Monthly Archives: May 2011

Judgment Day, May 21, 2011

by foundationacts

Tomorrow, according to Harold Camping (head of Family Radio Broadcasting Network) will be judgment day. Based on his calculations, this will be the Judgment Day, upon which the righteous – which totals 3 percent of humanity – will be “raptured”, leaving the rest of us to weather five months of extreme natural disasters until Oct. 21, whereupon God destroys the entire universe and everyone left in it ( O’Carroll, 2011).

All of us students of the Holy Scriptures must evaluate claims such as this one to see whether this has credibility. Personally, I doubt this prediction for the following reasons:

1. The image seen by Nebuchadnezzar and interpreted by Daniel as a succession of human world governments does not correlate with this prediction. Babylon, Medo-Persian empire, Greece and the Romans (with their two divisions) have been world governments. Where in this context are the “ten toes”? Where are the remaining “7 toes” that will eventually be “smashed by the stone” at the end-time?(Daniel 2:31-35)

2. How does this prediction correlate with the last “two witnesses” in Revelation? 11:3 ? They are supposed to be the ones to identify the “little horn” before their death in three and a half years of witnessing.

3. Where is the “little horn” that caused the fall of the three out of ten toes that will lead the remaining “seven toes”? (2Thessalonians 2:3)

The preceding questions beg an answer before one believes this prediction. Unless these prior events come to fruition, I seriously doubt that this prediction is credible.

Reference:

O’Carroll, E. (2011). Judgment Day, May 21. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved May 20, 2011 from http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2011/0518/Judgment-Day-May-21-When-will-the-world-actually-end

Thanksgiving Day

by foundationacts

Thanksgiving Day



Throughout the whole U.S.A., the 4th Thursday of November by tradition has been set aside to give thanks to God for all the blessings we received individually and collectively, as a family or as a nation. Thanksgiving Day commemorates our appreciation for what the Almighty has done for all of us. Indeed, these blessings come in many forms. Some are thankful, inspite of Sept 11 2001, for relative peace, safety and tranquility. As global terrorism continues, local attacks of evil left victims with mangled bodies in streets of London/Europe, concert areas in Las Vegas, Florida Pulse gay bar , hallowed church in  Sutherland Springs,Texas and other “soft targets”. Still, many are blessed with good health or recovery from disease or festering ailment and have escaped being riddled with bullets or bomb blasts. Some give thanks for job promotion or financial security, and others for improved relationship with their loved ones . While these are legitimate reasons to be merry, many are not so fortunately endowed and are in the midst of suffering, pain and despair. One may ask, why some are blessed and others cursed?

What did I do to deserve this ? While there are immutable laws that bring about blessing or curse, i.e., blessing follows good deeds and curse comes because of evil deeds, they are not necessarily exclusive. There are evil people, who in our eyes and yardstick, flourish and good people who are swaddling in a series of failures or setbacks. Even so called blessed and chosen nation Israel went thru slavery in Egypt and even now does not have peace and security with their neighbor-states. Abraham, Moses, etc. died in hope, without seeing the promised land. David, Job, Daniel, to name a few in the Old Testament account, suffered. Even the apostles were in constant danger for their lives, including Paul, considered chief of them all. But, most of all, the man-Jesus, the very begotten Son Of God, the most blessed of all men, experienced the worst curse of all, dying a horrible and painful death by crucifixion. Brethren, the wisdom, power and control of God are transparent in these events occurring in man. Consider the following verses that should give us proper perspective of who our God is:

“Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel to honor and another for dishonor?“[1]

“…Wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.“[2]

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.”[3]

“I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity(evil): I the Lord do (or allowed) all these .“[4]

“Behold, I have created the spoiler to destroy“[5]

“If there is calamity in the city, will not the Lord have done (or allowed) it?”[6]

He prepared “..vessels of wrath/mercy…”[7]

These preceding verses undoubtedly focus on God’s ultimate authority and sovereignty to do or not do whatever/whenever he wants, to any of his creation. He is incomparable, unique and the only one[8]. So unsearcheable are his ways! It is therefore apropos for all of us to heed the advise, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”[9]. The time for “judgment” of evil will come in due time.

A Bright and Awesome Future
Notwithstanding whatever fate has for us in this present world, it pales in comparison with what God has in store for us ultimately. The blessing we now have is muted by the enormity of our future. The “curse” that we now suffer will be forgotten knowing fully well the supreme gift destined for us to have. For how many among us would consider it a blessing being in an exalted position as CEO/President of a company or institution? How about being in the White House staff, or being President yourself ? Or, for that matter, being a member of your favorite exclusive club,e.g., Honors Club, Debate Club,Golf Club,Chess club, or Country Club ? Take your pick, and all of us have this need and want /expectation to be in an elevated and better position. Yet, what if you know that God has, in fact, planned for us to be in a position far greater than anyone can imagine, better/higher than angels (Psalms 8:4-8; Hebrews 2:6-10-18) and “one” with the Father. Notice,

“God…is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of..infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes.“[10]
In the article “Destiny of Man”(11)  and Deification of Man”(12), one can see that we are created in the God-Kind, a very exalted “species“. We are now in the process started by Jesus to be a part of the “temple“(body) of God, a Family of Gods, a God-Kingdom. This is a supreme and exalted position reserved for us even before we were born, nor have done any works(good-or-evil), a testament to his mercy, faith, grace and love. Indeed, the wisdom of God, the depth and breadth of his sapience are far supreme. Let us therefore rejoice for when we think we are cursed, we are in fact blessed; and thinking we are blessed, we “ain’t seen anything yet” !


HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL !


References:

[1] Rom 9:21, [2] I Cor. 3:19, [3] Isa. 55:8, [4] Isa. 45:7, [5]Isa. 54:16, [6] Amos 3:6, [7] Rom. 9:22-23, [8] Isa 40:25, [9] Prov.9:10, [10] Eph 3:20 Living Bible,Wheaton Il. Tyndale House Publishers, 1979 

[11]Destiny of man. Retrieved from: https://fact-s.net/2011/05/21/the-destiny-of-man/ 

[12]Deification of Man..Completion. Retrieved from: https://fact-s.net/2014/07/12/deification-of-man-3/


Originally posted: November, 2003

Revised and posted November, 2017

CONTACT:

For any questions, comments, or written contribution for publication, please e-mail foundationacts@yahoo.com

The Destiny of Man

by foundationacts

The Destiny of Man

Why am I here? Did I exist because of evolution or creation? Why was I born? Is there any purpose in my life? These are questions people are asking themselves for guidance and direction in seeking self-worth, value and introspection.

Since the average lifespan is about 70-72 years, is that all there is to our longevity? Is our life on earth limited to a finite duration of time? Do telomeres predict our death? After death, then what? Should one care about whether there is life after death?

Different religions, whether Buddhism, Hinduism, Muslim, Judaism, Christianity , etc., profess that there is an after-life, although they differ in details. Knowing what the future has in store for us, brings perspective to how we value our present life and helps us understand our responsibilities and obligations, as well as what attitude and behavior we all need to adopt and express.

Creation or Evolution?



Since time immemorial, philosophers, seers and thinkers come and go. Yet, no reliable answer from them to these questions is forthcoming. Granted, they are all intellectually endowed and respected by the society and era that they lived in. Nevertheless, they are all farther from the truth for reasons that are obvious. Introspection and use of their own judgments and human abilities to search for answers, only left them with more questions. Answers to these pivotal issues are not forthcoming if we anchor our existence on evolution. Logic and wisdom lead us to a Creator. Had they turned to their Maker, their eyes could have been opened to the truth. For “…my thoughts are not your thoughts…. my ways are higher than your ways..” Isa:55:8-9. Also, isn’t it logical to listen to the Creator, as described in Job Chapters 38 and 39? We listen to others  and believe their writings, scientific or not, yet why is it repulsive to believe in those who personally witnessed God?

Source of Education:

Learning comes either passive or active. The active mechanism to learn is via our sensory somatic experience, viz., fire burns or heat is hot, when one touches a burning wood or the light of a candle. Also active learning comes from what we see and hear from a primary source and/or personally experienced. Passive learning on the other hand is when what we see and hear are from secondary sources, e.g., being instructed/lectured that an item is in fact hot and does burn, without actual personal experience. This is a first lesson in faith/trust in God who tells us the truth, instead of relying on our own finite brains, feelings, sight or hearing. Adam/Eve chose to learn the hard and active learning way by an actual experience of eating the “forbidden fruit”, instead of heeding the verbal admonition of God against it, via the passive learning process. They both paid an ultimate and heavy price of eternal death for their bad choice. Sometimes, it is wiser to learn from an instructor than experience the aftermath of a bad choice and decision. Whether one believes it or not, there is a living God who is our Creator, who totally and completely knows us and has plans for us from the very beginning. As this subject is about destiny, it is vital to go to the instruction book of our Maker, the Holy Bible, for an eye-opening reality. And, there is no better place to start than from the beginning.

Sequence and Pattern:

In the book of Genesis, it is essential to consider the pattern being set by GOD/YHVH-ELOHIM in the process of creation, viz.,

1. That first, there was darkness followed by light… non-living things were created, then living things, as after death will follow life.

Notice, that “….darkness was upon the face of the deep…” [1] then there was light. He first created non-living things, e.g. the planets and stars of multiple galaxies, then the living things, e.g. plants and animals. These are facts as narrated in the Holy Scriptures. But, what is the truth behind these events? It appears that this narrative has spiritual and functional meaning. GOD is showing this pattern of death (darkness, non-living) to be followed by life everlasting, that is to say that there is hope of life (light) after death (darkness, chaos ), in the same pattern that after lies,deception,confusion, and different interpretation will come the truth…that from mortality (death) will follow immortality (life forever)…that our current physical nature is temporal and will change to spiritual which is everlasting. Isn’t this a very powerful message of hope and renewal being taught to all of us from the beginning of time? Yes, our destiny is not eternal death and oblivion but eternal life.

2. Every living creature reproduces its own kind or likeness or image…..foundation of genetics.

Notice that before there was any other living entity, GOD/YHVH and angelic beings were already there as the only living entities ( see also fact-s.net/2011/05/21/what-is-god/). As the scripture says “…In the beginning, God created…” [2].
To establish this pattern of reproducing like-for-like, kind-for-kind, class-for-class, and same image-for-image, GOD created the plants and animals. He showed that they can only reproduce after their own kind or likeness or image. And, within this concept is “adaptation changes” depending on stimuli. After the plants and animals were created, at that particular moment, there were only three living classes of creatures, viz., GOD, plants and animals. After the principle of genetics was established that plants and animals can only reproduce after their own kind or likeness or image, what did GOD say?
“Let us make man in our image, after our own likeness…” [3].

The plant-kind can only give rise to a plant, as the animal-kind can only reproduce the same kind. The same is true with the GOD-kind. Yes, God is reproducing himself thru the creation of man, human beings, flesh-composed, mortals. Man was created in the image of God..in the GOD-KIND, the highest and ultimate class of living entity. Not even was man ranked among the angels as Paul emphasized [4]. Man, although currently lower than angels, in the future will be higher than them. Starting from a “template“/temple of flesh-composed, the “spirit of man” the “breath of life” was put in there to experience life. This flesh-composed body is only temporary and will die. Subsequently, those who have “fruits of the Holy SPIRIT and are “overcomers” will be resurrected with “spirit-composed bodies”, immortals with eternal life. (See, http://fact-s.net/2016/12/21/kingdom-of-god-in-human-anatomy/).

So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being” the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven (1 Corinthians 15:45-48).

This is indeed an awesome destiny for man to be in the GOD-KIND,, or KINGDOM of GOD, not Plant-kingdom nor Animal-kingdom but GOD-FAMILY…GOD-KINGDOM. No wonder Christ prayed that man be”ONE WITH HIM” [5], as he is one with the Father, that Paul testified that we will be”…like his glorious body…” [6] that this flesh will change in a “…twinkling of an eye …” in the future to become spirit, from mortal to immortality…that man will “have dominion “…”overall” [7] … as GOD is over all. Yes, GOD is a family, with Jesus as quoted by Paul, the “…first of the firstfuits…” [8]… “the firstborn among many brethren” [9], with Jesus as our elder brother, and his/our FATHER being all-in-all and above-all. And to think that this was all planned even before the creation of the world, before you and I were born, before anyone committed evil nor has done any good work, is a remarkable and compelling proof of GRACE and unwarranted GIFT to be in the GOD-KINGDOM and GOD-FAMILY.

SUMMARY:

Our destiny far-surpasses our imagination (2 Cor. 4:17-18; Eph. 3:20.) Our flesh-composed body is temporal, merely a template. It has the spirit of man which is a “temple” ( I Cor.6:19-20), the “holy-of-holies” for the Holy Spirit to dwell ( Acts 1:8; Lev.16:2, Matt. 27:51) so that man will be “begotten son/ child of God”. At the resurrection, this flesh-composed body will change to “born son “, “from mortality to immortality” from carnal to spiritual as “sons/children of God”. What happened to Jesus from flesh-composed man to now spirit-composed will be our destiny. He is the precursor for all of us. He is our Elder-brother, head of the church/body and we “are one”. Indeed, grace and love manifested !


References



[1] Gen. 1:2 [2] Gen. 1:1 [3] Gen 1:26 [4] Heb. 2:6-18 [5] John 17:21-23
[6] Phil. 3:21 [7] Gen. 1:26 [8] I Cor. 15:23 [9] Rom. 8:29
CONTACT:
For any questions, comments, or article contribution for publication, please e-mail foundationacts@yahoo.com
Original post:06/27/2003

Reposted:5/21/2011

Revised:4/24/2017

Revised:5/13/2018 Mother’s Day