Saturday, September 11, 2021

Eternal Security vs Free Choice

Eternal Security vs Free Choice

      Eternal Security (once saved always saved) vs Free Choice are important doctrines for many people in the church today!  But, outside of church, people probably don't really care.  I think people outside of church would be more likely to care about Ezekiel 33:12-19.  In Ezekiel 33:12, the prophet proclaimed, "...The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneh from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth."  Ezekiel continues to expound on this in Ezekiel 33:13-19.  I think this is extremely interesting to people outside the church.  Can the righteous actually become wicked and can the wicked actually become righteous?  
      Pre-millennial vs post-millennial rapture is another very important doctrine to people inside the church.  Again, I do not think most people outside the church really care about it.  But people outside the church would be likely to care about 1 John 3:6-10!  "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for  the devil sinneth from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."  So do you love your brother?  Are you a righteous person from Monday through Saturday.  I think this is very interesting to those who are not in church.
      King James version, NIV, NKJV or Holman Christian Standard?  This choice is very important for some people, but do people outside of church really care?  Probably not.  I do think people on the outside would care about John 14:15.  "If ye love me, keep my commandments."  Do we really love God?  Do we keep his commands?
      What about hymns vs worship songs?  Is one more worshipful than the other?  Here is the question: Is what we think is important really that important?  It is easy to get focused only on things inside the church.  God has called us to "go unto all the world". 

Sunday, June 6, 2021

Transhumanism

 


      In Genesis 1:10, God created the land and the seas, and he saw that "it was good". After God created the grass, the herbs, the trees, the sun, the moon and the stars he saw that "it was good" in Genesis 1:18. God created the fish and the birds and saw that "it was good" in Genesis 1:21. God made the animals and saw that "it was good". In verse 21, God saw everything he had made and "it was very good". The transhumanist comes along and says no, it is not good enough. We must improve ourselves. We must move from human 1.0 to human 2.0. They believe they have the pathway to accomplish just that.

Artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and gene therapy have become a modern-day Tower of Babel for many elites, powerful men in our world. In Genesis 11, the people built a great tower to reach into the heavens. They sought to make a great name for themselves. In their own way, they wanted to be "like" God in heaven who has the greatest name of all. Bill Gates speaks of "gene editing for good". Ilon Musk believes that we can stop or reverse aging with the right gene codes. With the right DNA sequence, he believes that we can turn a human into a butterfly. Ray Kurzweil, from Google, believes that we can become "eternal" through artificial intelligence. He believes that we can become "godlike" using nanobots or nanotechnology. They are now able to synthesize parts of our DNA through DNA origami. We have GMO foods, but they want GMO people. They want human 2.0.

It reminds me of Grubhub. There is Olive Garden (needed information from the cloud). Grubhub picks the food up and delivers it to your house (nanobots, nanotechnology or hydrogel in your body receive info from the cloud and deliver it to the appropriate cells). And there is you and your house (the cells in your body that process the information).

Can such loftiness be achieved? Can we become "eternal" and "godlike"? God did not permit it at the tower of Babel in Genesis 11. God confounded their language and scattered the people across the earth. In Isaiah 14:12-15, Lucifer tried to become "like the most High". He said, "...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." Verse 15 prophecies that this Lucifer will "be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."

Can transhumanists succeed in their lofty goals? DNA/mRNA vaccine studies have failed over the past 15 years. The ferrets and other animals they have used have died because of cytokine storms. The vaccines in Africa and India, backed by Bill Gates, have been a failure. Many women have been sterilized and children born with deformities. Here in America, there are reported vaccine side effects of messed up menstrual cycles, miscarriages, ovaries that do not have viable eggs, testicular pain and sperm that is not mobile or cannot swim.

My son and I went to an Avengers movie. It was the one where Thanos was victorious, and he destroyed a large percentage of the world's population. And of course, nature was green and healthy. He thought the world was then in balance. Bill Gates reminds me of Thanos. Gates is a eugenicist. He is a fan of depopulation. He thinks there are too many people in the world, and we are harming the earth by our existence. I thought Thanos seemed somber about destroying part of the earth's human population. Bill Gates seems to be gleeful about damaging or ending life. The Moderna vaccine is one of the vaccines that is backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The transhumanists believe they have found the way. In John 14:6, Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life...."

As people, we need to value our unique genome. Our DNA makes us uniquely human. Our DNA/RNA makes us unique from anyone else in the world. It is a treasure. It is a gift. We do not need to become partially synthetic. We do not need to become altered. We do not need to strive for eternal life through the perfect DNA sequence. We do not need to become godlike. Let God be God and let us be the humans we were designed to be. Say no to gene therapy and DNA/mRNA vaccines. Say no to the vaccine passport!

Saturday, March 20, 2021

Holy Mormon Pants


       President Russell M. Nelson changed the rules for women's missionary attire.  He said it is now ok for sister missionaries to wear pants.  How did he make this decision?  Was this a message from God or his own personal opinion?  According to Joseph Smith, prophets can hear from a variety of sources.  A historical example of this was recorder by David Whitmer in An Address To All Believer In Christ, Richmond, Missouri, 1887, pp.30-31.  Joseph Smith received a revelation that "some of the brethren should go to Toronto, Canada, and that they would sell the copy-right to the Book of Mormon.  Hiram Page and Oliver Crowdery went to Toronto on this mission, but they failed entirely to sell the the copy-right, returning without any money."  When they questioned Joseph Smith about the failed revelation and failed effort in Canada, Joseph Smith prayed about it and recieved this revelation:  "Some revelations are of God: some revelations are of man: and some revelations are of the devil."

       B. H. Roberts recounts this event in his book A Comprehensive History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Page 162-163 of volume 1 says, "Hyrum Smith is represented by David Whitmer as saying that it had been suggested to him that some of the brethren might go to toronto, Canada, and sell the copyright of the book (of Mormon) for considerable money, that is, sell the right to publish the book in the Canadian provinces, not dispose of the copyright absolutely.  He persuaded Joseph Smith to inquire of the Lord, with the result... that he 'received a revelation that some of the brethren should go to Toronto, Canada, and they would sell the copyright.'  Accordingly, Oliver Cowedery and Hirum Page, the latter being one of the eight witnesses, went to canada to sell the copyright, but failed.  David Whitmer represents that this failure threw the little group of believers into great trouble, and they went to the Prophet and asked him to account for the failure.  The prophet frankly acknowledged his inability to understand the cause of the failure, and inquired of the Lord.  He received for answer... this: 'Some revelations are of God; some revelations are of man; and some revelations are of the devil." 

      So, what is the prophetic/presidential source of the "Sister pants" idea?  Was this an insight from God, from man or from the devil?  If it was from God, why didn't this come forth 160 years ago?  Did God change his mind?  If it was from man, why would the prophet be listening to man?  If it was from the devil, why would the prophet be listening to the devil?

      God spoke to Samuel about outward appearances when Israel was looking for a king.  1 Samuel 16:7 says, "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."  The second chapter of James focuses on judging people based on clothing/appearances.  This chapter condemns the act of respecting people who are dressed nicely and not respecting those who are dressed poorly.  James 2:1-4 says, "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.  For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:  Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?"  Verse 9 says, "But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors."  These verses show us that while man judges apparel, God judges hearts.

      What do you believe?  Was president Nelson speaking from God, from man or from the devil when he spoke about sisters wearing pants?