|
About author & site
|
|
|
ABOUT AUTHOR
& SITE
|
|
|
|
OVERVIEW: I wrote this site,
in my spare time, over the
last 43 years: 1981–2024.
I paused for 4 years, 1998–
2002, because my children
were young and because I
was doing an office job
that needed my focus.
All other jobs were menial
(photo: me, at work, 2022).
These jobs left my mind
clear, to think & make brief
notes while at work, & fresh
to think & write after work.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
IN DETAIL:
I became a Christian early 1976, aged 21,
when a family problem forced me to pray.
That that first prayer, and
subsequent prayers,
were answered at all
showed me that Christianity worked.
But, for the first five years of being a Christian,
I increasingly wanted to know how
Christianity worked.
Not only for myself, but also to
help me
communicate Christianity to
others,
especially to those who insist
on logic.
|
|
|
So in 1981, five years after becoming a Christian,
I started thinking and writing.
First of all I wrote & printed
some logical, objective, leaflets,
(instead of the usual, emotive, subjective, ones)
and handed them out on the street.
I also saw that many in the secular world
were also thinking:
“Scientists are
right.
Yet they can’t be right:
we must be more than just
intelligent animals.”
Hence:
YouTube:
– Supertramp’s The
Logical Song [1979]
and later:
YouTube:
– Lily Allen’s The Fear [2008].
|
|
|
I continued to think & to write
such that, three years later, in 1984,
the leaflets had grown into a book manuscript.
I sent it to three publishers, but they all rejected it.
But that was OK with me, because,
while waiting for their replies,
I’d generated more, important, material.
Little did I know that this was to continue,
decade after decade:
I’d be building a structure of
concepts,
like joining the dots:
more discovery than invention.
Jumping ahead fourteen years, to 1998:
The internet & computers had
arrived
and I did two computer courses
to get an office job.
I was then able to convert my
manuscript
into this website. I then
continued working on it
for another two and a half
decades, until now, 2024.
(It’s either finished or it’s
nearly finished.)
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
Going back
to just before I started thinking & writing:
regarding the evangelistic reason
behind writing this manuscript/site,
I came to reckon that:
We
have no grid
for the gospel to land on.
Or rather, we have
a grid
onto which the gospel cannot land.
1) Pseudo science:
Surely, the big bang,
the age of universe,
and Darwin’s theory of
evolution,
all prove that God does
not exist.
2) Poor logic:
All wars are caused by
religion.
Christianity is a
religion.
So Christianity is bad.
3) Incomplete thinking:
For something that
existed before the universe
the triune God of
Christianity is too complex.
Indeed,
the whole Bible narrative is so complex
that it’s as improbable
as Greek mythology.
|
|
|
Hence, in this site, I re-present
Christianity:
So that it can land on our grid,
be understood objectively.
Then an unbeliever
might say:
“Well, I still don’t
want to become a Christian
but at least I
understand it now.”
Or:
“Now that I understand
Christianity, I’m in.”
The apostle Paul
did miracles:
a) to meet people’s medical needs,
b) to help people believe:
Acts c13 v11 Acts c14 v10
Acts c16v18 Acts c19 v11-12
Acts c20 v10-12 Acts c28 v5
Acts c28 v8.
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, Just like Jesus said
would happen.
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, Mark c2 v1-12 John c4 v48
But he also
sometimes used logic:
b) to help people believe.
Acts c17 –
c18.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
Again, going back to just before I started thinking & writing:
I asked God for the tools I’d need
to write this manuscript/site
(experiences, abilities, books, etc).
God replied, over a number of days,
that he’d already given most of them to me
and any he’d not yet given, he soon would.
Hence, in 1981, I started thinking & writing.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
One unusual piece of guidance, from God,
was as follows:
Five years into writing, in 1986,
I was washing up, as a temp, in a kitchen.
The catering contractor was about to change
and I was agency staff with the outgoing contractor.
So I knew that, if I asked the new contractor
to take me on as permanent staff, they’d say “Yes”,
because I’m already established
and they wouldn’t have to pay an introduction fee.
Hence, a day or so later,
as I was walking into an 18-30s after-church meeting
at a house I’d never been to before,
I asked God which, of the following, he wanted me to do:
1) Ask the new contractor
to take me on as permanent
staff.
2) Pursue a career in art & design.
(I’d done that at college
and privately hoped God
would lead me that way.)
3) Some other answer, of God’s choosing.
I looked around the entrance hall, for a Bible,
that I could randomly, but faithfully, open
for God to speak to me.
But there was only a Thompson’s phone directory.
(N.B. There is
much more to hearing from God
than only random print, only
hearing a voice,
only having a dream/trance/vision, etc:
It could be a mistake.
It could be madness.
It could be God.
It could be a demon.)
,, ,, ,, ,, Perhaps see third cell of: WHAT TO PRAY FOR.,,,,,
I picked up the Thompson’s directory
envisaging seeing an advert, in the yellow pages,
of a printers or suchlike,
confirming my hopes of art & design.
But as I picked it up, I could see, from the edge,
that there were no yellow pages;
only white name-&-address-&-phone-number pages.
I promptly opened
it, randomly,
and the page I’d opened it was,
indeed the first thing my eyes
landed on was,
the name & address
of the place I was currently
working at!
Stunned, I
continued staring at it for a while,
then closed the directory &
put it down.
I didn’t tell the others,
I thought it would be beyond
them.
After the meeting I prayed:
“Lord, I’m certain
this is either Satan
(or more probably an underling
demon)
or it’s you.
But I don’t think it’s demonic
because it’s not much of a
temptation:
I don’t want to do it.
And it’s not
impractical or wrong.
Just honest, boring, work.
So, I reckon it’s
you.
So I will do it.
And, if it’s a
mistake,
I’ll leave it to you to redirect
me.”
|
|
|
After several years the workload became impossible.
So, with apprehension, I left,
but nothing untoward happened.
Then, as I got successive washing up jobs,
I realised God’s message in the phone directory:
God wanted me to do
simple, menial, work generally:
So that I could think & make
brief notes at work
and, after work, still have a
clear head
for even more thinking &
writing at home.
I.E. He wanted me to produce
this site
and knew it would take a long
time to do it.
I, only gradually, realised the full meaning of this,
as each year, then each decade, rolled by.
If I’d known at the beginning, or even after a decade or so,
that it would take 43 years to produce this website
I’d have been seriously tempted to quit or cut corners.
|
|
|
In 1998, after twelve years of washing up,
bad knees forced me to change job
from stand-up-menial to sit-down-office work.
But even that job turned out to be
centred around this site:
The office job (four
years working with
software writers & computer
hardware engineers),
plus the two computer courses I needed to do
to get the job,
prompted me, and enabled me,
to turn my manuscript into this
website.
Mind you, the
office work itself was on a computer.
So, after work each day, I was
too tired mentally
to work on my manuscript/site.
Also my children, young at that
time,
needed my attention.
Hence, for those
four years,
the manuscript/site was on hold.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
Going back to just before I started
thinking & writing:
I noticed that
famous, historic,
scientific inventions &
discoveries
had often been made
using minimum data but maximum
thinking.
So, I reckoned that, in this information-rich age:
The data I needed was probably
commonplace
so the main thing I needed to do
was think a lot.
It seems I reckoned
correctly.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
Incidentally, God
guides us all in very different ways.
So be open minded about how where
he will guide you to.
Also, be open minded about what
he will guide you to do.
In the Bible, in Acts:
God told Peter, a Jewish
fisherman,
to be the apostle to the Jews.
Yet told Paul, an ex-Pharisee,
fully conversant with Jewish
laws,
to be the apostle to the
gentiles
(gentiles are non-Jews).
This seems to be the
wrong way round:
1) Bill Johnson
concludes, I’m sure rightly,
that God did this so that
the credit for the success of
their ministries
would not go to Peter &
Paul,
but to God.
2) Andrew Wommack
identifies with
the parable of the soils.
Matt c13 v3-8 & v19-23 Mark c4 v3-8 & v14-20
Luke c8 v4-15
In the parable,
the successful soil
was the soil that lacks,
had nothing added to it, was only soil.
Likewise Andrew is happy to
admit
that he has few natural
abilities, is only soil.
,, ,, ,, Pride in, even mere
self-awareness of, your abilities
,, ,, ,, can get in the way of
God’s Spirit working through you.
|
|
|
Combining 1) and
2),
I reckon that God did what he
did, with Peter & Paul,
because it can work better,
quicker.
If your ministry is
territory you’re familiar with
so that you have opinions &
thoughts of your own,
then you’ll need to continuously
make an effort
to give God’s spoken words
priority.
But if God puts you
in a ministry
that you are totally unfamiliar
with,
then you’ll be all ears
so you will get things right
every time.
|
|
|
Though, as I say,
it can work better, quicker:
There are
ministries, natural rather than miraculous,
where the opposite applies.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
NATURE OF SITE
|
|
|
This site is philosophical
Christianity:
Philosophy is:
Thinking inside and
outside of every box
to get the big picture:
an unknown adventure.
Philosophical
Christianity is:
As above, except you have some idea
of the big picture, of
where you’re going.
,, ,, ,, ,, C. S.
Lewis’ book Mere Christianity is
the only other example of
,, ,, ,, ,, philosophical
Christianity that I can think of.
,, ,, ,, ,, I am a
self-taught philosopher, or rather philosophical Christian.
,, ,, ,, ,, I don’t
know Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew.
|
|
|
This site is not
Christian philosophy.
Christian
philosophy is:
Principles for
Christian living.
Reasons, usually
biblical, for Christian lifestyle.
,, ,, ,, ,, For
example: Andrew Wommack’s teaching:
,, ,, ,, ,, Andrew Wommack Ministries: Christian Philosophy. . . .
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
92.97% of this site is entirely my own material
(more about percentages shortly).
My work tends to be rather technical:
Like explaining how
a scene is beautiful:
conceptually dissecting &
analyzing it.
Or like explaining
how a certain joke made you laugh:
studying every psychological
& physical mechanism.
|
|
|
Explanations of beautiful scenes and
funny jokes
are not what God,
or the comedian,
designed them for, intended them
for.
They were intended
to match our design.
Hence few people benefit from a
technical explanation.
|
|
|
If you don’t want
a technical explanation of
Christianity,
then perhaps read the practical
webpage:
A
better site than this one,
and the links within it.
(This link does not open a new
tab.)
But if you think
you would benefit from
a technical explanation of
Christianity,
then read the site proper
(pastel pages with dark text,
see long column of links
on left of Home page).
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
This site is called How Christianity Works.
So the principles in it aren’t necessarily ones you apply.
They are principles God’s Spirit
applies.
It usually takes
too long, and is unnecessary,
for you to compute a situation
to know what to do.
It’s quicker, simpler, and more
reliable,
to listen to, and to obey, God’s
Spirit.
Just believe, and
renew your mind accordingly.
,, ,, Perhaps see
first cell of:
,, ,, WHAT
IS A BELIEVER? WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?. , , , ,
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
Some parts of this site are mere common knowledge.
But they are there because:
1) I’ve tried to make this site
as comprehensive as I can
which sometimes means
including what’s commonly known.
2) Sometimes a piece of common knowledge
is a step
in a long train of thought.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
This site is a product of my own thinking.
Or rather: the 92.97% of it that I produced
is a product of my own thinking.
This site is not some long prophesy from God,
some dictation from God. 1 Cor c12 v8. . . . .
(Can’t imagine anyone would think it is.
But, just in case.)
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
God does indeed give, to Christians:
prophesies,
and words of knowledge,
and words of wisdom.
But they are usually of relatively practical matters:
life stuff, not big picture stuff.
For example, God may tell you:
o about
someone’s problem (word of knowledge)
o and what God says to do to fix it
(prophesy)
o perhaps adding some instructions as to how
to
handle this word of knowledge
(word of wisdom).
For the difference between prophesy & words of
knowledge
see: YouTube:
– Prophetic Word vs. Word of Knowledge
,, // Katia Adams // Vineyard Insights.,,,,,
|
|
|
God’s only direct contributions to this site were:
o He told me why Jesus fasted for forty days
& nights:
God had asked me:
“Why did Jesus need to fast
for a full 40 days?”
I couldn’t think of the answer.
Then God said to me:
“Because
he was fully human
as well as fully God.”
So I wrote it.
I
use this in the fourth cell
(starting God’s
Spirit went into Jesus) , ,
of: GOD
THE SON
and
the first cell of
THE
NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXT OF FASTING.,,,
o God told me (nagged me – because I wasn’t
keen)
to rename the manuscript/site: How Christianity Works:
Previously, I had called it:
initially: The Nitty Gritty
then: Nitty Gritty
then: Logical
Christianity.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
An unbeliever will say:
“God speaks to you?
And you can, in Jesus’ name, do miracles?
,, ,, ‘Do’ is the verb used in the KJV. (Though see Acts c3 v12 & v16.)
Who do you think
you are?”
because they think that someone’s got to be good
enough
to hear from God & do miracles.
They see
that no-one is good enough.
But they don’t
believe
that Jesus’ crucifixion made all of us good enough.
Believing this
lets the Holy Spirit in
through the front door
of your mind.
Renewing your thinking
to be like Jesus’
thinking
(stopping doing
what’s wrong,
doing what’s right,
forgiving everyone,
etc,)
lets the Holy Spirit in
to every room of your
mind.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
The ability to think
is not one of the gifts of the
Spirit:
Rom c12 v6-8 1 Cor c12 v8-10
Perhaps also see first cell of:
KNOWLEDGE:
SO WHAT. ,
Whereas, a word of
knowledge
is one of the gifts of the Spirit.
A word of knowledge is
faster, & more accurate,
than thinking:
Partly because God’s ability to
think
is better than your/my ability
to think.
Mainly because God’s database
is vastly bigger than your/my
database
and includes all the future and
all the past).
However, if you are good at thinking, & know much,
God doesn’t want you to dumb down.
He just wants you to not be proud & independent,
wants your heart to renew your mind,
so that you can use your mind in conjunction with
his loving, powerful, wise,
very knowledgeable
Holy Spirit within you.
He wants:
teamwork, conversation,
company,
to give and to receive,
to love and to be
loved,
for there to be ever
more relationships,
constructive
relationships.
For God is not only the Creator,
he is also the
Constructor.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
That:
the ability to think
is not one of the gifts of the Spirit
Rom c12 v6-8 1 Cor c12 v8-10
could have made me think that God
disapproved of this site.
So, if it weren’t for:
o God’s guidance – encouraging me,
(see: One unusual piece etc earlier
on this page).
o Support, for my conclusions, in the Bible.
then I may not have had the courage
to write such webpages as: Hell does not exist yet. , ,
|
|
|
Perhaps also see:
KNOWLEDGE: SO WHAT , ,
and:
STUDYING AND DOING. , ,
|
|
.
|
|
|
THINKING
TOOLS
THAT I USED
|
|
|
The brain itself is not only an
information storer (knowledge and
belief).
It’s also an
information processor (thinking).
Knowledge = a structure.
Belief =
a structure.
Thinking =
a process, a change of structure.
|
|
|
Logical thinking.
I see logical thinking as simple
and intuitive.
But, if you insist, see: Wikipedia: Logic,
or use Google to find some other
un-packaging of logical
thinking.
|
|
|
Lateral thinking:
I
learnt lateral thinking from
The Use Of Lateral Thinking (1967 edition)
by
Edward De Bono.
I
used both
the
accidental, natural, lateral
thinking
that Edward identified:
,, ,, ,, 1) It’s insufficient data that usually causes
logjams for logical problems
,, ,, ,, rather than your lack
of processing ability.
,, ,, ,, 2) Likewise, when you
need to generate a new idea:
,, ,, ,, logic alone often
fails to deliver.
,, ,, ,, However, in both
cases,
,, ,, ,, people have often
found that they get inspiration:
,, ,, ,, ,, At odd
times.
,, ,, ,, ,, When they
go somewhere else.
,, ,, ,, ,, When they
do some unrelated activity
,, ,, ,, ,, (so I
always carry paper & biro).
and the
deliberate, artificial, lateral thinking
that Edward invented:
,, ,, ,, Again, for the
problems in paragraphs 1) and 2), above:
,, ,, ,, ,, Turn around
and add, to the problem, the first
thing you see.
,, ,, ,, ,, Or randomly
take some data out.
,, ,, ,, ,, Or imagine
the problem is already solved:
,, ,, ,, ,, what would
it look like from the other side?
,, ,, ,, ,, Or imagine
the problem from a worm’s eye view,
,, ,, ,, ,, or a
Martian’s eye view, or etc.
,, ,, ,, Regarding generating
new ideas:
,, ,, ,, most will be useless,
but a few will be good.
,, ,, ,, For both solving
logical problems and for generating new ideas,
,, ,, ,, you need to alternate lateral thinking with
logical thinking:
,, ,, ,, ,, Logic alone
– and you are merely a computer.
,, ,, ,, ,, Lateral
alone – and you are mindlessly playing.
|
|
|
William of Ockham’s thinking tool
(Occam’s Razor):
Identify what’s not
important – and cut it off.
E.G. Of two
possible explanations
(say two explanations for
something’s existence):
one simple,
one complex,
the
simple one is probably the true one.
|
|
|
René Descartes’ thinking tool:
Divide
a complex problem into smaller problems
to make it/them easier to solve.
Not just in maths, but in any
area of life.
|
|
|
Descartes’ thinking tool (above)
inspired me to use other mathematical processes
in non-mathematical material:
i.e. addition, subtraction,
multiplication,
sets & subsets.
I call this mathematical grammar.
|
|
|
Descartes’ thinking tool also
inspired me to:
|
|
|
Divide:
to produce:
particularly, what I call:
To these:
I then apply:
|
a complex concept
simpler concepts
universally usable
conceptual building blocks.
universally usable
conceptual building blocks
mathematical grammar
hence my webpage:
Proof of God’s existence. , ,
|
|
.
|
|
|
I also try to present my finished
conclusion
using mathematical grammar:
I try to use such words as:
is, is not,
only, also,
all, none,
with, without,
always, never,
because, so/therefore/hence/thus,
,, ,, ,, ,, I try to
use the words ‘so’ or ‘therefore’ or ‘hence’ or ‘thus’
,, ,, ,, ,, rather than
the word ‘because’
,, ,, ,, ,, so as to
keep the train of logic running forwards.
same, opposite,
before, after,
etc.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
In 1982, about a year into writing
this site,
when it was still a book manuscript,
I felt God telling me to tear it up:
I
had got to a state where I had a mess of ideas,
couldn’t see the wood for the trees,
and was frustrated with the
project.
So
I assumed God was frustrated with it too
and that’s why he was telling me
to tear it up.
So, reluctantly, I tore it up,
destroyed it.
However, I had unwittingly committed
it to memory
such that, during the next three months,
I fretfully went over it all, in my mind.
Finally, I blurted it all out on
paper.
To my delight I found that, during
those three months,
the unimportant material
had all but dropped out of my mind
and the important material
had ordered itself organically.
‘Organic’, here, meaning:
like a spider’s web
with the most important bits in the middle.
God had introduced me to a method of
editing
that I call ‘editing-by-forgetting’.
Though I’m glad I never had to do
that again.
|
|
|
Back in 1977 approx I had already
read
Tony Buzan’s study guide Use Your Head,
published by the BBC’s Open University.
It
shows that the mind is structured organically,
like a spider’s web,
with the important bits in/near
the middle.
Hence
any material that you want
to learn, or to comprehend
better, or both,
is best laid out, like a
spider’s web,
on an unlined sheet of paper.
(Review it the next day, then
the next week,
then the next fortnight, then
month, etc.
Buzan figured out that this
would work
because it’s the converse of how
the brain
forgets things.)
Hence, soon after the ‘ripping up the site’ event
(previous cell), I laid out the sections of the manuscript,
like a spider’s web, with the more fundamental sections
in/near the middle.
I then ‘plucked up’ the middle of the web,
and made that the beginning of the manuscript,
and stretched it out, so that it became linear.
Perhaps see: COMPREHENSION. , , , ,
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
I’ve always had habits
that later turned out to be useful thinking tools
for writing this site:
1) I’ve always used my mind as a processor
and a
holistic-memory storage,
never a detailed-memory
storage.
(Hence I always have blank
paper & biro;
the chalkboard of my mind
only holds
a few thoughts, especially
if they’re abstract.)
,, ,, ,, This has
always seemed efficient to me
,, ,, ,, and was
confirmed when I read:
,, ,, ,, Wikipedia: Ten percent of the brain myth. , ,
Hence also I value:
Google:
on my internet PC.
The internal Windows
search engine
and the KJV Bible in MS
Word:
on my standalone
PC.
2) I habitually continue with something
even when it seems I’ve
arrived:
for where I’ve got
to
might not be
the end of the
road.
3) I habitually keep stepping backwards:
to get a better
view
just in case I’m
missing something.
4) I habitually extrapolate:
I join the
dots/concepts
to build a web of
dots/concepts.
I.E. If a principle
is true in a small way
then it’s probably
true in a big way.
E.G. If you can,
miraculously,
heal non-serious illnesses & conditions
in Jesus’ name,
then you can,
miraculously,
heal big & serious illnesses &
conditions
in Jesus’ name.
See: Acts c3 v1-16, notice
verse 12.
5) I habitually scrutinise
problems &
questions
to see if, actually,
they are also data
or even answers.
Likewise,
I often backwards engineer:
from a realised
answer
to a, yet
unrealised, question.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
I also have thinking tools that I inherited:
o A fair degree of intelligence
(my
IQ is about 136 on the Cattell B scale).
o Patience:
I really did need the 43
years minus 4
that it took me to write
this site.
o Independence of mind:
Handy for being against the
status quo
where appropriate.
I say all these qualities are inherited.
But, ultimately, everything is from the Creator.
Hence every good thing
is something to thank God for. James c1 v17 ,.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
It’s not only:
the ‘processing power’,
and the thinking tools,
that I’ve mentioned so far, in this section,
that enabled me to write this site.
It’s also:
the ‘data’,
my particular life experiences,
that were vital:
Books I’d read
(especially the Bible and
Lateral Thinking).
Some material about famous
historical philosophers.
Sermons I’d heard, at church,
mostly on YouTube,
and all of Andrew Wommack’s Audio Teachings.
Science I’d studied, at school
and since.
I reckon God co-ordinated all this data
and indeed everything.
I feel clever, but not that clever.
I feel more like a pawn, or a knight (bit more jumpy),
in the hands of a, considerate, master chess player.
Later on this webpage I’ve got:
,, ,, NATURAL EVENTS
,, ,, THAT
CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SITE , , ,
and, immediately after it:
,, ,, SUPERNATURAL EVENTS
,, ,, THAT
CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SITE. , , ,
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
|
|
|
92.97% of this site is my material:
You can spot my
material because it’s:
o Logical, technical, even scientific.
o Usually biblical.
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, Perhaps see: MY
ATTITUDE TO THE BIBLE. , , ,
7.03% of this site is other people’s material;
they are usually Christians.
You can spot other
Christians’ material because it’s:
o Not necessarily logical or technical.
o Rarely scientific.
o Always biblical.
|
|
|
By other people’s material
I mean that:
1) Their work inspired me.
or:
2) I quote them, add their work to mine,
though not word for word.
|
|
|
I credit other
people for their work:
I identify all instances of 1) & 2)
in the next section.
I also identify most instances of 1) & 2)
next to the material itself.
I am keen to
acknowledge their work.
Indeed, I recommend
their websites over mine.
See: A
better site than this one. , , ,
|
|
|
I
did 1) & 2) to make this site
as complete and as comprehensive
as I can:
It
seems I do not have a monopoly of the truth
nor can I get to the truth
before everybody else.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
Needless to say, there were some items
of text,
events in life, etc, that prompted me to edit
items,
showed me that those items are errors
(though perhaps they just accelerated events,
showed me before I eventually realised it myself).
But I don’t mention those promptings
because it would indicate, & draw attention to,
the errors as well.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
BREAKDOWN OF THE 7.03%
THAT WAS INSPIRED BY, OR LITERALLY IS,
OTHER PEOPLE’S MATERIAL
|
|
|
4.28% of this site:
o Was
inspired by Andrew Wommack.
o Or
it literally is Andrew Wommack’s
material,
though not word for word, apart
from:
his sayings:
“If you believe God
can heal you
go to God.
If you believe the doctor can heal you
go to the doctor.”
and:
“Don’t think about how
bad you are.
Think about how good God is.”
that I put in:
SIN
CONSCIOUSNESS ,,,,
and his saying:
“God loves us, not
because we are lovely,
but because he
is loving.”
that I put in:
THE
LOVE OF GOD ,,,,
and his saying:
“Fear is faith in
reverse”
that I put in:
LOVE
& FEAR.,,,,
I’ve coloured, in brown:
o All of Andrew’s material.
Plus copies.
o My material that
was inspired by Andrew’s material.
Plus copies.
o Bible scriptures that Andrew drew my attention to
that I would not otherwise have
thought important.
Plus copies.
,, ,, The 4.28% figure
,, ,, does not include
brown Bible scriptures,
,, ,, i.e. does not include
brown italic letters.
|
|
|
Dan Mohler’s teachings
and Mark Hemans’ teachings
(and many others’ teachings,
perhaps see next webpage: A better site than this one)
overlap with Andrew Wommack’s teachings.
However:
o I discovered
Andrew early on.
o Andrew’s teaching
is more objective than the others’.
So, in writing this, rather
technical site,
his teaching dovetail’s with my
work
better than the others’.
Hence, I have a brown colour for
Andrew’s teaching
but no colour for Dan’s or Mark’s or others’ teachings.
Bear this in mind when reading brown text.
See comparison cell,
starting: Dan’s
style is,,,,,,
in: ABOUT BIBLICAL
TEACHER-HEALERS GENERALLY.
See comparison cell,
starting:
I reckon that the differences between
,, Andrew
Wommack and Mark Hemans are,
in: INTRODUCTION.
See text, starting:
Indeed, one distinct thing about Pentecostal practices,,,,,
to bottom of cell,
in: ABOUT BIBLICAL
TEACHER-HEALERS GENERALLY.
|
|
|
1.55% of this site:
Why the four gospels (four books in the Bible)
,, are
so Old Testament, , , , ,
was inspired by chapter four of
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s book: Praying the
right way.
In
it, he rightly writes
that the New Testament actually starts
at John c19 v30, not at Matt c1 v1. , , , , ,
Though I add the clarification that:
Jesus
was the first to preach Forgiveness
hence the gospels are New Testament.
But the gospels lack Pentecost
hence the gospels are Old Covenant.
Perhaps
see:
JESUS PREACHED
,, BOTH JUDGMENT AND FORGIVENESS , , , , ,
and its subsections
and part 4) of:
GOD
DOES NOT CHANGE
,, BUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH US
CHANGES. , , , , ,
|
|
|
0.66% of this site:
SO,
BE CAREFUL NOT TO ENTER INTO
,, THE OLD COVENANT, , , , , ,
and the section after it,
YOU’VE
PROBABLY ALREADY FAILED ANYWAY, , , , , ,
were, at least partly, inspired
by Russel Earl Kelly PhD
speaking in a TV debate on tithing:
YouTube:
– Should The Church Teach Tithing?,,,
I also quote a line of his speech
(though not word for word).
|
|
|
0.03% of this site: GREAT FAITH, , , ,
was inspired by Pastor Joseph Prince
speaking on one of his TV programmes
about a conversation he once had with God
(though not word for word).
|
|
|
0.51% of this site,
the first two cells of: DEMON POSSESSION, , , ,
were inspired by Mark Hemans
in one of his sermons
(though not word for word).
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
The above percentages apply to
only the site proper
(pastel pages with dark text,
see long column of links
on left of Home page).
I worked out the percentages, in MS Word,
by counting letters (using Edit
then Replace):
,, ,, ‘not bold’ – so as to not count titles
,, ,, ‘not italic’ – so as to not count Bible scriptures
,, ,, (well, virtually all of each Bible scripture,
,, ,, perhaps see: CHANGES I MAKE TO KJV BIBLE
SCRIPTURES)
,, ,, ‘Times New Roman’ – so as to not count:
,, ,, ,, ,, hyperlinks,
,, ,, ,, ,, and Arial-small-font (practical) notes.
,, ,, ‘colour brown 100 50 0’ – so as to count:
,, ,, ,, ,, Andrew Wommack’s material
,, ,, ,, ,, and copies,
,, ,, ,, ,, and my material inspired by Andrew Wommack’s
material
,, ,, ,, ,, and copies.
,, ,, I then rounded the percentages up/down to two decimal places.
|
|
|
,, ,, Diagrams in this site are JPEG files.
,, ,, Hence the text in them (there’s not much, in
total)
,, ,, is not digitally findable.
,, ,, So, to make half-remembered diagrams findable:
,, ,, ,, ,, I duplicated each diagram’s text
,, ,, ,, ,, in white 1pt Times New Roman (white – so that
it’s invisible)
,, ,, ,, ,, next to the diagram.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
The first cell of:
WHAT
TO PRAY FOR, , , ,
was inspired by Nasir Siddiki
speaking on one of his TV programmes
and is a negligible fraction of a percent of this site.
|
|
|
The second cell of:
NOT SIN
,, BUT PROPENSITY TO SIN, , , ,
partly consists of information from:
Revival Today (site no longer exists)
and:
Wikipedia:
Hamartia,
(though not word for word)
and is a negligible fraction of a percent of this site.
|
|
|
The first two paragraphs:
of item 1)
of the eighth cell
(starting Hence, if you want to do wrong)
of: HOW DEMONS ARE ABLE
TO DO THINGS
and its copy,
the first two paragraphs:
of item b)
of the fifth cell
(starting 4)
Combinations of 1) 2) 3)) , ,
of SO, – WHERE DO TODAY’S BAD THINGS COME FROM?
were told to me
by the vicar of my previous church
(though not word for word)
and are a negligible fraction of a percent of this site.
|
|
|
A few lines, of the sections:
GOD
THE SON, , , ,
and:
THE
NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXT OF FASTING, , , ,
stating that Jesus feasted, not fasted, just prior to Gethsemane,
are from a webpage of Bible.org
(though not word for word)
and are a negligible fraction of a percent of this site.
|
|
|
The fifth line of the section:
NOT ONLY WORDS, , , ,
is from:
YouTube: – Kingdom Awakening SOS,
Brook Potter’s Q&A Times
(though not word for word)
and is a negligible fraction of a percent of this site.
|
|
|
In the second paragraph, of item 2),
of eighth cell (starting: Then, when Jesus was 33)
of: GOD THE SON:
I did not write ‘Jesus went to Hell’
because of the article:
Did Jesus go to hell
between His death and resurrection?
Likewise, the fifth paragraph, of fourth cell
(starting: The
gospel (all of this yellow cell))
of: WHAT IS A BELIEVER? WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?.
|
|
|
In third cell of: GOD’S
METHODS,, , ,
I write: ‘Sudden relief is how
a comedy punch-line works’.
(This is a negligible fraction of a percent of this site.)
This was inspired by the late Sir Ken Dodd
OBE
who, speaking live on BBC Radio 4,
said he’d spotted a link between
relief and laughing
when he noticed that, immediately
after
a successful revolution in a South
American country,
people ran out into the streets,
laughing.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
I already realised the truth of the following two paragraphs,
technically speaking.
But I had not, originally, put them into this website.
It usually takes
too long, and is unnecessary,
for you to compute a situation
to know what to do.
It’s quicker, simpler, and more
reliable,
to listen to, and to obey, God’s
Spirit.
Just believe, and renew your mind
accordingly.
But watching Mark Hemans operate
prompted me to put these two paragraphs
in seven places in this website!
These two paragraphs are still only a
negligible fraction of a percent of this site.
But I now see that they are such
an important, practical, principle,
that Mark consistently uses,
that I want to, here, give him the credit
for drawing my attention to it.
Perhaps see seventh
cell
(starting: Mark
Hemans, Australian)
of: ABOUT BIBLICAL
TEACHER-HEALERS GENERALLY.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
MATERIAL INSPIRED BY OTHERS
THAT I NEVERTHELESS CALL MY OWN
|
|
|
This whole website was initially
inspired by
C.S. Lewis’ book Mere Christianity.
But Mere Christianity and
this website
are so different
that I call the result my own.
|
|
|
My webpage:
The basic ways that God & Satan operate , , ,
was inspired by C.S. Lewis’ book The Screwtape
Letters.
But The Screwtape
Letters and my webpage
are so different
that I call the result my own.
|
|
|
My webpages:
Evidence that animals cannot evolve
,, to become humans , , ,
and:
More evidence that animals cannot evolve
,, to become humans, , , ,
were inspired by Tony Buzan’s book Use Your Head,
published by the BBC’s Open University in the 1970s
(I read it in 1976 approx).
Use Your Head is a set of students’
study tools and memory aids.
However,
it also shows
that the mind is structured organically.
,, ,, ‘Organic’,
here, meaning: like a spider’s web
,, ,, with the most
important bits in the middle.
But Use Your Head and my two
webpages
are so different
that I call the result my own.
|
|
.
|
|
|
NATURAL
EVENTS
THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SITE
|
|
|
My webpage Idolatry,
guilt projection, & evasiveness , , ,
was partly inspired by my experiences
working in a Christian drug rehabilitation centre (1977-78):
I
saw how, in a junkie, when the drugs take over,
extreme evasiveness is produced.
They
may con/rob loved ones and blank out the guilt
and convince others, & even
themselves,
that nothing’s wrong.
|
|
|
That same webpage, Idolatry,
guilt projection, & evasiveness, , ,
was also partly inspired by me falling in love,
in the infatuated sense,
on several occasions, when I was younger.
I
noticed that I was weirdly oblivious
to the woman’s imperfections:
could think of her only as
perfect
(this sometimes happened the
other way around too).
Whereas
I now see only God as perfect.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
SUPERNATURAL EVENTS
THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SITE
|
|
|
As a young boy, four or five of us
did a trick
where one of us was sitting down
and the rest pressed down on his/her head
for a some minutes.
Then we’d suddenly stop, and the
‘pressers’ would be
able to lift the sitting person, out of the chair,
using only one finger each, under each knee and armpit.
The logic was that the person
suddenly felt very light
so surely they were very
light. And it worked.
Subjectively, at the time, it seemed
logical.
But, objectively, I soon realised it was physically impossible
and considered it weird. I now reckon
it’s demonic.
|
|
|
At
secondary school (1970 approx)
my classmates held a séance.
The surface was uneven, so I saw that
the glass was being moved supernaturally.
My
classmates were asking subjective, personal, questions
which I thought added to any danger.
I merely
risked asking how many coins were in my pocket.
(I’d forgotten, and wanted to test
whatever the thing/being was.)
The glass
suddenly picked up speed
and went to ‘No’, repeatedly.
This indicated, to me, intelligence & evasiveness.
|
|
|
My classmates
wanted me to leave (I was spoiling things)
and I reckoned the whole thing was potentially dangerous
anyway, so I left.
But, for
the first time, I saw that
things/events supernatural can exist.
With hindsight, I see that séances:
seem spiritual,
seem of elsewhere,
seem
deep.
But conversations with the dead
are, ironically:
still worldly,
still, actually, of the
hopes & fears of this life,
soulish, not spiritual.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
Again at secondary
school, I noticed that I could tell
which patterned card someone was looking at.
It worked
with people I liked, people like-minded to me,
people who I empathised with.
Unlike the
séance experience – it wasn’t disturbing.
So I assumed it was
telepathy.
|
|
|
A few
years later, in 1974, at college,
I took up this telepathy again.
But this time, I noticed that I could see
through the back of a playing card
without anyone having looked at the
front.
It seemed to tire me.
I could successfully do it only once an hour.
I
experimented with:
Various materials: lead,
plastic, steel, etc.
A high voltage electric field
(a toy electric shock machine).
to try to block the ‘ray’ or whatever it was.
But none of them stopped it,
which was odd, considering the low voltage
of the human nervous system.
|
|
|
Then I realised
there was one factor I’d not thought of: time.
This was easy to test, and, scarily, proved positive.
I say
‘scarily’ because time travel puts the ability
out of the realm of the natural
and into the realm of the supernatural.
It seemed
to be:
Me
looking, at the card, in the future,
to check my prediction.
Then that image, going
backwards, in time,
to the present.
This
seemed to be the mechanics of it
because the experience was such a visual one.
But,
whether the above was the case or not,
it was eclipsed by my following observation.
|
|
|
I soon felt, and found,
that the ability would only work:
o Providing
I let the ability grow vanity in me.
o Providing
I at least tried to see the ability
as my own
(even
though I was increasingly aware
that it was another doing it for
me).
o Providing
I used the ability for amusement, self-glory,
perhaps even income,
rather than
for something practical,
anonymously,
or at cost to me.
o Providing
I let it all:
erode the reliability
of knowledge,
muddy science,
for me, and perhaps for others.
Perhaps see later section: TRICKS
& MIRACLES , , ,
and the links within it.
(This link does not open a new tab.)
|
|
|
The above
conditions proved, to me,
the existence of an intelligent, manipulative,
malevolent, being: Satan.
They also
proved that this Satan
(though, more probably, it was merely an underling demon)
hates structure:
be it social structure,
or knowledge,
or, in particular,
understanding.
|
|
|
I deduced
from the above
that God must also exist.
Such a destructive being as I’d met
would never have created the
universe.
Try to destroy it – maybe.
Try to damage it – probably.
Abuse it – yes.
Make it – no.
|
|
|
These
conditions made ‘my’ new ability
pathetic & disturbing.
For example: I feared I might be
given visions
of people’s futures
that included unavoidable
disasters.
So, after
a few weeks delay (due to the pull of vanity)
I stopped doing any of it.
|
|
|
So, in 1974, I concluded that there must be a God.
So I looked at the monotheistic religions
and saw that Protestant Christianity was the answer.
But this wasn’t enough to make me become a Christian:
I was a young man and wanted to
enjoy life,
wanted to wait until I was old,
or at least older.
However, two years
later, early 1976, aged 21,
problems hit my family that forced me to pray.
God answered my prayer, with a small, but loving, miracle,
and I was hooked, became a believer, a Christian.
Indeed, it was the loving nature of the miracle,
and that it challenged me to become loving too,
that got me hooked.
|
|
|
Since 1976 I have experienced various
miracles.
For
example, in 1986:
see cell starting One unusual piece of guidance, , , ,
near beginning of this webpage.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
My intellect has always been sound.
But, foolishly, I’d sometimes listen
to demons temptations
and, emotionally rather than logically,
respond positively to them.
Hence, for example, in 1989,
after my shift of washing-up in a kitchen in
an office block,
the office workers were starting a mostly-fancy-dress party
in the staff restaurant.
Las Vegas Casino was the theme.
I thought I’d join in at the roulette table.
“No harm in impressing people” my head said.
But my heart was saying
“You are the one about to be used.”
I’d soon won several stacks of high value chips,
and that aren’t I special, but I feel so lonely feeling
came over me again, after all those years.
|
|
|
A player next to me said:
“You certainly know how to play this
game”.
I thought, by way of reply:
“This is a mug’s game. What’s to know?
And I wouldn’t play if I couldn’t
cheat.
And I can’t tell you how I’m
cheating
because I’m so ashamed
& because you’d want to impose
tests on me.
Worst of all, this is feeding my
vanity:
telling me I’m clever when I’m doing
nothing.”
|
|
|
Ashamed and disenchanted, I started losing chips.
I didn’t find out there’d been a prize (a giant Teddy
Bear)
until I’d lost them all. I’d have felt
awful if I’d won
and would have promptly given it away.
And this, in 1989:
fourteen years after becoming a Christian,
eight years after starting this site.
I should’ve known better.
But I’d learned my lesson.
For example, I even throw away scratch cards
that people give me, as a present,
in case I win!
If anyone supernaturally blesses me
I want it to be only God.
Demons will always welcome you back
but you’ll always eventually regret it.
|
|
|
The symmetrical contrasts that I experienced
between:
Satan’s & demons’ aims &
methods
& God’s aims & methods,
contributed to:
the webpage:
The
basic ways that God & Satan operate, , , ,
notably to its section:
TRICKS & MIRACLES , , ,
and to the section
GOOD
RELIGION & BAD RELIGION , , ,
and to other
parts of this site.
|
|
|
I use the
experiences of wrong things I’ve done,
if indeed they can be used,
for enlightenment & for good:
Paul had a useful arsenal of knowledge
of Satan’s ways
partly because he had been used, by Satan, so much
before he became a believer.
2 Cor c2 v11
So it was his ‘religious’ teaching he
dumped.
Philippians c3 v8
Perhaps again see:
GOOD
RELIGION & BAD RELIGION. , , ,
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
In 2005, sixteen years after the gambling fiasco,
I had the task of getting rid of a ghost,
a ghost that would physically do things.
I failed. Other believers tried
but their success
lasted only three days.
At church, a fellow Christian suggested that all of us
pray the Lord’s Prayer, daily, together,
because of the line:
Luke c11 v4:
ctd … deliver us from evil. KJV
Interestingly – it worked, providing none of us
did anything wrong that day.
Then, in 2008, I went to hear Pastor
Chris Oyakhilome
at a big Pentecostal meeting, A Night
Of Bliss, in London.
I’d seen his TV programmes, but they only had the miracles
whereas I wanted to experience a whole service:
preaching, teaching,
praise & worship, praying,
as well as miracles.
The meeting did not disappoint:
people were getting out of wheelchairs etc.
So, when I got back home,
with an unselfconscious faith in God,
I commanded the ghost, in Jesus’ name, to go away,
and it did.
It does come back, to do annoying things.
But only very rarely, and only very little things,
and only if we’ve done some wrong.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
Later that year (2008) I discovered Andrew Wommack
and increasingly decided that, of all the
biblical teacher-healers I was discovering,
his material is the most comprehensive & correct.
I’ve learnt a great deal from his teaching,
I’ve listened to all of his audio teachings
and read a number of his books.
But I don’t agree with all of it.
Perhaps see: INTRODUCTION. , , ,
(I suspect I don’t agree completely
with anyone’s teaching.)
|
|
|
Since 2008, mainly as a result of listening to Andrew,
I have, in Jesus’ name, healed a dozen or so people
of small illnesses: sprains, migraines,
stomach aches, etc.
But that’s all. I am a work in
progress.
From 1981 to 2008:
This site was purely
philosophical,
that’s all I thought
& wrote about.
From 2008 onwards:
I thought & wrote
about
the miraculous as well.
I’ll be glad to finish writing this site.
I think it’s what’s holding me back.
|
|
|
Sometimes, after doing some small miraculous healing,
I’d see the effects of a demon conning the person
into accepting their illness/injury back again.
The second half of Andrew Wommack’s TV programme
The Believer’s Authority: Episode 6, Jan 7th 2013
tells us what to do about this.
The above teaching
of Andrew’s
and the small miracles I’ve done
inspired the section:
UNBELIEF, & KEEPING YOUR HEALING. , , ,
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
In 2009 I planted a
five-foot
cherry tree in my garden.
I planted it in a
small pit of
compost (should’ve used soil)
in solid clay & a little topsoil.
I also forgot to
tease out
the root-ball.
As a result of all
this
it’s not grown much
in the last 14 years.
Photo taken April 2022.
|
|
|
In 2014 I thought:
“If Andrew Wommack can
repeatedly
command a blessing on his
mother’s pecan trees,
so that they fruited,
(see first half of the same
Andrew Wommack TV programme
The Believer’s Authority: Episode 6, Jan 7th 2013)
then I can do the same to my cherry tree.”
Hence I’ve often
commanded a blessing on it.
Hence I believe, and expect, my cherry tree
to, one day, miraculously become huge
and full of cherries.
|
|
|
Some months later I
thought:
“We have pet guinea pigs
(& then a pet rabbit).
Hence we let the lawn grow high,
as food for them.
But, any cherries that drop
will get lost in the long
grass.
So I’ll have to mow at least
some of the lawn.”
So I thought:
“How big will the tree be?
How far will its branches
extend?
How much lawn do I need to mow?
There’s a path very near the tree,
with lawn (at that time) on both
sides of it:
Does the cherry-drop zone
include the lawn on both sides of the path?
Or should I cut the grass
only on the tree side of the path?”
Then I randomly
opened my NIV Bible
and immediately saw, within the verse Eze c31 v4 NIV,
the phrase ‘all around its base’.
The really neat
thing about that phrase
is that it is indeed all about a very big tree.
I still sometimes used the NIV back in 2014.
This was just as well since the KJV phrases it completely differently.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
MY
ATTITUDE TO THE BIBLE
|
|
|
1) Where material evidence
(not absence of material evidence)
contradicts a part of the Bible
then I say:
“As this material evidence is true
then that part of the Bible must be untrue.”
Hence, for example, I say:
“A number of sciences:
cosmology,
solar physics
(nuclear physics),
geology (plate
tectonics),
palaeontology,
& zoology,
corroborate with each other:
to show that the
universe is
13.8 (or 26.7)
billion years old,
and started with a
big bang.
So the Bible’s account:
that God made it
about 6,000 years ago
and it took him
only six days,
is not true.”
Mind you, see my section:
TREAT
THE BIBLICAL ADAM & EVE AS REAL. , , ,
I think that Christians who insist
that:
God made the
universe in six days
or even that the entire Bible is true,
are mistaken.
But, I notice that God responds to
them
exactly as if the
entire Bible were indeed true.
|
|
|
2) I think that Jesus, being God’s only begotten Son,
told God’s thoughts more
authoritatively
than other parts of the Bible tell
God’s thoughts.
So,
where there is any difference, in letter or in spirit,
between what Jesus says and what
other parts say:
the Jesus parts are right
and the other parts are
wrong.
For
example, see: GOD’S
WORDS ON SIN.
,, I don’t mean
Old-to-New Covenant differences
,, that should be
there.
,, ,, ,, Perhaps see later section:
THE
LORD’S PRAYER
,, ,, ,, and the links within
it.
,, ,, ,, (This link does not
open a new tab.)
,, ,, ,, My ‘WHO AM I IN
CHRIST?’ poster has 20 verses on it,
,, ,, ,, all of them very
edifying.
,, ,, ,, But I had to cross out
two of them,
,, ,, ,, Ps 107 v2 and Isa c46 v4,
,, ,, ,, (the only two Old
Testament ones as it happens)
,, ,, ,, because they promised
safety.
,, ,, ,, Whereas Jesus foretold
persecution.
,, ,, ,, Perhaps see later
webpage: Persecution. ,, ,,
|
|
|
3) Unlike Andrew Wommack, and indeed
many Christians,
I do not think that all non-Christians go to Hell.
I wrote the
webpage:
The
two ways God sorts us:
,, Judgment
& Forgiveness , , ,
and the ten webpages after
it
to address this matter.
|
|
|
4) I
disregard, and so do not use,
Bible verses that are not in the
earliest manuscripts,
that were added centuries later by
scribes or translators.
See: BIBLE
VERSES THAT I OMIT. , , ,
(There are so few of them that this is not
as disastrous a thing to do as it
sounds.)
|
|
|
5) There
are certainly parts of the Bible
that are not God-inspired (e.g. much of Ecc c1 – c6).
There are many instances where God
himself speaks,
at least one instance where he wrote
something
(i.e. the Ten Commandments),
and many instances where God the Son
speaks.
The rest of the Bible, I’d say, is
written by humans
but is God approved
(except, of course, for point 4), previous cell).
These
qualities set the Bible apart
from all other books.
|
|
|
6) Although I
see all of the Bible as God-approved,
I
do not see all of the Bible as vital, or even important:
For example, in Paul’s
second letter to Timothy,
the paragraph:
2 Tim c4 v13:
The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus,
when thou comest, bring with thee,
and the books,
but especially the parchments. KJV
This verse was important to
Paul
but of no importance to us
whatsoever.
So I disagree with Christians who say
that
every part of the Bible is equally
vital
or even equally important.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
7) Many preachers & teachers
(including biblical teacher-healers
such as Wommack, Hemans, &
Mohler)
tend to see the Bible as
chronologically homogenous.
They teach using, say, 8 scriptures
that are spread out across the
Bible.
And this usually works (or they make
it work).
But, chronologically,
the Bible is three eras:
1) Pre-Jesus era:
when the Father did
miraculous good and bad.
2) Jesus’ ministry era:
(crucifixion,
resurrection, & Pentecost)
when Jesus did
miraculous good only.
3) Spirit-in-believers era:
when believers do
miraculous good only.
Hence, in the four
gospels,
Jesus seemed to preach, primarily,
repentance:
He had not yet died & risen
so not yet supplied God’s Spirit
to us.
So his Punishment, in our place,
could not yet be believed in.
So he could not yet preach
‘believe’
as a thing that could be done.
He could only preach ‘repent’
as a thing that could be done.
However,
post-Pentecost:
Believing could be done.
And, as believing would produce
a renewed mind,
and, as a renewed mind would
cause both:
doing natural, & even
miraculous, good
and
not doing bad,
then preaching repentance,
preaching stopping doing bad,
would become unnecessary.
Hence repentance is indeed
preached in Acts
but always to unbelievers.
Likewise, in Heb c6 v1-2, Paul
urges his readers
to move on, from repentance,
to perfection.
|
|
|
Thinking of the Bible as
one item
results in preaching repentance
the same way Jesus preached repentance
(Mark Hemans does this).
A renewed mind is a
rather abstract concept
for many Christians.
Hence they don’t fully embrace it.
Hence many dabble in sin/wrong-doing.
Hence preachers (such
as Mark Hemans)
do well to preach repentance
instead of preaching a renewed mind.
However, the idea that
we need to repent of sins
implies that sins still exist.
And believing that sins still exist
can erode, in a logical mind,
the belief that Jesus made all sins
disappear.
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
To conclude:
If you insist on things
being logical, then:
wherever the
New Testament,
from Pentecost onwards:
says ‘sins’
read it as
‘wrongs’:
See: How God Forgave us all.,,,,,
and:
THE TWO ACCOUNTS.,,,,,
and, instead of thinking:
‘repent of your
sins’
think:
‘renew your mind’.
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, See:
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, YouTube:
– Best description of the Gospel - Dan Mohler.
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, and:
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, YouTube:
– The Gospel, straight up, no additives.
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, See third from last,
& second from last, paragraphs
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, of:
,, ,, ,, ,, ,, Hell-A Reality Or A Metaphor? By Andrew Wommack.
|
|
|
But, if you don’t mind things being a bit
illogical,
and if you still tend to do wrong,
then:
think:
Jesus made all sins
disappear
(which implies sins
don’t still exist).
yet also think:
‘repent of your
sins’
(which implies sins
do still exist).
|
|
|
.
|
|
|
Home
page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|