Once in Infinity

By Bob Beanblossom

19 December 2016

 

Once, in the limitless infinity that surrounds God, the Divine Council met to finalize plans for Creation. All members of the WORD were present: God the Father presiding, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The meeting reflected the spiritual nature of those holding the meeting: it was infinite in its expanse, unbounded by walls, buildings, or even the Universe, for matter, energy, time, and space as we understand them did not yet exist.

Plans were all but complete. Creation was almost ready for “In the beginning God.” Even with the timeless infinitude of the Three-in-One, this was a momentous decision. If approved, a set of finite material things would be created from nothingness and added to the infinite somethingness of the spiritual realm.

God the Father looked with concern at God the Son—He who existed throughout eternity, but was soon to become Jesus, the Only Begotten of the Father, the Messiah, the Christ—the Lamb Slain from the Foundation of the World. God the Father said, ‘Son, We have discussed Creation thoroughly. We will create Man in Our image to be holy, to worship and serve Us, and to care for Earth, that part of Creation that We will give them. We will create them as finite creatures, with material existence in a material world that has both a beginning and an end. They—man and woman–will become living beings at conception and be eternal from that point onward. We will always be present in their world and in their lives. They will be free moral agents, independent in thought and action, capable of deviating from Our Will. When they leave the realm of human life We will reward their obedience with eternity in Our home. We will call it Heaven. We know that they will sin, almost from the very start, even though I walk daily with them, and talk with them, and have fellowship with them. Satan, that fallen angel and adversary, will be an agent of evil, but rebellion will be the conscious choice each man. We will call that rebellion Sin. This is certainly neither welcomed nor approved, but is expected. Sin must have a penalty. That penalty will be an eternity away from Us. Sin cannot enter into our home. We will call the place of that punishment Hell. But, We will prepare for that fall from our grace and establish a process to allow man’s restoration. We will call that act of restoration Salvation. Our continual presence will be masked from them by their sin. But, We will always be there for each and every one who calls on Our Name. We will call that Prayer.’

‘We will select one lineage to call Our Chosen People. They are not special or remarkable in any way, except that I have chosen them to send Our message of salvation to the rest of the world. They will have cycles of righteousness and sin just as individuals do. The re-introduction of Our Will to mankind through them will be progressive. Sin will radically diminish their ability to understand Us and apply Our will to their lives. In fact, it will be impossible. When they fail beyond all measure, I will move Our presence to a new people, chosen from all peoples in all lands.’

‘Son, this is my big concern. Maybe we should throw this whole plan out and start all over again, with beings who will choose to worship and serve us. Sin cannot be accepted. No man will be capable of becoming righteous by Our standard. The whole lot will never be allowed into our presence because of their rebellious hearts. The only acceptable solution is the sacrifice of a perfect man to atone for their sin. There will never be a sinless man among them. Never.’

‘You have volunteered to become that sacrifice, to leave our home, become one of them in body, live and die among them. Son, I am proud beyond measure of the love that you show for those not yet created, but is it worth the cost? We can easily create a race similar to the angels who will worship and adore us, who will serve us and exalt each other. We have no mandate to create a being who will fail so miserably.’

God the Son spoke: ‘Father, Thy will be done. My offer stands to become the perfect sacrifice for all mankind. I will be born among them, walk and teach among them, be rejected by them, and die for them. Your love for me is the perfect example that I must follow. We will teach them Your ways. We will offer My salvation to every man. When I return home, We will send them God the Holy Spirit to live among and within them and guide and protect them. Those who accept my offer of salvation—for accept it each one must to receive the benefits I offer to all—will become part of the Family of God, the Bride of the Lamb, My Bride, the church. We will celebrate eternally as I receive them from the confines of a fallen world.’

And God said, “Let there be . . . and it was so . . .”

Be Ye Holy

By Bob Beanblossom

29 June 2016

It seems to me that the path of life always presents choices–maybe they are better called challenges. Our instructions from our Creator are clear: “Be ye holy as I am holy.” (from I Peter 1:13-16) That’s a big order. I have never quite met that goal.  In fact, I miss it constantly. But with His help, through the salvation we receive from Jesus, and the indwelling leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes it seems like we are caught in a burning building with no way out. We either don’t see a good choice, or don’t know which way to go.

When we come to an intersection in life where the choice seems to be between equals, it seems that the best choice is that one that provides the most benefit to others–not ourself: “Love your neighbor as yourself” is the rule of choice.

In our society we have graduated from “Do unto others as you would have them do to you,” to “Do unto others before they do to you” (from Luke 6:31),  to today’s version of “Forget others. If it feels good, do it.”

As Christians we are called to peace and unity with our fellow Christians.  Paul said it best:

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,  with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (Ephesians 4:1-7)

While he left an ‘out’ (“endeavoring”), the goal is still for behavior and attitudes that reflect our Savior. When we realize that our strength, our desire, is inadequate to reach the goal, we join Paul as he said:

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7:24)

Maybe we should look at the whole passage. Sometimes we quit at the command and forget to look to the power:

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:20-25)

There is hope, after all. Paul’s answer is ours: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The battle won’t be over on this side of death, but we have help in choosing our path through this world.  It is a help certain, but requires our due diligence in maintaining and growing our relationship with our Savior:

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:25-26)

The journey will have bumps. But none will have eternal consequences. We are promised an otherworldly peace. The rest of that passage is:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,

neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

The bottom line is that we can try to travel through this life on our own, or trust the One who knows what our future holds, holds our hand, and leads through all minefields. If we loose Him, or feel alone, remember–He is where He always is. We only need to “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)