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The Two Ditches: Atheism on the Left, Imperial Dictator God on the Right

The Two Ditches: Atheism on the Left, Imperial Dictator God on the Right

God is Creator — builder of all reality (space, time, energy, life) — and God’s laws are the laws upon which reality are constructed to operate — the laws of physics, health, and the moral laws.

One cannot break God’s design laws and remain in harmony with life. All deviations from God’s design for life unavoidably result in injury, pain, suffering, and ultimately death — unless remedied by God.

God’s law cannot be changed in any form or fashion. To change even the slightest element of God’s law would cause the universe to fall apart and cease to exist.

Rejection of the truth about God and His design protocols for life always results in pain, suffering, and death — regardless of whether that rejection is to the left (Atheism) or to the right (Christian fundamentalism with an Imperial God-construct).

Evidence that rejection of God to the left (Atheism) damages and destroys:

  • The French Revolution: In the late 18th century, the French parliament voted to reject God and embrace the Goddess of Reason. The result? A combination of horrible hedonistic debasement, cruelty, and violence. The country was torn by the Reign of Terror in which tens of thousands were executed in both internal and external wars.
  • Communist Soviet Union and Communist China: Both countries rejected God and His methods and principles. Instead they promoted the doctrine of a godless universe with a principle of “Survival of the Fittest.” Millions died as a result of the evolutionary idea that the strongest should survive and dominate the weak, even though it was presented through the Marxist mantra.

Rejecting God, and moving to a godless frame for society, unleashes the basest passions infecting humanity — fear and selfishness. Only the power of love, emanating from our God of love, is capable of restraining these destructive forces. When we reject God, He grants us freedom and we reap what we have chosen. His restraining power is removed and selfishness, exploitation, violence, and destruction ensue.

While recent history has given us ample evidence that rejecting God altogether (moving to the ditch on the left) results in destruction as the infection of fear and selfishness breaks out unrestrained, there is greater evidence from history that the ditch on the right (Imperial God-concepts) is equally damaging.

What are Imperial God-concepts? The idea that God’s law is functionally no different than the types of laws humans enact — imposed rules, rather than design protocols. Such imperial rules require the ruling authority to use its power to enforce adherence to the law and thus punish rule-breakers. In this construct, God is presented as the source of inflicted pain, suffering, and death, all under the claim of “divine justice.”

Because of one of God’s design laws, the law of worship (or modeling), we are actually changed to become like the god we admire and worship. Thus, when the dictator views of God are taught, people become more authoritarian. They will eventually use the methods of coercion to punish those they view as breaking God’s laws. History is replete with this type of behavior:

Evidence that rejection of God to the right (Imperial God-constructs) damages and destroys:

  • The Dark Ages: those who believed differently were burned at the stake.
  • The Inquisition: An authoritarian church aimed to root out and punish heresy through torture, imprisonment, and death.  
  • Conversion from Islam: Muslims who convert to another religion risk being punished or even killed for their decision.
  • The Rwanda genocide: More than one million people were killed in 4 months during the Rwandan Civil War in the 1990’s. The primary killing zones were churches. People from every denominational group participated in the killing and were convicted of war crimes. In the aftermath, researchers found the common denominator, which separated those who participated in the killing from those who protected the refugees, was the god-concept held. Those who had an authoritarian god, with imperial law that inflicted punishment for law-breaking, participated in the killing. But those who worshipped a God of love, who seeks to heal and save people (consistent with design law), protected the refugees. It didn’t matter what denomination, how they were baptized, what day they worshipped upon — the only factor that mattered was whether they rejected the truth about God’s character of love and His design law methods.

While rejecting God and moving to a godless view of the universe (the ditch to the left) results in pain, suffering, and death, accepting a false view of God as dictatorial and His law as imperial rules that require Him to inflict punishment for breaking His law (the ditch on the right) is just as damaging, if not more so.

Satan, the master deceiver and trickster, gets people in both the left and right ditches to attack each other. Both groups are suffering without remedy to their terminal condition. They see the lie of the other ditch and feel relieved not to be deceived by that lie, but remain trapped in their own ditch, never realizing they, too, are dying without hope.

If we want genuine healing of mind, restoration of heart, happiness, cooperation, love, and unity — an actual healthy and vibrant life — then this is only possible by living in harmony with God’s design protocols for life.

We must reject the lie on the left that there is no God, but we must also reject the lie on the right that God is a dictator and His laws are imposed rules that require Him to punish sinners.

We must embrace the truth that the punishment for sin comes from sin itself, from being out of harmony with God and His principles of life and health. We must realize that only God can heal, only God can save, and only God can fix what is wrong with us and restore humanity back to perfection.

And this can only happen when we reject these lies and return to the truth about who God is.  Then, invite Him into our hearts to heal and transform. I invite you to reject the lies about God and experience the freedom, love, and joy that living in harmony with our Creator and His protocols for life bring!

 

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Testimony 68

Your message of design law vs imperial law is so uplifting and makes so much sense- it is a game changer for me. The fact that Jesus’s death is not a big payment by an angry God is , quite frankly, a relief.

Laura G., London, Ontario, Canada

 

Testimony 9

I really enjoy with you the view of a gracious God. Thank you for sharing the work you are allowing the Lord to do in you.

L., Queensland, Australia

 

Testimony 31

It was very touching to hear the testimony of your class share how viewing God’s true character has changed their lives. My feelings are the same – there is so much freedom in knowing that God LOVES me – regardless of my… just, REGARDLESS! I’m still blown away by the true gospel, the fact that God is not ready to strike us when we fail. He is not arbitrary. He simply loves us and warns of the natural consequences because He can’t stand to see us suffer. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS GOD!!!

Ceil V.,  UT, USA

 

Testimony 22

I have found your Bible study class lectures to be very inspiring and useful as I prepare to teach class every other week. I subscribe to the podcast and download your notes on the weeks I teach. The audio and notes are such a great help in preparing. My own understanding of God’s character has grown as I teach the class. Commendations on the thought-provoking and well-prepared material Come and Reason provides. Personally, I get excited by the tie you make between the spiritual and mental/physical domains.

A.A. Corrales, NM, USA

 

Testimony 32

The message [of Come And Reason Ministries is] for all Christians (and those who may become Christians) and not just Adventists or any other group. It is difficult to imagine why any [anyone] with intellectual and spiritual honesty could find fault with the way you explained the healing substitution concepts and the truth about God’s character, though I know some will reject and criticize. On behalf of those in our group near Tacoma, WA, thank you and your staff for all of the hard work and for sharing the Gospel in this manner. God’s message of healing love will be carried to the whole world and then Jesus will come – He promised it.

Terry U., Tacoma, WA, USA

 

Testimony 13

I borrowed “Healing The Mind” DVDs from a friend and showed them at my home for a small gathering of women friends. Neither of my friends are Adventist, but they both enjoyed and embraced the messages you taught. In fact, one of the ladies prayed out loud in our group and that was the first time she had ever had public prayer.

J.B. ,Dalles, OR, USA

 

Testimony 76

Warm greetings from Tanzania! I just wanted to take a moment to thank you and your team at Come And Reason Ministries for the amazing work you do. Your teachings have opened my eyes to deep biblical truths and how to live them out in real life. I started following the ministry back in 2018, and ever since, my walk with God has grown so much stronger. I’ve found freedom from fear-based faith and now live with more peace and trust in Him. I’ve also been sharing what I’ve learned, especially through Bible School discussions. Your lessons are so insightful and well-explained that I try not to miss a single one. May God continue to bless the work you’re doing.
Elisha M., Tanzania, Africa

Testimony 59

I’m a native Ghanan, but am currently in France for my master’s degree. Prior to this, during my final years at undergraduate studies in Ghana, I was introduced to your ministry and I’ve been immensely blessed by what you share, especially about the Design and Imposed Laws. God richly bless you for that.

One of the first things I did when I arrived in France was to buy all four of your books. They not only helped me, but those I shared them with. I shared the message with an atheist student and I marveled at how God worked mightily in his life. Today this person shares the Love of God with others and debunks theories of who God is not. I want to share what you present in your “Heavenly Sanctuary and Investigative Judgment” pamphlet, because the message brought rest to my soul and I live today as a healthy person.

God bless you so much and your ministry.

Michael A., Ghana

 

Testimony 26

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 17

The blessings of clarity and understanding you and your class inspire me to take from the word of God have impressed upon me so greatly the true, loving character of our Creator. I have found amazing freedom and joy through building a stronger, more intentional relationship with Him. What is new is that this is now a relationship built on love, reverence and respect rather than fear and obligation, and as such my eyes have been slammed OPEN as I am continually impressed by the manifestations of God’s true character in His provisions for fallen man.

T.E.H., Salt Lake City, UT, USA

 

Testimony 55

I was born [into the church], then I left it for many years. 10 years ago, I came back, but I could not take the hypocrisy and the lack of answers to the missing pieces. I struggled, but I did not abandon my commitment to know the truth. God is leading me to the simple understanding of his relevance and I am relearning what the church taught me as a youth… that he loves me, that he has led me to a knowledge of him such as I have never known. He is using Dr. Jennings to connect the dots that are now so apparent and hiding in plain sight!

Dean P., Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 33

I was invited over a friend’s house to see the “God and Your Brain” seminar today. I became [a christian] 36 years ago at the age of 19, but have struggled with the concept of God taking His ‘pound of flesh’ out on His Son to be appeased. Wow. Your seminar has been an incredible revelation and breath of reason and fresh air! I have your book, “The God Shaped Brain,” and it is SO eye opening. Finally, after 36 years enlightenment has come! Praise the Good Lord! What can I say, but that the Real Gospel is truly “Good News!” Thank you for your efforts in giving the Gospel a clear sound!

Paul C.,  Springfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 21

I am absolutly on fire with the message at Come and Reason! I can’t get enough! I’ve read your book, blog, and articles. I’ve listened to your Bible study podcasts, your radio show, and your series – all excellent! It wasn’t until the past couple of years that I have I like I’m becoming “healthy,” with more to share with others than just beasts and commandments! I used to be a Bible worker and preached when the pastors were gone until I had had enough. I didnt realize at the time what the problem was, but i know now… the message wasn’t properly focused. Now my flame is rekindled. All of your little examples are so perfect in explaining something “complicated” and making it easily understood! Now I’m trying to shape it into a life changing evangelistic series! Thank you!

M.T., USA

 

Testimony 2

I continue to enjoy your lessons every week. The more that I research your conclusions, the more I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has lead you to distill out the essence of human redemption. Thank you for your courageous stand for the truth.

S. G., TX, USA