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Definitions of words
as used in this website.

• Christian: noun. Someone who has not only met Jesus Christ, but also has an active relationship with Him. I love my church's motto: To Know Him, and To Make Him Known. It is simple, and to the point. To understand this better, read the article, "The Third Commandment". There is nothing anyone can do to be a "Christian", and there is no such thing as a "good" Christian, there are only "human" Christians, as far as I know.

• Discipline: Consequences of behaviors that focus on the future. The concern here is with the future behavior of the individual and others, as well as the development and growth of the individual. It focuses on motivating the individual to become a better, wiser person. God disciplines frequently, and NEVER punishes. Discipline is not just something we do to become better, it is also the God-given consequences for what we have done, so that we, and others, will do differently in the future. It always looks forward to the future actions, and never to the past. See punishment below for contrast.

• Divorce: The death of a marriage relationship. The divorce occurs the moment one of the partners decides that the relationship is no longer the most important relationship that they have with another person. Note that, like death, this requires no paperwork or documentation. Also note that divorce does not occur when the paperwork is signed, just as nobody dies the moment that their death certificate is signed. For further study, read the article: "Divorce Ministry". Also note, this is NOT the unforgivable sin!

• Divorce Certificate: Like a death certificate, it merely documents something that has already happened. The doctor who signs the death certificate is never thought of as a murderer, and the same is properly true of a divorce certificate. For further study, read the article: "Divorce Ministry".

• Eternal Life: The truth of the dream of immortality. Fortunately, it has nothing to do with the bodies that we are currently using, and it has to do with our souls. It is a free gift to each of us that will accept it, and it can not be gotten by our own efforts. Life on Earth is the preparation for the real life, the eternal life after this one. Sadly, Buddhists are trapped in a cycle that Christians have been set free from. (Remember definition of Christian above!)

• Evil: A person whose primary concern is their self-satisfaction or self-fulfillment. "Me first" is their attitude. Self-centeredness and self-absorbtion both are evil. Note that by this definition, no thing can be evil, only people. People can use ANYTHING for evil purposes, as they are using it for their own benefit, without thought about the impact or consequences for others. Note that the root of all evil is the love of money, which is the self-centered worship of other people's labor for our own benefit. Note that the ring of the Lord of the Rings represents this self-centered service 

• Faith: One of the three greatest things that are eternal. It is also known as 'confidence' and 'trust'. To get a better grip on this, read some of your favorite scriptures with the word 'faith' in them, and substitute the word 'trust'. For example, "the righteous shall live by trust (in God)" explains the original meaning of the verse much better than the word 'faith'.

• God: Our Creator. The power behind the Big Bang. The Great Spirit. Our Father. Someone who created you and the universe around you, and wants to have a personal, loving, intimate relationship with you. He wants to invite you to His House in the life after this one. He is here now, as you read this. There is more to tell about God, but not right now.

• Good: Something that none of us are, we are all evil to one extent or another. (See definition of evil before over-reacting to that statement.)

• Heaven: God's home. While invitations are open to everyone, the doorman (Jesus) will allow only those that He knows (because they have a personal relationship with Him) to enter. Just as many good people do not enter your house simply because you have no relationship with them, either. If it is alright for good quality people to not get invitations to your house, it is alright for good quality people to not get invitations to heaven, too.

• Hell: The only alternative to heaven. Here, one's soul is permanently put-away, and is absent from the life in heaven. Just as those that are dead have nothing to do with life on earth, so those that do not enter heaven have nothing to do with the life going on there.

• Hope: One of the three greatest things that are eternal. It is also known as optimism.

• Idol: Something that has gone from being a tool of worship to being the object of worship. Examples are statues, sets of rules, the Bible as well as figurines and symbols. Some idols have been part of false religions, some have been used properly in one's relationship with God, and have progressively become objects of worship themselves.

• Immortality: Something that has drawn people over the centuries. Many dream of it, without realizing that it is available by invitation only. It is available to the guests and residents of heaven, who must get and accept their invitation from God Himself in order to enter. Unlike many gifts, it can not be purchased nor earned.

• Intercession: The highest good, as it is totally opposite evil. When you can think of others instead of yourself, you are in a wonderful place. No longer are you even focusing on your own relationship with God, or even on your own spiritual growth, you are focusing instead of what God is doing in other people's lives.

• Joy: What you have when your priorities are: Jesus, Others and then Yourself. Just as the happiest marriages are the ones in which each member is focused on the other's needs FIRST, so is the happiest person on earth the one that puts God first.

• Legal Divorce: Documentation regarding the death of a marriage commitment. It is not the divorce itself, it is merely the documentation, just like a death certificate. For further study, read the article: "Divorce Ministry".

• Logic: Something we claim is important, and some do it with passion, emotion and a lack of logic. We rely on logic, when we have the self-centered need to understand, instead of the God-centered need to trust. It is a wonderful thing, and should be important to us. Unfortunately, there are those that worship it as if it is God.

• Love: One of the three greatest things that are eternal, in fact, it is the greatest. It is a relationship that at it's highest has no self-interest involved at all. Note that God is Love, and love puts another's life above our own. The object of our love, is almost worshipped, and is certainly served.

• Lust: Some of the best bait used by Satan when "trolling" for people to trap. An example of something that was beautiful before Satan twisted it into a self-serving focus.

• Marriage: A mutual commitment made between two people, that they will live out their lives with each other. Both commit to doing their utmost for the other's benefit.

• Money: A way to exchange human labor for each other. The only thing that money buys is human labor, as all the raw materials are freely given to us by God. Note that neither money nor the possession of it is the root of all evil, no matter what the socialists say! The root of all evil is the love of money, which is the self-centered worship of other people's labor for our own benefit.

• Opinion: What we think we know, which in fact has no impact on reality. While everyone is entitled to have one, we should not overlook their value. Unfortunately, the opinions of those that are not seeking truth about life on earth are often given more respect than earned.

• Perception: See opinion above. Also note that our perception of reality doesn't change it at all. However, your perception does control you.

• Punishment: Often labeled as justice, it is emotionally closely related to revenge. It looks backward at the past and hopes to correct or balance it. It is not focused on future behaviors and is not compassionate. It is often self-centered. Note: God never punishes, He only disciplines.

• Reason: See logic.

• Relationship: Something that needs two separate people in order to exist. Your relationship with the living, loving God is the most important factor in determining your eternity.

• Religion: Religion is a wonderful, wonderful tool to help you build your relationship with God. Sadly however, for many people religion has stopped being a means to an end and has become the object of worship. Once your religion becomes more important than your relationship with God, it has become your idol. This is a sad digression when it happens.

• Respect: Also known as esteem, it is something that must be earned. You can not demand respect, you must take the time to earn it. This is true of respect from others, as well as self-respect. Note that this is not what popular psychologists say about self-esteem, but they truly do not understand life from God's perspective.

• Salvation: What you get when you stop focusing on yourself, and start focusing on the quality of your relationship with your Creator. It is best to have this relationship based on Truth and Love. When this relationship is important to you, it results in an invitation to God's house, heaven. By the way, Jesus is the doorman there, not Saint Peter as those jokes imply.

• Saved: Someone is saved upon getting their invitation into heaven, which is based on their relationship with God. Many claim to have this, yet they haven't served Jesus at all. They violate The Third Commandment (and more, to be honest) and don't even realize it. We shall learn someday if they were saved.

• Self-Actualization: A concept developed by Dr. Abraham Maslow as the highest of human motivations. So many people misunderstood and misrepresented the concept (even to this day!) that 20 years later he renamed it "self-transcendence". This reflects the end of focusing on self, and instead focusing on something or someone outside of ourselves.

• Self: "We have met the enemy, and he is us." The whole struggle of life is to grow past being a self-centered self-serving isolated individual. We are born thinking we are the center of life, and hopefully we grow past that perception. Those that stay self-centered are the evil in our world. The part of me that is self-centered is evil, too. The phrase "put Jesus on the throne of your life" refers to putting an end to doing what you want to do (because you are on the throne of your life) and doing what Jesus wants you to do, because you now serve Him.

• Sex: Something given to us to give us a taste of what it is like to focus on someone else in a relationship. Physical intimacy, in a long-term relationship is to be a taste of spiritual intimacy with our Creator. Sadly, many twist this into a self-serving experience. Anything can be used for evil, and certainly sex is used that way by many.

• Spirituality: As the saying goes, "Religion is for those that want to avoid hell, spirituality is for those that have been there." The focus is no longer on what people perceive, but on one's personal relationship with the Creator and the Creation. Religion and ritual have their values, and are of well meaning intentions, but once you forget to whom they point, they become idols and barriers.

• Truth: Something that is not dependent on anyone's perception. The Truth does not change based on whether or not you agree with it or are even aware of it. It simply "is". Also note, that Jesus is Truth.

• Worship: Treat with tremendous respect, love and admiration. Note that this is impossible to do unless you have a personal, loving, intimate relationship with your object of worship. In other words, before you can worship God, you must have a great relationship with God.