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Personal Evolution

Van

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
When we look back on our individual lives, and ponder the influences that shaped our characteristics, people, books, films and particular studies come to mind.

I took Chemistry and Physics in High School, so I have a so called "BS" meter that rejects much of what modern culture considers as plausible. For example, travel faster than the speed of light.

I remember an English teacher who handed me my test paper, graded "D" and said,"such a shame Van, you do not understand grammar, but you have things to say."

I grew up in the 1950"s so the books and films that heavily influenced me come from that era. The Searchers, Bridge on the River Kwai, and Giant. Similarly, the books, other than the New Testament, include, Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Kennedy, and Saints and Strangers.

Two Pastors come to mind, Pastor Bill whose witness led me to Christ, and Pastor Mike whose insightful sermons revealed the life long treasure of Bible study.

As you may discern, the culture of the time between the age of about 10 and about 20 instilled what I accepted as truth. And once we accept something as true, it is really hard for any of us to discern mistaken for truth viewpoints.

Wisdom rests on the bedrock of humility.
 

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
I was thinking of this yesterday (in a different context).

My study was theology. I was a Calvinist and appreciated how well worked out and interdependent that philosophy appeared. Understanding as a Calvinist is often attributing "spiritual wisdom" to how aspects of the philosophy relate to one another. It is a rabbit hole. My primary influences were calvinistic writers and pastors, as they reinforced my understanding. I even taught with a Reformed Professor for a few years.

It humbled me when I realized just how far I had drifted into Calvinism, into "theology", and from "the faith once delivered".

What I was thinking about yesterday was the Creation account.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth. We are given detail about the days of creation.

We develop theories to satisfy our questions, like Theistic evolution, the gap theory. We wonder about God speaking and the big bang occurring, or if a day is 24 hours versus an age.

But what if God intended to reveal to us truths rather than the answers to our questiond about the "how"?

Recently I have become more concerned with what God has said, with His Words, and not about human wisdom. It is humbling to read the Bible and believe God without choosing between theories. And this has led to a deeper understanding (an understanding that increases daily) of God's Word.

Was a day 24 hours before there was light? Or are we talking about ages? Did God create grown trees or sapplings?

I do not know. I really do not care because it is not for me to know. I was not there when God laid the foundation of the Earth. There is more in God's Word, in "what is written", than several lifetimes. We should be too focused on the words coming forth from God, and too busy applying those words to our lives, to be concerned about theories, unanswerable questions, and things not for us to know.
 

rockytopva

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
My Christian experience evolved in three denominational schools of thought

1. GARBC Baptist
2. Free Will Baptist
3. Pentecostal Holiness

No regrets. And I of heart do not think one denomination is better than the other. Most Pentecostal Holiness preachers I know will go on to get Masters Degrees at places like Liberty University. The preaching sounds exactly the same as it did GARBC Baptist.

When I was a teenager I read the book 2150 by Thea Alexander where she theorizes the height of what she calls Macro Philosophy. I may try to find this book and hope I didn’t throw it away…

Macro Society - The place at its height
Micro Society - The place at its lowest

In looking at the book below it shows what was thought to have been an advanced man and woman of the future. I thought at the time that the futuristic look would be of people in their tunics and looking like citizens of the Roman Empire. What has amazed me is that there is no “advanced” look to people these days. They all look like the did in Noah’s time. And it is clear to me that society will not last until 2150AD. I believe in that year we will be into the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ

1760475558144.png
 

rockytopva

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
For decades I had no need to explore anymore into this philosophy as there was so much wonderful experience inside my churches of choice. Now the revivals are behind us I see the need to delve back into this study… Especially as a movement can easily pass from hot to lukewarm to cold these days...

If E = mc2 then we can divide and conclude that...

Mass (m) = Energy (E/c2)

And there are three varieties...

Natural E/c2 - All mass is basically cooled plasma
Mental E/c2 - Mentally, A mathematical formula, but this has chemical and spiritual properties as well.
Spiritual E/c2 - E (motivation, warmth, love) / c2 (faith, hope, charity, joy)

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. - 1 John 1:5

God can take mass and turn it into plasma... God can take the plasma and reform it into mass. All to his will and imagination... No man being his counselor. Even then... How would we humans know to create living things out of the dust alone?

Unfortunately, though, the light and the darkness interact here on planet Earth...Comparing the light and the darkness, the opposite of E/c2 would be z (absolute zero)/ d (darkness)...

Natural z/d - Nothing, empty space.
Mental z/d - Again nothing but empty space.
Spiritual z/d - z (laziness, coldness, hatred) / d (fear, despair, greed, sorrow)

Spiritually then we have...

Spiritual E/c2 - E (motivation, warmth, love) / c2 (faith, hope, charity, joy)
**** The World of the Flesh - Everything in-between
Spiritual z/d - z (laziness, coldness, hatred) / d (fear, despair, greed, sorrow)

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: - 1 John 1


And again... I do not believe there is any greater height of E/c2 than we have in God. As it is written, "He taketh the Wise in their own Craftiness." To be taken of God in such state can invite unwanted challenges and in my opinion, very much not worth it!
 

rockytopva

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Thea Alexander... Author of the 2150AD book... Still looking nice after all those decades!
Thea-Alexander.jpg
 

rockytopva

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Tough future! I remember when reading the book 2150AD by Thea Alexander I imagined a future of advanced society where everyone walked around in great shape and in tunics. Looking like leadership of the Roman Empire of old. Everywhere I go it seems like people are terribly out of shape these days. And I would say it is hard keeping young people as they cannot see any kind of upper, advanced way in the people these days.

I have come to the conclusion that Isaac Newton was closest in his 2060AD Christ return prophecy. I would also venture to say that in 2150 AD we will probably be walking in white tunics and looking like folk of the Roman Empire of old. But it will be the time of the last millennial where the evil angels will be locked up for a thousand years during the reign of Christ.

1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. -Revelation 20

So… In the meantime, I will work and do the best I can. Awaiting the return of Christ Jesus
 
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