Ask Brother Ron

What Would Jesus Do?

2011-07-17T04:58:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What would Jesus do? Would Jesus live it up? Would He appreciate life? Would he make sure he didn't waste a minute of his time on this earth? Is that what Jesus would do, or would he spread the word of God, live in a fantasy, live for words, live for what comes after life?

So what would Jesus do?

Eleanor

Dear Eleanor

I assume you mean what would Jesus do if he were to return to earth today. First, He would make Himself known by presenting undeniable credentials such as miracles and healing. Then He would declare the reason for His return.

I imagine the first order of business would be to set us straight about killing God's children in His name. Then He would challenge us to end the disease and misery which drives so much of this world's population to wars and atrocities. After that, He would help us find ways to take better care of the world our Father has given us.

I doubt that He would have time for parties or fantasies. When His parents found Him in the temple at the age of 12, He told them, "I must be about my Father's business."

I believe there is still much business to attend to. That would probably occupy most, if not all of His time.

Best always
Brother Ron

Probate Mind

2011-07-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What does it mean if someone tells you that "there will be worse days coming to me" and when i asked why, they said "probate mind". I am a "baby Christian" and this was told to me by a Christian man I was seeing. I recently got an email from another girl on his Myspace saying he was trying to date her as well. Supposedly this man wants to be a Pastor one day, and he sure knows the bible and loves to minister.

I let him have it because i didn't fully trust him and he kept telling me the spirit lives in him and he wouldn't hurt me and that i have trust issues....well he got caught and now he's disappointed in me??? Then he told me that worse things are to come for me and when i asked him why...he just said probate mind that's why. Meaning me! Worse things for me.

He seems to know a lot and always refers to scripture for answers. However, he said that God opened his heart to me and he knew i am to be his wife. He has proposed to me even. Well he made a move on me and we did end up having relations. I told him i felt it was a sin because we are not married and i'm not even divorced yet. My soon to be ex-husband was unfaithful so i left him in Aug 07. This new man tells me i have trust issues and i should trust in the lord...but then when it came to relations, he said God has sanctified us to be together and the bible says go "know" your wife. He says we are not doing wrong in God's eyes because the divorce and us not being married are rules of "THIS world". Is this true? Is this ok? He would make everything sound ok. He has an answer and turns to the bible for everything, but I'm afraid he is manipulating me. What do you think?

Luvte

Dear Luvte

I think Jesus saw this guy coming a long time ago.

Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. Matthew 24:5 For many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

This bozo sounds more like a used car salesman than a minister. If he really loved you, he would respect your feelings and not try to hustle you into doing something you were uncomfortable with. I have been married for most of my 62 years. Marriage is a partnership based on mutual trust and respect. You don't trust him and he doesn't respect you. I really don't see much of a future in this relationship.

Jesus also told us not to look for God from external sources.

Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

You say you are afraid he is manipulating you. Who do you think is telling you this? Listen to the voice of your Father within you, not this manipulative jerk.

Best always
Brother Ron

Paul’s Commandment to the Unmarried

2011-07-17T04:50:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What is the proper application for today of Paul’s commandment to the unmarried (I Corinthians 7:25-28)?

Newby

Dear Newby

1Co 7:25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be trustworthy.
1Co 7:26 I think therefore that this is good by reason of the distress that is upon us, namely, that it is good for a man to be as he is.
1Co 7:27 Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.
1Co 7:28 But shouldest thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Yet such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I would spare you.

Notice first of all that Paul tells us these are not the words of God but merely his own opinion. Judging from the last sentence, he would appear to discourage marriage for those who are not already married. But again, this is merely his opinion.

The application for today is simply that we are not to enter into marriage lightly. If we consider marriage as simply a license to have sex or a meal ticket, then we are sure to encounter the tribulations Paul speaks of.

Best always
Brother Ron

Editing the Bible

2011-07-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

In Deuteronomy 4:2 it says, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you."

If this statement is true, then why are there words in the Bible after this verse?

Kinky

Dear Kinky

The real question is why did the Catholic church disobey this commandment when they edited the Bible at the First Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. Several books were left out of the final version. Other books, known as the Apocrypha, are found in some Bibles but not others.

You must also remember that the Israelites at this time were a theocracy. The priests were the government. So the word of God was literally the law of the land. In today's society, we are expected to obey the law as it is written, not how we think it should have been written. The Israelites were expected to do the same.

The Bible is a wonderful source of spiritual guidance. It is also a book of history, philosophy, sociology, poetry and other disciplines. Unfortunately, man has chosen to ignore the admonition of this verse. The words of God have been distorted by everybody from the Catholic Church to the Internal Revenue Service.

This is why I tell people the only truth you can depend on is the voice of God within you. Everything else is hearsay.

Best always
Brother Ron

Adam Was a Hermaphrodite

2011-07-09T02:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

My sister has always gravitated to churches where they are always dissecting the Bible. I remember back in the 90's she said that the world wide web was the devil's workshop and that WWW was the mark of the beast. The latest she has shared is that Adam was a Hermephrodite(sp). Now, first of all WHERE in the Bible does it say this? She used the scripture Genesis 1:27 :

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them

So, I asked her to look at the next verse 1:28 (I quote)

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth

If this was the case then was God telling Adam to be fruitful and multiply with himself? NO!

Candy

Dear Candy

You will notice the scripture does not say male and/or female created He them. Second, the scripture says created he them, not him. He created two creatures, male and female, not one androgynous being.

Your sister needs to bone up on both her theology and her grammar.

Best always
Brother Ron

Do You Believe in Reincarnation?

2011-07-07T00:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Do you believe in reincarnation? Sometimes I think reincarnation is true but it's against our religious beliefs. Do you think it exists? I've read lots of books about reincarnation because it interests me so much. Please answer my question.

Vanessa

Dear Vanessa

I believe that God is the source of all life. I believe that a part of the living God lives within all of us. I believe that God can never lose a part of Himself. I believe that, when the body dies, the part of God within us returns to the source it came from. I believe God uses that part of Himself to create new life, which is what God does.

In that sense, I believe in reincarnation.

Best always
Brother Ron

Where Does All the Money Go?

2011-07-07T00:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

The Christian Church is a multi-billion dollar muli-national conglomerate. Where does the money go? I'm starting to think I'm in the wrong business. It obviously doesn't go to the poor and needy as it should because the amount of money pouring into Christianity (all forms) is enough to solve the world's financial problems 10 times over yet it doesn't. The numbers just don't add up.

Jester

Dear Jester

Granted there are some religious organizations which take money from the congregation and spend it on lavish lifestyles. But there are thousands more which use the money to help God's children. For example, after Hurricane Katrina, while the government was bumbling and stumbling around, churches from across the country were sending in trucks loaded with food, clothing, generators and other needed supplies.

Actually, a recent survey showed that churches are the most efficient way to distribute aid to the needy. If my family is starving and needs $100 worth of groceries, it costs the average church $7 to give them to me (utilities, salaries, etc.). The average United Way agency spends $20 in administrative costs (mostly fund raising) to give me my $100 worth of groceries. The administrative cost for the government to give me $100 worth of groceries is $328.

The trick is to do your homework and find out how the church is spending your money. If they won't tell you or if you don't like the answer, find another group to contribute to.

Best always
Brother Ron

Will Jesus Get Angry?

2011-07-07T00:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Will Jesus get angry if I skip Mass this week? It is kind of cold outside.

Number Two

Dear Number Two

Jesus was more concerned with you inner relationship with God than your public display of that relationship. In fact, He had some very negative things to say about those who made such a public display:

Luke 11:43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

Matthew6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Spirituality is what goes on inside you between you and God. Religion is your public display of that spirituality. If you miss the public display, your inner relationship with God will not suffer. God will still be with you and listening to you no matter where you are.

Best Always
Brother Ron

Would This Person Go to Hell?

2011-07-07T00:12:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Would this person go to Hell? This person has created a cure for cancer, donated 50 billion dollars to charity, risked his/her life countless times to save someone else. Made an end to all wars, solved global warming, be really kind. Have never sweared or done anythign naughty, BUT the person was an atheist.

Would that person still go to hell, even though that person is more kind, generous and great than Christians, based on the fact that he was a humble atheist, someone that was not in his/her control?

Devilish

Dear Devilish

Since a piece of the living God exists within all of us, and since God can never lose any part of Himself and still be God, when this person dies, the part of God within him will return to its source. Let me ask you a question. You are probably sitting in a chair as you read this. Do you believe in the chair? Do you believe it has the power to support you and keep you from falling and hurting yourself?

Suppose you decided not to believe in the chair. Suppose you looked at the chair and said, "I don't believe you exist and I refuse to put my trust in you". Do you suppose it would make any difference to the chair? Would it crumble and send you crashing to the floor? Probably not. The chair does not need your permission to be what it is.

Neither does God.

Best always
Brother Ron

My Father is Very Religious

2011-07-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

My father is very religious and has always been pushing his views on me ever since I was little. I am now living out of his house on my own. Even though I do not have the same beliefs, he will still persist with his religion on me. He has been asking me consistently to go with his church to him. I kindly turn down the offer, yet he still keeps asking...nearly every time he sees me. Should I just go?

Fenix

Dear Fenix

I believe this is an important event your father wants to share with you. You should grant him the pleasure of doing so. Before going, however, you should have a clear understanding between the two of you that your attendance will not change your beliefs and he should not expect this. If that understanding can not be reached, you should not go.

I believe accompanying your father will accomplish one important goal-you will have a better understanding of what your father believes and why he believes that way. You could also make it a reciprocal deal. You will accompany him to his church if he accompanies you to yours. He needs to understand you as much as you need to understand him.

Best always
Brother Ron

God and Creation

2011-07-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What do you think about GOD and creation?
Darnifino

Dear Darnifino

I think the Bible is correct when it says that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. I also think the scientists are correct when they try to tell us how He did it. You are talking about the conflict between religion and science. This conflict is as old as religion itself. Gallileo had to write his findings in code to keep from being roasted by the church.

Science tells us how things happen. Religion tells us why they happen. To me, there is no conflict. Could God have created the universe in an instant with a thought? Yes. Could He have set in motion a chain of events which would take billions of years to unfold? Of course. Which method did He use? I don't know. I wasn't there and neither was anyone else. We are all just guessing and threatening to kill anybody who disagrees with us.

The whole argument is pointless anyway. We will never get where we need to go if we keep our focus on the rear view mirror instead of the road ahead. However we got here, we're here. Now what?

Best always
Brother Ron

Money and Religion

2011-07-04T13:44:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

When the rich man wanted to follow Jesus, he was told to give his wealth away if he wanted to be a follower. Please explain why all religions manage to accumulate vast assets and money. It appears that it is all about money and power. Jesus and other prophets would turn in their graves if they knew of the present day religions actions.
Edward

Dear Edward

A church must function in the real world, which means rendering unto Caeser as well as the bank, the electric company, salaries, etc. Unfortunately, many religious organizations get so caught up in their business affairs they lose sight of why the church was founded in the first place. There are also many who are wolves in sheep's clothing. Jesus spoke often about them. His words were not kind.

Jesus told us that a man can not serve two masters. There are many churches which exist to serve their communities and the will of God. There are unfortunately many others which exist to accumulate money and power. Our Father knows which is which and will deal with the offenders in His own time and in His own way.

Best always
Brother Ron

The Soul and the Holy Spirit

2011-07-04T13:42:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Can you differentiate between soul and spirit?

GXI

Dear GXI

I find it interesting that churches try to separate the soul of man from the Spirit of God. According to the Catholic Church, the soul is the home where the Holy Spirit dwells. The word spirit means breath. We find in Genesis where God breathed the breath of life into Adam and Adam became a living being. This would mean that God instilled part of Himself into Adam. If the breath of life was just air, it would have no life-giving power. This would mean that a part of the living God dwells within us. Jesus told us this in Luke 17:21. "Neither shall they say, Lo here or lo there for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

Since God is perfect, He can never change. That means He can never lose part of Himself. If He did, He would no longer be perfect and no longer be God. So if our soul is part of the living God (which I believe it is), then it can never be "lost". And if it can not be lost, there is no need for it to be "saved". Kind of throws the whole evangelistic marketing strategy into a cocked hat, doesn't it?

Best always
Brother Ron

Psalm 91

2011-06-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Can you please give me a brief summary of the 91st Psalm and tell me what you think the meaning of this passage is?

Thanks.

Destiny X

Dear Destiny

We have now (Psalm 91) another most important principle introduced; Messiah's taking His place with Israel, the place of trust in Jehovah, so as to afford the channel for the full blessing of the people. Three names of Elohim (God) come before us in this psalm: one that by which He was in relationship with Abraham, the Almighty; another which Abraham through the testimony of Melchisedec may have known prophetically, the millennial title of Elohim when He takes His full title over the earth (compare Genesis 14:18-20), the Most High.

Both, as all the names of God, have their proper meaning: one complete power; the other absolute supremacy. The question then arises, Who is the God who has this place? Who is this supreme God over all to the earth? Who shall find His secret place to dwell in? He who has found this shall be completely protected by almighty power. Messiah (Jesus) says, I will take the God of Israel as that place, Jehovah. In Verses 3-8 (Psalm 91:3-8) we have the answer. Doubtless it is true of every godly Israelite, and they are in view, but led by the Spirit of Jesus, the one perfect faithful One who took this place indeed.

In Verse 9, I apprehend Israel speaks (that is, the Spirit personifying Israel addressing Messiah): "Because thou hast taken Jehovah, which is my refuge,... as thy habitation," almighty power shall guard thee. This continues to Verse 13. In Verse 14, Jehovah Himself speaks of Him as the One who has set His love upon Him. The form of the psalm is striking. The Spirit of God proposes the problem. He who finds the secret place of the supreme God (of the millennium) will have all the full blessing of Abraham's God, the Almighty. Messiah says, I take Jehovah the God of Israel.

Then the answer; so it was and He would enjoy the fruit of it. In Verse 9, Israel speaks and declares by the Spirit He would have the blessings. In Verse 14, Jehovah sets His seal on all this, and the solver of the great riddle of God will find the full blessing of Jehovah, on whom He had set His love, whose name He had known — even Jehovah the God of Israel.

It is a very interesting psalm in this way. But we have to remark that all is viewed on earth, the character of God in all respects. How Christ, as a present thing, relinquished the title to deliverance flowing from this, for perfect obedience, trusting His Father absolutely, belongs to deeper views of the purposes of God and of the paths of the blessed One Himself. Satan would have just used this to take Him out of the path of obedience, and into that of distrust and His own will: blessed be God, in vain, as we know. The sure mercies of David were to be in an obedient and risen Onethis point is treated in a psalm of unexampled beauty farther on — and thus deeper blessings and higher glories brought out.

But He who went in that perfect path of submission, has not the less made good all the fruit of all that is here, for those who shall walk after Him in the place of this trust in Jehovah upon earth. This principle we see indeed, in various forms, all through the Psalms. Indeed the atonement of Christ was needed, which implied His resigning personally this blessing, in order that others might walk in that path in which He could personally walk, of course, without it. Psalm 21 gives a divine revelation as to the way in which the promise of life was fulfilled to the Lord.

Best always
Brother Ron

Judges 3:10-11

2011-06-25T10:53:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I need help figuring out what this bible verse means (Judges 3:10-11)--

"The spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the Lord delivered Cushan-risha-thaim, king of Aram, into his power, so that he made him subject. The land then was at rest for forty years, until Othniel, son of Kenaz, died."

I thought Cushan-risha-thaim was a bad king, so what's this whole thing about being subject about? I'm not very good with uncovering Bible verses, and I need help. Thanks!

Kelley

Dear Kelley

You are right. Chushan-rishathaim was the king of Mesopotamia who oppressed Israel in the generation immediately following Joshua. He was not a nice guy. So when the children of Israel cried out for a deliverer, God inspired Othniel to raise up an army against Chushan-rishathaim and defeat him.

Before going into battle, Othniel assumed the role of judge, reproved the Hebrews for their sins, reformed them from their idolatry and restore among them the pure worship of God. Once this was done, Othniel formed his army and defeated Chushan-rishathaim. Israel then enjoyed forty years of peace until the death of Othniel.

Hope this helps.

Best always
Brother Ron

John 13:1-15

2011-06-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

(John 13.1-15). Jesus washes disciples' feet. Can you explain what the passage teaches us (directly or indirectly) about love? I need to understand this passage.

Slayer

Dear Slayer

The answer to your question is found in John 13:16-"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him."

The same sentiment is found in Mark 9:35-"And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all."

This is why, even though I am an ordained minister, I do not answer to the title "reverend". A reverend is somebody worthy of reverence. I believe only God is worthy of reverence. I am the bishop of Columbia. I do not use this title because I see it as an opportunity to serve and not a designation of more holy stature.

The best way to show your love for God is to minister to the needs of His children.

Best always
Brother Ron

Religion and the War in Iraq

2011-06-25T04:22:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I've noticed that ever since the War in Iraq, most Christians target Muslims, saying that their faith is false. Why do most of them target Muslims, not other religions that don't believe in their God or another god? I kind of find it mean that some Christians pick on Muslims more than other people who don't believe in their God.

To those who say the Muslims use their faith as an excuse to kill America, please study the history of Christian crusades because Christians made that excuse too. And to those who believe that the Muslims are spies, in World War II, America thought that the Japanese living in America were spies! They rounded them up into the Arizona deserts. After the war, it was proven that NOT A SINGLE ONE WAS A SPY.

And didn't Jesus say to "love your enemy"?

Hope

Dear Hope

This is because certain Muslim groups have turned their religion into a political movement. They attempt to seize political power by using terrorist tactics. They kill innocent people and claim they are doing it in the name of God.

I think God has much too much class to get involved in politics. He wants willing servants, not hostages. In fact, I do not even believe these hoodlums are really Muslims. Every chapter of the Koran begins with the words "In the name of Allah, the benevolent, the merciful". I don't see a lot of benevolence or mercy from these thugs.

I wish the press and the politicians would stop referring to these creeps as Islamic. They are merely political assassins hiding their crimes behind God's back. Personally I would not want to be in their shoes when they are finally reunited with our Father.

Best always
Brother Ron

If You Were God

2011-06-25T04:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

If you were god, would you want your creations to continuously praise you? Let's say you created the universe, would you also enjoy people to continuously praise you? In everything that happens to them, may it be your doing or not, they still praise you. Would you want them to kill others in your name? Would you enjoy being reminded of how perfect you are?

If you know how moron your creations are, would you give them unclear and debatable instructions on how to be saved? If you created them to be imperfect, would you punish them for their imperfections? Can you be a better god than any of this gods in the religions today?

Filipino

Dear Filipino

I base my concept of God on three premises:
1. God is not an idiot.
2. God is not a homicidal maniac.
3. God is not bound by the same laws of time and space as we humans are.

So in answer to your questions, God is not an egomaniac. He knows who He is and does not need my pitiful praise to remind Him. On the other hand, we humans need to set aside time to communicate with our Father to remind ourselves what He means to us and to call upon His power and wisdom.

Since God is not a homicidal maniac, He does not delight in the death of His children. If the voice inside your head is telling you to kill others, I suspect you have your spiritual radio tuned to the wrong station.

God does give you clear instructions for your life. You just have to learn how to listen. I spent many years as a professional musician. I can listen to a song and play it back for you perfectly within 30 minutes. There are many people who can not do this because they are tone deaf. Likewise, there are many people who are spiritually tone deaf. That's what the Bible means when it says "Let those who have ears to hear, hear".

One of the things I love about God is that He knows what an imperfect fool I am and He loves me anyway. Since He is not bound by our laws of space and time, He has already seen my future sins and has already forgiven me for them. Since He is not a homicidal maniac, He would not condemn me to eternal damnation for doing what He created me to do.

I am not better than God but I am smart enough not to be taken in by the marketing tactics used by many religious organizations.

Best always
Brother Ron

We Are All Going to Hell

2011-06-24T02:22:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

According to some religions, you should belong to THAT religion otherwise you will go to hell. Since a person can only have ONE religion at a time then he is going to hell based on the other religions. So basically, we are all going to hell?

Haseo

Dear Haseo

If you want someone to buy your product, you must first convince him that only your product can meet his needs. This is what these religious organizations are doing. First they create the need-"You are a sinner and you will burn in hell because God can not stand sin". Then they offer a product to meet the need they have created-"If you will join our organization and accept our beliefs, God will forgive your sins and grant you eternal life in Paradise". Good marketing, lousy theology.

This line of thinking assumes God is waiting to see what you will do before He decides what He will do. This means that God has no clue what's going to happen until it happens. It means that God is bound by the same laws of time and space as we are. It also means that, since God bases His actions on my actions, I am controlling God.

I do not worship a clueless God. I do not worship a blind God. I do not worship a God who can be confined in the same cage of time and space as we humans. And I do not worship a God who would do something so foolish as to put an idiot like me in control.

So to answer your question, no you are not going to hell. God saw your sins before you committed them and forgave you before you were born. God has a plan and has already seen the successful completion of that plan. You are part of God's plan and your "salvation" was assured before the beginning of the world.

Don't worry. Be happy.

Best always
Brother Ron

Are All Baptisms Equally Authoritative?

2011-06-24T02:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Are all baptisms equally authoritative or are there two forms of authority? Some ministers claim the authority to baptize through priesthood endowments and ordination. Others claim that ministry and baptismal authority can only be endowed by the laying on of hands. Which priesthood authority is better?

Robert

Dear Robert

The physical act of baptism is merely a public display of an inner commitment to follow the will of God. It really doesn't matter how or by whom you are baptized. By the time the physical act has occurred, the inner commitment should already have occurred. If it has, then the physical baptism is a mere formality. If it hasn't, the physical act is irrelevant.

Best always
Brother Ron

Names of the Three Kings

2011-06-23T07:38:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Where did the names of the "Three Kings" came from? We all know this from tradition but based on what historical account did they know the names? (Please mention your source) Also, what is the significance of the celebration of the "three kings"? Why did it became (or termed) as "kings" when scripture states that they were magi or wise men? I think the number of magi was not mentioned in scripture because it is of no significance BUT the gifts presented to our Lord were mentioned because of their symbolic meaning.

Reese

Dear Reese

In the conventional version of the Christmas story, the wise men or magi (Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar) started the gift giving custom of Christmas by bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Christ child on Epiphany. Epiphany is the end of the Christmas season, 12 days after Christmas.

The earliest written mention of their names seems to be found in the work of the Venerable Bede (died 8th century). There are other traditions. The earlier tradition of "three kings" comes from the fact that three gifts are mentioned by Matthew and that the gifts were costly.

The wise men were not Jews; scholars tell us they were priests of an Eastern religion that consulted the stars (Zoroastrian priests). One of them may have been a king (there is speculation that one of them was Azes II of Bactria who reigned from 35 BC to 10 AD). Therefore we could say they were followers of some kind of pagan religion. Yet in some miraculous way God inspired them about the birth of Jesus.

Best always
Brother Ron

How Do I Walk by Faith?

2011-06-23T07:34:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

How does one walk by faith and not sight. I have been saved 23 years and recently turned my life to god but I feel maybe I am still doing it the old way. How does one let God lead? Do they not act unless they totally know God wants them to? I want to please him but not count on works and I have anger and hatred that hangs on to me despite trying to forgive as relatives have hurt me so deeply; and recently.

Does God understand this is a battle for me that I am trying though not perfect on? Please help me in my christian walk. What things should I be doing? I am headstrong by nature and rarely listen to anyone and I am worried I will be compliant and obedient if I could figure out what He wants me to do. I feel so blind in all this. I was always scared to trust God before as I had a distorted view of Him and can't easily feel His love and closeness. How can I increase my knowledge of who He really is and what He wants of me?

Janie

Dear Janie

Let's take yor questions one at a time. How does one walk by faith and not by sight? First you have to know what you have faith in. I have faith that the part of the living God which dwells within me has a perfect vision of the future and has my best rinterests at heart as He leads me to fulfill His plan for that future. I have faith that God is infinite in wisdom and power and will provide me with the wisdom and power to accomplish what He needs me to accomplish.

As a child, I had to depend on my parents for transportation. I was too small to reach the pedals. I did not have the keys. I did not understand how to work the controls. I had to have faith my parents would steer the car safely and provide the fuel to get us to our destination. Allowing God to take the driver's seat of yor life is a similar experience.

Once you realize that you are under the protection and direction of our Father, you act with the certainty that your actions are in accordance with the wishes of our Father. Removing this doubt from your mind frees up and enormous amount of time and energy.

You say you feel anger and hatred toward family members who have hurt you. God has known you since before you were born. He has seen every step you have taken and every move you have made. He has seen all of your mistakes and failures and loves you anyway. If you are good enough for God to love, you are good enough for people to love. You are also good enough for you to love. If others don't see it that way, that is because of their short-sightedness. Your anger will not change that and merely serves to drain you of energy which you should be spending accomplishing what you want for your life.

You say you would be compliant if you cold figure out what God wants you to do. You have it backwards. In order to learn what God has planned for your life, first you have to convince yourself to listen for His voice and do what He tells you to do. Once you tune in to the voice of God within you, the directions will come naturally.

How can you increase your knowledge of God and His plans for your life? Talk to Him. He is living within the depths of your being and is a great listener and conversationalist. You do not have to do anything special to get His attention. You already have it. Once you realize and accept that, the rest will come naturally.

Best always
Brother Ron

Satan-Tricky Little Devil or Misunderstood Scapegoat?

2011-06-23T07:32:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I keep reading things like "the devil's tricky" or "the devil takes many disguises". What about this? Humans are selfish and prone to error and misguided, terrible choices. Is the devil just a highly convenient reason to say (to God), "Don't look at me. I had nothing to do with it."?

Jung Son

Dear Jung Son

I remember many years ago, comedian Flip Wilson played a character called Geraldine who did the most outrageous things. Whenever somebody would ask why she did them, Geraldine would reply, "The devil made me do it". This is why I refer to people who try to blame their misdeeds on supernatural influence as the Geraldine Syndrome.

We have created the devil to be our scapegoat for criminal or antisocial behavior. Even if the devil speaks to you, you have a choice whether to listen or not. If you choose to follow his advice, you must accept the responsibility for making that choice.

Best always
Brother Ron

Ablution of Males and Females

2011-06-23T07:27:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Is there a difference between ablution (wadoo) of a male or a female?
Clonehead

Dear Clonehead

Ablution means washing the body. The washing you are referring to is the ritual act of washing before Muslim prayer as called for in the sixth ayat of sura 5 of the Koran. Wudu involves making the intention, washing the face, washing the arms, wiping the head (in the manner of anointment), wiping the feet to the ankles, rubbing thoroughly when washing and not interrupting wudu.

Various denominations of Islam have variations of this ritual but all follow the same basic pattern. Since all phases of wudu involve body parts common to both sexes, there would seem to be no difference between male and female ablution.

Best always
Brother Ron

Sanctity of Marriage

2011-06-23T06:24:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

By not allowing gays and lesbian to marry, our government is preserving the 'sanctity of marriage'. So, pretty much, in a nutshell, this is our senators, our governors, our elected officials, putting their sexuality on a pedestal, and think that heterosexuality is superior to homosexuality.

There is no legitimate backing as to why they do this, no solid evidence, just biased religious beliefs. Couldn't you find the least bit of discrimination in this? Even for as religious as you are, do you think our politicians should have the right to deny us rights, based on their beliefs?

Avatar-less

Dear Avatar-less

The issue here is not whether marriage is a holy rite. The issue here is denial of civil rights on the basis of sexual orientation. As a minister, I am allowed by the laws of the State of South Carolina to perform and certify marriages. But even if I was not a minister,, I could still perform marriages because I am also a notary. Depending on state laws, this right is also granted to judges, magistrates, justices of the peace and other civil authorities. Clearly, the state considers marriage a civil issue, not a religious issue.

I choose not to pass judgment on the sexual conduct of others, as long as that conduct has no harmful consequences. I do oppose sexual conduct which can lead to harmful consequences, such as pedophilia, sadism/masochism and other potentially harmful conduct. I find nothing offensive, however, in two people wanting to make a legal commitment to love and care for each other. I also find no valid medical or sociological proof that non-traditional family relationships have a harmful effect on legal dependants of such relationships.

So in the end, it all comes down to politics. The majority of voters have clearly shown their opposition to same-sex marriages where that issue has been placed on the ballot. The politicians know better than to fight the voters on this issue. It has nothing to do with their personal beliefs. We have seen many cases where politicians were exposed engaging in practices they had publicly opposed. It has to do with getting elected. I am afraid this issue, like the issue of racial equality, will have to be settled by the courts.

Given the current practice of appointing judges with conservative agendas, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Best always
Brother Ron

If God Only Helps Those Who Help Themselves

2011-06-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

If God only helps those who help themselves why should you ask for God's help at all?

The Moon

Dear Moon

When our Father sends you help, you must be ready and willing to accept it. You must be seeking God's help and open to opportunities presented to you. Perhaps this story will help you to understand.

A man was trapped by a flash flood and only had time to scramble onto his roof before the water rose to flood levels. As he sat on his roof, the rain continued to fall and the water continued to rise. A few minutes later, a man came by in a rowboat. "Get in", said the man in the boat, "and I will take you to safety."

"No thanks", the man on the roof replied, "I know the Lord is going to save me from this flood."

The man in the rowboat continued downstream, looking for others to rescue. A few minutes later, a National Guard helicopter appeared. While the chopper hovered overhead, one of the crewmen dropped a rope ladder and yelled, "Sir, the water is rising. Climb the ladder and we will fly you out."

"No thanks", the man yelled back, "I have faith the Lord is going to save me."

The helicopter flew on, the water continued to rise and eventually, the man was swept off the roof by the rising water and drowned. He then found himself standing before the Lord. "Lord", he cried, "I had faith in you. I believed in you. Why did you not save me from the flood?"

"What are you talking about?", replied the Lord, "I sent you a rowboat and a helicopter."

You should continue to ask for God's help. But when the Lord sends us an opportunity, we must be ready and willing to act on it.

Best always

Brother Ron

How Can I Feel Equal and Free?

2011-06-18T01:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

How can I feel equal and free in a world that places religion on a pedestal yet praises a capitalist society and encourages racism by forcing stereotypes and misrepresentation of racial groups? How do you combat those outside influences and stay steadfast AND not judge others for their racism although it feels like certain racial groups are being singled out?

Benny

Dear Benny

Racism is the result of three human needs:

1. A need for speed and convenience. In today's fast-paced world, we look for the fastest and easiest way to get things done.

2. A need for order. We want a place for everything and everything in its place. This includes people. Have you ever met somebody and walked away saying, "I just can't figure them out"? This made you feel very uncomfortable, didn't it?

3. A need for esteem. Although nobody likes a person who thinks they are better than everybody else, everybody needs to feel like they are better than somebody else. If you thought you were the lowest person on the face of the planet in every way, you probably could not live with yourself.

Now put these together and you understand why we look for the quickest and easiest way to judge others as worse than we are. It's not right, it's not logical and it's not moral but that's the way most humans work.

How do you stay steadfast and maintain your objectivity in such an environment? By recognizing this behavior for what it is-a type of voluntary ignorance and tunnel vision. Most people do not want all the facts. Just give me a 15-second synopsis and let me get on with my life. If you are comfortable with yourself, you will understand that nobody knows enough about you to judge you except you.

Jesus said we should love others as much as we love ourselves. If you are good enough for God to love (and you are), you are good enough for you to love. Once you understand this, you do not need to put others down to build yourself up. And you now have the strength to stay steadfast and nonjudgmental in a judgmental world.

Best always
Brother Ron

Is Being Ordained Online For Real?

2011-06-18T01:29:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Is being ordained online for real? What are the rules for allowing people to become an ordained minister? Can anyone be a minister? Do they have to be Christains or can they be of other religions?

Red Rabbit

Dear Red Rabbit

Your ordination as a minister is as real as you are. Ordination is merely the recognition by a religious organization of your right to perform the duties of a minister in the name of that organization. Being ordained is simple. Doing the work of our Father is one of the hardest jobs on earth.

Universal Ministries will ordain anybody at no cost. Your ordination is legal in every state and the UM fights diligently in your behalf to oppose any challenges to your right to perform the duties of a minister. Ordination is free and available to all. Once you are ordained, you have the right to form a church and lead a congregation. You do not have to be a Christian to do so. Once you are ordained, you should take the following steps:

1. Write a vision statement. This is your vision of the world (or your part of it) as you would like to see it. The whole purpose of ministry is to help others love and understand God more and accomplish His plan for us. What is your understanding of God and what changes are needed to accomplish His plan for us?

2. Write a mission statement. Specifically what do you see as your mission within your community? What changes do you see which need to be made in order to accomplish your vision? You are probably not going to change the world but you can change your part of it. What changes need to be made to make your vision a reality?

3. Form a strategy. Your first step here should be to gather others who share your vision and your mission as your Board of Advisors. The Greek word which was translated in the Bible as "church" is "ecclesia", which means a gathering of people. Your Board of Advisors will serve as the core of your congregation and help you devise a strategy to accomplish your mission.

These are just the first steps in a journey which will occupy the rest of your life. Before you take them, you should consider carefully whether you want to commit the time and effort needed to this journey. Along the way, you will encounter financial difficulty and social criticism. Is your commitment to your vision and your mission strong enough to overcome these and many other obstacles?

Only you can answer that question.

Best always
Brother Ron

Parallel Universes

2011-06-18T01:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Do you think that the theory of multi-universe is plausible?
that is parallel universes exist.

If so, then does god exit in these other places? Is he the same god or a completelt separate one? Did god make them and if all the people are the same there are you still a Christian in the other universe?

Ghostly Alice

Dear Ghostly Alice

Our understanding of the universe is based on our understanding of time as a linear concept. In other words, time flows in a single direction like a laser beam. That would mean that there is only one time and only one direction it can go. But what if time is like a light bulb which emits light in all directions? This would mean there are an infinite number of timelines, each leading to an infinite number of possibilities? This is the basis for the theory of parallel universes.

Fortunately God is not confined to our limited understanding of space and time. He is truly infinite. This means that not only does God exist in all of these infinite dimensions of space and time, He is Lord and Creator of them. He is still the same infinite God that he always has been and always will be.

Since an infinite number of timelines implies an infinite number of possibilities, I would doubt that everything is the same in all of them. In fact, I strongly suspect that no two of them are exactly alike. This means that not only is it possible for anything to happen, it already has. It would not surprise me to learn that in some universes I am a world-famous musician. In others, I am governor of the state of Oklahoma. In others, I am in prison. In others, I have been dead for many years.

Would I still be a Christian? Again remember we are talking about an infinite number of realities and possibilities. In some of these realities, I might be the leader of a great Christian church or organization. In others, I might be a Muslim. In still others, I might be a Buddhist or Hindu. Remember we are talking about infinity, which is an incredibly large number. Even if the chances of something are one in ten billion, that's less than a drop in the bucket when compared to infinity.

Hope this helps.

Best always
Brother Ron

Apostasy

2011-06-18T01:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What do you think of apostasy? As an ex-Catholic, I am curioua.

Brassy

Dear Brassy

Apostasy is a rejection of the teachings of one's religion. The difference between apostasy and heresy is that heretics claim to be still following their religion or to be the true followers of that religion. Apostates reject a certain religion and no longer claim to be followers.

It is important to distinguish between religion and spirituality. Spirituality is the inner communication between the individual and the Living Spirit of God within. Religion is the outward expression of that spirituality. Just because a person rejects the teachings and rituals of a certain religion, that does not mean the person has rejected God. It merely means the person no longer recognizes the teachings and perspectives of a certain religious organization.

Such people usually go in search of other organizations whose teachings and rituals they find more attuned to their personal relationship with God. Naturally, most religious organizations consider such rejections of official doctrine as blasphemy. Personally, I consider it spiritual growth. God is much too big to be codified into one doctrine.

What if we passed a law that people visiting an art museum could only view a statue from the front? You could not view it from the side or any other angle. This would limit your understanding and appreciation for the work. The same is true of God. If you only limit yourself to a certain perspective, you miss out on a full understanding of His power and majesty.

We are God's children. Our Father wants what every father wants for his children. He wants us to grow up. I seriously doubt that our Father approves of any human restrictions which hamper that growth.

Best always
Brother Ron

Is there any evidence that Jesus existed?

2011-06-15T02:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Is there any evidence that Jesus existed, let alone being the son of an invisible sky wizard?

Augsburg

Dear Augsburg

Perhaps the best evidence coming from a non-Biblical source is Book XVIII of "Antiquities of the Jews" by Flavius Josephus, a Greek historian. The following exerpt is from Chapter 3:

Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, (9) those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; (10) as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

(9) A.D. 33, April 3
(10) April 5

Hope this helps.

Best always
Brother Ron

Different Types of Prayer

2011-06-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What are the different types of prayer? There are prayers of thanksgiving and petition. What are the others?

thefinalresult

Dear Finalresult

There are five basic types of prayer. The first type is the prayer of praise (God may like this one best). We praise God when we tell him how wonderful he is. The simplest way of praising him is in the name we call him: Almighty God; Lord Jesus Christ; Lord of Lords; King of Kings. All these names tell God how glorious he is. Many of the psalms in the Book of Psalms are prayers of praise.

The second type is the prayer of thanksgiving, or telling God, "thank you". We thank God for all the wonderful things he does for us. He gives us life; he gives us food, clothing and shelter; he gives us good people in our lives to help us and to take care of us. The simple prayer of giving thanks for our food is called grace.

The third type is the prayer of confession, telling God that we are sorry for what we have done. We tell God we are sorry either when we have hurt one of the people God has created or when we have done some sort of damage to God's beautiful creation. We tell God what we have done and that we are sorry that we did it.

The fourth type is the prayer of supplication, or asking for help. We ask God to keep us safe, to give us courage in tough times, or to give us the things we need to be strong and healthy. God always wants to hear from us when we are afraid or in trouble and need help.

The fifth type of prayer is the intercessory prayer, where we ask God to care for another person or part of his creation. God indeed cares for other people without our prayer, but we build our Christian community by asking for God's special care for one another. Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3: 14 - 21 is a beautiful prayer for the people of faith. Moses and Abraham asked God to take special care of his people. The Prayer for the Healing of Children is an intercessory prayer.

There are also four styles of prayer, which depend on our own personalities. The first style is devotional, or scripture-based prayer. Many people like to read a Bible verse or passage that opens a way for them to talk to God. They often begin their prayers by reading a psalm.

The second style is spontaneous prayer. This prayer comes from our hearts almost without thinking, and it is usually a prayer of thanksgiving: "Thank you, God, for the beautiful sunset"; "thank you for the kindness of my friend."

The third style is conversational prayer. Many people have long and involved conversations with God, where they talk things over with him, always sure that he is listening.

The fourth style is the prayer of action. Some people pray best while walking or moving or doing something. Sitting still is hard for them, and they need to add movement to their prayers. For them doing something (an act of kindness, for example) can be praying. Walking the labyrinth while praying can be an extremely deep form of prayer.

Hope this helps.

Best always
Brother Ron

Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin

2011-06-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Do other people hate the saying "Love the sinner, hate the sin" as much as I do? Isn't that just an excuse for Christians to say really hateful things without feeling like they're being hateful? Like telling people they're going to burn in hell (something many people don't believe in) for alleged "sins" like being gay or not believing in God, all the while ignoring their own sins because they prefer to point out other people's sins instead.

If that's love, would you do us a favor and love us a bit less?

lindsey p

Dear Lindsey P

To me, this has always sounded like a controlling mechanism. It sounds like they are saying, "We would love you if only you would ________". These statements are usually followed by some prediction of dire consequences (like burning in a lake of fire for all eternity) if you do not follow their advice. It sounds like a man who walks into a bank and says, "Do what I tell you and nobody gets hurt. Make one false move and I'll blow your brains out."

God wants willing servants, not hostages. The Bible also tells us that living a sinless life does not guarantee you a throne in Heaven.

Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The implication here is clear. Many will proclaim to be on a mission from God and acting in His name when their true mission is to accomplish a private agenda for personal emotional satisfaction or hope of achieving some exalted status in God's kingdom. Such people are described in I Corinthians 13:1. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal".

When I advise somebody against a certain course of action, I do so because I see how they are hurting themselves or others here in this life. If you choose to deny the power of God within you, you are not hurting God. God does not need your permission to be God. And He does not need our pitiful praise to inflate His ego. He already knows who and what He is.

On the other hand, you are depriving yourself of the power of God within you. It's kind of like going into a boxing match with one hand tied behind your back. I don't think you will burn in hell for it but you significantly reduce your chances of victory. Personally, I will take all the help I can get. As the least of God's servants, I am richer than Bill Gates and more powerful than the President. I simply invite others to share my riches and power.

If you choose to reject the offer, you have the right to do so. God literally has all the time in the world. He knows you will eventually figure it out.

Best always
Brother Ron

If Humans Were Smarter

2011-06-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

If humans were smarter, would we need to follow a religion? I believe that our current technology will be a lot better in 10 years, but that is because people are constantly and noticably improving it. And we are displaying things that acually exist. That is how life goes.

But religion is based off of ancient stories that have been deemed "official". That's great and all, and people can believe what they want, but do people really need to follow a most likely false belief system? Everytime I hear someone say "Jesus said this" or "God said this" I wonder more and more why people are pursueded by these stories.

Oh and before you quote the bible, realize that you are just repeating what all of the other sheep have been saying for hundreds of years. You are just displaying your religiously fueled ignorance like all of the others.

Ideocracy69

Dear Ideocracy69

No matter how advanced our technology gets, religion will still be an integral part of our society. There are several good reasons for this.

1. Worshiping together strengthens our spiritual energies. Take a radio and tune it to any channel. Now take another radio and set it to exactly the same channel and the same volume. Put it beside the first radio. Keep doing this until you run out of radios. You will notice that every time you add another radio, the sound gets louder even though they are all set to the same volume.

This is known as sympathetic vibration. The radios work together to produce increased energy. Our spiritual energies work in much the same way. When a group of people focuses their spiritual energy together, they produce a much greater effect that any one of them could produce alone. Religion provides a focal point for this combination of energies, ahich has a beneficial effect on both the worshipers and the object of their spiritual energy.

2. Religious organizations are the most efficient means of providing needed goods and services to society. Imagine you and your family need $100 worth of groceries. To give you the food you need, the average church will spend $7.00 on administrative costs. The average United Way agency will spend $20.00 in administrative costs. The average government agency will spend $328.00 in administrative costs to give you the same $100.00 worth of food.

3. Religious organizations have the people, facilities and materials to provide spiritual training for our youth. The trick is to find an organization which will teach your children what you want them to learn. That is why it is important for parents to monitor their child's spiritual growth, just as they should monitor their intellectual growth in the schools. The big difference is the members of a church have much more control over the teaching that goes on in the church than parents do over the teaching in the schools. I believe this is a good thing.

As far as using stories is concerned, a good story is a good story no matter where it comes from. The parables of Jesus have endured through the years because they illustrate universal truths. They would be equally valuable if they came from a movie or a novel. Like most ministers, I do not limit myself to the Bible when searching for inspiration.

You mention the advancement of technology. I use technology constantly to find new ways to share new perspectives of God with my fellow ministers. I believe technology has provided a valuable resource for us to share our knowledge and experiences which will help us form a more complete picture of God and a better relationship with Him. I believe this is what our Father had in mind when He revealed the secrets of this resource to its developers.

Where do you think Bill Gates got his ideas?

Best always
Brother Ron

Who Created God?

2011-06-13T02:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Who created God? I hate questions challenging beliefs, but I need to know a true believer's rational opinion on this. I want you to speak rationally when you answer my question - real world rationality. Restating your position is not an answer.

And before you say "he just existed", please realize that this is just as bad as an atheist saying, "We just existed from time immemorial...the end", or "The big bang happened and we just came into existence". If you can comprehend this hypocracy, then find a a way around it and give me an unbiased answer.

Noctec

Dear Noctec

Your question assumes that God is confined by the same laws of time and space which define reality for us humans. He's not. You and I can only be in one place at a time. And we are trapped in the flow of time, unable to move forward or backward by even one second. Furthermore, we are confined to a certain reality in which certain things have happened and will happen, producing certain results.

Now imagine a being who can move freely within the dimensions of space, time and possibility. He can be anywhere, any time and anyhow and he can occupy all parts of an infinite number of dimensions simultaneously. Most people find this hard, if not impossible to comprehend. Let me give you a small example.
_0_
..I
./ \

This is Herman. I am God and I just created him. Now Herman is alive but he exists within the limits of your computer screen. Since Herman is a two-dimensional being, he can move from side to side and up and down. But he can not jump off the screen and stand on your desk. This is outside the limits of Herman's reality.

You and I, on the other hand, can move freely about the entire planet and experience a world which Herman can not comprehend, let alone experience. Now take that concept and multiply times infinity. This gives you some idea of why we find the concept of God so hard to understand and keep trying to shrink Him down to our size.

When you understand God as ruler of an infinite number of dimensions, the idea of a God who has always existed makes perfect sense because for Him, the words past, present and future have no meaning. They are all the same to Him. God is watching the world being born NOW and He is watching it end NOW. Jesus told us the same thing.

John 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

This is not a grammatical error. He was trying to explain the timeless nature of God to them. Obviously, the people He was talking to had a problem understanding this concept. We are still having the same problem today.

Hope this helps.

Best always
Brother Ron

Why Does God Create Sinners?

2011-06-12T22:34:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Why does God create beings He knows will sin and go to hell? What do you believers feel about this? Don't say free will either because I am sure you don't let children play with fire or poison to let them express their free will.

andy e

Dear Andy E

The word sin is (believe it or not) an archaic archery term. It means to miss the target. Your problem is you don't believe in a god who condemns people to eternal torment for making mistakes. You are right. We all make mistakes. It's part of the learning experience. Our Father knows about them before we are born and forgives us before we commit them.

You call yourself an atheist, yet you acknowledge a God who exists beyond our concept of space and time. I feel you just do not accept the limited definition of God advocated by most religious organizations. You are correct. God is much bigger than most churches say He is. Unfortunately, most people are not looking for the whole truth. They simply want a 15-second sound bite. The church, being a good marketing organization, gives them what they want. You are one of those rare individuals who wants a meal, not a snack.

Keep asking questions. It's the only way you are going to grow into the person our Father wants you to be.

Best always
Brother Ron

What Does "Tat Twam Asi" Mean?

2011-06-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What is your understanding of the phrase "Tat Twam Asi"?

Digilook

Dear Digilook

"TAT TWAM ASI" - "Thou Art You" is the ultimate in human experience - an experience that allows the external truth and fundamental reality to be revealed through human realization.

"Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man", defines Swami Vivekananda. Hence, the primary aim at Vivekananda School Of Post-Graduate Studies (VSPGS) is to help both the students and the faculty to realize the human potential in total. VSPGS has set four clear goals to pervade the students' lives at the School and even beyond. These are:

To Comprehend reality as one whole
To develop value based relationships
To draw out potential from within
To develop passion for excellence

My problem with this is the attempt to bring this realization to students from an external source. The goals set forth by the school are internal goals and must be developed internally by communion with God, not through lectures or materials from external sources.

Your friend is right. This is not a new idea. Jesus told us the same thing two thousand years ago:

Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Once you have fully internalized this truth, accomplishment of the listed goals is easy.

Best always
Brother Ron

Do You Believe Jesus Is Coming Back Soon?

2011-06-12T22:28:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Do you honestly believe that Jesus is coming down to earth on a cloud soon? I've heard many people say that Jesus will return in their lifetime and take all Christians up to heaven.

Matt

Dear Matt

I believe this to be one of the biggest fallacies in Christian theology. This belief is based on John 14:2&3:

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

The fallacy is not that Jesus will return for us. The fallacy is in the teaching that He will return for everybody on the same day. The only time Jesus ever looked at somebody and said, "You are going to heaven" was the thief on the cross beside Him. And He did not say, "You are going to die but don't worry about it. Lay around in the grave for a thousand years or so and when I get around to it, I'll get back to you".

Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Have you ever attended a funeral and heard the minister say something like, "I know Grandpa is looking down on us now from heaven"? Was the minister just telling a lie to comfort the survivors? I don't believe he was. I believe that, when our bodies are no longer a suitable host for the Holy Spirit living within, that Spirit returns to God from whom it came. And it doesn't take two thousand years or so for that to happen.

The other part of the fallacy is the belief that we will be bodily raised from the grave. My body is not exactly in perfect condition now. I don't even want to think about the shape it will be in after laying in a casket for awhile. When the body dies, the Spirit emerges free from impurities, disease and disabilities. The thought of having to leave a spiritual body which is free from earthly limitations and climb back into this sack of meat with bad knees, bad eyes and the foot of Frankenstein growing out of my right leg does not exactly thrill me.

So I guess the answer to your question is yes and no. Yes, I believe when this life is over, my Father will come to take me home. No, He won't come for everybody on the same day. But that's a good thing. Patience has never been one of my big virtues.

Best always
Brother Ron

Walk by Faith

2011-06-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

How can I learn to do what is necessary when I turn my life over to God and feel closer to him? How does one walk by faith and not sight? I have been saved 23 years and recently turned my life to god but I feel maybe I am still doing it the old way. How does one let God lead? Do they not act unless they totally know God wants them to? I want to please him but not count on works and I have anger and hatred that hangs on to me despite trying to forgive as relatives have hurt me so deeply and recently. Does God understand this is a battle for me that I am trying though not perfect on?

Please help me in my christian walk. What things should I be doing? I am headstrong by nature and rarely listen to anyone and worried will not be compliant and obedient if I could figure out what He wants me to do. I feel so blind in all this. I was always scared to trust God before as I had a distorted view of Him and can't easily feel His love and closeness. How can I increase my knowledge of who He really is and what He wants of me.

Jane

Dear Jane

Let's take yor questions one at a time. How does one walk by faith and not by sight? First you have to know what you have faith in. I have faith that the part of the living God which dwells within me has a perfect vision of the future and has my best interests at heart as He leads me to fulfill His plan for that future. I have faith that God is infinite in wisdom and power and will provide me with the wisdom and power to accomplish what He needs me to accomplish.

As a child, I had to depend on my parents for transportation. I was too small to reach the pedals. I did not have the keys. I did not understand how to work the controls. I had to have faith my parents would steer the car safely and provide the fuel to get us to our destination. Allowing God to take the driver's seat of yor life is a similar experience.

Once you realize that you are under the protection and direction of our Father, you act with the certainty that your actions are in accordance with the wishes of our Father. Removing this doubt from your mind frees up and enormous amount of time and energy.

You say you feel anger and hatred toward family members who have hurt you. God has known you since before you were born. He has seen every step you have taken and every move you have made. He has seen all of your mistakes and failures and loves you anyway. If you are good enough for God to love, you are good enough for people to love. You are also good enough for you to love. If others don't see it that way, that is because of their short-sightedness. Your anger will not change that and merely serves to drain you of energy which you should be spending accomplishing what you want for your life.

You say you would be compliant if you cold figure out what God wants you to do. You have it backwards. In order to learn what God has planned for your life, first you have to convince yourself to listen for His voice and do what He tells you to do. Once you tune in to the voice of God within you, the directions will come naturally.

How can you increase your knowledge of God and His plans for your life? Talk to Him. He is living within the depths of your being and is a great listener and conversationalist. You do not have to do anything special to get His attention. You already have it. Once you realize and accept that, the rest will come naturally.

Best always
Brother Ron

Equal and Free

2011-06-04T03:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

How can I feel equal and free in a world that places religion on a pedestal yet praises a capitalist society and encourages racism by forcing stereotypes and misrepresentation of racial groups? How do you combat those outside influences and stay steadfast AND not judge others for their racism although it feels like certain racial groups are being singled out??

Benny

Dear Benny

Racism is the result of three human needs:

1. A need for speed and convenience. In today's fast-paced world, we look for the fastest and easiest way to get things done.

2. A need for order. We want a place for everything and everything in its place. This includes people. Have you ever met somebody and walked away saying, "I just can't figure them out"? This made you feel very uncomfortable, didn't it?

3. A need for esteem. Although nobody likes a person who thinks they are better than everybody else, everybody needs to feel like they are better than somebody else. If you thought you were the lowest person on the face of the planet in every way, you probably could not live with yourself.

Now put these together and you understand why we look for the quickest and easiest way to judge others as worse than we are. It's not right, it's not logical and it's not moral but that's the way most humans work.

How do you stay steadfast and maintain your objectivity in such an environment? By recognizing this behavior for what it is-a type of voluntary ignorance and tunnel vision. Most people do not want all the facts. Just give me a 15-second synopsis and let me get on with my life. If you are comfortable with yourself, you will understand that nobody knows enough about you to judge you except you.

Jesus said we should love others as much as we love ourselves. If you are good enough for God to love (and you are), you are good enough for you to love. Once you understand this, you do not need to put others down to build yourself up. And you now have the strength to stay steadfast and nonjudgmental in a judgmental world.

Best always
Brother Ron

Different Kinds of prayer

2011-06-04T03:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What all kinds of prayers are there? There are prayers of Thanksgiving, Petition what else?

Finalanswer

Dear Finalanswer

There are five basic types or sorts of prayer.

The first type is the prayer of praise (God may like this one best). We praise God when we tell him how wonderful he is. The simplest way of praising him is in the name we call him: Almighty God; Lord Jesus Christ; Lord of Lords; King of Kings. All these names tell God how glorious he is. Many of the psalms in the Book of Psalms are prayers of praise.

The second type is the prayer of thanksgiving, or telling God, "thank you". We thank God for all the wonderful things he does for us. He gives us life; he gives us food, clothing and shelter; he gives us good people in our lives to help us and to take care of us. The simple prayer of giving thanks for our food is called grace.

The third type is the prayer of confession, telling God that we are sorry for what we have done. We tell God we are sorry either when we have hurt one of the people God has created or when we have done some sort of damage to God's beautiful creation. We tell God what we have done and that we are sorry that we did it.

The fourth type is the prayer of supplication, or asking for help. We ask God to keep us safe, to give us courage in tough times, or to give us the things we need to be strong and healthy. God always wants to hear from us when we are afraid or in trouble and need help.

The fifth type of prayer is the intercessory prayer, where we ask God to care for another person or part of his creation. God indeed cares for other people without our prayer, but we build our Christian community by asking for God's special care for one another. Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3: 14 - 21 is a beautiful prayer for the people of faith. Moses and Abraham asked God to take special care of his people. The Prayer for the Healing of Children is an intercessory prayer.

There are also four styles of prayer, which depend on our own personalities.

The first style is devotional, or scripture-based prayer. Many people like to read a Bible verse or passage that opens a way for them to talk to God. They often begin their prayers by reading a psalm.

The second style is spontaneous prayer. This prayer comes from our hearts almost without thinking, and it is usually a prayer of thanksgiving: "Thank you, God, for the beautiful sunset"; "thank you for the kindness of my friend."

The third style is conversational prayer. Many people have long and involved conversations with God, where they talk things over with him, always sure that he is listening.

The fourth style is the prayer of action. Some people pray best while walking or moving or doing something. Sitting still is hard for them, and they need to add movement to their prayers. For them doing something (an act of kindness, for example) can be praying. Walking the labyrinth while praying can be an extremely deep form of prayer.

Hope this helps.

Best always
Brother Ron

Who created God?

2011-06-04T02:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I hate questions challenging beliefs, but I need to know your rational opinion on this? I want you to speak rationally when you answer my question - real world rationality. Restating your position is not an answer.

Who created God?

And before you say "he just existed", please realize that this is just as bad as an atheist saying, "We just existed from time immemorial...the end", or "The big bang happened and we just came into existence". If you can comprehend this hipocrisy, then find a a way around it and give me an unbiased answer.

Noctec

Dear Noctec

Your question assumes that God is confined by the same laws of time and space which define reality for us humans. He's not. You and I can only be in one place at a time. And we are trapped in the flow of time, unable to move forward or backward by even one second. Furthermore, we are confined to a certain reality in which certain things have happened and will happen, producing certain results.

Now imagine a being who can move freely within the dimensions of space, time and possibility. He can be anywhere, any time and anyhow and he can occupy all parts of an infinite number of dimensions simultaneously. Most people find this hard, if not impossible to comprehend. Let me give you a small example.

O
/l\
/\
This is Herman. I am God and I just created him. Now Herman is alive but he exists within the limits of your computer screen. Since Herman is a two-dimensional being, he can move from side to side and up and down. But he can not jump off the screen and stand on your desk. This is outside the limits of Herman's reality.

You and I, on the other hand, can move freely about the entire planet and experience a world which Herman can not comprehend, let alone experience. Now take that concept and mutiply times infinity. This gives you some idea of why we find the concept of God so hard to understand and keep trying to shrink Him down to our size.

When you understand God as ruler of an infinite number of dimensions, the idea of a God who has always existed makes perfect sense because for Him, the words past, present and future have no meaning. They are all the same to Him. God is watching the world being born NOW and He is watching it end NOW. Jesus told us the same thing.

John 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

This is not a grammatical error. He was trying to explain the timeless nature of God to them. Obviously, the people He was talking to had a problem understanding this concept. We are still having the same problem today.

Hope this helps.

Best always
Brother Ron

Die in Your Sins

2011-06-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What does it mean to die in your sins?

John 8:21-24 (New Living Translation)

The Unbelieving People Warned
21 Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”
22 The people asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?”
23 Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. 24 That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.”

Darcie

Dear Darcie

Albert Barnes explains it this way:

All those who reject the Lord Jesus must die unforgiven. There is no way of pardon but by him. There will be a time when sinners will seek for a Saviour but will find none. Often this is done too late, in a dying moment, and in the future world they may seek a deliverer, but not be able to find one. Those who reject the Lord Jesus must perish. Where he is they cannot come. Where he is is heaven. Where he is not, with his favor and mercy, there is hell; and the sinner that has no Savior must be wretched forever.

Hope this helps.

Best always
Brother Ron

Rastafarian Book of Worship

2011-05-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I like reading the books of worship for some religions and philosophers etc. and was wondering what the Rastafarian equivalent to the bible would be. Thanks for any help.

Stuntman

Dear Stuntman

The Holy Piby, published in 1924 (Newark, New Jersey), is an occult bible which was allegedly translated from "Amharic". The Piby emphasizes the destruction of white "Babylon" and the return of the Black Israelites to Africa which is the true Zion. It is also known as the "Black Man's Bible". It was quickly adopted by Rastafarians as one of their foundation books for Theological references in the sect.

The King James Version of the Bible is the most popular Holy Bible and is the one used by Rastafarians. It was published in 1611 and has been the Standard English version for nearly 400 years. They believe that all other versions are corrupt and this version is the closest to the original manuscripts. Like Christians, the Rastafarians believe that the 66 books of the bible tell the account of God's actions, purpose for creation and man's redemption. However their interpretation of many of the books, passages and prophecies in the Bible are very different. Many passages are attributed a reference to the Emperor Haile Selassie. Rastafarians are avid daily Bible readers.

"The Royal Parchment Scroll Of Black Supremacy" by Rev. Fitz Balintine Pettersburgh was first published in Kingston, Jamaica in 1926. The book professes Black Supremacy and self-determination under "Afro Centric Ethiopian constructs". Many claim that Leonard Percival Howell's "Promised Key" is a plagerized version of this book, that was modified to fit Rastafari.

"The Promised Key" (published under the Hindu name Gangunguru Maragh which means "teacher of famed wisdom") by Leonard Percival Howell. It contains the foundations for Rastafari and used many of the same concepts found in The Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy (some have accused him of plagiarizing from this book due to the many similarities) and the Holy Piby.

The "Kebra Negast" which literally translates to "Glory Of The Kings" in Amharic, (the Ethiopian national language), is the National Epic of the Ethiopia State. Rastafarians see it as Prophecy. This is one of the main contentions between Rastafarians and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as they see it as a historical epic of Ethiopian Royalty.

Hope this helps.

Best always
Brother Ron

My Friend is a Homosexual

2011-05-27T03:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I have a friend who is homosexual and I am a Christian what should I do to help him be saved? We were friends as kids and have met again as adults. He is kind and generous and I know he was raised in the Baptist Church as I was. We both had been sexually abused by foster fathers as children. We are male and are best friends and I don't want to lose his trust. I care for his soul and were he will be after this life.

Ricky

Dear Ricky

A person's sexual preference has nothing to do with the fate of their soul. Your belief that it does shows that you are a dogmatist who follows the teachings of men rather than the teachings of Jesus. Jesus gave us two commandments:

Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Matthew 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Matthew 22:38 This is the first and great commandment. Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

I don't see a lot of fine print there. I don't see "love thy neighbor except .......". I don't see "love thy neighbor if they agree to .....". Religious organizations put the conditions on the words of Jesus. If you are following these conditions, then you are following organizational dogma. This makes you a dogmatist, not a disciple. Your friend has already rejected the dogma. If you continue to espouse it over the words of Jesus, he will reject you as well.

Best always
Brother Ron

The Rapture

2011-05-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Have you heard about the may 21, 2011 being the day that jesus comes and the story behind that. http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/may21/
This is a link I found after my husband told about this story he heard on the radio. I would like to know what you think about this. please check it out and give me your view on this.

Thanks and God bless.

Glory Bee

Dear Glory Bee

I believe the whole rapture thing is a misinterpretation of the scriptures. The Bible talks about "that day" and the churches take it to mean the day will be the same for everybody. That does not square with the near-death experiences of many. It also does not square with the words of Yeshua. The only time He ever looked anybody in the eye and said, "You're going to heaven" was the thief on The cross beside Him.

Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. Luke 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Notice He did not say "You're going to die but don't worry about it. Lay around in the grave for a thousand years or so and when I get around to it, I'll get back to you". He said, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise". I don't see a lot of fine print there.

This is a common tactic for religious organizations who want to add a "fire sale" effect to their marketing. This offer is only good for a limited time so rush to your nearest dealership NOW!!! Great marketing, lousy theology. Remember the prediction that the world was going to end on January 1, 2000? That was just one of many such predictions which did not come true.

One day, your life in this world will end. And on that day, our Father will welcome you home. But don't expect the whole world to join you.

Best always
Brother Ron

Know your enemy

2011-05-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

If you have seen the movie "Patton", you may remember the scene of the general standing on a cliff overlooking Rommel's burning tanks and yelling, "I read your book". He was able to defeat Rommel because he understood how his adversary thought. We should adapt the same strategy in confronting those who have hijacked Islam from a religious movement to a political and military movement.

Since 9/11, we have seen glaring examples of politicians who clearly did not understand their adversary. One of the most glaring was the Congressman who referring to Muslims worshipping their "monkey god". He then apologized, not to Muslims but to Hindus who thought he might have been referring to Lord Hanuman. If the Congressman had taken the time to understand what he was talking about an absurd idea, I know), he would have found the following in the Qur'an:

002.133 Were ye witnesses when death appeared before Jacob? Behold, he said to his sons: "What will ye worship after me?" They said: "We shall worship Thy god and the god of thy fathers, of Abraham, Isma'il and Isaac,- the one (True) Allah: To Him we bow (in Islam)."

Perhaps the most famous example of willful ignorance was the urban legend about verse 09.11 of the Qur'an. The verse was wrongly quoted as "For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace."

The verse actually says, "009.011 But (even so), if they repent, establish regular prayers, and practise regular charity,- they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand."

I believe it is important to understand not only what you believe but why you believe it. It is also important to understand what you do not believe and why you do not believe it. Otherwise, you are fair game for those who would use your lack of knowledge to further their personal agendas.

Isn't that what the terrorists do?

Best always
Brother Ron

Teach Your Children Well

2011-05-24T05:29:00.000-07:00

In his weekly address, the President talked about reforms in education. One point he made was that reform should happen from the bottom up, not from the top down. I could not agree more. In our school systems, only half of the money we spend on education makes it to the classroom. The rest is eaten up by administrative expenses. Much of this is providing the documentation required by federal agencies to assure continued funding. In other words, the school systems are spending a ton of money to make sure they get more money to do the paperwork to get more money.

This is yet another example of the disastrous effects of a "let George do it" mentality. As I have said before, Uncle Sam is a rotten parent. Depending on the government to care about the education of our children is a losing proposition. Government agencies are concerned about the operation and funding of the agency. The needs of the public are at the bottom of their list of priorities.

The answer is simple-parents. Those parents who do not take an active role in the education of their children are condemning their children to the good graces of a system which has proven time and again that they are not equal to the task. This applies not only to academic education but character education as well.

Character education is a parental responsibility. It requires not only teaching by lecture but teaching by example. We have recently seen yet another example of how looking for role models from politics, entertainment and sports is a losing proposition. If you want a role model for your children, don't look for one. Be one.

Teach your children well.

Best always
Brother Ron

The Bible and Political Office

2011-05-24T05:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I know there is a separation between church and state. But that does not mean that we should stand by and do nothing. Strong Bible Christians should be raised up in the church to run as politicians in order to save this country of ours Why Not? Churches and syna- gogues have a lot of money to raise up their own.

Jetrose

Dear Jetrose

While I agree that elected officials should have a strong spiritual foundation, there are some problems with churches breeding political leaders to serve their dogmatic agendas. First, the founding fathers of this country learned from history what happens when a religious organization gains political and military power. The Catholic church of a thousand years ago used its political and military power to carry out the crusades and the Inquisition. The damage from these episodes is still being felt hundreds of years later.

Actually, we need look no further than today's news reports to see what happens when a religious organization aspires to political goals. Each day, we hear of new horrors inflicted by Islamic fundamentalists in the name of God. Every year, homosexuals and other "undesirables" are persecuted and killed by those who think they are carrying out the will of God. If a religious organization was to gain political and military control in this country, the United States as we know it would cease to exist.

But there is a more practical reason why your idea is impractical. If there is anything the churches fear more than the pains of hell, it is the loss of their tax-exempt status. IRS Publication 1828, Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations, clearly lays out what political activities are allowed and prohibited for churches. If a church violates these regulations, they can be forced to pay taxes on their income (including tithes and other contributions), properties and other assets.

Churches have tried for years to get around these regulations. Every effort has failed. I'm afraid you are just going to have to find candidates who reflect your ideals and support them. The government will not allow churches to grow their own politicians.

Best always
Brother Ron

Believing Without Seeing

2011-05-24T05:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Most of the intellectual people I know are not believers of God. They use their minds for many things in life but it seems like they are "blocked off" when it comes to believing in Jesus. It's like a higher IQ makes you a 'doubting Thomas'. Why is it so hard to have faith and believe without seeing?

Elle

Dear Elle

Intellectuals are trained to look for documented proof and collaboration before accepting anything. This can be good when analyzing human works or statements. The problem is this objectivity is based on certain assumptions about what constitutes reality and fact. These assumptions are based on the laws of nature and physics as we understand them.

God and faith are not subject to our laws of nature and physics. It has been said often that man only uses a small percentage of his brain. Imagine what would happen if a person were to find a source of power within himself which would open up new areas of thought and new perceptions about the world around him. What could such a person accomplish? What would happen if a person became one with God as Jesus instructed us to do?

Of course this would require the person to abandon traditional assumptions and traditional ways of thinking. This might be very difficult. Check out the movie "What the #$^& Do We Know?". You can order it from Netflix or get it from most video stores. It might open the eyes of your skeptical friends.

Best always
Brother Ron

Did Jesus Promise a Sign?

2011-05-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Mark 8:11-13

11-The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign (semeion) from heaven. 12-He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign (semeion)? I tell you the truth, no sign (semeion) will be given to it." 13-Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

Matthew 12:38-39

38-Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign (semeion) from you." 39-He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign (semeion)! But none will be given it except the sign (semeion) of the prophet Jonah.

Christians might try to say that Jesus meant that they would not receive a sign from heaven in Mark 8, however Jesus made it clear that they would not receive any semeion and did not specify which kind. Jesus said no semeion will be given to them. However, we don't see this in Matthew.
Klaven

Dear Klaven

This is the Biblical version of "show me your papers". The Pharisees wanted objective proof that Jesus was who He said He was. Of course, if they had been with Him for any length of time, they would have already seen healings and other miracles. But they wanted miracles on demand like Pizza Hut. The response is in Matthew 12:39-40:

Matthew 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

In other words, Jesus was telling them they would get their sign when He rose from the grave. But to give them a miracle on demand would be perilously close to the experience of Jesus when He was tempted in the wilderness. You recall that Satan told Him to prove Himself to the people by diving off the cliff so that the angels would catch Him and save Him. Jesus replied: "It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (Luke 4:12).

Jesus was not going to let Satan tempt Him and He wasn't going to let the religious professionals get away with it either.

Best always
Brother Ron

Life After Death

2011-05-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What do you think about Life After Death? The New Testament gives evidence of heaven, hell and resurrection. Ive been studying this topic in detail for my Religous Studies A level. So what is your opinion on life after death? Do you think Revelations is right that hell is a pool of fire burning with sulfur where inhabitants will be tormented day and night for eternity?

Cherry Pie

Dear Cherry Pie

Jesus tells us that no deed is good enough to earn you a ticket to heaven. It follows then that no deed is bad enough to earn you a ticket to hell. This entire philosophy is based on the premise that the human soul is separate from the Spirit of God. It is also based on the premise that God is waiting to see what we will do before deciding what He will do. Both premises are incorrect.

The book of Genesis tells us that "Genesis 2:7-And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul". To bring life to something which had been inanimate, there must have been something in that breath more than air. The word "spirit" comes from the Greek word for breath. The implication is that the Holy Spirit is the breath of God within us.

If the Holy Spirit is part of God, then it can not be lost. This would mean that God had lost a part of Himself. That would make Him less than He was and less than God. This is contrary to every teaching of the Judeo-Christian theology. So when the body dies, the Holy Spirit must return to its source. The whole fire and brimstone thing is a way for the church to control behavior and demond allegiance. Great marketing, lousy theology.

And God is not waiting to see what we will do before deciding what He will do. This would mean that God is as blind to the future as we are. This means that the laws of physics are more powerful than God. So God is not omnipotent or omniscient. Again, this contradicts basic assumptions about God. It turns God into a limited, blind deity.

I consider this an insult to God.

Best always
Brother Ron

The Law and the Ten Commandments

2011-05-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Is the Judicial system of the U.S. based on the Ten Commandments? I hear this a lot in our local news, but I don't understand why someone would think this. The First Amendment clearly knocks out the first three commandments. I can worship one God, many gods, or no gods at all and the State cannot say a thing about it. I can even make a golden calf and worship that if I like.

I also can work on any day of the week, all days, or no days if I want. There is no law against adultery, so I can make love outside of marriage all I want with breaking any laws. I can honor my parents, or call them scum sucking pigs if I want, with our freedom of speech. I can lie all I want as long as I don't do it to cheat someone out of money (stealing) or commit perjury (bearing false witness).

So all that is left is stealing, perjury, and murder. Only 30% of the ten commandments are even in our laws, right?

Uptospeed

Dear Uptospeed

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. The First Amendment says the government has no right to decide which god you worship. In fact, you don't have to worship any god if you don't want to.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Every government building is full of graven images that we are supposed to honor, if not worship. How many children stand in the classroom and pledge allegiance, not to God, but to the flag and "the republic for which it stands"?

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain. Contrary to popular belief, this has nothing to do with four-letter words. It means don't blame God for your troubles. How many politicians have claimed that God was punishing us for our evil ways? God is not a homicidal maniac.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. The word sabbath comes from the Hebrew sabbat, which means seventh. The last time I looked, the seventh day was Saturday. When did we decide that we should make laws to close businesses on Sunday? What does that have to do with the sabbath? Can you imagine the outcry if all the bars had to close from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday?

Honour thy father and thy mother. The government says we are your father and mother. We only grant you custody of the children. And if we don't like the way you do your job, we have the right to revoke that custody.

Thou shalt not kill. How many have we killed in the name of peace? Ask the native Americans how well we have observed this one.

Thou shalt not commit adultery. In Washington, it's the national pastime.

Thou shalt not steal. Again, ask the native Americans about the land that was given to them "as long as the grass grows and the water flows". When is the government going to pay back the 2.6 trillion dollars they "borrowed" from the Social Security Trust Fund?

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Lawyers lie in courtrooms every day and encourage their clients to do likewise.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. Our entire economy is based on creating the desire to want more.

Any relatioship between the government and the Ten Commandments is purely coincidental.

Best always
Brother Ron

The Meaning of Noah

2011-05-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Is this what the story of Noah means? If we take this story as a fable, as I believe the author meant us to, then God is the personification of nature and the ark symbolizes science. Does this mean the author is trying to tell us that science is the thing that will save us from the wrath and fury of nature?

Speedfreak

Dear Speedfreak

Actually, the story is meant to explain the different races of man. After the flood, Ham went north and founded the Hamites (caucasians). Shem stayed home and was the father of the Shemites (semites-Arabs and Jews). Japheth went south and fathered the Japhethites (Negroid). Of course, that still doesn't account for the orientals but I guess they were irreleant.

Details, all the time details.

Best always
Brother Ron

Believing in Religion

2011-05-19T04:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Why should I believe in any religion at all? Might the spirit realm only be a figment of our imaginations.

Charmed

Dear Charmed

Whether you choose to follow a particular religious denomination is entirely irrelevant. The important thing is to get in touch with the Spirit of the living God within you. Religion is merely the outward expression of an inner spirituality. Once you find that inner peace and strength, you may find others with a similar relationship to God and may wish to join with them in worship and service to our Father.

Religion does serve some useful purposes. For one thing, those of similar faith can learn from each other and grow in wisdom and understanding. For another, when several believers join together to focus their spiritual energy on a particular situation, it has a synergistic effect of multiplying the psychic energies many times over. And finally, if you are interested in helping others, churches are by far the most efficient way to distribute aid (assuming you don't get roped into some sect that believes the way to serve God is buying a fleet of limos for the minister).

The sprit realm is very real. Once you tap into the power of God within you, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Best always
Brother Ron

The Sacrifice of Jesus

2011-05-19T04:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Saint Paul in his epistle to the Romans says that Jesus's sacrificial death was required by God to atone for the original sin (the original sin being that of Adam). But we know the story of Adam and Eve to be pure fiction although Paul thought it factual story 2000 years ago. This ultimately means jesus died for absolutely no reson. How do so called modernized christians who reject the creation myth reconcile this fact?

Evolution proves that Adam and Eve's story is nothing but, at best, an allegorical fairy tale since we know men did not come from dirt but from primates and women did not come from a rib.

Jman

Dear Jman

There are several problems with the crucifixion being a sacrifice. For openers, a sacrifice requires a sacrificer. Somebody has to offer the sacrifice as proof of their repentence. Jesus offered Himself. It was not proof that anybody else had repented of anything.

Second, a sacrifice requires giving up something. Nobody gave up anything, not even Jesus. He had a bad weekend but three days later, He was back.

Third, a sacrifice signifies a commitment to a deity. People sacrifice to a god to show their loyalty to a god. In a sense, Jesus did this to show His faith that God would restore Him. For the rest of humanity, however, there was no such commitment.

The crowning achievement of the ministry of Jesus was His resurrection from the dead. Without the crucifixion, there could have been no resurrection. Jesus committed "suicide by cop" to prove the power and mercy of God. He proved that the power of God is greater than the power of death. That was the real message of the crucifixion.

The whole sacrifice theme is part of the guilt trip used by the religious institutions to win followers. Look what Jesus did for you. Are you going to reject the gift that it cost Him so much, you ungrateful wretch? Sign this pledge card.

Great marketing, lousy theology.

Best always
Brother Ron

A New Christian's Questions

2011-05-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I have quite a few questions (I'm a new Christian, by the way :) )

1) I always had this picture of God as someone who punishes harshly and doesn't forgive if you keep on asking for forgiveness, and if you do something wrong or fail to do something something bad will happen to you...but I know he is a loving God....can anyone tell me more about Him and how He is like?

2) I told God yesterday night I would finish watching this movie: The Life and Times of Jesus Christ, today. But if I don't finish it today because of 1, lack of time 2, (i feel really guilty about this) at times I'm not interested (I know nothing is more important than God and Jesus and I feel really guilty...).....what will happen to me?

3) I pray every night as a routine and even if I don't have much to say I still have to pray. So is prayer and worship supposed to be a routine and if you break it you will be punished? Like is obeying God supposed to be routine? I want to please Him but sometimes I am quite confused.... :(

4) I always have a lot of temptations and I find it hard to control them so will God forgive me if I keep sinning (I'm just a really weak-minded and I lack self control.....) but praying for forgiveness and repenting I try to be as good as I can

5) Some of my family aren't Christians and I am really afraid for them because they are not saved yet and might end up in Hell and I'm really afraid for them I keep on praying that they will find a way to love God as I love him.... :( What can I do? I'm scared for my Atheist family members and my friends.....

6) Sometimes I feel like God has withdrawn from my life and I do not feel the same love and light as I do most of the time....at those times I feel lonely and afraid...Christians do you know this feeling and do you know any more about this?

7) As Christians what are the major things we can and cannot do?

8) Sometimes I feel guilty when I am not interested in things I should be interested in (like reading the Bible, praying, watching movies about God and Jesus (good movies), reading about God......sometimes I do, sometimes I don't feel interested and it makes me feel really guilty so what can I do?

9) I'm confused because sometimes it seems like I am Christian only because of my selfish desires and for my OWN good, but I know that everything is for God and his Glory how can I stop thinking that everything is "me, me, me?"

Thank you very very much

Deep Thoughts

Dear Deep Thoughts

1. God does not live by our rules of space and time. He has already seen every mostake you will make and has already forgiven you for them. The people who preach otherwise are merely using scare tactics to get your money and get you to behave.

2. You will find other ways to learn more about Jesus and His message than a boring movie. Maybe God was telling you there's more to the story than what the movie was showing.

3. Prayer is a good thing. God loves to talk with His children. But prayer is more than just talking, it's also listening for God's answer to your prayers. Prayer is a conversation, not just a monlogue.

4. See number 1 above. Eventually you will figure out that the things that keep tempting you will not get you where you want to go and you will stop. It's called growth. It's kind of like the guy who goes to the doctor, moves his arm up and down and says, "Doc, it hurts when I do that". The doctor replies, "Well, stop doing that". If sin makes you feel bad, stop doing things that make you feel bad.

5. They will eventually figure it out. If not in this incarnation, they will in the next. In the meantime, just take your cue from Matthew 5:16-"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven". When they see the change it has made in you, they may realize that you are onto something.

6. Since the Spirit of God is alive and well within you, He can not desert you. The two of you are stuck with each other. What you are feeling is the noise of this world becoming so overwhelming that you can not hear God's voice. That just means you have to focus harder to hear it. But it's still there.

7. There are just two things you have to do-love God and love your fellow man. That's it. Follow those two rules 24/7 and everything else falls into place like a row of dominos.

8. Do you listen to music 24 hours a day? Do you watch movies 24 hours a day? You have a life. You probably have many interests. God wants you to have a life. As long as He is the center of it, He does not want to be your whole life. He has other work for you to do.

9. Have you ever played a sport like football or baseball? Was the object of the game for the team to win or for you to be the star? As long as you are contributing to the team's victory, you will be rewarded. If you think only of your own glory, the team loses and you won't be the most popular guy in the locker room. Focus on serving the will of God and your reward will come. That philosophy has worked well for me for many years.

Hope this helps.

Best always
Brother Ron

What would you say?

2011-05-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What would you say if you were sitting in church and this random guy started muttering about how this religion was wrong in so many ways? What would you say to him? Now- what if it turns out that guy was Jesus in his 2nd coming? What would you say? Would you stay true to your faith or abandon it for the "right" one?

Brainstem

Dear Brainstem

I would ask Him to enlighten me about what was wrong with it. Whether it was Jesus or just some guy off the street, I would be interested in his opinion. He might have insights that I have not thought of. He might have ideas I agree with. Or he might be mistaken about his impressions. In any case, it might be an opportunity for both of us to grow and learn.

I consider that a good thing.

Best always
Brother Ron

May 21

2011-05-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Have you heard about the may 21, 2011 being the day that Jesus comes and the story behind that. http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/may21/

This is a link I found after my husband told about this story he heard on the radio. I would like to know what you think about this. please check it out and give me your view on this.

Thanks and God bless.

Glorybee

Dear Glorybee

I believe the whole rapture thing is a misinterpretation of the scriptures. The Bible talks about "that day" and the churches take it to mean the day will be the same for everybody. That does not square with the near-death experiences of many. It also does not square with the words of Yeshua. The only time He ever looked anybody in the eye and said, "You're going to heaven" was the thief on the cross beside Him.

Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. Luke 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Notice He did not say "You're going to die but don't worry about it. Lay around in the grave for a thousand years or so and when I get around to it, I'll get back to you". He said, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise". I don't see a lot of fine print there.

This is a common tactic for religious organizations who want to add a "fire sale" effect to their marketing. This offer is only good for a limited time so rush to your nearest dealership NOW!!! Great marketing, lousy theology. Remember the prediction that the world was going to end on January 1, 2000? That was just one of many such predictions which did not come true.

One day, your life in this world will end. And on that day, our Father will welcome you home. But don't expect the whole world to join you.

Best always
Brother Ron

Behavior of the Body of Believers

2011-05-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I believe that the body of believers is not much better than they were in Paul's day. We have corruption in the body of believers. We have people who use church as their social hour and don't take sermons to heart. We have people who are so-called "Christians" and they are treating people worse than some atheists do. Some atheists have morals better than some Christians. Some Christians don't understand that grace is given freely, but it is all the more reason to celebrate the grace of God. They take his grace and sacrifice for granted. Do you see what I see, or am I alone in this battle?

You may think I am being judgmental but God is the only judge. I do not judge. There is a difference between judging and condoning. I am NOT condoning behavior that weakens the church. So I may be judging their behavior, but not judging them. Judging a person and behavior are very different things. This society has become to politically correct and people have disregarded morals for the feelings of others along with taking "judge and lest be judged" out of context. Well we can't control their feelings so we might as well tell our opinions right? Who is going to step up for reform?

Robert White

Dear Robert

You are not alone. I moderate a forum of over three thousand ministers and hear the same comments repeatedly. From these comments, I would also conclude that this is not a new problem by any means. Since it has been going on at least since the time of Jesus (remember His comments about the Pharisees), chances are it is not going to stop any time soon.

The only way to combat this is to live and minister as Jesus told us to do. I realize the struggle will be long and hard. You may not live to see a victorious conclusion. Disciples of Jesus were persecuted for hundreds of years before emerging victorious. But be assured that eventual victory is assured.

Best always
Brother Ron

Unholy Warriors

2011-05-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

Many religious professionals and politicians are making the mistake the of equating the religion of Islam with the homocidal maniacs who are hiding their crimes behind God's back. These thugs have about as much to do with religion as NASA has to do with ballet. Personally, I wish we would stop referring to these animals as "Islamic". It makes them sound like some kind of holy warrior. There's nothing holy about them.

I notice that the Taliban claims to have "avenged" the death of Bin Laden by killing Pakistani security forces. The President was very clear in his
announcement that we went in without Pakistani knowledge or consent. So they took revenge on the wrong people. In addition, the people they killed were fellow Muslims. What does the Qur'an say about Muslims who kill other Muslims?

These maniacs are nothing but rabid dogs. How do we deal with rabid dogs? How much does a rabid dog have to do with religion? About as much as the terrorists have to do with the Qur'an.

Best always
Brother Ron

Know your enemy

2011-05-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

If you have seen the movie "Patton", you may remember the scene of the general standing on a cliff overlooking Rommel's burning tanks and yelling, "I read your book". He was able to defeat Rommel because he understood how his adversary thought. We should adapt the same strategy in confronting those who have hijacked Islam from a religious movement to a political and military movement.

Since 9/11, we have seen glaring examples of politicians who clearly did not understand their adversary. One of the most glaring was the Congressman who referring to Muslims worshipping their "monkey god". He then apologized, not to Muslims but to Hindus who thought he might have been referring to Lord Hanuman. If the Congressman had taken the time to understand what he was talking about (an absurd idea, I know), he would have found the following in the Qur'an:

002.133 Were ye witnesses when death appeared before Jacob? Behold, he said to his sons: "What will ye worship after me?" They said: "We shall worship Thy god and the god of thy fathers, of Abraham, Isma'il and Isaac,- the one (True)Allah: To Him we bow (in Islam)."

Perhaps the most famous example of willful ignorance was the urban legend about verse 09.11 of the Qur'an. The verse was wrongly quoted as "For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace."

The verse actually says, "009.011 But (even so), if they repent, establish
regular prayers, and practise regular charity,- they are your brethren in Faith: (thus) do We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand."

I believe it is important to understand not only what you believe but why you believe it. It is also important to understand what you do not believe and why you do not believe it. Otherwise, you are fair game for those who would use your lack of knowledge to further their personal agendas.

Isn't that what the terrorists do?

Best always
Brother Ron

Atheists in Education

2011-05-11T02:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

How do atheists have such a strangle hold on our (American) educational system? From what I gather from a few statistics I've seen, the majority of the US doesn't accept the theory of evolution. Apparently, eighty-some percent of this country believes that the Judeo-Christian God is responsible for the creation of the universe and life on this planet. With such an overwhelming majority, how does "creation science" stay out of public schools? They've stripped it down enough that it isn't affiliated with any religion. It doesn't violate our constitutional rights of separation of church and state, so why has it not been taught as a viable alternative to evolution? Our president (and presumably many others in D.C.) starts everyday with a prayer and has meetings with the pope, so it isn't the people in power holding it back. So, what's the deal? Does creationism / ID really have no leg to stand on or what?

Bowledunder

Dear Bowledunder

It's not the atheists who have a hold on the education system, it's the science teachers. Of course God is responsible for the creation of the universe. The problem is that you can not use the scientific method to validate the existence of God to a scientific certainty. Since you can not use science to prove the existence of God, you should not teach God in a science class.

The problem is not that science teachers don't believe in God. Many (if not most) do. But their belief is based on faith, not scientific experiments. Science limits itself to objective data which can be documented and verified in a controlled environment. What lab is big enough to contain God? What scientist can duplicate creation?

Creationism should be taught in the home and in the church but it has no place in a science class.

Best always
Brother Ron

Are We Saved by Faith Alone?

2011-05-11T02:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Are we saved by faith alone, or do we need works, too? Aren't works just evidence for salvation and cannot save us? If works could really save then are we saying we can earn our salvation and are sharing glory with God? If you say faith and works what do you do with this verse?

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work Romans 11:6

Thewitness

Dear Thewitness

We are saved by the grace of God. But if we truly love God, we will do His work and live as He would have us live. By doing so, we convince others of God's love and encourage them to join us in worship and service to Him. How many people have rejected God because of the misdeeds of His supposed followers?

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Best always
Brother Ron

Are There Things Science Can Not Explain?

2011-05-11T02:30:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Do you agree there are some things we simply cannot explain through science?

Razzletop

Dear Razzletop

Of course. In order to be scientifically valid, a theory must be based on observable phenomena. Furthermore, you must be able to duplicate the results in a controlled environment. There is a whole universe outside the limits of the scientific method.

The most obvious example is love. I love my wife deeply. But a scientist could argue that I only stay with her out of habit, a sense of duty or laziness and it was only lust that attracted me to her in the first place. Neither of us could prove our case in a laboratory.

The same is true of God. Since God exists in a reality beyond our concept of space and time, it would be impossible to contain him within a laboratory. Therefore, it would be impossible to scientifically prove the existence of God. On the other hand, just as I know deep down that my love for my wife is real, I know deep down that the love God has for me is real.

Science will never be able to explain that in terms which meet the criteria of the scientific method. On the other hand, they can't disprove it either.

Best always
Brother Ron

Are There Many Paths to God?

2011-05-07T23:19:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Do you think there are many paths that lead to God or is there only one way?

C.L.

Dear C.L.

I have studied the literature of most of the world's major religions. Although each claims to have exclusive knowledge of God and His plan for this world, I find their visions and messages amazingly similar. So if you are asking whether there are many religious denominations which can help you find spiritual enlightenment, the answer is yes.

If you are asking whether you can do, say or think anything and still find God, the answer is no. The first secret to finding God is knowing where to look for Him. You will not find Him in a building, in a book, on the internet or on a television program. You will find Him living deep within the innermost core of your being. Jesus told us this:

Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The second secret is recognizing Him once you find Him. Churches tell us we need to "believe in" God and Jesus. The word translated as "believe in" in the Bible is the Greek word pisteuo, which means to have faith or put trust with. Once you find the Spirit of God within you, you have to trust that Spirit to guide your thoughts, words and actions in the right direction. If you trust your own judgment more than God's, you obviously do not believe in Him.

Let me give you a small example. As I write this, I am sitting in a chair. I trust the chair to hold me up. I believe the chair has the strength to keep me from falling on the floor. I have faith that the chair will not allow me to be injured. I am constantly amazed that people have more faith in their furniture than they do in God.

Best always
Brother Ron

Are Our Pagan Ancestors in Hell?

2011-05-07T23:18:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

A lot of people in the past were pagans. Now if paganism is wrong, are our ancestors in hell for their practices such as Wicca, druidism, voodoo, native American spirituality, fortune telling, astrology, numerology, spells, psychics, etc. Thanks!

Wondering

Dear Wondering

Let me ask you a question. Do blind people go to heaven? How about the mentally impaired? Do those with Down's syndrome go to heaven? How about the deaf and the physically handicapped?

If god can forgive our physical shortcomings, don't you think He is able to forgive our spiritual shortcomings as well? The people you mention worshipped the limited concept of God which they could comprehend. I seriously doubt that God condemns people to eternal damnation for not being able to fully understand Him. By the way, I include a lot of members of mainstream religions in that category as well.

Best always
Brother Ron

Are My Parents Being Fair?

2011-05-07T23:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

My mother tells me about her problems and says she is going to die and then she never does. She just told me this and now I'm scared and I don't know what to think. She brings everyone down and right now my dad is very sick and won't take medicine or go to the doctor. I'm 15 and I now have a lot of extra stress to deal with. They don't know my problems and the extra hurt I'm feeling now. They also don't notice that prescription narcotics are making me ill and I am becoming anorexic.

Heart

Dear Heart

You are in a very dangerous and dysfunctional situation. The first thing you need to do is check yourself into a rehabilitation facility. Your health is in serious danger and you need immediate attention. In addition to helping you overcome your addiction and eating disorder, the therapists will work with your parents to help them overcome their abusive behaviors.

From what you tell me, your parents are using you to satisfy their own emotional needs and have no regard for your own well-being. It is time to stop being a victim and take control of your situation. I realize you are only 15 and much too young to have such responsibility thrust upon you. But since your parents are unable or unwilling to be concerned for your welfare, you are going to have to be the one to take the initiative.

This is not going to be easy. The situation has probably been developing for some time and will not be resolved overnight. But until you take action to change things, nothing is going to change. Do not wait. You are in danger NOW. You need to take action NOW.

Please let me know how I can be of further assistance.

Best always
Brother Ron

Are Jazz Christian Songs Sinful?

2011-05-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Can we sing Christian songs with jazz or country music in them? You add your own flavor to Christian songs. Does God consider this a sin?

Legenda

Dear Legenda

The Bible tells us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. It does not require that noise to have certain words or musical styles. I have written many spiritual songs with different tempos and influences. My virtual guest artists range from Earl Scruggs to Jerry Lee Lewis. If your songs praise God and rejoice in His goodness, I doubt that He will be offended.

Best always
Brother Ron

Are Intellectuals at a Disadvantage?

2011-05-07T23:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Most of the intellectual people I know are not believers of God. They use their minds for many things in life but it seems like they are "blocked off" when it comes to believing in Jesus. It's like a higher IQ makes you a 'doubting Thomas'. Why is it so hard to have faith and believe without seeing?

Ellen

Dear Ellen

Intellectuals are trained to look for documented proof and collaboration before accepting anything. This can be good when analyzing human works or statements. The problem is this objectivity is based on certain assumptions about what constitutes reality and fact. These assumptions are based on the laws of nature and physics as we understand them.

God and faith are not subject to our laws of nature and physics. It has been said often that man only uses a small percentage of his brain. Imagine what would happen if a person were to find a source of power within himself which would open up new areas of thought and new perceptions about the world around him. What could such a person accomplish? What would happen if a person became one with God as Jesus instructed us to do?

Of course this would require the person to abandon traditional assumptions and traditional ways of thinking. This might be very difficult. Check out the movie "What the #$^& Do We Know?". You can order it from Netflix or get it from most video stores. It might open the eyes of your skeptical friends.

Best always
Brother Ron

Are All Baptisms Equally Authoritative?

2011-05-02T05:37:00.001-07:00

Approval of Man or Love from God

2011-04-30T00:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Do you seek approval of men or Love from God.?

Dromedary

Dear Dromedary

If you seek approval of humans, you are going to be disappointed. Somebody is always going to find a reason to rain on your parade. Have you ever noticed that, as soon as somebody becomes successful or popular, somebody always finds a flaw in that person and exploits it to the fullest? We humans delight in revelations that the rich and famous are no better than us. The psychological term for this is schadenfreude. Classic examples include Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton and Michael Vick.

You already have the love of God. Learn to use the power of that love within you for God's purposes and human approval will follow (at least from the ones who matter).

Best always
Brother Ron

Apes As Our Ancestors

2011-04-27T20:05:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Although it is being proven to be the truth more and more these days, people refuse to accept that we came from apes. What is so wrong with that? Why do people fear that thought so much? What's the big deal?

A theory is considered more the truth then the bible and Qur'an. Evolution theory has been studied, experimented, researched, and proven.. so its not just a theory! And apes are our ancestors, apes have 48 chromosomes, we have 46... 23 from each parent, but the one that was missing was infused together the whole time so it didn't count as 2 rather than 1 which made 46. There is enough proof to make it safe to say we are most likely relatives of monkeys. Again, what's the big deal?

Jasmina

Dear Jasmina

Because they prefer to believe that God created man in a single divine thought rather than setting in motion a chain of events which would result in us being here to ask and answer this question. These are people who adhere to a literal translation of the Bible rather than accepting it as a collection of stories passed down orally from generation to generation. This is because they fear that any challenge to any part of the Bible will bring down their faith like a house of cards.

My faith is based on what has been revealed to me by our Father. The Bible is a good guide to behavior, study of ancient Hebrew society and direction toward a closer relationship with God. I am not so much interested in how we got here as I am in what our Father wants me to do to help His plan for our future.

We can argue about ancient history until the cows come home but we can not change it. We should keep our eyes on the road ahead instead of focusing on the rear view mirror.

Best always
Brother Ron

Animals in Heaven

2011-04-26T04:27:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

If there is a heaven/hell for people, then there must be one for all animals too! I'm being serious. What makes humans any different? We are animals too, just a million times smarter. What do you think?

Sisha

Dear Sisha

I think you are right. I seriously doubt that God sends animals to hell, though. They are just doing what God made them to do. Come to think of it, so are we. Maybe that means God does not send people to hell either.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Best always
Brother Ron

Am I Going to Hell?

2011-04-24T12:14:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I sold my soul to the devil ages ago and was a Satanist. I now believe in God but do wrong every day. I don't go to church and I'm not baptized. I used to curse at him every day but I want to change. Could I still make it to heaven? I'm 17.

Tyuxruyi X

Dear Tyuxruyi X

If God sent everybody to hell who makes mistakes, heaven would be a very lonely place. The only time Jesus ever looked somebody in the eye and told him he was going to heaven was the thief on the cross beside Him.

Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us."
Luke 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss."
Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom."
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

I hate to break it to you, but what most people call the soul is actually part of the living God alive inside of you. It's not yours to sell. So that bargain is invalid due to failure of the consideration.

Welcome to the brotherhood of God.

Best always
Brother Ron

Am I a Bible-Thumper?

2011-04-24T00:40:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Am I a bible thumper for reading the Bible? The only time I speak of religion is when I'm asked for my opinion! So, am I labeled by society as a bible thumper?

Universal

Dear Universal

No, you are a seeker after wisdom who wants to learn how to love and serve our Father better. As long as you realize that the Bible is merely Religion 101 and not the way to a complete relationship with God, you'll be fine.

A bible-thumper is a preacher who demands that everybody accept his interpretation of the Bible as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. During his sermons, he carries an open Bible and thumps it with his finger repeatedly to emphasize his words come straight from that book. You do not sound like that kind of person.

Best always
Brother Ron

Alpha and Omega

2011-04-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What does Jesus mean when He refers to Himself as the "Alpha and Omega" (Revelation 1:8 & 22:13)?

Reborn

Dear Reborn

First of all, the verses you quote refer to God, not Jesus. Revelations was not written until about 90 A.D. by a man who never met Jesus.

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. Greek was the preferred language of the Roman Empire at the time Jesus was alive and for many years after. Most of the New Testament was translated from Greek manuscripts. God means He is the beginning and the end, as the verse explains.

Revelations 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Best always
Brother Ron

Alcohol and the Angel

2011-04-21T00:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I was drinking one night, at my worst, when someone came up to me and said, "Amber, this isn't the way". I know he was right. He was the first one to point it out to me though. Could he have been a guardian angel?

Country Gal

Dear Country Gal

If not an angel, certainly a messenger from our Father. I was a professional musician for most of my life. I spent many years watching drunks from the stage. It's amazing how watching drunks in action will convince you not to become one. Let me give you three good reasons why your angel was right.

First of all, alcohol has a drying effect on the skin. When you drink, the alcohol dries you up from the inside out. After awhile, your skin looks like an old wallet. I have watched beautiful young girls turn into wizened hags. I seriously doubt you would want that for yourself.

Second, you find out that once the high goes away, the world is still there where it always was. You still have the same problems you had before you started drinking. Only now you have less money to cope with them and you feel too lousy to try.

Third, when the bar closes, you have to drive home when the bar closes. The guys with guns and badges have no sense of humor with drunks on the road. Waking up in jail with a hangover is not a good thing. Neither is meeting a tree up close and personal at 60 miles per hour. Of course you could always accept a ride from the friendly stranger on the next bar stool and hope he isn't into serial killing or date rape.

All things considered, I would say you definitely met an angel.

Best always
Brother Ron

Affirmations

2011-04-19T08:11:00.001-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Do you believe in positive affirmations and repetition of affirmations? It has worked for me many times with urgent things. Now Im going to try something more complex. Have you tried this?

Raver

Dear Raver

I'm a big fan of self-talk. There is a part of your brain called the reticular activating system. It acts like a VCR in your head and records everything you see and hear. This is why people under hypnosis can recall their fifth birthday party. The RAS does not distinguish between what you tell yourself and what other people tell you. So if you tell yourself you are a jerk, the RAS records it just like you heard it from somebody else. It works for the positive things you tell yourself too.

Print this in big letters and put it somewhere you will see it every day:

I am somebody.
I am not a nobody.
I'm not as good as I should be.
I'm not as good as I want to be.
And I'm not as good as I'm going to be.
But whatever I may be,
I am still
Somebody.

Best always
Brother Ron

Adam Was a Hermaphrodite

2011-04-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

Adam and Eve

2011-04-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Adam and Eve were created by God. Eve ate Apple at Snakes behest. Adam ate Apple at Eve's behest. God finds out and curses Eve to be servile. He curses Adam to be a basic male. He curses the snake to do snaky things and then throws them out of Eden.

Why did Satan make Eve eat the apple? TO TEST HER! He had been ordered to serve humanity remember and refused! Now the first test he gives to humanity to see if they're worthy of the same respect as the Holy Light Father and Eve blows it. Worse, she compounds her sin by sharing it with Adam. And then Adam blows it!!

This was the first test for Satan to do against humanity and it failed. But maybe it was for the best. If Adam and Eve had passed, would Satan have gone on? Life would then have been different. Eden would still sit on Earth. Job would have had a quiet life. Jesus might have grown up to be a thug. Were Adam and Eve meant to fail the test so that Satan would still be an "Adversary", to give humanity the growth curve to achieve their full potential?

Thomas

Dear Thomas

First of all, the tale is allegorical. Adam is the Hebrew word for "man", meaning the generic man. Eve means "life", signifying the importance of women as the bearers of new life. I consider this a Hebrew fable as anthropologists tell us that humans did not develop written language for thousands of years. By the time it was written down, this story had been passed down for thousands of years as oral tradition. You know what happens when you tell someone to tell someone to tell someone.

Actually, the knowledge of good and evil is the basis for all modern religion. We are told by religious organizations to do good and avoid evil. How could we do this without knowing how to recognize good and evil? To me, this was a necessary step in our progression from being wild animals to becoming what our Father wants us to become.

As far as Satan is concerned, I consider him to be a personification of evil created by the religious organizations to scare people into behaving themselves and going to church. There is undoubtedly evil in the world. But we humans are quite capable of inventing the most hideous evils without any help from a little red demon with a pitchfork. Our adversary is our own human weakness and our desire for immediate temporary gratification at the expense of service to the eternal goals of our Father. Satan is just a poor excuse for bad behavior.

Best always
Brother Ron

Absolute Truth

2011-04-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What do you think it would take to experience absolute truth? I think there is a one universal truth that connects not just humans, but every living being throughout the whole universe which is capable of questioning it's existence. I also think to perceive "absolute truth" in complete clarity would only be possible for beings who are completely in tune with their own Spiritual existence in relation to the external universe. However this would still be only "perception".

Maybe searching for these so called "truths" is of little importance and practical value as it's too easy to trip over obstacles on one's path if the focus is completely on the distant horizon.

Mister E

Dear Mister E

The only "absolute truth" comes from God. To totally experience this, one would have to be in the presence of God. This would mean the person would have to be beyond the limits of space and time, which of course would not be possible for any living human.

You are correct that even this experience would only be a personal perception. Jesus was probably as close as any human has come to having this kind of relationship with Him. I doubt we will see another person with such spiritual insight in our lifetime.

Best always
Brother Ron

Abiogenesis

2011-04-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Does the theist argument that abiogenesis is unlikely imply that gods are infinitely more unlikely?

Many theists argue that even the basic proteins in the most basic forms of life are so complex as to make the chance of life coming into existence through random events impossible throughout the observable universe containing 100,000,000,000 galaxies, most galaxies containing billions of stars, many stars being part of their own solar system in which may be planets capable of supporting carbon-based life as we know it, not to mention other possible forms of life, i.e. silicon-based and possibly more.

Does this then imply that gods, being infinitely more complex, are infinitely more unlikely to come into existence through random events? Wouldn't that mean that the theist argument against abiogenesis is an argument against God? If abiogenesis is impossible, then so are gods? Should they just go back to their faith and leave the thinking to us? After all, no mature atheist claims to have absolute knowledge that gods couldn't possibly exist, right?

Topguesser

Dear Topguesser

For those unfamiliar with the term, abiogenesis refers to theories about the origins of life. There are two basic scientific theories about how this occurred. The first is the iron-sulfur world theory, This theory proposes that an early form of metabolism predated genetics. The other is the RNA world hypothesis, which proposes that a world filled with RNA (ribonucleic acid) based life predates current DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) based life.

The first flaw in this argument is the statement that even the basic proteins in the most basic forms of life are so complex as to make the chance of life coming into existence through random events impossible. You go on to point out (correctly) that we have observed about 100,000,000,000 galaxies, each containing billions of stars. Given this enormous number of stars and billions of years, it is safe to say that anything that can happen probably already has happened.

But all of this assumes that deities are subject to our limited concepts of space, time and probabilities. This is not true. Our concept of space and time assumes that an object (including people) can only be in one place at any given time. It also assumes that we are incapable of moving backward or forward in time. It further assumes that there is only one chain of events. In other words, that which has happened and those things which will happen are the only things which could have happened or will happen. These assumptions are not valid in God's reality. God exists in all times, places and realms of possibility simultaneously.

Once again, we see theologians attempting to practice science and scientists attempting to practice theology. Perhaps we would all be better off if everybody stuck to the fields in which they are competent.

Best always
Brother Ron

False Idols

2010-07-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

This week, there was a one-hour television special to disclose where LaBron James will play basketball. Why is this such an earth-shaking event? Sure the guy is a great basketball player. Good for him. But how many diseases has he found the cure for? What has he done to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East or anywhere else? Has he found a way to stop the catastrophe in the Gulf? No. He does what my wife describes as "throwing some kind of ball through some kind of apparatus".

When are we going to learn that our idols inevitably let us down? Whether they are entertainers, athletes or politicians, rarely does a week go by that we do not learn of their problems with sex, drugs or other behavior. Here's a crazy idea. Instead of looking for role models, become one. Check out my song "Riding Into the Sun"

MP3 http://opng8.org/ridingintosun.html
MIDI http://opng8.org/ridingintosun1.html

I realize many of you are not old enough to remember the Saturday morning westerns but the idea still applies. Why do people have to look elsewhere for their "idols"? Isn't an idol merely man's feeble attempt to replicate the true spirituality?

Best always
Brother Ron

RHIP

2010-02-27T01:58:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have served in the military are familiar with the term "rank has its priviledges". This seems to apply to the civilian world as well. I was watching an expose on the governor of Nevada who claims he has not had sex in 15 years and did not go to a recent governor's convention with a female member of his staff. The analyst then showed a picture of the governor with the lady in question posing with South Carolina governor Mark Sanford at the convention. I wondered if they were comparing notes on hiking the Old Appalachian Trail.

This brought back to mind the statement of Tiger Woods explaining that his philandering conduct grew out of his belief that his celebrity entitled him to special rules of conduct. This is the same explanation used by President Clinton to explain his affair with Ms. Lewinski. I'm sure this sentiment is shared by many politicians, entertainers and athletes. I believe it is also shared by many who feel their religious status entitled them to special priviledges.

At the recent trial of the terrorist accused of plotting to bomb the New York subways, he gleefully confessed, believing he was doing God's work. So did the man sho shot a well-known abortion doctor in his church. I'm sure the people who flew the airplanes into the World Trade Center felt the same way. The list goes on and on.

There are many of different faiths who consider themselves God's special chosen people. Being God's "special chosen people", they are entitled to form their own code of conduct, immune to the code of the "unchosen" because they are "special". A famous evangelist has proclaimed that his "saved" status means he
is no longer capable of sinning. I guess that means that anything he does is okay because he is one of God's "special chosen people". I'm sure the pedophile priests and the people who carried out the Inquisition felt the same way.

Here's a hot scoop for you. We have all been chosen by our Father to receive the gift of life and His Spirit within us. Our petty squabbles about who is more "blessed" mean nothing to Him. He does not delight in the death and misery of His choldren. Those who claim otherwise are guilty of the worst kind of blasphemy.

Although I am officially a bishop of the Universal Ministries, I never use that title. To me, it does not confer some special recognition that I am more blessed than others and entitled to special priviledges. On the contrary, it means that I am charged to be a servant to others and offer any assistance they may need. I am blessed by those who have sought my assistance. I believe this is the message Jesus was trying to give us.

John 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? John 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one
another's feet. John 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Whose feet have you washed today?

Best always
Brother Ron

What Is God Waiting For?

2009-10-22T01:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

What is god waiting for? What does he have to prove by letting this world go 2000 years after his only Son said the Kingdom Of God is near?

Tory

Dear Tory

The Kingdom of God is nearer than you think.

Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The only thing God is waiting for is for us to discover the real nature and location of His kingdom. We have within us the power and beauty of the Lord and Creator of the universe. All it would take would be for us to discover how to use that power to create the kind of world our Father wants us to live in.

We keep waiting for some external power to come and save us from ourselves. That's not the way it works. No heavenly power will transform us into a better world. We have to learn how to use the power of God within us to transform ourselves. Maybe some day, we will stop killing each other over who has the right philosophy long enough to do this.

Best always
Brother Ron

Religious rivalries

2009-10-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

One of my ministers claims to have received this letter from the Almighty. Wherever it came from, there's some good advice here.

From: God/dess
To: Our Children of Earth
Re: Idiotic Religious Rivalries

Dear Children (and believe us, that's all of you),

We consider ourselves pretty patient folks. For instance, look at the Grand Canyon. It took millions ofyears to get it right. And about evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole Darwinian thing to take place, cell by cell, and gene by gene.

We've been patient through your fashions, civilizations, wars and schemes, and the countless ways you take Us for granted until you get yourselves into big trouble again and again. We want to let you know about some of the things that are starting to tick Us off. First of all, your religious rivalries are driving Us up a wall. Enough already! Let's get one thing straight: These are YOUR religions, not Ours. We're the whole enchilada; We're beyond them all. Every one of your religions claims there is only one of Us (which by the way, is absolutely true). But in the very next breath, each religion claims it's Our favorite one. And each claims it's scriptures were written personally by Us, and that all the other scriptures are man-made.

Oy Vey. How do We even begin to put a stop to such complicated nonsense? Okay, listen up now. We're your Father AND Mother, and We don't play favorites among Our children. Also, We hate to break it to you, but We don't write. Our longhand is awful andWe've always been more of "doers" anyway. So ALL of your books, including those Bibles, were written by men and women. They were inspired, remarkable people, but they also made mistakes here and there. We made sure of that so that you would never trust a written word more than your own living heart.

You see, one human being to Us, even a bum on the street, is worth more than all the Holy Books in the world. That's just the kind of folks we are. Our spirit is not a historical thing. It's alive right here, right now, as fresh as your next breath. Holy books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but not more so than the least of you. They were only meant to steer you in the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other, and certainly not to keep you from trusting your own personal connection with Us.

Which brings Us to Our next point about your nonsense. You act like We need you and your religions to stick up for Us or "win souls" for Our sake. Please, don't do Us any favors. We can stand quite well on our own, thank you. We don't need you to defend Us, and We don't need constant credit. We just want you to be good to each other. And another thing, We don't get all worked up over money or politics, so stop dragging Our names into your dramas. For example, We swear to Us ;-), that We never threatened Oral Roberts. We never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces. We never told Pat Robertson to run for president, and We've never, EVER had a conversation with Jim Baker, Jerry Falwell, or JimmySwaggart! Of course, come Judgment Day, We certainly intend to.

The thing is, We want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort of loyalty pledge to Us. The true purpose of your religions is so that YOU can become more aware of Us, not the other way around. Believe Us, We know you already. We know what's ineach of your hearts, and We love you with no strings attached. Lighten up and enjoy Us. That's what religion is best for. What you seem to forget is how mysterious We are. You look at the petty differences in your Scriptures and say, "Well, if THIS is the truth, then THAT can't be!" But instead of trying to figure out Our Paradoxes and Unfathomable Nature, which by the way, you NEVER will, why not open your hearts to the simple common threads in all religions.

You know what We're talking about. Love and respect everyone. Be kind, even when life is scary or confusing. Take courage and be of good cheer, for We are always with you. Learn how to be quiet, so you can hear Our still, small voice (We don't like to shout). Leave the world a better place by living your life with dignity and gracefulness, for you are Our Own Children. Hold back nothing from life, for the parts of you that can die surely will, and the parts that can't, won't. So don't worry, be happy (We stole that last line from Bobby McFerrin).

Simple stuff. Why do you keep making it so complicated? It's like you're always looking for an excuse to be upset. And We're very tired of being your main excuse. Do you think We care whether you call Us Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, Diana, Wakantonka, Brahma, Cerridwen, Father, Mother, God, Goddess or even the Void of Nirvana? Do you think We care which of Our special children you feel closest to, Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Krishna, Gerald, Mohammed or any of the others? You can call Us and Our Special Ones any name you choose, if only you would go about Our business of loving one another as We love you. How can you keep neglecting something so simple?

We're not telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your religions, honor them, learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honor, and learn from your parents. But do you walk around telling everyone that your parents are better than theirs? Your religion, like your parents, may always have the most special place in your hearts, We don't mind that at all. And We don't want you to combine all the Great Traditions in One Big Mess. Each religion is unique for areason. Each has a unique style so that people can find the best path for themselves. Know that Our Special Children, the ones that your religions revolve around, all live in the same place, (Our heart), and they get along perfectly, We assure you.

The clergy must stop creating a myth of sibling rivalry where there is none. Our blessed children of Earth, the world has grown too small for your pervasive religious bigotry and confusion. The whole planet is connected by air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax machines, rock concerts, diseases, and mutual needs and concerns. Get with the program! If you really want to help, then commit yourselves to figuring out how to feed your hungry, clothe your naked, protect your abused,and shelter your poor. And just as importantly, make your own everyday life a shining example of kindness and good humor.

We've given you all the resources you need, if only you abandon your fear of each other and begin living, loving and laughing together. We're not really ticked off. We just wanted to grab your attention because We hate to see you suffer. But We have given you free will to choose your own paths, and We just want you to be happy.

In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust,

Us

Who Was Responsible?

2009-10-14T05:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Who was ultimately responsible for killing our Lord: Romans or Jews?

Lola

Dear Lola

Actually it could be argued that the crucifixion was a case of suicide by cop. Jesus told His disciples exactly what would happen to Him:

Matthew 26:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Matthew 26:2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

Without the crucifixion, there could have been no resurrection. Jesus knew the San Hedrin was already upset with Him. When He entered Jerusalem, He proceeded to really drive them crazy by preaching against them on the steps of the temple and driving the money changers out at the peak of the high holy days. This would have been the equivalent of somebody going to a mall the day after Thanksgiving and firing an automatic weapon. The SWAT team would be there in a heartbeat.

Jesus could not commit suicide because that would have been a sin in the eyes of the people. But He had to die so He could rise again to prove the power of God over the power of death. So He provoked the San Hedrin to bring charges against Him. He knew that Pilate's main concern was to keep order and that he would do whatever was needed to do that. We all know how the story ends.

So I guess the real question is not who killed Jesus but who was responsible for the miracle of his resurrection. You can't make an omelet without breaking an egg.

Best always
Brother Ron

White Magic

2009-10-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

I need some information about white magic. Is it against God? I'm a Christian. I'm still unclear on this. I had a friend who was Wiccan, I used to divine with tarot cards, do spells out of her spellbooks, etc. It never seemed like something evil or bad, but it was a long time ago. I don't clearly remember it all.

I used to hear voices though and I have had some pretty freaky, almost demonic seeming dreams. Could they have come from that? I used to believe very strongly in things like healing, magic from the earth. One day I realized that I didn't want all the weight of that on me, and I decided to live normally.

I want some information from people who practice magic. I always felt like I was different, and for a while I felt in tune with nature, and like I was part of the earth, now I don't feel that way. Am I crazy or what?

Kickster

Dear Kickster

No, you're not crazy. You just decided to ignore your instincts so that you could "grow up". You need to get back to who you really are and use the talents our Father has given you.

White magic is not against God. Any true Wiccan knows the power of the Rule of Three. Any evil you do comes back to you three times over. So does the good you do. Who in their right mind would do evil to others knowing they would get three times as much thrown back at them? All the stuff you see in the movies about evil witches is the product of Hollywood's imagination and imposters practicing Satanism in the name of witchcraft. There's a difference.As far as being against God, Jesus gave us two rules: love God and love each other.

Mat 22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Matthew 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Matthew 22:38 This is the first and great commandment. Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

As long as you are acting with perfect trust in God and love of your fellow man, you are in perfect harmony with the rules Jesus gave us. It doesn't get any better than that.

He also taught us that God does not live in a building or a book.

Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Look deep within yourself for the guiding Spirit of God. Recall how you used to hear His voice. Use your talents to help His children, That's what real Christians do.

Best always
Brother Ron

How would you respond?

2009-10-12T06:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

How would you respond to this email, which I just got from someone calling themselves
'sabbath day freedom'?

Jesus is God in the flesh.
Jesus is God in the flesh.
Jesus is God in the flesh.
Jesus is God in the flesh.
Jesus is God in the flesh.
Jesus is God in the flesh.
Jesus is God in the flesh.

Who do you think you are to think you can tell G-D what is truth and not truth. It was those people who partook in Christ's crucifiction who put Him to death because of fear and unbeliefe. REPENT for the Kingdom of G-d is at hand.

Jesus is alive!!
Jesus is alive!!
Jesus is alive!!
Jesus is alive!!
Jesus is alive!!
Jesus is alive!!
Jesus is alive!!

JESUS FORGIVES YOU TO!!

Father, I ask that you would forgive this person of the unbelife that is deep within the heart and bless them with the removeal of this heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh as the Holy Spirit FILLS their spirit with life and power from on High.This I ask in Your beloved Son's name, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Kosher Katie

Dear Kosher Katie

First of all, Jesus never said He was God. He said He was one with the Father but told us we could have the same relationship if we had as much faith as a grain of mustard seed.

Second, we are blessed to live in a country where each of us is free to discover our own truth. Who does this clown think he is to decide the he and only he has the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Third, if you are going to proclaim yourself as the bearer of ultimate truth, you should at least learn to spell. There is a difference between to and too. Showing your ignorance and the fact you are too lazy to use a spell checker may reinforce another's unbelief. Removal of errors is needed here.

Fourth, how does this person know what is in your heart? That is something only you and God know. I would say this person is presumptuous but they probably would not know what that word means.

And finally, if this person was really in touch with God, he would know that Jesus is merely the Anglicized derivative of the Greek Iesu which was their version of Yeheshua Ben Yoseph, which was His real name. This person should avoid ministry and stick to a calling for which they are more suited, such as asking people if they want fries with that.

By the way, this message was probably sent as a mass mailing so you might want to run your anti-virus and anti-spyware programs.

Best always
Brother Ron

Free Will

2009-10-08T05:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Can an all knowing creator truly grant it's creations free will? I am assuming being all knowing implies knowledge of all events past, present, and future. This would mean such a creator knows all events that would befall it's creations and the actions they will take. I am having trouble seeing how this precognition can exist without predetermination. After all, how can the future be known if it can be altered? And if this predetermination exists, on what grounds can we say these creations have free will?

Seeker

Dear Seeker

Your statements only make sense if you believe the future is predetermined. What if probability is a dimension like height, width, depth and time? Think of it this way: I have the freedom to move left or right, up or down, backwards or forward. Similarly, we all face daily choices about our movements, spending, eating and a number of other factors. Often we do not know what choice we will make until we make it.

Each choice results in consequences. Some of those are minor. Others change our entire lives. Some can even result in death. But, like our movements, none are predetermined.Fortunately God is Lord of all dimensions, including probability. He knows the choices we will make and has designed His plan so perfectly that, no matter what choices we make, we can't mess it up.

Think of it this way-let's say you go to a lake. The lake is calm and the surface is smooth. So you decide to shake things up by throwing a large rock into the lake. There's a big splash and ripples quickly spread across the entire lake. But eventually the ripples die down and everything is the way it was before you threw the rock.

That's kind of how God works. His design for us is so big and so perfectly designed that even a jerk like me can't mess it up. For this, I am eternally grateful.

Best always
Brother Ron

Pagan Holidays

2009-10-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Brother Ron

Why do so many preach about the Bible when they celebrate holidays like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve and Birthdays? These are clearly pagan and Satanic celebrations that should not be celebrated by Christians. I've seen Colossians 2: 16 referred to as justification for observing celebrations, but this was not what the context of that scripture is about.

It is that the Christians would no longer have to celebrate these days and they should not feel bad about not observing Law requirements anymore. How can someone teach me their religion's interpretations of the Bible when they celebrate the Satanic celebration of Birthdays? At birth Satanists believe they become a god. The only other more important date is Halloween. Do people really truly honestly think they have God's guidance if they practice something a Christian should find filthy?

The Encyclopedia Americana informs us: “The reason for establishing December 25 as Christmas is somewhat obscure, but it is usually held that the day was chosen to correspond to pagan festivals that took place around the time of the winter solstice, when the days begin to lengthen, to celebrate the ‘rebirth of the sun’. The Roman Saturnalia (a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture, and to the renewed power of the sun), also took place at this time, and some Christmas customs are thought to be rooted in this ancient pagan celebration.”—(1977), Vol. 6, p. 666.

Eph. 5:10, 11: “Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord; and quit sharing with them in the unfruitful works that belong to the darkness, but, rather, even be reproving them”. 2 Cor. 6:14-18: “What fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Be′lial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? . . . ‘“Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,” says Jehovah, “and quit touching the unclean thing”’; ‘“and I will take you in, . . . and you will be sons and daughters to me,” says Jehovah the Almighty.’” See 1 Corinthians 13:6.)

Compare Exodus 32:4-10. Notice that the Israelites adopted an Egyptian religious practice but gave it a new name, “a festival to Jehovah”. But Jehovah severely punished them for this. Today we see only 20th-century practices associated with holidays. Some may appear harmless. But Jehovah observed firsthand the pagan religious practices from which these originated. Should not his view be what matters to us?

Sister T

Dear Sister T

The more appropriate verse is Matthew 6:24-" No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon". Mammon was the Roman god of commerce. In other words, you can not worship both God and money.

The holidays you decry are not a celebration of Satan or paganism. They are used to entice us to spend money. Christmas is almost three months away but the merchants have already begun their campaigns to tempt us to begin spending. The recession has made their efforts even more desperate. Look for the flood of inducements to intensify in the weeks ahead.

Halloween is the second-biggest money maker for the merchants. The name comes from All Hallows Eve, which was the day before All Saints Day (November 1). This was originally a religious holiday to honor all the saints. How many of us stop to honor the saints after our annual chocolate orgy?

We do indeed lust after other gods. But the god we lust after has pictures of dead presidents, not Lucifer.

Best always
Brother Ron