Season 5 Podcast 68 A New Voice of Freedom, Argument for the Existence of God, Episode 43, “Dimensions of Life, Pt 5, Dimension Six The Final Judgment Pt B.”There are two curious scriptures in the New Testament that are much talked about. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6: 19)Christians hold those scriptures dear to their hearts; the idea that we are temples is revolutionary. Now imagine living in the eternities being one with God. In Revelation 21:22 we read,“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”In literature and art Satan has been presented in frightful images. Revelations is a difficult book to read because it is so unsettling. It is so unsettling because one cannot help but believe that we are now living in the day The Book of Revelation is being fulfilled. Satan wants us to fear him because that gives him power over us. If we fear God, that is if we love God enough that we will keep his commandments—in other words we fear justice—we will have power over Satan. Isaiah gives us a strange image of the downfall of Satan.“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.” (Isaiah 14:12-19)Satan is certainly more powerful than we are, and anyone who thinks that of themselves they are superior are in for a terrible awakening. But Satan is not more powerful than God. There is no comparison. The end is never in doubt. Even Satan knows that. As John added, “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (Revelation 12:12)It is Satan who tries to take away light and truth for that is the only power he has. In fact, Satan targets the following: light, truth, freewill, agency, faith, hope, love, freedom, self-reliance, charity, belief in God, and belief in absolute law.Being devoid of light and truth himself, he cannot create. He can only destroy that which God creates. He wants everyone to be as miserable as he is. He wants us to fail. He wants to persuade us to get as far away from light and truth as possible and the further away we are from the Light of Christ the more power Satan has over us. He is the Prince of Darkness, and darkness is his domain.

Season 5 Podcast 67 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 18 Chapter 4 B, “THE BATTLE.” In last week’s episode, Christian is interrogated by Apollyon, the destroyer, who asks him why he left the City of Destruction to follow Evangelist. With cunning he tries to win Christian back into his fold but fails. In this week’s episode Apollyon tries to destroy Christian. Apollyon asks Christian.Apol. Thou hast already been unfaithful in thy service to Him; and how dost thou think to receive wages of Him?Planting seeds of doubt is part of the cunning of Satan. Satan is suggesting that Christian cannot repent; therefore, he is already damned. Christian questions’ Apollyon.Chris. Wherein, O Apollyon, have I been unfaithful to Him?Apollyon lists a number of ways that Christian has failed. This, of course, is an attempt to play on Christian’s conscience.Apol. Thou didst faint at first setting out, when thou wast almost choked in the Gulf of Despond. Thou didst attempt wrong ways to be rid of thy burden, whereas thou shouldst have stayed till thy Prince had taken it off. Thou didst sinfully sleep and lose thy choice things. Thou wast almost persuaded to go back at the sight of the lions. And when thou talkest of thy journey, and of what thou hast seen and heard, thou art inwardly desirous of glory to thyself in all that thou sayest or doest.This raises an important theological question. Can Satan manipulate our conscience? How does conscience work? All of the accusations of Apollyon above are true. They are past sins; however, they are sins that Christian has suffered for and repented of. Isaiah said, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)One of the cunning devices of Satan is to tell us that we cannot repent, that our cause is hopeless, that the atoning blood of Christ cannot apply to us because our sins have been too great, thus trying to get us to give up. Conscience is a gift of God, and like all gifts of God, because of the law of agency, it can be used for both good and evil. We must discern between the two. Satan tells us that we cannot repent. Christ tells us that we can. We must discern whose spirit is whispering in our ear. Christ would never tell us that we cannot repent. Many have committed grievous sins by following a false conscience. Christian has learned that great lesson.Chris. All this is true, and much more which thou hast left out; but the Prince whom I serve and honor is merciful and ready to forgive. But besides, these infirmities possessed me in thy own country; for there I sucked them in, and I have groaned under them, been sorry for them, and have obtained pardon of my Prince.This is too much for Apollyon. He cannot stand to hear the name of Christ, his arch enemy, used. From last week’s episode as Apollyon tries to persuade Christian to return to this fold, we learn that Satan uses many devices to deceive his prey: Guilt, Fear, Bribery, Cajolery, Lies & half truths, Pacification, and Flattery.  This week we see, as a last resort, he uses rage.Apol. Then Apollyon broke out into a grievous rage, saying, "I am an enemy to this Prince; I hate His person, His laws, and people. I am come out on purpose to withstand thee."Christian has come a very long way. Formerly he escaped the slough of Despond, he overcame his fear of the lions, and he suffered many other trials. Furthermore, he has been taught by Evangelist, The Interpreter, The Shining Ones, Piety, Prudence, and Charity. He does not shrink before the rage of Apollyon.Chris. Apollyon, beware what you do, for I am in the King's highway, the way of holiness: therefore take heed to yourself.

Season 5 Podcast 66 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew 27 B, “The Long Road to Golgotha.”In last week’s episode we introduced Matthew 27 covering the trial. This week we look at the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior. One person who is only briefly mentioned in the life of Christ is Simon, a man of Cyrene. Little is known of Simon, but as if by accident, he stood at the crossroads of the world just at a time when the history of the world was about to change. And perhaps even against his will he is drawn into this epic moment. It is not always easy to distinguish between what is coincidence and what is miraculously orchestrated. How often ordinary things become extraordinary, even earth shaking. Each of us is a potential Simon, a man of Cyrene, inconsequential, invisible, unregarded and suddenly find ourselves in the spotlight. Simon did not volunteer to carry the cross of Christ up the hill Calvary. Matthew Records.“And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.” (Matthew 27:32)It is often the small things that make the biggest difference. Upon reflection, what Christion would not take the place of Simon? But that is one of the great paradoxes of Christianity because every Christian is actually commanded to do just that. Listen to the Savior’s words.“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:34-40)The difference, however, is that Simon was compelled to carry the cross of Christ. We are commanded to do it of our own freewill and choice. Enforced charity has no saving power. In fact, sometimes it is a curse, and enforced charity can destroy a nation and build resentment. There are many who are willing to sacrifice the wealth of others for their own advancement. The heavy road to Golgotha was a sad one, and we can only image the tears shed by the faithful followers of Christ. We have four accounts of the trail to Golgotha. Matthew recorded.“And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.” (Matthew 27:33-34)King David in describing the crucifixion said.5 LINDA“Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee. Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” (Psalm 69:19-21)In the Bible gall is referred to as snake venom (Job 20:14); it is also compared to a bitter herb (Deuteronomy 29:18); Paul refers to the “gall of bitterness” (Acts 8:23; Jeremiah equates gall with wormwood, a bitter herb (Lamentations 3:19). Some scholars equate vinegar given to Christ with cheap Roman wine mixed with vinegar.

Season 5 Podcast 65 A New Voice of Freedom, Argument for the Existence of God, Episode 42, “Dimensions of Life, Pt 4, Dimension Six The Final Judgment Pt A.”In Pts 1, 2, & 3 we discussed the first five Dimensions of Life:Dimension One: Our self-existing intelligence and consciousness. Dimension Two: Our spirit body. Dimension Three: Our mortal body.Dimension Four: Life after death in the Spirit World.Dimension Five: The Resurrection In Part 4 we shall discussDimension Six: The Final JudgmentThe final judgment follows shortly after the resurrection. The resurrection, of course, is a kind of judgment for we are only resurrected once, and in the resurrection we will receive light according to the laws of God we lived. That is what Solomon meant when he said, “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.” (Proverbs 4:18-19)Speaking of the resurrection the Apostle Paul wrote,“There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:”Discounting the Sons of Perdition which include Satan and his angels and some few others known only to God, who forever live outside the light of Christ because in their rebellion they rejected Christ knowing that he was the Son of God, in the final judgment we will all be assigned one of the three degrees of glory spoken of by Paul. The three degrees of heaven are separated by light and truth. The highest degree of heaven is compared to the light of the Sun. The middle degree of heaven is compared to the light of the moon. And the lowest degree of heaven is compared to the light of the stars. Only those who shine like the sun will have a fullness of light and truth and will live in the presence of the Father and the Son. That raises the question: What is light and truth? Light and truth are impossible to separate as they are in concomitant variation. As light increases so does truth; as truth increases so does light. John saidJohn 3:2121 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.David equates light with truth.Psalm 43:33 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.Daniel equates light with knowledge and wisdom.Daniel 5:1414 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.Truth is found in the very definition of God. God is omniscient. Omniscience means all knowledge of past, present, and future. That is the only way to have a fullness of truth. A fullness of truth means a fulness of light. In Matthew 13, it was Christ who said,

Season 5 Podcast 64 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 17 Chapter 4 A, “Apollyon.” In last week’s episode, Christian is shown The Delectable Mountains or Immanuel’s Land, which held the gate of the Celestial City. In this week’s episode he must begin his journey through The Valley of Humiliation. “But now, in this Valley of Humiliation, poor Christian was hard put to it; for he had gone but a little way before he espied a foul fiend coming over the field to meet him: his name is Apollyon.”This, of course, is a reference to Revelation 9. Abaddon means “destruction” or “doom” and Apollyon means “Destroyer” which in Jewish theology refers to Satan. Though in Revelation Abaddon and Apollyon refer to the same person, Abaddon historically refers to a place such as hell or Sheol or Hades, the place of the dead; Apollyon refers to a person such as Satan or Belial. “And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” (Revelation 9:7-11)In the Palace, Discretion, Piety, Prudence, and Charity dress Christian in the Full Armor of God as described by Paul. Bunyan plays with the image. When Christian meets Apollyon, his first thought is to run; however, his armor doesn’t protect his back. It protects only his front; therefore, he thinks it better to face his enemy.  Bunyan suggests that a true Christian must be valiant. Remember earlier that Mistrust and Timorous ran down the Hill Difficulty because they saw a lion, unaware that the lion, set to guard the palace, was heavily chained. He was placed there to test the faith of those who entered the Palace. Mistrust and Timorous, though they had endured the journey up to that point, failed when they were at the very door of success. In the Palace they, like Christian, would have also seen the gate of the Celestial City and also dressed with the Full Armor of God. Because he had the armor, Christian faced Apollyon. “Then did Christian begin to be afraid, and to cast in his mind whether to go back or to stand his ground. But he considered again that he had no armor for his back, and therefore thought that to turn the back to him might give him greater advantage with ease to pierce him with darts; therefore he resolved to venture and stand his ground; for, thought he, had I no more in mine eye than the saving of my life, it would be the best way to stand. So he went on, and Apollyon met him. Now, the monster was hideous to behold: he was clothed with scales like a fish, and they are his pride; he had wings like a dragon, and feet like a bear, and out of his belly came fire and smoke; and his mouth was as the mouth of a lion.”Apollyon was frightful to look at; however, rather than attack, he challenges Christian and tries to win him back. He is very cunning.“When he was come up to Christian, he beheld him with a disdainful countenance, and thus began to question with him:”If you recall Piety, Prudence, and Charity also interrogated Christian before he was allowed to enter the Palace. This is clearly a parallel of opposites. It was Christ who built the Palace which was a temple for Christians weary of their journey.

Season 5 Podcast 63 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew 27 A, “The Trial.”In last week’s episode we concluded Matthew 26. Matthew 27 covers the trial, crucifixion, and burial of the Savior.“When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” (Matthew 27: 1-20As is common, historians seldom agree on ancient events. What is agreed on is that Pilot was the governor of the Roman province of Judaea under the Roman emperor Tiberius, that he presided over the trial of Jesus, and that he ordered his crucifixion.  Pilot symbolizes one of the great mysteries of life so cleverly expressed by King Solomon.“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12)Solomon concluded,“Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.” (Ecclesiastes 9:18)Pilot was the fifth governor of Judaea. What if he had been the fourth or the sixth, then he would not have been in a position of condemning the Son of God to death. Some Christians have made Pilot a saint, some a villain equal to Judas. The story of Judas, too, is a case in point. What if Judas had been born into a different age. Would he have become what was referred to as a son of perdition?  Is King Solomon right? Does time and chance happen of us all? Does everyone have a moment that could hurl them into greatness or thrust them into damnation. If so, what should we do to prepare for those moments. In Tom Stoppard’s tragicomedy, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, former childhood friends of Hamlet, betray Hamlet at the request of King Claudio. However, through Hamlet’s craftiness, it is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who go to their death. While standing on the gallows, Guildenstern turned to his friend Rosencrantz and said, “There must have been a moment, at the beginning, where we could have said—no. But somehow we missed it.” Those are very haunting words. Often such a moment is irreversible as was the case of Pilot and of Judas. Matthew does not record Pilot’s end, but he does record Judas’s end.“Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.” (Matthew 27:3-10)

Season 5 Podcast 62 A New Voice of Freedom, Argument for the Existence of God, Episode 41, “Dimensions of Life, Pt 3, Dimension Five, The Resurrection.”In Pts 1& 2 we discussed the first four Dimensions of Life:Dimension One: Our self-existing intelligence and consciousness. Dimension Two: Our spirit body. Dimension Three: Our mortal body.Dimension Four: Life after death in the Spirit World.In Part 3 we shall discuss Dimension Five: The Resurrection The purpose of life is to gain intelligence until one is like God himself. God has all intelligence. That is why he is compared to the brightness of the sun. How does one gain greater intelligence? The answer is very simple. It is not by going to the university. Truth and Intelligence are synonyms. One is as likely to become less intelligent through false philosophy in a world where propaganda and cause are considered more important than truth. The only way to increase in intelligence is to increase in light and truth, and the only way to increase in light and truth is to keep the commandments of God which are contained in the Holy Scriptures. The learning of man is good. It has been a tremendous blessing in our mortal world, but the philosophies of man change with the times. Eternal truths exist beyond the grave. The existence of man on earth is but a nanosecond to geological time. Time of mortal man is to geological time as geological time is to eternity. It can hardly be measured. A falling star. Nothing more. We are mortal beings struggling in the web of mortality, freed only by death and restored only by the resurrection. We cannot understand the fullness of the Atonement unless we understand the resurrection. Christ did two things for us in the atonement. One, he saved us from spiritual death. Spiritual death is being cut off from the presence of God brought about by the fall. Because the law of justice was broken, Adam and Eve were forever cut off from going back to the presence of God. We were forever cut off from the presence of God by being born to mortal parents. We are all descendants of Adam and Eve; therefore, with them, we suffered the consequences of the fall. In Gethsemane Christ paid for our sins, the innocent suffering for the guilty, thus satisfying the demands of the law of justice. That is why Christians use the term, ‘saved by the blood of the lamb’ or ‘saved by grace.’  The purpose of sacrifices in the Old Testament was to remind the House of Israel of the sacrifice of the Messiah. God no longer requires the sacrifice of animals. Our sacrifice is a broken heart and contrite spirit demonstrated by our obedience to the commandments of Christ.Dimensions One and Two are called the First Estate.“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” (Jude 1:6)That would make Dimension Three, or earth life, our Second Estate. Dimension Four, the world of the spirits of the dead, our Third Estate; Dimension Five and Six, the resurrection and judgment, our Fourth Estate. Our Fourth Estate, of course, would include where we spend eternity. By keeping our First Estate, we earned the right to come to earth and gain a physical body. How we keep our Second Estate determines the quality of our resurrection. Those who keep the commandments of God will have a greater resurrection than those who don’t. In Luke we read, “for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” The quality of our resurrection determines where we live in the Fourth Estate. All resurrected beings have the following in common.·      Adam and Eve and all their posterity will be resurrected.

Season 5 Podcast 61 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 16 Chapter 3 H, “The Delectable Mountains.” In last week’s episode, Charity questioned Christian about why he did not bring his family with him. In this week’s episode, Christian is taught the Gospel, dressed in the full armor of God, and further prepared for his difficult journey through the Valley of Humiliation. Following the interrogation, Discretion, Piety, Prudence, Charity, and Christian sit down at table to eat. Now I saw in my dream, that thus they sat talking together till supper was ready. So, when they had made ready, they sat down to meat. Now, the table was furnished with fat things, and wine that was well refined; The feast is symbolic of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb as described in the Book of Revelation.“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:7-9)At the table Christian is told about the Lord of the Hill.And all their talk at the table was about the Lord of the hill; as, namely, about what He had done, and wherefore He did what He did, and why He had builded that house; and by what they said, I perceived that He had been a great warrior, and had fought with and slain him that had the power of death, but not without great danger to Himself, which made me love Him the more.As previously mentioned, the Palace symbolizes a Temple or The Kingdom of God on earth, and Christian had to undergo a rigorous test through the interrogation of Piety, Prudence, and Charity to determine his worthiness. The Lord of the Hill, of course, is symbolic of Christ. For, as they said, and as I believe (said Christian), He did it with the loss of much blood. But that which puts the glory of grace into all He did, was, that He did it out of pure love to this country. And, besides, there were some of them of the household that said they had seen and spoken with Him since He did die on the cross; and they have declared that they had it from His own lips, that He is such a lover of poor pilgrims, that the like is not to be found from the east to the west. They moreover gave an instance of what they affirmed; and that was, He had stripped Himself of His glory, that He might do this for the poor; The above appears to have some allusion to Isaiah who describes the Lord.“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Season 5 Podcast 60 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew 26 F, “Gethsemane B Peter’s Denial.”In last week’s episode we explored the second half of the story of Gethsemane, focusing on the three prayers of Jesus. In this week’s episode we shall explore Peter’s denial. In the following we have the final act of Judas’s betrayal in the kiss of death.“Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. (Matthew 26:46-50)Christ knows every move before it occurs, yet he does nothing to defend himself. This is his hour, the culmination of his life’s work to bring about the salvation of man. Always a perfect example, he faces each crisis with the dignity of his high calling. It would be normal to curse Judas, yet Jesus calls him ‘friend.’ Was that the remark that smote the heart of Judas and compelled him to take his own life.The impulsive Peter draws his sword and cuts the ear off one of the servants of a High Priest who came to arrest Jesus. The response of Jesus is epic.“And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? (Matthew 26:51-54)As recorded in Luke, Jesus heals the servant. “When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.” (Luke 22:49-51)Every moment with Christ is a teaching moment. Christ entirely overcame the natural man as the story of healing the servant’s ear demonstrates. There is no anger, no revenge, no hatred, and no fear. He accepts his fate. How many of us, if our lives were in eminent danger, would not, if we could, pray to God and have him send “more than twelve legions of angels?” Historians tell us that one Roman legion was composed of around five thousand soldiers. That would have been more than 60,000 angels, presumably all with raised swords. But, as always, Christ submits himself to the will of the Father just as he did when he fell under the heavy hand of justice when alone he took upon himself the sins of the world. Christ teaches us what true meekness is. He is no pushover. Though victimized, he never plays the role of a victim. He is always in charge. His courage under circumstances that no mortal could stand is almost beyond comprehension. In the face of a mob, he heals a servant’s ear and then boldly condemns the mob who falsely come in the dead of night to kill him. He reveals to them their own cowardice and their presumption of law.55 In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. (Matthew 26:55)

Season 5 Podcast 59 A New Voice of Freedom, Argument for the Existence of God, Episode 40, “Dimensions of Life, Pt 2, Dimension Four, “Life After Death.”In Pt 1, we discussed the first three dimensions of life:  Dimension One: Our self-existing intelligence and consciousness. Dimension Two: Our spirit body. Dimension Three: Our mortal body.In this podcast we shall discuss the fourth dimension. Dimension Four: Life after death in the Spirit World.The one thing that all dimensions of life have in common is matter. All things are made of matter; however, not all matter is alike. There is mortal matter and there is immortal matter. There is temporal matter and there is spiritual matter. Mortal matter is subject to temporal laws and immortal matter is subject to spiritual laws. Laws do not self-exist. All laws are organized by God for the purpose of organizing matter.Our carbon-based body is made of mortal matter and, therefore, subject to the laws of entropy which naturally leads to physical death. Only in the mortal world do we measure time by the spinning of earth, by the revolution of the moon around the earth, and by the revolution of the earth around the sun. The revolutions of celestial orbs give time its movement. Entropy gives time its arrow. Everything mortal moves toward death. Old is relative to decay. The spinning earth gives us our day; the revolving moon gives us our month; and the revolving earth gives us our year. Time is an illusion given credibility only by death.  Without death we could not perceive time. In the grave we shed our body which decays back into dust. Only death can release our immortal spirits from mortality. The grave is the gateway back into eternity which is our natural state. When we die we will feel like we are returning home, and life will seem like a dream. God is in charge of each dimension of life. When we left the spirit world to come to earth, God placed a veil over our minds causing us to forget our former home. But everything God does is to increase our freedom. That is a key to understanding the laws of God that many appear to have overlooked. However, if one considered just the Ten Commandments and imagined a world where everyone lived those commandments to perfection how much freedom we would have—no jails, no murderers, no liars, no passwords, no theft, no fear—just make a list. The only way we can increase in freewill, faith, agency, liberty, and freedom is to live on earth in celestial amnesia. For example, agency is the choice between good and evil. Who, standing in the presence of God whose majesty shines brighter than the noonday sun, would dare choose evil. We would live in fear not faith, in fretful submission not love. We are immortal beings presently imprisoned in a mortal body released only by death. Our lives are governed by a celestial clock. We are confined to the time of our own solar system. Mortal man cannot live in any other condition except the conditions of our mortal planet. If man travels in space, to survive, he must take the conditions of earth with him. We are prisoners to our planet.Why then did we choose to come to earth and choose we did, each and every one of us. God forced no one to come to earth just as God will force no one to go to heaven. That violates the law of justice, the single greatest law in the universe. Naturally Christians consider the law of mercy as the greatest law, and for good reason. Without the law of mercy none could be saved. Paul said, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Season 5 Podcast 58 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 15 Chapter 3 G, “Charity.” In last week’s episode, Prudence questioned Christian about the details of his journey from the land of destruction and about the experiences he had along the way up until he had climbed The Hill Difficulty to the Palace. This week we shall listen to Charity who questions Christian about why he left his family. This is a very difficult theological question. In effect, is Christian justified in leaving his family as he seeks salvation on his own? Bunyan appears to be referencing Christ’s teachings in the following parable.“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his across, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27)The question arises, “If his family refuses to accompany him, should Christian remain in the city of destruction and be destroyed with his family, or should he embark alone on the journey to Zion? Can he help his family best by being destroyed with them or by personally taking the journey and showing them the way, hoping they will follow? It is a question that only a parent can answer for himself or herself.As with most questions, in the abstract it is easy to take the high road, but when it involves a member of one’s own family, the question becomes more complicated. For example, if a member or members of one’s family choose a route that goes against the Holy Scriptures, should one side with the rebellious to win their love and condemn the church or should they remain with the church and hope the member or members of the family will one day come back? This was a question that faced Christian 350 years ago. It is even more poignant today as Christianity is under attack and families split and society turns away from the Bible and condemns the teachings of Christ and his apostles and prophets and adopts a different system of ethics. The question is this: Are moral laws absolute, or are moral laws relative subject to popular opinion?   Clearly Bunyan takes a strong stand that moral laws are uncompromisingly absolute. Pilgrim’s Progress is as relevant today as it was 350 years ago.                                                      Charity questions Christian very closely trying to discern if Christian had done all he could to persuade his family to come with him.Char. Then said Charity to Christian, "Have you a family? are you a married man?"Chris. I have a wife and four small children.Christian’s answer immediately puts Charity on her guard for Charity wishes to save everyone. Charity represents the love of Christ. It is emphasized in the following scripture, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”4 LINDAChar. And why did you not bring them along with you?Chris. Then Christian wept, and said, "Oh, how willingly would I have done it! but they were all of them utterly against my going on pilgrimage."Charity is critical of Christian. She chastises him.Char. But you should have talked to them, and endeavored to have shown them the danger of staying behind.Christian, however, comes to his own defense.Chris. So I did, and told them also what God had shown to me of the destruction of our city; but I seemed to them as one that mocked, and they believed me not.Charity is relentless. His answer is insufficient.Char. And did you pray to God that He would bless your words to them?Again, Christian is able to defend himself.

Season 5 Podcast 57 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew 26 E, “Gethsemane B.”In last week’s episode we explored the first half of the story of Gethsemane. In this week’s episode we shall explore the second half. Last week Linda and I ended with Christianity’s favorite scriptures.“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”Christ alone had the power to remove the cup. He didn’t need the Father’s permission for that. Christ was God. Christ was sinless. Christ’s calling and election were made sure. He could have walked out of the Garden of Gethsemane and still been God for justice had no power over him, being perfect. He could walk away still being God, but he couldn’t walk away still satisfying the law of justice and becoming our Savior and Redeemer, and he couldn’t walk away and still do the will of the Father. It was Christ’s obedience to his Father’s will that kept Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane where in unspeakable anguish he suffered for our sins by satisfying the precise demands of the law of justice.There was no alternative. That is why the Father remained silent. The law of justice demanded it. That is why the Father could not let Christ off the hook. It was all or nothing. The entire burden fell upon Christ. It was either him or us. Both God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son chose us. The Father suffered as much as the Son did. Remember he is omniscient. He knew what his Beloved Son was going through because it was because of the Father’s laws that Christ had to suffer. This is one of the greatest paradoxes in Christianity. God could not rescind the law of justice, not even to save his Son from agony, or he would cease to be God.  God’s very existence depends upon the Law of Justice being unconditional and absolute. Christ did not ask the Father to remove the cup three times. He only asked him to remove it once. In the other two prayers, as recorded by Matthew, Christ acquiesces to the Father’s will. 1.     He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.2.     And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.There are three important differences between the law of justice and the law of mercy.1.     The law of justice is unconditional. The law of mercy is conditional. 2.     The Law of Justice is primary. The Law of Mercy is secondary. 3.     Only God can live the law of Justice; man can only live the law of mercy. By satisfying the law of justice Christ made it possible for us to return to the presence of God through the conditions of the law of mercy imposed by the law of justice. Though no man is perfect, it is theoretically possible for man to live the law of mercy perfectly else God would not be just. Christ judges us only for the sins we commit, not for the sins of others.  That is just one of the free gifts of the atonement.We cannot live the law of justice because we are already outside the law of Justice. That happened not in the Garden of Gethsemane but in the Garden of Eden. Two things occurred in the Garden of Eden that we had no power over. One was Spiritual death, and the other was Temporal death. In spiritual death we were cut off forever from the presence of the Father; in temporal death our spirit and our body were separated forever, never to be rejoined.

Season 5 Podcast 56 A New Voice of Freedom, Argument for the Existence of God, Episode 39, “Dimensions of Life, Pt 1.”Science is understandably obsessed with the origins of life. However, it will forever be beyond their grasp for the origins of life are spiritual not temporal. Manmade science is a product of the fall for it deals with death, not life. Without entropy there would be no science.  Quoting Alfred Wehrl, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, states:“Entropy is a scientific concept that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodynamics, where it was first recognized, to the microscopic description of nature in statistical physics, and to the principles of information theory. It has found far-ranging applications in chemistry and physics, in biological systems and their relation to life, in cosmology, economics, sociology, weather science, climate change, and information systems including the transmission of information in telecommunication.Wikipedia continues, “Entropy is central to the second law of thermodynamics, which states that the entropy of an isolated system left to spontaneous evolution cannot decrease with time. As a result, isolated systems evolve toward thermodynamic equilibrium, where the entropy is highest. A consequence of the second law of thermodynamics is that certain processes are irreversible.”Life cannot evolve from such a system; therefore, we must look elsewhere for the origins of life. The same is true with evolution. Evolution also depends upon entropy or death; therefore, evolution cannot account for the origin of life. In fact, there isn’t anything in nature that accounts for the origin of life. There is nothing in nature that accounts for the origin of matter and energy either. Life does not originate from the flesh. Flesh originates from life. Mortal flesh gives temporary body to self-existing life.The logical conclusion is that just as matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, the essence we call life or intelligence or consciousness cannot be created or destroyed.  The idea that life began by luck, chance, accident, coincidence, or serendipity of circumstances is not a scientific answer. It is an open admission that science does not know how or where or why or when life began. The very concept that “isolated systems evolve toward thermodynamic equilibrium, where the entropy is highest” is proof that life cannot come from such a system. Maximum equilibrium is total chaos or total disorder. The only thing that can bring order out of chaos is law. Law cannot come out of thermodynamic equilibrium. As science says, “A consequence of the second law of thermodynamics is that certain processes are irreversible.” The only thing that can preserve, protect, and perfect order is law, and law suggests intelligent design.Science leaves us with questions, not answers. In discussing the origins of life, we must dismiss science as an objective source for science does not understand what life is. Remember it is science that claims man does not have freewill, that man is an animal, a biological robot, a machine with no more liberty than a planet revolving around the sun or the moon revolving around the earth.So, what is life? Let’s simplify our definition. Life is intelligence. Life is consciousness. Intelligence cannot be separated from light and truth. The more light and truth one possesses the greater is one’s intelligence. Life is classified by intelligence. God is the greatest intelligence of all. Man has greater intelligence than the animals; therefore, man is greater than the animals.  Animals have greater intelligence than plants; therefore, animals are greater than plants.

Season 5 Podcast 55 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 14 Chapter 3 F, “Prudence.” In last week’s episode, Piety grilled Christian about his journey thus far. Following Piety’s question, this week we shall listen to the questioning of Prudence, who takes a rather hard line. Her line of questioning is far different than that of Piety. First, we must ask what is the difference between Piety and Prudence as virtues? Piety is associated with reverence as well as the outward show of religious observance. Piety deals with devotion, duty, and devoutness. Some synonyms are godliness, saintliness, spirituality, holiness, and sanctity.Prudence is associated with sound judgment, caution, careful management, frugality, and discretion. Some synonyms are caution, sagacity, wisdom, judgment, perspicacity, forethought, circumspection, discerning and discriminating.Christian, on his journey to Zion, must acquire the virtues of Christ. Bunyan personifies the virtues and gives them a voice. Piety directed her questions toward his experiences while on the journey, getting him to recall to mind everything he saw and heard and learned and the people he met. Prudence, in rapid-fire fashion, grills Christian about his past before he began his journey. Honesty and humility are virtues that Christian possesses. Those virtues have helped him get this far. He is self-deprecating and does not hide his faults.Then Prudence thought good to ask him a few questions, and desired his answer to them.Pru. Do you think sometimes of the country from whence you came?Chris. Yes, but with much shame and detestation. Truly, if I had been mindful of that country from whence I came out, I might have had an opportunity to have returned; but now I desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.There is a parallel between Christian leaving Babylon and traveling to Zion and the Children of Israel leaving Egypt and traveling to the Promised Land.  One problem the Children of Israel had was in leaving the temptations of Egypt behind. Prudence is concerned about the same thing with Christian. She continues her questioning. Pru. Do you not yet bear away with you in your thoughts some of the things that you did in the former time?Chris. Yes, but greatly against my will; especially my inward and sinful thoughts, with which all my countrymen, as well as myself, were delighted. But now all those things are my grief; and, might I but choose mine own things, I would choose never to think of those things more; but when I would be doing that which is best, that which is worst is with me.Prudence understands the difficulty of leaving the past behind. Pru. Do you not find sometimes as if those things were overcome, which at other times are your trouble?Chris. Yes, but that is but seldom; but they are to me golden hours in which such things happen to me.In effect Prudence is asking Christian if he were able to abandon his old sins. Christian admits that the temptations are still there, but he relishes the golden hours in which he feels he has overcome the world. This addresses the ambiguity of repentance. Repentance is not a one-time event, but a continuous struggle. Bunyan himself is a realist. There is a continuous battle between the natural man and the spiritual man. Even though Christian laid his burden at the cross and his sins were forgiven him, he still must struggle. Prudence is teaching the principle of enduring to the end which along with faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost is a saving principle.Keep in mind that they are in the temple where Christian must be sanctified. Prudence continues her questions, not giving Christian time to fabricate an answer. A great deal is at stake here. They are determining if Christian is ready to continue his journey.

Season 5 Podcast 54 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew 26 D, “Gethsemane A.”In last week’s episode we explored The Last Supper. In this week’s episode we shall explore Gethsemane. In a very touching scene, we have the last moments of peace in the Savior’s life. Matthew records.“And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”The greatest drama this earth has ever seen is about to unfold, yet Jesus leads them in a hymn. Perhaps nothing reveals greatness more than serenity in the face of crisis. The Savior is about to face a trial that no human on earth can imagine, a trial that only God can endure while the apostles sleep. Christ knows he is about to be betrayed, tried, and crucified. He knows that in only a few moments he will feel the full weight of the law of justice in which he will take upon himself the sins of the world, yet in preparation he sings a hymn to his father, honoring God though his Father is about to subject him to pain that only the damned in hell can feel. Following the hymn, he leads the Apostles to the Mount of Olives. He had a choice. He could escape as he had done many times before when the leaders of the Jews sought to kill him, but this time, the greatest moment in the history of the world, He chose the path that brought him to earth in the first place, the path that had been laid before the foundations of the world, the path of salvation for all the children of God who would repent and take upon themselves His name and keep His commandments. He chose the path to the Garden of Gethsemane where in agony for the sins of the world he would bleed from every pore.To add to his suffering, not only would he be betrayed by Judas Iscariot, but he would be abandoned by all his apostles. “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.”Now Jesus and his disciples enter the Garden of Gethsemane. None but Christ understands the importance of this moment.“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”We can see from the record of Matthew that the weight of the world suddenly begins to fall upon Jesus. He “began to be sorrowful and very heavy.” He tells his chief apostles, Peter, James, and John, what he is feeling. The other disciples he allows to sleep, but He asks his three chief apostles to tarry and watch with him. Never in the three years of his ministry had he asked the apostles to perform a greater task. Christ removed himself, apparently only a short way, referred to as “a little further.” Matthew records.“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

Season 5 Podcast 53 A New Voice of Freedom, Argument for the Existence of God, Episode 38, “Determinism vs Free Will: The Genetic Code.”Stephen Hawking in his book, The Grand Design, offered the following argument:“Recent experiments in neuroscience support the view that it is our physical brain, following the known laws of science, that determines our actions, and not some agency that exists outside those laws. For example, a study of patients undergoing awake brain surgery found that by electrically stimulating the appropriate regions of the brain, one could create in the patient the desire to move the hand, arm, or foot, or to move the lips and talk.” I shall address Mr. Hawking’s argument on two levels. Level one, I accuse Mr. Hawking of fudging when he said, “A study of patients undergoing awake brain surgery found that by electrically stimulating the appropriate regions of the brain, one could create in the patient the desire to move the hand, arm, or foot, or to move the lips and talk.”Scientists cannot possibly know that artificially stimulated movements stem from desire. When a doctor taps your knee gently with a mallet, the leg responds but not because of desire. The movement is involuntary. You have no control. It would be the same if it were an electronic stimulation. Where does desire come from? Naturally Mr. Hawking assumes desire comes from the physical body but that is not possible. A frog leg severed from the frog will jump out of a frying pan. Are we to assume the frog leg had the desire to jump out of the frying pan? Involuntary responses are not acts of desire. They are mechanical responses. As scientists love to point out, the body is a physical or biological machine. What they fail to say is that life is in the spirit not in the body. When the spirit leaves the body the body dies. Level Two, desire is a spiritual thing not a temporal. The physical body may respond to the passion of love, but the body does not feel love. The primary fallacy of science in claiming that man is a machine or robot or animal is that science assumes there is no immortal soul that gives life to the body. The body may be stimulated to respond—that is the great value of having a physical body—but the body does not feel desire or love or passion. That is reserved for the soul or spirit. As Descartes said, we have both a body and a spirit which Mr. Hawking denies. Again, let’s examine Hawking’s own words.“Descartes, for instance, in order to preserve the idea of freewill, asserted that the human mind was something different from the physical world and did not follow its laws. In his view a person consists of two ingredients, a body and a soul. Bodies are nothing but ordinary machines, but the soul is not subject to scientific law. The differences between Descartes and Hawking are rather simple. Descartes believed in God. Hawking didn’t. In the scientific mind we are animated zombies automatically responding to our environment. From that Mr. Hawking concludes.“It is hard to imagine how free will can operate if our behavior is determined by physical law, so it seems that we are no more than biological machines and that free will is just an illusion.”I agree with Mr. Hawking that the physical body is like a sophisticated biological machine. That is the genius of the physical body. It gives flesh to desire. It gives the human experience to spiritual emotions such as altruism. The body by necessity is wired to respond to stimuli such as the genetic code. However, Freewill, by necessity, resides only in the spirit. Unquestionably the spirit is subject to the flesh, and experience shows that many subordinate the desires of the spirit to the wants of the flesh which sometimes leads to self-destruction as demonstrated in addictions. The physical body cannot overcome an addiction, but the spirit can.

Season 5 Podcast 52 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 13 Chapter 3 E, “Piety.” In last week’s episode, Christian, after a rigorous interview was invited into the Palace. We were introduced to Watchful, Discretion, Prudence, Piety, and Charity. This week we shall enter the Palace. His hosts, Piety, Prudence, and Charity invite Christian to recount his journey.Then he bowed his head, and followed them into the house. So, when he was come in and sat down, they gave him something to drink, and agreed together, that, until supper was ready, some of them should talk with Christian, for the best use of the time; and they appointed Piety, Prudence, and Charity to talk with him; and thus, they began:A very strange conversation follows. What at first appears to be simple banter before dinner in which Piety, Prudence, and Charity invite Christian to tell his adventures is really, upon examination, an interrogation. It is clear that the three virtues already know his full story. You do not get the expected sympathetic gasps of horror at his trials nor the complimentary praise at his successes. It is as if Christian is on trial.  Piety is the first to interrogate Christian. Note that the tone is one of superiority. They are not there to learn from Christian. They are there to teach that which Christian has missed. In other words, to become a good Christian, Christian must learn about Piety, Prudence, and Charity. They do not play the role of students. They play the role of Evangelist and of The Interpreter. From Christian’s response we are given much more of the details that before were left out of the narrative. They want Christian to learn everything he can from his journey, suggesting that in Bunyan’s eyes, the journey is equal to the destination. The only way Christian can appreciate Zion is by taking the journey. That is the central theme of Pilgrim’s Progress. We shall first examine Piety’s interrogation. Piety. Come, good Christian since we have been so loving to you to receive you into our house this night, let us, if perhaps we may better ourselves thereby, talk with you of all things that have happened to you in your pilgrimage.Chris. With a very good will, and I am glad that you are so well disposed.Piety. What moved you at first to betake yourself to a pilgrim's life.Piety takes Christian through every step of his journey and makes him account for all of his actions.CHRIS. I was driven out of my native country by a dreadful sound that was in mine ears; to wit, that certain destruction did await me, if I abode in that place where I was.To Piety, the answer is not sufficient.Piety. But how did it happen that you came out of your country this way?Remember Worldly Wiseman, Legality, and Civility? They too originally had the same concerns as Christian; however, they chose a different path to deal with them. They chose the way of the world, not the way of Christian sacrifice. To Piety it is very important how Christian answers the above question. The Palace is no ordinary building. It is a temple. The purpose of the temple is to sanctify Christian and better prepare him for his journey to Zion, which is the Holy City. Let me remind you of the words of John the Revelator as found in Revelation 21.“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

Season 5 Podcast 51 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew 26 C, “The Last Supper.”In last week’s episode we explored The Betrayal. In this week’s episode we shall explore The Last Supper. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”  (Matthew 26:26-29)Every event in the life of Christ has been celebrated, memorialized in art, and analyzed to the nth degree. It is understandable that his birth and his death have always taken center stage. The seminal event that has become known as The Last Supper has certainly taken its place in Christian theology. It is the last peaceful moment in the Life of Christ. It perfectly and elegantly symbolizes the purpose of his life, death, and resurrection.Let’s examine it phrase by phrase.“And as they were eating…”Presumably that refers to the Passover Feast. In Luke 22:15 we read.“With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.”The two foremost images are bread and wine, each highly symbolic. Among the miracles of Jesus, both bread and wine were mysteriously multiplied. “Jesus took bread.”“Bread has often been a symbol of Christ. In John 3: 35 we read, “I am the bread of life.” In Revelation 2:17 we read, “I give to eat of the hidden manna.” In the wilderness the Israelites were fed by manna from heaven and, of course, in feeding the five thousand, Christ multiplied the bread. Bethlehem, the birth place of Christ and the birthplace of David, means ‘house of bread.’ It was in Bethlehem where David was anointed King by the prophet Samuel. At his trial, Christ in the City of David was given a crown of thorns.In John 6:51 we read.“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”The above was foreseen and explained hundreds of years earlier by the Old Testament prophets.“And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. (Deuteronomy 8:3) During the Exodus, Manna was given to the Children of Israel to represent the body of Christ, but many didn’t realize it. One of the great ironies is that the Jews hastened the death of Christ so they could honor the sabbath and celebrate the feast of the Passover. By the time of Christ, the symbolism had become entirely lost to the majority of the Jews. 15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. (Exodus 16:15)The Children of Israel ate manna for forty years. Without manna they would have

Season 5 Podcast 50 A New Voice of Freedom, Argument for the Existence of God, Episode 37, “Determinism vs Free Will: The Uncertainty Principle.”In this podcast I would like to reveal a fundamental flaw in the logic of science. The flaw exists because science does not recognize the immortality of the soul, that fundamentally we have both a physical body and a spiritual body. The spirit was created first. The physical body was created second. The physical body is mortal. The spirit body is immortal. The physical body is created by God in the express image of our spirit. Our spirit is created in the express image of God. In the spirit resides our self-existing intelligence, our consciousness, our freewill, our life force, and our connection to God who is the Father of our spirits. The reason science compares man to animal, man to machine, and man to robot is because they do not recognize what the apostle Peter refers to as ‘our divine nature.’ They see only a biological machine, an animal, and a robot. I distinguish man as animal, man as machine, and man as robot in the following way. In describing man as animal, science does not distinguish us from any other biological creature whether that creature be a beetle, a bird, a dog, a monkey, or a rhinoceros as it relates to freewill.In describing man as machine, science does not distinguish us from planets or moons or stars or any other natural sphere or object in time and space.In describing man as robot, science does not distinguish us from other humanoid like creatures run by artificial intelligence which gives us the appearance of freewill. Science has ingeniously revealed to us three alternate universes. One they call the Newtonian world, the world we experience daily. The second they call the world of Quantum Physics, the world of atoms and quarks and electrons. No one has ever seen an electron or a quark, yet science is able to make predictions in the subatomic realm with astonishing accuracy. The third perhaps could be referred to as the Einsteinian world, the world of space, time, and relativity. For convenience let us call the first the Macroscopic world, the second the Microscopic world, and the third the Telescopic world. All three universes act in perfect harmony demonstrating just how complex our universe is and how far science has advanced. However, because science is limited to that which they can control in the lab, though their findings may be astonishing, their conclusions about reality are flawed and do not reflect the human experience. In the human experience many witness the effects of faith, miracles, divine manifestations, answers to prayers, hope, love, visions, dreams, freewill, and God. That is an area the most sophisticated scientific tools and elaborate experiments of science can never reach. It is what Gerard Manley Hopkins calls the “dearest freshness deep down things.” The following poem by Mr. Hopkins is called God’s Grandeur.The world is charged with the grandeur of God.    It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;    It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oilCrushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;    And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;    And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soilIs bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod. And for all this, nature is never spent;    There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;And though the last lights off the black West went    Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —Because the Holy Ghost over the bent    World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.One must experience Hopkins’ poem to know what it means.

Season 5 Podcast 49 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 12 Chapter 3 D, “The Palace.” In last week’s episode, Christian, while climbing the Hill of Difficulty, met Timorous and Mistrust who have given up their quest midway up the Hill of Difficulty because they saw two sleeping lions in the path. In their horror they didn’t recognized that the lions were chained. They go down the hill, but the indomitable Christian continues his journey. Having lost the scroll, Christian had to go back to the Arbor to retrieve it, delaying his journey up the Hill of Difficulty until it became dark. Not only must he face the lions, but he must also face them in the dark.  Still he continues. He comes to a stately palace where he is met by the two lions. He wants to flee; however, a Porter whose name is Watchful greets Christian and invites him into the Palace, assuring him that the lions are safely chained. Christian’s courage and his faithfulness sets him apart from the other pilgrims. Christian is faced with the same dangers and fears; however, he perseveres.  “Then I saw that he went on trembling for fear of the lions; but, taking good heed to the words of the Porter, he heard them roar, but they did him no harm. Then he clapped his hands, and went on till he came and stood before the gate where the Porter was. Then said Christian to the Porter, "Sir, what house is this? and may I lodge here to-night?"Clearly Bunyan wants every Christian to use Christian as their model. Bunyan accepts the fact that the journey is very perilous for not all lions are chained; however, Bunyan makes it clear that the worst obstacle is fear.“The Porter answered, "This house was built by the Lord of the hill, and He built it for the relief and security of pilgrims." The Porter also asked whence he was, and whither he was going.”The question is not an idle question. Only Christian can answer it. The underlying idea is that every Christian must define his journey and his purpose, and he must offer proof of his legitimacy. Only then can people such as Evangelist recognize the true Christian vs the false Christian. So far on the Journey Christian has been assisted by Evangelist, Help, Goodwill, The Interpreter, The Shining Ones, and now Watchful. However, he has been hindered by Obstinate, Pliable, Worldly Wiseman, Mr. Legality, Civility, Man of despair, Simple, Sloth, Presumption, Formalist, Hypocrisy, Timorous, and Mistrust. They symbolize the natural man, and the natural man is at enmity with God. Remember that the Shining ones gave Christian recognizable objects that he may be allowed into the city.  There are many, such as Formalist and Hypocrisy who try to take a shortcut. Chris. I am come from the City of Destruction, and am going to Mount Zion; but, because the sun is now set, I desire, if I may, to lodge here to-night.Port. What is your name?Chris. My name is now Christian, but my name at the first was Graceless.Before leaving on his pilgrimage, Christian was in a graceless state. To find Grace he had make the difficult way to the cross where he laid his burden down, symbolically at the feet of Christ. However, his journey did not end at the cross. It really began at the cross.Port. But how doth it happen that you come so late? The sun is set.Chris. I had been here sooner, but that, wretched man that I am, I slept in the arbor that stands on the hill-side. Nay, I had, notwithstanding that, been here much sooner, but that in my sleep I lost my roll, and came without it to the brow of the hill; and then, feeling for it and finding it not, I was forced with sorrow of heart to go back to the place where I slept my sleep, where I found it; and now I am come.