Christian Doctrines Chapter 3 - The Attributes of God

An attribute is something that belongs to a person or thing, without which the person or thing cannot be. For example: Man. If you take away his attributes, he ceases to be man. God’s attributes are inalienably his, now & forever. They are His and only His. They are his perfections. They are his nature. They constitute his character.

Theologians have tried to classify God’s attributes into groups we can comprehend. These are ‘communicable and incommunicable’, ‘positive and negative’, ‘absolute and relative’, and ‘natural and moral’. There’s no doubt arguments can be made for or against any of these categories, but for the purpose of this chapter, we’ll use ‘NATURAL and MORAL’. The natural are all those which pertain to his existence as an infinite, rational spirit, and the moral are those additional attributes which belong to him as an infinite, righteous spirit.”

THE NATURAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
1. Self-existence
All the causes of God’s existence are in himself.
John 5:26
Unlike creatures, he has no external source of origin. If there were no creation of the earth & universe, This would not affect existence of god. He had life in himself before the creation. All possibilities of life were in himself. Creatures depend on him for life, motion and existence. His self-existence makes him absolutely independent. The existence of all creatures is traceable to his will. The reasons of God’s existence is in himself alone. Self-existence is an inalienable attribute of his nature. He uses the statement “As I live” to confirm his word in oaths. His promises rest on His self-existence.
Psalm 145:3
In angelic and human thought, there is no greater mystery than self-existence. It defies finite comprehension. God alone knows how he exists, why he exists, why he has always existed, and why he will exist forever.

2. Eternity
God’s self-existence infers an eternal existence. This rules, vis-à-vis, that only an eternal existence could infer a self-existence. If God is self-existent, then God must have been in operation from eternity. If God is an eternal being, then God must be self-existent.
Genesis 21:33
Deuteronomy 33:27
Psalm 90:2
1 Timothy 1:17
Revelation 4:8
The scriptures are clear in the eternity of God. He was, is, and is to come. Professor A.C. Kendrick is quoted in saying “His existence in space is an infinite here; his existence in duration is an infinite now. The waves of two eternities break upon his throne, and it rests unmoved upon the flood.”
2 Peter 3:8
A finite mind is impressed with the difference between a day & week. From God’s infinite mind, There’s no distinction between a day & one thousand years. For God, creation and the last judgment are surveyed with the same glance. This is one of the infinite attributes of God. We need to use an analogy that can be grasped by a finite mind in order to understand how this is possible. Imagine, if you will, a very long river which meanders right and left, zig zagging around cliff sides, foliage, etc. Imagine there is a group of white water rafters entering one end of the river every 5 minutes or so. Because of the meanders and the cliff sides and all, all of the people traveling down the river cannot see the person in front, and cannot see the person behind. This river represents time, and the rafters represent people at different points in history. We can’t see ahead in time, and we can’t see back in time. We can imagine the future and remember or record the past, but that’s not the same as seeing. Now imagine there’s a helicopter hovering above so it can see the entire length of the river. This helicopter can radio down to each of the people boats, and likewise each of the people can look up and clearly see the helicopter. This helicopter represents God. The helicopter can look down and see people as they’re entering the river, he can see people as they’re traveling down the river, and he can see people as they exit the river, all with the same glance. God is the only being who is absolutely eternal. His existence has no beginning or end. Eternity is only his. There is no being like Jehovah.

3. Unity
There is one and only one God.
Deuteronomy 6:4
Psalm 86:10
Isaiah 44:8, 45:22
Mark 12:29
John 17:3
1 Timothy 2:5
James 2:19
God’s unity is involved in his self-existence and the eternity of his being. There is necessity for only one self-existent being in universe. Self-sufficiency is linked to self-existence. He is able to do what is needed and what he chooses. One self-existent being rules out the existence of another, in fact it makes it impossible. There cannot be two self-existent beings. Self-existence implies the possession of all perfections. If there could be two such beings, each would possess all perfections. They would be essentially one and the same. They would fill one & the same infinite sphere. Self-existence claims this position, and eternity strengthens this position. If one God has existed from eternity, there is no place for another. The eternity of God is conclusive proof of his unity. The scriptures are plainly clear that there is ONE God. God claims for himself exclusive worship and service.

4. Immutability
God never has, never does, and never will change.
Psalms 102:27
Malachi 3:6
James 1:17
Creatures change, everything earthly changes. God does not. God is eternally the same. He is infinitely perfect, and that precludes change. If he changed just once, it would imply imperfection. If he changed for the better, it would imply that he was not perfect before. If he changed for the worse, it would imply that he was not perfect before, and less perfect after. God does not change. There cannot be addition to his natural attributes or their capacity & power. It is impossible to be MORE self-existent, to be MORE eternal, or to be MORE omnipotent than he already is. He does not change. God’s moral attributes (more on moral attributes in a little bit) cannot change either, as these, being his inalienable attributes, also bear the stamp of perfection. If God could change in his moral attributes, this would also imply imperfection. If he became better, it would mean he isn’t perfectly good as he is. If he became more just, it would mean that justice has not reached its greatest height in him. If God became more faithful to his word, his veracity would not be perfect as it is. If God became more holy, it would mean he is not infinitely holy now. God, in His natural and moral attributes, is immutable. God’s immutability brings joy to his people. We see change all around us in the world, but God is never changing in purposes of love.
Isaiah 54:10

5. Omnipresence
God is everywhere
Psalm 139:7-12
There is a distinction between omnipresence and immensity. God’s Immensity means He has no limits or boundaries. God’s omnipresence means he is wherever there are creatures. Imagine barren places with no animals or people or plant life. God is there, that is the doctrine of God’s immensity. We are more interested in his omnipresence. He is emphatically present wherever his creatures are. On land, sea, islands, on high & low positions, whether we are rich or poor, wise or ignorant, righteous or wicked, the presence of God is with all. If some astronomers theories are true, that space is infinite, with therefore and infinite number of worlds, then there is an infinite chance of others planets populating people. The Bible doesn’t teach an infinite space (and nothing the Bible says about any science is wrong but that’s another lesson!), but IF this were true, then God would be with them too. This joyful attribute of God should deeply impress us. It should help us restrain from sin, as God is everywhere. God knows every act performed. God knows every word spoken. God knows every thought entertained. God knows every feeling indulged.

6. Omnipotence
God has unlimited power
Genesis 27:1
God can do whatever he chooses to do. Our finite minds get a feeble concept of this power. Our power is within a certain sphere of influence. It is a secondary power derived from God, the supreme source of power. His omnipotence should be accepted by his believers until it becomes a moot point. It is important to keep in mind that God’s omnipotence works along with his perfect judgment & goodness. This means as he has ALL power to do everything he wants, we shouldn’t think would be inclined to misuse his power.
Genesis 1:1
Nehemiah 9:6
Jeremiah 32:17
The most striking proof of God’s omnipotence is the creation. He made something out of nothing! When we create things, it’s only by rearranging pre-existent materials. We make a cup of coffee by rearranging coffee beans with water. God wills things to exist. Genesis 1:3, let there be light and there was light. He didn’t even need a light switch! God’s omnipotence alone was adequate for the creation. Omnipotence belongs inalienably to God.
Psalm 33:9
The almighty power of God is seen in creation, and in the preservation of the creation.
Hebrews 1:3
Colossians 1:17
There is a constant exertion of his power through creations visible and invisible. The invisible thing are far more numerous. There is gravity – a constant power. Magnets have a force which is all part of the creation. There is created a system through human reproduction of humans being given souls. There is a constant exertion of infinite power, which we should witness every day with reverential awe.
Matthew 19:26
Revelation 19:6
If you love God, you rejoice that the power is his! He sits on his throne, controls all things, and exercises his power in behalf of those who trust in him.

7. Omniscience
God knows everything.
1 Chronicles 28:9
Psalm 147:5
Romans 11:33
Hebrews 4:13
1 John 3:20
Revelation 2:23
This, as many things about God, defies our comprehension. One thing my dad told me when I was very young, has stuck with me. My father is a very, VERY smart man. Very intelligent. I probably asked him “Daddy, do you know EVERYTHING?” Because growing up, no matter what my question was, he would always know the answer! He told me “Everything that I do know would fill an entire book. But everything I don’t know would fill a couple libraries.” We gain knowledge by hard, hard, HARD work. We learn one thing, infer other things, draw conclusions and premise on future conclusions. God’s infinite mind knows all things by intuition. Our knowledge is of past, present & future. God’s knowledge does not distinguish past & future from present. As we learned by imagining a helicopter hovering over a river, God’s knowledge is not successive but simultaneous.
Psalm 139:6
The omniscience of God is in harmony with his omnipresence and omnipotence. Being everywhere, God knows what needs to be done. Being omnipotent, he is able to do anything necessary. Thank God! There is one absurd theory brought forth by philosophers: As God’s omnipotence is his ability to do all things but chooses not to do all things (dancing mountains, floating water, etc…), God’s omniscience is his ability to know all things but he chooses not to know all things. This helps the philosopher to limit God’s sphere of influence. We must only point out one thing to reveal the absurdity in this theory: God must first know all things before he could decide which to know or not know.

THE MORAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
1. Goodness
There is a disposition in God to impart happiness to his creation.
Psalms 145:9
Does this include even the irrational creatures, animals? Yes. There is an observable enjoyment in animals. We can watch dogs playing, running around like fools, and know they’re having fun. Even tree frogs enjoy company. Their lifespan (in captivity) is increased considerably when two or more are housed together. This, even as happiness in his creation is apparent, is the lower grade of God’s goodness. The higher manifestations of God’s Goodness is given to rational and accountable beings. This is angels and humans. There is goodness to angels, as goodness expressed in their preservation. Their existence is a perpetual joy. Goodness to Man is differently manifested. It is more complex because man, unlike angels, has a body and soul
Goodness is apparent in man’s Body – senses are inlets of great pleasure and enjoyment
Ecclesiastes 11:7
We can enjoy the creation. We can enjoy the fragrance of flowers, we can enjoy the beauty of nature, we can enjoy the taste of food. God could have made everything painful and disgusting. God could have made everything we see appear repulsive. Everything we taste could have been made to taste bitter. Everything could smell putrefying. Even through the sense of touch we have enjoyment. Our skin’s nerves give us three levels of touch: tickle, pressure and pain, and the pain sense was put there so we know our body is being damaged. But just from the enjoyment side of things, isn’t it a blessing that we don’t feel just pain? God could have created all the sounds of nature to sound sorrowful & depressing. God’s goodness is apparent all over the place. Our bodies were made with a view to physical enjoyment. Goodness is apparent in the created constitution of man’s mind: gaining knowledge is enjoyable. We naturally feel an urge to learn more, which brings us enjoyment. Goodness is apparent in man’s moral organization, as morality enables the appreciation of God, and holds fellowship with God. Man was made to glorify God, to enjoy God forever. The adaptation of man’s morality to these ends shows the goodness of God. In fellowship with God, there is providential care. Where is God’s goodness to man most apparent? Salvation.
Romans 5:8
1 John 4:10
To a certain point, love & goodness of God is same to angels & man. But at the point of salvation, men diverge into GRACE and MERCY. There is no need for grace & mercy toward angels. Grace implies unworthiness in the recipient. We are unworthy because we are sinners. Sinfulness creates unworthiness. If saved, we must be saved as unworthy, because therefore we are saved by God’s grace. There can be no salvation to anyone unworthy except be it by grace. Mercy contemplates the recipient as miserable and wretched. There is pity and compassion and God sympathizes with sinners in their ruin and wretchedness.

2. Justice
God has always, does always, will always, do right. He can make no compromise with wrong. He cannot indulge in evil in any of its forms.
Psalms 145:17

3. Veracity
God speaks the truth
John 17:17
God renders all his judgments according to truth. As this prompts him to say only what is true, it makes it impossible for him to lie. This impossibility is not a natural attribute but a moral one. He does indeed have the ability to lie, but in the infinite excellence of his morals, including his veracity, it is impossible that he would lie. The Bible is true because of his veracity. The veracity of God comprehends his faithfulness. God’s faithfulness includes fulfillment of his promises, and the execution of his threatenings. Promises from God can be trusted because of his veracity and omniscience. Man makes a promise not knowing future. Something as simple as “I’ll see you tomorrow” might not be fulfilled if we die in our sleep. God makes a promise knowing all future. If he sees that the promise would not be possible, he would not make the promise. God’s veracity makes executions of threats as certain as his promises. His incorrigible enemies cannot escape his wrath.
Job 34:22
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
God’s fidelity to his word, be it a promise or a threat, is his veracity.

4. Wisdom
God makes good use of his knowledge. There is a difference between omniscience and wisdom. Knowing everything there is to know is omniscience. Using this knowledge for an infinitely perfect good is wisdom. Wisdom always implies knowledge. Knowledge does not necessarily imply wisdom, as knowledge could be not applied for any good use, or even could be used for evil. There is an obvious display of wisdom in the creation. Everything works, harmoniously, and on the first try too! There is observable wisdom in God’s providential care. God’s omniscience gives Him knowledge that there is a need. God’s wisdom gives Him the understanding of what to do to supply that need. God wisely preserves and governs his creation. Wisdom consists of good ends, and good means to accomplish them. Good outcomes that come from good means (the steps along the way) to accomplish the outcome. If there are bad ends, then the means to affect them exhibit no wisdom. If there are good results, but with bad means, then this also exhibits no wisdom. God works in worthy ends with worthy means.
Psalms 104:24
God’s infinite wisdom is clearly displayed in the saving of lost souls. Making the glory of God and the salvation of man compatible, harmonizing law and justice with mercy and grace, manifesting divine love to sinners and hatred of their sins, how the conscience is made peaceful in both humbling and elevating the saved, in making the savior’s death, instigated by Satan, the means of overturning Satan’s empire!
Romans 11:33

5. Holiness
This is not necessarily a single moral attribute, but the combination of all the moral attributes of God. Consider these verses to gain insight on the beauty of God’s holiness
Exodus 15:11
Isaiah 6:3
Revelation 15:4
In these passages goodness, justice, veracity, and wisdom are not mentioned, but they are all applied in the moral excellence. Andrew Fuller is quoted saying: “There are certain perfections which all who acknowledge a God agree in attributing to him; such are those of wisdom, power, immutability, etc. These, by Christian divines, are usually termed his natural perfections. There are others which no less evidently belong to deity, such as goodness, justice, veracity, etc., all which may be expressed in one word—holiness; and these are usually termed his moral perfections.”

"Accept Christ Theology" - what the Bible says about accept / receive , and how we interpret incorrectly.

The way I got saved was I heard some great preaching on the wages of sin: death. I heard some great preaching on what Hell might be like. Horrible. I heard some great preaching on how NOT ONE OF US comes even close to being perfect. We're all unrighteous. I heard some great preaching on what Jesus Christ did for all of us. He took our sins to the cross and willingly suffered & gave his life. He took the punishment for our sins for us. He gave us a way to being liberated form the punishment for our sins. He didn't make us non-sinners, mind you; but he made us free from the punishment for sins. After one week of revival (church meets nightly), I had heard enough. I hated thinking about what state my soul was in. I hated even thinking about everybody knowing I was lost. But after only one week of hearing all this great preaching, I gave up. I felt humbled (about the size of a pea) before the Lord. I felt so sorry for how I was living (repentant), I prayed. I felt I'd let God down, I needed to make peace. I needed to get saved. I spoke with a lot of people at this church who said they were saved, asked them what it was like, what I need to do to get saved... They couldn't really put it into words except that the pain & anguish flips to love & peace so quickly it'll jar you. When it finally happened, when the good Lord saved my soul, I knew it. It was a heart-felt experience. The only decision I made in my head was that the Gospels are truth and that I need get saved. Beyond that, I had no power over anything.

The Christian Church is the greatest institution in the World. Built on the bloody Rock of Christ Himself, the foundations will never die out, and will be here till the end of the world. There has been a great division in some churches, however, and it is all based on what we call 'easy-believism' or 'feel-good preaching'. These days, some people don't like hearing about Hell, don't like hearing about the righteous indignation of the holy wrath of God, don't like hearing about how God chastises his children. This all gets labeled as "grace-in-your-face", and is regarded as though the preacher is shouting downward at the congregation, pointing his finger at people shivering in fear in their pews, and the angry, shouting preacher MUST be full of himself and completely out of his mind to be preaching "nothing but fire & brimstone" to the church. I'll tell you one thing: some people are too easy to offend. Some people only like to hear "nice" things about God. Because of this, some churches decide to only preach uplifting and comforting messages from the Bible. This obviously appeals to a HUGE majority of Americans; just look at the 'mega-churches' - all which preach 'feel-good' messages. I ask one question: how is anyone going to get humble, repent to God, seek his forgiveness and get saved, if all they hear is comfort preaching?! I'll tell you: they have to change the way to get saved. If they can't preach these alarming, eye-opening biblical truths, then the only way to preach salvation (the Bible says a lot about salvation, it is always bound to come up) is to make it a little less "rough" on the ego.

From here we arrive at theologies that take away the saving power from Christ and place it in the hands of man. This led to such theologies as "accept-Christ" or "receive-Christ". These theologies require at the most a shaking of the hand of the preacher, and at the least the reciting of a "Sinner's Prayer" which goes thus: "Heavenly Father, I come to you in prayer asking for the forgiveness of my Sins. I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart that Jesus is your Son, And that he died on the Cross at Calvary that I might be forgiven and have Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Father, I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you right now to come in to my life and be my personal Lord and Savior. I repent of my Sins and will Worship you all the day's of my Life!. Because your word is truth, I confess with my mouth that I am Born Again and Cleansed by the Blood of Jesus! In Jesus Name, Amen." And when the prayer has been recited, it is followed by: "If you read the Sinners Prayer and truly believe the words you read, then Praise the Lord as you have been saved and your name will appear in the Lambs Book of Life!" That's it! That's ALL you have to do! Sorry, WRONG.

Now, I will concede that maybe SOME people reading this might get saved, but that's ONLY if while reading, they ignore what is being taught in this prayer. If their trust is in the LORD to save them, and NOT just in the ACT of reading and agreeing. But for the most part, this "sinner's prayer" has mislead and deceived MANY people into believing they are saved when they are actually lost and being fooled. This isn't to say these people being fooled are dumb or simpletons. On the contrary; intelligence or smarts has nothing to do with it. We just like to hear good things. We like to feel good. It's kind of like when they test dog food by which bowl the dog goes to. We like to hear nice things, and don't like to hear that we need to humble ourselves and repent for our sinful nature, and give up EVERYTHING to Jesus. We like to hear that God's salvation is like a gift he's given to "whosoever believeth", and we're invited to go and take of the gift for ourselves. Like gifts left under a christmas tree. Go ahead, take it. Sorry, WRONG. This takes the power of soul-regeneration into our own hands. It's like us saying "Jesus, I'm choosing to believe in you now, so I'm going to say that you are saving my soul now." I ask you: "What can a beggar offer the King?" Can we go to a job interview, and say "I like this place. I'm hired." NO!!! I think in order to understand how wrong "accept Christ" or "receive Christ" theologies are, we need only check out those two words: accept and receive.

Accept (from dictionary.com):
1. to take or receive (something offered); receive with approval or favor: to accept a present; to accept a proposal.
2. to agree or consent to; accede to: to accept a treaty; to accept an apology.
3. to respond or answer affirmatively to: to accept an invitation.
4. to undertake the responsibility, duties, honors, etc., of: to accept the office of president.
5. to receive or admit formally, as to a college or club.
6. to accommodate or reconcile oneself to: to accept the situation.
7. to regard as true or sound; believe: to accept a claim; to accept Catholicism.
8. to regard as normal, suitable, or usual.
9. to receive as to meaning; understand.
10. Commerce. to acknowledge, by signature, as calling for payment, and thus to agree to pay, as a draft.
11. to receive as an adequate performance of the duty with which an officer or a committee has been charged; receive for further action: The report of the committee was accepted.
12. to receive or contain (something attached, inserted, etc.): This socket won't accept a three-pronged plug.
13. to receive (a transplanted organ or tissue) without adverse reaction.
14. to accept an invitation, gift, position, etc.

"Accept" obviously means that the person accepting is the decision-maker. Something is up for grabs and the fact that the person accepting is to be the 'accepter' is taken for granted. The decision for the transaction is in the hands of the person accepting. Let's go to the Bible to examine the use of the word 'accept'.

Click here to see all occurrences of "accept" in the KJV

As you'll see, as far as occurrences pertaining to man and God, every time it is GOD accepting MAN, and NEVER does the Bible contemplate MAN accepting God or Christ! It is very interesting to note 2 Corinthians 11:4... The only thing of God which we are able to accept is His gospel. I accepted Christ when I acknowledged that His gospel account (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, His LIFE STORY) was a TRUTH, that what he did for me and everyone ACTUALLY HAPPENED! This is as close to accepting as we should ever get! After I accepted (or acknowledged) this truth, I could go further and be humbled & repent, and seek salvation through diligent prayer.

Now for Receiving Christ into our Hearts... is that done by our own will & power?

Receive (from dictionary.com):
1. to take into one's possession (something offered or delivered): to receive many gifts.
2. to have (something) bestowed, conferred, etc.: to receive an honorary degree.
3. to have delivered or brought to one: to receive a letter.
4. to get or be informed of: to receive instructions; to receive news.
5. to be burdened with; sustain: to receive a heavy load.
6. to hold, bear, or contain: The nut receives a bolt and a washer. The plaster receives the impression of the mold.
7. to take into the mind; apprehend mentally: to receive an idea.
8. to accept from another by hearing or listening: A priest received his confession.
9. to meet with; experience: to receive attention.
10. to suffer the injury of: He received a terrific blow on the forehead.
11. to be at home to (visitors): They received their neighbors on Sunday.
12. to greet or welcome (guests, visitors, etc.) upon arriving: They received us at the front door.
13. to admit (a person) to a place: The butler received him and asked him to wait in the drawing room.
14. to admit into an organization, membership, etc.: to receive someone into the group.
15. to accept as authoritative, valid, true, or approved: a principle universally received.
16. to react to in the manner specified: to receive a proposal with contempt; She received the job offer with joy.
17. to receive something.
18. to receive visitors or guests.
19. Radio. to convert incoming electromagnetic waves into the original signal.
20. to receive the Eucharist

Another easy-listening preaching topic that goes along with "accept Christ" is the ability to "receive Christ" into our hearts. People take this for approving that we can claim salvation, that we can by our own will receive Christ into our hearts. From the definition of the word, however, it is obvious that to receive something, there must be someone to give. With "accept" the giving was taken for granted. The transaction depends only on the will of him accepting. With "receive", the transaction depends on someone else to give to the receiver. The giving is not taken for granted, and in order to receive, the will of a giver must be invoked. For us to receive a letter in the mail, we first need someone to mail it.

Concerning the Bible, when it is said we have received Christ, we need to remind ourselves of the difference between accepting and receiving. When receiving Christ, it is only because He has already accepted our repentance and diligent prayer seeking his forgiveness and salvation. If ever you hear someone imploring you to receive Christ, whether they know it or not, what they're actually imploring is that you do what is necessary to be accepted by Christ in order to receive Christ. All who have bee saved have received Christ -- by Christ's will & power alone.

As always, my intent is not to rock the boat. This boat is already rocking, I'm just rocking against the tipping motion, trying to steady things. My intent is not to offend or to step on toes. My intent is to identify where the Bible has been offended and defend its integrity. My intent is not to illustrate people who teach and preach "accept Christ theology" as dumb or malevolent. On the contrary, a majority are just simply misguided and need to understand the gospel in a deeper sense.

One final point: What does the Bible say is truly required for salvation? What is acceptable unto the Lord? Let's consider some verses:
Psalm 34:18
Isaiah 57:15
Hebrews 11:6

God says he will accept a contrite (humbled, broken, repentant) spirit. What in the world is humbling, begging, or repentant, about accepting Christ by reciting a prayer & making the decision for Him? And as in Hebrews 11:6, we must diligently seek him in order to be saved. Diligent means to put forth a great effort. It isn't hard to shake a preacher's hand or recite a prayer. Diligence is imperative in seeking the Lord for the permanent forgiveness of sins!

One more verse, then I'll close: Ephesians 2:8-9. There's a reason we can't just accept Christ or simply receive him into our heart by our own power or will. If we were able to say "I accepted Christ" we'd be able to get boastful, because it was something we did ourselves. This unfortunately does occur in the world in these pseudo-Christian groups. They'll almost get competetive about "winning souls", or seeing how many people they can get to accept Christ... They say they're "gonna get you saved". This is nothing if not exactly what the Bible says: boastful! On the other hand: true salvation is given freely of the Lord. When I got saved, I knew it was by the Lord's own pleasure and will that I was saved. I can't take any credit for any of the changes in my lifestyle, or the blessings that have been poured on me since! It not only was the most humbling experience I've had, but it continues to humble me any time I think about it!

Thanks for reading, and God bless.

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

What Must I Do To Be Saved?
Acts 16:27-31

Ask someone if they’re going to Heaven when they die. There are so many people who say they hope they’re going, they’d like to think they are, and some are even so proud as to say of course they are, it’s not like they’re murderers or something…! Did you know that the Bible says we should KNOW, 100%, without any ego, that we’re going to Heaven if we truly are saved? What is written about in this letter is strictly WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES, and NOTHING MORE. The Bible’s teachings are sufficient to lead us to a true heart-felt salvation. Every topic in this letter is followed by a group of multiple Bible verses which show where the teachings come from. I can’t emphasize enough that there is no teaching herein which does not originate from the Bible! This isn’t presented as a “follow these steps and you’ll be saved” pamphlet by any means. This is simply presented as a list of things that 1) anyone who has been truly saved can bear witness with, and 2) helps to illustrate how ‘off-base’ the “accept Christ theology” is.

Contents:
1) Conviction
2) Drawing of your Heart
3) Humble Your Heart
4) Repentance
5) God’s Forgiveness
6) God’s Gift of Salvation
7) Two Natures of Man
8) Fruit of the Spirit
9) Life in the Spirit
10) Let no Man Deceive You

Conviction
The Holy Spirit uses the Gospel of Christ to bring deep conviction upon your Soul. Conviction is when you experience the terrible feeling of being separated from God. The state of being lost; without God; without hope. As soon as you feel conviction upon your heart, you should seek God for Salvation (you can be sure this feeling is of God, not the Devil. Satan would not give you an urge to seek God).
Acts 9:5
II Corinthians 7:10
Psalms 34:18

Drawing of your Heart
After conviction has been acknowledged, the Holy Spirit draws your heart to God, or Father. Without Conviction, there can be no Salvation. You cannot make yourself be saved. Only God can do this. You must completely submit yourself to God and allow him to do all the work. No human can interfere. Only God knows your heart. When asked about where they’re going when they die, I’ve heard some people say “I know where I’m going, I’ve made peace with God.” But we need to realize that this sentiment, while comforting, is misleading from what is necessary. A good response to this might be “But did God make Peace with you?”
John 6:44
John 6:65
Acts 16:14

Humble your Heart as a Little Child
Once you have suffered the pains of Conviction and you feel God drawing your heart, you must humble yourself as a little child. Little children are humble (yes, they are!). They depend on others to teach them & build them up as people, and likewise you depend on God to teach you and change you. Only when you realize that you can do nothing for God, that he is the one behind the wheel, will you become truly humble. Upon jumbling your heart, you must repent (feel sorry and ill) of your sins and your sin of unbelief.
Matthew 18:1-6
Luke 18:9-18

Repentance
There can be no Salvation without true repentance, and there can be no true repentance without truly humbling yourself. God sees right through you. God knows your heart, and he expects a complete unreserved trust in him. First you must repent. Repentance is to regret, to feel sorry for with great Godly sorrow, to be sorry to God with much hurt inside, to feel disgust at your sins which are weighing you down, to ask for forgiveness. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, mind and soul.
Luke 15:7
Acts 3:19
Acts 8:22
Acts 17:30
Matthew 3:2
Luke 13:3

God’s Forgiveness (Mercy)
When you have truly repented to God, he will forgive you of all your sins. You can only truly repent if you are humble and sincere. God is a merciful God. He said he will cast our sins into the Sea of Forgetfulness. Jesus made this forgiveness possible by dying on the cross for our sins. Through the Blood of Christ, we are forgiven.
Exodus 34:6
Matthew 5:7
Ephesians 1:10
Micah 7:18-19
Luke 17
Matthew 18:21-35

God’s Gift of Salvation
God is truly a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. God grants his Gift of Salvation to those who have truly repented. When he does so, you will truly feel a salvation experience. He replaces a heart of stone with a heart of love, joy and peace. These feelings are truly heart-felt! The Holy Spirit will reveal it to you if you are saved. The Gift of Salvation is given by God, and God alone. No one can tell you that you are saved. It is an experience between you and God. Only God knows your heart. There is a witness (proof). God’s Spirit bears witness with your Spirit when you become one of his Children. His Spirit will let your Spirit know if you are saved.

As soon as you are saved, you become a member of the Family of God. The Devil will hone in on you like a hungry lion. Before you were saved, he doesn’t have to do a thing to win your soul when you die, you already are headed his way. But once you’re saved, his plan is to ruin your witness to others, to stop your salvation from spreading & influencing others around you. His first attack will be placing doubt in you regarding your new Salvation. If you feel doubt, the only thing you can do is pray “am I saved?” If you are truly saved, you will immediately feel almost silly for asking, as the love, joy and peace are refreshed!

God is all Powerful and all knowing; he doesn’t rely on someone else to tell you when you have been saved he does it himself! Salvation is God’s Gift through Christ to save our souls. It is a gift that we do not deserve, and we can do nothing to earn it.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Romans 3:23-24
Ezekiel 36:26

The Two Natures of Man
When God has granted you the wonderful gift of salvation, you will experience a conflict of two natures. Your outward being of flesh is your natural and carnal nature. It retains the carnal nature with its inclination (temptation) to sin. The Bible repeatedly warns us to resist the devil and his sinful influences. God’s chastisement, God’s punishment spent on his children (the saved) who give into the desires of flesh, feels terrible but is given as an expression of his love (tough love). God wants us to produce fruits of righteousness, but we cannot produce such fruits when we are living sinfully. When you are saved, your inward, Spiritual nature becomes opposed to your carnal nature. This opposition, or conflict, does not exist prior to salvation. Prior to salvation, your soul is not pure, but is harmonious to the outward carnal nature. When God saves us he changes our heart (soul) and seals it. Our heart cannot go back to its old ways, but our flesh can. Therefore, the conflict ensues. The Scriptures, however, advise us to walk in the Spirit so that we do not fulfill the lusts of our flesh.
Romans 7:14-19
John 3:6
Romans 3:10
I Corinthians 15:44
Galatians 5:17
James 1:13
Romans 7:10-25
Romans 5:11-21
Romans 6:1-13
I Corinthians 3
I Corinthians 15

Fruit of the Spirit
We are not saved by our works of righteousness (teaching about the Lord or following the Lord’s teachings), but our works of righteousness come from being saved. We are saved according to God’s mercy. When he saves us, God keeps our salvation. We are not in charge of it. Therefore, once we have passed all of God’s requirements (not man’s), we cannot lose our Salvation. His Spirit is with us forever. When we are saved, we are given eternal life. God paid the price for our sins through his Son. He convicts us, saves us, and keeps us by His power. Salvation changes people. Remember, a heart of stone to a heart of love, joy and peace. Love, joy and peace will make you feel different; new. These are fruits of the spirit. You actually change inside (your soul) when you are saved.
Galatians 5:22
Ephesians 5:1

Life In the Spirit
God’s Spirit brings life. He rescues us from the death of sin and breathes new life into us. God intended us to have a full life. Salvation provides us with that opportunity. The Scriptures tell us that we truly do not live until we are saved (John 10:10). In fact, the Bible says we are dead in sins when we are lost sinners (James 2:26, Ephesians 2:1-5)
Romans 8:16
II Corinthians 3:17
Romans 8:26
Romans 8:2
Romans 8:1-39

Let no Man Deceive you
The Bible speaks emphatically against the deceivers working in the world who deceive people straight into Hell. There are deceivers who say you can get saved simply by shaking the preacher’s hand, or by reciting a sinner’s prayer. Others tell you to “accept the Lord” Beware! Read what the scriptures say on this subject. The idea that we accept Jesus is WRONG. This would put us above him if it were true. “What can a beggar offer a king?” Every false church of the world has one thing in common: they take authority away from Jesus Christ and what he set up in the New Testament. We must humbly ask him into our heart when the Holy Spirit leads us. We cannot make a decision to become saved. Salvation is not a mental process; it is a heart-felt change that begins and ends with the Lord. These differences may sound like splitting hairs at first, but when you study the Scriptures you will find that there is a vast difference between what the Lord taught when he was here on earth and what a lot of people are teaching today. Let the Lord witness his truth to your heart. Remember, no one knows your heart but God. No one else has any authority over, through, or by God to tell you that you are saved. No one else even has the right to tell you how to be saved unless they simply tell you to seek the Lord. Others can pray with you or for you, but they cannot tell you how long to pray, what to pray, or if you have prayed enough. God will let you know when you have satisfied him. It is between you and God only.
I John 3:7
I John 4:1-4
Ephesians 5:6
Matthew 24:4-14
Matthew 18:6
Galatians 1:3-24
Galatians 1:3-8

Christian Doctrines Chapter 2 - The Bible a Revelation from God

There is given us one book from God, the Holy Bible. This book is as unique in its content as it is in its friends & foes. The friends of the Bible often have accepted martyrdom on its behalf, and the Bible’s foes have given greater efforts to destroy it than any other book. The enemies of the Bible resist its influence. They have violently attacked it with criticism, they have mocked it in ridicule. They have attempted to use science & philosophy to discredit its legitimacy. Astronomy (the study of space) has tried to reduce it’s claims, and Geology (the study of the earth) has tried to exhaust it’s accuracy. Even with such opposition, the Bible has endured to this day, to affect so many lives.

There are many opinions of the origin of the Bible. Deists believe in God, in his wisdom and goodness, but they don’t believe in the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. Rationalists are addicted to reason. They reject the teachings of the bible, unless they agree with their rationalistic views. This is based on nothing but vanity – they prefer to pick & choose parts of the Bible which they like to read, and they detest the parts which hold them accountable to their sins and lead to the worship of Jesus. True Christians believe the Bible is a super-human production, revealed by God. We believe the goodness of God will not leave his creation in darkness.

There are some necessities for divine revelation to be proven as true. For one thing, we need a deeper knowledge of God in order to correctly worship him. In the previous chapter, we learned about how heathen nations cannot be ignorant of God’s existence. But although they have enough proof in the creation of God’s EXISTENCE, This isn’t sufficient to find knowledge of God’s character. Existence and character are two separate things. Existence can be recognized without knowledge of character. Looking at the creation around us gives us enough knowledge that worshiping idols is inexcusable, but it doesn’t give us enough to know how to worship the All-Powerful Creator. God’s existence is WHAT he is. It can be inferred by the natural attributes of our surroundings. We may infer his intellectual character, His wisdom, power, greatness, and other natural attributes. But God’s character is WHO he is. Who he is must be known in order to give acceptable service & worship. What about God’s moral character? Nature alone does not reveal it. Deductions of man cannot fathom it. The natural perfections we see in the creation (all living creatures symmetrical, function together, male/female) may excite our intellectual admiration of God’s work, but it will not awaken love. We can’t LOVE God truly unless God’s character is revealed to us. Love is essential to true worship.

Another necessity for the Bible to be divinely revealed is fixing the standard of right and wrong. Without a divine revelation of the moral character of God, it is impossible to adopt a correct rule of morals. Right and wrong utterly depend on who God is. Whether we are in or out of harmony with God’s moral character determines whether we are in the right or in the wrong. There is a standard of duty established among men. We have duties to one another, which grow from our duties to God. Consider Matthew 22:36-40. Jesus was asked which commandment was the most important. In his answer, he presented two commandments, and says these two are the most important because basically all the other commandments should be followed by default if only these two commandments are followed. By first & second, we should note, we’re not talking chronologically. The "first & second" refer to their importance. The most important commandment revealed to man is to love thy God. The second is to love thy neighbor. From these relations grow obligations. The obligations, or duties, given us are between creation and creator, and then between creatures themselves. We are to love other people first & foremost because they are of god, and secondly because they are fellow creations.

You might be thinking "What about evil people?" Consider the saying "Hate the sin, but love the sinner." This isn't a quote from the Bible, although it has been spread widely by Christians and despised by atheists. Even though the figure of speech isn't scripture, we can see how much God hates sin by looking at what he has done to redeem us from it. He sent his Son to earth to die on a cross to condemn sin and to make us righteous (Romans 8:3-4). He sent his Son to save his people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). He made his Son, who knew no sin, to be sin that we might be made righteous (2 Cor. 5:21). He sent his son to bear our sins in his body that we might be dead to sin (1 Peter 2:24). These passages not only teach now much God hates sin but also how much he loves us. God hates sin so much that he commands that we turn from it. He loves us so much that he sent his Son to die for us (John 3:16). So as we are to follow the Lord's moral example, we are encouraged to love the sinner, despite his sins. How else do you hope to have a good witness to encourage lost people to seek the Lord, if we hate the person because of their sins? Would any who are saved today have heard any true preaching which would open their hearts to the Lord, if they were never invited to Church because of their sins? Foolishness.

As we can see, love to God inspires love to men. It prompts the performance of our duties in various relations. Revelation of the moral character of god is necessary for this love. Without it, there can’t be any true right or wrong known. We’ve got heathen nations on this earth: ancient and modern. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, were massive intellectual cultures. Great in scientific knowledge, but very ignorant on moral subjects. The world’s modern heathen nations exemplify the repulsive depravity described by Paul in Romans 1:18.

Many debates between Christians and atheists is the existence of the knowledge of right from wrong (“the knowledge of good and evil”). Ask an atheist: if they believe the world to be a land of evolution, where everything that exists has emerged from nothing but matter, and all things that exist came forth form other matter; how can they account for the intangible things of this world? We’ve got love, hate, emotions, and standards of morality. Beware, the atheist will now take offense, assuming you’re insinuating that they have no moral understanding of right from wrong. They will explain that as civilizations emerged, that the society could only survive through working together in a moral way, etc… but you need to be firm that you’re not insinuating that they don’t HAVE the moral values, they simply have no explanation for morality’s existence, for emotion’s existence, for love’s existence or for any of the intangible things of this world, even down to the driving instincts of the creatures of the land air and water.

Our third reason for a divinely inspired Bible is that it stops any speculation on the afterlife. We’ve got all sorts of philosophers with their own ideas about the afterlife. Some believe in their own invention of afterlife, some wish to believe but don’t like to presume, some calmly deny any afterlife, and some violently ridicule the idea. Julius Caesar said “To those that live in sorrow and misery, death is a repose from their calamities, not a torment: it puts an end to all the evils that mortals are subject to, and beyond it there is no place left for anguish or joy.” Caesar is not teaching positively for an afterlife, he’s simply saying that at death, life is over once & for all and for some, it’s just as well. Pliny said “All men are in the same condition after their last day as before their first; nor have they any more sense, either in body or soul, after they are dead then before they were born.” How many people were inspired by these men? LOTS! These men were misleading their followers in such a way that they never even considered the state of their soul. Our future state (the afterlife) implies rewards and punishments. Therefore it is very important to be assured of the state in which we lay. How can this be attained without a revelation? Faith in God does not need revelation, but faith rests on testimony. Testimony implies a revelation from God, and only God can testify to a future state. in Isaiah 5:15 He is called the “High and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity”. 2 Peter 3:8 claims his omnipresence in time, “one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day” Rewards and punishments are strong motivators to do right and avoid wrong. They work on man’s self-interest through fear and hope. Without a revelation from God, the future is dark. Hence the necessity of a revelation.

Our fourth and final reason for the Bible to be revealed by God is salvation for sinners. In the second reason we studied, we learned that the correct standard of what is right is impossible without revelation. Heathen nations make up their own right & wrongs. Because of this, they are self-condemned. Romans 2:14-15 touches on this. Our conscience is dependent on a correct ‘right’. A departure from the standard of ‘right’ is followed by self-accusation. This is universal in heathen nations, and it’s apparent by their religious offerings. Their sacrifices to appease Gods leave them wandering in darkness, hopelessly aware of their sins, but not knowing a remedy. We can experience the creation around us and understand that there is a God, but there is nothing learned from nature about the salvation of a sinner. Not from nature, nor from our own intellect can we find salvation of a sinner. We’ve established that the moral character of God depends on revelation, and we can also establish that the moral character of God is necessary for sinner’s salvation. Our intellectual reasoning alone cannot tell if there is mercy in God. The infinite truths involved in salvation are beyond our sphere of our finite intellect.

So we have established four necessities for the divine revelation, and we now will examine some facts that actually prove the divine revelation of the Bible.

For one thing, the human intellect is simply not capable of producing such a book. Man’s intellect may be great, and our capabilities are great, but we are only capable of so much. Consider these verses: Jer.23:23-24, Psalms 139: 7-10. It is not possible for these ideas to be from any human intellect. Even written, these ideas cannot be fully comprehended. We can write the word “infinity” but can we really comprehend it? Of course not! We can read and write about an infinite God, who is all places at all times, but can we begin to comprehend that to it’s fullest truth? Forget it! Now to argue that the Bible was written from man’s imagination is absurd. Unbelievably to a greater scale than imagining an infinite Lord, the plan of salvation by Christ is well above human intellect. John 3:16, Galatians 4:4-5, Hebrews 2:9-10. It is simply not possible for these ideas to be from our own human minds. This is all utterly remote from finite comprehension. When the gospel was read, it offended the Jews and to the Greeks is was foolishness. The Jews and Greeks were very high in intellect, philosophy and reason, but they wouldn’t give in to the writing of the Holy Bible. This is the greatest example of what human intellect can do and cannot do.

Furthermore, the state of man’s heart would not prompt the Bible. Even if ‘mentally’ capable of writing Bible, man is ‘morally’ incompetent. We need only consider the universal depravity of the Human race. Man’s moral nature is obviously imperfect, it always has been throughout history. In savage tribal groups & civilized nations, man’s heart is not right with God. Man loves sin. We all have evil tendencies. Lusting after our fleshly pleasures (excess in money, food, drink, sex, reputation, knowledge, etc…) is what naturally drives man, not serving God. How is it possible for the Bible to be inspired of man? The Bible teaches right vs. wrong, good vs. evil, love to God, and love to men as creatures of God. The Bible teaches that human works have no merit. Salvation is God’s graceful gift. The Bible argues against man’s pride, and exalts the Lord. Do we really think that man could produce a book in condemnation to himself? Do we really think that man would declare himself as “filthy rags”? Even if his intellect allowed it, his pride would not allow it.

Man could not make such a book if he would, and would not if he could. The first concerns his intellect, the second concerns his heart.

The Bible was not inspired by man; it was divinely revealed by God. There is no middle ground. Consider a Husband receiving a letter form his wife. The husband would know it is written by his wife because it might contain truths only known by his wife. We can boldly have faith in the Bible because it tells some truths that only God could know.

The divine revelation of the Bible can also be proved by what is written of the person and character of Christ. The person of Christ is unique he stands alone in all the world’s history. He is of a union of two natures: divine and human. Not half and half, but both. Jesus lived on earth, suffered in Gethsemane, died on Calvary, was buried, rose again, ascended to heaven, and lives there immortal. He will undergo no change. His two natures are indissoluble – he will always be God-Man. It is not possible for these ideas without revelation. It is as impossible as the creation of earth by man. The character of Christ is a perfect character – there is nothing like it. There is imperfection in the best of men. At our strongest points, weakness appears. Abraham was remarkable for his strength in faith, but he was not always trusting in the Lord. Moses was distinguished for his meekness, but he was not always meek. Job was memorable for his patience, but was not always patient with the Lord. Peter was bold but hotheaded, and occasionally a coward. Paul was most loyal to principal & truth, but also had weaknesses. Christ, on the other hand, is faultless and spotless. Christ’s friends and witnesses never reported any fault in him. Peter refers to Christ as a “Lamb without blemish and without Spot, who did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” John said “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” In the book of Hebrews, Christ is deemed “Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners”. Consider these two verses: Hebrews 4:15, John 14:30. The unassisted intellect of man could not conceive of such a person and character. If one should argue otherwise, that men conceived Christ by their own imagination, it would be a greater miracle than any recorded in the Bible. The person and character of Christ is sufficient enough for proof of a divine revelation in the Bible. There is no other way of accounting for what is read about Christ.

The Old Testament is as undeniable as the New Testament. Many times in the New Testament, Jesus refers to the Old Testament with such quotes as “it is written”, “how readest thou”, or “as the scripture hath said”. Both books are revelation from God to man. The Old Testament anticipates the New testament, the New takes for granted as fact the Old. Neither is complete without the other. There is no other revelation than the Old and New Testaments, and no prediction of another while the world stands.

The divine inspiration is a mystery. How God inspired men to write his truth without interfering the individuality of writing style we will never know. 1 Cor 2:13. The writers used their own familiar words, but they wrote God’s inspired wisdom.

We read “Thus saith the lord”, and “The Lord spoke, saying” repeatedly. We should note that ‘revelation’ and ‘inspiration’ are not the same. Revelation refers to things only God would know. For instance, that Christ would come to save sinners. But there are things in the Bible that were not necessarily revealed by God, like mentioning that the river Jordan ran through Judea. This is a fact we can take for granted, not supernaturally revealed. Inspiration concerns how God’s spirit influenced writers to write using known and supernaturally revealed things. As we know the Bible is a revelation, inspiration is granted.

These have been the internal evidences of the divine revelation. External evidences of truth exist as well. We’ve got recorded miracles, and fulfilled prophecies. If the Bible is the divinely inspired word of God, then its authority cannot be questioned. What it says is true. There must be compliance in spirit, a willingness to be taught of God. Recognizing the Bible as the word of God, it is in every part the standard of truth and right.

cleaning the carbs

With the carb body separated from the bike, I was able to get started at getting rid of the varnish coating the insides, which at one point in time roughly five years ago, was fuel sitting in the float bodies. The carb body consists of 4 carbs, each with it's own float body. Here's a video from youtube that explains how carbs work: click here, and please get ready to put up with the intro in exchange for a very good explanation on how the carbs work. This video is about airplane carbs, and the setup on my bike is obviously different, but the basic function is the same. If you watched the video, you'll understand how it is so important to clean out the jets! Each carb in my bike contains 3 jets: the idle jet, the slow jet, and the main jet. Each will be necessary for proper fuel flow at different rpm's. The main problem areas were the jets, the float bowls, & the valve chambers (not described in the video). The float bodies were pretty full of crud, but the jets, being small brass fittings with very small holes, demanded thorough, detailed work.

I figured it'd be smart to do one carb at a time, so I wouldn't mix up one carb's parts with another's, as I was told on some models, each carb has slightly different size jet holes & valve springs. Also keep in mind, this is the first thing I'll have EVER take apart that runs on fuel. I'm literally working with zero experience, but 100% enthusiasm to learn how to do it right the first time! For every hour of work, I've probably researched for 3 or 4 hours.

Here's the first carb about 10 seconds after opening it up for the first time. YUCK, fuel varnish. Those black parts are brass.

Here's the first carb float body after spending 3 to 4 hours of scrubbing & soaking parts! Looks almost like you could EAT off of it! I wouldn't though.


The flip-side of the float body has the valve bodies. Each was easily taken apart and cleaned out.

Each of the carbs took around 3 or 4 hours work. Where'd I find all that time, you wonder? I'd wait till the kids were asleep on nights that Amanda was away from the house working. I'd take a baby monitor outside with me so I could hear if one of the kids had any trouble staying asleep. When Amanda would get home from work I was in the garage so I'd hear her, clean up shop and go inside with her. This was already a slow process, but the ONLY thing that really put a week-long halt to my work was a stripped screw on one of the float body covers. I couldn't get the last float body lid off because of this. Of course, this stripped screw was, as they all are, in a VERY difficult-to-reach spot. I had to use a skinny-shaft screwdriver, but the head on that was too thin to fill the screw head all the way, and it was already striped anyway. Here's a pic of the screw in question:


(It's the one in the red circle)

I had to go get a screw extractor set, and some P.B. Blaster (like WD-40 on steroids), and after a couple nights of trying with the screw extractor, the P.B. Blaster had finally done its job of soaking in there, and >pop-twist<, the screw came out! I have proof:


I claim victory over all stripped screws of the world! Bring your worst, I'll take them all out! ...literally!

Here's an explanation to why the neighbors probably had chills from the laughter they heard coming form my garage at 9:30pm:

This picture is of the float right after opening it up, BEFORE any cleaning.

I'd successfully disassembled 3 float bodies and every one of them was very dirty inside. This last float body, the only one I had any difficulty opening up, was the least dirty. Just have to love the irony! When I lifted the lid open, I just laughed. Loudly! Maybe it was the carb cleaner chemicals that were getting to me, maybe it's just my nature to more often laugh at myself, instead of getting red-faced and throwing tools around (although I do sometimes)...

So I finally got all four carbs & jets and valves cleaned up, and it all seems to work properly now. By the way, about the problem-screw... The way the screw extractor set works is two reverse-turning drill bits (i used a hand-held screwdriver, not a power drill). One bit drills a clean hole into the screw head, and the other had reverse-driving grippers which grab on to the new hole in the screw head. The custom is to throw this screw away and replace it with a new one. I could have done this, it would have been as simple as going to the hardware shop and spending some spare change. Instead, I clamped the screw in my workbench, got my jigsaw, and cut a groove across the top of what was left of the screw's head. I took the screw, and used a flat-head screwdriver to re-use the screw in a different hole of the float body lid (one which was much mroe easily accessible by a screwdriver for next time! Next up on the list, is I need to test the carb body for leaks (I will wait for some warmer weather to do this), then take care of reinstalling them and get the bike running! ...after some other problems on the bike are solved, of course.

Cristian Doctrines Chapter 1 - The Existence of God

The first words of bible talk about Creation, and the existence of God. The existence of God is assumed, taken for granted; not attempted to be proven. Here’s one of the examples set by Moses: not to be wise above what is written. The eternal/infinitesimal existence of God is our greatest mystery. Neither man nor angel can comprehend eternity/infinity. One cannot measure Infinity with finite minds. It's like measuring the universe with a yard stick.

Job 11:7-9
While this verse in Job may seem to skeptics to disallow any learning & keep us away from searching & studying, we must remember:

1 Peter 3:15
we’re to know why we have faith (not just because mom & dad do), but we are never to doubt the very existence of God. We should not get lost in vain wonder, but should be open minded to the truth. As always, intent is of great importance. Peter writes that we should know more for the benefit of others. If you're saved, you're soul is secured for good. Now, you should mature as a Christian and study to explain how to get saved to everyone else! Vain wonderings are discouraged, because they are nothing but prideful self fulfillment. "Look how much I know... Look how smart I am."

Romans 11:36
It may be the greatest mystery, But how many things can be accounted for only if there is a God; not understood under any other condition? Where did man come from? Where did the earth come from? Where did the universe come from? There are many theories which attempt to answer these questions without God, But all are hopeless. They are hopeless because they are without God. Philosophers say that from one truth, all reasoning must proceed. These are called “First Truths”. Belief in God is the Christian’s 'first truth'. If asked “why do you believe in God?” One answer may be “it is in accordance with the constitution of our human minds.” If the answer isn’t good enough for the skeptic asking, no other answer can be given. Causes produce effects, and effects proceed from causes. All causes and effects link to one main source of power. This reasoning is finite (measurable by man, having a definite beginning & end or start & finish), we can measure it. Tracing effects and causes as far as possible is part of what drives many of us. If we were to trace all effects through all causes, we’ll end up with our “First Cause” being God. God is absolutely independent of any cause. He is the “un-caused cause”, the "unknown God".

We have the capacity to believe in God
Romans 1:19-20
Paul refers to heathens who worship idols. All who don’t believe in God should know better. We all know enough of God to render any idolatry inexcusable. Where does this knowledge come from? It comes from experiencing the works of creation (looking around).
This knowledge came to all ages “from the creation of the world” (from = since). All periods since creation, man has been able to believe in God. We have always been able to recognize eternal power. When we look around at the creation all around us, we see power, because something was made from nothing.

God’s power is personal.
We hear figures of speech like "power of wealth", "power of government", "Gravitational or magnetic power", "power of nature". The power of wealth and government are of men,
but the power of nature (creation) is of God. Power comes from mind or spirit, not matter (tangible things). Tracing the links of where power comes from originally,
David in Psalms 62:11 “Power belongeth unto God.”

Example of man's power in mind, not matter:
Man’s 'sphere of will' is his mind over his own body. If we want a cup of coffee, we can’t make it appear in our hand with our mind (although that would be pretty cool). But there is nothing in between our mind’s will and our body. Just by thinking, we can will our hands/arms to move around & grasp tools & materials, and grind coffee and pour the drink. we will our muscles to move us.

Example of God's power in spirit, not matter:
God’s sphere of will is over entire universe; over all creation. 'Let there be light'; there was light. Nothing in between god’s will and creation (including us!). God is infinite, coming in immediate contact with all universe, just as our mind is in immediate contact with any part of our body from wiggling our toes to blinking our eyes, only to an infinitely greater scale! God is able by will alone to effect all possible changes.

There is a God.
This fact explains many things that would be otherwise inexplicable. The mind finds satisfaction in this fact. This fact disapproves of fate (all things have always existed). This fact disapproves of chance (fate is ridiculed, big bang as first cause). Fate & Chance are opposites, but they similarly exclude God from the universe. If there is no god, then all the many indications of intelligent design are unaccountable. There is plenty evidence for adaptation. The World is adapted to man and animals; Man and animals are adapted to suit earth. We have soil and plant life. We have lungs and air. Birds fitted for air, fishes fitted for sea.

Evolutionists look at earth's many various lifeforms and see that we are all made of amino acids, DNA, the same basic composite chemicals, chromosomes, etc... They use this evidence to say that one must have come from the other; that we all must be somehow related from one main ancestor. Nothing could be less provable! The living things on this earth, and the plants, are all adapted to each other all the way down to the molecule. Did you know, that if we weren't all made out of the same basic 'stuff', we wouldn't be able to eat each other?! Well technically we would, but my point is, we wouldn't get any nutrition from eating each other. Animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, viruses, etc... are all able to live off each other simply because we're all made out of the same basic 'stuff'! If we were all made out of completely different 'stuff', we would all die because we wouldn't have anything to nourish ourselves with! Without getting into the chemistry of how we digest things, it'd be like trying to eat gravel. Creatures & plants obviously can't survive by restoring energy through sleep, sun and water alone... The use of the same 'stuff' is just as evident of an intelligent designer. Motorcycles and cars both use spark plugs, fuel for gas, and rubber wheels. Does this mean they both evolved from a skateboard three billion years ago?! No, it's proof of a common designer using the same stuff for materials!

Everywhere and everything shows intelligence in design. These are not properties of matter, but attributes of spirit. Where intelligence is, there is intelligent design. Where design is, there is a designer. God is the designer, creator and ruler of all things. The most obvious indication of design is the perpetuity of the Human race. We have two genders, roughly equal in number (except in cultures forcing a difference in ratio). This is no accident! In the Bible, the Basis of the marriage relation contemplates human happiness, social order, and continuance of the race. It shows a purpose. This purpose is affecting condition of Human race. This purpose is affecting existence of Human race. There is an intelligent and almighty Purposer.

Hebrews 1:10-12

step one: get the seat off...??!

When the bike was brought to my garage, it was tied down on a trailer, seat & side panels removed. What was the first thing I wanted to do when I first got it in my garage? Of course, I wanted to sit on it and get a feel for it! I picked up the bike's seat and figured out how to put it onto the frame. It clicked into place nice & secure. I sat onto it and it felt good. Then, my friend who was giving me the bike wanted to show me some parts of the bike which were under the seat... which brought me to my first question for the online forum I spoke of previously: how do I take the seat off?! If I'd had any more than a couple hours of experience owning a motorcycle, I would have been ashamed of asking, but seriously... the seat removing levers are really hard to find: a piece of grey metal on either side of the frame that don't look like they do anything at all! So after a couple days I had that figured out.

My first goal with this bike was to clean out the carburetors. The carb body has 4 float bodies, one per carb. The float body contains all the jets through which the gas flows, the floats, and float valve.

The way the float body works is very similar to the way a toilet water tank works. The fuel is fed via gravity from the fuel tank down into the carb float bodies, and once it fills up to the desired level in the float bodies, the floats - get this - float, and since they're attached to the float valve, they shut off the supply of gas. Then while the bike is running, the fuel is fed from the float bodies through the jets, and when the level in the float body decreases, the valve opens up and lets more fuel in, and so... forth...

The problem is: if you run the bike, then let it sit for 5 years without draining the float bodies, the fuel will have become a gooey green & crusty yellow varnish, coating the insides of wherever it was sitting, and horribly clogging all the jets and other small passageways through which the fuel needs to smoothly flow. The bike I had been given did not have it's float bodies drained. I knew I could count on the carbs being a complete mess, plus IF the carbs turned out free of varnish, it couldn't hurt giving it a cleaning, since this had never been done since it's manufacture in 1986.

In the service manual, te steps to remove the carb body form the bike are 1) remove seat & gas tank. 2) remove air cleaner box. 3)pull up on carb body, removing from rubber boots connecting it to the engine heads. 4) remove throttle & choke cables. 5) remove carb body from bike.

In my head i was thinking 1) well I figured out the seat thing, thank God for that! And the gas tank, shouldn't be too hard. It's already missing one bolt, so I just undo the other and pop, it'll come off... right? 2) Looks simple enough. 3) pull up on carb body... how far? Why? 4) what the heck do these cables look like, how DO I remove them once I find them, and why don't I see any instructions in the entire service manual about removing these cables? 5) I have to get those darn cables unhooked before I worry about removing the carb body!

So the way it went down was:
1) removing the gas tank.
The tank bolt unscrewed very easily, and I was ready to pull it away, when... hmmm... it won't lift up too far... I checked for more bolts I'd missed, but soon realized >duh< I had to disconnect the fuel lines!

2) remove the air cleaner box.
two simple bolts to unscrew, the airbox lifted right off! Easy!

this photo was taken just after removing the air cleaner box, looking down into the valve compartments of the carb body. Notice the yellowed varnish which was once fuel. This isn't even the inside of the float bodies, and there's already signs of gunk to clean!

3) pull up on carb body.
The carb body is connected to the engine heads by four rubber boots, each of which has a metal ring clamp on the carb side & engine side. So I loosened all eight ring clamps. Easy enough. I got a good hold on the carb body and pulled straight up. This is where most of the discussions I'd had with people online, and where in the service manuals, and on youtube, the carb body lifts up out of the rubber boots and makes it easier to reach the cables removed in the next step. My carb body didn't budge. I pulled again, harder. I'm not one to be boastful, but if you've seen me, you know I'm anything but scrawny. I was pulling so hard I was starting to think I was going to hurt myself!

I went to the forum where I could go further than just watching video tutorials or reading in the service manual how it's supposed to work. I posted my second question: "why won't my carb body budge?" Turns out, with the older models the rubber boots go all hard and don't like to flex open to let the parts free. Plus, it was about 40 degrees. Luckily, someone had a solution: fit a fullsize wonderbar (a flattened metal crowbar - fortunately I have one) between part of a frame and one spot on the carb body which could withstand the force (and not to slip and hit the delicate parts which would break and force me to spend hundreds on a new carb setup), and pry it gently out from the once-rubber-but-now-concrete boots... and it worked! I got the carb body separated form the engine heads after hours of 'gently' forcing it up and out!

4) remove throttle & choke cables form carb body.
My next few weeks were spent lifting the carb body as far up as I could and just looking around to see what these cables were and how they connected, and which screws I had to undo to get them detached, I spent a lot of time on the online forum asking all sorts of questions, and getting lots of answers telling me to "just look at it, and it'll make sense". This was the opposite of helping! To keep this long post from becoming ridiculously long (too late?!), I finally figured I could rotate the carb body up to one side, exposing the bottom of the carbs, making the cable attachments more accessible. I detached the choke cable first, it was easier being just one cable. The throttle cables were two cables that connected to a small wheel on the carb body. I had to loosen the bolts actually ON the cables to loosen them, allowing some slack so i could simply unhook them. In retrospect this was actually quite easy. The only thing that made it difficult was the fact that I have '0' experience and had to learn everything as I went! I'm convinced that the hardest part will be reattaching these cables when I want to reinstall the carb body.

The small wheel with the horizontal cable attached to it is the throttle wheel, from which I had to remove the cables. Very very hard to reach, but very rewarding once I got them out!

5) WOOHOOO! I was walking away from my bike toward my work bench for the first time while carrying the carb body with me!

I took these pictures as I disassembled the bike and ran straight to photoshop so I could label each tube / cable so when I woudl eventually be putting the whole thing back together I would be able to figure out what tube connects where. This was about 2 months ago now, and I've already forgotten, so I'm very glad I thought to do this!

labeled where one of the tubes connects to the air box.

The fuel lines that hook up t the fuel tank.

The fuel lines- where they connect to the petcock valve assembly.

My new dilemma: Now that I have the carb body away from the bike, I have to figure out how to clean this sucker out...