So who came first, man or the angels?

Interviewer: So who came first, man or the angels?
God: Angels. The rebellion of Satan and his followers happened shortly after I created the physical world. That is why Satan was in the Garden of Eden tempting Adam and Eve. From almost the very beginning of your time, the battle between him and Me for the souls of humanity was on.
Interviewer: Round one went to the Devil?
God: You mean with the fall of Adam and Eve?
Interviewer: Yes.
God: He never won their souls; he just led them to sin. In a way it could be looked on as a victory for him, but it was allowed by Me and all part of the master plan.
Interviewer: Satan and all of his crowd were originally created by You, then?
God: Yes.
Interviewer: So ultimately it would be said that You created evil.
God: I allowed it as an alternative to good. As the old proverb states, light can only be appreciated against a background of darkness.
Interviewer: Do any of the fallen angels want to get back on to the good side?
God: Their minds are now hardened. They want to come out on top, so they exert every effort to win.
Interviewer: But they won’t repent?
God: As of now, they have no reason to, because they believe they can still win.
Interviewer: But isn’t their outcome already decided-that they will lose? Don’t they know this?
God: They refuse to believe it. Otherwise, why would they continue to fight if they knew in the long run they would lose?
Interviewer: I figured it was just bloody-mindedness.
God: No, they are under the delusion that they will win. Because they have rejected the truth, therefore they are doomed to believe a lie.
Interviewer: Including Satan himself?
God: I have allowed him to be aware that I know he will ultimately lose, but he is so hardened through pride that he thinks he can still prevail. Even if he can’t, he has settled for second best, and that is to cause mayhem and bring as many others down with him as he can.
Interviewer: That is so bizarre!
God: Is it? Have there not been many tyrants and others throughout your history who have known that they were doomed to destruction and yet pursued their ambitions in war and other ventures, leading many others over the cliff like lemmings?
Interviewer: Why were they like that?
God: Pride! Their pride would not let them back down, and so they sacrificed themselves and as many others as they could in the fires of their own ambitions.
Interviewer: Why are others duped?
God: They basically want to be.
Interviewer: But why?
God: As I explained earlier, having rejected truth, all that is left to believe in is lies. To acknowledge that one has been wrong is one of the hardest things for any being, whether angel or man, to do. And so rather than confess mistakes, the proud go on to their own destruction. Sometimes the basic instinct for self-preservation kicks in and stops them, but not every time.

If they smite you on one cheek, then what?

Interviewer: On another subject-confession.
God: Confessing mistakes and wrongs is a powerful liberation.
Interviewer: Yes, we have an expression, “confession is good for the soul.” Some even elevate it to the level of a sacrament. What is it about confession that has such a good effect?
God: Until people confess, they carry the weight of the wrongs they have done. Those wrongs weigh on the spirit of man in a very real way. Once they are confessed and forgiven, the weight is gone.
Interviewer: You have made references to being in a war with Satan, but while on earth, Jesus made several statements to the effect that those that follow Him were to be pacifists.
God: Such as?
Interviewer: Well, He said if they smite you on one cheek to turn the other also. Also, He said that those who take up the sword would perish by the sword.
God: When man takes up the sword it is often for unjust reasons, therefore it is by and large safer that you don’t.
Interviewer: Even in defense of home and family?
God: That is taking the idea to an extreme. You have a duty to protect your family.
Interviewer: So why did Jesus say those things?
God: He was saying that if they are smiting you on the cheek, the best thing to do is to turn the other rather than to start a big fight. Those who believe in Jesus are admonished to love and even do good to their enemies. The Christian’s weapon is love.
But you only have two cheeks to offer; after that…
Interviewer: So they strike out at number three?
God: Yes, you could say that. But under certain conditions you don’t even have to wait for that.
Interviewer: So it is okay to fight in the defense of one’s family?
God: Yes, of course. You are justified in using force in this type of situation and in defending the weak from harm. And don’t leave Me out of the picture. The bullies of the world have an angry God to answer to. You can bet your life that they are going to be sorry, and for a long time too.
Interviewer: Like the other fella with the horns?
God: He’s the worst bully of all.
Interviewer: Are we also participants in the spiritual war You mentioned?
God: Yes, but guns and swords have no place in that war. The spiritual warfare is fought with spiritual weapons. Your prayers augment the power of the guys with the white hats.
Interviewer: So that spiritual war spills over into this physical realm in the form of all these little bullies doing their dirty work?
God: Yes, the Devil and the black hats are out to stop the believers and will try to influence others on earth to persecute them. This is one reason why Jesus said for His followers to live a life that cannot be faulted, so that they can enjoy the protection of the civil law.
Interviewer: You mean the Devil may sic his cohorts on the believers, so the believers need to stay on the right side of the law so they will have the law on their side to help them out of any scrapes with the opposition?
God: Precisely.
Interviewer: But what happens when the law of the land forbids what You are asking believers to do? Those responsible for making sure citizens keep the law are supposed to guarantee religious freedom, but sometimes they are the ones who Christians have trouble with. That has been the case where free worship of You and telling others about You is banned.
God: If a law forbids you from practicing your belief in Me, then it is an unjust law.
Interviewer: But it’s still a law. Can it be disregarded in such a case?
God: Yes.
Interviewer: So You are saying that believers can break the law?
God: In this instance, on this issue. When a law forbids belief in Me and expressing that belief, you are not bound to keep that law.
Interviewer: Wow, that is pretty interesting! I have God on record that the law can be broken.
God: I have been pretty specific here, and it is only in this case.
Interviewer: Could there be others?
God: Why do you want to know? Do you want to break the law?
Interviewer: Well, if God says I can…
God: Hold your horses! That is not what I am saying. For your own sake, you’d better keep the law, or else you will find you will be answering to it, and that can be pretty costly for you.

Should a Christian fight in the military?

Interviewer: Speaking of fighting and all, should a Christian be in the military?
God: The primary job of a soldier is to fight wars. Why would a Christian want to fight wars?
Interviewer: I don’t know. Perhaps it is just a job. Or perhaps someone feels there is a genuine threat to his family and country so he joins up to defend them.
God: Putting the genuine need to defend your family aside, a soldier’s job is to be the muscle behind a country’s government. The governments of the world are largely just the instruments of vested interests, so why would a Christian want to go off and fight wars for unrighteous governments?
Interviewer: So You are saying no?
God: What is your conclusion?
Interviewer: Well, some of our governments certainly like to invoke Your name and tell people they are fighting for “God and country.”
God: I don’t recall them asking Me before they brought Me into their fights. Governments and leaders have always proclaimed that I was fighting on their side. That way they dupe the people into thinking that if I am on their side, for sure they are going to win. But I am not interested in governments and countries gaining more land and booty at the expense of others, which is basically what wars have always been fought over. Wars are for economic gain, and seldom has there ever been a righteous war. And some of the so-called religious wars have been the worst.
Interviewer: But getting back to the defense issue, didn’t even Saint Augustine9 say that war could be just if a war is fought for moral purposes and with moral means? He claimed the two basic just causes10 of war are self-defense against criminal attack and aiding the victim of such an attack.
God: Self-defense and coming to the aid of the weak is one thing. Yes, for goodness sake do that. But bear in mind that in many cases, who is to say which side is criminal and which side is not? From all I see, there are a lot of criminals on both sides. So why would a Christian want to get himself into the middle of all that?
Interviewer: So as a Christian, what duty do I owe my country’s government?
God: You are, as the Bible says, to live as peaceably as possible in your community, giving no offense so that you may not be reproached. Live according to the laws of the land.
Interviewer: So I am to be a good law-abiding citizen.
God: Claiming God said you didn’t have to obey the law hasn’t been very effective as a legal defense. Besides, I told you to live according to the laws of the land.
Interviewer: Jesus was executed as a criminal.
God: He was unjustly and falsely accused and sentenced by a kangaroo court.
Interviewer: But even in today’s legal system the common belief is that it doesn’t matter if you’re guilty or innocent. What matters is how good your lawyer is.
God: But you should avoid even ending up in court.
Interviewer: Well, a lot of Your people have ended up in court, and have gotten the raw end of “justice.”
God: That is true. If a Christian is dragged into court on trumped-up charges, that is another thing. But if he is guilty of real criminal offense, then he has to pay the price. The laws of the land are there for your protection. If you follow them, you can claim the law’s protection. If you don’t, then you are on shaky ground.

Taxes and more

Interviewer: What about taxes? Should I pay taxes to the government?
God: If you owe taxes, yes.
Interviewer: Even if it is one of these unrighteous governments that You were talking about?
God: If you want to avoid unnecessary trouble, pay your taxes.
Interviewer: Should a Christian be involved in law enforcement?
God: Those involved in police work, maintaining peace and order, are indirectly My instruments. I am grateful for their work, and because of their work those who believe in Me, along with the rest of the general populace, can live in safety. The Devil and his ilk love to try to commit all sorts of evil, and the police are My agents to prevent that from happening. However, I am speaking in general terms, and not every action by a policeman can be regarded as fulfilling My will. Some are malicious and corrupt.
Interviewer: So it comes down to individuals and their actions.
God: Precisely.
Interviewer: What about secular work in general?
God: What about it?
Interviewer: Should a Christian hold a secular job or should he rather be involved in some sort of religious vocation?
God: The primary job of all Christians is to share My love with others.
Interviewer: But not all can be preachers or missionaries, if that is what You are saying. Some just might not feel that they can do it, or they may have obligations that prevent them. I could do some sort of work for You and still hold down a secular job, right?
God: Yes, you can. What I mean by saying a Christian’s primary job is to share My love with others is that this should be more important to him than his secular job. I know that many cannot work for Me full time for a myriad of reasons, but there are those who can and there is a very big need for them to do so. For those who can’t, I encourage them to do what they can. Some cannot do much, but they do all they can. This is laudable, and I will reward each one according to how he spends his life, how he uses the talents I have given him.
Interviewer: So if someone gives more of his or her life to You, as You say, he or she will get a greater reward?
God: It is not necessarily how much one gives but rather how much one gives in proportion to what he or she is able. That is why you need to honestly assess your priorities in life. If your secular job is number one, then you have to be honest and say that is what you are serving and not Me.
Interviewer: The old choice between God and mammon.
God: Exactly. You can’t serve two masters, and it is difficult at times to reconcile your priorities. However, being an example of love is the most important thing, no matter what kind of job you have. There have been and still are a lot of people who can preach a good sermon, but words by themselves are hollow. And by an example I certainly don’t mean being a goody two-shoes. I mean someone who is enjoyable to be around, someone who is kind and thoughtful, someone who will go the extra mile for others, someone who is there for others when they need him or her.

One has to have money to survive, right?

Interviewer: Back to the issue of God and mammon. One has to have money to survive, right? If I don’t work, then I get no money.
God: If you work for Me, I will make sure you are okay.
Interviewer: So You are going to write out a check?
God: It could come to that, but working for Me has the best job security of any job on earth.
Interviewer: How so?
God: Guaranteed lifetime employment and a super retirement plan.
Interviewer: Retirement plan? Oh, I get it.
God: (Chuckles.)
Interviewer: But that still won’t put food on the table now.
God: How can you say that? I do put food on the table for all those who give their lives to My service.
Interviewer: That takes faith.
God: Is that so hard to have?
Interviewer: For many of us, yes.
God: You have faith in stoplights, don’t you?
Interviewer: Stoplights?
God: Yes, those little red, green, and yellow lights.
Interviewer: What has that got to do with it?
God: If you can believe that a little red light is going to stop that tractor-trailer coming along the crossroad from barreling into the side of your vehicle when you drive out into the intersection, why is it so hard to have faith in God?
Interviewer: But I can see the stoplight. It is visible to me. You, unfortunately, are not.
God: Granted, you can’t see Me. But are you saying you have more faith in a light bulb than you have in Me?
Interviewer: Sounds pathetic, doesn’t it?
God: You said it.
Interviewer: So if I work for You, You will supply what I need?
God: That’s the truth of it.
Interviewer: Well, that’s food for thought!
God: Hope so! And I assure you it will also put food on the table.
Interviewer: Thank You very much for coming. It is always a pleasure to hear Your views on these issues.
God: Thank you for giving me the opportunity.
Interviewer: Until next time.
God: Good-bye.

Education and New Revelations

Interviewer: Most people believe a good education is paramount to a successful life. Many focus large amounts of time, resources and energy toward getting an education for themselves, planning it for their children, or fretting about the abysmal state it apparently has descended to in many places. It is a big subject and worth soliciting Your opinion on.
God: It is a big subject. Care to be more specific about what you want My opinion on?
Interviewer: Well, I suppose the big question is, is it really that important?
God: It depends on the degree of education you’re talking about. It is important to learn things and not be unskilled and ignorant.
Interviewer: You are talking about a very basic education then.
God: Everyone has to start with the basics.
Interviewer: What about higher education?
God: Certain professions-such as being a surgeon, to cite one example-do require further years of study before one can safely practice on the job. But in most cases, you have to ask yourself what is the point of attending college for your “higher” education.
Interviewer: In most societies you need a higher education to land the better jobs.
God: And what does that mean, a “better” job?
Interviewer: The one that brings with it a better livelihood and quality of life.
God: Are you sure about the quality of life aspect?
Interviewer: Why do I feel that I am the one being interviewed here?
God: Because I am asking the questions. (Chuckles.) I am trying to get you to narrow down the question and clearly state where you are headed.
Interviewer: A higher education is understood to be the doorway to a successful life. Do You agree or disagree?
God: The reasoning for that is that most people won’t get a higher education, so that those who do will be able to move into positions where they will be over the people who don’t. But if everyone gets a higher education-which everyone seems to be admonished to do-then who will you end up being over? So the premise on which everyone is encouraged to get a higher education is basically flawed.
Interviewer: It is true that people go to college so they can get a degree, land a better and hopefully more fulfilling job and also make more money. But they want the money to provide a higher standard of living for themselves and their family and also, some I daresay, so they can give to good causes. What is wrong with that?
God: What you have just stated is probably the credo of most people in the world today. It is true that there are good aspects to that in that you want to be able to amply provide and care for those you love and also give to charity on the side. However, this also locks so many into a rat race to where the pursuit of money consumes their whole lives. The principle I laid down from the beginning was that if you give your lives trying to help and care for your fellow men, then I would take care of you. True, you may not end up with riches or great influence and power. but you will have an inner peace and well-being that those who have all those other things cannot buy at any price.
Interviewer: And yet the citizens of rich nations enjoy a better life than those of poor ones.
God: Poorer nations look to the Developed World and see people who look better off than themselves and attribute this to education. In part they are right, but the principal reason these others are “better off” is because they hog the world’s resources. The current way the world works is that for someone to be better off, someone else has to be worse off.
There is often an underlying selfish purpose in striving for a higher education. Most people are not attempting to get one to help humanity; they basically want to help themselves. I am not saying that there is not some more noble motivation with some people, but the dog-eat-dog world of your society, which includes the hallowed institutions of higher education, often stifles that.
Interviewer: Aren’t You being rather harsh?
God: I am showing My disappointment.
Interviewer: Why would it be so disappointing? I mean, here is humanity taking the knowledge that You have revealed to us and then expanding on it. One would think You would be proud of Your creation for not just being content with what we have, but going forward.
God: I think the “going forward” part can be disputed. Humanity has just concluded the most brutal, murderous, and barbaric century of its tenure on earth. I scarcely think that is going forward. Over 100 million people have died in wars in the last 100 years, and while at the beginning of the century most of those being killed were combatants, now it is mostly unarmed civilians, especially women and children. That is by anyone’s definition barbarism to a horrific degree. Man’s quest for knowledge has excelled in areas that can result in the total annihilation of life on earth. The amount of money spent on war and preparing for war is almost incomprehensible. The “best and the brightest” are sought out and recruited into the military-industrial complex, where they put their considerable skills into developing even more destructive weapons. No, I would say humanity’s “progress” has been anything but progress.
Interviewer: Aren’t You painting with a very broad brush here? There is a tremendous amount of research in the areas of medicine, agriculture, the environment, and many other areas, which are dedicated to humanity’s good.
God: That is the standard argument, and I agree that much good has been accomplished by those with true intentions to help others. But take the amount of money and other resources that go into the weapons industry and compare that to what is spent in these other areas and you will see that the comparison is really pathetic.
Interviewer: But even if there is a lot of money going into this, there are a lot of side benefits derived from this research.
God: Couldn’t those side benefits be derived from research directly into those fields?
Interviewer: Yes, I suppose You are right.
God: Human life is the most precious thing in this world, yet humanity spends the greatest amount of its resources and energy in finding ways to destroy it. Clearly you must understand that this is something that I cannot allow to go on much longer.
Interviewer: So You plan to intervene?
God: I have planned to intervene from the very beginning, but in some ways man has dictated the pace. If I don’t intervene soon, man will have left Me nothing to intervene for.
Interviewer: When will this be?
God: That is another subject.
Interviewer: Yes, of course, but You do realize that we have touched on a very interesting theme here, and one I will bring up later, if I may.
God: Absolutely.