What was I saying?

Love is a lofty goal and most often the net is shredded as two struggle to make their points.

Manipulating for a gift is as tacky as lovingly extracting a fly from sticky paper.

Responding to a comment with harsh words scrubs the conversation of any love.

Ask not what you can give to the needy, but what you desire without needing!

The best gift is the receipt of solace in a location where greed is forbidden.

Yesterday is where the anxious wish they were today and hope to be tomorrow.

The selfish response to charity is to show resentment by minimizing its value.

Ill will is a worthy opponent, but charity always wins the round!

Something shared in confidence is often repeated in diffidence.

Those who work hard, save, and invest wisely will surely have their livelihood embezzled by sluggards.

The stealth thief says "Give me your wallet or I won't love you!"

Those who demand their way hold their breath and screech until others turn purple.

"Bah! Humbug!" seems to me to be a very reasonable response to people demanding free things!

Churches are nearly empty because legions of principalities fill the voids.

Root canals to molars is more pleasant than the grinding sound of a liberal twisting truth.

The gravity of spiritual weakness increases with distance from the Son.

The cologne of Pride is amply applied so others may indulge in the musky aroma of you.

The paper in Bibles is thin and transparent so that people can see their own exceptions beneath God's commands.

Who will help me bake the bread said the baker? Not me, said the sluggard... but call me when it's done so that I can enjoy the bun!

Free and Fee. Opposites!  "R" is missing from "free" and that's for "Regeneration" and what makes the fee free!

Drivers with road rage, if others could read their thoughts, would be scarier  than chain saw murderers.

Rage is an inflamed heart caused by the acid of selfishness extinguished only the soothing foam of patience.

"The end" happens several times if the relentless speaker is allowed to continue.

Never interrupt the words of the braggart with your own timid rational thoughts.

Bullies always walk on other people. They just change styles of shoes before stepping on different victims.

People seldom credit God for prosperity, but blame him for misfortune. That's the epitome of irrational thought.

The Democrat Mindset

There were few preachers in Germany during The Third Reich who were courageous enough to preach against tyranny because the party in leadership was tyrannical! Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of those. He lost his life to thwart National Socialism. As such, all Christians who cherish freedom and love all men should honor Herr Bonhoeffer, not as a saint, but as a warrior for God!

Bonhoeffer was part of the German resistance movement against the Nazi Party and Hitler. As such, he was discovered, spent about eighteen months in prison and was executed by hanging for his attempts to overthrow the dictatorship. As he prepared for hanging, he knelt on his knees stripped naked:

"I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer... kneeling on the floor praying fervently to God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the few steps to the gallows, brave and composed. His death ensued after a few seconds. In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God." (Eberhard Bethge, Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Biography, p. 927)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was the Jeremiah of his time. Before we look at Jeremiah, consider what Paul wrote to the Corinthian church:

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

In a sermon Herr Bonhoeffer said this about Paul's quotation:

Christendom adjusts itself far too easily to the worship of power. Christians should give more offense, shock the world far more, than they are doing now. Christian should take a stronger stand in favor of the weak rather than considering first the possible right of the strong. (Dietrich Bonnhoeffer Sermon on II Cor. 12:9)

Bonhoeffer, as a weak Christian, took a strong stand against power and was martyred for it! His weapons were God's word and his might because of  his faith. Let me for a second compare him to my hero, Sergeant Alvin York. The backwoodsmen York was a conscientious objector because he did not believe in killing even the enemy. After days of prayer he gave up his fight against the draft and went to the German front.

After only seven soldiers remained under his leadership York said:

 "All the time I kept yelling at them to come down. I didn't want to kill any more than I had to. But it was they or I. And I was giving them the best I had."

As he was attacked by six bayonets of  which he killed the bearers and ended up capturing 132 German prisoners with only a pistol and the power of God! York was the hero of WWI and  Bonhoeffer was in WWII. Both fought the power of German strength with the aid of God whose "power is made perfect in weakness"! Humble godly men fought governmental power because God's "grace is sufficient". Yes, God is still the enemy of those who step on his children and wield the power of evil. Both York and Bonhoeffer knew that to save many lives, the cost was sometimes the loss of a few!

Now let's look at Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 1:13 (ESV) "The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then the Lord said to me, “Out of the north disaster shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Lord, and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. 17 But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

Jeremiah was a weak man endowed by God in power. He preached against sin and his mission was for the Jews to turn back to God and away from sin and false prophets. God had allowed the most powerful nation on earth to gather around Judah and with the strength of God, Jeremiah stood tall. He became the enemy of the king, the officials, the priests and the people of the land. They saw him as a naysayer: they would be punished by destruction from the enemy if they did not change! They didn't change and Judah was totally destroyed by the Babylonians and remained so until 1948.

Bonhoeffer was a Jeremiah and so was York. Where are our Jeremiah's today? What preacher will risk their life for truth and righteousness? Stand up weak man and let God be your power!

Stand up against what? My viewpoint is that Marxism is the Apocalyptic government and the power of it's leader, the antichrist, will declare himself God. The resulting government is a New World Order with a false religion to which all men must bow. Those who refuse to take the mark in order to engage in commerce will be beheaded! Some believe this will occur after the rapture of the saints and others before. Without regard to timing, for the people to be deceived, this dictatorship must be accepted gradually and in small steps. Man is fooled carefully and the devil is patient!

Then, what does this have to do with the Democrat Party? It, like its European counterparts, has been selected to propagate Marxism. It's the progressive take-over of the party which steers them now. My hero was Alvin York, a staunch Democrat, but the party of 2014 is terribly different than the party of 1945! Sgt. York, a strong Christian, would be dismayed with the evil that lurks within the party: abortion on demand, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, fueling racial hatred, feminism, the acceptance of pagan religions, the propaganda or spin machine, the political correctness, the redistribution of wealth under the guise of "social justice" and the hunger for power among other things. In fact the 2012 Democrat Convention voted to take all references to "God" out of the platform, but  it was reluctantly put back in. One word in the platform now mentions "God" referring to "God-given potential".

These Marxist tenets are "the Democrat mindset". I wish they weren't, but they are! In my life as George Wallace once "There's not a dime's worth of difference between the Democrat and Republican Party" and there wasn't! Both had their good and their bad. However, we're now at a different crossroads. While the Republican Party is rank with elite, the base is still "the Christian right". The Party Platform is one that appeals to Christians because the Platform reflects Christian interests. On the other hand, the Democrat Party Platform should be anathema to those who put their trust in God. Using smooth appeasing words, it represents evil. Bonnhoeffers and Yorks should fight this evil!

I have no power except what God inspires. I have no prestige to spread the message. This blog is a feeble attempt to warn, as Jeremiah did, that unless wickedness ceases, America will be destroyed. It won't necessarily be by force, but from within. Our battle is against principalities, false prophets and the devil himself. Just as Marx, Hitler and Stalin were Satan-inspired, I believe that the progressives who havetaken control of the Democrat Party are tools of the Prince of the Air, and as such, I take a strong stand against their power and abuse! The "Democrat Mindset" has two natures: 1) the deceivers and 2) the deceived. I'm neither! Which are you?

Scapegoat

It is said with tongue-in-cheek that the following are the seven phases of a project:

1. Wild enthusiasm
2. Disillusionment
3. Confusion
4. Panic
5. Search for the guilty
6. Punishment of the innocent
7. Promotion of non-participants

Phase 5 is the "blame" and phase 6 is offering the "scapegoat". That "goat" is the innocent who pays the price for the guilty.  The entomology of the word is Hebrew and means "for entire removal".

I'll use an example which most people won't like. Remembering that "the victor writes history", we have all been molded into fictions. As an example, let's do a "what if?"  The United States won the war in the Pacific during WWII against Japan. in 1945 Hiroshima and Nagazaki were bombed, and 154,000 people died and as many injured. About 70% of the entire cities were destroyed and the war effectively ended.  Truman was re-elected and  his legacy is one of being a "great president". Harry S. Truman is ranked within the top 8 of presidents by both liberals and conservatives. But "what if" the United States had lost the war? Would Truman have been a great man or perceived as a "loser" as is Jimmy Carter? It's obvious that Truman's legacy would be entirely different if America's greatness had been thwarted!

I'm not making any points as to the righteousness of dropping atomic bombs. It was a hard decision I'm sure and in retrospect, others may have done things differently. Knowing the mind-set of this era, if this happened at this point in time, Truman would have been sharply criticized. The point is that "the victor writes history" and regardless of the wrongness or rightness of atomic bombing the outcome has exonerated Mr. Truman. Few biographers today would rewrite history and make it otherwise, even if a "different truth" was discovered in the dusty files of history.

I was raised in Indiana. My views were formed by what history books, written in the north, said about the "Civil War". That, coupled with the fact that great-grandpa James Francis Herrin was a Sergeant in Union Co. F of the 7th Regiment of the Kentucky Calvary, led my pride to reinforce what I was being taught. The reason I was taught history in a light 100% favorable to the Union side, was because "the victor writes history" and they did so in such a way that most negativity was removed from the winning side and blame was placed on the losing side.

In short, phase 5 of writing the history of the "Civil War" was "placing blame". Now I have learned from primary sources that the war was not about slavery, but was about maintaining the union. I have learned that it wasn't a "Civil War" but a war between two independent nations over sovereignty . I have learned that The Emancipation Proclamation never freed any slaves in the United States, but was a political ploy to maintain England's sentiments and I have learned that although there was no enemy blood shed at Ft. Sumter, the Confederacy was blamed for starting the war, although it is clear that they were provoked by the north.

I had been taught partial truths and "spin" because "the victor writes history"! I no longer accept what I'm taught without investigating what's taught myself. This example is not used to change taught history, but to encourage others to question everything and seek truth!

The south was blamed for this "project", commonly called the "Civil War", although in truth it was more a "War of Northern Aggression"  If you'll remember the 5th phase of this project was the "search for the guilty". The guilty party was the south and it's leader was President Jefferson Davis. Davis became the "scapegoat". It was 6th phase "the punishment of the innocent"! If one reads primary sources of Jefferson Davis they will find that he hated the war and only accepted the presidency by acclaim as he had no inclinations to lead.

Not only was Davis an honorable man, but he was not to blame for the war! Lincoln commenced the war by intrigue, but Davis shouldered the blame, even later by his own countrymen who also sought to find a scapegoat for all the destruction. Seldom do defeated leaders gain glory!

At the end of the war Lincoln's secretaries, Nicolay and Haye, wrote volumes on Lincoln. Their volumes became the most accepted because they painted a beautiful picture of a martyred man. "The victors wrote history". Lincoln started the war, failed on many attempts to negotiate a peaceful settlement by Davis, but is ranked by liberals and conservatives as in the top 2 in greatness. The name "Jefferson Davis" has become despicable to most Americans. Davis is a "scapegoat". A painting of that "scapegoat" hangs on my study wall as a remembrance that "blame" is not necessarily one-sided. An "innocent" man accepted the wrongs which the entire north and south and shouldered him and did so admirably. He never showed resentment, even though he was the only one who never regained citizenship during his lifetime.

Let's do another "what if"! 800,000 people died as a result of the Civil War. What if the south had won the civil war? Lincoln would likely have lived and Lincoln would have been blamed for the unnecessary loss of all those lives. The outcome, being different, would certainly have changed his legacy. "The victors (the South) would have written history and Lincoln would have received the blame!

The "scapegoat" essentially gets all the wrongs of everyone and "entirely removes" the blame. Davis moved to Louisiana along with the sins of the north and south on his shoulders, although the "blame" was unjustly placed on his shoulders. (My thought: Lincoln maybe wasn't the blame, but the radicals, such as Stanton, who always pressured him to force the slavery issue!)

Sometimes I do insert too much opinion because I'm passionate about truth. Now, since that is finished, let's look at  the spiritual aspect of it all, since the practical has been examined:

Leviticus 16:7 "And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness."

There were two goats. One was sacrificed. That goat was killed and remained dead. That was payment for the sins of the people. Because people had sinned, they had to sacrifice and animal whose blood was payment. It wasn't a sufficient sacrifice, but under The Law, that's all they had!  That goat belonged to the Lord because it was sacrificed to him!

The second goat was presented alive to the Lord. It was for atonement, when God and man are reconciled. It's a peace offering so to speak. "I have wronged you, Lord and I'm sorry!"  For the Lord's part "I love you anyhow and you are pardoned completely. Let's start afresh because I no longer will hold your sins against you!" This reconciliation is in effect sorrow, repentance, acceptance, forgiveness and love and are the same things as we Christians must do in order to be saved.

Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."

The scapegoat was symbolic. That goat was innocent and all the Jews (and pagans) were guilty of sin. As one goat was sacrificed (by the blood are sins forgiven), the scapegoat made the atonement. It took all the sins of the people, and that goat was sent off into the wilderness with all the sins upon it.

That scapegoat is symbolic of Jesus who was to come. As Paul said in his Letter to the Romans, it's Jesus who made atonement for us! Jesus is the scapegoat!

Hebrews 9:12 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

Sacrifices, under The Law, were made continuously for people continually sinned and were held accountable. The goats and calves died and shed their blood, a lot of it and many animals! it was by God's grace that he accepted those unsatisfactory sacrifices and it was by grace that the scapegoat carried the sins of the people out into the wilderness, but it wasn't the death and release of the goats that worked God's divine magic, but the hearts of the people. Since they spoke with "The Word" they knew that those goats represented Jesus. They knew about Jesus because they communed with him continually and in person!

On the Cross, both goats were sacrificed! The first goat was the blood shed by Jesus in place of yours and mine. That was the Son of Man who shed the blood. However, the Son of God, the divine portion of Jesus, accepted those sins onto himself and took them into the wilderness. He suffered hell for us, that wilderness in the nether area. Jesus was the sin offering and the scapegoat!

There are two requirements for the scapegoat: 1) the goat must be innocent and 2) the goat must be punished! These, as pertains to the vicarious death of Jesus, follow:

Matthew 27:4 Saying, I (Judas) have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. 

 Acts 2:31"He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

The former declared Jesus' innocence, the latter his punishment! Jesus was a scapegoat for all our sins and thousands of years before the Hebrews knew it was to be! They performed the ceremony about things to come! They provided the goats in fore-membrance of Jesus.

There is an argument about whether Jesus actually descended into hell. The Apostle's Creed says he did. Most modern theologians say that Acts 2:31 merely implied that he never suffered the punishment which sinners do. I agree with the latter. Jesus, being holy, could never have suffered hell because only evil is there! He did suffer and he did go to the "wilderness". That wilderness is that unlike the sacrificial goat from Leviticus.  Jesus shed his blood and died, but yet he lives! He also is like the scapegoat in that he carried our sins off in our place.

"The victors write history!" Jesus is the victor and his "secretaries" wrote his history, Nothing required "spinning" and deception was not used. As with Nicolay and Haye did with Lincoln; Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul wrote the biography of Jesus, but although Christ was martyred as was Lincoln, Pilate wasn't the scapegoat as Davis was! Jesus accepted all responsibility for his actions and although the world was to blame, Jesus willingly accepted all the blame for us and became the scapegoat for us who are without excuse!

Nicolay and Haye had a motive. They loved Lincoln and wanted his legacy to honor the martyr. Much distortion was used to achieve that! The Bible is a book of truth. There is no deception and no spin! Truth includes all the faults of the apostles, such as Peter, and the tale of the murderer Paul. No attempt was made to "clean up" who people truly were. Jesus used failing people to spread the truth. He used failed fisherman, a doctor, a tent maker and murderer, and a crooked tax collector and other deficient men to spread truth!

"The Victor really did write the history" and I thank God he did!

Consistency

Something consistent maintains the same theme always. People who think consistently don't contradict themselves. Processes which happen never deviate. One of the best examples of consistency was said by the wise man:

Ecclesiastes 1:5 "The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. 6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. 7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again."

These three statements are profound! Not only are they examples of consistency, but all three are early scientific thought!

The best example is the sun. We can count on it doing pretty much the same thing every day. It's totally consistent and has been since it's origin. Right now I am fully confident that the sun will rise and set although its rays may be blocked from view, but in spite of that, the sun is dependable! It's consistent!

Less obvious is that the earth has all the water it always has had, short of the small amounts added by chemical experiment and the small amounts lost by space exploration. We can count on the seas being full and never spilling out because evaporation turns it to the skies and rain comes down. The rains fill the streams and rivers and carry the water to the sea. Although water at various places are different, we can count on the whole always being the same!

It's less obvious, but the winds are much like the rivers. In fact they are rivers in the sky. The wind may vary and change direction and sometimes take a rest, but it always returns. The seas of the sky are a receptacle of consistency!

These three examples by Solomon make a point of consistency. They are the same because God is the same!

God is everlasting. Adam, despite those cults who profess a demiurge, worshiped the same God that we still worship and who created the universe. The same God that reigns in heaven for ever. God is consistent. We can count on him and he works the same way he always did. God has always been merciful! There were never different covenants, but always God's "Covenant of Grace"! At times his grace was more obvious than others, but salvation was always by grace. God is unchanging. He's consistent:

Psalm 90:2 (ESV) "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."

How about Jesus? Does he change? Jesus is unchanging too! He is reliable and consistent:

Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

We know that Jesus was born around 4 B.C. Where was he before? He was the "Tree of Life" in the garden, the royal priest in the form of Melchizedek, the burning bush in the face of Moses, the fourth man in the fiery furnace, and the angel of God who wrestled with Jacob! Jesus IS before he came! Being God and The Word of God, he was as consistent when he provided the sacrifice for Abraham as when he sacrificed himself for us! His appearance changes, but his grace was always the same. Jesus always was with mankind and always will be. That's consistency!

Some will argue that times change. The apostles didn't know what man knows today. People believe that scripture needs to change for the times. Solomon knew that wasn't true. Things have always been the same! The world was as wicked in the time of Moses and as wicked as was Sodom and Gomorrah. Las Vegas, San Francisco and New York City shares the same wickedness. Nothing is new. History repeats itself:

Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Scripture applies today as much as it did for Moses. When God spoke to Moses he spoke to us. When he spoke to the prophets the message was for all time. "There is no new thing under the sun"!

With that said, God's Word applies now as much as then:

Isaiah 40:8 (ESV) "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."

What that means is that the truth of the creation is just as valid then as it is today. Any rational person can see that no scientist has ever adequately explained how it all started, but scripture is consistent in it's story. Scientists change their theories with new "evidence", but an omnipotent God never requires revision. God will never be proved wrong because he's not wrong, and science, if they're honest, never proves any hypothesis! Science, by their own admission, can never "prove" anything and what the beguiled accept as fact will always be theory.

The two "testaments" are two "covenants". The popular theology is that the Old Testament is an agreement to keep The Law and the New Testament is a "Covenant of Grace".  However, The Bible is what's called "internally consistent". There is a common thread which is strung throughout the entire Bible. Just as the threads which hold the cover and pages together in the binding are, within the words are common threads. Some of these are:

• God is good
• God is truth
• God is just
• God is merciful
• God has always loved us
• God always IS
• God is eternal
• God is all powerful
• God is all knowing
• The Word (the voice of God) always was and IS
• When God spoke or was "seen" it was the personality which became put on flesh (Jesus)
• Jesus always IS
• Jesus IS The Word and The Word IS God
• Man has been in sin since the first sin of Adam
• As such, man died spiritually
• Man cannot save himself, but is dependent on God
• Since God has always been merciful, grace was always the path to salvation
• Forgiveness has always been by the blood
• The blood of animal sacrifices were symbolic of the atoning blood of Jesus
• Belief in Jesus was always the way and only way to salvation
• Faith in the coming Jesus who was already Immanuel was the salvation of the patriarchs, and belief in Jesus after his incarnation is still the way to salvation!
• Hope was always the incentive for faith.
• God's word is forever and is unalterable
• And on and on!

Scripture never deviates! All these truths are unchanging. When a person reads the Old Testament (OT), they are reading about Jesus and when they read the New Testament (NT) they are reading about Jesus! These threads which are common throughout scripture is "internal consistency". The entire Bible has the same theme. It's all about Jesus! Whenever we read OT scripture, ask "What's this got to do with Jesus?" because the OT is all about Jesus!

Since I know that scripture is consistent and that Jesus is the same yesterday (OT), today (now) and tomorrow (for eternity), I can depend on Jesus to save me because he will do what he says!  The entire theme of The Bible is summed up with one verse:

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Belief that the Messiah is coming motivated the patriarchs in their faith and hope, and belief that it happened motivates us in our faith and hope!  Abraham believed this and so did the prophets! So do I !

Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles (salvation) through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

What is good for us was good for Abraham! It was always by faith and with the faith of the believer, salvation was always by grace!

I mentioned the three insights of Solomon in the introduction. On Dec 6 (God the Scientist) I will write on the consistency of what we call science today.

Why Circumcision?

Briefly from "wire reports" CDC: circumcision gains outweigh risks - "health officials today released a draft of long awaited federal guidelines on circumcision, saying medical evidence supports having the procedure done..." and "the scientific evidence is clear that the benefits outweighs the risk".  "Germs can grow underneath the foreskin, and CDC officials said the procedure can lower the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, penile cancer and even urinary tract infections".

 Genesis 17:9 "And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11"And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you." 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed."

Let's take a look at the time frame. The Abrahamic Covenant was made in about 2091 B.C. today is 2014. Hence, God was way ahead of scientists... and the government. There were 4105 years  before God instituted circumcision and it's benefits finally recognized as beneficial. The "Good Doctor" God has more credibility than millions of physicians over the centuries! It makes one wonder why God is criticized by science yet they are merely discovering what God knew all along!

Circumcision was to "seal the deal". The Abrahamic Covenant was threefold: 1) to make Abraham's seed a great nation, 2) to indenture to Abraham The Promised Land, and 3) to make Abraham the father of many nations. The "seal" for the Covenant was circumcision. The Hebrew word for "seal" is "to cut".

Furthermore, circumcision was a prediction of tabernacle sacrifice. The foreskin of the penis was cut off to make the male ceremonially clean. It was symbolic of the sacrifice of animals on the altar to atone for the sins of the Hebrew nation. Rather than sacrificing the entire (or actually clean) parts of the animal, it was only necessary to sacrifice a small amount of flesh. The animal sacrifice was for the cleanings of sin and likewise, the circumcision represented the same.

In effect, where we shake hands when a deal is made today, or notarize a signature on a piece of paper, circumcision was the seal chosen by God. The deal was: if I bless you are expected to obey! Obedience was submitting to circumcision. It was only the males because the males were responsible for the righteousness of the entire household.

Circumcision seals the deal after the coming of Jesus! It's not the foreskin which is cut away after the cleansing ceremony, it's the heart!

Romans 2:29 "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."

As a result of Jesus coming circumcision of the foreskin is no longer a requirement, but something is still needed to "seal the deal".

Yes, there is a "new deal".

Acts 16:31 "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..."

Salvation is free! The covenant is of the one part. If we believe, then we shall be saved. To seal this covenant (Covenant of Grace), what shall we do? Obey!

Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved..."

 The Abrahamic Covenant was sealed with circumcision. The Covenant of Grace is sealed with baptism. Hence, circumcision is a prototype of baptism and is an act of obedience to "seal" the covenant. There are arguments as to whether baptism is a sacrament (saving), but the way I understand scripture, it's obedience; closing the deal with God! Along with the immersion into water goes circumcision of the heart. The decay within the heart is cut out by Holy Spirit and is replaced with new flesh. The old person becomes new!

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

And the ultimate evidence that circumcision is symbolic of baptism:

Colossians 2:11 "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."

It would appear that rather than cutting off a slight bit of the flesh as in circumcision, Jesus circumcises the entire person in baptism! (The heart goes with it!) It's not the same, but one represents the other. Everything God did  and required in olden days meant something which pointed toward Jesus! It was all planned. God's methods are not by accident.

 I have focused on the spiritual cleanliness when a believer is circumcised. However, part of the Mosaic Law are "dietary laws". It's what Jews ate, when they ate, what they eat, etc. Along with dietary laws there is ceremonial cleansing.  These "laws" were necessary to fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant. How could the seed of Abraham become a great nation and populate the earth when they did things the pagans do which are unhealthy? To fulfill the covenant God gave them laws for self-preservation. They were to eat only clean things, wash thoroughly at all times and the ultimate act of being clean: circumcision.

God told Abraham to do this over 4000 years before doctors recognized and endorsed its benefits. Circumcision not only cleanses the soul, but the body as well. It protected the Jews from diseases that were common to pagans of the day; in both men and women! Both benefited from the removal of the foreskin which allowed the Hebrew to be hygienically clean!

Hygiene has come along way today. Many people are not circumcised because we are privy to the finest soaps, the cleanest water, showers with hot water and the finest ointments. It was a necessity then for preservation, but now it's recognized as beneficial.

Yes, "we've come a long way, baby!" We've went back to where man started. Doctors are just catching up with God's instructions. Isn't God wise?

God Doesn't See as We See

God was selecting a new king to replace Saul. He sent Samuel to meet the sons of Jesse. Here is what God told Saul:

1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

Picture if you will what is perceived a great man: large stature, wide shoulders, bulging biceps, square jaw, bright eyes and self confidence. A great woman is tall, slender, smiling, has flowing hair and usually well endowed. Like the great man she has self confidence and add to that poise. Both are well-dressed and groomed. That's my stereotypes and I  bet yours are at least similar! Well, God has different criteria! Let's take a look at King David, the man who would be king, but wasn't "kingly":

1 Samuel 16:10 (ESV) "And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome.
1 Samuel 17:42 "And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance."

David had an humble job. Being the youngest, he was merely the keeper of the sheep. All the older brothers were passed by in favor David who was a youngster.  In those days the king led the army in battle. Saul had been a near giant and the epitome of a warrior. David, who was to become king, "was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome". Samuel selected a red-skinned pretty boy to be king and do great deeds. David was not what one would expect to lead the armies and rule the people.  Why did God choose David?

Acts 13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

 David was not what a king was expected to be! God looked at his heart! David was qualified for the job for which he was chosen because he wanted to please God. Being human, he failed miserably at times, but in the end, it was God whom David obeyed and loved. This young man, not masculine at all, built an empire larger than has existed before or after under the leadership of a Hebrew! What's more, this young man was chosen to be the ancestor of the greatest man who ever lived, Jesus:

Matthew 22:42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.

David became the standard to which all men were compared. He was great! God did good in selecting David! He didn't fit the mold. He wasn't the stereotypical king, but God looks at the heart, and as such David was a picture of Jesus who was of his seed. David did great things. He was a great king! David was long dead and the nation had been destroyed because of decadence from within and defeat from without. The nation, even the world, was ready for a new king. Who shall it be?

God used the same standard in selecting the "King of the Jews" in Caesar's time as he did in the time of the Philistines. God wanted someone who was a Goliath in heart, but not in stature. He chose Jesus.

The Jews had been in a revolution for 400 years. The Macabbee kings had become the George Washingtons of their day, bu they were gone and the Jews paid tribute and we governed by the Roman Empire. The people were ready for a king. He was to be as great as King David and restore their heritage! That's what they expected, but they got what was written on the Cross of Jesus "King of the Jews". Let's continue to look at the king they expected:

Describing David the servants said:

1 Samuel 16:8 "I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him."

It's strange! After God saw the kingly stature of David, it seems that others then saw it... and this was before he killed the giant! Doesn't it work the same today? We fail to see greatness in a person because we have been blinded by what we expect. It needs to only be pointed out and then we see!

"Comely" is an archaic word and is what is perceived to be beautiful, suitable and of proper proportion. It's the opposite of plain and homely. David was a comely king. Is that what we would expect with Jesus? Was God to use the same standard again? God sees things differently, with different eyes, than man sees!

Isaiah 53:2 "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him."

David was a rugged pretty boy. He was young and probably of small stature, but Jesus was different. He was no David in appearance! He was "Joe Average". As "a tender plant" implies that he would be delicate in stature and form. His tone would be rough "as a root out of dry ground". He was to be a rugged carpenter, likely an indoor  worker and not ruddy at all! He was uncomely. He wasn't what one would expect him to be. His proportion was probably slight and "there is no beauty". People would not be attracted to his appearance! This is the person who God became! He didn't choose David's appearance, but he's just like most of us! Look at his name! Jesus (Jeshua, Joshua). It was as common as "Joe" is today! Josephus mentioned 24 different "Jesus's" in his Antiquities of the Jews.

Jesus, though, as did David, came out of Bethlehem. Was that to be expected? Not so! Jerusalem was a great city at the time of his birth. Like Jesus, Bethlehem was nondescript. It's name means "city of bread". It was a fertile city and the birthplace of "The Bread of Life" Jesus! Who would expect another king from Bethlehem? Few would!

As we see from 1 Samuel 16:7b "the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.", God made us in his own image. Jesus doesn't look like us! We look like Jesus!  Most of us don't fit the appearance one would expect of a king. We are not tall, strong looking, square jawed, and confident looking. We look just like Jesus!

What's different is that we may look as Jesus, but our heart is not as his! He has God's heart. Like David, Jesus was a "a man after mine (God's) own heart" because he had God's "heart" being God! He knew what to do to please God because the Son of Man had the "Heart" of God! He did God's will because he knew God's will because he was there with God all the time!

Think about Jesus. Is he what we expected?  He would be totally different because "the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance". Imagine Saul. That's our vision of a king. That's what the people wanted and God gave them that type of king, but Saul failed God. He assumed the role of priest to which he was not entitled and lost God's anointment.  He was replaced by what God wanted. A fair youth with pleasing appearance. David's countenance would not put fear in anyone. Goliath ridiculed him as did his brothers! David showed them!

Jesus showed us all too! He put his life on the line. The uncomely man who came to die for us died for us! He was melancholic because he knew his destiny. Jesus didn't want to die, but he was willing and he died for us willingly! No one dragged him to the Cross, but he dragged the Cross to his death. He didn't do what we would expect of a king. The King was a servant who washed feet and cried for us. Kings don't serve and cry in public, but Jesus did! He's not what we expected, but I'm glad that God doesn't see as we see! We have not only a "King of the Jews", but the King to which kings show bow!

Modern Church: What Is Right in Our Own Eyes

Let's take a look at rationalizing in scripture. The ark of the covenant, where God sat on his mercy seat, had not been used when Saul was king. That's a sorry state of affairs, but the Hebrew people now had kings and God ceased to be King. King David had a bright idea: let's travel all over with the ark and let it be seen by all the people. David then sought the advice of the people and they agreed "That's a good idea!"

There were a few rules for the ark. The cherubims atop the ark was where God spoke to Moses. The ark wasn't an idol, but it was "holy ground". It's where God revealed himself to mankind (Immanuel-God with us) and was the place where The Word spoke. The mercy seat between the cherubim was symbolic of Jesus.

Being holy, the ark could only be uncovered under cover of the tabernacle. It was in the Holy of Holies within the tabernacle and only a ceremonially clean righteous priest could approach it, let alone see it uncovered!  When it was to be transported it was to proceed well ahead of the people and be carried only by the carrying poles. Furthermore, the ark was to be used for God's work under his direction. When God was properly honored the ark allowed enemies to suffer defeat, the walls of Jericho to fall and the idol Dagon to destroy itself!

When David's "light" flashed within his mind, his good idea was to parade the ark. It certainly wasn't being transported properly: it was on a new cart, not carried by poles, it was apparently not covered and it was among the people, not ahead of them. Furthermore, the ark was being used for David's purposes, not God's! David failed to have proper reverence for God and the rough road caused the ark to tip when Ussa caught it. Because he touched the ark, Ussa died. Ussa died in place of the king who bore the guilt because of his disobedience to The King! David was responsible for Ussa's death and God's wrath!

David did what was right in his own eyes and so did all the people:

1 Chronicles 13:3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul. 4 And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

People do what's right in their own eyes. They have a herd mentality! If it's the popular thing to do, then we shall do it. The Hebrew people always did what was in vogue. It took many trials, many defeats and tens of thousands of deaths and the Hebrews still failed to heed God. With the advent of Jesus (God With Us), the Jews still failed to listen and killed their Savior. They did "the thing that was right in the eyes of all the people"! They did wrong!

Where am I headed with this story? I'm looking at the modern church.

Revelation 3:14 "And unto the angel of the church of the Lydians write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

Laodicea was the home of a church which really did exist. They allowed sin to be mixed with the worship of Jesus. This is syncretism. That's the fusion of two different beliefs. Mankind seldom abandons God. Man just adds another god or participates in heathen worship. If worship fails to be scriptural, it's heathen and is heretical! The Laodicean Church was syncretic. They mixed heathen practices with the worship of God. They were wasting their time! God said "because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth!" It's apparent that the spittoon for that church is a pit of fire!

The Laodician Church of Revelation is not only their contemporary church, but is symbolic of the church age at the end of time! It's a portrait of what the church will be. Revelation speaks of Nicolatians "who God hates". They brought sexual immorality into the church. They were licentious, adulterers and apparently engaged in same-sex as was popular then as now. They worshiped God, but with sinful worship!

There are many denominations today which are Laodocian in practice. The obvious ones are the United Churches of Christ and the Unitarian-Universalism churches. However, many traditional churches are neither cold nor hot. There are many lukewarm churches out there and they too will be "spewed"!

It's not my intent to create animosity nor spread dissension. I will not list list churches which are modernistic, but will let you examine yours! Churches with the following characteristics are Laodician:

• Scripture is not divinely inspired, but are the writings of "good" people.
• The death of Christ is questioned as is his ministry.
• Profess that salvation is by any other means (or other religions)
• Neglect the "born-again" experience in favor of inherited or ritual Christian status.
• Deny the creation and support or integrate evolution.
• Minimize the necessity of faith and obedience.
• Allow women ministers.
• Fail to condemn sin, especially homosexuality and fornication.
• Condone same-sex marriage.
• Teach social justice rather than the gospel.
• Worship according to the world, not as a place of holy ground.
• Having a kind of religion, but not in a biblical sense.
• And many more. This is an endless list!

Modern churches take on the characteristics of a night club. Rather than taking sinners to God they take sinners to dens of iniquity. One new mission I read about this week meets in a bar, the preacher buys the first drink and none of the music is Christian music. The evangelical preachers offer pleasures of the flesh so that people will have a desire to come! I assure you, that if they add strippers and lap dances, attendance will grow exponentially. That is a "lukewarm church" if even that, and will end up in God's spittoon!

When worshiping God we are standing on holy ground! When we worship, God is right there and sees it. There can be no sin in the presence of God unless sinners either repent or suffer the consequences. David disrespected what was holy and God struck Ussa dead! David bore the guilt, but as the leader of those disrespectful, David was taught a lesson. David listened! If he had not, David would have been in God's spittoon!

The preacher shares the same fate as did David. They will be held accountable for their syncretism. Preachers should never even allow fleshly worship, let alone lead it!

It's okay to frequent the places of sin to call men to Christ, but church is a place to worship. We leave those who fail to listen, not join them. We're to shake the dust off our feet and move on. We are not to satisfy the  pleasures of sinners when praising, but are to do everything to magnify God!

Modern churches do what they want to do "for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people"! What's right in the eyes of the people is wrong in the eyes of God; and yes, a loving God seeks justice. Those who do what's right in their own eyes will be spewed out!