Hope

"Hope" implies uncertainty.

Let us say, for instance, that a management position exists. We know that it does because others have had that position. You were promised the job if you performed well, and the rating system validates that. There are no others in competition, so you expect that you will be promoted. Your expectation is hope. The truth is that the position exists, you qualify, you were promised the job, but yet it is not yours yet. Hope in this case is to cherish a desire with anticipation :  to want something to happen or be true. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Let is focus on the second part of the definition. We want that the position be there when it is our time. We strongly believe that it will be, but what if management is lying about your opportunity? Then you have been deceived. You are offered the carrot, but the meat doesn't exist. You see, the management position is not tangible. It can just disappear in an instant. Believing management and the reality that the position will be there when you qualify is based on faith. Well, what is faith?

Faith is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof, or another definition belief and trust in and loyalty. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

I actually prefer God's definition of faith better:

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

In a nutshell, faith is based in hope - a strong desire that we want something to be true. Faith is intangible since it cannot be seen. We must trust that what God promised is real. Heaven and hell must really exist to be saved, or there is nothing to be saved from, or a place to dwell safely in the afterlife.  Christians want eternal life. We can't stand the thought of ceasing to exist, or worse yet, going to a place of eternal torment. God says that both exist and we want to believe that - at least the heaven part! That premise is based entirely on God's Word. We can't see God, but yet we believe in his existence, and power to save. As such, salvation is a hope.  Paul called it that:

1 Thessalonians 5:8 "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation."

Not only does God's Word have to be true but we must firmly believe it. Faith is a gift from God (Eph 2:8), and was given to each in a certain measure (Rom 12:3). Since the apostles had a little faith (Matt 8:26), and were saved, it doesn't take much.  Why blame God for having little faith since he is its source? Because Christians must work to make it grow. That is the work of faith (1 Thess 1:3). Salvation is a gift of God but it must mean enough to us to make it grow. If we don't, then we can lose faith. Here are some examples:

Colossians 1:23 (NKJV) "...if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

1 Timothy 4:1 (NKJV) "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons..."

1 Timothy 5:11 (NKJV) "But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, 12  having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith.

1 Timothy 1:18 (NKJV) "This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19  having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme."

In essence, Christians have only the hope of salvation for two reasons: (1) It is not yet attained being at the end of life, and (2) one comes to disbelief at the instigation and deception of Satan's representatives. Of course, the stronger one's faith is, the more assured they shall be saved. That strong faith is of one's own belief - God gave it and the recipient practices it.

Sola gratia is Latin for by grace alone. That is Calvinistic in doctrine. Salvation is available by grace alone, but to receive it takes faith. If one doesn't do the work of faith, Satan replaces it with doubt. Since only God has perfect faith, there remains some doubt in all of us. Even with Abraham's great faith, that left some room for doubt. Our hope of salvation depends on keeping the faith. Sure, we can doubt, but some faith must remain. Those who have no faith are reprobate, as Hymenaeus and Alexander surely found out. In short, we can commit apostasy, the sin of blasphemy, which those two did. They lost their hope. Although they once believed, they ceased to and fell into apostasy. They lost their faith, and their hope ceased.

It's not "hoping that we're saved" because until the end we are not. Specifically, Paul said that we are nearer our salvation than when we first believed (Rom 13:11). The way to obtain that salvation is to run the race (1 Cor 9;24) where it says that we are to run in a manner so as to obtain. Anyone who has ran in a race knows that to win, one must be serious. All run but few win the prize. Our hope is that we persevere until the end (Rev 3:10). The race we run is a hard course, but with God it is made possible. Satan shoots his barbs at the runners, but the runners must dodge them, Faith is how that's done. Our hope is that we miss all his barbs and finish the course. That is the hope of our salvation!

Admittedly, this is Arminian doctrine, but it is based on the word of God. Although I can't see how it is denied, Calvinists do. Am I right? I believe so. I have faith that God is true to His word. Of course, the easy route is Calvinism, but by faith we obey. If we cease to obey, then that's a display of little or no faith. Continuing in sin after once having been born again is akin to crucifying Jesus all over again (Heb 6:6).

Salvation isn't I hope so, but that I have confidence because of faith that I shall be.(Acts 2:21).

Empathy

Last evening on America's Got Talent there was one contestant who at the same time repulsed me and softened my heart. She caused me to give thanks for the many blessings which I have but take for granted. A plane crash turned a beautiful teenage girl into a scarred one, and with time, her appearance was frightening. Her name is Kechi Okwuchi , a very sweet young woman from Nigeria. Her plane crashed as it was taking a group of students to boarding school, and she was the only survivor.

To look at the young woman, she barely survived. Indeed, one would ask, "Did she survive, or is she in a living hell?" Not only does she have a body which is burned, but ghastly memories of those who didn't survive. I would suspect that many times she wished that she had died with them. It's not only a disfigured face but her entire body, it seems, from what was exposed.

Society would call her "ugly", but Howie Mandell called her beautiful. Indeed I soon found out, this young lady is truly beautiful. We used to say, "Beauty is skin deep but ugly goes to the bone." I now believe that ugly is only skin deep but beauty goes all the way to the bone! People are shallow. I am too. We most often look at beauty as what we see on the outside.

An acquaintance of mine married a woman quite unattractive by about any one's standards. A neighbor told me why: His first wife was beautiful, and she left him for another man. Now "Will" wanted a wife so ugly that nobody would want her. He married a woman who met that standard but yet she is a beautiful woman as well. "Edna", if one looks past the exterior, is quite a beautiful woman. When looking inside at her heart and demeanor, suddenly her outside becomes more attractive as well.

The definition of beauty changes over the centuries. Plumpness was at one time considered beautiful, as well as fair-skinned. Women struggled to stay porcelain and Rubenesque. Now it's the opposite. In some societies women elongate their necks or deform their lips with primitive hockey-pucks. The men in those cultures see beauty as we see horror. Chinese once adored the small feet of their women who actually crippled themselves on purpose for beauty's sake. The western world found that atrocious.

Fate made Kechi disfigured. It wasn't her choice. I know that "Fate" is really God. I believe what happened was for a divine purpose. Indeed, Kecki softened my heart. As I looked at her injuries, I felt her pain. That is empathy. I put myself in her place and thought, I'd  rather be dead. I can hardly imagine the pain and suffering she went through, and still goes through. I'm sure she is humiliated by unwanted stares, and kids pointing in fear. When I saw the burns on her body, it made me think of hell. Those who deny God will someday be burned as she was, and the pain will be tremendous and without end.

Kechi made me remember why I turned to Jesus. I really struggled even though I believed, I just would not submit. My mindset was, I'm not ready to quit having fun yet. I'm sure that  Kechi had those same thoughts as she realized how badly burned that she would be! Now, for her, being alive is fun. Now for me, being alive is fun. I appreciate every breath that I take and thank God for it. I bet Kechi does as well!

You see, fun is temporal, but contentment is eternal. I enjoy my life, and it seems that Kecki does too. I've often wondered what I would do, if I had one week to live. Sure, I would eat my fill of pizza and brownies, but that is for the moment. I would spend most of my time praising God for his mercy. Guess what? I don't have to wait until that last week - like Kechi I can praise God right now from saving me from the torment that Kecki suffered.

Kecki almost died. Her wounds are as if she is alive but dead. On the other hand, those who will burn forever are indeed the living dead. After they suffer the sting of death, which Kechi likely suffered, their torment will go on forever. If Kechi is a Christian, and I bet that she is, life for her will go on forever, and that beautiful body she gave up in life, will exist again as she is glorified!

I've been blessed. Some look on me as sort of attractive, and others as surely not so. As I look in the mirror I see average, but am content with it. Looking more deeply, I often see ugly because of the sin inside. Sometimes I do think that my ugliness goes all the way to the bone. Indeed, at times my heart is ugly but repentance makes it more acceptable to God. It's God who makes me beautiful inside, and it is God who made Kechi beautiful there too. After considering her pain, this distaste for what I saw became pleasing to my eyes. I no longer saw someone who repulsed me but a young lady who blessed me with her inner beauty.  Truly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Right now, I thank God for me not having to suffer as Kecki suffered. Right now, I thank God that I will never have to suffer as she suffered. Eternity will be a beautiful place, and we'll all have beautiful bodies surrounding those beautiful spirits. Kechi will be a beautiful person on the outside as well as the inside. If we look through that flesh we see, we know that it doesn't matter. It will return to the dust from which it came, but that soul inside will live forever!

This verse comes to mind:

1 Corinthians 12:26 (NKJV) "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."

As I gazed at Kechi, I suffered with her. She still appeared to be filled with pain. I thought about her agony and agonized with her. Then, as she displayed her beauty in song, the crowd rejoiced. I rejoiced with them as her face lighted with joy. I have felt this feeling before:

 Matthew 27:45 "Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 26 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit."

As he was dying on the cross in my place, Jesus was in agony. Was it for himself? No it was for mankind. Sure he had great pain, but it was for me that he was in agony. He took all my sin - all of mankind's on his back and suffered the penalty for us all. Imagine his agony at the burden he carried. Christ too was disfigured. With the beatings to the head he suffered, he likely was not human in appearance. His face would have been an ugly sight, but his beauty would have been glorious!

Jesus knew what he would be experiencing. It is called, the agony of Christ:

Luke 22:44 "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

For whom do you suppose that Jesus was agonizing? Was it for himself? No. That's not Jesus! He was agonizing for us. He knew that millions would go to hell, and that only that He could save them. He felt the pain that those lost would feel. That was such a heavy burden that living waters flowed from him as if he was bleeding. Those waters were for mankind. His sweat made the ground holy, as he sweated for us. Jesus empathized with us. Because he died in my place, I empathize with Him! Indeed, my empathy is how I can show my love, and because I empathize with Jesus, I desire to do his will.

In summary, empathy is important. It's how we show our love. Everyone loved Kechi for what she went through. I love Jesus for what he went through - for me.

Touch, Taste and Handle

I take pride in the things I do not do: I don't smoke, I don't drink nor do I chew; neither do I hang with those that do!" Indeed, the things that I don't do are noble but they are of no spiritual consequence for me. Let us take a look at regulations imposed by what comes from Mosaic Law:

Colossians 2:16 (NKJV) "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."

As you can see, Paul specifically mentioned three: (1) do not touch, (2) do not taste, and (3) do not handle.

DO NOT TOUCH

Those things Jews were not to touch were those who were dirty (i.e, the Gentiles). Neither were they to touch lepers or anyone unclean - sinners. Scripture even told the Jews not to touch things which were holy! Now for a list of things not to touch, here it is:

Leviticus 5:2 ' ‘Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and guilty. 3 Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty."

 You see, the list of untouchable things is ominous - there was a penalty for that! He who touched unclean things was guilty. The blood of Jesus cleansed the dirty things of the world for the Christian. Christian don't have to go around worrying about whether their body is clean or not, because we are now to present our impure living sacrifice to God, just as it is, and not have to sacrifice the most pure and clean animals. By the way, those were dead sacrifices.  Of course, they lived before they were sacrificed but our sacrifice is that we live even more cleanly, after the sacrifice!

In the western world, people, even Christians, have always been dirty in the sense of touching the unclean. While it may be hygienic to wash often and bathe regularly, it does nothing toward cleansing the soul. Americans may look clean but we aren't. We daily touch some extremely dirty things, and think little of it! We are no longer bound by the regulation of cleanliness even though that is the healthy and wise thing to do.

This law was never one of God's commands. The first mention of touching was:

Genesis 3:3 (NKJV) "...but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

God didn't say "nor shall you touch it". That was added by the serpent. Essentially, mankind was told not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Touching it had no penalty. Touching was added as a regulation. It was so that man's own sacrifice was clean and pleasing. The blood of Christ made us clean, so that as Christians, we are always clean because sin is under the blood.

DO NOT TASTE

Not tasting things were how God's people turned from evil things:

Jonah 3:6 (NKJV) "Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands."

This was here a man-made rule. The king of Nineveh made the rule. It is supposed that he was led by God to command that, because the Jewish people saw denial as the way to shun evil. In fact, the aesthetic lifestyles of isolated monks has always been to serve God by denying themselves. However, we are to serve Jesus best by focusing on him, and not ourselves. We are to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. He  didn't stay in a convent, he went into the world. Denial is good for fasting during prayer, but abstinence does not obtain mercy.

It is imprudent, for instance, to partake of alcohol. We are to remain sober, but yet Paul admonished the people to take a little wine as medicine. Of course, mankind has always abused medicine, and indeed modern society is rampant with abuse. I'm speaking of drug abuse. The term Prozak nation adequately describes America. People put high priority on getting high and low or both, and dismiss Christ as they do. The problem lies not on what they ingest, but the priorities of what is important to them! God calls those who are low in spirit, but if they can't focus on Christ, how can they come?

Abstinence of things we taste is a good thing. If we become fat on Epicurean foods, it's our own "god" which we appease. God wants us to be healthy but we over-indulge. It's not the food that's impure that's the problem, but our hearts are in the wrong place. We choose to overindulge ourselves rather than indulge Christ. What we eat is not dirty, but our hearts are unrighteous.

Michael Jackson called wine "Jesus juice". I have found nowhere in scripture where Jesus imbibed wine. He did make it, supply it, and watch others drink it, but he seemed to have not. Jesus was the pattern for Nazirites, and they were not to drink strong drink:

Numbers 6:1 (NKJV) "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2  “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, 3 he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. 4 All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin."

Nazirites were set apart from the world for God's purposes.  This is today what we would call "sanctification". Wine seemed to contaminate the spirit, and even any food that turns to wine. They induced unclean ingredients of fermentation. However, the wine wasn't the problem, but the contaminants caused by those fruits:

Luke 1: 15 (NKJV) "For he (John the Baptist) will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb."

To be set apart for the work of the Holy Spirit means keeping the temple clean for Him. Rather than alcohol making the temple clean in preparation for the Holy Spirit,  those who are cleaned by the blood, as John was in the womb, had a cleaned temple -  one cleaned by God. Not imbibing is a way for the Holy Spirit to dwell within in seeking to be like Christ. I can drink alcohol of I want. I am at liberty to drink or not to drink, but if I want to set myself apart for Christ, then I choose to keep my temple free of impurities. That is not a sacrament, but obedience as I attempt to show my love.

DO NOT HANDLE

Handling are the things we do. In Old Testament times, things were done ritualistic in order to please God. We are all guilty of that! We insist that church services follow tradition. Oftentimes, we lose site of Who we worship because of how we worship. Sabbath keeping was a problem for the Jews. They were required to do everything ritualistic - ceremonial washing, not working, walking to the synagogues, praying in public, and all the other burdens.

Christians still do many of those things! Some churches still have candle bearers and a certain order of church. These help set the mood for worship, but if they distract from worship, then they are burdensome. In my own church there is an automatic flow of events from acclimation. When it's prayer time, without being told, everyone just flows forward. I quit doing that because I can pray from my pew. I sit down and rest my head on the pew in front of me. I can pray anywhere.

The altar was used in olden times to bring to God our sacrifice. Now, we are the sacrifice that He wants, and we can present ourselves anywhere. While praying at the altar is worshipful, if it hinders worship, it is of no value. I do like to go to the altar when I desire others to lay on hands and pray for my needs, but it is not a ritualistic thing that I do.

Simon Magus thought there was a ritual in receiving the Holy Spirit. He entirely missed the point. It wasn't the method which welcomed the Spirit, but the will of God. He is  not a genie who requires a bottle to be rubbed. He knows our hearts. The desire for money was in Simon's heart. That was a cardinal sin, I believe, because he was in apostasy. Simon mishandled his salvation, and history shows that he became the enemy in the One in whom he at first believed.

SUMMARY:

The Ten Commandments are not of the nature of touch, taste, nor handle. They are written on stone for eternity. We must obey the commandments - God's Law because each one of them are how we practice love for either God or our neighbor. Those who think that the Ten Commandments are obsolete fail to understand that they are how we demonstrate love. If we do those things which are forbidden, it's not love which we demonstrate. If we do the commands we are to do, it is a demonstration of love!

Bringing Up Chidren

A neighbor posted on the neighborhood association web page that he had his grandchildren for the summer: What was available for them to do? There was about thirty posts. All but one was related to all the available entertainment in the area. One said simply, "Put them to work!" It's a shame. Only one of my neighbors was wise and had common sense.

How do you help your children in life?

• Buy them their own cell phone. It's so important that they chat with strangers. Also, cyber friends are so much better than real friends.
• Buy them video games. There is a big demand for gamers in industry. Perhaps even more in the government.
• Make sure that they have MTV in their room. It's essential that they learn about the government, and how screwed up America is from those who know. Likewise, how would they know how beneficial abortion and same-sex marriage are unless their favorite rock stars tell them.
• Let them spend your money on C.D.s  Someday those C.D.s will grow and make a lot of money. (Oops! I was thinking about monetary C.D.s). Perhaps they may buy one though which is worth more than the celluloid on which it is printed in five years when a new recorded mode comes out.
• Be sure and allow them to watch PG and R movies with you so that they can learn to filter out garbage. At least, that's your rationalization. By the way, all the gratuitous sex they see may help them in dating. We don't want them to fumble in the heat of the moment do we?
• Give them an allowance for just existing. It will teach them how to get the government to support them later on.
• Support them in their career choices even at a young age. There is a big demand for singers, dancers, and other entertainers. Allow them to spend their time with rock bands and street dancing. They might get rich - or maybe not.
• Never give them any work. It is child abuse to make them do things they don't want to do. They should spend all their youth years having fun because that's what they will be doing as an adult. You can fund them now... you can fund them later.
• Let them eat whatever they want. They can lose the weight later, and learn to eat healthy when they get old. The doctor will enforce that then so you won't have to now.
• Don't bore children with your frivolous attempts to befriend them. They don't want to hear about un-fun things. Only talk to them about things they want and want to do.
• If they get hypnotized by their TVs, don't be alarmed. They are being programmed with useful information that they can use against you later.
• Let others teach your children about sex. They won't buy your prudish ideas on  abstention anyway. Allow the health department to come into your schools to teach them how to use a prophylactic. They may need one tomorrow because they may want to try out what they see on TV.
• Make sure your church entertains on Sunday. Children require continuous entertainment. Your church should appease their desires. They can't afford to lose one hour of fun. That's a whole 0.6% of their fun-time wasted!
• Don't force Christianity on them. They'll hate you if you force them to go to church. They can decide when they are adults on their own. Their professors will help them, so don't worry!
• Your child deserves good things. Never deny them anything or they'll hate you. Make sure they love you by getting them all the things they deserve just for existing.
• Let them "date" at a young age. Start arranging get-togethers between little girls and little boys. There may not be time later, and it's never too early to be thinking about marriage. Serial romances are great practice for serial marriages, and they need to learn that early.
• Always trust your child. They will never lie.
• Always side with your child. They will do no wrong. Acknowledge that any trouble is always the others kid's fault.
• When your child is punished, always side with your child. Teachers just love to pick on your child. They teach them bullying at teacher colleges.
• Complain when your child is not first string on sports teams. It's always the coach who just can't see how good your child is.
• Church revivals are for old people. Let your kids stay home and do fun things. They can always get saved when they are old.
• Reward your child generously when they obey. Reward them when they disobey too because they'll hate you if you don't.
• Pay them for making good grades. They need incentive to achieve. A promising future is not enough!
• Never say negative things to them. It will hurt their feelings if they learn that they are not better than everyone else.
• If you give things to one child, give the same to them all without regard to obedience our need. They expect free things. Don't disappoint them.
• Kid life is for fun. Never make them do difficult or challenging things.
• Clean their rooms for them, and clean up their table messes. They surely will all have servants when they are on welfare, and they need to get accustomed to their life-styles.
• Furniture is for their enjoyment. Never discourage their rough-housing on the furniture. After all, it can be replaced.
• Get them several pets. They surely will take are of them. Bring them into the house so that you can clean up after both your children and their pets.
• Reward them when they whine. That will be useful throughout their life.
• Reinforce their disobedience by giving into their demands. This makes leaders out of your children. Unfortunately for them, though, is that in life they will have to learn to follow before they can lead. Maybe they will be able to skip that step by manipulating their superiors.
• Let them stay up late. They might miss something on TV. Plus, all the good adult shows are on late.
• Their room is theirs. Never go in there. They deserve their privacy. Besides that, you may not like what you learn in there.
• Let them watch TV while they eat. They might miss something important on it. Besides that, unless it's on, you might have to discuss serious things.
• Make sure they get to go to the movies. They don't have enough to entertain them at home. Plus, at the movies, all the good scenes are left in. The language they hear can be filtered out,  but recalled when they get angry. After all the "f word" and OMG is in, and they must fit in.
• Your child is special. He is a prince and she is a princess. You're a mere servant. Know your place. When they grow up, if they ever actually mature, they will expect that from everyone else.
• Remember, life is in general is all about your child. Give them everything they want because they deserve it! After all, they'll hate you if you don't.
• Get used to paying for their enjoyment and desires. That sets the tone for the rest of their life.
• Makes sure your child is crowned on all holidays. Christmas and Easter isn't about Jesus; it's about them. Birthdays are the time where your child is king or queen for the day. They'll never be too old to expect exclusive attention if they are taught greed early on!
• Children have rights just as the bread-winner does. Never interfere with what is right in their own eyes. They will always do right things, and what they are hiding is none of your business anyhow. They pay their part of the bills and what they have is theirs. (Oops! Maybe not.)
• Remember the following scripture: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6). That will interfere with what's important to the child. God must surely be wrong on that one! Bring up him/her to have their own way, and when they are old, they shall not depart from that!

Freedom in Trouble

True liberty is when all the wrongs which we have ever done is forgiven, forgotten, and put behind us. The liberty we have in this nation is fake liberty, just as fake news drives the entire fakery of our very existence. "Fake news" is a new term. In the past it was called by its true name - propaganda, which is purposely using misleading information to propagate a biased viewpoint. It is a weapon in and arsenal of destruction.

Entire nations can be fooled  by chicanery on the part of those with a hidden agenda. The epitome of this mass terror was the brainwashing of the people in the Third Reich. I hate to associate anyone with Nazis, but they are the standard to which everyone else is compared. They were good at propagating their agenda, and most of the people were fooled. In fact, during the 1934 referendum  88.1% of the electorate bought in to Goebbels's propaganda with 95.7% of the electorate turnout. (Wikipedia;). Even the Christians were fooled: The entire German Church heiled Hitler and was even run by the state.  At least Goebbels was honest with his purpose because his job title was Reich Minister of Propaganda. The Nazis were at least transparent on their methods, and the people still bought into their chicanery!

The people were won over by deception. Propaganda was the method of the serpent in the Garden, and it still is. Satan used the mouthpiece of a snake to make innocent people do evil things. Goebbels was the serpent, but Satan was still the Devil behind it all! Because Goebbels is dead and Hitler is in eternal inferno, doesn't mean evil is in the grave. Just as evil imbued all autocratic states, there are those in republics and democracies who are still autocrats. Even in America, there are those who despise the freedoms that the common people enjoy, but are rapidly losing. Their agenda is power, and their power is at the cost of our freedom. Never think that these people faded in oblivion with the dark ages. The shadow regime is still just as destructive as it was in undermining the Tzars of ancient times!

Crookedness is a characteristic of this powerful infrastructure. The health of the people is bled from the masses just as blood-letting was an attempt to cure sick people before modern times. Innocent people, even the wisest, went to "doctors" who bled them to death, thinking that they would be cured! Even those already hemorrhaging were bled more with the hope of getting well.

Well, we're being bled. Christians are bleeding the most! Our liberty to worship is flowing from our veins. The deceptive "doctors" are slicing our arteries with the scalpel of propaganda. Think not? Why then is the Roman God Libertas standing (and praised) in New York Harbor while the Ten Commandments are hidden in concealed places so as not to offend those who are easily offended? The progressives who truly are the autocrats of the middle ages are the American version of the Taliban who found historical monuments offensive, and tore them down!

The issue is not the Ten Commandments, though. It is religious liberty. At the expense of Christianity, any and all pagan religions are in vogue. Even those who, just as the Nazis, are transparent about their goals, we weak Americans still are tolerant of those who wish to subjugate us. Christians bleed more profusely than anyone because it's Christ's blood which is being shed again!

Hebrews 6:6 "If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

America has fallen away as has Europe and the Middle East  even before them!  It is nice to think that we will be redeemed again but we already have been! If the nation is saved it would be just like crucifying Jesus all over again. As we allow the nation to bleed Christianity from the arteries of the nation, it's by our own deception. Jesus has already saved us once; we just need to stand up for Jesus, and allow the nation to remain saved! The serpent is the mouth of the elite - the media, the educators, the modern church,  et al who speak for Satan yet today. Just as the serpent stole Adam's liberty even in Utopia, he still steals our liberty in Chaos.

The Power Structure

The wisest man on earth said, "There is nothing new under the sun." Today in this modern world the power structure is the same as it was hundreds of years ago. It's important that people know what the "estates" are. Few people know! It is the timeless system of power, or if you prefer, how you are controlled.

The traditional three "estates" are the first estate - the clergy, the second estate - the nobility, and the third estate -  commoners. The public assembly of these three groups is called "the estates general". The inclusion of the third estate - the people, is a delusion. Why so? Those "commoners" who are part of the estates general always wield power. They are leaders of the herd, and their participation isn't for the good of the people, but for the good of themselves.

In recent times, a fourth estate has been added, namely the media.  In actuality, they were always part of the estates general because those in power use the media to propagate their agenda. Even the people have an agenda, and like the other estates, it is to maintain power. When an individual arises above the occasion, those leaders are called populists in these modern times. (Trump is a populist trying to fight those who are really in charge. That task is and has always been a dirty task!)

The power structure in the U.S., as before in France, and other striving republics were the same. Even though those estates were a result of a feudal society, that's where we still are!

The working people are the masses. They have been called by many names: peasants, proletariat - workers, and the Bourgeoisie -  the people. Those who lead these lower and middle class masses are themselves elite. They may start out being for the people, but end up being for themselves. Many totalitarian governments are a result of the people gone wild. Power goes to the heads of the common born, and a stealth sub-class is born - those who misuse the will of the people to gain power for themselves.

The establishment consists of liberal humanistic clergy, the wealthy financiers and entertainers, and the spokesmen for the common people. For instance, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the lawyers of the American Civil Liberties Union, Media Matters, moveon. com, and most charitable and educational organizations. Those are the identities of the modern "estates general". As in times past, the common man is ignored, but thinking that their leaders really care! They are deceived.

In earlier times the crooked church colluded with the nobility to control the commoners. Commoners truly believed that the clergy protected them. All the while, the clergy were merely trying to hang onto what power the nobility allowed them to have.

Modern churches are the same. They bow to the new nobility. The nobility are not those who rule outright, but the individuals who control our politicians and are as stealthy as the covert planes which hover overhead. When I think of power in America, I think first of  George Soros. He is behind those who have in the past dictated American policy, and allowed progressive politicians to win elections. "Political Correctness" comes from progressive organizations. Free speech is imprisoned by the PC Police. The PC Police is a strong force in America. It divides America into haters and those who fight haters. Christians are called "haters". This main "hate group" in America has been identified by the strong shadow government. That power structure has members of all the estates including the clergy.

Modern church denominations and their leaders walk lock-step with those who wield their powers in the shadow. The modern church is corrupt, being corrupted by humanism (psychology) and the entertainment industries. Many of them are little more than entertainers, and like the Romans who ate cake as they were going under, deluded Christians in many modern churches are eating the same sweet cake with spicy icing!

There is no conspiracy. It is done in the wide open except for those who run the show from the shadows. Even those who hide back in the fog are not even conspirators. What is going on is the nature of man. We seek, as a herd of human beings, to do what is right in our own eyes. What is that? Pleasure, wealth, prestige, and power. Those are the fruits of the forbidden tree and look quite attractive to be honest.

All this stuff is temporal. It is for your enjoyment, but someday on bowed knee you will hate those in power - those who used you for their own purpose. In essence, you common people have been given that tasty apple from the forbidden tree while those in power are the ones "as gods". You just believe that you're part of that, but you're not!

What I describe is the condition of the world as the end-of-time nears. That tyrannical dictatorship of the Antichrist will not come abruptly, but will creep upon the world with stealth that even the elect (the Christians) will be deceived.  What is considered good now will come back to haunt later on. Your head, if you don't make the rapture, will be required of you if you don't accept the powers of the world.  Your very soul is in jeopardy, even at this moment, if you fail to be wary of the deception.

Many of us feel more comfortable with Trump at the helm, but those much more powerful than him are seeking to destroy him and the last vestiges of our Constitution Republic in favor of a one-party power structure. Society will revert to the power structures of the middle age of serfs and nobles as the church bows to the every whim of those in power. The foundation of this right now is a concealed power structure who completely control those in the establishment, and even us! Because Soros and those others in power don't wear the banners of royalty doesn't mean that they are not our emperors!

All In This Together

Christians who have an unforgiving attitude surely think: your sins are greater than mine. We want to be more righteous than our Christian brothers and sisters, even though just thinking that makes us less so!

The most often quoted scripture is not John 3:16, but:

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

People don't want to be judged! It is my speculation that those who sin most quote this the most. We all know that we sin, and compare it to others. I have even thought: Paul had a thorn in his side, and he was an apostle.  If Paul was impaled with the many quills of a porcupine, that would be few compared to my quiver of barbs from Satan! Paul's spiritual condition has no bearing on mine. He was a sinner just as I am. God held him accountable, and he holds me accountable.

I am not able to sin freely just because Paul sinned. We both were bought with a price in that Jesus paid with his own blood. He didn't die that we can sin, but died because of our sin. How silly we become with our faulty reasoning!

Paul spoke to the Romans about sin -  food, drink, and even what days to do what. The Hebrews always faulted Gentiles for unclean activities, even though their own hearts were dirty:

Romans 14:10 "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more..."

Always ask when it says "for it is written", where was it written and by whom? That was written in Isaiah 45:23 by Isaiah as God's Word to Cyrus, the great king of Persia.  God was telling Cyrus in effect: you are all in this together, and nationality and rank is of no significance! Then God used Cyrus to restore His chosen people. The Jews believed the Persians, as all Gentiles, to be dirty, but they had no qualms about letting an unclean people save them!

In Paul's time the Jews judged the Gentile Romans. They too were an unclean people. Well, God forbid - they weren't even circumcised yet had the audacity to call themselves Christians! You see, Christianity is what's inside. We are to love God, and each other. The problem with comparing sins is that by doing so, Christians condemn others:

Luke 6:37 "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven..."

Romans 2:1 "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things."

There are sins of lesser importance, and sins of greater importance. The often said cliche': stealing a piece of bubble gum is as bad as murder, is just that. All sin which has not been repented of leads to death, but that does not make one sin greater than another! Some sins are greater than others, and from scripture it is obvious that failure to love is the greatest sin. Indeed, hate is compared to murder! (1 John 3:15). However, although they are equated as equal, it is because either one, if not repented of, leads to death!

The problem, as seen form Luke 6:37 is why people judge; it is to condemn, and as such harsh and unfair judgment is the issue. If Christians harshly judge others, they too will be judged harshly. Those people who hold grudges for years are in much trouble with God because grudges are failure to forgive. In effect the transgressor who judges is saying: your sin is greater than mine, so I will snub you and make your life miserable. Isolation is punishment, and grudge holders isolate others as severe punishment -  withholding love is hateful! Those who hold grudges harbor hate. They murder the spirit of those they judge.

We are all in this together! "We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23). If you are alive you belong to a not-so-exclusive club. We are all sinners! Accept, now your membership in Sinners Divided, a club where one sinner blames his or her fellow sinner for all sorts of trespasses which they are guilty of themselves! We are united in that we're all sinners, but sin divides us. We compare sins, and set up this club with Masonic-type degrees:

• First degree sinner - sees oneself as without sin
• Second degree sinner - is forgiven of all sins, and is proud of that accomplishment.
• Third Degree sinner -  their own sins are trivial compared to others.
• Fourth degree sinner - isolate themselves from those who sin worse.
• Fifth degree sinner - hold grudges against others who have sinned.
• Sixth degree sinner - gossips and condemns others who have sinned.
• Seventh degree sinner - drops all pretenses - ceases to even claim friendship.
• Eighth degree sinner -  creates a Christian enemies stratum. Snubs other sinners as too unclean.
• Ninth degree sinner - actually believes that God wants them to not forgive.
• Tenth degree sinner - behaves joyfully in their own righteousness. Has no empathy for others.
• Eleventh degree sinner - proudly declares: "I will never forgive this person."
• Twelvth degree sinner - Still feels they deserve eternal life even though their subtle hatred is murdering the spirit of another.
• No degree sinners -  those who realize that we're all sinners together, and love each other, even those who sins are different.

Which degree a sinner are you? I endeavor to be beyond degree because any one of those types of sinners are deluded. We're all in this together! My sin can be forgiven as yours can. Jesus so loved the world - that is the sinners, that he wants that none should perish; yet you do! I know, you don't hold yourself accountable for your exclusion of other sinners, but after all, their sin is greater than yours, and they deserve your hatred!

We are not to judge one another any more. Paul asked us to refrain from comparing whose sin is greater. We are to love one another with no stipulations - even those who have wronged us. In fact, until we reconcile with each other, God doesn't even want to see our lousy faces:

Matthew 5:23 "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

Note that this is even if "thy brother has ought against thee", indicating that who is at fault is of no consequence to God. Reconciliation is to bring two sinners back to unity. If they were friends before, they are friends again. If they were enemies before, they become friends!

How do we reconcile?

Ephesians 4:32 "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

We forgive others for being just as we are - poor sinners in need of forgiveness! Jesus forgives and forgets. We say, "I'll forgive but never forget!" That is not forgiving. Just as Jesus loves us as we are forgiven, we are to love others who we forgive. Essentially, there is no reason not to love, and love cannot be without being friends, or better yet - sisters and brothers!

What do people need to do? Change! Become that new creation which we claim to be who loves God and others. Be tenderhearted and kind, and forgive without remembering.