Category Archives: Faith

U.S. LAW and FOREIGN COUNTRY LAW

One would think it would be utterly ridiculous to even think that the laws of foreign countries should ever be a part of the legal system of the United States of America. I would add to this that “ridiculous” should also apply to any country, province or protectorate of the United States.

Now if a U.S. citizen commits a crime in another country, obviously, he will be and should be subject to the laws of that country. Any attorney helping our citizen will be at a disadvantage in defending any U.S. citizen in such a situation. It cannot be otherwise.

I am greatly concerned when there are rulings by some high-court judges that muddy the legal system here in the U.S.A. There is often a hint (or more) of foreign country law in their pronouncements. The defendant could be a U.S. citizen, or a foreign citizen, or not a citizen of any country. I ask you: WHAT BUSINESS DOES A FOREIGN LAW HAVE IN CASES INVOLVING A CRIME IN THE U.S.A?

No foreign law should merit or have any authority in the U.S.A. and should not even be allowed as a frame of reference.

Note: How do you think we have remained a free country up until now? It is precisely our laws, rules, and intents of the Constitution, Declaration, and Bill of Rights that have set us apart from other countries and kept us free. Why did we leave England? Why do people from EVERY other country want to come here?

Now, let’s get to the real reason for any of this kind of travesty. Only liberal judges and lawyers would even attempt to bring foreign law into play for a crime committed in our country. In order for either a lawyer or a judge to have this opinion, they would need to violate or ignore the Constitution of the United States.

Dear reader – can you see that violation of our U.S. Constitution would have to take place in order for such a liberal interpretation of the law to be made? The ignoring of our constitution and our Bill of Rights IS and SHOULD BE a federal crime.

If our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, if either is ignored by our legal system, then NO U.S. CITIZEN HAS ANY RIGHTS AT ALL, and our protective laws may be interpreted any way a judge sees fit.

Our Constitution and Bill of Rights are very clear as to their intent, and very little argument can be made even involving states’ rights. The ignoring or manipulating of states’ rights (and thus peoples’ rights) has resulted in Obamacare and in the promoting of rules regarding education that are shameful and unconstitutional. We ought to see, as a free people, what a social and legal disgrace has been created by the liberals, when the federal government intrudes into matters where it lacks the legal right.

Now, returning again to matters of U.S.A. Criminal law, it is now high time for the leaders of the Muslim faith to get very specific and very vocal with their people – to stand up, in public, and proclaim that true Muslims hate and despise the terrorist acts made by ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and any and all hate groups throughout the world, that the actions of such groups are despised and rejected as a way of life, and that Muslims in the U.S.A. have no part or sympathy with such people or movements.

And I will go further. I would challenge Muslims and non-Muslims alike to search out the language and the meaning in the Koran. Does the Koran mean that only those who believe and practice its premises should be allowed to live? If so, then the Koran should be banned in the U.S.A., and it principles ignored and disavowed by all – Muslims and non-Muslims. Anything contrary to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights should be banned because it works against the freedoms to which U.S. citizens are entitled.

Now, I may be criticized for this – but I don’t really care because the truth of any matter always works against those who despise truth.

Many people have certain foreign customs, customs that they love, customs they brought from their country of origin. The question I pose is simply this: if foreign customs and practices are permitted in public, or permitted at all – are these practices allowable under our Constitution, protecting or at least not threatening the rights of others of different religious persuasions?

This is very important. ALL of us came from some other land or country – even the American Indians, who, according to most research, were pretty largely Europeans. (A few tribes were Chinese, Mexican and South American.)

We need to consider what message or messages that public displays of foreign customs send to those of us who do not have or display such customs. This usually involves matters of dress, head-coverings, etc. The Bible has this correct. The Bible says we should avoid doing things that cause others to stray or get the wrong idea about life. It even suggests, as the great Apostle Paul said, that we should sacrifice and take a loss if our actions can be misinterpreted or misunderstood.

Perhaps it may seem harmless to us. But it could cause a weaker person (in the sense of beliefs) to go astray. So, if such be the case, we need to refrain from taking such actions.

This, dear friends, is public awareness, and demands careful thought. All people in the U.S.A., whether legal citizens or not, should be well aware that freedoms for ALL can only be preserved when we do not violate the freedoms of anyone.

I would challenge the leaders of any block of people: BE REAL LEADERS. Study your own customs, and be very careful that public displays of your customs (especially religious customs) do not send the wrong message to others. If there is any question as to implying superiority of your customs’ displays, these displays should be voluntarily discontinued in public.

Since my writing here in this venue is angled towards what I see in some courtrooms today involving Sharia law (maybe tomorrow involving something else), I would urge Muslim leaders and people of Muslim faith to publicly disavow the terrorists who claim that their authority for killing comes from the Koran (or from Mohammed, or anything or anyone else), and the beliefs of these groups which they claim for their actions–their violence and utter disregard for human decency.

These terrorists must be denied and must be condemned by Muslim leaders and those of the Muslim faith. Muslims’ actions must reflect their desire to embrace and to be a part of a free society, here. Freedom for some is NOT the same as freedom for ALL.

WHY IS IT THIS WAY?

Did you ever wonder why God does things the way He does? I think all of us have, at one time or another.

I think it would be helpful if I could explain why God thinks and acts the way HE does. I hear someone say, “You can’t know that!” “Yes, you can know that!”

Why does God’s forgiveness of man’s sins and acceptance into HIS family have to be all about Jesus Christ? Why can’t we have a more reasonable way? And why does there have to be ONE WAY and no other way?

We will start with the nature of God. If you can’t or won’t believe in God – there is no other way. In the Bible, book of Hebrews, Chapter I, we see the explanation of the apostle Paul about God’s speaking to us humans. In time past, God spoke to man through the prophets. Now HE (GOD) speaks through HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.

If we do not respect God’s authority, we can never be part of HIS plan of salvation. Read the first 7 verses of Hebrews I, where God places HIS SON Jesus Christ above the position of the angels. God the Father speaks to The Son: “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.” God the Father calls God The son: “GOD” And HE IS!!

God came to earth in the form of Jesus Christ to grow up as a man, witness, teach, heal and do every possible kind of miracle. Jesus had that authority and still has.

It is up to us, as sinners, falling short of God’s perfection, to be forgiven, God’s way – not some other way – not our own way. Not some way in which MAN is lifted high, but in a way where JESUS CHRIST is lifted high.
We read in Romans, Chapter 4, verses 1 through 3, that Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. This is the righteousness of salvation, friends. This passage of Scripture deals with the life of Abraham, hundreds of years before the 10 Commandments were ever written.

Forgiveness and salvation must be all about GOD, with no merit to man. God has no credit or glory if man can be his own savior. Those who say there are many ways to heaven and forgiveness than through Jesus Christ, are glorifying man and his ingenuity rather than God.

Then again, we have another wonderful but startling truth – every sin committed against anyone, is a sin also against GOD, because GOD is the Creator of the universe. So the forgiveness for man must be forgiveness FROM the very One who has been sinned against. You would not expect a neighbor to forgive you for a sin against someone else, and not the neighbor, would you?

So, you see, there is really NO EXCUSE for anyone not to be saved – not to confess their sins before Christ and be forgiven, pardoned and healed – NO EXCUSE!

Now I am quite sure there may be some who will say I’m making it too simple. I’m not – because the idea and the very means to salvation is very simple for us to act upon, but also very profound and deep in its meaning and accomplishment.

How wrong people can be, and yet how close to the truth can they be? We see in Luke 5:21 the following: After Jesus had healed a man with the palsy (a shaking disease), Jesus said, “Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” Then the scribes and Pharisees said, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” These misguided leaders could not deny that healing had been accomplished, but they could downgrade what Jesus said.

They were correct in saying that only God could forgive sins. They were wrong because they did not acknowledge Jesus as God, since Jesus did the forgiving. So people can perhaps be right in a half-sense, but wrong in failing to acknowledge God in the process.

And since GOD, in the person of Jesus Christ died on the cross in Our Place, we the sinners, do not have to die for our own sins. It is simple, yet so profound!! Ezekiel 18:4 says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” From many other Scriptures we learn that spiritual death is meant here, not physical death. We all will undergo physical death eventually. (Spiritual death is eternal separation from God.)

So salvation establishes our forgiveness for our sins, and we are drawn into God’s family – to enjoy a home in heaven – FOREVER!!

I’M OFFENDED

”I’m offended by that!” I hear this kind of remark all the time! I hear remarks like this reported over the news and at other times. “I’m offended by a baseball or a football coach’s praying while his players are gathered around him before the game”. “I’m offended by the cross – as a symbol of life and belief.” “I’m offended by the crucifix I see some people wear.” And the list goes on [ad nauseam].

You know what? I’m offended by a lot of things, too…it’s just that I don’t make such a fuss about many things. I don’t whine and complain about them like some do, and call attention to their endless chatter about their “so-called” rights.
Although, my complaints about the actions and the lifestyles of many others don’t often, if ever, make the front page of the paper or the leading TV headline.

I am offended by the lifestyle of those who would bully or injure or kill someone and cause the person’s family to suffer pain without end. I am offended by people who take the freedoms that U.S. citizenship provides (or is supposed to provide) and then use those freedoms to trash and to downgrade the God-given freedoms of others.

I’m offended at t-shirts, which promote hatred, violence, sexual violence, and any kind of bad manners, and the downgrading of women or the exploitation of women. And I am certainly offended by court rulings that take away, or cast doubt on one’s personal freedom within the law and within common sense and social decency.

Do you know what I think? I think that in the U.S.A., I have, or I’m supposed to have religious freedom, the freedom to believe and to worship according to my heart’s dictates – so long as I do not trash the different belief of another.

There are, in my humble opinion, entirely too many people who think that their rights, and only their rights are important – their rights in society, in the home, in the marketplace, and in their business. They have either forgotten or never knew, that the greatest country in the WORLD respects the rights of EVERYONE. But the respecting of the rights of everyone absolutely means that the governing rules of their country cannot be ignored or changed, but MUST be preserved. Otherwise, everyone’s rights will be gone within a very short time.

Now, let me be perfectly clear. One would think that what I have said would already be understood. I’m sorry, but in my experience, it hasn’t.

Each person’s freedom should be subject to or modified by the freedoms of others. And this is only within the freedoms of the laws of our country. No one should have the right to challenge or infringe upon my personal rights if the laws of my country are obeyed. Going against the laws of your country almost always goes against common sense. Also, when, if ever, does the infringing or denial of your country’s rights constitute freedom in the sense of freedom for all? Freedom for some and not freedom for all is NOT true freedom for anyone.

Such activity as I have described is called Dictatorship, which destroys the rights of a free people. This freedom-less way of life is for a citizen who has a king and an absolute monarch for the head of the nation.

Most of us may be able to remember that great movie of a past time which told about the Civil War and its happenings. It showed, in a correct, graphic, and historical manner, the collapse of the South and the ways of slavery. The name of this film was Gone With the Wind.

This so-called genteel lifestyle of the U.S. southern plantations and the way of life there disappeared. The South lost the Civil War, the North won, and slavery was abolished. A way of life founded on a wrong principle came to an end – it was “gone with the wind.”

So, in the same way, when our Constitution and our Bill of Rights are trashed by the wrong people we may vote into office, our way of life, our freedom of religion and conscience with protective laws for all, will vanish – it will all be “gone with the wind.” And it may be much later, or never, when our former way of life with freedom for all within laws that protect everyone’s rights will ever again be established.

HYPER-CALVINISM

This Christian belief followed the theological principles of John Calvin, born 1509, died 1564. His nationality was French. He was a noted theologian in his time.(1) Basically, Calvin believed, as concerning the Gospel, that God decided at the beginning of time, those who would be saved and those who would be eternally lost, as far as relationship to God was concerned. There was no freedom of choice for either group of people.

Some of Calvin’s followers carried his belief even beyond what he believed.
The hyper-Calvinist position maintains that the matter of salvation is and must be all about God – that the whole nature of God is destroyed if man is not already programmed to receive Christ as Savior from the very beginning of his life. Otherwise, it cannot be true, that if man has anything to do with receiving Christ, then God’s plan is not all about God and nothing about man.

I find the conclusions of this group to be very suspect and flawed. I, too, am a student of the Bible.

(2) In the first place, the plan of salvation is all about God – God sent Christ to die for the sins of mankind. The hyper-Calvinists would probably agree up to this point. God Himself initiated the plan of salvation. Man had no role in making this plan. So those that God programmed from the very beginning to be saved must believe and accept the plan of God, according to the Calvinists. This assumes that man is a robot, a programmed person.

(3) However, man has a free will, given to him by God Himself. No one can show from Scripture or from observation of man in real life, that he does not have a free will. One person robs a bank or murders someone–another person does neither.

(4) Then I would ask the hyper-Calvinist this: prove to me that man has no free will. Perhaps they are saying that man could have a free will in his life, but does not have the free will to receive or to refuse salvation, offered by God.

Man cannot have a divided free will. He either has free will in his life or he doesn’t. So denying man’s free will negates their entire argument.

(5) Now we very much need to consider one of God’s attributes: foreknowledge, which means that God knows everything and all things in advance, before events occur. I can scarcely imagine that anyone with any knowledge of God whatsoever would dispute this attribute of God’s.

It is not wrong, nor inconceivable to try to apply each attribute of God to how He uses that attribute.

Since foreknowledge means that God knows everything about everyone from the very beginning, we must understand something that many have been confused about and have used to form the wrong conclusion. God’s foreknowledge and where this leads Him may be different from His desires concerning a man or a nation. Foreknowledge does not necessarily mean God’s approval.

Does anyone believe that God was pleased with the decision of Adam and Eve to disobey and eat of the fruit of that tree that God had warned them not to eat of? Did God program them to sin? God forbid!

Now to continue and to approach the matter of free will, we see the steps God took concerning all of mankind. First, God had foreknowledge of everything and everyone. Next, God made an election (or a calling), electing those who would come to Him and be saved, the manner of His salvation offer by and through Jesus Christ. And God elected to absolutely fulfill the destiny that God had for them. Look at Romans 8:28-30. (verse 28)

“And we know that all things work together for God to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (verse 29) “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (verse 30) “Moreover, whom He did predestinate them He also called: and whom He called He also justified, and who He justified, then he also glorified.”

There is nothing in Scripture that definitely states that those God foreknew that would accept Christ would have a future based upon their acceptance of God’s salvation. But one would also be led to believe that those choosing Christ of their own free will would also be those selected and called to full salvation, and predestinated to go to heaven, in accordance with their free will choice.

Predestination means that God will, without fail, carry those He has elected (or called) to heaven as their final home.

So we have God’s foreknowledge, His called (elected) ones, also justified and guaranteed to reach the promised destination or end. This agrees with the free will of man, which God gave to him. Free will cannot be denied. Free will does not fit with man’s being a robot, or a programmed person. If you don’t believe this, explain Romans 10:9-13 (the choice about Jesus that all must make – belief or unbelief).

(6) I believe that our hyper-Calvinistic friends might agree with the Scripture verse which says: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).
I believe they would, but here is the hang-up. They believe that man cannot, of his own free will, receive Christ as Savior (because they say that man has no free will at all). I am saying there is no such thing as divided free will. It can never be shown or proven by Scripture or in earthly life.

(7) Now we come to choices. The Bible shows that throughout man’s experiences on earth, he is continually faced with choices. The first and foremost of these choices is whether to obey or disobey God–in anything. I am talking about salvation and any other choice in life. Did not Adam and Eve have a choice to obey or to disobey? How about Cain? How about Moses? How about the Apostle Paul? Peter? Barnabus? Timothy? Onesimus, etc?

Look at Romans 4:1-4, especially verse 3,

“For what sayeth the Scripture? Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

Now this incident came before the Ten Commandments (The Law) were given, and also before Christ came to earth to teach, suffer and die for man’s sins. Did Abraham have a choice to believe God and act upon that belief, or not? Don’t dare try to tell me that the Bible is not full of choices for man–it is simply not so.

(8) Now explain this to me, also. What was the purpose of the extensive animal sacrifices throughout the period of time before Christ came to earth? Speaking of man…do you mean that man had no choices to make about salvation, since God had already determined which group of people would receive Christ? If all of this had been previously determined by God, what purpose did the extensive sacrifices serve?

(9) Now let’s go further than this. Why send Christ to earth to teach, to suffer, to die the death of a criminal, the death of a cursed person, if God had already decided who would be saved and who would be lost, not based upon man’s free will, but upon God’s decision of justice. I will admit that God would have the right to do this–to put His justice ahead of every other attribute He (God) had. but it seems to this humble writer that God would not have needed to send Christ to earth at all. If Christ’s coming to earth had nothing to do with man’s freedom of choice, then what was God’s purpose in sending Christ at all?

(10) Now, onward we go. What other attributes besides justice does God have and how are they used in the Bible? Let’s look at love, mercy and grace.
It is obvious that God has love, or nobody would be alive on the earth. A person who is saved (no matter in what manner he was saved)–is not a perfect person. God’s saved and grateful people will tell you that. We who are saved are not perfect…just forgiven.

You can certainly agree or disagree with me about God’s love–but as we look at John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world…” and as we look at Romans 5:8: “But God commended (showed) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us…”
we see that these verses certainly show and announce love, regardless of God’s motives in sending Christ to earth.

Now love, God’s love, would have to be His reason for mercy and grace. Disagree if you wish, but mercy and grace absolutely have to do with Christ’s great sacrifice.

Mercy is defined as God’s decision to withhold from us the justice we deserve as sinners, as those falling short of God’s perfection. (His failing to give us what we deserve.)
Grace is defined as God’s decision not to punish us for our sinfulness (giving us what we don’t deserve).

Mercy and grace tell of the same thing in a different way. (The two verses I have stated in point #10.)

God withholds from us the punishment we deserve and fails to punish us for what we obviously deserve.

(11) Now, again, going onward. Our dear friends, over-burdened by hyper-Calvinism, are confused about gifts. We should all know what a gift is. Now there is a completed gift and a potential gift.

I believe I am correct in this: a gift is a gift is a gift. A thing offered as a gift is still a gift, even if it is not received. It remains a potential gift, offered with the same love from the giver, whether received or not. Now, if the gift is received, it can fulfill its intention. We cannot really cheapen the gift if it is offered and not received (accepted).

Now, the gift of salvation is from God the Father, by and through Jesus Christ, the Son, who is also God (John1:1-3) and the gift is Christ Himself.

(12) Now, to finish my presentation…God’s glory. He created the heavens and the earth, and also man. I will admit, that God, viewing His handiwork could realize some satisfaction and glory from His creation of the heavens and the earth.

But the real glory must come from His creation of man. How can God receive any glory from a disobedient man or woman? NO. He gets glory from man’s obedience and this obedience begins and ends with: “Christ in you, the hope of glory”!!

And obedience comes with the exercise of free will.

-Composed by Bill Figley (May,2015)
Professional Musician, Student of Government
and Politics, Navy Veteran W.W.II

LIFE’S QUESTIONS

I sincerely believe that in many circumstances of life, and in many considerations, some of the age-old questions still remain, largely unanswered.

As far as mankind is concerned, someone has posed old but unanswered questions about everyone’s earthly life:

Who am I?

Where did I come from?

Why am I here?

Where am I going?

I believe these are very fair questions, and the answers, lived out in each of our daily lives, will determine our destiny.

I certainly believe that philosophers and students, as well as many concerned people, have pondered these questions, and have tried to find the answers.

First of all, “Who am I?” Well, you are a man or a woman; of whatever age you choose to be. Are you like the animals, which have good instincts, but limited reasoning power? Proper reasoning would say, “No!” Animals have instincts (automatic actions); men and women have the power of thought. So man is above the animals in brain power. But who is man—who created him or caused him to be? It would have to be someone, or some force that is superior to man.

Science has shown that evolution from a one-celled being or animal is, at best, an unbelievable possibility. It takes intelligence to create a being of intelligence. Could it be an intelligent creator, seeking to create a being that could relate to him?

The next question is really tied in very closely with the first. If we say we can’t tell, and thus we don’t know who or what created us as human beings—then we really cannot say who we are.

Now we are not talking about the sexual process of conception and birth, of whatever species we are considering.

By what or by whose hand are we allowed to be born? (come into existence?) Who gave us the power to produce sons and daughters? It certainly cannot be a product of our own will!

No—by all powers of reason, man could only have been created by a superior being, and the bible tells us that this is God.

Now if you disagree with this reasoning, explain to me how man came to be, and woman also. You will, of course, have much explaining to do, and it must make sense.

Then, let’s go on. Why am I here?

Do you, Do I, Does any man or woman, have any purpose for being on earth, for being born? This goes beyond saying I’m here in Ohio, or Oklahoma, or another country. This means, why am I alive, and on earth, somewhere?

Is there any purpose for anyone’s life on earth? What about your life, friend? Is it important enough that you, or I, should be here, and be part of society, or is mankind, and every person here, for no purpose? Science itself has a purpose, as simple or as complex as that may be.

Isn’t it depressing and disheartening to assume that all of life, humanly speaking, is an accident—that it has no meaning, no purpose, and no relevance to anything? People who think this way are criminals, rapists, murderers or worse. Do we think of ourselves this way? I hope not!!

No, it really makes no sense to think that all people and all life as accidental and worthless. Instead, it makes perfect sense to think that there is a God in heaven, an intelligent being, a creator, and a caring and loving spiritual person—a person interested in connecting with us, interested in receiving glory from our lives and our accomplishments. Otherwise, all life, all accomplishments, all relationships are worthless, accidental and without meaning.

I am reminded of an old gospel tract, which I imagine has been out of print for many years. The title is, “Suppose it is True After All — What Then?” I still remember that this gospel tract was colored orange and white, very provocative-looking and nicely designed.

The tract, on the inside, had this message: suppose it is true, after all—that there IS a God in heaven, an all-seeing, super-intelligent being who created man in his own image, and gave him status and opportunity on the earth. Suppose that this God, this superior being hoped that man might bring glory to His Creator, would love Him and obey Him.

This, I firmly believe was God’s expectation, His hope, His purpose for man, and mankind. But wait!!! There is more! Suppose that man does not always do what is right. Suppose he doesn’t completely understand what is right. Suppose he makes mistakes, some on purpose, some mistakes the result of poor choices. Man is certainly not perfect, as God is perfect.

And to make our situation a bit more complicated, shouldn’t we be aware that God, a super-intelligent being, would be aware that man would often fail, often disappoint his God, often cause God distress? I believe we can assume that quite readily.

So we have a perfect creator, and an imperfect created being (many, many of these). How can this situation be resolved?

We find, as we study God’s Word, The Bible, thoroughly, we discover that from the beginning of man’s creation, man had a free will. God gave him a free will, the ability to choose, to sift circumstances for the truth.

There are those who say that man does not have a free will—these people have not studied nor observed the history of man. I can point to Adam and Eve and quickly disprove such a notion. And throughout the history of men and women, I can show you that man has a free will.

We all can easily, or should easily accept that, because we have law abiding people and we have criminals—murderers, rapists, robbers, kidnappers, sexual perverts, etc.—no one can prove that the free will of man is not involved in these things. Man has a choice in his behavior.

Why did God ever give man a free will? Wouldn’t it be better if man were programmed so that he couldn’t do wrong? I believe that the Bible clearly indicates that God wanted man to have a free will and to love and obey Him rather than to be a robot in his being. What would be of glory to God, except man’s love towards God, and his obedience to God?

Now, let us proceed to the last question of our inquiry—Where am I going? (Where is man going?)

God has definitely indicated in His Word, that there is a life after death. Scripture after Scripture declares this. And since God, The Creator, has made provision for all men—let’s look at this.

God has clearly told us that there is an eternal consequence for sin (wrongdoing of any kind). Ezekiel 18:4 – “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” And further, Romans 3:23 -“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

God has also told us, in His Word, that there is a way out of our sin problem—Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, who at sundry (many) times and in divers manners (many ways) spoke in time past unto the fathers by (by means of) the prophets—has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, in whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whose authority also he made the worlds.

Jesus Christ, The Son, came to earth, born in a miraculous way, grew up as a man (but He was the God-man), taught the people, healed many, and offered all—to all people—eternal life, by believing in Jesus and calling upon God to forgive sins and to provide us a home in heaven, and everlasting life.

For the sake of time, I will list several verses of Scripture which illustrate and prove these points: John 3:16; John 3:18; John 3:36; Romans 5:8; and Romans 5:1.

The sin problem is dealt with by our receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and sin-bearer. He died on the cross in our place, bearing our sins, and thus, satisfying God, that our sins were covered by the very person we had sinned against. The only one who can forgive sins is THE One whom we have sinned against.

So the question: “Where am I going?” (meaning through life and beyond earthly life), has been answered by God Himself, in John 3:36. We have great words and hope for the saved—he that believeth on The Son has everlasting life, God abideth in him.

Heaven, the after life for the forgiven sinner, could never accept those who have never received Jesus Christ as Savior. – Why?

Because they remain in their sin and disobedience, and have not received the free gift of eternal life. Their destiny is settled by their own free will and choice. God, in the person of God The Father, and God The Son, cannot and never will force a decision upon man. The free will of man does not allow it.

God, in His plan, takes the free will He has given man, offers man the solution to his sin and shortcomings, and guarantees man’s forgiveness and a home in heaven when the earthly life is over.

Friend, where are you going? What have you done with your sin, and with God’s most incredible offer of forgiveness and eternal life?

The gift is there, the offer is there, Jesus is there to receive and cleanse any and all who call upon Him—receive Jesus as sin-bearer and as Lord—while you have earthly life (see Romans 10:9 and 10:13). Be saved and rejoice forevermore.

WHY BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST?

What a provocative statement – or question, yet it is an important question and one which we should consider.

To make a long story short, the results of believing in Jesus Christ are earth-shattering – even more so when you consider the results of not believing.

Who is Jesus Christ and what makes Him so important?

Jesus Christ is God, along with God The Father. See John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the Beginning with God.”

Other Bible verses that show that Jesus is God are these: John 10:30 (where Jesus says, “I and My Father are one”); and then further John 14:9b (“He that hath seen Me hath seen The Father”); and then in John 14:11 (“Believe Me that I am in The Father, and The Father in Me”).

Now, where in the Bible does Christ get authority from God The Father? (Of course, it is true, that although both The Father and The Son are equally God, both have different office work, but they have equal authority.

Now we get to the specific authority from God The Father:

Hebrews 1:1-2 – “God, who at many times and in many ways spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom He made the worlds.”

John 5:26-27 – “For as the Father hath life in Himself, so has He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man.”

John 3:18 – “He that believeth on Him (Christ, the Son of God) is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

John 3:36 – “He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

“But wait a minute,” say some of the unbelieving professors, the learned men, the philosophers – why, it is much easier and sounds better to many just to believe in God. (Of course, this can only be a pretense or a generic belief.) It would be more accurate to say that very many believe in “A” god, but not “The” God of the Bible. And since they believe in God in a general way, it is easier in their minds to manipulate God in their thoughts – Why, God is good! – He wishes us no harm – Why, we are all going to end up in heaven! Where, pray tell, did this idea come from?

It is much easier in their minds to deal with God alone, as long as they can imagine or think of God in ways that suit themselves and that limit their responsibility towards Him. They do not want to get specific about many, many things that the true God has said – about life, about heaven, about responsibility, about obedience, etc.

The truth about Jesus Christ is this: He is co-equal with God The Father. God The Father has given to Jesus Christ unlimited authority, because Christ came to earth and had a very intimate relationship with man, one that was personal. Jesus Christ was God’s representative to man, an authoritative figure or God The Father. Jesus Christ spoke the words of God The Father, the truth of God the Father, the authority of God The Father.

YOUR NEIGHBOR AND YOUR BEHAVIOR

This may certainly seem, as a title, to be obscure – yes, maybe obsolete. But a closer look may make us think otherwise.

Human behavior is one of the most fascinating studies on earth. And try as hard as we may – we oftentimes come up short as far as answers to human behavior are concerned. </>

Human behavior is responsible for wars, for quarrels, for happiness, for despair, for perpetual wonder, and many times, we are tempted to give up trying to understand it.

Let’s see if we can make any sense out of human behavior. Sometimes it is good, but often not good, unrighteous, and terrible.

The basis of our behavior is probably what we have been taught, and also what we think is important in life. Teaching and environment, and maybe even heredity may play a part.

Of course, as humans, we are not alone. There are family members, friends, maybe enemies, mentors, parents, teachers, yes, also leaders of various kinds. How should we treat one another, and why?

If humans, yes, any and all humans, did things God’s way, there would be very little trouble on the earth that a little kindness and common sense couldn’t solve.

And then, there is this neighbor thing. Just who is my neighbor? Is it the person just next door? – or farther down the street? Does it include people we don’t know, and have never seen? Are policemen and public officials to be treated as neighbors?

These questions deserve answers, if life is to be fair and worthy of anyone’s attention.

We could say, for starters, that a person‘s behavior is self-related or God-related, with lots of twists and turns between.

It has been my experience, as I near 88 years of age, that every person needs to consider the results in living life for self or allowing God to instruct us in His way. I am very sure that most people, by their behavior, consider only the short-term consequences of behavior, and not the long term effects.

I also believe that what God has to say about our behavior will help us to understand better just who our neighbor is.

Most of us are aware, in general, about the Ten Commandments. A pastor I admired very much said that too many people treat them as “the Ten Suggestions.” I think it is worse than that, even.

In the Bible, Exodus, Chapter 20, we see what the Commandments are. The first 4 deal with man’s relationship to God. In brief, these 4 are as follows:

1.Thou shalt have no other gods before God.

2.You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.

3.You shall not make any graven image (to worship).

4.You are to remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.
Now, the last 6 Commandments are very specific – and deal entirely with man’s relationship with man:

5.Honor your father and your mother.

6.You shall not kill.

7.You shall not commit adultery.

8.You shall not steal.

9.You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10.You shall not covet.

Now let’s go one step further – in the book of Romans, Chapter 13 – there is a listing of the Commandments pertaining to man’s relationship to man – then verse 9 goes on to say: “…Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Then verse 10 goes further – “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

Now, as we look further into what God says about man and his ways –Proverbs 14:12 says: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Now, whether you can believe this or not – Proverbs 16:25 says the very same thing – word for word. How can this be? It can be, because it is important, so it is repeated in Scripture. It’s not a misprint.

What exactly is meant by these duplicate verses? A way of life can seem right to a person, but if it isn’t God’s way, it end in death or ruin. Many people form their lifestyles in ways that are unrealistic and unnatural, and they end up paying the price of their human folly. What they are living life, and living for, is self-centered and fleshly and has no lasting value. Opposite to the ways of selfishness are the ways of God, where one considers the needs of others, as well as his own.

Well, I hear someone say, “It’s just as I thought – a bunch of rules – I don’t like rules, I like freedom.”

But, Dear Friend, what if your so-called “freedom”, your selfish lifestyle, leads you to trouble and despair? What will you do then?

I am a musician, and quite active yet in my latter years. I love the old hymns because there is abiding truth there. I call to mind an old hymn I can no long find in any books I have. The title is “Unworthy” written by Ira Stanphill, who composed over 240 hymns. The song begins: “Unworthy am I, of the least of His grace…” But before the song ends, the words say: “But He made me worthy…” Yes, God can make us worthy of what we can never deserve.

Now, read very carefully – there is something about the Ten Commandments I have spoken about that everyone must know…EVERYONE!

No one can be justified before God and held blameless from his sins and shortcomings by keeping the Ten Commandments! Simply because, no human person except Christ, when on earth, could ever keep the Ten Commandments. It’s impossible for man to keep them. He may try, but he will fail. Man cannot even keep the 1st Commandment, which in its simplest form says, “Lovwe the Lord your God with all your strength, etc. (Having no other gods before Him.)

So in reality, the Ten Commandments are the ideal, the ultimate goal, but will never be the actual reality.

How, then, can a person become worthy in the sight of God?

Only one way – admit to God that you are a sinner and that you fall short of God’s glory and His expectations for you (Romans 3:23). Be aware that someday you will face the consequences of your sinful life and lifestyle (Romans 6:23). Realize that God loves you (John 3:16). Then know that Jesus Christ died for you (Romans 5:6 and 8) and that you can have eternal life and the forgiveness for your sins – God offers this to you – (Romans 10:9-10). Then be assured that this is real – God says so (Romans 10:13).

Now that you have received Christ as your Savior, you can learn and know more about your neighbor—you will want to. Your neighbor, to begin with, is anyone you know, and well enough to have some influence with, maybe even someone you have thought about that you don’t know well. And, of course, your loved ones and relatives are your neighbors.

Now what about people that you don’t know in faraway places – people you’ve never seen and probably won’t ever see in person?

Simply allow God to reveal to you, just whom He would have you help and to be interested in. Maybe some mission agency or some pastor or evangelist will give you the key to that person or group.

And, Oh! Welcome to God’s way! You’ll never miss the way you had.

Written by
William W. Figley
June, 2014

KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM

Just what is knowledge and what is wisdom?

Knowledge is a clear perception or understanding of a truth or fact.

Wisdom is the quality of being wise, of discernment; good judgment.

It is obvious, then, that wisdom is beyond knowledge – it is knowledge that is tempered by experience and good sense.

Many people have knowledge, but very little wisdom.

Wisdom is essentially knowing how to use knowledge correctly, and is knowledge + experience in how to apply that knowledge.

Knowledge by itself is an incomplete thing – knowledge that has been tried and tested; however, is an advanced thing. We could even say that wisdom is knowledge applied in a discerning manner.

There are two kinds of wisdom: man’s wisdom and God’s wisdom. See I Corinthians 1:18 through 21. Verse 21 of this passage says: “For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God.” (Translated – simply means – the world’s wisdom cannot know God, cannot know God’s wisdom.)

Man’s wisdom and God’s wisdom each has a different end and goal. Man’s wisdom tries to lead into man’s good alone – God’s wisdom definitely leads to our understanding of God’s ways and our obedience to them.

The ways of God (and the wisdom of God) are opposite to the ways of selfishness. God’s ways consider the needs of others – and are also pleasing to God.
Some reminders about wisdom, knowledge and understanding are to be found in the Scriptures.
Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding” and then verse 6, also: “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Proverbs 13:15 “Good understanding giveth favor: but the way of transgressors is hard.”

Now, no one will try to deny that living a life of self alone may bring temporary satisfaction and temporary good to that person – that would seem to be obvious. But what about the long term of life? Can such a lifestyle over a long term bring permanent peace?

We must, as citizens of earth and citizens of the world, people of God’s creation, mind the wisdom of God, which is SO much better than the wisdom of man. The wisdom of man serves each creature individually – but the wisdom of God serves the person + serves God the Creator + ALL the people of the world who are involved in the situation we are talking about.

Consider, if you will, the following verses of Scripture – which are not only truth, but are the wisdom of God:

Ezekiel 18:4 “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

Then, Ezekiel 33:11 “Say unto them, as I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil way, for why will ye die, o house of Israel?”

Oh, really? Look at Romans 3:9-10 “What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one.

So what is the remedy for the unrighteousness of man, for your unrighteousness, my Friend? What can you do, to follow the wisdom of God, and abandon your own wisdom? Your own wisdom leads to death (eventually separation from God), way beyond physical death.

Believe what God says about you – and this is true of all flesh:

1.Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

2.Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin in death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

3.Romans 5:8 “Gut God commendeth (Showed) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

4.Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus (Jesus as Lord), and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. – For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

This is God’s remedy for sin, and of course, the very wisdom of God.

So, Dear Friend, which will it be for you? – YOUR wisdom or God’s?

IMMIGRATION POLICY – HOW AND WHY?

Oh, My!!

A subject most people know about and a subject that has been unresolved for far too long now,.

For years our southern border has been an extremely porous area. In recent years, and especially now (late August, 2014), we find an ever increasing danger to our national security that congress and the president cannot or will not address.

Very, very recently, thousands of children crossed over into the U.S.A., about 90,000 or more. Why? Why this horrific number?

It is one thing for adults to violate our borders—we have seen a lot of this, but all these children?

What do we do about all this illegal influx of people, let alone children, that we know little about?

First of all, consider that we have the best country in the world – at least, we did have – until Socialism, false leadership, and criminal negligence, have made our borders a joke to millions, and an ever increasing menace to a free society, to citizens entitled to protection from danger or the threat of danger.

Let us consider who crosses our borders and why—it is mind-boggling to list those who come—it is very easy to guess “why”, but the “who” (who these people really are) can often remain a mystery

Of course, we know that there are gun-runners, smugglers, international criminals, drug smugglers, low-lifes of all kinds, and much more—like terrorists, Islamists, and dissidents galore.

Then there are disadvantaged people from Mexico, South America, the Caribbean area, and beyond, seeking a better life.

Now this is where things get sticky in our thinking. A very recent TV discussion revealed that those who came seeking a better life and more freedom are not really refugees, as some assume, because refugees are those seeking to escape death because of revolution or government breakdown. True, many seek something better than the life they have, but they are not refugees. They had homes, even though they weren’t always good homes.

Now, some very serious issues must be dealt with, ASAP.

As it not stands, our great country is deluged with adults and children they don’t know about, as well as those who criminally brought them here, and broke our laws. Does anyone think, if they stay (and surely some will hide and stay), that we can pay their way—millions upon millions, for food, water, housing, education, jobs, college, homes, etc.?

It is not a question of compassion, and I believe we all have some of that; but, it is a question of protecting LEGAL U.S. CITIZENS, and not allowing a bankrupting financial result against those who must pay the bill.

President Obama will not even go to the Texas border with Mexico or to any actual borders with Mexico in other states, to see for himself what havoc is being allowed. The governor of Texas attests to this. Our entire system of protection for our citizens is almost completely broken because of the terrible influx of illegals. In addition, I have carefully followed the Senate and the House in the U.S. Congress, and it is, in my opinion, the fault of the Senate that a very stiff immigration policy has not been established.

Now let’s move along to the rights violations against U.S. citizens, from Texas and California to Maine and Rhode Island.

I may have to get a little personal in this regard, as I have just experienced a violation of my own rights in a similar way. I am a citizen of a small town in west-central Ohio, and I have personally witnessed violations of my rights for the possible benefit of those who were not entitled to rights at the expense of mine.

Whenever violations of citizens’ rights occur, wrong has been done by those responsible, regardless of how well-meaning the actions may be. This is not the American way. It is not only illegal and immoral to sacrifice one person’s rights for the possible good of another, it is also contrary to common sense. Quite often such action is unnecessary and certainly ill-advised.

It is fundamentally wrong, to do wrong, in order to do something right for someone else, worthy or not. Anyone who engages in such practices not only crosses the legal line, but sets an example of tearing down the country.

Now, if we were to compare this to the immigration issue, those allowed to come into our country illegally have NO rights, or should have NO rights; there was NO permission, NO offer of payment or exchange—just coming into the country uninvited, whereas others had already secured their rights by status, hard work, and obeying the law.

And, of course, the do-gooders will do all in their power to avoid paying for their mistakes and disregard of rights that they had NO authority to change. Too many times in our country’s history, compassion for others has been treated as permission to right perceived wrongs, without regard to the rights of anyone else. It is never correct to trash the legal rights of some in order to (hopefully) try to help others.

There ARE legal means to re-dress and correct wrongs, and if such means are not followed, no one will have any rights at all.

There is an age-old story that has been around forever that might possibly explain the immigration issue, as well as other issues.

There was a goose that laid golden eggs, and this was a delight. But someone with little knowledge and worse judgment killed the goose for immediate food. But guess what?

There were no more golden eggs.

Written by
William W. Figley, age 88
U.S. Navy – World War II

GOD AND THE EARTHLY LIFE

All of us have a free will. God allows our free will to play out throughout our lives. God created a perfect world system. But man, by his sin and by his choices, has caused many physical happenings to occur – some can be explained, others cannot.

The earthly life was never designed to be perfect…but what if there had been no original sin? We will find out in heaven what it is like—those of us who go there.

There are many things in our physical life on earth that we would love to change, but usually we cannot. We move towards physical death through age, through customs, and through choices. Some of these choices are ours, some are because of the choices of others.

There are many kinds of physical deaths that we humans abhor and find unfavorable: cancer, war, physical breakdown, accidents, physical trauma and difficulties that we wish we could avoid, and that we wish others could avoid. Most of us, especially those of us who care, will look with horror on situations of others that appear to be harsh and unnecessary—and we wish for better things for others, not just for ourselves.

When those of us who are bound for heaven finally get there, we will see, first-hand, what the earthly life and the earthly relationship with God The Father should have been like—and we may wonder why it couldn’t have been so here on earth.

Now consider the Lord Jesus Christ—when He came to earth, born of a virgin, did God remove Him from every harsh physical difficulty that could have befallen him? The answer is obviously—NO!!

Jesus partook of many of the physical and spiritual problems that most of us have. Why? Well, many reasons.

God The Father did not change the earthly system, the earthly life. Because of the free will of man, sin came into being and we see daily the far-reaching effects of that sin. Now the physical breakdown and the diseases are not all brought on by our choices—but partially by our choices. And I am referring to the breakdown of physical life during the average lifetime, but especially as it leads to our physical death.
Then it seemed appropriate to GOD THE FATHER that THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, in His life on earth, should participate in some of the earthly hardships of man—health, tiredness, bodily weariness, need for sleep and rest and many more physical things, including lack of human strength. And then the spiritual disappointments, humiliation of the cross and earthly death by violent means. These things were so Christ could relate to man and his earthly life. This was so Christ, as a human could experience some of what we earthly creatures go through.
Then I believe there may be a third reason for the physical and emotional life of all of us (earthly creatures that we are). We may begin to realize that the earthly life is not all—that it has an end, that there is MORE. The Christian probably realizes this more than the non-Christian.

It does not seem to matter to many who are non-Christians, because I was this way before I was saved. Many non-Christians believe that we will all go to heaven (if there is a heaven); some may believe that earthly death ends everything and that a person upon death, ceases to exist—anywhere. Unfortunately, many believe in “a” god who is not THE GOD of the universe, but a god of their own fantasy and creation—a so-called “god” who does not have the attributes of THE TRUE GOD. Others may believe in a code of ethics that they have tried to embrace, corresponding to one of the so-called philosophers of history. How such a code of ethics can point to a future life, after one’s earthly life, is hard to imagine.

Now let me be very clear about this. There is an end to each life on earth, baring a miracle. We will all die, someday…whether in a manner we may choose, or not.

There is a life after death, whether or not it is popular to imagine. It is abundantly clear that there are two possible paths to follow before we meet our earthly death.

The Bible (which is THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD), tells us pf the two possible lives after death: the eternal life in heaven WITH God, and the eternal life of punishment WITHOUT God and His mercy.

While we are alive on this earth, we can make our choice. If we put off the choice of eternal life in heaven WITH God, we will not have it.

If you have read any of my previous writings on the internet, I have carefully and in much detail laid out the path for eternal life WITH GOD THE FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. I give the steps, briefly here again with the certainty that if followed with a sincere heart, they will result in eternal life in heaven WITH GOD…FOREVER…FOREVER…FOREVER.

There are some further things about these steps or about anything else I have written that I would gladly discuss with anyone, while my life and faculties are still with me.

SEE…IN ORDER: Romans 3:23, and in this connection, see Romans 5:12-14…then Romans 6:23…then John 3:16 and Romans 5:8…then as a further thought with roans 6:23, see John 3:18 and John 3:36..then see Romans 10:9-10 and Romans 10:13.

Now these are Biblical truths…they can be denied—but they CANNOT be altered.

I look forward, eagerly, to my eternal life in heaven with my BLESSED LORD. Dear Friend, will I see you there?

Written by
William W. Figley
WWII Veteran – Navy
MAY 4, 2014 – age 87