you really think that you will be able to go to him with your needs and desires? I’m sure that fathers out there might like it for a little while, but it would get old very quickly. What a father really wants is for his children to be able to talk to him openly and honestly. No pretense, no reverent “Hail mighty Father” or anything like this. Just simple and intimate relationship.<br /><br />This time, let’s substitute the word Daddy. “Daddy, how are you doing today”, Daddy, how can I help you today”<br /><br />The first example just comes off as that you are revering and honoring your Father, but the relationship is cold and distant.<br /><br />In the second example, the relationship is intimate, warm and cozy. It’s an example of a close relationship where you feel like you truly know the man and he can know and help you. Want proof? Are you close to your dad? Try calling him daddy. It feels right doesn’t it? If you are not close to him, you will probably find that the words are hard to say.<br /><br />Another wonderful example of this is the book that I just finished called “The Shack.” (<a href="http://www.theshackbook.com/">http://www.TheShackBook.com</a>)<br /><br />In this book, the God head (God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit) are portrayed as normal people just like you an me. Reminds me of that song from a few years back. “What if God was one of us.” In the book, God is portrayed as a warm, intimate loving Character. God talks one on one with the main Character in the book. He cooks, washes dishes, works in the garden, and lays on a dock staring up into the heavens.<br /><br />Many people that have read this book have said that they will never see God quite the same again. They say that they can now relate to Him and have an intimate relationship with Him.<br /><br />Try an experiment.<br /><br />Next time you are in Church, instead of simply raising your hands and singing to a God that is way far out of reach, try this. Look over at that empty spot next to you and imagine Him as a real person. Talk to Him like he is a real person. Hold his hand and tell Him that you love Him. My guess is that you will feel closer to Him. And if you do this regularly, you might even get to know Him and feel like He is capable of meeting your needs.<br /><br />Keeping it RealPhillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-73970641914800472882008-12-27T13:07:00.004-07:002008-12-27T13:27:23.765-07:00My Web Sites, forums and suchI needed a place to store the addresses to my current web sites and this seemed as good a place as any.<br /><a href="http://www.needsmet.us/">Needs Met</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.churchhomesearch.com/">Church Home Search</a><br />(still under construction. but it will be a Church evaluation site. Folks looking for a church home will be able to come onto the site and seach for local area churches. But it will be more than just a boring page of Church adds. It will be a place for one stop shopping for churches where you can compare their services, styles, ministries, and even have a rating system.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.needsmet.us/forums/ywam">YWAM Class of 1990 reunion</a><br />This is a forum that I put together for my YWAM friends. I attended <a href="http://www.ywam.org/">Youth With a Mission </a>in <a href="http://www.ywamtyler.org/">Yyler Texas</a> back in 1990. Im trying to find all my class mates that I attended <a href="http://www.ywam.org/contents/get_tra_dts.htm">DTS</a> and SOE with. We hope to have a reunion as soon as I can find everyone.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1603691304&ref=name">Facebook personal page</a><br />This is my personal facebook page<br /><br /><a href="http://home.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user&Mytoken=1230409489154">My Space personal page</a><br />This is my personal My Space page<br /><br /><a href="http://home.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user">My Space YWAM page</a><br />This is the page we set up to find class mates on ours.Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-2286343384066718292008-12-10T09:22:00.003-07:002008-12-10T11:36:28.099-07:00The Shack controversaryI don’t subscribe to many blogs. I find most to be boring and not worth my time to read them. I’m not being harsh, just realistic. I do subscribe to this one called Voice of the Sheep . http://voiceofthesheep.wordpress.com . Its a interesting blog for the main reason that I mostly disagree with the author on much of what he says.<br /><br />He has a theology that he sticks to. Like most others that have subscribed to a certain theology, he is unwilling to think beyond this and bashes those that do. Here is a case in point.<br /><br />There is a book called “The Shack.” The book seems to have caused a good deal of controversy in the Church. He bashes the book and sides with the ones that call it heresy.<br /><br />I have pasted here in my blog his comments on this book as well as my response.<br /><br />Shambles - a scene or a state of great disorder or confusion. A mess.<br />I think the initial buzz surrounding William P. Young’s The Shack Shambles is over, and now what we have is a semi-silent brush fire sweeping through the church at an alarming rate which is going largely unnoticed. Without going into detail, I am running into this book virtually everywhere I turn. More accurately, I am running into people reading this book everywhere I turn. And I do mean everywhere.<br /><br />Knowing what I know regarding how the book portrays God the Father, the Trinity, the nature of salvation, redemption, and the sufficiency of Scripture, to name a few, I am quite concerned at the comments I am reading at various web sites and by so-called Christian leaders. People are saying this book has changed their life, and that they now understand who God is for the first time ever. Prominent leaders are saying The Shack is the most important work since Pilgrim’s Progress (Eugene Peterson), and that it is “a God thing” (Steve Brown). Steve Brown, of <a href="http://stevebrownetc.com/" target="_blank">Key Life</a>, even says that he was contemplating becoming a Buddhist before he read the book, but that it changed his life!<br /><br />There are so many things to address in The Shack that it is hard to know where to begin. The goal of my post here is to simply show one serious defect in the theology of the book. I know, I know. If I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it a thousand times that this is not a book on theology. I agree. But, while it is not a book on theology, it IS a theological book! The whole thing is about an encounter with God, for cryin’ out loud! How could it NOT be theological? And I don’t care how many people say you must set your theological ‘meter’ aside while you read this thing, that is something a disciple of the risen Savior must never do. For we are to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Now, back to the point of my post.<br />I want you to read the two quotes below and see if you detect a glaring contradiction in them. Both of them are from “Papa”, who in the book represents God the Father (portrayed as an African-American woman, mind you). Here is what Papa says on pages 120 and 225, respectively:<br /><br />“I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring from the inside. It’s not my purpose to punish it; it’s my joy to cure it”<br />“In Jesus, I have forgiven all humans for their sins against me, but only some choose relationship”<br /><br />Did you catch it? Read them again.<br /><br />In the first statement, Papa says that she doesn’t need to punish sin because sin is its own punishment. In the second statement, Papa declares that she has forgiven all humans for their sins “in Jesus”. My question is this:<br /><br />What was the point of Jesus going to the cross if God doesn’t need to punish people for their sin? If sin is its own punishment, then Christ died needlessly. If the punishment for my own sin lies within the sin itself, then why do I need Jesus? If what Papa says is true, then I have already atoned for my own sin, and Jesus’ death on the cross is of no benefit to me or anyone else who repents. I am not sure what Young’s religious background is, but this almost sounds like some sort of Roman Catholic ‘penance’ which purifies, rather than the work of Christ on the cross in my place.<br /><br />I don’t know if it was Young’s intent to negate the work of Jesus going to the cross, but this one little statement from Papa sure seems to do that very thing. Actually, there is more than one problem that arises when one takes these two statements from Papa in The Shack and compares them. Can you tell what the others are?<br /><br />By the way, if you have not yet read Tim Challies’ thorough <a href="http://www.challies.com/media/The_Shack.pdf" target="_blank">review</a> of The Shack, I would like to strongly encourage you to do so. He has put together a very good critique in pdf format which can be easily printed out and distributed. Get the word out.<br /><br />And my response<br /><br />Brian,<br /><br />I have not yet read “The Shack.” I just ordered it from Amazon. I have read several reviews on it though. When ever I find a book, or movie that shacks (misspelled on purpose)up the Church and causes so much controversy, I sit up and take notice.<br /><br />I think to myself, “Praise God. Finally someone has had the balls to break the mold and color outside the lines of our safe and boring theology and view of God that we have so carefully created. Perhaps I have finally someone with a little vision.”<br /><br />I rush out as fast as I can and order it. I have found that most of the time, when someone, or something, causes controversy in the Church, its usually a God thing. Just a handful of cases in point.<br /><br />Loren Cunningham - He went around to many Churches with his idea on using drama to illustrate the story of Jesus and his vision of waves of young people washing ashore on distant lands taken the gospel of Christ. He was laughed out of every single one. Today, Youth With a Mission is one of, if not the largest Christian Missions organization in the world.<br /><br />Keith Green – Keith was a singing prophet. When he started out, he was told to keep quiet and not speak out against the Church. But He has a message from God and was a single handed instrument that God used to wake the Church up and from its complacency. He is now dead, but he began Last Days Ministries, which is not a part of YWAM.<br /><br />I could go on, but I will stop there. The point is simply that we don’t know it all. At any given time, we are about half wrong in most anything that we think we know. But even apart from this, this is a work of fiction guys. Why pick it part? If people that are reading it are finding that it has brought them closer to God, why do you want to take that away from them?<br /><br />It’s nearing Christmas. How about focusing in on the positive and wonderful things that are coming out of this book and many more like it? If you find controversy in that book, I know you are going to love this one. My very good friend Eric Wilson wrote it.<br />It’s called Field of Blood. <a href="http://www.wilsonwriter.com/">http://www.WilsonWriter.com</a>Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-40753226586013720032008-11-16T09:37:00.003-07:002008-11-16T10:41:04.054-07:00The Economy and the big 3 Auto MakersSince Im now involved in the stock market, I find that Im on the front lines, or close to it anyway, on hearing about these wowes of the economy. Even for those that are not this close to it, its easy to see the problems. First, there are the problems with Wall Street. The market has been going down and down most every day. Many people that have stock has lost thousands and even hundreds of thousands. Though the problem is not really the stock market. The market, after all, is just a refection of the nations economy. Mainly it is the banking industry that is failing. Companies like Freddie May & Fannie Mac that have caused this, not the stock market.<br /><br />Now there is a new problem. Well, its not really new, but has just now come to the front lines of public view. Its the big 3 auto makers, GM, Ford, and Cherysler. The big 3 have been on the verge of failure for many yers now. Its only now that unless something is done soon, 1 or all of them may face bankruptcy. All 3 of them are crying out to the federal government to bail them out.<br /><br />First, Id like to explore financial collapse myself. Then Id like to throw in my 2 cents worth , or however much it has become now, of opinion.<br /><br />Our parents and parents parents had a different set of Financial values. If they didnt have the cash in hand, they didnt buy it. They simply did without.<br /><br />If they did get into financial hardship, there was only 1 solution. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps! They were told; "You got yourself into this mess, you get yourself out.<br /><br />Now the norm is, If you cant afford it, just charge it. Not only is this the way that individual families handle their finances, but its also the norm for corporations. Now, if we get into financial hardship, the solution is simple, just file bankruptcy. <br /><br />I think what is needed is for the nation to get back to where it once was. We need our financial system to once again be based on cash, not credit. If you cant afford it, then go without. If you get into financial distress, if at all possible, get yourself out of it.<br /><br />Statistically, those families that file bankruptcty file over and over again. They just stay in the patern of raking of dept and filing Bankruptcy, raking up debt and filing bankruptcty then repeating it again and again.<br /><br />Americas Corporations are also in this patern. But for them, all they have to do is cryout to Uncle Sam and he bails them out.<br /><br />Why are they more elegible for this financial windfall than the nice little video store that went out of business just down the street? The reason is simple. They can claim that their industry is essential, and if they go down, it would deal a severe blow to the American economy. Thats why we have bailed the auto industry out before and may do it again.<br /><br />But this is exaclty why we cant bail them out!<br /><br />Corporations like the big 3 have the attitude that if things do get bad for them, they dont have to figure out how to fix things themselves, all they have to do is get the feds to fork over billions.<br /><br />So they dont really have any real incentive to fix themselves. They can just ask for this bail out and pretty much go back to the same failed business model that got them into the mess in the first place.<br /><br />The next problem is, whos next? Whats the next "essential to the nations economy" business or industry that will want a financial bail out?<br /><br />If we keep bailing out failing busiensses, instead of actually fixing the problem, its onlt going to get worse.<br /><br />So, here is ther part where I offer up my ideas on how to deal with this. Ready? Here I go.<br /><br /><strong>In the words of the Soup nazi.....No bail out for you!</strong><br />Either they will figure out a way to fix themselves, or they will go under. If they file bankruptcy, which would probably be Chapter 11 (reorganization), hopefully the courts would force the old failed management to leave and they would get new management, a new business model and a new healthy plan for recovery.<br /><br />If they go under completely, let em go under. In order for new life to come, death is required. You can examlpes of this everywhere. Maybe the big 3 need to die. If they do, perhaps some innovative new auto makers would emerge to take their place. Who knows. The point is, maybe its just time for a change.<br /><br />We can either kick and screem and do everything we can to try to prop up these dying hourses, or we can let them die and loving embrase the new comanies that will emerge to take their place.Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-33979021424142686192008-11-14T17:22:00.005-07:002008-11-14T21:09:06.873-07:00The Nephilim - There goes the neighborhoodI have been fascinated by the Nephilim. For those that dont know who they are, or were, depending on your beliefs, they were the race of Hybrids that were created from the union of the daughters of men and fallen angels.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWJURiXswlz_veyFPSTG4NGaNhUYuynA36Obu2gu5gr8xtp9gf1LT-DnWckxXk51SkntZ7R07RRgYGaoAgeEDWzv7PnKH2qczH2aK1_sTR1B9iyF8Ns90C7MaV7rLgZYgQmiU97aNjpw/s1600-h/nephilim.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268679506310352274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 97px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 121px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWJURiXswlz_veyFPSTG4NGaNhUYuynA36Obu2gu5gr8xtp9gf1LT-DnWckxXk51SkntZ7R07RRgYGaoAgeEDWzv7PnKH2qczH2aK1_sTR1B9iyF8Ns90C7MaV7rLgZYgQmiU97aNjpw/s320/nephilim.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div>According to the Word, they existed before the flood and also after. Goliath, of David and Goliath fame, was a Nephilim. </div><br /><div>God brought about the flood because of this race of no good half breeds and chose Noah because he was the only blood line not corrupted by it. </div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Follow me so far? If you have trouble beleiving that, then you most certainly are <strong>not</strong> going to want to stick around for what I have to say next. Theries abound on what happens next. </div><br /><div><br /></div><div>One theory, which I think is pretty sound is that when the Nephilim died in the flood, their spirits became what we know of today as Evil Spirits or Demons. Other theories are that they escaped somehow to underground caverns in the earth. Some think that the earth is hollow, which is a old theory. But these Nephilim now live in these underground caverns in the hollow earth.</div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Still others believe that Nephilim escaped to a distant planted or star. The most common held home is belived to be planet X, or the 12th <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXoSzvVCPksJbT8XFqaQSWLFePmmJPzC9hF0xmXwtIaG_-jRtyAMappI-I8xVsLtzywdV3DZ2rnrCoN3LSIvmJ76kRjTr4yV99xsZShYTlilUJ8DKYgZNdlg4i8AaUt9cTLocjrj-hR0/s1600-h/nibiru.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268681763320688386" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 191px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 149px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXoSzvVCPksJbT8XFqaQSWLFePmmJPzC9hF0xmXwtIaG_-jRtyAMappI-I8xVsLtzywdV3DZ2rnrCoN3LSIvmJ76kRjTr4yV99xsZShYTlilUJ8DKYgZNdlg4i8AaUt9cTLocjrj-hR0/s320/nibiru.gif" border="0" /></a>planet, otherwise known as Nibiru. </div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This theory says that these Nephilim have been visiting us for a long long time and will come back in force on of these days. We know them now as Aliens, UFO's and the like. They are the ones responsible for all the aleged abductions and experiements as they continually alter the human DNA.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>My question is this. Does anyone out there believe all this? if so, how much do you believe and at what point does your belief stop? </div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div>So, tell me what you think?<br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div>Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-43640152637368592542008-11-14T16:00:00.001-07:002008-11-14T16:00:35.350-07:00Did God Contradict himself?This was sparked by a post on another blog. His stand was this..Everything God purposes to do, He does. If all people everywhere are not saved, then He has not purposed/intended for all people everywhere to be saved. So he is saying that God intended only but a few to actaully be saved and the rest are destined to be seperated from God.So the issue is did God really intend everyone to be saved or did he just intend that a few know him.<br /><br />This is the age old arguement of Pre-Destination vs free will. If God pre-destinied only a few to be saved, then he pre-destined some to not get saved. If we are destined to do one of the other, then we are not free to choose, Right?<br /><br />The problem is that we are human. Our thought process is limited to what our bodies can perceive from our environment. We are constrained to liner space and time.We are desperately trying to understand the thought processes of a being that does not have these limitations. God is not limited by space, or time. He is not constrained within a fleshly body. He knows the choices that we will make in our life even before we do. He probably knew this even before we were born. Now does this mean that we don’t have free will to make our decisions?Not at all. To us free will and pre-destination are 2 extremes that cannot possibly coexist.<br /><br />I submit to you that they can and do work together quite nicely to a being that does not have the limited brains that we do.I submit that the problem that you propose is also not a problem at all. God knows who will and will not be saved even before we were all born. Now does that mean that he does not will that all be saved? Not at all. It simply means that he has that foreknowledge of who will and who will not be accept him. So to us, with our limited brains, we think that he only chose a limited few to be saved.But to a God that is able to think way beyond the limitations of space and time, this makes perfect sense.Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5364772196145171674.post-59613708066291444342008-11-14T15:12:00.002-07:002008-11-14T15:16:27.808-07:00Grand OpeningI just created this blog, so its grand opening day. My mission here is simple. To talk about things. Anything really. Though waht I tend to want to talk about are the things of God. But Im certainly open to talking about whaver the wind blows our way.<br /><br />I only ask a couple things. Please keep it clean and peaceful. If anyone posts anything with foul language in it, I will remove it.Phillip Dacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06070512379756741990noreply@blogger.com0