A Parallel Universe?

Personal note: I believe in Jesus. I know he paid the price for my sins. I know I am going to heaven when I die. I live a reasonably decent life. I give generously, lead a small group, volunteer at church, and try to help others when I can.

So what's the big deal? Why is there this need to search for more, as some of my well-wishing church friends and family would say?

Because.

Because, the Bible says we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. 

And I don't.

And the Bible says we should love our neighbor as ourselves.

And I don't.

And the Bible says I should walk by the Spirit, (in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-conrrol) so that I will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

And I don't.

I am tired of living like a hypocrite, where my walk doesn't match my talk. Some well-meaning people will say that's just the human condition. We are all like that. 

I believe there is something more. 

I know a few people who have found it. There lives are different. Changed. There is a peace, an inner strength, a continuous joy, and an unnatural love for God and man that cannot be duplicated in the human condition. I want that. I need that. I was intended for that. And I will not rest until I find it.

I am entitling these first series of blogs "A Parallel Universe?"

An odd title? Perhaps. But if this walk of faith depends entirely on the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, and I am having doubts in this area, it seems appropriate to begin by examining what God has revealed to us about Himself and His kingdom.

So my journey will begin with a laundry list of tough questions.  

Who is God? Where did He come from? And how can He exist in three distinct person's and yet be one? 

Where is heaven and God's throne? Somewhere in this universe? A distant planet, perhaps?

How did evil come into this world?


Is the whole world really under a curse? And what is a curse anyway?


Why did God create man in the first place? Was there something unique about us that could not be fulfilled by the angels He created before Adam and Eve existed?


What was so important about redemption from the curse that God was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to achieve it? Is there something more here than His love for us?

Does God really hold us accountable for sin when it is part of our very nature?

What really happened on the cross?

How does God communicate with us? Some claim to hear His voice and see His hand in almost every circumstance. Others doubt God speaks to us at all. Who is right?

What does it truly mean to be born again? And how can I know for sure if I have truly been born again? A majority of Americans claim to be born-again, but there is very little fruit in their lives to support it.

What does it mean to be "in Christ," and is this experience universal to all Christians?


If the Holy Spirit lives in me, why do I still have sin in my heart? 

Why does sin still make me feel guilty if I have been fully forgiven?

And more to come.

Pray for me. And stay tuned. This journey is about to get very interesting if you are one of those like me whose curiosity drives you to see what is over the next hill and around the next curve. 

God bless until next time.