Is Satan Omnipresent?

You know that question: how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? That question has two problems: 1) the answer is not important, and 2) it asks how many spiritual creatures can exist in a physical space – which is also meaningless because there is no direct correlation.

So what is omnipresent? It means all places at one time. But if you have no physical boundaries, can you effectively be in all PHYSICAL places at one time? Honestly, it’s not clear, and it’s defiantly not addressed in the Bible. But it’s like asking if the wind can be in more than one state at one time… or even more than one country… or even all places.

But since omnipresent is one of the three core attributes of God, many believers feel compelled to NOT prescribe it to Satan. They say, “Satan is not omnipresent, only God is omnipresent.” I don’t think they can base this on anything but their gut and weak reasoning. Is there a scripture I am missing? However, they could be right. I recognize that.

Okay, let’s assume that Satan is NOT omnipresent.

Here’s my next questions: is Satan multi-present? Don’t we assume Satan is either flawlessly efficient or multi-present? Consider how everyone feels Satan is working against them in their lives. How could this be true with 6 billion people on the planet? I mean, seriously. Is he tirelessly working or does he have something special to help him?

I will admit there is a possibility that Satan only tempts a few and the rest of us, our sinful nature tempts us. Maybe.

Now, you might answer, that’s why Satan has demons. They do his work. If this were true, we would not call Satan the father of lies and the great tempter (both referenced in the Bible) but instead we would consider him the foreman of liars and the coordinator of tempters. But, we don’t. He seems to be the perpetrator.

There’s another option. And it’s not unreasonable. Perhaps Satan is outside of time. Perhaps, indeed, all spiritual creatures are outside physical time. It sure sounds reasonable. And it would allow for a kind of multi-presence without having to be anything but one place at one “time”. But again, this is conjecture, not scripture.

But then we see the timeline. Satan doesn’t seem to understand the endgame. How could he not – AND be outside of time? The arrival of the messiah, salvation through Jesus’ crucifixion. Surely Satan would have tried to prevent Jesus’ death if he could have seen what it meant next. Maybe he did try, I don’t know, but nothing eludes to that in the Bible.

So, I think we have four choices:

1. Satan is omnipresent or multi-present

2. Satan is outside of physical time

3. Satan is tirelessly efficient almost to perfection

4. Satan is spiritual so he can be in all physical places at once

None of these really rest very well with me. They all seem to go against the Sunday School answers I have heard. But nothing else seems to make sense.

Any ideas?

You only owe $35,959!

I get confused by micro economics. When it comes to macro economics, my ears bleed. Still, it seems a simple guy like me knows more than the average politician: debt isn’t good. But since 1791 America has had a debt. Back then it was a cute little $75M (which to them probably seemed ridiculous). But today our debt grows by an astounding $3.75B a day. That’s right, a day.

Now, we could get out of debt quickly. We just need every single citizen (and those here illegally could help out, too) to pay their share – a miserable $35,959. Are you in? Now for me, with a family of 5, I need only pay $179,795. I have the check written and am just wondering where to send it. :) That poor lady who just had the octuplets – she’ll need to sell more books.

Honestly, my stomach hurts over the whole matter. We’re either going to print money to “pay” our way out of this, go to war, or forfeit. Are there other options? We certainly can’t afford to actually PAY our debt. And I don’t think we can just walk away from our house like many homeowners are choosing these days. The numbers defy imagination.

Below, I have put together a simple chart from government data here (http://tinyurl.com/3xjc7y) to see just how silly this mess really is. I’ve bracketed presidencies so we can do some blaming and name calling. That should help us feel better for a period. Meanwhile, our debt has increased about $100M while you were reading this – unless you are a speed reader, then it’s more like $50M.

So, give credit where credit is due. Of the past four presidents (not counting spend-happy Obama) the three republicans have been terrible. I give Reagan a pass, he ended the cold war with crazy spending. I give George Bush a pass, he had Reagan’s spending to curb. Bill Clinton had a pretty nice economy to swim in – and holds the best record of the four. But George W. Bush somehow has managed to more than double our debt to a whopping $10 trillion dollars in 8 short years. Can you imagine? Why haven’t we stormed the capital and burned it down yet?

To me, President Obama doesn’t offer much hope here. His Keynesian economics will spend us out of this recession. Will it work? It’s too late to ask that. He’s there and we’re going to see. It’s a real science experiment. The resulting debt might rival Bush. I hope not. I hope it all works. I hope we are successful. I hope we recover. I hope we kill the deficit. I hope we pay down the debt. But, seriously.

I see now that we probably should have elected Ross Perot when we actually had a chance.  His nerd-like approach to economics might have been a good jolt of medicine to America. When he said “hear that big sucking sound? that’s American jobs going overseas” he was more prophetic than any of us would want to really admit now. But the charts… oh man, he needed a publicist.

Seriously, where do I send my check?

Crowns in Heaven

You might have a reward waiting for you in heaven! It sounds like a spam email. But it's true. The Bible makes it clear that while Jesus is preparing a place, he is also planning to present a reward.

Consider this text:

"Rejoice and be extremely glad, because your reward in heaven is great!" Matthew 5: 12

Consider this text:

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people in order to be noticed by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6: 1

Consider this text:

"Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but keep on storing up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal," Matthew 6: 18

Consider this text:

Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me." Matthew 19: 21

Consider this text:

"Don't be afraid of what you are going to suffer. Look! The devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. For ten days you will undergo suffering. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the victor's crown of life." Revelation 2: 10

Those passages indicate something that some are given as a reward in heaven. It can clearly be great, it can be absent, it is secure, it can be from selflessness, and it can be from faithfulness.

But what it is?

Insofar as this reward, we know it is not equal. Everyone doesn't get the same thing or the same portion. But in heaven there is a shared reward. Jesus Christ is the reward. And, in a sense, he is all we really need. Our "goodness" which may result in reward will be so clearly a result of Christ's love, we won't bear to claim it. Throwing our crowns at Jesus' feet will be very easy.

But don't forget, we know something else about Jesus.

To him, people are very important. He cared enough to die for them. And in heaven, when we are regenerate and of a truly renewed mind and heart, people will also be very important to us.

Finally, for those whose salvation in which we played some role, we will receive a tremendous pleasure in their salvation and presence also in heaven. That may very well be the nature of our reward for obedient service and faithfulness to Jesus Christ on earth.

If it is, I am satisfied.