Welcome to my randomized study & miscellaneous thoughts about the Awesome God of the universe, who He is and what He wants us to be.

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Verse of the Day

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Today's Quote

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Biblical Hope

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11)

It is easy to sympathize with the disciples, seeing how they must have felt thoroughly alone as they watched Jesus ascending up into the clouds 2000 years ago. The Bible says that they looked "steadfastly toward heaven" as Jesus was lifted up and left the world.

If we had been there with them and had shared in their intimacy with Jesus, our eyes would have been steadfastly transfixed on Him also. Would we have wondered if we would ever see Him again? They surely turned to one another and sensed in each other's eyes the same agonizing question, "Are we left here without any hope?"

In I Corinthians 13:13, we read that the greatest spiritual gifts the Lord left us are faith, hope and charity (love). Unfortunately, many associate the word hope with a negative connotation. It is most often related to our basic perception of luck or chance, e.g., I hope it doesn't rain, or I hope that we win the game, etc.

Another perception we ascribe to hope is that it is merely something we wish for coupled with the belief that its fruition is very small. But these common perceptions about hope as it is utilized in the Bible are opposite of its true meaning. Given man’s usual conception of hope as stated above, the average church member may say that salvation is his hope or that he hopes to make it to heaven when he dies.

But to relegate the Lord's spiritual gift of hope to merely a "future state of happiness,” or worse yet, to only an unsure “possibility” of future happiness, is to equate it to a non-believer’s understanding of the word. The truth is that biblical hope is beyond this human rationale.

A Living Hope
Peter referred to a living hope that dwells inside the believer. This hope is a life-giving mechanism. It emanates from the Holy Spirit and permeates, enlivens and energizes the believer.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
(1 Peter 1:3-5)

All believers have this hope, but it is not a mere wish or “pie in the sky dream.” It is a living attitude born of the Holy Spirit that empowers them to live righteously and soberly in this present evil world. It is a firm assurance that enables the child of God to confidently face the sin and degradation around him. It provides spiritual sustenance, because it is a firm expectation that Jesus Christ will keep all of His promises. It is a constant influence from the Holy Spirit that churns within the believer and which gives testimony to all spiritual reality.
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:2, 3)

Eternal life is a precious gift that every single believer possesses, and for him there is absolutely no possibility of future condemnation. Because of this wondrous gift of eternal life, the child of God knows that when Christ appears once again he will be like Him—this being the sure hope within the believer that purifies him.

A Confident Hope
The word hope in the New Testament is as common as are the precious words of faith and love. Its final outcome is expressed by the Apostle Paul in his letter to Titus with a verse that conveys both an exhortation and comfort.
Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)

The English word, “hope,” is translated from the Greek word, "elpis," meaning a confident expectation. The Christian is to confidently expect (i.e., to have full assurance without doubt) that the Lord will not only fulfill every single promise that He has made, but will also appear at the end of the age to gather His own unto Himself before the Day of the Lord. This resident spirit of confident trust stems from the omnipresence of the Lord in the form of the indwelling Spirit of God within the believer.

A God-Originated and Christ-Embodied Hope
Throughout the ages, God has set before his people a hope that has always centered on Jesus Christ. In the Garden of Eden, God introduced the promise of a redemptive hope—His Seed that would eventually crush the head of Satan and deliver man from his sin. Abraham looked forward with a biblical hope (confident expectation) that God would indeed send His blessed Seed, and this biblical hope, the equivalent to biblical faith, was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3).

And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; [the promised Seed—Jesus Christ] and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope." Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:12, 13)

In this verse it is clear that biblical hope stems only from God, and it is embodied in a single person—Jesus Christ—who was promised from before the universe was formed.

A Salvation-Centered Hope
Biblical hope is equivalent to and manifested in one’s understanding of biblical salvation, a threefold event involving:
1) The absolute and total forgiveness of all sin,
2) The on-going process of sanctification (becoming holy) while still in one’s earthly body, and
3) The eventual and final transition into heaven in one’s resurrected body.

In every age this hope referred to the deliverance from the penalty, power and stain of sin. But this “hope of salvation” never meant something that was simply “wished for” with an attitude of uncertainty. Unfortunately, many church members possess a vague and unsure expectation regarding their salvation. They say, "I hope that I am saved.” Or they say, “I am doing my best to be good, and I hope that is enough to get me into Heaven."

This typical response reveals that they do not possess a "confident expectation," which is the sure hope that is founded solely in the promises of God. Nowhere in Scripture does it depict salvation as being a “hoped for” or “wishful” thing. Rather, it is an absolute certainty regarding one’s place in eternity that is available to anyone who places his faith in Christ's substitutionary work of grace on the cross of Calvary.

As Christians, the restitution of our bodies is future, for it will not be until our Savior's return that He will change our vile bodies into one that is fashioned like unto His glorious body (Philippians 3:20, 21); but our deliverance from the wrath that is to come is an accomplished fact. Salvation is not way off in the distance, as something to be attained through additional efforts upon earth or later when we pass from this life. It is an accomplished fact based on the authority and credibility of God’s Word. Because God cannot lie, Christians may possess a confident expectation—a definite assurance—in the matter of salvation.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

The hope of our salvation is an unchangeable fact! This living hope provides every believer an undeniable hope for eternal life as he continues down the road toward physical death.

A Blessed Hope
The Biblical Hope also incorporates a definite future event referred to as the blessed hope. This is when Christ Jesus comes again to receive His children who have not yet passed through the door of death unto Himself. For those, the sting of death—the sorrow for those who have gone on before—will be erased as they meet Christ and their loved ones in the air.
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)

The blessed hope is something that is connected to our special and residing confidence as we look towards the future. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, writes about the order of this event and explains that there will be some who will remain alive unto the Day of the Lord—when Christ comes again—and who will not taste death. In verse 51 he says, “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” Now, whether we live till Christ comes or die before His coming, the end in all is still Jesus Christ. He is our hope!

The hope of every believer is to be with Jesus, in our new home, and in our new bodies that He has prepared for us. Our hope is to be taken out of sin's dominion, to a place where there is no more suffering and sorrow, nor pain. The humanists and the atheists call this blessed hope an escapist mentality. But in truth, this escape clause is part and parcel of God's divine plan, and is a component of His promises to the generation of the “last days.”

An Imminent Blessed Hope
60 years after the Lord's ascension into Heaven to join His Father, Jesus sent His angel to the beloved John while he was on the isle of Patmos to convey the final declaration of His Word (information that his disciples were not able to bear while He was still with them—John 16:12).

The Revelation of Jesus Christ begins with an assertion that the time of the end is near, and it ends with an intimate appeal, “Surely, I come quickly.” This is our Lord's last promise to His people, and it is given as a mandate to them to be continually occupied with the thought of His imminent return. As Paul referenced in 1 Corinthians 15:52-58, the impending and abrupt return of the Lord can be superimposed upon any single moment in earth's time; and it is an event, when it takes place, will happen quicker than the time it takes for a mere twinkling of one's eye. It is the Rapture! And it is the imminent blessed hope of every believer.

Jesus and His disciples spoke of being watchful for the imminent hope. Jesus spoke to the inquiries of His disciples regarding the sign of His coming and of the end of the age. Jesus specifically advised them, "Watch therefore, for you know not what hour your Lord will come, but know this, if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.” An analysis of this passage from Matthew 24 reveals that, although we may not know the hour of His return, we are instructed to keep a vigilant attitude of confident expectation concerning this, our blessed hope. Today, as we see the signs of His imminent coming tick off one after the other, we are encouraged to be even more watchful.

A Practical Blessed Hope
The imminent return of Jesus is a practical hope. It is the overwhelming motive for spiritual service in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit links it with every precept and practice of Christian character and conduct. The blessed hope arms, strengthens, arouses, encourages and quickens the affections and zeal of every believer. The imminency of the blessed hope produces loyalty and faithfulness to Christ. In our vigil of watching for the Lord, our fidelity intensifies. On the other hand, not being watchful, results in a tendency to worldliness and carelessness in this life. The blessed hope helps the Christian toward a proper separation from carnality.

Blessed hope mechanisms for this life are designed to:
· Instill the grace of patience.
· Alleviate the natural tendency to worry.
· Stimulate sobriety.
· Comfort the bereaved.
· Encourage a godly walk.
· Motivate brotherly love.
· Create a sense of urgency in the believer to be busy about the Lord’s work.

The blessed hope compels us toward the “fullness of time” (“times of refreshing”). Why has our Lord armed us with this blessed hope for such a protracted interval (since the time of his departure and His promised to return)? First, it is because God is longsuffering and patient, “not willing that any should perish.” God is granting fallen mankind the opportunity to completely develop his evil schemes and thereby demonstrate the world's need of a competent ruler! When Jesus appears one day soon, man will not be able to lodge any complaints that God did not allow him time to experiment and test his free will that was so lovingly granted unto man in the Garden of Eden. Man has been permitted to do his utmost in ruling and regenerating this world. God gave man dominion over this entire planet, including its government, and mankind has conclusively shown that he is incapable of governing himself. Mankind has shown, and continues to show even in our modern age, that he is completely unable to grapple with and overcome the forces of evil.

The combination of the living hope and the blessed hope is the Christian’s dual-hope in this world; all else is vanity and failure. Mankind’s hope in philosophy has failed. Greek and Roman philosophers once set out to solve the riddles of our universe and to explain by human rationale answers and theorems to all the problems that beset mankind. Philosophers have proposed remedies for every societal ailment known to man, only to end in abysmal failure, as did the very empires from which they sprang.

The human experiment with government and legislation has also proven to be a fiasco. Various societies and cultures have tried everything from democracy, republicanism, monarchies, dictatorships, socialism, capitalism, communism, to isolationism—all to no avail. None of these have offered any hope for mankind’s survival. The insufficiency and failure of human civilizations and their “hopes” serve only to highlight the fact that mankind is incapable of perfecting government and solving the plagues that emanate from his inherited sin nature. Because of our failure as a civilization, we cry out for help; but there is only one source of help that can offer true hope—Jesus Christ. Jesus was born into the world for this very purpose.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6, 7)



The Song: Blessed Assurance
Blessed assurance Jesus is mine! Oh what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His spirit, washed in His blood.

Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long, this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
scribbled with crayon by dr. larry at 8:57 PM (0) comments      

 
Trial By Fire

I don't know how many of you receive weekly e-mail prayer requests such as I do through our local church office. If you do, in the course of a week, you will see a number of very serious prayer requests coming from our brothers and sisters regarding health, financial and relationship issues. These are the day-to-day struggles that we deal with on this earth. Everyone here deals with these problems, believer and non-believer alike. The only difference that I can see is how we as believers can choose to respond.

Let me illustrate what I mean. Among His other attributes, we believe that God is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (everywhere) and omnipotent (all powerful). Therefore, if when we are undergoing some type of struggle or trial in our lives, it stands to reason that (a) God knows about it and (b) God could stop it. In the same way, I could have continued tying my son's shoelaces for him - that was a struggle for a five-year-old - but I chose not too. I chose to continue to encourage him and show him how to tie his own shoelaces so that he could overcome his struggle. How many times do we face our own trials with the mind of a five-year-old wanting immediate relief? We oftentimes do not have the "God-perspective" to be able to see what He is doing in us and through us while we are in the midst of the trials. The "God-perspective" is the eternal, heavenly view of our lives that our Father has. If we were able to look back on our lives from heaven 10,000 years from now, would the picture seem vastly different that it looks to us today? I think it would.

James, a cousin of Jesus and one of the twelve disciples, wrote, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2). Consider it pure joy??? That certainly is not a reaction that we would have based upon our own fleshly desires is it? The world advertises "pure joy" as a week on a cruise ship, winning a lottery prize a shiny, new sports car - but certainly not trials of many kinds.

Let's look at one reaction to trials. In 1871, tragedy struck Chicago as fire ravaged the city. When it was all over, 300 people were dead and 100,000 were homeless. Horatio Gates Spafford was one of those who tried to help the people of the city get back on their feet. A lawyer who had invested much of his money into the downtown Chicago real estate, he'd lost a great deal to the fire. And his one son (he also had four daughters) had died about the same time. Still, for two years Spafford - who was a friend of evangelist Dwight Moody - assisted the homeless, impoverished, and grief-stricken ruined by the fire.

After about two years of such work, Spafford and his family decided to take a vacation. They were to go to England to join Moody and Ira Sankey on one of their evangelistic crusades, then travel in Europe. Horatio Spafford was delayed by some business, but sent his family on ahead. He would catch up to them on the other side of the Atlantic.

Their ship, the Ville de Havre, never made it. Off Newfoundland, it collided with an English sailing ship, the Loch Earn, and sank within 20 minutes. Though Horatio's wife, Anna, was able to cling to a piece of floating wreckage (one of only 47 survivors among hundreds), their four daughters - Maggie, Tanetta, Annie, and Bessie - were killed. Horatio received a horrible telegram from his wife, only two words long: "saved alone."

Spafford boarded the next available ship to be near his grieving wife, and the two finally met up with Dwight Moody. "It is well," Spafford told him quietly. "The will of God be done." Spafford went on to write the song "It Is Well With My Soul". The first verse goes like this:

"When peace like a river, attendeth my way;
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul."

I must confess that Spafford sounds more like a modern-day Job than a modern-day me. But let's take a look at some things we can all try to do to take the focus off of the trial and keep looking at Jesus.

When you find yourself in times of trouble:

1. Spend time alone with God. See Jesus' example in Matthew 26:39-44. While awaiting the betrayal by Judas and His crucifixion, Jesus spent time in prayer.
   
2. Praise and Worship God. See Paul & Silas in Acts 16:22-30. Rather than moan about their condition, sitting in a horrid prison cell with their feet in stocks, these two prayed and sang hymns of praise to God. The earth shook, cell doors opened, chains broke - as did men's hearts.
   
3. Spend time in fellowship with other believers. Do not shut yourself away from your brothers and sisters when in time of need. See Acts 12.
   
4. Spend time ministering to others in need. Focus upon loving others and fulfilling needs that they have, in this way you too will be blessed.
   

In many ways, we are like gold. Gold dug from the earth is naturally full of many physical impurities. To purify gold, it first must be heated to its melting point of 1,063 degrees Celsius or 1,948 degrees Fahrenheit. [i] Once the gold has been heated enough, it becomes molten or liquid. The differences between the density or weight of the gold and other metals, minerals and impurities, allow the craftsman to refine the gold. The impurities form a liquefied layer called "slag" or "dross" which is poured off from the gold. By undertaking this melting-separating process numerous times, the purity of the gold can be increased to approaching one hundred percent. [ii] This so called "trial by fire" is also seen in the life of God's chosen in order to purify them, to remove the "slag" of sin and corruption from them so that they may be twenty-four karat Holy Spirit. Job is recorded as stating, "But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold." [iii]

The Apostle Peter commends us to, "greatly rejoice, even though ...you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." [iv] Finally, the Old Testament prophets Zechariah and Malachi offer us the following images of God the purifier of men:

"He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness." Malachi 3:3

"And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, "They are My people,' And they will say, "The LORD is my God.'" Zechariah 13:9

Once purified, gold is shaped by being hammered and beaten into shape. It can also be cut into fine wires or threads, engraved and made into thin sheets that could be used to overlay other materials. [v]

To the Christian, times of trial and hardship are times when we can and must rely more and more upon God, His leading, guidance, and His provision for us. The character of a man is most visibly revealed under times of strain. It is in times like these that Christ is to be more revealed. The wisdom of Proverbs 17:3 teaches us that, "The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts." God calls upon His people to step aside from unrighteousness and proclaim, "The LORD is my God."

I know that I am not "golden" yet but I do pray that we - you and I - can consider the trails that we face "pure joy" as we know that God is using them to make us more like the image of His Son.


[i] Banfield, Jill, Gold, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
(September 16, 2001)
[ii] More About Gold. (September 16, 2001).
[iii] Holy Bible, Job 23:10.
[iv] Ibid., 1 Peter 1:6 7.
[v] Ibid., 2 Chronicles 9:15; Exodus 25:31, 28:11, 37:2, 39:3.

scribbled with crayon by dr. larry at 12:45 PM (0) comments      

 
Crowded Lonliness

Just a few random thoughts today. Have you ever stood by yourself in the middle of a shopping mall? Ever notice the throngs of people busily passing by, never to give you a second glance?

In this world of 24-7 information, the world wide web, CNN and ESPN, real-time reporting from the edge of a hurricane or the midst of a war - we can easily become either numb to the world or overwhelmed by it.

How is it that we can operate like this? When do we have the time to "be still and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10) ?

Many of us operate today disconnected from God and disconnected from the others around us. I don't mean isolated, we're actually surronded by others on a daily basis. But with no relationships, we are alone. Adrift to float up or down with the circumstances that occur in our lives.

It's time to get an anchor. Firstly that anchor should be God. But then, we need to connect with others who can help us and be helped by knowing us. The encouragement today is to get into a few relationships with others were we can be transparent - where we can lean on them.

...listening...

scribbled with crayon by dr. larry at 10:44 PM (0) comments      

 
The Question

The last of the sun’s rays had faded minutes before and the only light came from the glowing embers of the campfire’s remains. The stars shone brightly in the summer night sky while a chorus of cicadas serenaded us with their incessant buzz. After a day filled with collecting “fossils,” chasing fireflies and protecting us from a variety of wild jungle creatures, it was nice to have my son starting to settle down and it gave me some time to relax. I sat peacefully in my folding camping chair and watched my son attempt to set fire to his shoelaces while at the same time not getting his feet too hot from the coals. At that moment, all was right with the world!

But then came “The Question.” You know what I’m talking about. The Question is that question that you did not want to hear, were not ready to hear, are never prepared enough to hear but know without a shadow of a doubt that you will hear. Your “The Question” may be different than mine was, but I believe that the terror is the same regardless!

Six year-old son: Daddy?
Me: Yes sonny-boy.
Son: Can I ask you a squestion?
Me: Sure buddy. Ask away.
Son: Does God love everybody?
Me: Well, the Bible tells us that He does. And I believe that He loves everybody.
Son: Okay

Now at first blush, that “The Question” may not seem too startling to you and I must admit that it does appear innocuous enough. That question doesn’t have the feel or the initial impact of the “Where Do Babies Come From” or “Why Does Mommy Kiss You Different Than Me” Questions. Oh, but beware my friend. I know my sonny-boy and I knew that there was trouble brewing inside that innocent little mind of his! And just so, after the obligatory pause to allow the fear to settle down to my bones, the inquisition continued…

Son: Daddy?
Me: Yes sonny-boy.
Son: If God loves eeeeverybody, then why does He let some people die and not go to heaven? If He loved everybody, wouldn’t He want them in heaven with Him?
Me: Well, He does want everyone to be in heaven with Him for eternity. But He loves us so much that He let’s us make our own decision. If we want to be with Him, we just ask Jesus into our hearts like you did remember?
Son: Yes.
Me: But sometimes people make the wrong decision and God let’s them do that too. And some people decide not to ask Jesus into the hearts and they spend eternity away from God.
Son: Oh.


Son: Daddy?
Me: Yes son.
Son: Do you love me?
Me: Of course I do sonny-boy.
Son: Would you let me make a decision that would hurt me for eternity?
Me: Ummmmm….pretty star up there huh son?
Son: Well?
Me: It depends on how hurt you’d be son. I’d let you scrape your knee. I’d let you break a toy. But I don’t think I’d let you cut off an arm or something like that.
Son: Then if God loves everybody, why does He let people make decisions like that?

And WHAM! That’s when the precocious young boy hits me with The Question. A conundrum. A real brain-twister that one is! So, do I tell him that God loves him more than I do? So much so that God gives us free will even allowing us to hurt ourselves? If I cannot comprehend that, how in the world will a six year-old mind? God loves us so much that He freely and willingly gave His own Son to die in our place. He loved us so much that He came to earth, became a man and paid the penalty for my sin. He loves us so much that He offers Himself to live inside of me to guide and teach and direct me into His ways. That’s too much love. But then to think that He also loves me so much that He allows me to tell Him to “get lost!” if I should choose to do so.

Dad: I don’t know son. I guess He just loves us more than we can understand right now.
Son: Oh. Okay.

And so that was that. The stars shone just as brightly in the summer night sky and the cicadas seemed to start into a second verse. At that moment, all was right with the world!

scribbled with crayon by dr. larry at 2:16 PM (0) comments      

 
8 Views of God

I thought it would be both interesting and enlightening to get a small grasp of world religious belief foundations here. See how many belief systems you can identify as being promoted by various organizations in your culture today!

by Michael J. Vlach, Ph.D.

A survey of the major world religions and philosophies shows that there are different views concerning who God or the Absolute is. Below is a listing of these eight major perspectives.

1. Monotheism is the view that there is only one God (“mono” means “one” and “theos” means “God”). For monotheists, other supernatural beings may exist such as Satan, angels, demons but there is only one God. Monotheism is found within the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Sikhism and Zoroastrianism, too, have affirmed belief in only one God.

2. Trinitarian Monotheism is the view that there is only one God, but within this one God are three distinct yet equal persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (“trinitas” means “three”). Only biblical Christianity affirms Trinitarian Monotheism.

3. Polytheism is the view that there are many gods (“poly” means “many). Polytheism is an ancient view found in some of the earliest religions and tribes. The biblical patriarch, Abraham, lived in a culture in which polytheism thrived. The ancient Egyptian religion held to multiple gods as did many of the tribes of Africa. Ancient Greek mythology is known for its pantheon of gods. Although the many thousands of Hindu gods are often viewed as manifestations of the one Brahman, Hinduism is rightly considered a polytheistic religion.

4. Henotheism is the view that there is one god who is supreme but there are also other deities as well. This perspective has been found in several Native American religions.

5. Pantheism is the view that God is nature and nature is God (“pan” means “all”). With this perspective, there is no personal God who exists apart from the universe. Instead, with pantheism, God is inseparably united with nature. Thus, any statement about nature is a statement about God and vice versa. Some of the ancient pagan religions and groups such as Wicca have tended toward pantheism. The seventeenth-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza promoted a form of pantheism in which all reality was viewed as being that of a single substance (monism).

6. Deism is the view that an extremely intelligent and powerful being created the universe, but this being no longer has any contact with the universe. Nor does this being respond to the prayers and concerns of people. With deism, this cosmic creator is akin to a watchmaker who makes a watch, winds it up, and then walks away from it forever. Deism was popular among American and European elites during the time of the American Revolutionary War in the eighteenth century. Thomas Jefferson was a deist.

7. Atheism is the view that there is no God (“a” means “no”). Thus, atheists do not believe in God or any supernatural metaphysical beings. Atheism has always had it adherents although major defenses of atheism can be found in the writings of the philosophers Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Bertrand Russell. Some have considered Buddhism to be close to atheism since the original Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, did not promote belief in a God or gods.

8. Agnosticism is the view that knowledge of God is impossible (“a” means “no” and “gnosis” means “knowledge”). Immanuel Kant set the philosophical basis for agnosticism with his view that knowledge of the noumenal (metaphysical) realm was beyond the limits of reason. Whereas atheists boldly claim no God exists, agnostics claim that we cannot know anything about God if He indeed does exist. Another form of agnosticism is the claim that we simply do not have enough information to know for sure whether a God exists. The two forms of agnosticism can be seen in the statements below:
• “If there is a God, he cannot be known.”
• “I don’t know if God exists or not.”

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