THE OLD MAN

 

KEY VERSE: Behold, the days come, that I (the Lord God) will cut off thine (Eli’s) arm, and the arm of thy father's house (house of Israel), that there shall not be an old man in thine house. (1 Sam 2:31)

  Eli was the High Priest of Shiloh. Eli failed to reign-in his sons. For that, God could punish Eli and Israel. As High Priest, Eli was the religious “arm” of Israel. What did he do wrong? He allowed “old men” to reign in God’s House.

  “Old Man” may not be clear in that context, but Paul clarified what the “Old Man” identifier means: They are those sons of God who cannot be reigned in, or those who reject authority.  Here is what Paul wrote about the “Old Man:”

¹⁷ Ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, ¹⁸ Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: ¹⁹ Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. (Ephes 4:17-19)

  The “Old Man” refers to the ones walking as the other Gentiles walk — in vanity of mind. They take the Name of God — Jesus — vainly. For them, the death of Jesus was of no affect, and they fail to walk as Jesus walked. They fail to understand the significance of the crucifixion and are irreverent to the Name of God. They are ignorant in matters, and as such are blind to truth. Past feeling, they walk their own way — in lasciviousness, uncleanness, and greed. Those are the characteristics of the “Old Man.”

  The “New Man” has been born again (John 3:7). With that, there should have been a change. How does anyone know if they are born again? He is a new is a “New Man,” to wit: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17).

  What should have passed away? Lasciviousness, uncleanliness, and greed. Add to that lying, anger, wrath, bitterness, clamor, evil speaking, and many other worldly characteristics (Ephes 4:25-31). Examine wrath for a moment. It is uncontrolled anger that waxes and wanes because the person’s ego is infringed upon. It is holding a grudge that just will not go away and comes back to needle the person. It is a stronghold that just will not let go!

  In psychology, the “Old Man” (Latin; “Synex”) is wise and respected — a person of good-standing in the community. Eli fit the description, from Jungian Analytical Psychology, of the “Old Man.” God made clear, that the Synex, Eli, was fallible; he was the High Priest of Shiloh but could not control his sons. The Synex in psychology is a wise and honored Old Man. Eli was honored by men but not by God. Because of Eli’s lack of wisdom, the Old Man would be cut off from God’s House. In other words, wisdom was not the evidence of redemption, but change.

  Jung looked at the Old Man differently than God, as is generally the case in psychology. Jung would honor the “Old Man” for his existence. Perhaps Jung thought of himself as the “Old Man” but he was far from it!

  On the other hand, God would dishonor the Old Man for his life. Eli was inconsistent. He was charged with controlling the faithful at Shiloh but could not reign in his own sons. His authority was not deserved. (We see that today with many deacons in the Church.)

  There are three spiritual categories of man: (1) Innocence, (2) rebellious, and (3) humbled. “Adam” means “man” and Adam was created in innocence, defiled with rebellion, and in his shame, humbled by God who preserved him until he is redeemed. Adam had three different identities relative to the world: (1) an innocent “babe,” (2) the Old Man, and (3) the New Man. Sin made the innocent “babe” an Old Man. Adam was on the way to dying despite his age and the  fruit from the Wisdom Tree made him not reign in his wife to whom he hearkened. Eli is symbolic of sinful Adam, and both are the “Old Man” archetype.

  Then God put a coat of flesh on Adam to preserve him. With that protective flesh, he should have been a “New Man” as Paul described:

²² That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; ²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; ²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. ²⁵ Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. ²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: ²⁷ Neither give place to the devil. ²⁸ Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. ²⁹ Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. ³⁰ And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephes 4:22-30)

  Can you identify with that? Are you truly a “New Man” and a new creation? Are you truly a New Adam as Jesus is the “Second Adam” (1 Cor 15:47)? The “First Adam” sinned; the “Second Adam” did not! The Old Man is a sinner; the New Man is not! “Sinner” means living a life of sin like the First Adam did. Eli lived two lives, one good and one out of control. One of his arms could be cut off. Why? Because he could not be two men! The hand that offended him would be cut off, according to scripture.

  Likewise, double-minded Christians are like Eli with his Old Man and New Man in the same flesh:

  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (Jas 1:8), and “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (Jas 4:8)

  A Christian of “two minds” is unstable in all his ways! One of those “minds” must be cut off. The Devil endeavors to cut off the mind of the New Man, and God the mind of the Old Man. Just as with Eli, God will not tolerate two-minded men, and for Eli, losing one arm would suffice as means to cutting off the Old Man. What is a Christian to do? Do not cut off that hand but cleanse them both. Let one wash the other, according to James. Then purify your hearts.

  God threatened to cut off the arm of Eli, but instead, perhaps his heart was cleansed. Purification of the heart is circumcision of the heart (Rom 2:29). Nothing is cut off but the desire to sin!

  There are just too many “Christians” walking around with only one arm. The “fugitive” (in the TV drama series) always looked for the one-armed man, but he remains hidden to this day. We see two, but spiritually, double-minded “Christians” may end up one-armed Old Men.

  There has been no conversion, it seems, because on one side the man looks like a Synex (Old Creature) and on the other side a New Creature. One of them must go! If not, then the promise is that the “Old Man” not be allowed to remain in God’s House, according to the key verse.

  Most Christians fear that they are double-minded. Why would they fear that? Because they still sin. Sin is always a choice, and the unstable Christians often chooses wrongly. God has grace! He will not cut off the unstable man immediately but allows the Christian time to decide whose “man” he will be. If there is no change in the Way walked, before long, the Old Man must return to the “tree” that means the most to him. Will it be the Wisdom Tree belonging to the Synex or the Tree of Life under which Christians stand? The Holy Cross is my “tree” of choice as I endeavor to put away the Synex in me.

(picture credit: BBC Radio; Carl Jung)

REDEEMED

 KEY VERSES: 13 (Christ) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession… (Ephes 1:13-14) 

  “Christ,” or the Messiah, is Jesus, the “Son of God” according to His birth, “God” according to His pre-existence, and the “Son of Man,” according to His image.

  “Ye” is the “whosever” as in John 3:16. Read that again: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Therein “Jesus” so loved “whosoever” in the world. It should be obvious that Paul is writing the same gospel message that John wrote.

  “Trusted” is not in the Greek. It was added for clarity by those who translated into English. However, it completes the context. In John 3:16, “believeth” (Greek; pisteuo) means persuaded to have confidence in one (Strong’s Dictionary). That “one” is Jesus. Hence, “believeth” is better said, “trusted” and that notion comes from John 3:14 wherein Jesus likens “trust” to the Hebrews who had confidence in Jesus for delivery from the lifeless serpent in his “tree.”

  Jesus used the expression, “born again” and declared you “must be” born again (John 3:7). Thus, rebirth commences when either a believer or a non-believer begins to trust Jesus for deliverance. In other words, belief alone is not enough, and confidence in Jesus is necessary. The Hebrews all believed in God because they had seen Him in the cloud by day and fire by night. Their problem was that they failed to trust in God in whom they believed.

  Yesterday, I wrote about philosophy. Psychology is a philosophical religion because its adherents either trust in the philosopher or themselves for deliverance from whatever ails them. Essentially, sin is what ails those with psychosis; the worst from of which is schizophrenia. Why the worst? Because of delusions of grandeur. That is what ails the typical sinner, and taken to the extreme, they become gods and/or kings. The problem with psychology is that it places dependence on oneself for deliverance from whatever, when those who trust God would come to Jesus in all things, to wit: “All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing (trusting), ye shall receive” (Mat 21:22).

  Nothing is too hard for God and Jesus is His intermediary. “Virtue” comes from Jesus unto the oppressed (Mark 5:30). When Jesus died all virtue had gone out of Him as He “gave up the Ghost” to God (Luke 23:46). Hence, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, is the virtue that heals Christians both physically and spiritually — in “all things.” Do you believe that? If you do, then you trust in Jesus and are born again. If not, then your “rebirth” was from a “false pregnancy.” Therefore, not only “belief” but “trust” is imperative for eternal life.

  What persuades Christians to be “Christian?” From the key verses, “After that ye heard the word of truth.” Something heard and considered persuades sinners to become Christians. Paul “reasoned” with those that he encountered (Acts 17:22). The key verse says, “from the word.” Acts says, “from the scriptures.” What does scripture say about Jesus? That He is the Word (John 1) and scripture is the inspired Word of God. (2 Tim 3:16). The Old Testament is the very Words that Jesus spoke before He was ever flesh.

  Do you believe that? Paul did!  That acknowledges that Jesus IS God. The Hebrews, when they saw the lifeless serpent on the pole, saw Judas dead in his tree, and that happened on the same day that Jesus died on His “Tree.” Satan was in Judas, just as he had been in the Serpent.

  Do you believe that Jesus’s Purpose defeated Satan? It did. That is why God came down; that was His Way of diminishing Satan until the time comes to rid the heaven and earth of his presence.

  Consider the Third Commandment: “Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Exod 20:7).  The “Name” is Jesus, and He is Lord of all. God’s Name had a purpose — to defeat Satan. With that, to take Jesus’s Purpose without significance is blasphemous. The penalty for that is guilt. Only by Jesus nailed to the Holy Cross can reprieve be made. The blood and water shed by Jesus remises the guilt of the sinner under conviction (1 John 5:6).

  What happened on the Cross? Sinners, “whosoever,” deserve death, but instead Jesus died in their places. He suffered death on their behalf. The key verses say that after persuasion, “in whom also after that ye believed.” The “whom” there is Jesus, and where it reads “believed,” again, that is pisteuo, or have confidence in. That is why “trusted” was added. It came from pisteuo and completed the context.

  What truth persuades? “The gospel of your salvation.” The “gospel” is the reward for trusting Jesus. Yes, those who trust Jesus shall be rewarded, and those who fail to trust will be punished. “Your salvation” is negated by the word, “gospel.” It is Jesus who rewards and punishes. You can neither reward nor punish yourself. That takes the focus off your works and exalts Jesus. “Your salvation” is by only One Way, and that is by the Name, “Jesus” (John 20:31). The example of the brazen serpent is crucial. It demonstrates that people have no power to save themselves from serpents or any malady, physical or spiritual. Vipers are easy compared to Satan, and the Hebrews could not even kill the vipers!

  “Salvation,” in the Greek, is “soteria” which means “preservation” until a “future salvation” (ibid) when Jesus shall physically return to gather the saints; thus “preservation of the saints.”

  That is not the same thing as “eternal security” because there is one exclusion; and that is stedfast faith to endure to the end. God “seals” those who trust Him, but they still have the levity of breaking that “seal” themselves. Only Jesus can save, but everyone can condemn themselves. God imbued his creatures with free will, and that is to choose between God’s preservation, or their own inclination to self-destruct. The “original sin” caused that pre-disposition.

  “Sealed” is “marked.” Scripture speaks of the mark of the Beast (666; Rev 13:16) and the seal of God… both on their foreheads, but the mark of the Beast also on their hands. The marks on the forehead seem to represent the mind; to which master the person has been persuaded as his own. The mark on the hand seems to symbolize that a doctrine of works is damning.

  The seal of God on the forehead are those who He preserves until the final test. Whose visible mark will they take? Will those preserved break the seal or take the mark of the Beast? With that, perhaps, God preserves those who continue in the faith until the final test of faith — Do we trust Jesus or do we trust in ourselves?

   Now for an analogy. This comparison is not to trivialize or diminish God, but strictly to amplify. Do you remember S & H green stamps? Each time a purchase was made a number of green stamps were awarded by the store. The buyer would paste them in a book until they were full, then then could be redeemed. Oftentimes the person would want the reward greatly and prize it before it was even in hand. Once time had elapsed and the buyer remained faithful to the store and to his part in pasting the stamps, then they could be redeemed for prizes. The collector would always determine the prize and look forward to it with anticipation. They could review the collection of prizes in a catalog and have their eyes on the prize until enough stamps were collected to redeem.

  Those who were earnest, put the stamps in a vault or cabinet for safekeeping. There they would be preserved until redemption time. Some collected from the start, but before long, the prize was not worth the cost. Soon the stamps were misplaced or thrown away.

  Those who are born again trust God for redemption, but redemption does not come until the time expires or enough “stamps” are collected for the prize. (The Book is the Torah and its cover is love). What are those “stamps?” Earnestness and devotion. That must never end because that demonstrates love for the Giver and the Gift.

  God puts the “stamp book” (the Book of Life) in a safe place to preserve them. Christians are part of that “book” as we are the “stamps” in the Lamb’s Book of Life. When the time comes, God examines the “book of stamps” for truth, integrity, and diligence. When He opens the Book of Life, there is one big stamp by itself? On it is written, “He trusted God throughout life” and on it is the blood of Jesus. He did the work for that one Stamp and there was no need for our tedious work.

  All the while that we do things for Him, He is doing it all for us! Our “stamps” have been discarded, and only His remains. We know the prize; it is an eternal vacation in Paradise in the Garden of God, and all Christians need do is keep the faith that God provided; that He will do all the work of payment, preservation, works, and redemption.

  What happens if Christians become careless? Satan steals the book and makes it His. It is no longer a Book of Life but a collection of garbage pail kid stamps to be thrown out into Gehenna.

  I have found many discarded stamp books partially filled. The person was not earnest nor patient. They somehow got lost before they were redeemed. Some of those people are long gone, and their “stamps” shall never be redeemed. Now the stores are closed, and they can never be redeemed. Someday, God’s “store” will be closed for business, in His time, not ours, so we must trust now that there is time to redeem.

  Satan discourages that. He suggests that it is not worth the gift to wait, and that they will never be redeemed. “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Rom 13:11).

  In other words, Christians are to live as if the “store” is closing and comprehend that it will be closed someday. That store closes when we die; by then it is to late and the bad “stamps” can never be replaced with genuine ones.

(picture credit: WKTV Journal)

ON PHILOSOPHY

 

KEY VERSE: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Col 2:8)

  I thought that I was a Christian from birth because I always believed in Jesus, and that He Is God. With that, I was only half a “Christian,” but only half is not a Christian. I remained a believing sinner. What was missing? I failed to trust Jesus in anything let alone in all things.

  “Wisdom,” according to Paul, is perfection in Christ Jesus (Col 1:28). Paul taught antinomialism; that doctrine is “against legalism.” Then what is legalism? Strict obedience to the Law out of obligation. What is antinomialism? Congruence to the Will of God out of love… “above all these things put on love” (Col 3:14). “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col 3:15). Christians are to do things out of love for Jesus.

  Jesus died so that sinners need not. That is “redemption” and for that, the redeemed should have some trust, loyalty, and gratitude. Strict obedience to the Law is as much as obedience to Satan because obedience is self-defense against the evil one.

  Jesus “saves” humbled people from sin. If He has truly “saved” from sin, then those redeemed have no obligation to the Law, but they still remain God’s “itemization” of what He Wills for His heirs. The Ten Commandments are not “commandments” to the Christian but a transfer of God’s Estate to His loving children.

  Paul taught against obedience to the Law in Colossians 2:11-23, then immediately described the character of the “new man” in chapter three. The new persons are to do things much tougher than what was commanded!  Paul indicates that the new man “does what is well pleasing to the Lord” (Col 3:20). The old person does what seemed to be required, but the new person seeks to venerate Jesus by doing His Will and being in the image of Jesus (Col 3:13). Jesus did not die because he had to; He died sacrificially. He gave up His Flesh so that Christians need not give up theirs. He gave up His Ghost, so that Christians do not die in Spirit.

  That is the gospel, but some at the Church at Colosse assumed another (false) gospel. There were many mystery religions in Asia Minor at that time, but the fastest growing one was Simonism; to wit: “There was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God” (Act 8:9-10). Simonism was based on Christianity and seemed good to people because Simon worked miracles just as Jesus had. Although the miracles of Jesus were part of the mystery of God, Simon’s sorcery was slight-of-hand.

  Simon Magus is credited with Gnosticism, meaning “having knowledge,” and in this case “secret knowledge.” Paul spoke about the mystery of Christ and against the secret knowledge of Gnosticism, whose adherents, “considered the principal element of salvation to be direct knowledge of the supreme divinity in the form of mystical or esoteric insight. Many Gnostic texts deal not in concepts of sin and repentance, but with illusion and enlightenment” (Wikipedia; “Gnosticism”).

  “Esoteric” means divergence from both orthodoxy in religion and from rationalism, and “has pervaded various forms of Western philosophy, religion, pseudoscience, art, literature, and music, continuing to affect intellectual ideas and popular culture” (ibid).

  When some say, “I am spiritual but not religious,” that is esoteric philosophy. They believe that they have secret knowledge about living beyond God and reason. One of the tenets of Gnosticism is that there was no Savior and no redemption. Only a “phantasm” was on the Cross. Gnostics deny Jesus, and essentially violate all the commandments. False doctrines always dismiss the true Christ, and express secret knowledge. Many false religions did that in apostolic times, and Gnosticism just about overcame Christianity.

  The key verse says much against the philosophy of men and the vanity that goes along with superior knowledge. Christians have the knowledge of Christ, and understand the mystery of Jesus, but the philosophers only the rudimentary wisdom of the world. Philosophy is the original sin. There were two Trees, or doctrines, in the Garden of Eden: The Tree, or Doctrine of God, and the tree, or doctrine, of worldly knowledge. “Good” is spiritual knowledge and “evil,” carnal, or worldly knowledge. Knowledge that undermines God is evil because God can only be diminished, not killed!

  The following is a testimony: I fell for the rudimentary philosophy of men at one time. I trusted philosophers rather than God for healing.

  My son was addicted to marijuana. I could not persuade him to quit as he was sliding fast into the world of drugs. Rather than trust God for divine healing, I trusted a psychologist to “fix” my son. Unknown to me, and I was never told, psychologists never confess that they can “fix” anything; that only you or some unknown “higher power” (phantasm) can. In turned out that after two years, the clinic never “fixed” anything, but my son learned deceit. His new behavior was as if he was fixed, but only known to him, he was as addicted as ever. My trust was misplaced, but I remained too stupid to realize it.

  Because I was so grateful for outward change (legalism), I enrolled at WKU in the family counseling curriculum. There, I thought that I would learn secret knowledge; to learn how the psychologist fixed my son, not even realizing that he remained unfixable.

  It was there that I studied psychology and by God’s direction, the entire Bible on my own. I saw the contrast! In the former, I depended on me, and in the latter, I depended on God, or should have. (I was into legalism since I depended on myself).  I endeavored to serve “two masters” (Mat 6:24).

  Who should I trust, God or mammon? I decided to trust God. It was at that point that I surely became a true Christian. Belief in Jesus had not been enough. My conversion was when I trusted in Jesus in all things! My rebirth had “gestated” almost thirty years. (And we think one minute at the altar makes the new person!)

  Today, my trust is in Jesus and only Jesus in all things. I cannot fix myself, and neither can any philosophy. I have diminished Freud and Jung, and even Carl Rogers, and have elevated Jesus Christ to the Healer that He IS!

  My other son was heading toward divorce. He made an appointment with a family counselor. He may as well have come to his “know-it-all” Dad; the holder of “secret knowledge” that I could share with them, but I had no such knowledge. What I had learned was beyond fixing me or anyone else. There is no secret knowledge! Only the knowledge of God can heal. That is the mystery of which Paul wrote. The Colossians were searching for eternal health from Simon and the other “sorcerers” when Paul wrote to them about Christ perfecting.

  My son said, “This one is too tough for God.” I was astounded because nothing is too tough got the Almighty God!

  I finished my curriculum in family counseling but switched to education for my graduate degree. The Bible had educated me, and I turned away from “vain deceit.” Yes, psychology is deceptive as each and all theories undermine God. I have written this many times, but I asked Dr. Fong, “isn’t psychology just another religion?” She smiled and asked, “Are you just not finding that out?” I had been had. I had stepped into an esoteric belief system, thinking I was safe from deception! My philosophy had become syncretic as I worshiped the Philosophy Tree and The Truth Tree together as if they were the same!

  I am not the only one who fell for that “Big Lie.” Adam and Eve were first, and many sincere Christians still do. In the end, most will fall for the Big Lie. People love a mystery and accept secret knowledge instead. Stand warned; there is no secret knowledge because Jesus has already proclaimed the truth to the world!

(picture credit: All Psychology Schools)

ELECTION AND CONVERSION

   Jews were elected to be God’s people: “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth” (Deut 14:2). What is the “for” for? “Ye are the children of the Lord your God.” (Deut 14:1).  “Chosen” means that they were “elected” — those called by His Name: “For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy Name” (Isa 45:4). God’s “Name” is Jesus the Christ. Hence, Jews were the eventually chosen to be Christians. But were they the first to be chosen?

  There was an issue there — so were Gentles! Adam was not Jewish; he was cosmopolitan; not a citizen of Judea, but a citizen of the world! God promised (Gen 3:15) to provide a Savior for Adamkind, not just Jacobians, or Israelites. However, if Christ is the “Doctor” for the healing of sin, Jews were made first in line subsequent to Adams.

  Because of Abraham’s faith in trusting the Good Doctor, they were then made the first to be allowed the “vaccine,” so to speak. Of course, the vaccine is blood, not taken by itself as the Jews did, but taken with water (1 John 5:6). That blood and water was the propitiation of the ultimate sacrifice (John 19:34) — the Lamb of God for all the sins of all people’ to wit: “He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

  “Election” is not grace because some would be left out. Those who had faith first deserved healing first. If they stood in line first, nobody else would be allowed to cut in line with one provision — that they could voluntarily leave or go to the back of the line. (If they doubt the Good Doctor.) As such, Jews were elected to be first in line for healing, but of their own choosing, they could go to the back of the line. Why would they do that? Paul quoted Isaiah because it was not a new doctrine; “Because their hearts have grown dull” (Act 28:27). The faith that Abraham had, had waned. In other words, they were not “elected” to be Christians but elected to be first in line for spiritual healing. And not because they had randomly been chosen, but because of the faith of Abraham that was accounted to him as righteousness (Rom 4:3).

  The Jews, in apostolic times, resisted God’s grace. His grace was Him dying for them, but they rejected the gift. Thus, “irresistible grace” just as “election” is arrogance. Calvinists have the arrogance to believe that they alone shall be saved. They have the same mindset as the Jews in Paul’s time! Why should they listen when they already know that they have already been chosen? How would they care what it takes to be “born again” when they were born that way? Why would they worry about perishing if they could not resist God? The situation of the Jews in Paul’s time is a refutation of Calvinism in our time.

  Isaiah saw the time that Jews would forfeit their election to be in the front of the line. He saw Jews turning away from the faith of Abraham, and Paul reminded them of that when he wrote, “For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Act 28:27; Isa 6:10).

  The key word is “turn.” The elected can either turn away from God or turn to God. Turning to God is conversion. If elected for Heaven, it would be impossible to be converted since conversion would be biological.

  The point that Jesus is the Good Doctor and that He heals is paramount. Jesus did not come only to heal the Jews or the Calvinists; He came to “heal the nations” (Rev 22:2), or all Adamkind. Hence, the Edenic Covenant comes before the Abrahamic Covenant because God gradually threshed out who was in line for salvation.

  In the Edenic Covenant, all were elected because Eve was the mother of all. Satan got to Cain, and his line was terminated with the flood. Cain got into chosen Seth, but Seth’s line left the line, also with the flood with a few remaining.

  Then there were eight! Noah and his family were left to be “healed.” The line was by then very short. Then Ham sinned, and the line was reduced again. Then Shem’s line came to the front. When were the line of Shem chosen to go to the front of the line for healing? “God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant” (Gen 9:27).

  Shemites were the Arabs and Jews. When Ishmail got his own covenant, then the people were reduced to the Hebrew people. Thereafter, Ishmaelites became pagans and Muslims, and then there were few.

  Then, Absalom rebelled, and the ten tribes were lost to oblivion, and then there were two. The two became one with the country of Judah, and Jews became the elect to stand in front for healing. When Christ died, then the Jews were divided again until only a remnant believed, and then Paul saw them step out of the line? And with that threshing, who truly believes that they are secure? That is arrogance because your place in line depends on your faith!

  The promise that Japheth would dwell in the tents of Jews came to pass when the Jews rejected Jesus. The “tents” are tabernacles and means the souls of men filled with the Ghost of Jesus. The Jews required persuasion for the Holy Ghost to enter human temples, and they went to the back of the line. The Canaanites, represented by the Muslims, guard Paradise. Unrealized to them, is that they serve Shem because Jews did not care for the Temple and neglected Paradise. Once the servants (Muslims) are no longer required, they too will fall out.

  Salvation is fully healed. The mind, soul, and body will be healed. That is glorification. Conversion is the healing of the mind, death is the healing of the soul, and resurrection is the healing of the body. The prescriptions for eternal healing are the Ten Prescriptions (aka, the Ten Commandments). The “Ten Words,” or sayings of Jesus, are the prescriptions for eternal life, and as my commentary said yesterday, they are the Lamb’s Book of Life. What Jesus said when He wrote the shalls and shall nots, are prescriptions for eternal life. The Jews saw them as commandments, but Jesus refined them to love. Love conquers all (1 Cor 13:1).

  Gentiles became God’s chosen and peculiar people as Jews voluntarily went to the back of the line (1 Pet 2:9). All were chosen and all can leave the line or get off the path. That is our choice that God does not make for us!

(picture credit: alamy)

I AM PERSUADED; NOW YOU MUST BE

  

  Jesus was accused of being crazy for claiming to be God in the Flesh. He was crucified for that silly (sic) notion. The crowd saw Him dead, and afterwards alive. They saw Jesus translated into Heaven, but still did not believe. They disbelieved their own religion as Moses and the prophets visions were all about that occasion. Paul used that argument to persuade King Agrippa who knew scripture thoroughly.

  Agrippa knew beforehand that Jesus died and was raised from the dead. He had not, however, considered that as evidence for his own faith. He seemed to have faith that a Messiah would come, die on a tree, and rise again, but when it occurred, he disbelieved. Paul, under arrest for professing Jesus to be the awaited Messiah, used reason and logic to convince Agrippa that what he believed had really happened.

KEY VERSES: For it seemeth to me unreasonable (to Festus) to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him. (Acts 25:27)… 3 I beseech thee (Agrippa) to hear me patiently… 13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.” 25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness… 27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. (Acts 26)

  Festus was governor of Judea because Agrippa was too young to rule that Roman colony by himself. Agrippa thoroughly knew Jewish Law, but surely had no training in Roman Law. The strict Jews often convicted based on appearances. If anyone even appeared to break the Law, they were accused and often convicted. They even convicted Jesus of breaking the Law for healing on the Sabbath. Paul would not stand a chance with the chief priest, but perhaps more so with Festus and Agrippa.

  Festus judged Paul first and found no wrong according to Roman Law, so he sent Paul to Agrippa to be judged by the Law of Moses, of course expanded to 611 offenses. Adam could not even keep one Law, but Jews were expected to abide by hundreds. Surely, as the mob judged, Paul surely must have broken at least one. Their excessive regulations were an assurance that all have sinned and deserve punishment. Paul was accused, and if not convicted, laid in wait to kill him.

  Festus was rational whereas the mob was emotional. Paul had not harmed Festus, any Romans, Roman Law, or even Caesar. His accusers were all Jews. Festus rightfully believed that although Paul was a Roman citizen by birth, he should he judged on religious matters according to Judean Law.

  Festus was more reasonable in his approach. He said, “It seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes against him.” Festus thought it unreasonable that Paul would be convicted of a crime because he was surely guilty of sinning. To the Jews he must have done something wrong; they needed only to determine what it was! Festus did the rational thing; he thought it fair for Paul to face his accusers and defend himself.

  Festus controlled the mob. They were again out for blood, but Festus would not have mob law even under the pretext of Jewish justice. The fair thing for Festus to do was send Paul to King Agrippa where he could face his accusers. Paul’s accusers failed to show up at Agrippa’s judgment seat. They still waited to murder Paul. They did not want justice; it was only blood that would satisfy their thirst.

  As a side-note, I saw the same thing on television this morning. The mob is on the streets again for Klan-type justice. A policeman killed another black person, and a bunch of emotional, irrational people want their form of justice, regardless whether it is just or not! Neither the judgment seat of Festus nor Agrippa were emotional judgement seats, but reasonable ones.

  Festus did not sin, nor did Agrippa. Only the self-righteous Jews sinned. Paul, as Jesus before him, was accused on “presumptuous sin” —  Paul’s beliefs and speech were inappropriate in their viewpoint. This was a case of the PC Police against freedom of thought, freedom of religion, and freedom of expression.

  Then the hearing began. Paul said to Agrippa, “I beseech thee to hear me patiently.” The implication therein was that the mob was impatient and refused to hear the evidence. Does that not sound familiar? Mobs do not want the truth; they want vengeance, and then have the audacity to call their vengeance “justice.” Can you not hear them now? Justice for Moses! Justice for Ananias! For what? Offending the Law and chief priest. Paul hurt nobody. What he said was merely offensive to arrogant Jews!

  Then Paul began with the truth: “At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.” Paul began his defense with an incredible story. He saw the Holy Ghost of Jesus! Who would believe such a story?

  Well, most church denominations would not believe that! One mention of the “Holy Ghost” becomes laughable to them, but King Agrippa neither ridiculed nor laughed. He knew scripture. He knew that Jesus would die and be raised from death! Christians should believe that as well. Yet, few Christians would consider the Holy Ghost speaking as credible, let alone the evidence of bright life, which perhaps was in “bodily shape” (Luke 3:22).  However, Agrippa fit that piece of evidence into what he had heard about Jesus, and thought, That is beginning to make sense! But not before doubting.

  Agrippa first accused Paul of being a “mad man.” Name-calling  or insults are acceptable evidence, and those who use vulgar language in debates, lose debates. Agrippa soon backed off. Paul was surely not crazy because he was saying what Moses and the prophets said. Paul had envisioned what Moses had at the burning bush! Paul’s story was credible because it was consistent with Agrippa’s own knowledge. However, Christians today believe in the burning bush but not the Holy Ghost. How inconsistent!

  Mobs used ridicule and mockery because mobs are irrational and emotional. Modern day mobs show limited knowledge, limited vocabularies, and nor much reason. Their “defense” is hatred, name-calling, and the F-word. Biden used the same technique in his debate with the President. He name-called with “clown” etc. When he resorted to that, he persuaded nobody but only reinforced the mob outside!

  Paul’s defense was, “I speak forth the words of truth and soberness.” In other words, Paul was not emotional, would speak rationally, and present evidence. That contrasted to the mob that was emotional, irrational, and full of false accusations.

  Mobs kill with impunity and nowadays burn down their own cities. How emotional and irrational is that? Yet the modern Democrat “Sanhedrin” accepts that as sober, rational behavior, as they encourage the mob to continue with their false perception of justice. The mob was out to kill because the authority (Ananias) condoned it. The mob is out for blood today because Democrats condone it!

  Paul then presented his defense. He explained that he once disbelieved, but Jesus made a believer of him. He also presented evidence from Agrippa’s own scripture to support the Way of Jesus. He also professed to violence only before he was a Christian, and not afterward. He persuaded Agrippa that before he was a Christian, he was a threat, but that he no longer was. He calmly presented a reasonable argument. If Paul had called the mob a “mob,” then Agrippa would have been dissuaded because he was a reasonable man.

  Agrippa listened to reason, unlike the mob. Paul used reason, and what was the result? “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Paul’s words were inspired by God, and Agrippa seemed to hear God’s calling to become a Christian.

  What kept Agrippa from being fully persuaded? We do not know, but we do know that he was only a “king” in name. He was a pretender to the Herodian throne. In other words, politics may have kept Agrippa from being convinced. He was surely afraid of offending both Caesar and his Jewish constituents. Perhaps he was persuaded but was afraid to admit it! After conferring with Festus, both found Paul innocent, but Paul asked for judgment from Caesar and so be it.

  What would have happened if Agrippa had released Paul? He would have been murdered by the Jews just like Jesus before him. God had a Plan, and unwittingly to them, both Festus and Agrippa were part of it. Why was Felix replaced by Festus in the middle of Paul’s incarceration? Because it was part of God’s Plan. Why did Paul appeal to Caesar? Not because he erred, but that was God’s Plan. The Holy Ghost traveled with Paul to Festus, then to Agrippa, and he would go to Rome with Paul. But for today’s Christians, the Holy Ghost does not even go to Church with them!

  Paul wanted Nero to hear first-hand the gospel of Christ. Paul was picked to persuade the Gentile world. Like it or not, if you live in the west, you are a Christian because Paul went to Rome to present the truth to the known world at that time. Because Festus and Agrippa were not persuaded to become Christians, may be why you are persuaded. Think on that! If the mob had their way, the Way of Jesus would have never reached America, and perhaps you and I would perish in the end!

  Why are all those stories in the Bible? Why should we care that Paul was persecuted and disbelieved? So that we are persuaded by scripture of the truth.

  Paul died in Rome. His purpose was finished. Why do I write about Paul and present the gospel? Because that is my purpose. When I cease spreading the Word to the world, my existence is no longer necessary. With that, I will write until unable to see the keyboard. That is my “Great Commission.” What is yours?

(picture credit: Early Church History; "Roman Trial")

CONSPIRACY THEORIES — THE PLOT TO KILL

  Conspiracy theories are rampant today. That is, “A theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). Conspirators are those with different motives uniting together against a common enemy. They can be either friends or enemies but their motives are strong enough to bring them together. The mob that killed Christ was diverse, but they joined together like a “bundle” of malefactors for the common purpose to kill God’s Name.

  "Bundling," in Italian is “fascimo.” In the Roman Latin language, bundles are “fasces” (ibid).  In other words, fascists killed Christ as those with a common enemy bundled together for the “common good.” For the common good is the index of any socialist endeavor. Socialists who destroy extant societies have a government of communalism (aka communism). They must always resort to violence for the “common good.”

  Socialism was operationalized by Carl Popper: "In order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must be intolerant of intolerance,” which is his paradoxical view that it is okay to be intolerant of intolerant people to end intolerance. Jesus seemed to be intolerant of Judaism as well as Herodians and certainly Hasmoneans, the two competing monarchies for the throne of Israel. In other words, Jesus was thought to be against Church and State. What were they to do? The “church” and “state” became fasces — “a bundle of rods and among them an ax with projecting blade borne before ancient Roman magistrates as a badge of authority” (ibid). In plain English, “fasces” is the bundling together of diverse people with similar motives to exercise authority by violent means.

  When Jesus was executed, the Herodians, Hasmoneans, High Priests, Sadducees, and Pharisees were the “rods” that were bundled together, “crooked sticks,” if you prefer that, became fascists long enough for  their dirty deed. Like Zipporah of long ago, they were willing to shed blood for their doctrine, albeit circumcision of the foreskin was never God’s intent, but the foreskins of their hearts. Those who killed Jesus had all been circumcised but only their penises and not their hearts. Paul referred to the mob after him with the accusation that,  “Thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law” (Act 23:3). They were after Paul because his understanding of scripture differed with theirs. They conformed to the Law of circumcision but not of the heart.

  Mobs always have their own law.  Mobs are fascists because they form alliances to strong-arm free peoples in doing their corporate wills. They each may have a different idea of what is right but seek their own way by compromising their principles. In the case of Paul, they compromised the Law of Moses to kill Paul. That was the exact theory still perfected for this day in that they were willing to kill Paul who they perceived as intolerant of their way to maintain their Law.  Popper, George Soros, and Obama would have loved that because they use the same paradox now. It is the ends that matter, not the means.  That is why Muslims are quite comfortable bundling with socialists and socialists are quite comfortable bundling with Muslims. Their end is each with themselves in charge and their means is fasces for the power to disrupt extant institutions.

  When Jesus was crucified, Herod and Pilate mocked the King Jesus, “The same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves” (Luke 23:12). The government of the Jews became fasces for the purpose of demeaning Jesus. Pilate did not want Jesus dead, but did want Him silenced for the good of the Romans, and Herod wanted Jesus dead because He was a threat to his throne and his law. They supported the High Priests who wanted Jesus dead to protect the Law of Moses, as they understood it, and wrongly so. They whitewashed the murder of Jesus as just, and they were about to do the same for Paul!

  Ironically, or was it God’s Plan, just as in Luke 23:12 wherein Herod and Pilate became the fasces, in Acts 23:12 it happened against Paul, to wit: “And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.”

  Forty Jews came together as fascists to kill Paul. What was their aim? They were still trying to silence Jesus as Plan A failed, Plan B had been to silence Stephen, and Paul joined the fasces for a time to do that. Neither Plan A nor B was effective in silencing Jesus, so Plan C was to silence Paul. The conspiracy remains to this day against Jesus and the violence is to silence Him. The forty conspirators were still after Jesus even though they had killed Him because His voice remained strong.

  Jesus had said Himself, “That thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mat 16:18). Of course the “Rock” remains Jesus to this day, and Jesus has yet to be silenced although fasces ever since have attempted to “crucify” Him  over and over again: “So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” (Act 19:2). To this day, the Word of God — Jesus still prevails over all the socialist fasces doctrines.

  Fasces is the practice of Roman (Italian) socialism, Nazism the German practice of fasces, and Bolshevism the practice of Russian fasces. The American version of fasces is Progressivism practiced by Democrat-socialists. All those types of fasces have one thing in common — their means are slightly different, but their end aim is the same, and that is to silence Jesus by becoming the ax-wielding authority. In modern times baseball bats and flamethrowers are the means of fasces, and in the end the Islamic version is Muslim swords beheading, which sword will be the “ax” of the fascists.

  Fasces are always the problem and throughout history, fascism by all nations has been the method. Fasces is not a new method then, nor is it now. It has always been the “original sin.” Adam and Eve, along with the Serpent, were the fasces that silenced God back in the Garden. Pharaoh and the Egyptians were the fasces who tried to silence God by killing His Voice — Moses, and now the fasces continue to silence those who stand up for God as Paul did.

  Paul knew the fasces because he had been one. They would even murder for their way and that was to end the Way of Jesus. All fasces groups whatever their names, attempt to silence Jesus. All those conspiracies, regardless of their leaders, are out to get Jesus. It is spiritual warfare that we are engaged in, in all ages, and there will always be “Lucifers” who will attempt to sit on high on God’s throne.

 We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephes 6:12)

  This time is not a war between the republic and a national commune (communism); it is a war waged by evil against good. The conspiracy is the agents of evil who continue to silence God. Some people do not believe in the supernatural. The Pharisees and Sadducees were opposed: “The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both” (Act 23:8).

  Today’s “Sadducees” believe neither in angels nor the spirits. For them, there is nothing beyond and the talk of demon angels and evil spirits are foolishness. This is not a war between presidential contenders but dark angels against good angels, and evil spirits against the Holy Spirit. Although long ago, the fasces killed Jesus in body, they never killed His Holy Ghost. The fascists at the present time endeavor to finish the Enlightenment that declared God dead and make Him dead in Word and Deed.

  How to recognize the fascists? They are those “bundled” against God and are generally the vocal majority against the silent minority. We, as Christians, must support those ordained by God, as Paul said, “I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.” (Act 23:5).

  God had a plan for Obama, and He had a plan for Trump. Obama was the American “Saul” and Trump America’s “David.” God chose Saul to teach the Hebrews a lesson, but He ordained David as a merciful act. God have mercy on us Americans — God’s modern-day chosen and peculiar people (1 Per 2:3)!

(picture credit: 2011 Encyclopedia Britannica; "fascio")

RACE WITH THE BOOK LIFE

 

KEY VERSE: And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life. (Phil 4:3) 

  Just what is the “Book of Life?” Paul named three specific people whose names were written in the Book of Life: Euodia, Syntyche, and Clement. They “stand fast in the Lord” (Phil 4:1), “of the same mind in the Lord” (Phil 4:2). Paul had written that he, “be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Phil 3:9).

  Those whose names were written in the Book of Life, according to Paul are to, “rejoice in the Lord… for you it is safe.” (Phil 3:1). Paul saw those whose names were written in the Book of Life as “safe.” They lived safely in Christ and would be “saved” by standing fast in the Lord.

  God is the “guard” of Christians, and his guardianship is obtained by your heart; “But in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”. (Phil 4:6-7). The New King James Version (NKJV) renders that God “will guard your hearts.”

  Therefore, those in Christ are in a state of safety until they are saved in the end by their endurance in stedfast faith (Mat 24:13). Of course, faith is a gift from God, but those with faith must keep the gift. The gift is by grace but keeping the gift is reverence — not taking the Name (Jesus) of God in vain — which is blasphemous (Exod 20:7).

  Everything goes back to the Law. The Law is the Way to demonstrate fidelity to God. It is the Way to keep the faith. The Law should not be viewed as something that must be kept. The only “must be” in the New Testament is “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). Just what is born again? Trusting the Lord that you shall never perish (John 3:15-16). How is trust demonstrated? By being “fellow-laborers” and “yoked” like Paul with Christ (key verse). The implication is that a fellow-worker is not a slave by Law, but a freeman who keeps the terms of the Covenant. Just what Covenant is that? The Abrahamic Covenant — the promise of the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for a Savior.

  Moses took that Book and read it to the Hebrews of the exodus. Moses kept half the blood for later and sprinkled half on the altar, then, “He took the Book of the Covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, ‘All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient’” (Exod 24:7). The blood was shed by grace and in gratitude, the audience were to do God’s Will and be obedient. They had a change of heart. No longer would the Law be the Law but what they were willing to do to please the Lord for His grace for them.

  Now back to the Book of Life: “The Lord said unto Moses, ‘Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My Book’” (Exod 32:33). That “Book” is what John referred to when he wrote: “Whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). It should be obvious that the Book always existed since the foundation of the world. What Book is that? The “Book of the Law,” called the Torah, which are the first five books of the Old Testament — the Pentateuch.

  Hence, the Old Covenant is the Book of Life of the New Testament. In other words, the Abrahamic Covenant is the Covenant of Grace and the Edenic Covenant was the promise of that (Gen 3:15).

  The Lamb’s Book of Life is the Constitution of Christians. God has everyone’s names written at the bottom, according to John 3:16. All are elected, but few will be saved. Because they are unwilling to keep the Law, their names will be blotted out of that Book.

  Exodus chapter 32 is a picture of that, foreshadowing how God will judge in the end. They all broke the Law by having a graven image. Breaking one Law is as if breaking them all, and Moses demonstrated the wrath of God by breaking both tablets — all Ten Commandments. The Law was written on stone but not in their hearts. They had been safe from Pharaoh and Egyptian sin, but they returned voluntarily to the ways of the “Devil” and to the law of sin.

  Although Moses was with God, His people abandoned Him, even after being guarded from destruction and kept safe from Pharaoh. God threshed out those whose hearts were reprobate and kept those whose hearts had mellowed because of His wrath. The names of the reprobate were blotted out of the Book of Life and they were no longer co-signers of the Abrahamic Covenant.

  By grace, God kept most safe for another day. When the exodus was finished, just a remnant made it into “Paradise” because they had been looking back at the safety under Pharaoh and the pleasure of Egyptian sin. Crossing the Jordan River (the River of the Garden) into the Promised Land was symbolic of salvation. They progressed from safety guarded by God to saved in the Kingdom of God.

  What had the Hebrews only to do? “Stand fast in the Lord” and “be of the same mind in the Lord.” What is the “Mind of the Lord?” His Will be done on Earth as in Heaven. Rather than a Book of the Law, as the Hebrews understood the “Ten Words,” they were the “Ten Wills of God.”

  God had His “Mind” written on stone by His own Finger (Deut 9:10). Anytime that God manifests Himself, that “Flesh” is Jesus. Why the Lamb’s Book of Life? Because Jesus wrote the Law. He did not change it but fulfilled it! The Law belongs to the Lamb and the Ten Words of God belong to the Jesus.

  Back in the Garden Paradise, there was one Law, and that was to revere God’s Authority. He also authorized Adam to be one with Eve. Adam was irreverent to God by eating the fruit and irreverent to Eve by hearkening to her. Adam could not even keep two commands, let alone ten!

  Ten Commandments made it difficult, especially by breaking one is as breaking them all. So, what did Jesus do? He made it easier again; He refined the Ten Laws down to Two again: Revere God and the all the children of Eve. He called that reverence “love” and referred to them as the “Greatest Commandment” and “the one like unto it” (Mat 22:35-39).

  Why two Tablets of the Law? Tablet One surely had the four ways to love God and Tablet Two, the six ways to love others. When the Hebrews worshiped the carved image of the Egyptian calf, they broke Tablet One, and because breaking one is as breaking them all, Moses threw down Tablet Two. Note that the content of both tablets is Christian Doctrine, Tablet One is alone is Judaism, and Tablet Two alone is secular humanism. It takes both love of God and love of fellow man to define Christianity, and Jesus amplified that!

  Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). The Commandments are the Book and they belong to Jesus. Willingly keeping the Commandments demonstrate love. So long as love for God and others are present, saints remain signatories of the Abrahamic Covenant which has Ten Terms of compliance. In effect, the Abrahamic Covenant is God’s “Will,” the Ten Words the Ten Conditions of His Will, and fellow-laborers signatories to God’s Will and are His heirs.

  Just what are Christians heirs to? God’s eternal “estate” — Paradise in Heaven!

  Do you remember how you wanted to do the chores to please your Dad? With that attitude, they were not “chores” but demonstrations of love and respect. Only when your Dad enforced your work assignments, did they become chores. That is the same with your Father in Heaven and His Ten Wills for you! Remember that Moses asked for grace on those who failed with their chores. So long as they tried to please Him, God kept them safe.  In this “race,” the “prize” is awarded to all who run the race and endure until it is finished!

  Now picture this: Paradise is ahead. You can see it now. You see yourself as already there, but it is at a distance. You want that prize badly… so much that you run toward it. However, the task is made harder; you must carry two stone tablets to the finish. It seems so hard, that you tire, and just give up… until! Until you notice the race is easier than you thought. You hold the tablets of stone, but Someone is carrying you to the finish. So long as you hold the tablets, He is with you. He will have no need to carry you if you break the tablets. You will then run the race by yourself because there would be no need for a Comforter to help. You will tire before the race is finished. You must depend on God to endure to the end because the race seems so long.

 The "race" is our own "exodus" from the world and away from Satan into the arms of God in Paradise. Christians have the same Book of Life that the Hebrews carried in the safety of the Ark of the Covenant. Those two poles that carried the Ark? It is believed that the gold had been stripped from them, that they were preserved for the finish, and that those two poles made the Holy Cross on which Jesus died for us, so that we need never die!

(picture credit: Pinterest; "Pastoring for the Poor")

WHOSE ON FIRST BASE?

 

  Throughout the Torah (Old Testament), the Jews were never satisfied with just God but were syncretic — they followed other gods and most often their own guidance. They never totally abandoned God but assumed other gods wherever they were. God was jealous because of that, and the penalty for idolatry was great; it meant death! God takes fornication against Him with other gods very seriously.

  Just who is the most eminent “other gods” with whom people identify? Who is the chief god in the lives of individuals? That pantheon of gods are human beings! “Then (Jeshurun, or Israel, became fat) forsook God which made “him,” and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation” (Deut 32:15). Jesus is the Stone that the builders rejected (Mat 21:42). Hence, He is that “Rock.”

  It is Jesus who must be heartily esteemed. Jeshurun rejected God Who made “him.” Israelites became their own gods! Now, in the western world, especially the United States, all the people have become their own gods, and even the Church is syncretic! To what New Age gods are those? Those who estimate their own worth highly. That reference is the concept of “self-esteem” which came out of the Enlightenment and its first mention was by David Hume in the 1700s. Since that time, it has grown tremendously in the Church.

  First, however, it grew in that other “religion” — the religion of men. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers made self-estimation an important concept in psychology. Psychology accepts the soul but rejects God as its governor. Each person governs their own soul, and only you can fix You. In other words, psychology is a “religion” wherein each practitioner is a god and the chief “God” is the psychologist. (During my graduate work in that field, I was appalled that so high a regard was given to the professor and light regard to Christ. That was Jeshurun’s problem!)

  Although James Dobson is highly regarded in the Christian Community, he should receive much credit (blame) for introducing self-esteem to the Church. Many Christians leaders are sincere, but at times, sincerely wrong! “Self-esteem” was meant to be a realistic perception of oneself whether positive or negative, but eventually the pursuit of high self-estimation resulted. During that time, Christ-esteem became lessened. Self-assured (actuated) people did not need Christ for esteem when they had themselves. Not that Christ was abandoned, but that His Doctrine was added to by works. Now, new age people are to the point that a high-estimation of oneself is in conflict with the humility that Christians must have to be born-again (John 3:7).

  The gist of regeneration is the realization that Christians cannot save themselves! Only God generates and only God regenerates. The Hebrews of the exodus thought they could escape the poisonous bites of the serpents themselves but died. Only those who looked at what Jesus would do with the Serpent did not perish. The point to that (John 3:14) is that you are not to be esteemed highly, but humbly, because truly your power is limited, but God’s is not! So, rather than esteem Jesus “lightly” and yourselves highly, it is the opposite — esteem yourselves lightly and Jesus highly (What I call Christ-esteem).

  A high estimation of oneself was first encountered back in the Garden of Eden: The Serpent pegged it right when he spoke truthfully, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5). “Gods” in that passage is ‘elohiym in the Hebrew. An exact translation would be Elohym, or God! In that context, the created would eventually replace the Creator and become their own higher authority. In the Enlightenment that was begun. The human race became more highly esteemed than God, and the esteem for Jesus Christ was lessened. Now, people have become more “enlightened” to the point that God is dead and they are alive. That was another concept of the Enlightenment.

  Rather than “enlightenment,” the human race was darkened by the knowledge of evil. The knowledge of the Enlightenment is that humans are master of their own domain, and Jesus has no influence over the affairs of mankind. The Enlightenment was a fulfillment of Satan’s warning back in the Garden.

  Now, the new age religion is old as time itself. Psychology is the “Rock,” and the “Cornerstone” (Christ) has been buried with time. Rather than esteem Jesus highly, nearly everyone, even Christians, cling to their own magnified self-estimation. Psychology has wrongly taught that people despise themselves! Truly, though, “No man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it” (Ephes 5:29). Everyone, especially Adam, loves their own flesh. Nobody despises themselves, thus, everyone esteems themselves highly; so much so, that self-love is the biblical standard of loving God and others:

³⁷ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Mat 22:37-39)

  How much are Christians to love God? With their all, just as they love themselves. How much to love others? As they love themselves. To teach that people hate themselves is the ultimate lie. Of course, they may hate what they do and how they think, but ultimately, they cling to their godhood as if they are truly gods, or more rightly, that they are God!

KEY VERSES: ³ In lowliness of mind let each esteem other(s) better than themselves… ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:3, 9-11)

  Contrast the key verses to Deuteronomy 32:15 above. The Rock was “lightly esteemed” by Israel, but the Christians were told “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” As God exalted the Name “Jesus” — “above every name” — everyone is to exalt Jesus by diminishing themselves. Nobody is God except Jesus, and it is Him that IS God. “Sin” is desiring TO BE as God. Then, rather than pursuing high self-esteem, everyone’s self-evaluation must be reality — that people are not God and not even as gods. People are mere sinners, and the realization of that is “meekness.” And there is a reward for an accurate self-perception: The meek shall have bliss (Mat 5:5) just as always intended (Psalm 37:11).

  Rebirth is diminishing oneself and exalting God. The attitude about self-importance is “born again.” No longer will the new creatures consider themselves of high-worth, but humble in comparison to God. Rather than seek self-exultation, they will exalt Jesus. That is a precondition, or rather, an outcome of rebirth.

  So, put self-esteem in the darkness of the spiritual “vault.” It is not scriptural, but the mere doctrine of men. Christ-esteem is the Doctrine of God! The Enlightenment was a darkness which overshadowed the land. Let God’s Light shine through to you!

  Can you see the dead Serpent in his “tree” (the pole)? Jesus did that; you did not, and never shall. Credit God for defeating the Serpent because Genesis 3:15 is that Promise! Who is on that Tree? I see Jesus, and neither you nor me!

(picture credit: Amazon)

DESTRUCTION AT ANY COST

 Note: No time this morning to proof-read.

(After Paul was purified with four Nazarites), KEY VERSES: The Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30 And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. 31 Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had… 34 And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. (Act 21; underlines mine)

After all the commotion, even the Roman commander was misled, as he asked “Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness” (Act 21:39)? The mob’s anger had persuaded that Paul surely must be guilty of something. He cared little about whether Jesus stirred up those religions “nuts” but he was concerned that Paul might be a political zealot. To one group, Paul was a false Jewish Nazarite, and the the commander he was a political threat to the government. (Ironically, the groups against our president have much the same false notions!)

The Jews lacked civility; “they stirred up the whole crowd.” They were emotional and took the Law unto their own hands. They should have appealed to the Jewish authorities, but instead they became the Law. Always, emotional people attempt to bring justice based on perceptions. Paul just had to have broken some law and all they needed to do was present a menu of them, and surely he broke at least one. Multiple accusations is case-building. Someone who violates several counts is perceived as more guilty that breaking one. God’s Law was actually that breaking one was as if breaking them all. The Jews continued to violate their own “Constitution” since the Ten Commandments are the “Constitution” written by God for His people.

“This is the man…” They positively identified Paul as the law-breaker. They could not be wrong even though the commander thought he must be an Egyptian. Paul had purified himself according to Jewish Law and Gentiles do not do that. He proved he was a Jew. Then the commander thought him to be an Egyptian and assumed that he could not speak Greek. Obviously, Paul spoke Aramaic, Latin, and Greek, but even more impressive was that he spoke Hebrew. Common people could not do that. He provided evidence that he is a Jew.

Then they accused Paul of teaching, “men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place;” that is against Jews, God’s Law, and Judea. He was against them, their God, and their country. He was guilty of anti-semitism, is ungodly, and a traitor. The commander fairly well called him a “xenophobe” and surely some thought him racist. (The same old accusations that we still hear to this day.)

The mob also exaggerated. He “teaches all men everywhere.” He was acting as if he was God as if he could be everywhere at once; that he was going to and fro usurping the Law just as Satan would!

“Furthermore!” If that is not enough evidence, we have more and more. He is guilty on multiple accounts. Everything that Paul did, they perceived that it was against some law, either their Law of Roman Law… you have several to choose from; please choose at least one offense and justice can be served.

Paul had with him a Gentile named Trophimus, “whom they supposed,” Paul had brought into the Temple. That was evidence enough. Because he was with Paul surely meant that Paul broke the Law just because he had a companion that was not like them.

The crime that condemned Paul was that he allegedly brought a “dirty” Gentile into a pure place. They judged the appearance of the man. They were the xenophobes and they were those who judged and condemned others based on hearsay and false premises. Surely Paul could have done that, because after all, he ate and slept with Gentiles. Paul had even cleansed himself according to the Law.

He was presumed guilty based on something they assumed. Just as the mob presumes that the law is guilty today without regard to evidence. And even when the evidence was there, the mob still de ied the truth. (I will say it out loud: BLM cares little for facts, they are out for blood, and one way or another, they shall obtain it!) The crowd was there for cover. The leaders of the mob would not have been as brave if it had not been for the innocent bystanders who seemed to stand with them by their presence. (Today, the civil protesters remain cover of the mob. Lack of condemnation implies support.)

“All the city was disturbed.” The insinuations made by a few aroused the crowd. They got the city to do what the citizens would not normally do. Everyone became brave for evil, but were cowards in the face of good. What had Paul actually done? Brought the Good News to the Gentiles who became one of them. The racists did not want lower class Gentiles in their presence, let alone in their “church!” And even those “dirty” Gentiles in the face of God. How dare them! How dare Paul!

Paul was doing good things for God and the people, all according to the Greatest Commandment. Despite that, they were, “seeking to kill him.” They could not stand the thought of another Party (the party of Christians) doing charitable things that they would not do. Paul had sent provisions to the Jews in Jerusalem, and his “thank you” was the threat of death! Some people just are not wise enough to recognize helpful people when they see them. Making God Great Again was not a great idea to the Jews. They wanted to keep Moses the only holy one.

“Some among the multitude cried one thing and some another.” Their “narrative” differed because they had not had the time to orchestrate a cohesive accusation. They were fabricating their truths (sic). It was the facts as they understood them. Like most people, they did not want to be confused with the facts. It was their perceptions that mattered — OPM (Only Perceptions Matter).

Because their evidence was not evidence at all, but accusations, they all lied, and the Roman commander, “could not ascertain the truth.” Accusations were so callous and vehement that truth was concealed. Perhaps the mob intimidated the commander to go with their truth (sic) and disregard the facts. He was certainly no “Joe Friday” who wants, “Just the facts, Ma’am… just the facts.” Facts never persuade mobs. Even after the evidence is in, they still want blood, and if it would not be Paul’s, then to Hell with the city. If the Romans do not destroy, it then the Jews will. And that is exactly what happened. The zealots harassed the Romans until they tore down Jerusalem for the Jews. What about that precious Temple that one man could not defile? The Romans defiled the whole Temple by tearing it down!

(picture credit: Wikipedia"Second Temple)

DOCTRINE OF THE BELLY

KEY VERSES: ¹⁷ I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. ¹⁸ For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. ¹⁹ For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. (Rom 16:17-19) 

  The message from the key verses is that those who cause divisions and offences serve not Jesus, but their bellies. One of the most critical doctrines of Christianity is that people are to serve Christ and not themselves. Jesus elaborated on that when He said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Mat 6:24).

  Serving “mammon” is archaic word for “what is trusted in.” Some render it money, but it is having confidence in wealth, or the pursuit of gain. Throughout the Bible, God disciplined those who trusted either money or their own knowledge instead of His. Judas himself valued silver beyond the life of a fellow Man, and his own God. The prophet Zechariah wrote of the foolish shepherd, contrasting him with the Good Shepherd:

¹⁰ And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. ¹¹ And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord. ¹² And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. ¹³ And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. ¹⁴ Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. (Zech 11:10-14)

  This prophecy was immediate and futuristic as well. The Abrahamic Covenant was for the Kingdom of David — for a united Judah and Israel. The foolish shepherd was role-played by Zechariah. Perhaps the part was for King Rohoboam who had divided Israel and Judah into two kingdoms. However, it was prophecy that had more to do with the future than the past but used the past to explain the future.

  Judas, or Jude, means Judean or Jew. Jesus represents Israel in that Israel (Jacob) was from whom the Messiah would come. In the key verses, there are two doctrines; what are the two? The doctrine of Judas, or the apostolic-time “Rohoboam,” and the doctrine of Christ representing a united kingdom of David.

  Judas was from Kerioth. He was certainly Judean as his name suggests. Some say his family was the tribe of Dan that broke off from the area of the Kingdom of Israel and moved north toward Lebanon. That would imply that Dannites were unfaithful to the Abrahamic Covenant; that they denied the inheritance given them to God. Either way, Zechariah was surely referring to Judas and Jesus as the “Judah and Israel” in Zechariah 11:14 — Judas the foolish shepherd and Jesus the Good Shepherd.

  Now back to the key verses: The two doctrines were Jesus and Him the Christ and Judas and him not the Christ. Jesus represents the Doctrine of God and Judas the doctrine of sin. Essentially, the Doctrine of Christ is service to God and men and the doctrine of sin is serving oneself. Jesus died to serve mankind. Paul wrote, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Rom 7:25). With that, carnality is serving Judas, and the Law of Love is service to Jesus.

  All men have both spiritual and worldly personalities. The flesh serves evil and the Spirit good. Because Judas had Satan in him and Jesus the Holy Ghost, the choice is which one of two masters to serve (Mat 6:24). According to that verse, everyone must choose one of the two masters and the doctrines that belong to each. The Doctrine of Christ is service to Him and others, and the doctrine of Judas is the love of money and oneself.

  Regular readers know that I am vehemently anti-socialist. Socialism is not for the “common good” as they claim but each for their own good. It is not to serve God but mammon. It is not for eating the Bread of Christ but for their own bellies. Socialist ideology portends and pretends to be social justice, but it is spiritual injustice. Paul had just written about service to others, or charity as a way to demonstrate love:

²⁵ But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. ²⁶ For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. ²⁷ It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things. (Rom 15:25-27)

  A saint (Paul) ministered to the saints in Jerusalem. “Ministering” his serving fellow Christians, not the world. They made “contribution for the poor saints” in Jerusalem. The Gentiles did that! Christianity is indeed cosmopolitan, but the universalism is for Christians. Charity is not for the global common good but the carnal and spiritual good of Christians. Because Gentiles had received “spiritual things” their obligation was charity for “carnal things.” Because God was so gracious with His Spirit, the saints were to be gracious with the universal Church community, not the global cosmopolitan community.

  The Great Commission of the body of Christians is to take the Spirit to the world and ample sustenance to the Church. The commission of Marx is to take bare sustenance to the world and take Christ from them in exchange. Indeed, those who trust others rather than Him are damned. The Doctrine of Christ is partaking of the Bread of Christ and feeding the spirit of others, in contrast to the doctrine of Judas which is to take what you can get for the flesh as Jesus is ignored.

  I believe that in the end, there will remain two governments. One with the doctrine of Judas and the other the Doctrine of Christ… The former, “That no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev 13:7). The Antichrist, like Judas, will have Satan in him. The mark of the beast is the mark of Satan that Judas had. “Kerioth” comes from the same root noun as does Qu’ran. The number of the Qu-ran is 666 and their prophet is actually Judas (Isa).

  Why the alliance between the two opposing doctrines of socialism and Islam? Because “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” or as the Bible says it, “And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves” (Luke 23:12). The final alliance will be between two kings — the king of Judah, or Judas, and the king of the world — the Antichrist. The king of Judas is Satan and Judas is represented by the Antichrist.

  Essentially, the Doctrine of Christ is that none should perish, and the doctrine of Judas is that perishing is of little concern if it is for one’s own good. Socialism, as a package, is nothing more than individuals who care only for themselves, each together for individual lusts.

   Judas lusted for silver, his doctrine is the lust of the flesh, and socialism is demanding things for the flesh. It is the doctrine of carnality and excludes the Spirit of God. How inclusive is that? Yet, even Christians seek social justice and pursue the doctrine of liberation theology — “A movement in Christian theology which conveys the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions” (Wikipedia). With that socialistic false doctrine, the responsibility of the Church is to feed the bellies of the world. In other words, the Church is for the doctrine of Judas.

  Why are the liberal church and Islam so cozy? Both are friends of Judas for each espouse the doctrine of Judas, only with different methods.

  The first key verse is, “Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine.” In the end, that “mark” will be the Qu’ran; to buy and sell it will be necessary to comply with the unholy trinity: socialism, Islam, and the false church. All are “doctrines of the belly” just as Paul warned!

(picture credit: Conversation Prints; Karl Marx)

FOR HIS BELLY