The Wonders of Eternity

Observation and good theology would tell us that God would desire us to progress. To become independent. On what basis do we attain to independence in this world and in the eternal world?  Do the self evident truths of endless space and time not hold a place in our contemplation of who we are and what our capacities might be? As our children grow we see the stages of their development.  The older they get and the more they learn.  They become more capable of getting around, communicating and understanding the world. As they gain these skills the more they want to be independent from their parents. Even with abiding love they seek to be on their own. They don't want to disassociate from us, they just want their own space as we say.  As the father to eight children I have witnessed certain progressions in my children that most parents will recognize in theirs.  They start out helpless and grow to become independent. There is a time where they seem to n...

The other morning my son Jayton said. ”The new boats came out today”. (He likes to wakeboard and surf with friends and family that have boats)  I thought that is great, what is the difference between the new boat and the old boat?  (We don’t have a boat nor will we ever.)  So I wasn’t sure why he mentioned it.  He told me some of the differences.   I am also reading his Psychology class book with him.  I am remembering something of the wonder of the brain. The neurons, are being stimulated and dumping into the synaptic cleft to connect the power of thought to the motion of the body.  I had forgotten something about how the mind works, in fact how our whole nervous system works.  As I pondered it again it seems so amazing. As I thought about my personal experience with new and better things cars came to mind.  My first brand new car was a 1986 Mercury Sable.  Has anyone seen a 1986 Sable lately?  They aren’t that cool a...

What is the origin and destiny of mankind? Are we sons and daughters of deity created in their image with their Godly potential? Do we have eternal infinite potential or are we eternally inferior to them? Are our impulses and desires simply bursts of energy that develop from stimulus that dominate us, or spiritual opportunities that we can control and develop? Do we have a soul and will or are we simply some element of cosmic force resulting in spontaneous individualistic tendencies? Who and what are the billions of us individually and collectively as human beings?  Are we mere creatures of curiosity, thoughts of a deity who after aeons of eternity of a solitary existence became bored and tried a new experiment?  According to Christian philosopher C.S. Lewis, man and free will are an experiment. I have heard the term "child of God " used by many to denote both relationship and potential in different contexts. Motivational speakers, preachers, even teachers of my...

There is birth and there is death and in between is this thing we call life. Do we at some point begin to realize that mortality is just a subset of eternity? What knowledge do we need to possess to obtain any kind of eternal salvation?  What is salvation in the eternal sense? Are we eternal beings in some way or just temporarily animated by the makeup of our organic chemistry?  Did it begin at birth and does it end at death?  These are timeless questions so far as mankind is concerned.  The reality is that we each have a mere century or less in which to carry out life's intended purpose.  Why are we here on earth?  Why is there opposition and suffering as well as happiness?  Does anyone including atheists truly resolve themselves to believe that life has no eternal purpose, that the life force that brought them into existence is random? Answers to these questions can only be found in one way that is ...

Posted by Charlie Brown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSYXazX5NP0 Two significant events have played a profound role in my observations about life and learning from the experiences we undergo as human beings.  Adding these to the mix of everyday observation and learning they have been driving factors in my desire to understand life's purposes and perplexities.   What they have taught me is that you don't have to be a theologian or have a perfect understanding of who God is to get answers to prayer.  Who will ever have such understanding in this life any way?  A sincere desire to know Him however and seeking with real intent will hasten answers to prayer.   John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. When I was eight years old, my mother died in an automobile crash.  Of course, the circumstances were tragic. These types of things, however, happen every day to so...

Before the Fall of Adam and Eve came about, there were only two immortal beings. Instilled in their bodies was the power of endless creation but they couldn't use it. They were innocent and not able to comprehend the nature of their bodies and how it was that they were supposed to "multiply and replenish the earth." The resurrection would not be much of a miracle if there were no death. But there is death and there must be a reason for it in God's great plan. Did God just stop whatever it was he had been doing and then create endless planets and galaxies just to cause a solitary planet to be inhabited by human beings out of curiosity? What was the reasoning behind the creation and the fall? Was it part of a greater divine eternal plan or simply an experiment based on some whim that occurred to an all-powerful being. Would such a being even be inclined to act on a whim? Orthodox theological scholars would say no, yet that is exactly what they believe. ...

The great question of religion is whether or not there is a God and thus a heaven and whether or not there is some process of salvation. How did the concepts developed by religious philosophers, Biblical scholars and those that have professed Christianity in some form or another come to be? The Bible tells us that Christ and his apostles established a church in the earth. This was the authoritative body to establish God's will and proclaim to the people. After Christ and the apostles died men began to formulate their own theology and administer a church after their own methodology. History tells us that there was much disagreement as Constantine the emperor of Rome sought to unify Christians by formulating foundational creeds for their beliefs. This happened after the apostles died and men were making up their own philosophical theologies. This was 325 years or so after the birth of Christ. The historical and scriptural accounts that were available were canonized and close...