Edwin Eby

An intriguing life philosophy caught my eye while leafing through United Airlines seat back magazine, Hemispheres. I’ve been fascinated ever since. These two words were given by a TV celebrity as his “secret path” to stronger emotional health and longevity of life. His philosophy made strong logical sense. But is there spiritual substance?

Baptism as an ordinance for the church and of the church on earth is a command of our Lord Jesus. He specifically commanded it in His “going away message.” He established it just before going to His present position at the right hand of God on His throne in Heaven. He plainly said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt 28:19-20).

Global tensions are mounting—that is not news. Political chaos abounds, especially among Tier 1 nations jostling for supremacy—that is not news. Downward spiraling moral and economic situations are the norm with anarchy given as one solution—that is not news either. Even public radio newscasters and talk show hosts discuss these things and joke about them, too. Plus Hollywood dramatizes and glorifies Armageddon! What do they know about that?

Jesus was “a ram caught in a thicket”! Jesus’ sacrificial, vicarious cross death satisfied the justice of God. This act can set men free from the law of sin and death! Hallelujah!

Prophecy is man's thing, not God's thing. Prophecy is the English word by which man attempts to understand what God already is by eternal attribute. History then is man's view of Sovereign events and solely determined by where a man stands along God's timetable. In point of fact, the word timetable is simply a meager effort to explain God's eternal attribute a feeble human attempt to understand God. However, whatever God is in this facet of His Being, He has deemed that both Himself and humankind involve a time perspective.

Planted in each human is an accountable, sovereign will of the mind. By this, man constantly wills either to live his life as a lone entity, or voluntarily assign his will over to God's Sovereign will. The New Testament teaches that man also has a conscience sitting in judgment of, and in witness with, the moral righteousness of God to this will of man. Paul writing in Romans 1-3 explains that because of this no man stands inexcusable before God. Though the English word conscience is absent in Old Testament texts its nature is unmistakably exposed.

The Halloween holiday and season represent an ancient European variant, All-Hallows’-Even (“evening”), that is, the night before All Hallows’ Day.