Shirt Pocket Homilies

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FAQ: Atheists have plenty of logical reasons for rejecting Christianity and the Bible.
What logical reasons do you have for accepting those things?

REPLY: None.

FAQ: How it is that you trust Christianity and the Bible without knowing for sure
whether they're true?


REPLY: My conscience insists Christianity and the Bible are true, viz: it's an intuitive
conviction that I am unable to shake off.

Why does anybody believe what they believe? Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Bahá'í,
Hare Krishna, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Catholic, Baptist, Judaism, Voodoo,
Wiccan, Jain, Druze, Native American, etc, etc, etc. The answer? Because it grips
their heart-- the core of their being --which is very different than persuading
someone with logic and reasoning.

When folks are persuaded to buy into a religion by means of logic and reasoning,
they can be just as easily persuaded to give it up by logic and reasoning. But
someone whose heart is gripped by their religion is not easily removed regardless
of how strong, how sensible, how convincing, nor how logical the opposition's
argument. In point of fact, one of the prerequisites to salvation is believing with
one's heart rather than one's head. (Rom 10:8-9)


FAQ: Are you suggesting people end up in Hell merely because their intuition failed
to convince them that Christianity and the Bible are true?


REPLY: My personal opinion? I suspect atheists are not entirely honest. They profess
very sensible reasons for rejecting religion while down deep inside they're a mite
worried.

Mark Twain once said he didn't believe in an afterlife; nevertheless expected one.
Twain likely meant that for humor, but may have been telling us something about
himself.
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Heb 5:4-6 . . Christ did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest.
But God said to him: You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. (cf. Ps
110:4)

Melchizedek served as a high priest in Abraham's day. (Gen 14:18-20, Heb 5:10)
Abraham's day was at least four centuries prior to the covenant that established
Aaron as a high priest for Moses' people.

In a nutshell; when people's high priest is patterned after Melchizedek, then they
are in no danger for failure to comply with Aaron's covenant (a.k.a. Moses' law)
because that particular covenant isn't retroactive. (Deut 5:2-4 & Gal 3:17)

That was quite an advantage for Abraham, to wit: seeing as how he wasn't
obligated to comply with Moses' law, then he was at liberty to walk with God
another way, ergo: seeing as how Jesus is Christianity's Melchizedek, then neither
are we obligated to comply with Moses' law which includes, but isn't limited to, the
Ten Commandments.

Matt 11:28-30 . . Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my
burden is light.
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Webster's defines "penance" as an act of self-abasement, mortification, or devotion
performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin.

Extreme forms of penance include things like donning sackcloth and ashes,
malnutrition, hermitage, celibacy, walking around with a pebble in one's shoe,
privation, self flagellation, the wearing of garter belts studded with metal spikes,
and ascending flights of stairs on one's knees, et al.

Those types of calculated pain and/or suffering are usually meant to convince God
of one's sincerity.

However, folks unified with Christ can get by just fine without all that because his
crucifixion did for them what no amount of their own personal suffering will ever in
a million years accomplish.

1John 2:2 . . And he himself is the propitiation for our sins

Webster's defines propitiation as: pacify, appease, assuage, conciliate, mollify,
placate, and/or sweeten.

Isa 53:5 . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him.
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When people are desperately clinging to treetops, with murky flood waters roiling
around them, just inches away from death and the hereafter, the last thing they
need is somebody coming by to discuss America's border crises and/or the ongoing
coal mine fire in Centralia Pennsylvania when what they really need is a National
Guard helicopter to lower a harness down and pull them up from that treetop.

When someone awakens at night in a burning home and finds themselves trapped
in their room; that is not the time to talk to them about global warming and/or the
war in Ukraine when what they really need is firemen to break thru the flames and
get them outside to safety.

Wouldn't it be nice if it were possible to dial 911 for assistance when someone
comes to the realization they are in grave danger going to Hell and see no
hope of ever escaping it on their own?

Born and raised in the Catholic religion, it was never once suggested to me that
God was sort of like a 911 emergency responder with whom I could connect to
obtain competent assistance with my concerns about ending up on the wrong side
of things when I make the journey to the other side.

Rom 5:5-10 . .While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good
man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

. . Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from
the wrath of God through him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to
God through the death of His son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be
saved by His life.
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1Tim 2:5-6 . . Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all.

Ransoms can be defined as considerations paid or demanded for the release of
someone or something that's stuck in a situation; e.g. overwhelming debt that a
debtor cannot possibly ever pay off, and or slavery from which the slave himself
hasn't, nor will ever have, the means with which to free himself.

The thing is: were it not for Christ, the best that God would be able to offer
anybody is a reprieve: defined as a temporary suspension of the execution of a
sentence especially of death, i.e. delay. In other words: there's coming a day when
the demands of Heaven's criminal justice system will finally be given its pound of
flesh, and that day would be humanly impossible to circumvent were it not for
Christ's crucifixion per Isa 53:5-6.
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Forgiveness hinges upon timing. Folks on the wrong side of the netherworld are
stuck there because they let absolution slip thru their fingers when it was available.

2Cor 6:1-2 . . As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in
vain. For He says: In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I
helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Heb 3:8 . .Today, if you hear His voice, do not resist.

As a parallel case; the Pharaoh of Egypt was given ample opportunity to comply
with Moses' demands until the night when an angel came thru Egypt slaying all the
land's firstborn sons; even the firstborn among livestock.

Another parallel case is the Flood when Noah warned of an impending deluge year
after year until the day came when all not aboard the ark were slain; including
moms, infants, and elder citizens.

Compare the parable of the ten maidens wherein five weren't thinking. They let
themselves be distracted with a trifle and by doing so missed the party.
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Heb 10:26-27 . . For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of
the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

That passage is basically a reiteration of Num 15:30-31 which is codified in the
covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and Deuteronomy. (For the purposes of a letter that specifically addresses Jews, a
"knowledge of the truth" would of course be relative to that one particular
covenant.)

Now the thing is: that covenant's rules and regulations are not retroactive. (Deut
5:2-4) Therefore they wouldn't be binding upon priesthoods established prior to
Moses' Law.

Melchizedek (Gen 14:18) was exempt because he was the Almighty's high priest
something like +/- 400 years before the Law. (Gal 3:17)

Jesus' priesthood is patterned after Melchizedek's. (Ps 110:4 & Heb 5:10)

Therefore, seeing as how Jesus' priesthood isn't subject to Num 15:30-31, then
neither are any of the people unified with him.

Acts 13:37-40 . .Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through him
forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through him everyone who believes is
freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

* The word "freed" is translated from dikaioo (dik-ah-yo'-o) which basically means
just and/or innocent, i.e. acquitted; defined as an adjudication of innocence due to
a lack of evidence to convict. An acquittal is far and away better than a pardon
because it leaves nothing of record in one's personnel file to discuss in court.


NOTE: On the night of Jesus' birth, an angel announced good news of great joy.
Well; speaking for myself, as someone who had a lot to answer for, the availability
of an acquittal for willful sinners was very joyous news indeed.
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FAQ: Can a Christian be a Buddhist?

REPLY: Buddhism, like Falun Dafa, is basically peaceful. However, classic Buddhism
has no supreme being, viz: it's basically atheistic.

Buddhism's goal is nirvana. However; the nirvana that Siddhartha Gautama taught
isn't a destination: it's a state of mind; and Buddhists who achieve nirvana live it
here as mortals; not somewhere else as immortals.

Standard Buddhism has no afterlife. When those who achieve nirvana pass away,
they go completely out of existence. But the ones who fail to achieve nirvana have
to go thru a process called samsara wherein they undergo serial reincarnations;
which are quite a bit different than a resurrection.

Reincarnation doesn't return one's soul to their body, primarily because there is no
soul in Buddhism; instead, reincarnation reassembles the karmic matter that was
once a particular individual. The complete teaching is a bit complex but in a
nutshell, Buddhists expect to return as either gods, asuras, hungry ghosts, hell
beings, animals, birds, and/or humans.

* Were I to question Buddhism, I'd focus on reincarnation and inquire as to the
source of power that makes it happen.
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The old testament has quite a bit to say about the kingdom of Heaven, and so did
Jesus in something like thirteen of his parables.

I decided for myself long ago that its venue isn't up. Instead it's down here on
Earth relative to messiah's future jurisdiction as monarch and ruler of the entire
world; which for now is in the hands of the wrong kinds of people.

For example; according to Isa 2:4, messiah intends to put a stop to war. Well; just
look at the kingdom of Heaven's politics today. War is common, even in the very
promised land itself.

Of particular interest to me is the prediction that "neither shall they learn war
anymore". Well; here in my land, kids as young as six are training in martial arts;
and boastful of the fact that they are able to disable somebody with their bare
hands.

My favorite atheist, Christopher Hitchens, once remarked that religion ruins
everything. He was so right. Well, that has to stop, and it will. Isa 11:9 predicts
a one-world religion; and it won't be given lip service, no, it will be practiced. (Isa
2:2-3)
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Rom 3:23 . . All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

Well; in my own experience, that statement has been 100% reliable because I have
yet to encounter even one person in all my 80+ years who I felt was successfully
duplicating God's sinless perfection. So then, I've concluded that God has set the
bar so high that nobody can reach it. His own goodness is the gold standard and,
speaking for myself, I can't even come close to equaling it let alone topping it.

When I was a young guy coming of age, it occurred to me that if I were as naturally
pleasing to God as His son Jesus always is, then it would be very easy to attain to
Heaven, and to stay in Heaven, without fear of being kicked out.

John 8:29 . . He that sent me is with me: the Father has not left me alone; for I
do always those things that please Him.

That would be the cat's meow.

So; I was very surprised, and excited, upon discovering that something very similar
to the thing I wished for is contained in a promise that God made to Moses' people.

Ezek 36:24-27 . . I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home
again to your land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.
Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give
you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will
take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put
My spirit in you so you will obey My laws and do whatever I command.

That benefit will make it possible for Moses' people to live with God on earth, but it
isn't sufficient for making it possible for them to live with God in heaven. However,
there is a benefit available that makes it possible for them to live with God in
heaven as well as on earth. It goes like this:

2Pet 1:3-4 . . His divine power has given us everything we need for life and
godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and
goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so
that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the
corruption that's in the world.

I should think it goes without saying that the divine nature would be a whole lots
more successful at producing an acceptable level of piety than the human nature
could ever hope for because even at its best, the human nature is corrupt; which is
translated from a Greek word basically meaning decayed, i.e. spoiled, as in gone
bad like when raw meat is left out for too long. Decay can be stopped but it can't be
reversed, and therein is a serious problem with the human nature: it's too far gone.

Hence Jesus' instructions:

"Do not be surprised that I said you must be born again". (John 3:7)

Note that his instructions indicate a do-over isn't optional; it's mandatory.
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