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About 12 years ago I found myself single after 18 years of marriage and at first I thought it might be a wonderful new start or beginning in taking an adventurous journey to discover a prospective spouse not realizing that this quest would be a painstaking process of struggling with a singles group, online dating, and matchmaking, which never seemed to be what God had in store for me in the first place which ended up taking me to the other side of the world three years later to find a wife. During the course of this journey I had several opportunities to pursue marriage but it was a matter of waiting for God’s best choice that in the end was the only thing that really mattered.
I was thinking that this whole concept of marriage has something to do with God as we have been perfectly matched to our Creator, even though many will settle for other partner(s) they call god, not realizing that the original arrangement would have been the best instead of compromising for a counterfeit. Sometimes we may think that what we already have is matchless, but comparatively speaking, this is something we may never know if we shun the opportunity to become intimately involved with the other person. Furthermore, you may have a false impression, which you’ve presumptuously assumed, causing you to resist in joining yourself to this someone else, which could be a missed opportunity on the basis of a simple misunderstanding.
Anyway, when looking for our significant other we often search for something that attracts us, even if it’s superficial. Sometimes this can be a distraction to what we are really in for, leading to, I don’t after we say I do. Religion may be desirous for all the wrong reasons such as for social, political, economic, and cultural advantages  as seeming to promise and promote all the benefits of a good and secure relationship, but in essence, it could really be a bad and abusive marriage. Bottom line, if we can concede in a personal God as the Creator and honestly determine that God isn’t all things to all people (pluralism), by understanding comparative religions, then it becomes reasonable that we were designed for this one God who will best suit our purpose and needs. Anything else is just a plain betrayal as decking oneself with earrings and jewelry to follow ones lovers while forgetting our (eternal) life partner, Hosea 2:13.
So whether you take the position of spiritual abstinence (Atheism), loving oneself (Hedonism), polyamorous devotion to many lovers (Hinduism), or a monogamous relationship, you may end up finding yourself lonely, promiscuous, or tied down to someone, whether for better or worse, as feeling  a sense of duty as to not separate and divorce, regardless whether you have any real sense of unity and fulfillment to what is eternally lasting and significant. You may have been promised many things in your wedding vows but there is no reassurance in this relationship as based solely on your acts of service and what’s in it for them instead of simply being justified because of the nature of the relationship as having to prove yourself in servitude as potentially being shamefully cast off as rejected over a lack of performance.
God’s love is unlike any of this, as it is unconditional, in that, we can’t earn or merit it, Ephesians 2:8-9, and He is completely faithful to keep us, John 6:37, as fully justified by a covenantal promise that can’t be broken or dissolved as secured by the gift of the bride price which was fully paid by His very life blood as a commitment to serve, and not, just being served, Romans 3:23-26, Mark 10:45. What kind of marriage would offer this kind of dedication and commitment towards ensuring your future without worrying if you are going to become simply displeasing and rejected in the end?
Finally, for some, marriage loses its appeal after the honeymoon stage in being challenged with the indifferences of imperfection as perhaps depriving you of that sense of joy and love that initially attracted you in the first place but now seems unattainable. Yet the superlative hope is that it can be gained as eternally lasting with a perfect union of which our souls really long for in connecting us to the One of which no one else can compare. The bible corresponds those who are in relationship with God as the bride of Christ, who have been sealed(secured), as with a ring, Ephesians 1:13-14, as the evidence of His love and commitment who has given Himself up for her, and I would ask you if you would be willing to stand at the altar to take a vow, as to love, cherish, and obey in faithful commitment, regardless of others objections, in taking Him as your Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward as being joined to Him, as to never be put asunder, Ephesians 5:25-33.

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The film Zeitgeist seemingly projects the person of Jesus as basically a spin-off of other religions and religious figures as challenging the authenticity of the early biblical text as another retake of ancient history and culture as assigning Jesus a mythical role just like other Savior characters whose storyline is fictitious based on the conspiracy of a copycat theory.

However when making these comparisons there are several factors to take into consideration such as  the fallacy of terminology, which in some instances has been used to coerce the experience to coincide with Christian terms as a typology or in some instances the wording, may be similar, yet conversely influenced by Christianity, as a post dated reference. According to the latter, this use of language leads to an equivocation over meanings much like how cults can use the same words to convey different things. While the former is like trying to connect Horus, Krishna, and Dionysius to similar values that are expressed in Christianity in referring to them as being born of a virgin, baptized, crucified and resurrected, but as you will see from reading this article, these claims are fallacious comparisons.

There is also the chronological fallacy as the beliefs and practices of these mystery religions evolved over time as some of these sources post date Christianity from the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries making them highly suspicious especially as they differ from their original forms with these latter additions. This may be due in part to the (1) explosion of Christianity in that many of these mystery religions adopted Christian elements as to compete or attract Christians. Yet the only influence that Christianity directly received was from the Jewish religious culture, which predated some of these mystery religions.

Then there is the source fallacy as using outdated and misinformed sources that have been discarded from consideration, as well as failure to utilize the comparative religion as a primary source which in some cases there is so little to go by because of its secrecy, leading to undocumented assertions, speculation on casual relationships, and selective interpretations. An example of this is Mithraism, which does not have a text but relies on the interpretation of reliefs and statues by using brief comments by ancient writers, of whom are mostly post first century. There are also individual assessments which are made by those who aren’t even experts in the field of religion much like that of the Jesus Seminar.

Lastly, there is the difference fallacy, which overemphasizes the supposed similarities while ignoring the differences leading to a Parallelomania (Samuel Sandmel). Such differences would include doctrine and beliefs, which is unimportant to the pagan religions but essential to Christianity, as well as their syncretistic values that is contrary to Christianity with its exclusive claims. There is also a lack of ethical standards that is characteristic of Christianity as well as a secretive nature among these mystery religions unlike the openness and transparency to that of Christianity.

In addition to all of this, there are other cultural considerations, which I believe is helpful, in discerning the nature of this argument as dismissing some of these claims.

Which include taking into consideration the historical person of Jesus and the reliability of the scriptures, with its early dating, as hard to imagine, borrowing non-Jewish ideas taken from pagan cultures, especially in light of the oppressive nature of the Greco-Roman empires that had tried to eradicate their Jewish identity and faith to now deify Jesus like one of their (1) mythological characters or Greek philosophers/ Roman Emperors. It would be like trying to convince Christians who are being persecuted by Muslims that Islam is the way.

Also from a biblical perspective such beliefs would have been rejected as idolatry with the strongest of terms comparing such actions to demon worship, 1 Corinthians 10:19-22. In conjunction, it is inconceivable why they would even attempt plagiarizing such folklore stories in reaching out to their countryman who would despise such foreign influences as detestable to them as to remove their identity in severing their societal ties as to readily accept these ideas in abandoning their ancestral faith. It was already enough for both the disciples and the Jewish people in trying to grasp the scriptural and societal concept of Jesus as the Messiah let alone add these extra-biblical claims.

Also the Jewish people of that time were conquered and marginalized, yet resisted the mainstreaming of integration and assimilation, which is why they have largely maintained their identity to this day as surviving millennia. Thus, it seems highly unlikely that early Christians could have been so easily swayed by these mystery religions especially in some cases where the majority of people would have been geographically isolated from, such as the Far Eastern Religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Finally, there is no evidence of pagan mystery influence within Israel during the first century.

Now getting on with the data for consideration, we will begin by taking a survey as comparing the person and work of Christ to these mystery religions as dealing with (1) miraculous births, baptismal initiations, dying saviors, and the likes, etc.

Virgin birth- According to Payam Nabarz, Mithras was said to have been born by a virgin which involved springing forth from the underworld via a rock not of human origin. Another account, taken from Persia, has Anahita, Mithra’s mother, portrayed as the immaculate virgin mother goddess of lord Mithra who becomes impregnated by the seed of Zoroaster, contrary to the fallen human nature of Jesus’ virgin mother. Mithras is then born of a goddess by the seed of a man as awkwardly backwards to Christ’s conception and birth.

Other examples of this include Attis, who is conceived when Zeus spilled his seed on the side of the mountain that eventually became a pomegranate tree. Nana, mother of Attis, while sitting under the tree, receives a pomegranate into her lap, which fell from the tree, causing her to become pregnant. This seems more akin to Buddha sitting underneath the Bodhi tree when he received enlightenment.

According to the Zeitgeist script such causal connections are made between Virgo and its glyph as symbolized by an altered “m” to associate these so-called virgin mothers as connecting the stars of the constellation as their names begin with an M, leading to Mary the mother of Jesus, Adonis’s mother Myrrha, Buddha’s mother Maya, which all seems out of this world like applying a generic daily horoscope in finding all sorts of random applications and scenarios.  

Baptism– (1) There are groups, which predate Christianity, having cleansing or purification rituals, but are unlike Christian baptism which identifies the baptized with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, while these other religions, have nothing to do with the symbolism of death in their ritual according to professor of New Testament, Herman Ridderbos, Romans 6:3-6.

(1) Also, some have associated the blood of Christ, as in Revelation 7:14 and 1 Peter 1:2, to that of the Cybele and Attis cult ritual, known as Taurobolium, which involves taking a blood bath/shower from a bull. However, this account is so dissimilar, in that, the blood of a bull as used in this ritual is nothing in comparison to the precious lifeblood of Christ, Hebrews 10:4-23. (1) Lastly, this ritual post-dates Christianity by about a 100 years , as well as a similar ritual known as Criobolium, thus disqualifying it for consideration.

(1) Furthermore, there is no ritual in Christianity involving blood except when Jesus’ blood is symbolically represented by the wine.

Rebirth- (1) Only in a couple of cases is this term even debatable, but even at that, the notion of rebirth as used in this part of the world doesn’t occur until the 2^nd Century or afterwards as also including Mithraism and the Taurobolium (Nash).

Communion- (1) Nash explains, that in Mithraism, they used a piece of bread and a cup of water as given to an initiate while the priest spoke some ceremonial words.

Yet, communion or the Lord’s Supper, was not influenced by Mithraism, (1) as it didn’t gain influence in the Roman Empire until after 100 A.D, but rather, communion was taken from the Jewish Passover Seder.

(1) Nash notes, that Justin Martyr referred to this practice as a satanic imitation of the Lord’s supper. Accordingly, Satanism perverts Christian symbols and rites in their black mass.

Crucifixion- Jesus actually underwent this form of death unlike these other figures such as Krishna who had been shot in the foot with an arrow and died of his wounds, Attis castrated himself in a jealous rage and then fled into the wilderness to die, Adonis was gored by a wild boar, Osiris was ripped apart , and Horus was stung by a scorpion.

In comparison to Christ’s death, it wasn’t simply self-inflicted or an accident, but was the intentional will of God as directly linked to the outcome of a bodily resurrection as a victory over sin and death, unlike these legendary accounts.

Another controversial position is that of D.M. Murdock, who claims that anytime a deity is depicted with their arms outstretched, justifies the notion of crucifixion, yet he also admits, that it could have a different meaning making it inconclusive at best. 

Dying and Rising gods- The so-called resurrection accounts among the mystery religions would include (1) the Egyptian cult of Isis and Osiris, as Osiris is murdered by his brother Seth as sinking the coffin in the Nile River at which point Osiris’s wife, the goddess Isis, discovers the body and returns it to Egypt then Seth regains the body and cuts it into fourteen pieces and scatters it abroad leading to  Isis recovering the pieces and according to Ronald Nash, becomes the lord of the underworld. Now according to Plutarch, “Osiris is said to have descended to hell and then risen from the dead on the third day” to become the king of the dead, unlike Christ, who rose to life from the dead while Osiris remained in the grave. (1) Anyway, the resurrection account of Osiris, as well as others, does not appear in literature until the second century and afterwards, which again, makes it an unlikely candidate for consideration. Furthermore, one might try to make a connection between Osiris and  ‘The Apostles Creed’ which mentions Jesus descending into Hell, yet according to the Bible, it is not quite clear on the nature of this descent.

Another account is Horus, the offspring of Osiris and Isis, who was stung by a scorpion but restored back to health (life) as a form of death and resurrection.

(1) According to Metzger, the other dying and rising gods such as Attis and Adonis are not even comparable to that of Christ. (1) Also there is no evidence earlier than the 2^nd century AD regarding these supposed resurrection accounts.

Finally in Acts 17:18 the idea of resurrection was foreign among the Gentile philosophers of that time who saw Paul’s appeal as advocating foreign gods. This seems like a strange reaction if Paul had borrowed this idea from the cultures around him as these philosophers were well-educated and versed in the latest and greatest ideas and would have been familiar to such a notion. Also, if Christianity was just about converting people then obviously they should have done a better job of adapting their message to find acceptance and inclusion among the Jews (who saw it as only coming at the end of the age/time), and their Gentile audiences.

Nash identifies some unique traits to the death and resurrection of Christ, which separate Him from the other Wannabe’s as including these (1) mystery religions and their gods. 

• None of the savior gods died for someone else’s sin.
• Jesus died once and for all, unlike the vegetation deities with their cyclical death and resuscitation following the annual cycle of nature.
• Jesus is a historical person whose death was in history
• Jesus died voluntarily and was a message of victory not defeat.

Furthermore, a bodily resurrection would disagree with the mystery religions who regarded the body as beyond saving as materially unfit as corrupt and evil, whereas in the gospel, it is a holistic message as involving the entire person as being made in God’s image. Therefore, the idea of resurrection is not univocal to these mystery religions, which only emphasize the spiritual life, while in Christianity, it deals with the whole person including the bodily life.

Saviour– Some examples of this are Osiris, as lord of the netherworld, who judges by merit, a person’s earthly works, while Christ worked on our behalf apart from our own merit. The former is really the essence of all religion as apart from the essential teachings of Christianity.

Moreover, there is Mithras, whose bull-slaying was to said to be the saving action of shedding blood which again is inferior to the blood of Christ in comparison to that of bulls, Hebrews 10:4-23. Not only that, but his designation as a savior god wasn’t mentioned until the late first and second centuries.

In conclusion, (1) according to Adolf von Harnack, to associate comparative mythology as finding causal connections between everything is to tear down solid barriers, to bridge a chasm in spinning combinations from superficial similarities.

Thus to make such associations as linking events and things to Jesus is a special pleading in hoping to find casual agents as discrediting His exclusivity and uniqueness as just one among many savior gods who is mythically irrelevant and ineffectual in mission. In so doing some may try to put Jesus at the end of the parade as a just another religious prop, but in my opinion, this parade has been ‘rained on’ from the view of jeering spectators.

In the final analysis, the Zeitgeist copycat theory hardly represents the scholarly crowds, nevertheless, these movies influence others who are uninformed about the details. Accordingly, Bruce Metzger admits to the influence of pagan rites and practices in the post-Constantinian era, but not early Christianity, which is what needs to be believed and practiced as Orthodox. For example, we see such influences as celebrating Christ’s birth on December 25, which is not his birth date. Another comparison related to the birth narrative are the three stars in the belt of Orion, called the ‘three kings’, as pertaining to the biblical story of Jesus, yet the bible does not state they were kings, let alone three of them, who visited Christ.

So when others overreach as to include these non-biblical fallacies it only hurt’s their cause in making for a weaker case, which is more than likely just a smear campaign to discredit Christianity by presenting a false association with these post hoc and ergo propter hoc arguments in relationship to these unrelated mystery religions in correlating such concepts, which is on same level with the Davinci Code.

Also if you adopt the language of Christianity and forcefully coerce the facts to round off the square peg in the round hole, then that’s what is being done by comparing something that is obviously mythical to that of a historical narrative, such as when comparing the book of Acts to these fictional accounts. (1) Thus, according to Nash, this process becomes an oversimplification and exaggeration that is overstated in their supposed analogies.

Therefore, it takes a special kind of imagination with an ulterior motive to formulate a syncretism of influence over such a dichotomy of beliefs that it becomes obviously questionable at best. As based on their own criteria I think it would be more suitable to apply their methods towards the pagan origins of the Easter Egg and Easter Bunny than to the Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ as making the mystery religions dead, apart from the one who has risen from the grave and who gives life to all who call upon His name, Romans 10:13.

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Come Let Us Reason, Copyright © 2012 by Paul Copan and William Lane Craig, Published by B&H Publishing Group, Nashville Tennessee

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© 2009 Josh McDowell Ministry. All rights reserved. No part of these Materials may be changed in any way or reproduced in any form without written permission from Josh McDowell Ministry, 660 International Parkway, Richardson, TX 75081. www.josh.org. +1 972 907 1000. Used by Permission.

As a plight of our humanity, I think that most of us have undergone some degree of rejection in our lives, as having cried out at times for unconditional love and acceptance. Unfortunately, love is something that we don’t always get and often have to earn from others and is so fragile that it can be easily lost by some of the most intimate of relationships as with our parents, spouses, children, families, friends, co-workers and associates, and even religious affiliations. It’s sad to say, but so true, as these failed relationships often cause us to yearn for a real sense of belonging and acceptance in having a security that goes beyond the limitations of others.

This even applies when seeking the transcendence of a religious experience by which most religions fail as being unable to offer such comfort with their conditional merit or by their philosophical perspective, as with the illusion of Hinduism and the detachment of Buddhism, in failing to fulfill this real-felt human need as to experience a genuine and lasting love.

Consequently, Jesus in His humanity, also experienced pain and separation as being rejected by His countrymen John 1:10-11, hometown folk Luke 4:24, family Mark 3:21, John 7:5, disciples John 6:66,70-71, Matthew 26:31, and finally, on our behalf, felt a form of rejection from the Heavenly Father in His death on the cross, Matthew 27:46, so that we might have reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, as receiving the seal of God’s approval and ownership through the promised Comforter, Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13-14, who indwells the believer making us heirs of God, Romans 8:15-17, adopting us as His children, Ephesians 1:5, Romans 8:14-17, by which we can never be snatched away nor forsaken, Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5-6, John 10:27-30. Finally, it is the nurturing of Jesus’ love as interceding as our High Priest in knowing what it is to suffer, Hebrews 2:17-18, 4:15-16, 7:25.

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Lastly, God is so adamant and proactive in sharing His love, that He doesn’t even wait on us, as He lovingly and patiently draws us unto Himself, pursuing us when we are far off, even when treating Him like an enemy, as in blasphemy and persecution, Acts 9:13-15, Romans 5:6-10, 1 Timothy 1:13-16. Moreover, He willing receives us back as the Prodigal Son and seeks us out as the Lost Sheep, Luke 15. Making it even more difficult to exclude Him, as this love is far beyond our self, as incapable of being fully reciprocated.

What kind of love is this, that is so foreign to our experience, yet so right and inviting to our hearts? It’s clearly a love that we can’t fully grasp or understand but one that can be freely received and experienced. My friend, you can try searching elsewhere for it, but you won’t find it, just a whole lot of “I love you’s” out there as only temporarily satisfying. Finally, there is no greater love than this, or anything to compare in finding rest for a restless heart, Matthew 11:28-30, as never doubting His love for you.

In conclusion, you may try to escape the pains in life, as with religion, controlled substances, sexual promiscuity, work, and other things, etc., yet you will never know what true love is until you surrender yourself to the Lover of your soul and yet it’s a wonder why anyone would still want to reject the One who would have never rejected them. Go figure!

Romans 8: 31-39

31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things? 33 Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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You may be culturally conditioned to wander through life as given a secular or god path to follow with a maze of decisions and actions as a directive on where to walk and turn, yet even so, there remains a strong sense of personal responsibility to take the right journey instead of just a familiar path.
As you do, you might think that moving is a sign of progress and that intent or sincerity may hopefully get you somewhere. Yet, the course could be a ‘dead end’ as constantly backtracking to find your way as spinning in circles, as when lost, in leading to such a hopeless feeling of confusion and emptiness in not being able to find the way, yet somehow knowing that there is a way, and wondering why others are going different directions as trying to find the ultimate significance of a meaningful existence or destination.
This disorientation may lead you to a pluralistic or many path view, even though, it could be an exclusive route. It may cause you to give up too soon, as the pursuit may seem endless and tiring turning you into a skeptic as seeing this meandering in life as nihilistic, being trapped in a meaningless robotic rat race or deterministic as someone’s cruel game or trick, in failing, just short of the finish. Finally, you may just settle by comforting yourself in associating with your fellow travelers who seem just as lost as you are in having companions without a real sense of direction.
However, if you persist, you must recognize, that you didn’t design the maze, as to its beginning and end (Alpha and Omega). Thus, it is essential to find the Maze Maker, in seeking Him for directions, as to where it should take you, even if it means making a detour where you never intended to go.
Consequently, by tracking the Supreme Architect, He will give you all the roadside assistance you will ever need to navigate and traverse this maze successfully, as starting with a general map, that gives basic information to get you started and then as you progress down the road of life, you will begin to recognize the maps’ landmarks as displaying the eternal plan of the Almighty Mapper, in seeing more clearly where you need to end up, as including other significant sources or references along the way.
Therefore, my friend, I can only ask you, to ask the One, to reveal more specifically the course, as a path that is eternally guided as leading to an A-mazing God who has prepared the way through the person and work of Jesus who has gone before you in making a sure path as leading to life and life more abundantly, John 10:10, Matthew 7:13-14, John 14:5-6.

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After proposing to my fiancé I wanted to seal the deal, with a ring, as a sign of our covenant that proved to be more symbolic than valuable at the time, that is, if value is reduced to that which is monetary. At this juncture in my life I had just spent all of my surplus money to go to Israel where I had met my fiancé, now wife, so if you were to consider the full package deal of everything it cost me then I imagine that this sort of significance makes the value of the ring even more valuable than most. Granted my assignment was not to find a wife, but much of my time and resources while living there was spent on courting her which essentially became more priceless than any token of agreement. I said all that to say this, that I could only afford to buy her a blue topaz ring with about 24 white diamonds which were so small that it takes a magnifying glass just to see them. Now I am not trying to justify or defend myself in minimizing the importance of such sacred jewelry, but in this situation, it becomes a matter of perspective regarding the whole picture versus a glancing snapshot of her ring finger.
What makes this whole story quite humorous is the day I presented it to her she thought it must have been a rare blue diamond, which is one of the most valuable diamonds to purchase, and when I had told her otherwise, it went over pretty well, considering, but minimally she felt embarrassed and perhaps a little silly and foolish to have believed it was a blue diamond instead of a semi-precious gemstone.
Though this stone is exceptionally beautiful, for the untrained eye or person, it would be easy to become a victim of mistaken identity, e.g., cubic zirconia. So I was thinking that sometimes our lives can be unexamined like this as we take something at face value as to what we have been given or offered believing it to be one thing without taking a hard look at all the facts to see what we really got as asking those critical questions about what it is. We are good at surface level observations as defending our knowledge of what we think it is or what it should be, as well as listening to other opinions about what they think is correct, but I suspect that many are unwilling to become trained experts, such as a gemologist, in donning the loupe to get a closer look at what we really have in our possession as an objective view of reality, as even willing to criticize or critique our biases related to our secular or religious worldviews.
Of course, we know that this may not essentially matter when we’re talking ‘bling’ but when it comes to the possibility of infinitely significant matters of ultimate meaning and purpose to life, then what we believe should outshine everything else as requiring certified authenticity.
For the skeptic who believes that nothing, in this respect, is true, or we can’t know for sure what’s real, should likewise be skeptical of their own skepticism especially as the former is a ‘know it all,’ while not knowing everything, and the latter espouses ignorance, of which some don’t really want to know, both viewpoints which I’m quite cynical about.
Others are just relativists when it comes to the whole situation as not even caring whether it is true, as long as it has sentimental value to a person and if they sincerely believe it to be real then that’s all that matters, as essentially claiming it to be true for themselves, even though it may prove to be  fake. This loss of insight, as to the eye of the beholder, may work when we are talking about preferences to normal, everyday life, in that such subjectivism is non-consequential, but what I am talking about is something that is truly beautiful, an absolute beauty of which all others lack the luster of in comparison.
All such people, can, at times, be so confidently unconcerned in stating that these matters, don’t matter, yet if they do matter, then what they believe, doesn’t matter, no matter what, and thus it should matter as the most important matter to life. I think these views lack the honesty and integrity in placing personal truth over and against authenticity which is inconsistent with their daily lives as treating other matters as more matterful when it comes down to comparatively trivial questions.
Anyway, let’s just say you bought your fiancé a ring but the clerk accidentally charged you the wrong price as paying more for it than what is was really worth, would you be happy? How about if the jeweler tried to deceitfully sell you a one karat diamond as a half karat, would it matter? What if your fiancé had the ability to buy anything in the display case and chose to purchase you a piece of phony glass over a costly diamond, would you have honestly been satisfied? Essentially, we know it matters, and to passively accept whatever we have been given in life, without close inspection, is like overvaluing costume jewelry while throwing out the crown jewels.
Sometimes we wear what we have been given as an identity to what is popular and stylish for all to see. Maybe it’s a hand me down keepsake that we are unwilling to doff. Perhaps it seems to fit comfortably, or maybe the fingers are so pridefully swollen that they are unable or unwilling to remove it. Regardless of why they are holding on to their “precious,” so tightly, in the end, will cost them everything regardless of its personal worth. Socrates once said that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” is that true for you?

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Though the title line of this article is completely wrong as applying to human courts, this statement is absolutely right when it pertains to God who is both omniscient and all-just.
A couple of years ago I underwent the process of jurisprudence as to exercise my civic responsibility as an American citizen to serve on jury duty.
After hearing the case, with the arguments presented, I went through the process of deliberation with the other jurors, and as a result, I was not convinced about an important point regarding the Defendant’s guilt, and I voted against the majority of the jurors which unbalanced the voting resulting in a non-guilty verdict, even though it may have been otherwise.
The human justice system, though necessary, is imperfect and sometimes we can only know something beyond a reasonable doubt which is enough to satisfy the court’s ruling based on the limitations of human knowledge and ability regarding judgment. One of the ways to reduce some of these hindrances is by picking a jury through interviewing a panel of potential jurors as weeding out people who have strong biases that make them unsuitable to render a fair decision based on false presuppositions regarding the case. Even with all that, when the attorneys think they may have the cream of the crop there are still other human factors involved that can play a part in failing to execute this procedure fairly. There is also the potential of corruption in the legal system that  can also affect the process. In any case, it is only God’s perfect being who can always deliver a proper judgment with complete certainty.
Also, I have watched enough reality TV to know that when someone is caught in the act, they often behave ignorantly or in denial with a counterclaim of innocence as not knowing the law or stating “It wasn’t me,” someone else did it. Yet, this is the human predicament as we, at various levels, whether criminal or not, often try hiding under pretense, as in the garden of Eden, or overestimate their lives as believing that they are better than they actually are. Just ask someone if they think they are a good person and if they’re going to heaven to see what kind of response you get. I suspect some will begin by rejecting any sense of a moral law, or proceed to deny any wrongdoing, or by justifying themselves, stating all the good things they have done as comparing themselves with others. But what it comes down to, is not how we see ourselves or how others see us; rather it’s God’s view of us that really matters.
We can get away with hiding our faults and guilt from one another, but not with God, who knows all and sees all, Psalm 139, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Psalm 14:1-3.

Romans 3:10-23,
10 As it is written,
“There is no one righteous;
no, not one.
11
There is no one who understands.
There is no one who seeks after God.
12
They have all turned aside.
They have together become unprofitable.
There is no one who does good,
no, not so much as one.”
13
“Their throat is an open tomb.
With their tongues they have used deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is under their lips”;
14
“whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15
“Their feet are swift to shed blood.
16
Destruction and misery are in their ways.
17
The way of peace, they haven’t known.”
18
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God. 20 Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 21 But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This whole matter is like an officer, Holy Spirit (John 16:7-11), who pulls you over to give a sobriety test to perform certain functions in respect to the Law of God, as a standard, to examine whether you can walk a straight line. Of course, we would try to get out of it, by denying our guilt, yet the bottom line is, mankind, is not sober, as intoxicated with their own righteousness. Whether or not we will admit our problem when questioned, the evidence is beyond doubt, as having broken the law by driving under the influence of sin. The problem is we get behind the wheel of life, and we think we can drive impaired, not realizing that we are out of control as crossing the line in swerving all over the roadway of life.
Following the arrest, the litigation proceeds as in death (Hebrews 9:27), and you will be summoned to appear in court on Judgement Day at which point such action will be taken to hear the charges of your crime according to all that is on record, as a breach of God’s law, Revelation 20:11-15.
In representing yourself, you will stand nakedly, convicted, as there will be no petition or plea for mercy at this point, as being silenced (Romans 3:19), and overruled without rebuttal or recourse as to philosophy, religion, etc., as to justify your actions.
Being that the Judge has the power and authority to act, at will, in knowing all the facts, He is then able to swiftly adjudicate the sentence as carrying out the disposition, with a guilty as charged verdict, to be incarcerated under the custody of an eternal prison without any kind of eligibility for a purgatorial release as making parole, or with possibility of a reincarnated rehearing, or a complete annihilation. In this heavenly courtroom, God is the witness, plaintiff, prosecutor, judge, and jury at which point you might object that the court is staged. But as the Supreme Honor of the Highest Court, He perfectly occupies His bench of which there is no higher authority to appeal to, as the decision is final, in that, the Almighty Judge of the Universe prevails when judging.
While on earth, this judgment and condemnation had already been passed, Romans 6:23, before we pass, and enter the Great White Throne Judgement. Our attendance at this point is to concede and ratify His judgment as ‘True’ in as much as every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:9-11.
This may seem wrong, but there is a conditional clause of mercy during our earthly habitation, as the Judge has also freely given Himself as Counsel, who advocates on your behalf in representing both mankind and the tribunal of His holiness. This intermediating is remedial, as Jesus, who as our Defense Attorney affords restitution, acting as the Indemnifier to provide surety towards, accord and satisfaction, as a propitiation for damages incurred as to dismiss, acquit and expunge as completely sufficient.
If Jesus were only a man then he wouldn’t be able to purely represent us, but because He is both divine and human He can stand for both sides, as willfully giving His life at His own expense, in exchange on our behalf, 1 Peter 3:18, Romans 5:6-10, John 10:15-18. Thus, God then becomes both the just and the justifier of which otherwise, we would all be lost and beyond hope, Romans 3:24-26, 1 John 2:1-2.
My friend, will your name be recorded in the ‘Lambs Book of Life’ or will it be left out, as blacklisted among those who are ‘Wanted’ as condemned?

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The adage of ‘out with the old and in with the new’ is a way of looking forward to a prospective future as putting the past behind us. This often involves making new year resolutions, which as you know, can almost be as short-lived as the final countdown on new year’s eve.
Several of these goals may be important for this life but have you considered resolving enduring matters as exceeding these annual plans for change? We often think that ‘time is on our side’ as ‘having all the time in the world’ but we never really know when our time is up at which point nothing else will seem to matter as regrettably losing our opportunity for responding with the consequence of our procrastination.
Sometimes, we may regret our lives as wishing we could somehow travel back in time to resolve our past or escape by taking a trip to the future and though this is science fiction it is possible to do this in another way as looking back to the historical significance of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection while anticipating the outlook of eternal life.
When you think about the importance of mankind in relationship to all of creation it becomes evident that we are at the pinnacle of the created order as made in the image of God, who eternally exists outside of time, making time for us with the idea that you will take time for Him, Ephesians 1:4-14.
Is Life an Accident?
It is Jesus who created time, then stepped into time by the incarnation (A.D./B.C), who at the right time (kairos) and for all time, bore our sins forever, Romans 5:6, 1 Peter 3:18, Hebrews 10:10-14.
Finally, ‘time is of the essence’ as ‘there is no time like the present’ in that “now is the day of salvation”, 2 Corinthians 6:2. #isn’tittime

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This time of year people are preoccupied with giving and getting as gift exchanging is the highlight of both Hanukkah and Christmas traditions.
The downside to this manner of gift giving is that money is spent on material things which are usually only temporarily meaningful or impactful and over a period of time they lose their dazzle as the excitement dwindles with yet another hope for more gifts in the future so as to peak our arousal once again with a short promise towards happiness or fulfillment #scroogebahhumbug
Deep down in our hearts we know this to be true in that we have an emptiness or lack as we continue to fill our lives with things while longing for a perpetual gift that keeps on giving which supersedes all others gifts of which nothing else can compare. We were designed to yearn for this gift, yet unfortunately, many of us would rather look under a tree rather than to the One who was hung on a tree, Galatians 3:13. The deception is that such superficiality, no matter how much you try to encourage and convince yourself otherwise, will never lead to any lasting sense of contentment.
We can have a wish list and even if we get everything on our list it only leads to yet another wish list, so and so forth with a never-ending story of bucket lists.
Furthermore, the world offers different wrappers of attraction with various toys and gadgets to keep us hoping and dreaming for more but these longings are usually  short lived as no matter how many times you change the wrapping paper it’s still the same old thing refashioned.
So what would the ultimate gift look like so we could recognize it? One quality that ranks high is the Cost of the gift which signifies our value in relationship to the giver. This time of year we often think of the birth of the Messiah and the gifts of the Magi and yet what the Messiah had to offer was much more than the riches and desires of this world as One who was born to die as a priceless offering on our behalf, 1 Peter 1:18-19.
Another quality is How the gift was given. Was it obligatory in nature as a reciprocal response? Is it something expected almost demanded based on the nature of the occasion? Was it given sincerely as a gesture of love and appreciation or was it really based on how they associate with the other person as an extension of themselves? Sometimes we may not always know the psychology of giving and though it might even be our love language it does not necessarily imply that real love was the motivation for such giving. One thing we can be sure about is that God the Giver gave to us the Savior of the World unconditionally, as essentially we were His enemies by nature and could not give anything of equal value in return for God’s sacrificial love, which is a shortcoming to all religions with their naughty and nice list about earning or giving something back as to merit their god’s favor before acceptance. It may all appear as finely wrapped in devotion and honor but this behavior is more questionably a debt towards a payment of which they owe. However, God’s gift is unmerited as there is nothing we have done or can do to earn it and so it becomes a matter of freely Receiving the gift which is much more than what we could ever expect from any human counterpart or religious system, even at their very best, Romans 5:6-10, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 1:12.
Speaking of motivation, the Initiative of the gift is relational and reconciliatory which again is beyond human consideration as usually the offender offers the offendee a peace-offering not vice versa.
Another characteristic of this gift is that it is completely Satisfactory to the soul apart from any rivals as not only justifying us before God as forgiving our trespasses but by also giving us the full package of redemption as including the Comforter or Holy Spirit who as the divine helpmate and change agent renews us through His regenerating power bearing witness that we are the children of God, Romans 3:20-26, 5:1-2, Galatians 2:16, John 14:16-17, Galatians 5:16-26, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Titus 3:3-7, Romans 8:1-18.
Finally, the gift is immediate and Timeless which can not be destroyed, lost, or decay, as it is Eternal Life, Romans 8:28-39, John 3:16. Which is more than anything that can be offered to us in the temporal realm including religions that may profess enlightenment with the hopes of a recycle theory of rebirth or a purgatorial realm that through the perfecting of imperfect humans over time will somehow attain ultimate reality as not so ultimate.
Additionally, God is not trying to conceal His gift as a mystery in which we have to discover like some secretive Christmas catalog order form or by guessing as making small openings in the package or by shaking it in hopes of figuring out what God has given us, rather He has openly revealed to us as respectfully unwrapping His Son from the swaddling clothes to present the greatest gift that has or could ever be given, Isaiah 9:6-7.

Though Jesus Christ is offered as to bring peace on earth and good will toward men He is not always received as such according to these various responses.

1) Some will treat Him like a gag gift or as a white elephant used as the brunt of jokes when referring to receiving such a ridiculous excuse of a gift.

2) Others with amazement and surprise emotionally receive Him with great joy then once realizing their responsibility in receiving, reject Him, as fearful of any repercussions towards commitment as not really wanting Him.

3) Then there are those who will receive Him only as a new faddish seasonal gift in their life and then frivolously set Him aside to pursue other more seemingly profitable gifts.

4) Lastly, there are those who understand Him as ‘the Pearl of great price’ as seeing the true value of which others have refused and embrace Him with all their heart as the only gift worth opening as forgetting all other gifts.

Perhaps you too may reject Jesus as a maximally great gift of a person in imagining a God who would do all of what I have previously mentioned without receiving any relational ties. Yet it is our experience as recognizing the importance of social factors in our lives and therefore it would seem elementary to imagine the superiority of a personal God as more excellent than an absentee Father who would have left you an inheritance without the present of His presence. Will you receive His gift of perfect love?
James 1:17
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.

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According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus birth was proclaimed by the celestial bodies or constellations as a lesser light declaring the greater ‘Light of the World’ in a shining display and wonderment to His heavenly glory as the ‘Star who was born’, Isaiah 9:1-7, Numbers 24:17.
I’m not sure what this star really represented as this word could have been used to refer to other bright objects in the sky. Some academicians report the “Star of Bethlehem” to have been a planetary alignment while others believe it to be a comet, supernova, or some other kind of miraculous heavenly body.
Whatever the occurrence, it is more astounding to consider the correlation between the Son as the Creator of Light, who under the Sun, is given to enlighten everyone’s path, John 1:9, as offering them hope and yet the very eyes which He formed to reveal His light, were blinded to His identity, as a king, a people, and a ruling nation tried to extinguish Him like a smoldering wick, John 1:10-14.
Though these inanimate space rocks would praise Him, Luke 19:40, those who were created in His very image would use such stones as an attempt to condemn Him finally leading to His mocking exaltation as a King who was only worthy of a crown of thorns and a wooden throne of a cross as a pledge of allegiance and solidarity in their lifting Him up. Yet remarkably, the One who would die would utter the characteristic words of His salvific mission of forgiveness resulting in good will towards men, the likes of who gave them life, Luke 2:14, 23:34, Mt.1:21.
Though it was according to the Father’s plan for the Christ to suffer and die for a specific purpose at a precise time and place, yet even after this event, His death sentence is proclaimed through murderous acts of martyrdom to banning His person from of a Holiday which bears His title.
For some, the memory of Jesus, at best, is represented only in seasonal songs or perhaps a play as keeping Him in a far away place a long time ago as confining Him to the nurture of a mother as a helpless and poor child who was born in a manger all on a ‘Silent Night’.
Either way, Christ as heralded by angels or by the prophetic voice of Isaiah may be an unbelievable message for some or a message about unbelief for others, as treated indifferently by the former or hostilely by the latter, nonetheless from the prestigious wise men to the humble shepherds, they saw the Light as believing the message with great joy, Isaiah 53, Luke 2:10. Do you?

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Upon looking over the link below you might be “thinking” that I must have a walnut sized brain to consider such quackery as to accommodate the concept of teleology or design as arguing for a Designer God. Yet what I am finding here may just be another clue or signature to the general revelation as we grow in the knowledge of His glory and power that is on display as recognized through the world we live in, Romans 1:18-21, Psalm 19:1-4.
Anyway I’m not just contemplating this position from some religious pretext as this concept has become accepted by some secular resources as well in showing a correlation between food that oddly resembles body parts by which it significantly affects.
Lastly I’m not a Foodie but I would encourage you to “taste and see that the Lord is good”, Psalm 34:8. #Godisgood

For a descriptive and picturesque display of this phenomena you can view the link below.
hubpages.com/politics/The-FINGERPRINTS-of-GOD-Part-2-Wonders-of-Nature-Miracles-of-the-Lord

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