Answering Arminianism’s “Big Three”: Mat 23:37; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9 – Pastor Patrick Hines Podcast

Answering Arminianism’s “Big Three”: Mat 23:37; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9 – Pastor Patrick Hines Podcast

These three verses are taken out of context so often by opponents of true, biblical Christianity, that I’d like to offer a response to them and display what they mean in their contexts.

Dr. James White’s excellent book: https://a.co/d/04O8YWWD – “The Potter’s Freedom: A Defense of the Reformation and a Rebuttal to Norman Geisler’s Chosen But Free”

This book has an entire chapter on “The Big Three.” Dr. Geisler’s consistent response to the long, detailed passages teaching unconditional election, definite atonement, and irresistible grace is to offer very shallow comments followed by citing one or all of these passages. In fact, I believe it was verified that when one looks at the sections of Geisler’s book “Chosen But Free: A Balanced View of God’s Sovereignty and Free Will” (https://a.co/d/0aF1J7zP), one or all of these passages is cited an average of once every four pages! In other words, their meaning is assumed, not demonstrated by exegesis. But what if they don’t mean what Geisler thinks they mean? Then his response to nearly every passage of God’s word contrary to his thesis goes up in smoke.

Source: Answering Arminianism’s “Big Three”: Mat 23:37; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9 – Pastor Patrick Hines Podcast

“Prayer and the God Who Hears You” | Grace to You on Oneplace.com

download

If you have workout equipment in your garage that only collects dust . . . what good is it? Well, that same principle applies to your Bible—if you don’t use it, you won’t benefit from it.

Source: “Prayer and the God Who Hears You”

Reasons for Believing in Eternal Security – Part 1 | Daily Radio Program with Charles Stanley…

download

Dr. Stanley explains divine election, the completeness of Christ’s work of redemption, and the nature of salvation.

Source: Reasons for Believing in Eternal Security – Part 1

3 Reasons Why “Repentance” is Always Good News for the Christian

God’s grace never runs out.

When we repent, we will not meet a God who is putting us on spiritual probation.…We will not encounter a God who demands some kind of repayment for all we have squandered. Nothing like that. Only kindness. Grace. Love. Acceptance.

 

Martin Luther once wrote, ““When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’, he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” To put it another way, repentance is not just a one time act but instead a continual rhythm in the life of the Christian. Yes, it’s true that the means by which we enter into right relationship with God is by repentance and belief, but we don’t leave that practice behind.

Every day, the Christian is repenting. We are continually recognizing our sin, and turning from it toward Christ.

That might not seem like good news to you. After all, who wants to live a life in which every day you find something else you need to be sorry for? Some thought or act you need to stop? Some impulse you once practiced without even thinking about but now must deny?

But this call to repentance is not bad news; it’s good news. And here are three reasons why:

1. Repentance means the Holy Spirit is real.

At one point or another, every Christian probably looks around him or herself and wonders, Is this real?

Is my faith genuine? And are the things I believe in actually, really true? The inward call to repentance is one of the ways we answer that question. When we feel the conviction of sin and the call to repent, it’s a reminder that the Holy Spirit is real and is dwelling inside of us. Why, apart from His ongoing presence in our lives, would we actively recognize all the ways in which we are wrong and choose to turn from them? Why would we live in a posture of self-denial unless the Holy Spirit was actually at work inside of us? This is what Jesus said the Holy Spirit would do:

“Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment…” (John 16:7-8).

2. Repentance means God loves us.

When we think of repentance, we usually think in terms of stopping. Stopping a thought. Stopping a desire. Stopping an action. And while that is a component of what it means to repent, repentance doesn’t stop there. To repent means to turn.

Read More

How Can God Bring Good Out of Evil?

For believers, there are no tragedies, and for unbelievers, there are ultimately no blessings.

Without the concept of providence, we would miss the comfort, consolation, and joy of knowing that God stands above and beyond all things. He is not an isolated spectator who roots for us.…His purposes cannot be thwarted.

 

People tend to feel uncomfortable when reading that God from all eternity, immutably and freely, ordains whatsoever comes to pass. This means, after all, that everything that happens in this world, including the evil things that others do to us and, astonishingly enough, our own sins against others, is immutably foreordained by almighty God. If we have been eternally ordained to commit sin, why does God find fault? We may as well sin with abandon, knowing that we are being directed by the providence of God. This is the mystery of providence. Doing no violence to the will of His creatures, God achieves His purposes through His chosen means.

One view has it that, as we hurtle through space, centrifugal force, gravity, and centripetal force keep us from collapsing and falling out of existence. These forces and powers are real. Gravity exists, but its power is not inherent. Even the power of gravity rests on the primary power of God. Gravity is not an independent primary cause. The only primary cause is the one by whom all things are made and in whom all things hold together. Ultimately, what keeps us from falling off the edge of the earth is the hand of God. But He exercises His power through the real power of secondary causes, such as gravity.

In terms of human relationships, we are secondary causes, and the powers we exert are real, not illusory. We are not puppets with no volition, freedom, or power, but we have no volition, freedom, or power beyond that given to us by God. He remains sovereign over all these things, bringing His sovereign will to pass.

When discussing God’s decrees, we speak of the concurrence of the human and divine wills. Concurrence is also called confluence. Both words mean “a flowing together.”

Read More

Understanding God’s Peace | In Touch Ministries Daily Devotions

download

If you want God’s peace, spend time in His Word and align your choices with His will.

Source: Understanding God’s Peace

The Olive Tree | From the MLJ Archive on Oneplace.com

download

Romans 11:16-17 — In this sermon on Romans 11:16–17 titled “The Olive Tree,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses what or who is the olive tree and the relationship of the Jews to the Gentiles within God’s economy of salvation. Learn of the importance to understand what Paul means in Romans 11 and the tendency to lean towards the two extremes—to make too much or too little of this relationship. What is meant by this “olive tree”? Who are the children of the promise? Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones dives into explaining who are the true spiritual people of God. There is a spiritual nation that surpasses the natural. Understand from where the roots of this olive tree are derived. There is a continuity that binds the Old and New Testaments: “There is only one way of salvation and it has always been the same one.” See that salvation is not a matter of nationality but of being grafted into God’s people. What does it mean that the Jews have a “special” yet not “separate” position? Rejoice that both Jews and Gentiles will be joint heirs and partake in the promised blessings of God.

Source: The Olive Tree

A sense of our own folly is a great step towards being wise when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord. —C.H. Spurgeon

Our True Source of Growth

Discover how God is the ultimate source of your spiritual growth, cultivating you in grace, unity, righteousness, holiness, kindness, and compassion. Explore practical insights and prayers to deepen your faith and maturity as you surrender to His divine cultivation.

Source: Our True Source of Growth

5 Things to Focus on This Spring

In a world brimming with distractions, learn to regain focus and align your priorities with divine purpose. Discover five essential areas to cultivate spiritual growth and enrich your life as spring approaches.

Source: 5 Things to Focus on This Spring

02/26/26 Driving Out Sin | Chuck Lawless

Numbers 33-36

The promised land awaited the Hebrews. They had wandered in the wilderness for decades, and soon they would finally be in the land. God’s instruction to them at that point was clear and dramatic. They were to “drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you, destroy all their stone images and cast images, and demolish all their high places” (Num 33:52). The Hebrews were not only to dispossess the current inhabitants of the land, but they were also to destroy anything related to their false religion. God had given them the land, and they were to take it according to His plan.

Should they not keep God’s word, though, the inhabitants of the land would become “barbs for your eyes and thorns for your sides” (Num 33:55). Quite tragically, this is exactly what happened. Because the Hebrews did not drive everyone out, the Canaanites became a thorn in their side—and their false religion became a snare for the Hebrews. They would then suffer exactly what God said: He would drive the Hebrews out of the land just as He said should happen regarding the Canaanites.

I am reminded today of the importance of eradicating any element of sin and disobedience in my life. No stronghold of sin began as a stronghold; it began by our allowing a little bit of sin to remain in our life.

RESPONSE: Drive out any ongoing sin in your life.

Source: 02/26/26 Driving Out Sin

BCL Online Picks — February 26, 2026 | Beautiful Christian Life by BCL

Photo Credit: FatCamera / iStock.com

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

This week’s picks explore freedom, the state of our hearts, justice, faithfulness, the sanctity of life, and what it means to live eternally debt-free.

1. Be Free!

In this must-read Substack post, pastor Campbell Markham reflects on Paul’s call in Galatians to stand firm in the freedom Christ has secured for us. He warns against drifting back into subtle forms of bondage—whether legalism, ritualism, or materialism—and gently urges believers to live each day in the liberty of faith. Markham reminds us that the gospel doesn’t just free us once but instead teaches us to remain free. Read it here →

2. Your Words Reveal Your Heart

After Tuesday’s State of the Union address, many in the United States are evaluating the state of our nation. Scripture, however, calls us to examine something closer to home: the state of our own hearts. In this Ligonier Ministries devotional, pastor Steffen Mueller reflects on Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 12:33–35 and the connection between what we communicate and our innermost thoughts. The solution isn’t better speaking techniques but a new heart in Christ. Read it here →

3. Ponder These Things: Antidote to Anxiety

In this Modern Reformation piece, pastor Chuck Tedrick turns to Philippians 4:8 to offer a quiet but powerful antidote to modern anxiety. Instead of rehearsing everything that unsettles us, he invites us to dwell on what is true, honorable, and praiseworthy. In a restless age, his reflection reorients our thoughts toward Christ, who alone steadies anxious hearts. Read it here →

4. Immigration and the Kingdom of God

In this helpful piece for Reformed Theological Seminary, Dr. Scott Redd reminds us that while Scripture doesn’t hand nations a detailed immigration policy, it does give guiding principles—God’s concern for the sojourner, the call to justice, and the need for ordered compassion. It’s a thoughtful, biblically grounded approach to one of our nation’s most divisive issues. Read it here →

5. The 12 Holocausts of 2025

In this Breakpoint commentary, Biola University professor and author Thaddeus Williams unabashedly directs our attention to the unborn. Reflecting on what he calls the “12 holocausts of 2025,” he underscores the staggering global reality of abortion and its profound moral weight. His sobering analysis urges Christians to resist cultural amnesia and remain steadfast in defending the dignity of every human life. (Many thanks to The Aquila Report for bringing this article to our attention.) Read it here →

6. The Debt

With headlines regularly tracking America’s mounting national debt—far higher now than when this essay first appeared—Allen C. Guelzo’s reflection in Modern Reformation feels especially relevant. Drawing on Paul’s language in Colossians 2, he reminds us that beyond economic anxieties lies a far deeper ledger. His meditation redirects our concern from national deficits to the spiritual debt only Christ can settle. Read it here →

7. Have a Ministry of Small Things

In this Reformation21 article, Reuben Bredenhof encourages pastors not to despise what he calls a “ministry of small things,” reminding them that much of faithful shepherding happens in ordinary, often unnoticed acts. His reflection honors steady, patient service over platform-driven impact. Though written for pastors, the principle extends to all believers: The quiet, everyday ways we serve God and neighbor matter more than we often realize. Read it here →

Recommended:

• BCL Online Picks — February 19, 2026
• BCL Online Picks — February 12, 2026
• BCL Online Picks — February 5, 2026
• BCL Online Picks — January 29, 2026

 

The post BCL Online Picks — February 26, 2026 appeared first on Beautiful Christian Life.

Source: BCL Online Picks — February 26, 2026

Important Contexts for Understanding Reformed Theology | Ligonier Ministries

Most Christians understand the importance of context for properly interpreting Scripture. We realize that the books of Scripture were written thousands of years ago in cultures very different from ours and in languages we do not grow up speaking. Those things that were simply given, everyday realities for the original human authors and their audiences are things we have to study and learn about. We know that if we are studying the Old Testament, we have to learn Hebrew and Aramaic (or trust the translators who learned those languages). We have to learn about ancient Near Eastern history, geography, culture, and practices in order to understand what the biblical authors are talking about. If we are studying the New Testament, we have to learn Greek. We have to learn about the first century world under the Roman Empire. All of this is simply part of the nature of grammatical-historical interpretation.

Context is also important if we are to properly understand Reformed theology. Reformed theology was a fruit of the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation, and that Reformation took place in a particular historical and cultural context. The authors writing at that time wrote within a particular philosophical and theological context. Having a grasp of these various contexts is important for understanding Reformed theology. I want to briefly mention three such contexts: the historical, philosophical, and theological contexts.

Historical Context

The Protestant Reformation did not occur one afternoon because a bunch of Roman Catholic monks got bored and decided to throw a party that got out of hand. The Protestant Reformation was the culmination of numerous historical events that reached back over the course of many centuries. Conflicts between the church and various political entities (imperial as well as more local) in addition to various conflicts among the political entities themselves played a role. Conflicts within the church itself resulting from corruption and numerous reforming attempts played a role. Cultural changes, including economic changes and technological changes, played a role.

We can see the direct relevance of the historical context when, for example, we read Martin Luther’s To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation or his Babylonian Captivity of the Church, two of the most important Protestant writings of the early Reformation. We can see the relevance when we read John Calvin’s “Prefatory Address to King Francis I of France” at the beginning of his Institutes. That preface is important context for understanding the content of the Institutes.

In addition, many of the Reformed confessions address issues that assume specific historical conditions or that are responding to specific historical conditions. The clearest example of the impact of historical context on the content of Reformed theology can be seen in the difference between the original Westminster Confession of Faith and the American revision of the same Confession on the subject of the civil magistrate and the relation between church and state. We have to understand that historical context is important for understanding Reformed theology. If a believer desires to have a better grasp of Reformed theology, he or she should take some time to study the history of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries—the two hundred years immediately preceding the Reformation—and then study the history of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries themselves. Theology does not exist in a historical vacuum.

Philosophical Context

In order to understand the importance of the philosophical context of Reformed theology, it is necessary to remember the historical timeframe of the Reformation. The Protestant Reformation began in the early sixteenth century with the work of Martin Luther. The first Latin edition of John Calvin’s Institutes was published in 1536 and the final Latin edition in 1559. The major writings of Reformed theologians such as Zwingli, Musculus, Vermigli, Bullinger, Beza, Zanchius, and Ursinus were published in the sixteenth century. All of the works of the Reformed scholastic theologians in the period of Early Orthodoxy and the majority of the works published in the period of High Orthodoxy were published before the end of the seventeenth century. This includes the works of Reformed theologians such as Polanus, Ames, Wollebius, Maccovius, Witsius, Turretin, and Mastricht.

All the major Reformed confessions and catechisms were also published in these two centuries. For example, the Tetrapolitan Confession (1530), the First Helvetic Confession (1536), the French Confession (1559), the Scots Confession (1560), the Belgic Confession (1561), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), the Second Helvetic Confession (1566), the Canons of Dordt (1618–19), the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), the Westminster Larger Catechism (1647), and the Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647) were written in the sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth century.

This is important because it means that the great theological works of the classical Reformed theologians and the Reformed confessions that they produced were all published in the last days of a pre-Enlightenment philosophical context. In other words, these theologians were writing before the Enlightenment’s “turn to the subject.” Remember that the so-called father of modern philosophy, René Descartes, was born in 1596, at the very end of the sixteenth century. His most significant philosophical works were not written until the late 1630s and early 1640s, well into the seventeenth century, and it took time for the influence of those works to be felt in the universities and among theologians.

This does not mean that the pre-Enlightenment philosophical context was monolithic. It also does not mean that there were no philosophical precursors to what became modern philosophy. There were, for example, in the philosophy of nominalism as well as in the ancient Greek skepticism that was rediscovered during the Renaissance. What it does mean is that the philosophical presuppositions of classic Reformed theology have much more in common with the general philosophical presuppositions of medieval theologians than with anything in the post-Cartesian era. In general, they worked within a context that did not question the existence of an external world independent of human minds or our ability to have true knowledge of that world through the use of our God-given sensory and rational faculties. Furthermore, they worked within a philosophical context that, with some exceptions (e.g., nominalism), granted that things have real natures.

This general philosophical context of Reformed theology was gradually lost as Enlightenment views finally filtered down and began impacting the thinking of the theologians. It had a catastrophic impact on Reformed theology. As Richard Muller explains (using the phrase “Christian Aristotelianism” to describe pre-Enlightenment philosophy):

The decline of Protestant orthodoxy, then, coincides with the decline of the interrelated intellectual phenomena of scholastic method and Christian Aristotelianism. Rationalist philosophy was ultimately incapable of becoming a suitable ancilla and, instead, demanded that it and not theology be considered queen of the sciences. Without a philosophical structure to complement its doctrines and to cohere with its scholastic method, Protestant orthodoxy came to an end.¹

In other words, if we want to know why there are so many Reformed theological giants in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and comparatively few afterwards, a large part of it has to do with the later theologians adopting various forms of Enlightenment philosophy and rejecting the pre-Enlightenment philosophical context. When Reformed theology is adapted to Enlightenment philosophical presuppositions, it withers and dies.

Our philosophical presuppositions affect our understanding of the most basic principles of reality and knowledge. Most readers of Reformed theology today have grown up imbibing post-Enlightenment philosophical principles without even being aware of it because it’s the very intellectual air we breathe. This easily leads to a misunderstanding of traditional Reformed doctrines if we read those doctrines through post-Enlightenment lenses. More seriously, many contemporary Reformed theologians have consciously or unconsciously adopted one version or another of post-Enlightenment philosophy. Post-Enlightenment philosophy has an enormous impact on our understanding of God, man, sin, everything.

When a contemporary Reformed theologian who has adopted one form or another of post-Enlightenment philosophy also subscribes to a Reformed confession, all of which were written by theologians who thought within a pre-Enlightenment philosophical context, there will inevitably be internal conflict. The temptation to radically revise or reject the confessional teaching will be ever-present. Such radical revision and rejection of confessionally Reformed doctrine has already begun to occur. We see this most clearly in the writings of contemporary Reformed theologians who reject the doctrine of God taught in the Reformed confessions (e.g., WCF, ch. 2).

Theological Context

If someone desires to study the theology of the Canons of Dordt, we generally understand that it’s necessary to have some grasp of the Arminian controversy and the theology of the Remonstrants because the Canons of Dordt are responding to the specific doctrines of the Remonstrants/Arminians. The same principle is true also of classic Reformed theology in general. Reformed theology is responding to and re-forming something that already existed—namely, late medieval Roman Catholic theology.

This assumed theological context can be seen throughout the writings of the early Reformed theologians and throughout our Reformed confessions. Over and over again, we see the Reformed theologians and the Reformed confessions responding to various specific Roman Catholic doctrines and practices. Sometimes they correct those doctrines and practices. Sometimes they completely reject those doctrines and practices. Unless we have some understanding of those Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, it can be very difficult to understand what our Reformed theologians and confessions are getting at.

The Reformed theologians of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries understood the theology of late medieval Catholicism, and they could assume that most of their readers (other theologians and pastors) would have some understanding of it as well. Many, if not most, contemporary readers of Reformed theology do not have the same basic knowledge of Roman Catholic doctrine and practice that the early Reformed theologians and their readers had. They do not have the same grasp of the overarching ecclesio-sacerdotal-soteriological system of Roman Catholic theology. They may have heard isolated bits and pieces regarding things such as justification or the relation between Scripture and tradition, but most do not understand the all-encompassing nature of the entire Roman Catholic theological system and how each piece relates to all the others.

This puts contemporary readers of Reformed theology in something like the position of a reader of the Canons of Dordt who does not understand the Arminian theology to which those Canons are responding. We can get some understanding of Reformed theology without that knowledge, but without the theological context it is very easy for that limited understanding to slide into misunderstanding. How many Reformed Christians, for example, understand how significant Rome’s understanding of Adam’s pre-fall constitution and the relation of nature and grace at that point in time is for Rome’s understanding of sin, grace, and justification? That knowledge is an important context for understanding the Reformed theology of sin, grace, and justification.

Conclusion

Classic Reformed theology did not fall out of the sky without any context. It was developed within real human history with real historical, cultural, political, philosophical, and theological contexts. We are five hundred years removed from those contexts. Our twenty-first century historical, philosophical, and theological context is very different from that of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. If we are not aware that there are differences, it can be very easy to read our contemporary context back into the writings of those centuries. If we are aware that there are differences but remain ignorant of the sixteenth and seventeenth century contexts, we can easily miss the true import of some of their teachings. In short, the same kind of effort that we put into learning the context of the biblical writings ought to be put into learning the context of classical Reformed theology.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on April 11, 2022.

---

1. Richard Muller, Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 1, (Baker Pub Group: Ada, Michigan, 1987), 84.↩

Source: Important Contexts for Understanding Reformed Theology

Biblical Verification: No Alien Life in the Universe :: By David Cogburn

The title of this article is certainly provocative. Why is it provocative? Where do we begin? The universe, of course. The world would say it’s common sense that the sheer size of the universe HAS to have life on other planets, DUH!

There are billions and trillions of stars and galaxies throughout the universe. To think we are the only ones here seems ludicrous, almost laughable to the world. That’s the way you think when you do not recognize there is a Creator God. They deny the Supernatural and try to force everything to be natural, including the universe through the Big Bang.

So, let’s examine the universe. The Bible tells us Creator God created it. The world says it created itself through the Big Bang and that all life finally began after trillions of years. Let’s stop right here and bring up two things that are so IMPOSSIBLE in the natural that no one can honestly deny them.

One, it is impossible for something to come from nothing, period. It takes something to create something else. Everything “visible” was created by a creator, whether it is the universe or a chair.

Two, it is impossible for nonlife to create life. The universe is composed almost completely of dark energy, dark matter, and ordinary matter, all of which are nonlife. The world has to go out on a mighty long limb to think the Big Bang came from “nothing” and that a nonlife universe can create “all life” – especially human beings who have body, soul, spirit and a past, present and future.

The true common-sense answer of how the universe came into being is by a Supernatural Creator God versus a natural universe on its own. Creator God has always existed, no matter how difficult it is for us to understand that. He not only created the universe but also created all LIFE in the universe.

This article is about biblical verification that there is no alien life in the universe. The world thinks otherwise, and there is a pretty good reason for that. For the past several decades, there has been an ever-increasing number of UFO sightings, now called UAP sightings – unidentified aerial phenomena. There have been hundreds of books, movies and TV shows all about aliens throughout the universe.

The most logical explanation for many of these sightings has to be they are aliens from other planets. However, assuming they exist, a more reasonable explanation is that they are beings from a different dimension, a spiritual dimension, versus another planet.

Genesis 6 tells us about some fallen angels who somehow were allowed to come to Earth and actually mate with women. They produced hybrid human beings known as the Nephilim or “giants.”

The Bible indicates they were so pervasive on Earth that they polluted the bloodline of the human race. Because of this corruption, God brought the flood to start over again with Noah and his family who had not been polluted with the fallen angels’ bloodline.

I bring this up to show these “beings” were here during the days of Noah, and Jesus says in Matthew 24:37-51 NIV, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. [Jesus’ Second coming] For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Jesus is saying that similar to what was going on in the days of Noah, so it shall also be in our day right before His Second coming.

It’s interesting that most of us know that we are living in the last of the last days. Many people feel that the rapture, tribulation and Jesus’ Second coming are very near. Over the past few decades, we have seen a proliferation of these UAP sightings. Spiritual beings make more sense than aliens from other planets.

To understand why the Bible shows there are no aliens on other planets, we first need to set the stage. Establishing a proper context helps clarify the answer.

To understand the mystery of the universe, we have to know ONE THING – WHY did God create the universe in the first place? The good news is God gives us that answer in His Word of God Bible.

Genesis 1:1 NIV says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” It also tells us that God’s first creation was His angels. Lucifer, who was God’s highest angel, wanted to be worshipped like God and rejected what God had established. One-third of the angels chose to rebel alongside him and fell as well.

God is eternal and dwells inside eternity. God has no beginning or end. Eternity has no beginning or end. GOD DID NOT CREATE ETERNITY. This means God and eternity are “linked together.” You could also say God “is” eternity through this connection.

There is no sin in God’s eternity. There is no death. Because there is no death, there is no “atonement” for the fallen angels where a sinless life could die to pay the price for their sin.

What happens in eternity stays in eternity. This explains why there is no redemption for the fallen angels. For those of you who follow near death experiences, one of the common comments from many of them is there is a “barrier” they could not go beyond or else they would not be able to return. That barrier is eternity. There is no revolving door between God’s eternity and the universe.

The Bible shows following the fall of one-third of God’s angels, God decided to create the human race. Now we are beginning to understand why God had to create the universe.

Because God knows the future, He knew what would happen after creating the human race through Adam and Eve. He knew they would disobey Him and sin by eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. The Bible shows us that God’s plan is to spend eternity on EARTH with us human beings, beginning with Adam and Eve. Eve blamed the serpent Satan for deceiving her and causing her to eat the fruit. Adam blamed Eve for giving him the fruit. They played the blame game.

God then had a conversation with Satan in Genesis 3:15 NCSB, where He said, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike His heel.”

This is where our sin nature comes from. There are only two seeds needed to create a human being – the seed from the man and the seed from the woman. God just told Satan He is going to come between YOUR SEED (Satan’s) and her seed (woman’s). God has just said that man’s seed has become Satan’s seed following Adam’s sin, which explains why we are born with a sin nature from “only” Adam’s seed, not woman’s seed. Adam was God’s “original creation,” and thus, He alone is responsible for the original sin. God made Eve from Adam.

This also explains why Jesus could not have a biological sinful human father or He, too, would have been born with a sin nature like everyone else. But with the Holy Spirit God as His biological Father, He could be born from a woman with a sin nature and still be born without sin due to God being His biological Father.

So, God knowing all of this in advance, brings us back to His creation of the universe. Remember, God dwells in “sinless” eternity, and there is no way He could ever allow human beings who are born with a sin nature to be born “inside” eternity or we would all be lost forever with our sin nature inside eternity at birth. Don’t forget, what happens in eternity stays in eternity.

So God does something He’s never done before. He creates the universe. Why? Solely for us human beings. God now needs to create a “place” outside of eternity that can “accommodate sin” as well as life and death, good and evil, etc. Think of the vast universe as a small bubble outside of eternity. One of the main purposes of the universe is to create TIME as well as life and death. God knew that He needed a “place” where His Son, God Jesus, could come to and actually die to save the human race.

God also knew that human beings would need TIME after birth to come to know Him. He understood that they would need the opportunity to enter into a personal and intimate relationship with Him. This relationship would be made possible through Jesus, who sacrificed His life on the cross to pay the price for the sins of mankind. Jesus loves everyone. Those who love Him in return – by repenting of their sins and inviting Him to be their Lord and Savior – are saved. He paid the price for all their sins – past, present, and future.

Remember, only no sin is allowed into God’s eternity in heaven. At death, those who belong to Jesus enter eternity free from sin. Those who do not belong to Jesus enter eternity still in sin, which separates them from God. They will spend eternity in hell, a place of torment.

Knowing all of these things the Word of God Bible tells us, it should start to bring about a new understanding of how the universe is designed to fit into God’s plan for the human race.

So, how does this prove there is no alien life anywhere else? Does the Bible say there is no alien life anywhere else? Maybe God created life in other parts of the universe and simply did not tell us about it in the Bible. IF there was life on –  say one thousand other planets – it would have to be life that God created. Would that mean Jesus would have to go to those one thousand planets and die on a cross for them, too? Is that possible? NO, it is not possible for a couple of good reasons, which the Bible directly and indirectly shows us.

First, the Bible DIRECTLY tells us that God’s plan is to spend eternity on Earth with us humans alone and not aliens from other planets. Many believe His plan is delayed for around 7,000 years due to the sin of Adam. The Bible tells us that following Jesus’ Second coming and His one-thousand-year millennial reign, the human race will come to an end following God’s great white throne judgment, and there will be no more human beings and no more sin.

It is at this point that God will create ANOTHER new heavens and earth with NO SIN. God then no longer needs a universe that can accommodate sin, and this is why He creates a new heavens and earth without sin.

We now get to the INDIRECT reason there are no aliens in the universe. Since God is going to destroy our current universe and earth in the future, if there was alien life elsewhere throughout the universe, that would mean they all would be destroyed when God destroys this universe. Does that sound like something God would do? That is a rhetorical question.

Of course, all of these answers come from God’s Word of God’s Bible, which the world at large rejects. The Bible has proven and verified itself as the only book ever written by God. It contains hundreds, if not thousands, of prophecies written in advance of future events. Yet the world largely ignores and rejects these prophecies, doing so at their own peril.

I personally think God created the universe to seem infinitely vast, as it is to show beyond a shadow of a doubt He exists and there is NO excuse for not knowing Him. Scripture verifies this. Romans 1:20 NIV says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

God’s whole plan is to connect us to Himself through the Holy Spirit. The goal is for us to become His bride as we await Jesus. Soon, in the rapture, He will take us back to heaven for our wedding celebration and feast.

***

This information and much more is covered in my book – God’s Plan for Heaven, Eternity and the Universe Explained – Conversational Style. It is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Google it for reviews. Thank you.

Maranatha, Lord Jesus!

David Cogburn

dcogburn789@gmail.com

Source: Biblical Verification: No Alien Life in the Universe

We’ll Be Learning More about God for All Eternity | EPM

According to David, the greatest thing we can ask of God is to gaze upon His beauty: “One thing I have asked from Yahweh, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Yahweh and to inquire in His temple” (Psalm 27:4, LSB).

The new heavens and earth will provide the eternal answer to David’s prayer. There will be no temple there, because we will always have direct access to God. To see God will be to know Him, and then to see ourselves, and all other people and events, through His eyes.

As I share in this video, we will spend all of eternity learning more about our magnificent God:

Jesus said to His disciples, “Learn from me” (Matthew 11:29). On the New Earth, we’ll have the privilege of sitting at Jesus’ feet as Mary did, walking with Him over the countryside as His disciples did, always learning from Him. In Heaven we’ll continually learn new things about God, going ever deeper in our understanding.

Consider the Greek words ginosko and epiginosko, translated “know” in 1 Corinthians 13:12, used of our present knowledge on Earth and our future knowledge in Heaven: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” Ginosko often means “to come to know,” and therefore “to learn” (Matthew 10:26; John 12:9; Acts 17:19; Philippians 2:19). Epiginosko also means “to learn” (Luke 7:37; 23:7; Acts 9:30; 22:29). That we will one day “know fully” could well be understood as “we will always keep on learning.”

Consider Ephesians 2:6-7: “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace.” The word show means “to reveal.” The phrase in the coming ages clearly indicates this will be a progressive, ongoing revelation, in which we learn more and more about God’s grace.

We will spend eternity worshipping, exploring and serving our great God, seeing His breathtaking beauty in everything and everyone around us!

Source: We’ll Be Learning More about God for All Eternity

Thursday Prayer Guide

Adoration

Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God,
Because praise is pleasant and beautiful. (Psalm 147:1)

Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.
He changes the times and the seasons;
He raises up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him. (Daniel 2:20–22)

O God, You are my God;
Earnestly I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My body longs for You,
In a dry and weary land
Where there is no water.
I have seen You in the sanctuary
And beheld Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods,
And my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You through the watches of the night.
Because You have been my help,
I will rejoice in the shadow of Your wings.
My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:1–8)

The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock!
Exalted be God, the Rock of my salvation! (2 Samuel 22:47; Psalm 18:46)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger
Or chasten me in Your wrath.
Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in distress.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord, how long? (Psalm 6:1–3)

Woe to me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts. (Isaiah 6:5)

There is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good
And never sins. (Ecclesiastes 7:20)

Truly I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. (Joshua 7:20)

If I claim to be without sin, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. If I confess my sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive me my sins and purify me from all unrighteousness. If I claim I have not sinned, I make Him a liar and His word is not in me. (1 John 1:8–10)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

I will sing praises to the Lord
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger lasts only a moment,
But His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:4–5)

Renewal

Lord, renew me by Your Spirit as I offer these prayers to You:

May I love the Lord my God, obey His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is my life and the length of my days. (Deuteronomy 30:20)

May I be holy to You, for You the Lord are holy, and You have set me apart to be Your own. (Leviticus 20:26)

I have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. Therefore, may I put away all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. (1 Peter 1:23; 2:1)

Since I call on the Father who judges each man’s work impartially, may I conduct myself in fear during the time of my sojourn on earth. (1 Peter 1:17)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

Father, using Your word as a guide, I offer You my prayers concerning these practical exhortations.

May the God of my Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give me a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the full knowledge of Him, and may the eyes of my heart be enlightened, in order that I may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the incomparable greatness of His power toward us who believe. God’s power is according to the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:17–21)

May I rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for me in Christ Jesus. May I examine all things, hold fast to the good, and abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, 21–22)

I will consider it all joy whenever I fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of my faith produces endurance. And I will let endurance finish its work, so that I may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If I lack wisdom, may I ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to me. (James 1:2–5)

May I be steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that my labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

May I be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power as I put on the full armor of God, so that I will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10–11)

May I prepare my mind for action and be self-controlled, setting my hope fully on the grace to be brought to me at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As an obedient child, may I not conform myself to the former lusts I had when I lived in ignorance, but as He who called me is holy, so may I be holy in all my conduct, because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13–16)

May I be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let my requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7)

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—may I think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

Pause here to express any additional personal requests, especially concerning faithfulness as a steward:Of time Of talents Of treasure Of truth Of relationships

My activities for this day
Special concerns

Intercession

Lord, I now prepare my heart for intercessory prayer for government.

We should offer petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings on behalf of all men, for kings and all those who are in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and reverence. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1–4)

In the spirit of this passage, I pray for:Spiritual revival Local government State government National government Current events and concerns

Affirmation

Feed my mind and heart, O Lord, as I affirm these truths from Your word concerning the Scriptures:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

The word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12–13)

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Like Ezra, I want to set my heart to study the word of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach it to others. (Ezra 7:10)

I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

For who You are and for what You have done, accept my thanks, O Lord:

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and joy are in His place.
I will ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
I will ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name
And worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. (1 Chronicles 16:25–29)

Through Jesus, I will continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. (Hebrews 13:15)

God is my refuge and strength,
An ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
For I delight in Your salvation.
There is no one holy like the Lord;
There is no one besides You;
Nor is there any Rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:1–2)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

The Lord will keep me from all evil;
He will preserve my soul.
The Lord will watch over my coming and going
From this time forth and forever. (Psalm 121:7–8)

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you;
The Lord turn His face toward you
And give you peace. (Numbers 6:24–26)

The God of hope will fill me with all joy and peace as I trust in Him, so that I may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Boa, K. (1993). Handbook to prayer: praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.

Medieval Church History 28: John of Montecorvino & Christianity in China | Morning Studies

By Pastor Nathan Eshelman – Posted at Sermon Audio:

https://embed.sermonaudio.com/player/a/1426193136667/

Direct Link:

• Medieval Church History 28: John of Montecorvino & Christianity in China

Series Link:

• Medieval Church History | SermonAudio

Source: Montecorvino, John | BDCC

https://rchstudies.christian-heritage-news.com/2026/02/medieval-church-history-28-john-of.html