The U.S. Constitution First Ammendment says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...."
"Religion" is the belief, value or practice of the values of a religious leader. Why was this ammendment so important since Christianity, Universalism, Deism and Atheism were the predominant "religions" in America when the Constitution was written? (Of all these Athesim is the only thought which does not fit the definition of a religion.) The correct answer is that European governments either were or had been under the offical Papal Religion, Catholicism. Even the Kings and Emperors were held accountable to the Pope! In England Anglicism was the state religion. Our founders learned from denominational influences and the intoleration of how different people view Christ.
In America we had official colonial religions. Six colonies had the Church of England (Episcopalian) Denomination as the state religion: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Florida and Virginia. Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire had state religions of the Congregational Denomination. Members of Baptists, Quakers, Methodists and other denominations were ostracized, jailed and driven from their homes by intolerant state governments. All of these are denominations, all part of the Christian religion. None were pagan religions!
My proposition is that the First Ammendment was in response to State CHRISTIAN Churches and our founders never dreamed that we would seriously entertain the notion of American Moslems, American Swedenborgians, American Buddhists, etc. The intent was surely to NOT have a Christian Denomination as a State Religion. Our founders never considered atheism as a "religion" and by definition it's not. However, by removing all religion from all government entities means that the nation as established ATHEISM as THE state religion.
My second point is in the statement "or prohiniting the free exercise thereof". Part two of the First Ammendment actually allows Americans to worship freely (or not) anywhere! Government officials must have the opportunity to worship God in all their dealings, just as our founding fathers who wrote the First Ammendment did. I won't quote all the religious references for they are legion, but any scholar can find them all through the writings of the patriots.
"But" you say "what if someone from another religion is offended by the worship of Christ?" The Consitution nowhere guarantees a right "not to be offended"! If it did, I'm offended by so much the government does that the government would be paralyzed if people as myself are treated with the tolerance that the loudmouths in the ACLU and atheists are given! Natural Law is the Judeo/Christian belief in America. Most of our laws are based on Natural Law. Hence, we are a Judeao/Christian nation whether one likes it or not.
The goal of many from the progressive spectrum is to make take Natural Law and thus Judeo/Christianity out of the laws of the nation. Whereas Chrisitanity is based on freedom, secularism is based on anarchy, Marxism, pleasure and humanism. Secular Humanism IS atheism and it is fast becoming the National Religion under the current repressive regime.
"But" you say "in a democracy we should have the freedom from religion!". First off, "democracy" is not a Christian concept. It has been "good" in the past for Christianity, but it is at the root more "secular humanist" in nature. The U.S. is a REPUBLIC. It was made so to protect the rights of the minority. Whereas, atheists at one time were the minority (and were protected) now Christians need that same protection (as a minority) that we once gave to the atheists!
The "wall of separation of Church and State" does not exist in the Constitution (as you can read yourself in the First Ammendment provided above). Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to appease the Baptists in a letter to the Danberry Baptists (a minority) who feared persecution from the Congregational state denominational church. He took this statement from the wrtings of Roger Williams who pioneered the Baptist denomination in the colony of Rhode Island back in 1644. In other words even if the "wall" was there it was to protect Christianity, not to hinder it!
What government/religion combination does the Bible endorse? Certainly not kingships! Certainly not dictatorships, and certainly not democracy. The ordained government of the Jews (our only reference) was a nation devoted to the One True God, following God's Laws (Natural Law) with Judges administering justice and deciding punishment. That system worked until the Jews wanted to be as the pagans and have kings!
Will their be a "wall between church and state" in the goverment of the Apocolypse (end of time)? No! There will be a state religion and that religion will be anti-Christian (anything allowed but Christianity) and it's leader will be the dictator who Scripture refers to as the anti-Christ. We'll never be able to prevent that religion from being established because it's prophesied, but we must delay it! To delay anti-Christianity we must maintain Christianity in not only our private lives, but our public as well! God tells us to follow him in ALL things, not to exclude government!
What can we do as Christians? Don't fall for the lie of "separation of Church and State"! Wherever and whenever you can, worship publically and fulfill the Great Commission... convert others to Christ! As the church grew under Paul's and the persecution of the Nazarenes, so also it can grow today under persecution!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Penalty for Abortion: What God says!
First off, Scripture refers to the unborn person (her fruit) as "child", not zygote, not embryo, not fetus, and not fetal tissue. Zygote, embryo and fetus are stages of human development, not different species of animal. (Exod 21:22)
Exod 21:22 "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, 24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
You can also see from Scripture that the husband has "say" regarding the existence of the wife's and husbands baby. (Exod 21:22). Feminists today strive themselves. They strive that a father-to-be has no say in the reproduction of a baby. The father is merely a sperm (one of the two gametes required for fertilization) donor. Likewise, feminists encourage a woman's independence from the male and government entitlements encourage single-parent households by funding women's gestations when they're single, but not when they're married! Feminism is not only anti-male, but anti-Christian as well. I submit that feminists, Planned Parenthood and the Democrat Party are all groups which "strive" against motherhood and are guilty of murder!
Even for an accidental abortion, one which is caused by struggling, the husband has the authority to dictate the punishment and the judge to see that it's administered. (Exod 21:22). We think of "pay" as money, but payment may be by incarceration, which is (in America) is 20-years to life with a possibility of parole after 15 years (in most states). Hence, the Scriptural equivalent for accidentally causing the death of an unborn child would be a prison sentence of long duration!
What if there was "mischief" involved in the baby's death? "Criminal Mischief" is wantonly destroying; life in this case. "Wantonly" is total disregard for the life in question! You can see that the mother in this special case was a victim as well as the child. When women are tricked, lied to or encouraged by deceit and misinformation, they are likewise victims. In the case of an abortions the mother and child are usually both victims because society has evolved to a state where the reality of abortion is hidden in ignorance or misinformation!
If any "mischief" is invloved in the death of the unborn child Exodus 21:23 says that the person may be liable to pay by death ("life for life"). Hence, a medical doctor or abortion clinic personnel are liable for the same damage that they inflicted upon the child. Verses 24 and 25 even go into detail which describes modern-day techniques for aborting (murdering babies): burning (saline medical abortions) and surgical abortions. God even knew how so-called doctors would butcher the babies to extract them from the womb!
If babies are life (And they are) and it's murder to take a life (and it is), then abortion is murder! We can call a thorn by any other name, but the thorn is still a thorn! Likewise we can call murder "abortion" and baby "fetal tissue", but that's just part of the lie!
Churches which condone, even encourage, abortion are rampant! Those churches are out of God's will and are part of the "Great Whore" religion "Babylon". Political Parties and Politicians who favor abortion are as the man who causes the strife. They deserve prison at least. That includes our New Age Marxist President! The feminists groups sponsoring lasciviousness and abortion will get coals heaped on their heads by God at the judgement. In the meantime those organizations should be shamed for what they are: anti-male, anti-woman, anti-self-control and anti-Christian. Instead of receiving funding of U.S. Tax Dollars, they deserve a minimum of illegalization and the leaders imprisoned.
Not a very pleasant scenario which I present? God is the author! When choosing right and wrong, good and evil, etc. I choose to side with God! (If you're not for him you're against him). You take your chances with Satan. I'm sure he'll have mercy mercy on you! (Like only 2500degrees instead of 17,000 degrees in hell).
Why don't Christians have the heart to feel remorse at the mass killings and disposal of babies? As the Christians when the crying and screaming Jews were hauled to the death camps "They just sing a little louder!" When are Christians going to take a stand? When are they even going to care?
Exod 21:22 "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, 24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
You can also see from Scripture that the husband has "say" regarding the existence of the wife's and husbands baby. (Exod 21:22). Feminists today strive themselves. They strive that a father-to-be has no say in the reproduction of a baby. The father is merely a sperm (one of the two gametes required for fertilization) donor. Likewise, feminists encourage a woman's independence from the male and government entitlements encourage single-parent households by funding women's gestations when they're single, but not when they're married! Feminism is not only anti-male, but anti-Christian as well. I submit that feminists, Planned Parenthood and the Democrat Party are all groups which "strive" against motherhood and are guilty of murder!
Even for an accidental abortion, one which is caused by struggling, the husband has the authority to dictate the punishment and the judge to see that it's administered. (Exod 21:22). We think of "pay" as money, but payment may be by incarceration, which is (in America) is 20-years to life with a possibility of parole after 15 years (in most states). Hence, the Scriptural equivalent for accidentally causing the death of an unborn child would be a prison sentence of long duration!
What if there was "mischief" involved in the baby's death? "Criminal Mischief" is wantonly destroying; life in this case. "Wantonly" is total disregard for the life in question! You can see that the mother in this special case was a victim as well as the child. When women are tricked, lied to or encouraged by deceit and misinformation, they are likewise victims. In the case of an abortions the mother and child are usually both victims because society has evolved to a state where the reality of abortion is hidden in ignorance or misinformation!
If any "mischief" is invloved in the death of the unborn child Exodus 21:23 says that the person may be liable to pay by death ("life for life"). Hence, a medical doctor or abortion clinic personnel are liable for the same damage that they inflicted upon the child. Verses 24 and 25 even go into detail which describes modern-day techniques for aborting (murdering babies): burning (saline medical abortions) and surgical abortions. God even knew how so-called doctors would butcher the babies to extract them from the womb!
If babies are life (And they are) and it's murder to take a life (and it is), then abortion is murder! We can call a thorn by any other name, but the thorn is still a thorn! Likewise we can call murder "abortion" and baby "fetal tissue", but that's just part of the lie!
Churches which condone, even encourage, abortion are rampant! Those churches are out of God's will and are part of the "Great Whore" religion "Babylon". Political Parties and Politicians who favor abortion are as the man who causes the strife. They deserve prison at least. That includes our New Age Marxist President! The feminists groups sponsoring lasciviousness and abortion will get coals heaped on their heads by God at the judgement. In the meantime those organizations should be shamed for what they are: anti-male, anti-woman, anti-self-control and anti-Christian. Instead of receiving funding of U.S. Tax Dollars, they deserve a minimum of illegalization and the leaders imprisoned.
Not a very pleasant scenario which I present? God is the author! When choosing right and wrong, good and evil, etc. I choose to side with God! (If you're not for him you're against him). You take your chances with Satan. I'm sure he'll have mercy mercy on you! (Like only 2500degrees instead of 17,000 degrees in hell).
Why don't Christians have the heart to feel remorse at the mass killings and disposal of babies? As the Christians when the crying and screaming Jews were hauled to the death camps "They just sing a little louder!" When are Christians going to take a stand? When are they even going to care?
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Christian Principles
Principles are standards of behavior. In this case standards of behavior for a Christian. We have liberty as a Christian to break dietary and ritual laws which were standards or principles for Jews in the Old Testament. Likewise, we don't (us men anyhow) need to be circumcised to testify to our position as a child of God.
Gal 5:5 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law."
Christ has made us free from the yoke of bondage of "The Law". If you remember, the Law was simple! It was summarized by the Ten Commandments and if you think about it, the Ten Commandments includes all sin. Basically, we learn from Jesus' lips, that if we love God as ourselves and love others, we have kept the law. You see it's the heart that matters, not the letter of the Law. We're to have "circumcised hearts"!
Rom 2:28 "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
With circumcision a portion of the foreskin is removed. That small piece of tissue dies. That is meaningless to the Christian! With the "circumcision of the heart" the entire "Old Man" (former self) dies and is regenerated as a "New Man" (a Christian with eternal life).
There are some things that Christians just don't have to do. As an example consider the following:
Leviticus 19:28 "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord." In the ESV "marks" is rendered "tattoos". Yes, you have the "freedom" to do dumb and vain things!
Am I saying that if you imprint yourself with ink or get studs nailed to your skin, that you're going to hell? Not at all! This is our Christian "liberty" no longer being bound by the Law.
1 Cor 10:23 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."
Yes, you can "lawfully" get studs and tattoos! However, is that expedient? Expedience is to do something in your own self-interest rather than principle. You're doing it because you have that vanity in your heart; the same vanity Jezebel had, the same vanity Adam had... to place oneself before God. No, tattoos are not "expedient". A Christian with principle will not get tattoos nor piercings (nor behave in any pagan way). Why? "All these things edify not."
Edify. What and who? Edification is showing Christian improvement... being Christlike. You are to change (the New Man) once you're a Christian. Change entails self-control to pattern yourself after Christ.
Galatians 5:22-25 (ESV) 22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."
In the preceding verses are how you become a New Man (or Woman). As a Christian, change is the key word to be assured that you're saved! Have you changed? Do you have Christian principles? Do you do things for edification or are you still vain with an uncircumcized heart?
What should be important to you, instead of using your body as a canvas or as a board to which jewelry is nailed, is that you are to be loving, be joyful, have peace of heart, be patient, show kindness, be good, be faithful to Christ, be gentle and have self-control puttin the pleasure for self-aside. When you're being faithful to Christ, that means pleasing Jesus. Are you pleasing Jesus with tattoos, piercings, inappropriate entertainment, bad behavior, inebriation, anger, tyrany of the heart (anger for not getting your own way), Yoga or other un-Christlike atttitudes and behaviors? You know the answer and what you need to do! CHANGE! You and I need CHANGE daily because we never arrive at perfection.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Believers of the Lie: Are you deceived?
I admonish you: Read Scripture. I'll even recommend that you read the book by George Orwell, 1984.
We are now engaged in a great battle, testing whether those who believe have enough belief to discern! Do you know about the second coming of the Lord and the signs? Have you chosen sides? Do you even know which side you're on? For most Americans little is known and few people even care. Those who profess Christ don't even relaize that they have believed a lie!
Each age has claimed an anti-Christ. Oftentimes Protestants claim the Pope is and at other times it was the leader of the government. Hitler and Stalin were both considered the anti-Christ in their time. They were not the anti-Christ, but were anti-Christs! Paul's letter below was about the "coming of the Lord". The Thessalonians were looking for his imminent return and Paul, by revelation from God, clued the Christians as to what was coming (study this):
2TH 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2TH 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2TH 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2TH 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2TH 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2TH 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2TH 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2TH 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2TH 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2TH 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2TH 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2TH 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
There shall be a falling away first. Falling away from what? People will abandon truth. They will accept science, philosophy, psychology, entertainment, education and government commentary and propaganda over God's truth. People will still cling to their Bibles, but whose verses have been altered and spinned to fit popular thought. Scripture will become multiple choice. God was right abouth this issue, but "ignorant" of another because science was unknown at that time. These are lies! Who is the liar? Satan, his emmisary (the anti-Christ) and other believers of the lie. Your loved ones will even abandon truth to be in tune with popular thought. Lies will become truth and truth lies!
The "man of sin" will be revealed"... "the son of perdition". Perdition is Hell. The son of Hell will be revealed. He is the author of sin. He's the "man of sin". That man is the anti-Christ, the antogonist of Jesus. Those with discernment will recognize him. Others will be deceived. For the first 3-1/2 years of the tribulation the leader will be loved, admired and bring not only world peace, but economic prosperity. People will have what they need. They'll have adequate health care! However, there's a catch! All those people will have to take a "mark" to receive government services, and to get those services, the government will have to approve. Without the mark many will starve and die, not to speak of persecution.
The second three and one-half years of the tribulation period will be a blatant dictatorship. Christians will be killed and decapitated just for being Christians! (Pre-tribulation Christians believe that all Christians will be raptured, taken up, before that event, but many will turn to Christ after that event and they will be persecuted). To avoid this beast wisdom dictates that you give yourself to Christ now. After Christ comes to meet the dead and living in Christ, your chances of ever becoming a Christian are greatly diminished! It will be a choice of being able to live or be a Christian. Many will choose the son of Hell!
The world leader, the anti-Christ, will oppose God and place himself higher than God. He may even belong to a Christian church for churches will fall away as well. Many pastors will breath the acridity of hell because they believed the lie as well... and even taught the lie! Churches that accept and teach un-Christian doctrine just as the church at Laodicia did, will be the "Great Whore Babylon" church. They are modern churches which don't accept the God inspired truth of scripture, allow fornication, abortion, homosexuality, evolution, and false teachings in the church. These modern Laodician Churches are rampant today and increasing in number daily! Tolerance of sin is taught as the master obedience. If you don't recognize these churches today you need to open your eyes.
This anti-Christ will call himself God by placing himself over God. God will be inferior to him in his own eyes! Just as Caesar declared himself a god, the anti-Christ will declare himself the God.
If you believe "the lie", you will not be saved! You're for a wall of separation betwen church and state? How naive! The world leader will be the state. He will be God! (sic). The anti-Christ will totally combine state and religion! That religion will not be Christianity. It will be everything and anything but, because Satan's role is to undermine Christ!
People will fail to love "the truth". They will have pleasure and consolation in lies. Evil will become good and good will become evil! That's where knowing and reading 1984 is important! We have already surpassed what Orwell envisioned at that time. Just look at the government intrusion in our lives right now and how the government has even turned on its citizens. Just look at the beginnings of persecution of Christians even here in Amercia because we are "right wing intolerant and hate-filled" according to the liberal/Progressives behind the administration. (If you fail to see that the Democrat Party which has been taken over by Marxists are a threat to your Christianity, you'd better open your eyes)!
Evil-doers who believe the lies will take pleasure in sin. We are told that homosexuals are "born that way" and pedophiles can have healthy sexual relationships with children. We are told that a woman's perogative to abuse her body and her offspring is supreme to the liberty of living of the unborn child. We were once told that babies aren't human until birth. Now babies are not even human if they're born and the intent was for them to die! (Obama subsribes to that). We are told that evolution is fact and that Christianity is a myth to placate the stupid. We watch entertainers who hate us. We pay those to pleasure us who hate Jesus.
Americans believe "the lie". Europe believes "the lie". Islam is "a lie". Universalism is "a lie". Marxism is "a lie". Education today is "a lie". Liars abound where once there was truth. Are you a believer of the lie?
There is an antidote for those deceived. That antidote is Truth. Scripture is the Word of God and it is Truth. All you have to do is open your mind, look at the creation and realize you're doomed except for the spilled blood of Christ who died for you on the cross. For what? For telling the truth. For being the Truth!
We are now engaged in a great battle, testing whether those who believe have enough belief to discern! Do you know about the second coming of the Lord and the signs? Have you chosen sides? Do you even know which side you're on? For most Americans little is known and few people even care. Those who profess Christ don't even relaize that they have believed a lie!
Each age has claimed an anti-Christ. Oftentimes Protestants claim the Pope is and at other times it was the leader of the government. Hitler and Stalin were both considered the anti-Christ in their time. They were not the anti-Christ, but were anti-Christs! Paul's letter below was about the "coming of the Lord". The Thessalonians were looking for his imminent return and Paul, by revelation from God, clued the Christians as to what was coming (study this):
2TH 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2TH 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2TH 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2TH 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2TH 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2TH 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2TH 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2TH 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2TH 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2TH 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2TH 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2TH 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
There shall be a falling away first. Falling away from what? People will abandon truth. They will accept science, philosophy, psychology, entertainment, education and government commentary and propaganda over God's truth. People will still cling to their Bibles, but whose verses have been altered and spinned to fit popular thought. Scripture will become multiple choice. God was right abouth this issue, but "ignorant" of another because science was unknown at that time. These are lies! Who is the liar? Satan, his emmisary (the anti-Christ) and other believers of the lie. Your loved ones will even abandon truth to be in tune with popular thought. Lies will become truth and truth lies!
The "man of sin" will be revealed"... "the son of perdition". Perdition is Hell. The son of Hell will be revealed. He is the author of sin. He's the "man of sin". That man is the anti-Christ, the antogonist of Jesus. Those with discernment will recognize him. Others will be deceived. For the first 3-1/2 years of the tribulation the leader will be loved, admired and bring not only world peace, but economic prosperity. People will have what they need. They'll have adequate health care! However, there's a catch! All those people will have to take a "mark" to receive government services, and to get those services, the government will have to approve. Without the mark many will starve and die, not to speak of persecution.
The second three and one-half years of the tribulation period will be a blatant dictatorship. Christians will be killed and decapitated just for being Christians! (Pre-tribulation Christians believe that all Christians will be raptured, taken up, before that event, but many will turn to Christ after that event and they will be persecuted). To avoid this beast wisdom dictates that you give yourself to Christ now. After Christ comes to meet the dead and living in Christ, your chances of ever becoming a Christian are greatly diminished! It will be a choice of being able to live or be a Christian. Many will choose the son of Hell!
The world leader, the anti-Christ, will oppose God and place himself higher than God. He may even belong to a Christian church for churches will fall away as well. Many pastors will breath the acridity of hell because they believed the lie as well... and even taught the lie! Churches that accept and teach un-Christian doctrine just as the church at Laodicia did, will be the "Great Whore Babylon" church. They are modern churches which don't accept the God inspired truth of scripture, allow fornication, abortion, homosexuality, evolution, and false teachings in the church. These modern Laodician Churches are rampant today and increasing in number daily! Tolerance of sin is taught as the master obedience. If you don't recognize these churches today you need to open your eyes.
This anti-Christ will call himself God by placing himself over God. God will be inferior to him in his own eyes! Just as Caesar declared himself a god, the anti-Christ will declare himself the God.
If you believe "the lie", you will not be saved! You're for a wall of separation betwen church and state? How naive! The world leader will be the state. He will be God! (sic). The anti-Christ will totally combine state and religion! That religion will not be Christianity. It will be everything and anything but, because Satan's role is to undermine Christ!
People will fail to love "the truth". They will have pleasure and consolation in lies. Evil will become good and good will become evil! That's where knowing and reading 1984 is important! We have already surpassed what Orwell envisioned at that time. Just look at the government intrusion in our lives right now and how the government has even turned on its citizens. Just look at the beginnings of persecution of Christians even here in Amercia because we are "right wing intolerant and hate-filled" according to the liberal/Progressives behind the administration. (If you fail to see that the Democrat Party which has been taken over by Marxists are a threat to your Christianity, you'd better open your eyes)!
Evil-doers who believe the lies will take pleasure in sin. We are told that homosexuals are "born that way" and pedophiles can have healthy sexual relationships with children. We are told that a woman's perogative to abuse her body and her offspring is supreme to the liberty of living of the unborn child. We were once told that babies aren't human until birth. Now babies are not even human if they're born and the intent was for them to die! (Obama subsribes to that). We are told that evolution is fact and that Christianity is a myth to placate the stupid. We watch entertainers who hate us. We pay those to pleasure us who hate Jesus.
Americans believe "the lie". Europe believes "the lie". Islam is "a lie". Universalism is "a lie". Marxism is "a lie". Education today is "a lie". Liars abound where once there was truth. Are you a believer of the lie?
There is an antidote for those deceived. That antidote is Truth. Scripture is the Word of God and it is Truth. All you have to do is open your mind, look at the creation and realize you're doomed except for the spilled blood of Christ who died for you on the cross. For what? For telling the truth. For being the Truth!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Arc of the Covenent: Christ Inside the Box
Many have seen the "nine-dot exercise" where one passes four straight lines through nine dots without lifting the pencil. It's normally a gimmick to impress people to :think outside the box".
There was another box. It was the "Arc of the Covenant". We are told in Hebrews 9:4 "Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;"
The Jews then and now "see" one thing in the box. They see "the tables of the covenant" what we call "The Law". Although their eyes "see" all three, their heart perceives the one.
John 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."
What signficance have the other two items?
Let's first look a the pot of manna. Manna is bread from heaven. It taste as coriander seed and honey. It substained the Jews while they were wondering in the wilderness for 40 years.
Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
Manna is bread. Bread from heaven. It saved the Jews from starvation and death. It was the "bread of life"! What else is? John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Jesus is the "bread of life". Jesus is represented by tha manna!
There was another box. It was the "Arc of the Covenant". We are told in Hebrews 9:4 "Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;"
The Jews then and now "see" one thing in the box. They see "the tables of the covenant" what we call "The Law". Although their eyes "see" all three, their heart perceives the one.
John 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."
What signficance have the other two items?
Let's first look a the pot of manna. Manna is bread from heaven. It taste as coriander seed and honey. It substained the Jews while they were wondering in the wilderness for 40 years.
Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
Manna is bread. Bread from heaven. It saved the Jews from starvation and death. It was the "bread of life"! What else is? John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Jesus is the "bread of life". Jesus is represented by tha manna!
John 6:57 "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." Whereas, the manna came down each day, saving the Sabbath, it was "forever" during the forty years. Likewise Jesus is forever.
Simply, Jesus is represented by the pot of manna in the arc!
In addition Aaron's Rod that budded was in the "box".
Exodus 7:12 " For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." Exodus 7:20 "And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood."
Forgiveness is always by the blood for without blood there is no salvation. Aaron's Rod represented the "blood of Jesus' shed in propitiation for our sins.
Numbers 17:5 "And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you." Blossoms represent life. Jesus is life... eternal life!
Likewise "the bronze serpent" was used by Moses to eat the snakes in the Wilderness:
John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” The bronze snake represents Christ. Just as the bronze serpent represented Christ, so did Aaron's Rod.
Hence, whereas the Jews see the Law in the box, Christians see the law as well as Christ!
| Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I
am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfil." The New Testament (Jesus himself) says that He supplements "The Law". The Jews have the Law without Jesus to this day and Christians have Jesus assured by works (the Law). Our Old Testamanet Patriarchs in close communion with God understood the promise of Jesus in all activities of God. The manna and Aaron's Rod weren't put in the arc by accident or the "fun of it". There was a message from God. That message is the Messiah... Christ Jesus. Paul taught grace! That grace is Jesus and him resurrected. Paul was a scholar of the Old Testament beign a learned Pharisse and student of Gameliel. Paul, given the light od salvation, suddenly was blined by Shekinah Light. Once his vision was restored by God, he then had eyes that saw and ears that hear. He was a new man in Christ. That light (Truth) allowed hom to understand all that he had been taught from Scripture was about Jesus! He learned by revelation directly from Jesus. Acts 18:28 “For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”
Galatians 1:12 " For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Jesus put wisdom into the Scripture Paul knew so well. All Scripture points toward Jesus and Paul was given the Light.
|
Monday, June 3, 2013
Strength in Weakness
In this day of pop psychology we are careful that no one feels badly of themselves. In children's sports, the winners and losers both get trophies. So as not to feel poorly of themselves failing children no longer get "F's", but "E's" or "Needs Improvement". Classes are taught at such a level that achievers remain unchallenged just so the less motivated can keep up.
In college, some groups just can't pass the admission tests. They are allowed to be "placed" in college and given remedial classes to qualify, although the motivated are qualified before they apply.
The grade system is challenged itself! Some say that intelligence should not be measured by a grading system because it categorizes students. Although, grades reflect an understanding of material learned, well-meaning sociologists want all students to "feel" as if they have learned.
Then we have adults! They say things as "I feel like I screwed up!" "No!", Horace, "You DID screw up!" I've heard people who borrow to buy say "I deserve this new car!" Again, Horace "You don't deserve it... you want it!" You "deserve" to have what you have already earned. Buying on the credit is undeserving.
When are we going to face reality? Some of us aren't the brightest bulb in the lamp. There will always be others who are more deserving, smarter, more motivated, more successful, having more things and wielding more power. Inside our innermost thoughts most people see themselves as important as the president. Although the president is likely as insecure as anyone, he would like to think he "deserves" his position as well.
Truth is when there is a match between what is believed and what is actual. Frankly, most people don't have 52 cards in the deck. It's deceitful and dangerous to avoid allowing people to realize their own shortcomings. Before a problem can be corrected, it must first be defined. A little realistic self-examination can be a great motivator!
Paul certainly recognized truth and examined his own performance:
2 Corinthians 12:10 "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
Infirmities are feeble physical characteristics. Reproaches are disapprovals from others. Necessities are behaviors and actions you have no choice in doing. Persecutions are being harassed just because of who you are. Distresses are sufferings, and in this case, suffering because you're magnify Christ!
In 2 Corinthians Paul reveals his true self. He talks of his boldness and his meekness. He speaks of his strengths and his weaknessess. He tells of his successes and his failures. Paul was harrassed just because he was Paul, a person with physical "targets" and a person whose personal beliefs were different than most. Paul suffered not only because people disliked Christians and Jews, but also because of his meekness, bad eye-sight, slight physical characteristics and who knows what else! Here we have a middle-aged single man who does migrant work and frequents places where crude people gather, and what were they suppose tho think?
Paul was strong because of his weaknesses demanded that he be strong! Adversity and persecution are great character builders. Constant praise without positive criticism makes most people weak.
Like, Paul, I have weaknessess. Like Paul, I have strengths. My place is to put my life on an accurate scale and recognize my gifts and improve my deficiencies. Some may easily see my vulnerabilities, but I KNOW mine. When I was young I believed inside that I was superman, but I truly feared my kryptonite! I was backward, shy, poor, poorly dressed, poorly spoken, and an average athlete. On top of that Hoosiers where I grew up referred to me as "dumb Kentuckian" and sneered at my torn clothing and too big pants and shirts (handed down from oler brothers).
I worked on all that! Now I'm too forward, outgoing, self-sufficient, fairly well-dressed, speak moderately well, but am still an average athlete. (No, I'm not affluent). God has provided my needs in abundance because I follow him, help others, am not jealous of the success of others and thank Jesus daily for what I have. (I will give most of it up when I die. I've just borrowed it for a short while). I believe that I do have "character" because obstacles motivated me.
God expects us to help ourselves, but when we do so, he jumps right in there and aids us. Paul didn't spread the word to the known world because he was Paul, but because he was Paul empowered by Jesus!
The moral here is that you should use your weakness as motivators and character-builders. You don't have to be stuck in the mud of life, slipping and sliding helplessly, all in tune to positive affirmations! You can face truth and grab the hand of Jesus. He will help you out of that mud. He will mold you into a use that he knows and you have yet to discover!
Saturday, June 1, 2013
The Company We Keep
This may sound terse, but I like to choose with whom I keep company! Simple. Why?
We all prefer people with like interests, with compatible beliefs and those with whom we can share affection. We're supposed to love everyone, but face it, some are easier to love than others. Company is not about what we prefer... it's about what we should do and must do!
1 Cor 5:11 "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one no not to eat".
Let's look at what this says to the Christian. First off, the instruction is regarding a Christian's relationship with another Christian. It doesn't apply to the unsaved.
What relationship are we to have with an unsaved person? That's simple! Even Jesus ate and drank with sinners (as well as devoted Christians). Why did Jesus eat and drink with pagans? To love and teach them about God. Getting to the point, if you are associating with practicing sinners you must be leading them to salvation by witness, testimony and example. Boozing and cursing with sinners is not what Jesus did, and that's not what you should do! If you are befriending sinners it must be to fulfill the "Great Commission", which is to lead others to Christ.
We all know that there are "babes in Christ" and sanctified Christians. The babes still practice sin as a routine. Sanctified Christians know Scripture and practice self-control. We are to mentor the "babes in Christ" for their own spiritual growth, but if growth is not seen in the individual, then we cease the association. Likewise, those once faithful Christians who backslide and are unremorseful must also be avoided.
Paul specifically points out sinful behaviors for which we are to shun fellow Christians. We are to shun fornicators. Fornication is sex between unmarried partners. A Christian should never "hang out" with people who are living out-of-wedlock or who are promiscuous.
We are to shun Christians who are covetous... people who have strong desires to want what others have... materialistic Christians who have the priorities on wealth and possessions and not Christ. These are the same people who will lust after another sexually. These are to be shunned!
We are to shun idolaters. Idols are anything which tend to take magnification off God and put it on something else. Idols may even be money, status, recreation, interests and promiscuousness. We are to shun Christians who do not place God first in their lives!
We are to shun railers. Railers are those who are bitter, negative, harsh, abusive and are critical of others. Railers are not what Christians are called to be. When one is harsh to another Christian, it is not an example of love. It's hateful and spiteful!
Christians are to shun drunkards. Although anyone may justify a "glass of wine for dinner" from a selfish desire, it's just a short reach to drunkeness. One will never be a drunkard who does not drink alcohol. One will never be an addict who doesn't use drugs! How many truly limit their alcohol intake all the time to a glass of wine. I would bet the majority of people even occasionally over inbibe, even get intoxicated! Christians are to shun those brothers (and sisters) who get inebriated. We can understand a heathen being a drunkard, for the heathen has no hope. For Christians our hope is Jesus and we need to face him with sobriety!
We are to shun extortioners... those who manipulate people for personal gain. Even throwing a temper and showing anger when not getting one's own way is extortion! We are to use balanced scales with people and extortion is un-Christlike. I've even seen Christians who hurt others around them because they don't get their own way! That's extortion.
All these sins are not independent of the other. When a person sins, it's not in just one category. Sin is all interrelated and compounded. If one fornicates, sex becomes an idol. Alcohol is used to reduce guilt and rationalize behaviors. An adulterer will easily be harsh to their spouse and belittle and curse at their mate. They must get their own way... or else.
The same applies to any sin. God is not placed first in the lives of the immature Christian. They know truth, but are in rebellion. Christians must do as Paul says and shun those fornicators, those railers, etc.
What happens to you if you don't listen to the inspired words of Paul? You are influenced by those with whom you associate. Paul isn't saying "Avoid sinning brothers because they're evil". He's saying "Avoid sinning brothers so you won't fall into the devil's trap!" If you want to remain undefiled stay away from those who defile. We are to flee from sin!
God gives us direction so we can gain wisdom. The wise listen to a just God. Follow your own will and you'll jeopardize your own communion with God. Follow it too long and God will become of no consequence in your life!
We all prefer people with like interests, with compatible beliefs and those with whom we can share affection. We're supposed to love everyone, but face it, some are easier to love than others. Company is not about what we prefer... it's about what we should do and must do!
1 Cor 5:11 "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one no not to eat".
Let's look at what this says to the Christian. First off, the instruction is regarding a Christian's relationship with another Christian. It doesn't apply to the unsaved.
What relationship are we to have with an unsaved person? That's simple! Even Jesus ate and drank with sinners (as well as devoted Christians). Why did Jesus eat and drink with pagans? To love and teach them about God. Getting to the point, if you are associating with practicing sinners you must be leading them to salvation by witness, testimony and example. Boozing and cursing with sinners is not what Jesus did, and that's not what you should do! If you are befriending sinners it must be to fulfill the "Great Commission", which is to lead others to Christ.
We all know that there are "babes in Christ" and sanctified Christians. The babes still practice sin as a routine. Sanctified Christians know Scripture and practice self-control. We are to mentor the "babes in Christ" for their own spiritual growth, but if growth is not seen in the individual, then we cease the association. Likewise, those once faithful Christians who backslide and are unremorseful must also be avoided.
Paul specifically points out sinful behaviors for which we are to shun fellow Christians. We are to shun fornicators. Fornication is sex between unmarried partners. A Christian should never "hang out" with people who are living out-of-wedlock or who are promiscuous.
We are to shun Christians who are covetous... people who have strong desires to want what others have... materialistic Christians who have the priorities on wealth and possessions and not Christ. These are the same people who will lust after another sexually. These are to be shunned!
We are to shun idolaters. Idols are anything which tend to take magnification off God and put it on something else. Idols may even be money, status, recreation, interests and promiscuousness. We are to shun Christians who do not place God first in their lives!
We are to shun railers. Railers are those who are bitter, negative, harsh, abusive and are critical of others. Railers are not what Christians are called to be. When one is harsh to another Christian, it is not an example of love. It's hateful and spiteful!
Christians are to shun drunkards. Although anyone may justify a "glass of wine for dinner" from a selfish desire, it's just a short reach to drunkeness. One will never be a drunkard who does not drink alcohol. One will never be an addict who doesn't use drugs! How many truly limit their alcohol intake all the time to a glass of wine. I would bet the majority of people even occasionally over inbibe, even get intoxicated! Christians are to shun those brothers (and sisters) who get inebriated. We can understand a heathen being a drunkard, for the heathen has no hope. For Christians our hope is Jesus and we need to face him with sobriety!
We are to shun extortioners... those who manipulate people for personal gain. Even throwing a temper and showing anger when not getting one's own way is extortion! We are to use balanced scales with people and extortion is un-Christlike. I've even seen Christians who hurt others around them because they don't get their own way! That's extortion.
All these sins are not independent of the other. When a person sins, it's not in just one category. Sin is all interrelated and compounded. If one fornicates, sex becomes an idol. Alcohol is used to reduce guilt and rationalize behaviors. An adulterer will easily be harsh to their spouse and belittle and curse at their mate. They must get their own way... or else.
The same applies to any sin. God is not placed first in the lives of the immature Christian. They know truth, but are in rebellion. Christians must do as Paul says and shun those fornicators, those railers, etc.
What happens to you if you don't listen to the inspired words of Paul? You are influenced by those with whom you associate. Paul isn't saying "Avoid sinning brothers because they're evil". He's saying "Avoid sinning brothers so you won't fall into the devil's trap!" If you want to remain undefiled stay away from those who defile. We are to flee from sin!
God gives us direction so we can gain wisdom. The wise listen to a just God. Follow your own will and you'll jeopardize your own communion with God. Follow it too long and God will become of no consequence in your life!
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