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Here are some key doctrinal ideas to live by:  

Triune God: Jewish persons wrote the Old Testament and believed in one God. Because of this, it is impressive to see the quote in Genesis 12: 6 “Let us make man in our image.”  This implies one God with more than one personality.  In John 17: 1 – 5, Jesus is praying to the Father God and discussing how they made plans before the beginning of the world.  The (Holy) Spirit is the third person of the godhead. 

Isaiah 9: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Isaiah, the Jewish Prophet, identifies God as having three distinctive personalities: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Matthew 28: 18, 19 brings additional clarity that The Holy Spirit is also known as the (Wonderful) Counselor.  It states Jesus was praying, saying, “All authority under heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  John 16: 26 states, “ When the counselor comes whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father,  he will testify about me.”  The Holy Spirit comes out from the Father: he is joined with God the Father.                                                                                                          

Gen 1: 26; John 17: 1 – 5; John 1: 1, 2; John 11: 41, 42; Matthew 28: 18, 19

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Space-time dimensions:  In 2 Tim 1: 9, 10, Paul tells us that “The grace given to us in Christ Jesus was given to us before time began.”  Genesis 1:1 states “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  A beginning implies the beginning of our time: the first instance of the Big Bang.  A beginning for us, given the evidence for a Creator, implies God exists beyond our space-time dimension. 

He transcends our dimensions and is therefore present constantly in our world.  God created subatomic particles and created the Big Bang from things not observable by the naked eye.  The writer of the New Testament Book of Hebrews states, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” [Heb 11:3]  Jesus prayed to God implying He existed with God the Father before time began – before the universe was created.  John 17: 4 and 5: “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”                         

Gen 1:1;  Heb 11: 1 – 3; John 17: 4,5

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The Genesis account of creation, space, and the Earth describes six long periods of time - one of which is more than 1 billion years long.  The Hebrew word for day is yom and can mean period of time. The passage interprets itself with various contextual clues, including how there was evening and morning of the first six days (periods) of creation. Recall the beginning of a Hebrew day is evening.  But on the 7th day in Chapter 2 there is no evening and morning mentioned. Hence, we are still in the 7th day of creation - 7th long period of time. God is still very active but has rested from creating new things. Instead, species adapt and change.  They evolve over time.  The universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old, while Earth is a little over 4.5 billion years old.                                                                   

Gen 1: 1 – 2:3; Psalm 90: 1 – 3

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God created the universe, its physical and chemical laws, and the opportunity for DNA to form and spawn life.  The Hebrew word for create brand-new is bara.  This is the description of the heavens and Earth being created brand new.  Nothing existed before this.  Our time began there.

Genesis 1: 1, 2

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Whenever and wherever and however God intervened in the life process, Genesis describes plant evolution, animal evolution and the Cambrian Explosion.    

In Genesis 1: 11, God declares, “Let the land produce vegetation.” The Hebrew word for produce implies to sprout or to come forth or to cause to emerge.  Thus, vegetation evolved from the Earth. 

Genesis 1: 20 states, “And God said, let the waters teem with living creatures.”    See page 52 in the book to understand God did not command animals to exist.  Instead, he did not create and then command.  He merely stated that the waters would teem.  It is nature.  It is evolution.  God created the world and established laws of nature and the building blocks of life.  Nature is his.  The fact that evolution is so well-established helps to interpret the phrasing and sync with evolution.  And using an extreme word like teemed with life, this is also the Cambrian Explosion. 

Genesis 1: 11, 12; Genesis 1: 20

 

Unlike other animals, humans are part spirit. This is what was meant when God said, “Let us make man in our image.” We have a spiritual component in addition to a physical body. When we are born again spiritually, it implies we are born into a heavenly realm that exists on Earth now and will continue for eternity in the presence of

God.                                                                                                               

Gen 1: 26; Luke 17: 13 – 27

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God exists in a realm that includes and is outside of our space-time dimension. This is why God described himself to Moses as “I AM.” And this is why the author of Hebrews declares Jesus Christ as the same yesterday, today and forever. Nothing gets past God. He cannot be fooled by beings he created as a result of this. He simply IS everywhere at any time.  This implies more of the doctrines that follow.

Exodus 3: 14

 

God is in control while humans have a free will. 

Predestination can be thought of in terms of a God who is everywhere all at once.  Predestination is a bit of an uncertain doctrine with regard to each person individually.  Verses in the Bible definitely point to believers as a whole, but it is questionable in literary context that it involves each person’s life.  God is always in our future, knowing exactly the choices we will make. He transcends our universe and the people in it.  If a person would make choices prohibiting or catastrophizing certain key situations, God will simply not allow that person to be born.  He allowed us to be born and knows every decision we made and will make.  Thus, He knows what we will choose and allows it, meaning our predestination is the choices we ourselves will make.  Predestination is determined by ourselves.  God controlled whether we were born, and we have free will. 

This appears to be a truth per individual, also implying it is a truth for the overall group of believers.  It might also be true for some of those key individuals over the centuries who commit great sin and evil.  This is a cool revelation until we realize God allowed some monstrous individuals to exist, and this becomes the most haunting mystery of all.

Ephesians 1: 3 – 6 states, “Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given to us in the one he loves.”

Ephesians 1: 11: “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” 

In 1 Peter 1: 1, 2, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his

blood…”                                                                                                                                   Eph: 1: 3 - 6

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God created a spiritual realm of beings in addition to animal life. Jesus shared what he saw long before he came to Earth as a man.  “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” [Luke 10: 18] We're told in John 16: 11 and John 12: 31 that Satan is the prince of this world and that we wrestle with principalities and powers in the heavenly realm. [Eph 6: 10, 11]  In scripture, there is an account of an angel being sent to answer a prayer from Daniel. [Daniel 10: 12, 13]  That angel was intercepted by the Prince of Persia - a spiritual being: an evil spiritual being. After days of battling, the archangel Michael came and defeated the angel to get to Daniel. Conclusion: God created beings he knew would turn and do evil. This was part of his purpose for this life and the need to exist in a universe with pain, suffering and evil.  However, in light of eternity and getting our attention to commit to Christ, this is a characteristic of God’s creation that possibly leads to the greatest number of souls saved.     

 

Hell is a real destination prepared for the devil and his angels.  Humans old enough to make a decision may ultimately join Satan in this place of torment.  God is not willing that any humans end up there, but many will. It is part of the brutal necessity of this short life in preparing an eternal life of optimal interaction. People in the afterlife will have grateful hearts and be given a new body not prone to simple, negative human traits. The combination of beautifully committed and transformed souls and an existence in a more dynamic space-time existence makes heaven more incredible than we can fathom.  The precise details of hell are not fully known. Jesus tells us to fear it and to respect God who will send us there if we ignore his provision.                                                                                             

Luke 12: 4, 5; Matthew 25: 31 – 46; John 3: 1 – 21   

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Lives and struggles of key historical individuals help today to recognize the good and the bad in ourselves.  Some important men whose lives were recorded in the Old and New Testaments made major mistakes.  Yet God used them and created signs from their lives to help seekers realize that struggles and forgiveness are part of life and that we should not flee from God when we do wrong.  Abraham's impatience produced two blessed people groups that have warred against each other throughout the centuries. Moses killed a man. David committed adultery and then devised a plan that would cause the incredibly God devoted husband of this woman to be killed in battle so that David could take her as his wife.  The Apostle Paul, prior to his conversion, hunted early Christians - imprisoning some and killing others. None of us want to do bad.  We should run to God and not away from Him when we sin badly.  Nothing freaks out God.  He knows our struggles.  

We should be careful not to assume we are right. When God's followers get reckless, it can lead to enormous consequences. Nothing should be taken for granted. It is healthy to admit humanness and to focus on doing good whenever possible. The wonderful recognition of God's grace, love for us, and desire to use us to better the lives of others is to recognize that we cannot lose our salvation when our heart is in the right place and when making a commitment to him and attempting to persist.                                            Ephesians Chapter 2    

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The massive flood recorded in the Old Testament was a localized flood and not a global one.  Most assume such a flood is too far-fetched and must be a symbolic tale or evidence that scripture is ridiculous. Others believe it is a literal depiction that it covered the entire planet to the tops of the highest mountains and that it happened less than 6000 years ago. As alluded to earlier in this book, the Genesis account of a flood interprets itself. It was not global. It was regional. This is in line with the account in Genesis 7 and 8. It is also in sync with Psalm 104, which suggests that after the initial emergence of land on Earth billions of years earlier, never again would the seas cover the tops of all the mountains. If an actual flood covered the entire planet to the tops of the mountains in Noah's day, the Old Testament would contradict itself. 

In the biblical account, God did not instruct Noah to take every kind of animal on board. It was a limited list of animals. After all a flood that was not global would not disturb the majority of animal life on earth at the time.  According to Scripture, men had become incredibly evil.  Therefore God caused a flood of what would be the Mesopotamian Valley sometime in the past 70,000 years.

However, as discussed in the book, there a few scenarios of life, including that this and the other mythical-sounding events are allegorical and meant to make points for those who came later.  The book offers four scenarios of human history outlined on pages 70 – 79.

Genisis 7 & 8; Psalm 104

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Estimating the time at which events like the flood occurred is difficult due to generation-skipping in the Old Testament and in the Christian New Testament. The Hebrew word abba can mean ancestor in addition to meaning father. We see in Matthew Chapter 1 and Luke Chapter 3 that there are generations skipped in the genealogy of Jesus. The same situation occurs in Genesis regarding generations from Adam to Abraham. Impressively, we can pinpoint a very significant time in these genealogies from the statement made in Genesis 10:25. A man named Peleg was part of the lineage.  We are told that, in his time, the Earth was divided. This lets us know that Peleg must have lived a little more than 11,000 years ago when the land bridges connecting continents were once again covered  due to rising sea levels as the planet warmed from its last Ice Age.  The land bridges were then below the water level meaning the continents were again divided.                                          

Compare genealogies in Matthew Chapter 1 and in Luke Chapter 3; Gen 10: 25; 1 Chron 1: 19   

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Jesus, also known as the heavenly high priest Melchizedek, came to earth and met Abram (later called Abraham).  [This notion is held by me and many others.  However, many Christians contend such is not the case.] Melchizedek broke bread and shared wine with Abram, and Abram gave a tithe to him (Jesus). This happened prior to Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son before the establishment of God's covenant with man. Centuries later, Jesus would again break bread and share wine – this time with his disciples prior to the fulfillment of the second and eternal covenant with God through the sacrifice of Jesus.                                                                 

Gen 14: 17 - 20; Matthew 26: 26 – 29; Hebrews 7, 8     

                                    

God established a covenant with Abraham. God found a man so devoted he was willing to sacrifice his own son to God. Since Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, God could sacrifice his.  Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.  And the covenant was sealed between God and man. The promises and blessings made to Abraham can be ours through faith in God's plan alone - faith in Jesus and what he accomplished. In the recording of the events surrounding Abraham taking his son to the altar to be sacrificed, there are clues pointing to the Messiah [God the Son] and what he would suffer and accomplish 2000 years later. Abraham's son asked Abraham where the lamb was for the burnt offering. Abraham replied, “God himself will provide the lamb.”  This statement had meaning. First, it implies that God himself would be the sacrifice lamb in the form of Jesus 2000 years later.  Second, on that day a ram was found with its horns caught in a thicket. It was sacrificed. It was a foreshadow of Jesus having his head in a crown of thorns at the time of his crucifixion.                                       

Gen Chapter 22; Matt 27: 27 - 29    

 

Jesus completed the covenant by being beaten and hung on a cross. This is the second covenant and one made for eternity.                                                            Gal 3: 13, 14; Romans Chapter 10; John Chapter 19     

   

God used Moses to deliver his people from slavery in Egypt. The final plague that got the Hebrews released was the first-born son dying during the night. The only way for death to pass over the home was to perform a procedure that would ultimately point to the Messiah and the ability for our sins to be forgiven such that eternal death would pass over us.

The Hebrews were told to select a lamb without blemish on the 10th day of the new year.  On the 14th day, they were to sacrifice it as an offering to God and to put some of its blood on the sides and top of the wooden door frames.  This was a foreshadow of Jesus, the Passover lamb, having his blood drip on the wooden cross to allow those who put faith in God's provision to have the second (eternal) death pass over them.                                                    The 15th day would be a special Sabbath.  This was a sign that God’s sacrifice lamb would enter Jerusalem on the 10th day of the year.  He would suffer and die on the 14th day.  They had to get him off the cross before sundown due to the special Sabbath on day 15.  The Sedar meal begins at sundown of the 14th, which is the beginning of the 15th day.  Evening is the beginning of a Jewish day. 

Ex Chapters 11 and 12       

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God gave the law through Moses. The law accomplished the following: 

It set a standard no human could attain. Humble individuals could recognize this and investigate how to be considered acceptable in God's eyes. 

Self-centered, egotistical people would fall into the trap of convincing themselves they could live by the law and be acceptable in God's eyes. 

Others would think that the laws are ridiculous - which may seem true - that the notion of a God being behind them would be nonsense. 

Another group would never take the time to consider the Bible and its plan. The law established rules allowing God to sacrifice God the Son and curse him with the evil done by anyone during a lifetime. “Cursed is anyone hung on a tree.” It provided prophecies and signs that would confirm God's plan, existence and faithfulness.   

The law is the set of rules and regulations dispersed throughout the first five books of the Old

Testament.                                                      

Deut 21: 22, 23;

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The Holy Spirit influenced men from Job prior to 2000 BC through some of the prophets in the centuries preceding the arrival of Jesus to write the Scriptures, the Old Testament.  Signs, prophecies and God's control of history would provide the proof of His existence and plan and give men principles from which to live and from which to anticipate the Messiah's arrival and provision for eternity.                                                

2Peter 1: 19 – 21               

   

Jesus arrived and fulfilled many signs and prophecies.  He is God and human according to many indications. John describes this well in chapter 1. The mother of Jesus was Mary.  She was a virgin, and Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This was prophesied in Isaiah 7: 4 and recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. His death and resurrection is the portal for all to the afterlife. His act allowed the Holy Spirit to dwell in the hearts of believers and no longer just in the holy of holies in the temple – a place only the high priest could enter and only one day of the year. Jesus taught his disciples for three years prior to his death. After his death and resurrection, the disciples traveled around the known world spreading the news of what was done for Jews and for Gentiles.  All but one was put to death for their belief in Jesus.  Many of the key prophecies are contained in the first chapter of my book.                           

 John Chapter 1; Is 46: 9; Matthew 28; 19

                                   

Before the beginning of time, God devised a plan allowing those who accept the grace of Christ to dwell with him in a superior realm of heaven. He influenced Moses to write in the law that, “Anyone hung on a tree (pole) is cursed.” Paul explains how Jesus was cursed on the cross in place of us.  His sacrifice, while cursed for us, ushers our way to heaven.  According to 2 Timothy 1: 9, the grace given to us in Christ was given to us before time began.                                                                        

2Tim 1:9; Deut 21: 22, 23; Gal 3: 10 – 14

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Jesus rose from the dead as prophesied by Isaiah and others.                                     

Isaiah 53: 9 – 12; Psalm 16: 10; 1 Cor 15: 12 – 20; Psalm 71: 29; Isaiah 26: 19, 20; Hos 6: 1 – 12

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Christianity is the continuation of Judaism.  The Old Testament declares that Gentiles as well as Jews would reap the reward of God’s covenant.            Psalm 22: 27 – 31; Isaiah 49: 6; Gal 3: 14

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 God equips us with everything we need if we allow him to do so. Even faith is a gift from him.                                                                       

Eph 2: 8; Eph 6: 10 – 18   

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As promised in scripture, the Holy Spirit now abides within believers as opposed to only dwelling in the Tabernacle of God in the days of Moses.  He nudges us in the right direction. He gives us wisdom when we need it. He comforts us. He was promised to us by many prophets, and the delivery was made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus. 

The early disciples were told to wait and pray in Jerusalem until He came. The Book of Acts records the Holy Spirit’s coming on Pentecost. It states He came like a rushing wind. [Acts chapter 2]  And when the disciples took to the streets to share what happened, they spoke in different tongues - different languages - so that foreigners in Jerusalem heard the message of Jesus and God's plan in their own native tongue.                               

Joel 2: 28; Acts 2: 17

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There are powerful gifts the Spirit gives to different people to make the church function more efficiently and effectively in its mission to share the gospel message with as many people as possible. 1 Corinthians 12: 7 – 11 states, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another of the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one as he determines.”  

The Spirit of God is real, and the gifts are real.  We must be careful in some cases not to assume someone who claims to have a word from the Lord actually does. To the extent possible, the gifts should be shared among people who have known each other to the point they can trust one another’s actions. This is because fraudulent words and actions can have serious consequences. In addition to the gifts already mentioned, there is the gift of prophecy. [1 Cor 14: 1]  I have witnessed persons pretending to have the gift of prophecy and telling people to do things not from God.  In one instance, a self-proclaimed prophet told two people they would be married. Some people knew this was not a word from God and that the two involved should definitely not get married.   God suggested a simple test for assessing whether someone is a prophet or not. If one of his or her prophecies does not come true, he/she is not a prophet.  Again, the gifts of the Spirit are powerful tools for a group of believers who have known each other for a long period of time.  Otherwise, people open themselves up to incorrect teaching, direction and prophecy.                                                                                   

I Cor 12: 7 – 11; 1 Cor 14: 1

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Paul - after his remarkable conversion from being the persecutor, Saul of Tarsus - became the intellectual who explained the Scriptures, the plan, and key details and perspectives to instruct the billions who would eventually seek Christ.          

Acts Chapter 9 and all of Paul’s letters like the Book of Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians and others   

Prayer is a powerful way for believers to connect directly to God through the Son and to change things for the better.  We are told Jesus prays continually for his believers on earth. Since he exists beyond our dimension of time, he has infinite time both to pray for and interact with us.  He taught us the model for prayer that includes the components of how we should communicate with God and recognize our relationship with him and dependence on him:

“Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” [Matthew 6: 9 – 13] This is a good starter prayer before we bring our requests to Him.          

Romans 8: 31 – 35; Heb 7: 25; 1 Thes 5: 16 - 18   

                                                 

As God, Jesus knows our human condition well. His teachings, often shared in stories or parables, help us to understand important perspectives on life.  He told a parable of the Good Samaritan - which seems to elude many today. Jesus said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road. And when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out 2 silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said; ‘and when I return I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’” Samaritans were looked down upon. Jesus was illustrating not to be prejudice or xenophobic. We often do not recognize the many people of other beliefs and ideologies who live with integrity.                   

Luke 10: 25 – 37   

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This life is designed to have tribulation and struggle; And we grow as we persevere through it wisely.  God made no mistakes because he is in the future and the past simultaneously and so cannot be fooled. He made a complex universe with pain, suffering and evil playing an important dynamic in getting the attention of people and in displaying the essence of love as people rise above challenges to be compassionate and dedicated to others.  But many of us are frustrated by this, even yelling at God.  We want to know why such brutality is truly necessary                                         

John 16: 17 – 33; James 1: 1 - 18   

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Baptism is an important display of one surrendering his or her earthly, carnal being and then accepting the gift of rebirth into a life led by the Spirit. We are to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.   Matt 3: 13 – 17; Acts 2: 37 – 41; Matt 28: 19  

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The love of God, exemplified by Christ, and the fruits of the Spirit are now the spiritual law of the day and accomplish what the law given to Moses could not.  A person's ability to practice humility and integrity despite our human tendencies plays the greatest role in us searching for the reality of this life, the existence of God, the recognition of our condition and the plan and the gift paid for by the grace of God. It adds great purpose to this life and is therefore the source of great joy and fulfillment. When we exist in this way, we can make a very positive difference in other lives.     

Gal Chapter 3; Gal 5: 16 – 26  

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Jesus summarized the law and the prophets on how we are to live in this simple statement, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second greatest is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.”                                                   

Mark 12: 28 – 31          

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Each person's heart is the determining factor in salvation and with regard to an effective service through love rather than obligation.              

1Samuel 16: 7; Luke 17: 20, 21; Matthew 6: 19 - 21; Matthew 25: 31 - 46            

Confessing Jesus and loving God through one's actions are the display and litmus test for salvation.                                                                                 

Rom 10: 8 - 13             

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Paul suggests in Romans 2: 12-16 that some will enter the Kingdom of heaven without hearing the gospel. They will be judged by how they follow their heart.  Here he is explaining what happens to people who never hear the gospel. There will be people from various faiths and no organized religion who will be able to enter into heaven.  “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing [convicting them], now even defending them [redeeming them]. This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.”  The only way anyone makes it to the afterlife is through the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus from his death on the cross. This was the ultimate sacrifice. For those who never hear the gospel but follow their hearts effectively, it is still the blood of Jesus that will pay their way to heaven. There is no other way. And this is in line with what Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life., No man comes to the father except through me.” [John 14:6] Faith and love and the good works that come from these motivations are the desired works as opposed to when people do good things out of obligation or selfish gain.  God loves it when, as much as possible, our good works are done for others with few, if any, strings attached.                                                                                             

Ephesians Chapter 2; 1 Cor Chapter 13  

     

There is a very organized evil spiritual realm.  While accounts in the New Testament refer to instances of demon possession, there is a far greater power at work on the planet. In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he states we wrestle against principalities and powers. God created these beings to make the trial of this life complete. Subjecting humanity to this beautiful, yet brutal life, sometimes places humans in desperate situations. When we get to the next life, we will recognize the benefit of experiences here. Emerging through what can be described as trial by fire will produce dynamics in an afterlife of free-will beings not attainable otherwise. The combination of these spiritual powers working in governments, schools, churches, military, the financial sector and other entities along with the flaws and inclinations of human nature sometimes make the dynamics of life tenuous. Countries can move from relatively healthy cultures to unstable ones in short periods of time.  Ignoring the existence of spiritual forces has consequences.           

Eph 6; Daniel 10        

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There will be a day of judgment spiritually in which God will separate the faithful from the non-believers. There will be horrifying agony for those who will be cast to hell with the fallen angels.                                                 

Matt 25: 31 – 46   

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The afterlife will be a place God is preparing for us. We arrive there by accepting God's redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah. It is a new heaven and new earth and a new body in a greater space-time dimension. Every aspect of it will be remarkable - from relationships, to physical dynamics, to fulfillment and to being in the presence of God. “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no mind has conceived, these things God has prepared for those who

love him. [1 Cor 2:9]                                                                         

John 14: 1 – 3; Rev 21: 1   

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The Earth and this universe will ultimately be destroyed. A new space-time dimension with the new earth awaits a person once they die.  He or she is ushered to the different space-time dimension which already exists.  It is impossible for any of us to conceive it due to its multiple dimensions of space and time.  We as spiritual beings created in God's image will reap the reward of such an incredible life through the faithfulness of Jesus and our acknowledgement of Him.  This universe, if left to itself, would eventually die.  It is a finite universe verified by laws of

physics.                                                                                                                       

Luke 21: 33; Matthew 5: 18; Rev 21: 1   

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Plenty of room for disagreement: 

There is much room for disagreement among religious bodies regarding many of the details of life and how to live. Therefore, there are some doctrines not discussed. The encouragement is to stay true to literary, historical and scientific integrity, and to stay true to the spirit of the law of God and the love that He promotes. We have an awesome responsibility. It is our responsibility to read our holy book, stay true to established truths and keep an eye on the priorities of life. Our greatest responsibility is to help others recognize who God is and what he can do for them. Our inaccuracies can push people away from God. We should study well and struggle well.

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How to become a follower of Christ and accept the gift of eternal life and of the Holy Spirit: 

Fortunately, God is loving and practical. He looks on the heart and does not get hung up on formality. When we have the realization of the existence of God and of the death of Jesus being the act of grace that provides eternal life, it is time to act on it and show our gratitude and allegiance to God.  If we have not yet had the epiphany but are close, we should pray something along the lines of the following:

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Dear God. I am beginning to recognize who you are and what you did for us and how much you love us. I want to have the faith you promise to believe in you and in your Son and in the Holy Spirit. Please overcome my bias and my pride and give me the knowledge and wisdom to understand my humanness and the provision you have made regarding eternity. Help me to have the determination to seek and help me read the Bible to gain the knowledge and faith necessary.  From there, you can reread this book and read the passages referenced from the Bible.  Always choose to build your foundation on ideas presented and established through the Bible, while being discerning regarding interpretation. Let Paul teach you. Read his words and the words of Jesus carefully.  Look at the passages that are referenced.

It is our brain and our emotions and our human desire and our spiritual desire that all interact as we near a decision to accept what God has done for us and to live in the light of his plan. One must always count the cost. When we commit our lives to Christ, we are not to become fanatical and overly religious. God is love and truth and grace and gentle, yet strong. And we are to exhibit these traits to the extent we can. We will not become sinless in this life. We should not make that mistake.  We ask God to help us diminish our sin and overcome it. After all, we will suffer the consequences of poor actions, ideas and decisions throughout our lifetimes. But it is not our primary focus. Too many Christians behave like God's little sin-finders. It is human (sinful) nature to want to feel better about ourselves at the expense of others. Unfortunately, many groups of confessing Christians apply pressure to join them in their attack of certain people.

Our commitment is to love God and to love others. Live with integrity. Act with integrity. Represent God with integrity. Our greatest mission, once we realize that heaven is real and his plan is precise, is to help as many as possible find the same reality in Jesus. It can be scary to think of professing Jesus as the one in whom we place our trust. Unfortunately, one of the biggest reasons this can be intimidating is that the name of Jesus today is often associated with attitudes and beliefs that He would not condone.  It is all the more reason why we need to act appropriately. For those ready to make the commitment, this might be a model for a prayer to God:

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Dear God

I recognize my human condition and that I act well, and that I act poorly. I believe in your plan that can allow me to spend eternity with you, and I believe I can be led and cared for by the Holy Spirit in this current life. So it is by faith that I confess I fall well short of perfection. My hope is in your fulfillment of the law and of the plan on my behalf. I ask your forgiveness for my infractions, and I accept the provision made through the sacrifice of Jesus. I dedicate my life to you. Please give me your Holy Spirit to guide, nudge and comfort me through the rest of my days. Please help me grow in wisdom and help me make a difference in the lives of others. Protect me and help me be strong in a world that is both beautiful and dangerous.  Help me not to be overly burdened with guilt or other emotions that can prohibit my growth and joy in this life. Help me to find a healthy balance between work, service and leisure.  And please help me to find great joy and happiness in my life and especially in my relationships.  Help me to find healthy sources with which to grow. Please help me to give my time and money to important causes and to take responsibility for people around the globe who are suffering. I am willing to work hard. Please provide the opportunities and means to meet my financial needs and obligations. I know that life can be difficult. Help me to struggle well in those times.  Thank you for all you are doing for me.  I ask all of this in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ.

Do not expect perfection.  Do not need life to be exciting or consistently emotional.  Paul compares the Christian life to a race - a very long race. Some days it is easy. Some days it is difficult. Sometimes we reflect and realize we are experiencing great faithfulness and effectiveness. At other times we realize that we have not been very productive. Grow in discipline. Try not to let fear or guilt take hold of you. Seek first God's Kingdom, and so much will be provided for you.

But also know that some of us will suffer greatly. Do not get bitter. Always put this short life into the perspective of a life that is to come.  

God is real as are his promises. While it is appropriate to be concerned with our personal circumstances, we should routinely consider the plight of others and how we might be of assistance and encouragement. The greatest fulfillment in life tends to come from times in which we devote ourselves to others with little concern for our gain or reward. Every person matters and should be respected.  We should enjoy the good times and treat ourselves and those we love well. We should find time to have fun and experience this planet and time with loved ones and the things that bring us joy. We should share and serve regularly and from a heart of love and gratitude.  We should struggle well through all of life's challenges.  May we keep our hearts and spiritual focus on Christ and on an eternity that will absolutely amaze us.  29 min