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POLITICAL CONNECTION’S NEW SITE

Biblicalconnection.wordpress.com has survived the censorship of the Jesuit’s WordPress operations in Silicon Valley.  

Political Connection has NOT survived.

Please visit the new website for Political Connection at https://politicalconnectio.wixsite.com/mysite/all-news in order to see future articles.

WordPress, an arm of the Jesuit’s Silicon Valley operations, shut down our political documentation and commentary, so we are on WIX.com instead.  For those interested, our former site was https://politicalconnection.wordpress.com

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Silicon Valley houses almost every smart phone app, social media platform, and computer  and internet system in the world, so use them with caution.

 

EARTH’S AGE: 7,113 Years?

The following photos of a very accurate World Timeline contains rows for 1) Earth’s Age, 2) Event, 3) Years from Event to Event, 4) B.C. and A.D. Year of Events, 5) Source of the Information, and 6) Notes that are relevant to the Event. The following mathematics have been calculated meticulously for your inspection.

The Bible is the most published Book in the world with 15,000 manuscripts, allowing it to be more authenticated and verified than any other ancient manuscript, quoted by the world’s largest religions, printed in hundreds of languages, and filled with scores of prophecies that were fulfilled in front of all of our eyes over the past seventy years such as the nation of Israel being founded in 1948.

If you follow the numbers and check out the Sources, you will find they are extremely accurate.

Jews call many of the source books in the timeline the Torah and Tanakh.  Christians call the source books the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.  The Muslims consider the Bible to be filled with revelation from GOD. Regardless of whether one believes in religion or not, one must realize that the Bible has history that is far more verified and authenticated with its massive library of documents and corroborated by archaeological discoveries than any other book or history book in the world. Some histories only have a manuscript or two compared to the Bible’s 15,000 manuscripts. Many other ‘accepted’ religious or historical source books have difficulty proving basic things like the financial currency used or the existence of the people who ‘lived’ in their books or the places mentioned in their books.  In contrast, the Bible has great proof for all of these sources, including the Jewish people who still live today. From the Bible, we find the mathematics regarding the age of the Earth. If you hate GOD and are convinced that the Bible couldn’t be accurate, just realize what atheists and others use as their ‘evidence’ against the Bible – historical manuscripts that have very few copies, are difficult to prove as accurate, and which are very, very, very weak in comparison to the Bible and its track record.

The level of accuracy in the Bible with so much corroborative evidence is astounding. In contrast, you may also realize why the word ‘pre-history’ is used by those who have absolutely no historical records or sources to prove their ideas. Indeed, they speak of pre-history, because there are no records. Their ideas such as evolution are based upon fabricated ‘events’, ‘people’, or ‘places’ that supposedly existed or happened long, long ago. Like ancient mythology which talks of supposed ‘gods’ who throw hammers to create thunder, much of modern mythology, filled with pre-history, will someday be found to be as laughable or more laughable than the ancient myths’ incredible attempts at explaining the world in which we live. No wonder our article on Bill Nye garnered over 18,000 views when you consider how laughable evolution truly is as its advocates teach that men came from monkeys, rocks, an explosion, nothing or you fill in the blank long, long ago in a far, far away galaxy. Such talk reminds us of fairy tales.

 

PAGAN CHRISTMAS: Here I Stand

Our family has it quite easy compared to some families who are thrown out of their families for leaving the Catholic Circe. Thankfully, my family and parents are believers (although originally my father was baptized in the Catholic Circe before he became a believer in Christ).

 We don’t celebrate the Mass of Christ, known as ChristMass, simply because 1) we believe assimilation is not acceptable to GOD and 2) because we believe ChristMass is assimilation. The Almighty had His Levites put 3,000 to death for the sin of assimilation in which they were observing a Festival to Himself (the name for the Almighty in Hebrew is Yahweh and is found in the passage where these people were observing a holy day or festival to Him using pagan implement, namely a golden calf). Some may realize that assimilation or copying pagan culture (i.e. rock music, immodest clothing, etc) is unacceptable to GOD, but may not understand why ChristMass is assimilation. Sadly, most Americans who call themselves “Christians” have no problems with either assimilation (which the Almighty Creator abhors) or ChristMass. I will let them talk to the Judge on Judgment Day about their reasoning.

Father Christmas was associated with a goat in this Folk tale depiction.

However, this is why I give you a more detailed explanation to show why witches for 4,000 years have observed it and Catholics for 1,700 years have observed it, while the majority of Baptists have only observed it since the late 1800s (with only a tiny handful of more ecumenical Baptists observing it since the acceptance of pluralism in America in 1776). Even still, movies and television helped to truly popularize ChristMass among the Baptists (imagine that – Hollywood observing ChristMass as they still do today in many, many movies).

This article does not include lots of documentation as many of our articles do, because much of this research has been done in past articles which are listed at the bottom of this article.

Constantine ordained ChristMass for the Catholic Circe by borrowing it from Roman sun worship. In fact, the entire Catholic religion, which Constantine founded, was assimilation.  When Constantine proclaimed himself the head of sun worship and the Christ and head of Christianity (simultaneously), he merged paganism and Christianity.

Constantine renamed Venus, the Mediatrix and Goddess Mother of Heaven, by the name of ‘Mary’, Mars became ‘Jesus’, the gods and goddesses were given the name of apostles and saints, the black masses were called Masses, the idols were called icons, Babylon’s Baalistic system of works and Anubis the Jackal’s system of work salvation which Rome also observed then became ‘means of grace’ salvation, the sacramentum or vow to the gods became sacraments, the temples of the goddess Circe became Churches, the administrative buildings of the Pontifex Maximus and Jupiter became Basilicas or Capitols, the priests of Romanist Baal sun worship became priests of Catholicism, and the pagan sabbaths became ChristMass, CandleMass, St. Brigid’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, the Feast of the Assumption of St. John, All Hallowed Eve or All Saint’s Day, and Easter.

St. Nicholas and Black Peter, the catholicized characters of Christ Mass, taken from the Holly King and Demon Krampus … and known in America as Santa Claus and his Elf.

Some say that ChristMass has become more ‘pagan’, but I say absolutely not.  It’s never been Christian, but always pagan. From its inception even when Baptists began to assimilate almost a century ago, there was Rudolph, Frosty, Santa, and many other of the Odin-ous (play on words) traditions of Baal, Thor, and occult gods and goddesses of sun worship. Many Baptists also fell right in with the pagan enjoyment of superheroes (or as Hitler called them the Uber Mensch) which pagan Strauss in his tone poem “Also Sprach Zarathustra” and pagan Wagner in his flight of the Valkryie and Ring Cycle also extolled. There exists a book called “Our gods wear spandex” among many other books and resources that can give insight to those who care. The super race and super men was a central them of many pagans throughout the millennia and not just Hitler. Today, we see the ancient demonic god Thor and many other gods being introduced into the other ‘super heroes’ first offered to Americans about a century ago as they merge with the original intent of the DC and Marvel comic writers as can be read by those who wish to learn more.

Nicholas, was not a saint but a pagan god of the sea and sky.

The sun’s cycle is 365.25 days.  When divided by eight, this equals 45 days as seen on the “Wheel of the Year” or “Wheel of the Sun” as ancient, pre-Christian pagans not only observed but such a wheel can be found engraved on stones as well as the X and cross symbols. Paul gloried in his sufferings or the cross which Christ said we must all bear as this symbol is a sign of persecution, trials and suffering for the Christian, often at the hand of these ancient foes of our Creator. We glory in our sufferings or cross bearing and not in our triumphs (Paul states). We do not look at the cross as a symbol of worship as Catholics do.  We do not look to Santa as a “defender of the faith” like Kirk Cameron. That is fake news.  Incidentally, Kirk Cameron was married in the Catholic Circe (Church) to his current wife, even though he feigns to stand against the Catholic Church when he’s on Ray Comfort’s show.  Ironically, when he defended Satan with his ‘Saving Christmas’ movie, he was also visiting Catholic radio stations – the hypocrisy is obvious.

The Wheel of the Sun or Wheel of the Year from the ancient witchcraft practices of Baal worship

This Wheel of the Year, with an orderly separation of eight stations or celebration festivals or sabbaths or holy days in sun worship, were 45 days apart originally in Babylon, because the priests in leopard skins of Baal in Babylon, almost 2,000 years before Christ, were observing these eight stations or points of light with feasts, human sacrifice at Yule and Samhein (called many names but ChristMass by Catholics), fornication, idolatry, the fixing and decorating of trees, the Satanic Yule logs, Yule bone fires, Yule wreaths of Apollos the sun god, Yule carols, Yule gingerbread man, Yule decorated/fixed trees which came from ancient times, the symbols of X and + (cross) used for Apollo the sun god as seen in archaeology over and over long before Christ, the februa thongs and fornication of Valentian’s Day, the Beltane Maypole, the Lord of Misrule (by pagans for two thousand years and Catholics for much of the past two millennia where they would sometimes use true believers or Jews as the human sacrifice).

Never  before in the history of the Baptist people since the time of Christ, have I ever seen them so filled with paganism and assimilation.  I recently observed a so-called ‘Christian’ filmmaker calling for all his ‘fans’ to start a ranting campaign against a small ministry that had dared to speak out against his so-called ‘Christian’ movie.  Why? Because they didn’t appreciate the fact that a sexy beauty pageant winner wearing a mini skirt played the part of the ‘good Christian’ in the movie. At least, they didn’t appreciate the sexy miss as much as the movie maker obviously did. The movie maker seemed enraged that anyone would question his choice when anyone with half a brain could see that this guy was using not just one, but a multitude of college girls in immodest clothing in his ‘Christian film’.  I’m sure that most college guys would greatly appreciate his film, but probably not as much as this movie maker who appeared to be in a mid-life crisis who had made conservative films about teens waiting to date until they are married, but who obviously saw nothing wrong with surrounding himself with a little skin from some attractive college girls in his daily film shoots. Furthermore, he was calling for the persecution of one small ministry that pointed this fact out.  Don’t wait for persecution from the pagans and Satanists. The modern American ‘Christians’ appear to be beating them to it. No surprise. Look at Christ. He was attacked by the ‘conservative’ religious Sanhedrin of his day. Why? They didn’t like Jesus pointing out their sins either.

Like a frog slowly boiled in water, Baptists over the past 150 years have slowly been sucked into assimilation, while Constantine mindfully and purposefully assimilated. These eight unholy days of Catholicism did not accidentally land on the same days as these eight sun stations or sabbaths of witchcraft (45 days apart) at 1) Yule (ChristMass or Saturnalia or Dísablót or Shab-e Chelleh or Yalda or Mōdraniht or many other ancient names found before Christ), 2) Lupercalia (or the Celtic festival of Brigid or the Catholic festival of St. Brigid’s Day or Imbolc or Valentinian’s Day or CandleMass  and most recently St. Valentine’s Day), 3) Ishtar (the papal Easter which Baptists today observe with the Catholic Circe which landed almost four weeks apart from the true Biblical Day of Resurrection or Day of First Fruits last year), 4) Beltane (Maypole Day), 5) Midsummer’s Eve and Day, 6) Lammas (Lughnasadh), 7) Mabon (Harvest Festival aka Harvest Home, Feast of the Ingathering, Meán Fómhair or Alban Elfed, the Neo-Druidic feast observance), and 8) Samhein (or the Catholic’s Hallow Even or HallowE’en).  Movies and television of Hollywood, NYC’s old radio industry, and massive Catholic immigration and the influence of Protestants (protesting Catholics who observe sacraments) are a few of the reasons that Baptists began to assimilate these pagan festivals over the past 150 years. As they became more popular among the community, the Baptist pastors often went along with the pagan culture to pacify the flock. Such can be seen in historical writings.

Not celebrating ChristMass may seem odd to modern American Christians this past century, but it was standard practice before then.  Some who know this history of the Roman Circe and its unholy days may realize that we are only avoiding the Roman Circe’s Mass of Christ (or the Birthday of Babylonian Tammuz) which most believers for 3,000 years have also avoided.  Most believers for two thousand years have not only done the same, but have actually been martyrs to avoid celebrating such Roman unholy days. Many names could be added to this list, but a few are:

• The world’s oldest Christians, namely the historical Baptists and Waldensians for most of their two thousand year history until the past two centuries when they merged more with Protestants [Protesting Catholics] and their traditions
• Puritans in England and the USA (who were ridiculed by the occult writer and attendee of seances, Charles Dickens)
• The Pilgrims
• Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, who saved the English people from the surrounding Catholic forces who were about to perform a widespread massacre of the English
• Charles Spurgeon, one of the last Baptists who in his last message made it clear that he did not observe the ChristMass or any such Catholic celebration
• English government, when England was taken back from Catholicism; they banned Christ Mass, Easter, and Whitsuntide (three of the eight witch sabbaths of ancient Baal worship that the Catholic Circe had embraced – another was HallowE’en)
• Early American government from 1620 to 1776 when many of the Colonies’ State Laws banned Catholics, Catholic holidays, and Catholic government leaders; these Christian colonial laws were replaced by the new 1776 Constitution led by anti-religious Thomas Jefferson and Hellfire Club member Benjamin Franklin (and a score of other Freemasons and a massive number of Episcopalians or American Catholics who signed that Constitution) that forbid any “establishment of religion” including the establishment of Christianity as a national religion (thus allowing Catholics to enter many of the States). In other words, Christianity was replaced in 1776 long before Madalyn Murray O’Hara won her lawsuit to boot the Bible and prayer from our schools in the 1960s.

Even pro-Christmas Baptists such as Bruce T. Gourley, executive director of “Baptist History & Heritage Society’, on the baptist.org website (http://www.baptisthistory.org/bsb/bsb2010_12.html) make it clear that Baptists were never known to celebrate Christmas prior to the change of government in America around 1776 and that it still didn’t really take hold until after the Civil War (keep in mind that millions of Catholics migrated to the USA after the change in the Constitution, especially in the mid-1800s which led to the increase in slavery and the Civil War which saw the survival of the more pacifist Catholics and Quakers, but the death of many Baptists who fought in the Civil War). Encyclopedias bring an even clearer picture of the great hate of true believers for the bed of the great harlot in Rome of whom not only most Baptists but even the Protesting Catholics (Protestants) called the Harlot of Revelation and the Pope the Antichrist, Man of Sin, and Son of Perdition in their historical writings (this is not to say that the Pope is definitely the AntiChrist although he may play a role in such prophetic matters in the future).

In many ways, Baptists look no different than their Catholic and Protestant Catholic neighbors as the only sins to which they object today seem to be abortion, crimes against nature, and a handful of other ‘really bad’ sins. Their days of unique, holy, godly, Scripture-centered followers of the Word, incarnate and written appear to be gone in large part.

Their love for aesthetics, cathedrals, gymnasiums, songs to the dead (requiems), pagan art songs, Catholic arts and traditions, as well as enjoying carnivals is quite widespread just like the Romans. They are ready to be merged for the first time in history with the Whore of Revelation, that monstrous Harlot of Babylonian Religion. Always throughout the last two millennia, the Baptists stood strong outside the Catholic and Protestant circles.  Their heads were said to line the roads of Rome for ten miles outside the city. They didn’t flinch but willingly offered their lives as a sacrifice for the Christ who died for them.  Today, however, I see them in their workplaces. A true believer can sometimes expect more opposition, hate, and trouble from the fake Christians in Baptist and other circes (churches) than from the unbelievers.

They say Baptists’ divorce rate is higher than any other denomination or so says the surveys of Roman Catholic Jesuit-trained George Barna. Yet sadly, I’m inclined to believe his surveys.  After all, if you look around, you see the Baptists are also in love with shamanic music of Satanic enchanters in almost everyone of their Romish cathedrals where they rock and roll before a man-made sermon, free of Biblical applications regarding sin, is delivered instead of the Word of GOD. Rome no longer has to worry about burning or banning the Bible – the Baptists are just ignoring it today. So many ‘firsts’ in history as we see these things lead us to conclude that since the levels of abominations among even GOD’s most devoted people have come so high in the cup of fornication with the world system that we must be in the very last hour of GOD’s time clock.  Jerusalem is now being said to be the capital of Israel. Will we be raptured soon? I believe it is very near.

Many other Catholic Circe influences have, via Protestant Catholic circes, crept into our Baptist congregations such as liturgy, authoritarianism, emphasis on building programs and entertainment programs (Vanity Fair of which John Bunyan wrote), vespers (Sunday night services and multiple services unlike historical believers who met only ONCE on the Saturday Sabbath and not something you’ll hear from most pulpits today who encourage ‘Sunday services’ (a Catholic tradition) and ‘circe attendance’ like my grandparents’ priest who cursed them out when they left the local Catholic circe and which they feel strongly is needed to avoid excommunication from the membership of the Circe). Today, many Baptists have become like Protestant and Catholic priests and fake ‘pastors’ who teach their flock sermons of human wisdom rather than teaching Scripture and who expect their circe attendees to consult with them for Truth rather than studying the Bible and allowing the Spirit to direct them (the Catholic priest told my grandparents to let HIM interpret the Bible for them – so wicked).

Therefore, we have decided to join the long history of believers before Christ and after Christ, the majority of whom for the past 3,000 years refused to observe these ancient sun worship feast days that dated 4,000 years ago from Nimrod’s Tower of Babel as many historical books will explain which I can provide to anyone interested. A start would be ‘Two Babylons’ by Alexander Hislop, G.H. Orchard’s ‘Concise History of Baptists’, J.M. Carroll’s ‘Trail of Blood’, John Foxe’s ‘Foxes Books of Martyrs’, the sermons of Charles Spurgeon, encyclopedias, histories by many, many Baptist historians and leaders, and even Catholics themselves in their writings.

While Passover is a required holy day instituted by Christ at His Last Passover Supper (in remembrance of Him and His death), no other holy days are commanded.  In fact, we find no evidence at all that we are to celebrate Christ’s birthday.  Constantine started the practice and I find no love in my heart for the Roman religion of assimilation that he started as a believer in Messiah.  Constantine, we are told by the History Channel, considered himself the Christ and Head of the Circe. Popes since his day have also claimed the same title (‘Vicar of Christ’ or ‘Substitute of Christ’ on earth), while they also retain the ancient pagan Roman title reserved for the head of all the priests of sun worship, Pontifex Maximus.

We do celebrate the Feast of Dedication that Christ celebrated, but not of any legal, moral or Biblical requirement (but out of grace). As a matter of Biblical analysis, Christ is only seen in Jerusalem when there was a Feast of the Law of GOD taking place. We read in John 10:22-23: “And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.” This Feast of Dedication originated in GOD’s people avoiding assimilation. Such rich irony that it lands almost next to the ChristMass at times. This Feast of Dedication is seen in the battle of Daniel 11 where GOD’s people were purged and made white in a time when they were being asked to assimilate the pagan holidays, dress, culture, and beliefs. Instead, they refused to disobey GOD and assimilate and many gave their lives for their Creator. Yet, GOD raised up the Maccabee family to preserve the Biblical culture and belief system, as well as preserve the lineage of Messiah as this battle took place before Christ was born – ironically, Christ’s birthday and the preservation of His lineage depended upon the Maccabean win at Chanukah where they drove out the Jews who assimilated, as well as drove out the pagans who were pushing assimilation upon His people. Indeed, it was why they rededicated their temple from the assimilation that it had undergone and established the Feast of Dedication.  The irony is that those who refuse assimilation with ChristMass are able to celebrate Chanukah today (though not required by the Bible to my knowledge although Christ observed it). The Feast of Dedication is the opposite of the Feast of Assimilation.

The Druid’s Holly King is similar to Odin, Thor, and other gods associated with the Yule season.

At the same time, we love all those who may disagree with us as we believe we are all free moral agents who must each exercise our own conscience and powers of discernment. At the same time, in our own liberty of conscience as Paul prescribed in his letters to the Romans and Corinthians, we seek not to offend anyone (including the Son of GOD and the great cloud of martyrs who are watching us) by participating in festivals that have been enjoyed by both occult pagans for 4,000 years and occult Roman Catholics for 1700 years and for which many, many believers have died as martyrs.  Grace to you!

Happy Feast of Dedication!

Some articles you may wish to read:

CHRISTMAS: Baal worship?

PAGAN ASSIMILATION: Justified by ‘Answers in Genesis’?

SPURGEON: Did he celebrate Christmas?

CHRISTMAS: Protestants and Catholics find commonality

THE SEASON: Jesus is the reason?

PAGAN CULTURE: Redeemable?

HALLOWEEN: Christian fun time?

CHURCH-I-ANITY: Scripture or tradition?

CHRISTMAS: The tale of two authors

CHRISTMAS SONGS: That aren’t Christmas songs

Remember the Sabbath

SABBATHS: Do they matter?

LORD’S DAY: What is it?

 

REFORMATION: 500 Years

Reformation Day was this past week as many Protestants celebrated 500 years of the Reformation, which was a movement led by mainly men who believed in baptismal salvation and Roman sacramentum. It took place when the Protestants sought to protest their mother Catholic Circe and reform it (Reformers). Baptists, on the other hand, considered the Roman Circe to be an abomination to GOD, Baal worship packaged with Christian labels, and were murdered by the Romans for two millennia and nobody is celebrating their contribution (or the Waldensians who were similar). Eventually, the Baptists and Waldensians were infected as well for the most part. Today, we see the time of the Gentiles ending. Next year, Israel celebrates their 70th anniversary. This is a significant milestone in Biblical numerology. I am interested to see what will happen next year. May we always be watching for the Messiah’s soon return. Most will still be celebrating their Baalist traditions, false religions, Romanist or pagan ways, in their Circes and won’t even notice we’re gone. So sad and a reason to continue holding forth the light as the Baptists did for many centuries. 

Let’s pray for many during these last days as so many are falling for the lies that Protestant’s best known leaders promoted which included holding to the sacraments of Rome (administered by self-important, fake shepherds), spending their money on their massive Circe building programs, and an array of fun activities that resemble ‘Vanity Fair’ in John Bunyan’s work ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. For example, many of these Reformed or Protestant leaders promoted baptismal salvation which Paul the apostle excoriates in his Book of Galatians and in his Book of Romans.  The rags of Rome were packaged up in a new garb that resembled Biblical Christianity far more than the Roman Catholic Circe did, and this false Protestant Circe was far more effective in luring in Baptists, Waldensians and other such true believers from their congregations held in caves, forests, and private homes into large massive building programs as well.

Now we are seeing the sacramental work salvation theology being sampled by many Baptists – doctrines so damning that no true Baptist would ever accept them and for which most Baptists for the greater part of the past two thousand years gave their lives to ensure their soul would be saved. Did you know that Calvin attended the same college as Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Roman intelligence and military arm known as the Jesuits? Calvin, Wesley, Luther, Zwingli, and others taught the damning doctrines of Baptismal salvation. Men such as these were responsible for their condemnations of Baptists and even in some cases the killing of Baptists just like the Roman Circe had done to Baptists.  Yet over two centuries, the Baptists have learned to sleep soundly in the bed with the Protestant Reformers.  Now, more recently, they are seen even trying out the bed of Rome as the world watches the union of almost every religious group and denomination into one massive false Circe.

Today, not many in Baptist circles seem to worry about the warnings of Paul in Galatians chapter 1 as they furiously race to lap up the Romanist sacramental doctrines for which Baptists were historically massacred in great numbers in order to stay true to Christ. No longer do the Baptists keep the true Sabbath on the seventh day of the week. No longer do Baptists meet secretly in their own homes or in the natural environment. No longer do they avoid the Catholic holy days such as the Mass of Christ (Christ Mass) or the feast of Ishtar (Easter).  Baptists now celebrate the Catholic Pentecost (set by the Roman Circe) instead of the Biblical Pentecost (measured fifty days after First Fruits) as occurred last year when the two were about four weeks apart.

For those who have no idea of Biblical doctrine and Christian history, most of what I’ve said in the previous paragraphs are not registering. Some may even see them as crazy or non-traditional among Baptists, but for those who know their history, they will recognize that the Baptists have climbed into the bed of Rome over the past two centuries after wedding with the Protestant movement.  Spurgeon made this history of the Baptists abundantly clear and their succession directly from the apostles as the oldest lineage of believers in the world.  One may also read this history in books such as the 1931 literary work of American Baptist pastor, James Milton Carroll, titled ‘The Trail of Blood -: Following the Christians Down through the Centuries – or, The History of Baptist Churches from the Time of Christ, Their Founder, to the Present Day.’  Another great work of literature on this historical subject is that of G. H. Orchard who wrote ‘A Concise History Of The Baptists: From the Time of Christ Their Founder to the 18th Century.

As Baptists commit whoredom with Rome, is it any surprise their music sounds like the sound of whoredom? Or that they now assimilate Rome’s holy days or that the divorce rate of Baptists has soared to the point that they are one of the worst denominations in the world when it comes to divorce statistics?

Remember what happened when the Good Master came back and found his servants were not watching but had joined in with the drunks around them? Judgment is coming.

Even so, come MASTER Y’SHUA!

BAPTISM: The Falling Away

When a Sunday School teacher from one of the largest conservative Baptist churches sees baptismal salvation as not that big of a deal, you know the falling away is at an epic level. Therefore, I wanted to take time from my very busy week to reiterate the importance of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone. Man in arrogance cannot and does not contribute anything to his salvation and can do nothing to merit grace.

Such thinking is not Biblical but foolish, and I suspect such man-centric false teaching has been germinated by the books of serpents like John Piper, Tim Keller, and other popular heretics and false teachers today who like to sound just like Christian teachers in their clever craft, but who have been promoting such man-centric theology for years. Our website has further articles regarding the heresies of these men and others, but our focus is baptismal salvation.

Some pervert GOD’s WORD by quoting “repent and be baptized” or “born of water and of the Spirit” just like many cults have for years. Some say ‘confession’ equals ‘baptism’ and that by confession we are saved. If that is true, then why did Paul the apostle preach the following:

“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” – 1 Corinthians 1:17

“I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius” – 1 Corinthians 1:14

In fact, believers were seen to receive the Holy Spirit of GOD before they were even baptized. Paul the apostle’s conversion appears to be an example of this truth, as well as the following passage:

“While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.” – Acts 10:44-48

Those who say that Christ’s exhortation to be born of the water and of the Spirit is referring to baptism are very much like Rome – ignorant of the whole of Scripture. The Bible clearly has a theme throughout it that speaks of the natural first, followed by the spiritual. That is seen contrasted between the natural or physical Israeli kingdom and temple system and the spiritual kingdom of GOD and His people as His Temple of the Holy Spirit. It’s also seen in verses like this one:

“However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.” 1 Corinthians 15:46

Read that entire chapter in 1 Corinthians and again you see that theme and context. But it’s all throughout Scripture. Only the blind can’t see this. The blind also can’t see that only Christ is our source of Salvation and belief or faith in Him made possible by His grace. Only the blind cling to the baptism of water as a means of attaining grace or achieving salvation or getting some ‘grace tokens’. This is old blind Rome with its Satanic system, damning theology, and failed political and economic systems still persuading men with it smooth, serpent-like words to follow the path that Paul calls ‘anathema’ in Galatians. Galatians tells how circumcision, symbolic of faith, cannot be a means of salvation or one must enter under the yoke of the law again. The same is true of baptism which is also a means of salvation. The Scripture clearly delineates this truth over and over. The word ‘repent’ means to ‘change one’s mind’ in both Old and New Testaments. It does not mean ‘turn from sin’ although that is a result of changing our minds. To change our mind from unbelief to belief is the real idea of repentance then when we read “repent and believe”. When we hear “repent and be baptized”, we can think of the baptism of John or the baptism of Christ. But Scripture points us to the baptism of Christ.

“I [John the Baptist] have baptized you with water, but HE [Christ] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” – Mark 1:8

“I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” – John 1:33

For the full article that describes salvation to those who wish to learn of salvation (see the very bottom for a section on baptism) in spite of the many wolves and false teachers today, please visit this website [https://biblicalconnection.wordpress.com/the-most-important…] or copy/paste it into your browser if it does not appear as a link.

Remember the Sabbath

“But later in the evening of the Sabbath as dawn was reached on the first Sabbath, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.”

After studying the Greek, I believe Matthew 28:1 could be more clearly rendered as above. In other words, as Sabbath Eve came to a close, then Sabbath Morn’s dawn began. The Biblical, ancient historical Jewish days or 24-hour periods were divided into evening first (6pm-6am) and then morning (6am-6pm). Think about how many ancient pagan festivals had an eve and then a day (just like Genesis 1 – evening and morning were the first day).  For example, Hallowed Eve or Even was shortened to Hallowe’en.  Midsummer’s Eve was followed by Midsummer’s Day.  Most pagan holidays followed such a standard in ancient times. Another example is New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.  Or Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Consider how odd the KJV Anglican translation is in comparison with the fact that Biblical 24-hour periods were divided into evening first (6pm-6am) and then morning (6am-6pm). With this in mind, read the KJV’s translation of the Greek in this Matthew 28:1 passage which translates ‘mia sabbaton’ (the words for ‘first Sabbath’) as ‘first day of the week’:

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

It would not dawn to the first day or any day at the end of the Sabbath … the end of the Sabbath was 6pm by ancient and especially Jewish custom. Dawn was at the middle of the Biblical ‘yom’ or Hebrew word for ‘day’.  The Sabbath eve ended and the Sabbath day began.  In ancient times and in the Biblical times, it would be utterly impossible for the Sabbath to end and Sunday to begin to dawn. Such thinking is clearly based upon the English and Roman customs of the Anglican Romish priests who translated the KJV Bible. I once had a relative who become very wrath-filled and fought vehemently for the KJV Bible as if it was the only viable translation. Today, he has left his wife and is living in adultery. For example, the Young’s Literal Translation is far more accurate than the KJV and it is taken from the exact same manuscripts.  I do believe the manuscripts matter and that the New Testament’s Greek ‘Textus Receptus’ is the best manuscript available in the modern world, thanks to Erasmus and his access to so many European libraries.  I also believe the Masoretic Text is the best Old Testament Hebrew manuscript as a source for translation.  Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) and several others use these manuscripts and do an excellent job.  The KJV has some positive points as well, but each translation must be weighed against the source manuscripts from which they were translated.  Most of the other manuscripts appear to have a certain amount of corruption from the Vatican (and if you have watched Chris Pinto’s videos at this link and this link, then you’ll know this very, very, very important fact). When you go to those links, one or both may say that you have to be of appropriate age to view them. Such is hogwash. See the explanation at the bottom of the article as to why Christian links and websites are being filtered out today more and more in the name of ‘protecting’ people. ***   Be sure to watch those videos and know the truth about the ancient manuscripts used for certain translations.  If the head of the fountain is corrupt, will not the water be as well?  Translations of corrupt texts will not help you.  That being said, the KJV does come from quality manuscripts as several others do as well. Back to the topic at hand.

These days mentioned in the Bible ended at 6 PM, NOT 6 AM.  If the sabbath evening was ending in Matthew 28:1, it’s impossible for another day (i.e. the first day of the week to be dawning) because day followed evening in Biblical and ancient times. I rest my case. 

So what is the ‘first Sabbath’ or ‘mia sabbaton’ if it was just as the words literally mean the ‘first sabbath’ instead of ‘the first day of the week’? May I suggest that ‘first Sabbath’ was the Sabbath known as ‘First Fruits’.  May I also recommend that the ‘First Fruits’ Sabbath was the very day that the Messiah was resurrected (read 1 Corinthians 15). After First Fruits Sabbath on which the Messiah arose, we know there were Seven Sabbaths which followed and which preceded the Biblical Jewish Pentecost. Thus, it would make sense to me that ‘First Sabbath’ was the Feast of First Fruits, which begun the march of fifty days to Pentecost which was a series of seven sabbaths or ‘seven sevens’.  This ‘First Sabbath’ or ‘First Fruits’ Sabbath was. a GOD-ordained Sabbath that Paul connected directly with the resurrection of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15, which came just before Paul’s mention of the First Sabbath in 1 Corinthians 16 as a time to gather money for the poor in Jerusalem, which makes sense. 

Indeed, every day is the day the Master has made for us to rejoice and be glad in His presence and to worship (in Greek “serve”) the Father. Morning and evening is 24 hours according to Genesis 1 and in this we do our best to be of service to GOD both morning (6 AM to 6 PM) and evening (6 PM to 6 AM). Some of that service for the latter group is getting our proper sleep.  As far as gathering on Constantine’s Day of veneration to the Sun (which the Catholic Church incorporated in their Council of Laodicea – what an appropriate name), there is no backing for such.  As far as not forsaking the assembly (which historically was called the sacred or holy convocation that took place on the Sabbath (pagan’s name = Saturday) – this was the designated day for both Israel, for the Messiah, for His apostles, and for the early Christians of the Book of Acts, and even for the historical believers such as the Baptists and Waldensians. Protestants/Reformers were Catholics who sought to reform or protest their Mother Church [Circe=temple of the goddess] and they came much later in the past few centuries) and they revered Sunday as did the Catholic Church and usually did so in cathedral temples (circes) that they built.

The Wheel of the Sun or Wheel of the Year from the ancient witchcraft practices of Baal worship

These things have been forgotten. Other things that have been forgotten were the fact that believers refused to be a part of Rome’s religious practices and assimilation of heathenism. Not only did they not assimilate but they even passed government laws against the adoption of Rome’s pagan religious practices. For example, some who banned such practices such as the sun worship festivals of ChristMass and Ishtar’s (Easter) Day of the Sun were Oliver Cromwell in England and the founding father of the United States (I’m talking the 1600s Puritans, Baptists, Pilgrims, Quakers, Huguenots, Dutch, and such, NOT the Freemason founding fathers of the big bully Fed in 1776). Fundamentalists were formed only in this past century and ironically have been very instrumental in teaching men’s rules and traditions as if they were the Words of GOD and they have also greatly aided Rome by incorporating many of Rome’s traditions in congregations and also dividing the Body of Christ over tradition and preferences and not Scriptural guidelines, whilst on the other hand embracing much of Rome’s pagan traditions that were once against the law in the United States.

Charles Spurgeon began his ministry by being a little more compromising on not celebrating Christmas himself but attempting to appease those who did, but by the end of his ministry, he left us with one of his last messages denouncing the pagan holiday of ChristMass.  Why would anyone celebrate the holidays that venerate the sun and its eight stations or festivals to the wheel of the year as the witches, pagans, and Baal worshipers call it. The only admonition to assemble in the New Testament is Hebrew 10:25 and it is not a command to meet every week, but an admonition to not forsake the assembly that had been traditionally celebrated for the past 2,000 years (and today that would be 4,000 years). This was spoken by the writer of Hebrews in conjunction with the context of that passage – the temple has been abolished, the sacrifices are no longer needed, the priesthood is now all believers, and the old has been replaced by the new. In other words, this assembly practice has not been abolished, though it is not some vital test of spirituality but instead a kept part of the Old Testament (in other words not all was abolished and we should continue many practices that were not abolished unlike many who seek to cast the entire Old Testament into the trash can today).

The Greek for “first day of the week” is actually “sabbaton” or Sabbath. The KJV translators, who were mostly Anglican, chose to translate the word “sabbaton” as Sabbath for the majority of times it occurred in the New Testament, but for the times when it occurred in relation to assembly, tithes, or the Resurrection (their supposed precedence for changing the Sabbath to Sunday) they translated these eight or so times into this phrase “first day of the week”. Very deceptive in my opinion. Today, many find their spirituality in church attendance instead of in what the Messiah said – true spirituality. Messiah told the lady at the well that the day was coming when people would no longer worship GOD in a place like Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) or a place like Samaria but would worship or serve GOD in spirit and in truth. That day is now. For where two or more are gathered in His name – there is He in their midst – thus, most congregations in the New Testaments were addressed as the “assembly which is in your house”. Never was a cathedral or temple or large hall mentioned.

Synagogues were owned by the Jews and were built as community centers and used by Jews to worship GOD on the sabbath (outside of the Messiah’s belief). Early apostles were known to enter these community centers throughout the week and share the Gospel. Today, such community centers or synagogues are still around. I for one have visited one during the week to stand in solidarity with Israel before. They used them historically to maintain their own laws, culture and way of life in the middle of Gentile lands or at times in Israel when invaders such as Rome were in control. They had their own courts and schools and community events and celebrations in the synagogues to maintain their way of life. The Jewish community center or synagogue is not the same as the Roman ‘circe’ or ‘church’ or ‘kirche’ or ‘kirke’ to use a variety of lingual renderings of that pagan edifice so associated with Rome. I was raised the son of a pastor, the grandson of two pastors, the nephew of two pastors, and am the brother of a pastor, so I know that many pastors have good reason for wanting people coupled to traditions such as “always be in Sunday church” but I find no such commands in the Bible. I find freedom to worship wherever with two or more believers including one’s house. I also find the Sabbath to be a wonderful time to do so such as on a Friday evening and then to truly have a day of rest on the Saturday that follows, not to mention on you have more time for family on Sunday as well.

The word ‘mia’ in the Greek means ‘one of the” or ‘first’ and it is used in most of those eight exceptions. It is quite exceptional in fact in that it refers specifically to the passage that is referring to the Resurrection as being the first sabbath of the seven sabbaths leading up to Pentecost or the Feast of First Fruits Sabbath.

It is correct that seven of the eight uses of the Greek word ‘sabbaton’ are preceded by the Greek word ‘mia’, so let me explain why.  Seven of the eight land exactly towards the end of the Feast of Unleavened Bread around the Feast of First Fruits, the day of Yehoshuah’s resurrection. This would be the FIRST of the sabbaths (seven sabbaths) leading to Pentecost. So it is without doubt a perfect way to translate this passage “first of the sabbaths”. The sketchy translation is “first day of the week”. There is no precedence, unity, usage, or context for translating it this way (four of the eight rules of interpretation). Ironically, the eighth use of the this phrase ‘mia sabbaton’ is found in 1 Corinthians 16 where we are not sure of what time of year it is written, but in context, it does seem very likely to have been around the Feast of First Fruits as well. Read the chapter before – 1 Corinthians 15 which is a message on the Resurrection and in which Paul directly links Jesus’ resurrection to the Feast of First Fruits. Protos-Sabbaton also means “First Sabbath” literally just as Mia-Sabbaton means “First Sabbath”.

In other words, the Master or LORD of the Sabbath showed His mastery by arising from the dead on the Sabbath and bringing His disciples into His spiritual rest. I trust these studies are helpful to you as you ponder how the teachings of the Jewish Messiah have been Romanized after Rome’s Dark Ages of Rule, and we all know that those who have the power get to write the histories. In the case of Rome, they also sought to rewrite the traditions and beliefs of Christianity with them centered around their emperor Constantine the Great, who wanted to blasphemously wear the titles of Christ and make himself the center of both sun worship and Christianity. As a part of this, he combined much of both belief systems and their cultures such as days they kept ‘sacred’ and holy days or holidays.

May you have understanding in the Messiah and by His Spirit’s Grace.

*** When many of the social sites and mobile apps like YouTube say they are protecting you, they are actually trying to protect people from the Truth of GOD’s Word.  What an evil thought that those who are gatekeeping the minds of children with their ‘filters’ are actually filling their minds with perversions, allowing gaps in their filters to allow children to view sick content, and in reality filtering out the Gospel, Christian websites, and politically conservative websites.  Check to see if any of your filters are stopping you from accessing our site or many other godly Christian sites that tell you the Biblical truths that are hard to find anymore, especially those that expose the Romans for what they are – evil, godless tools of the Devil. The truth is that the sick, evil Satanic Romans who have tortured Christians, thrown them to lions, burned them alive for their faith, whether by the command of Caesars or Popes, are the same evil Jesuits who ran the Inquisitions of Rome and who govern the State of California – their current governor, Jerry Brown, is a Jesuit and their history is that of Jesuits and Catholics for hundreds of years.  In California is where you will not only find occult Roman Hollywood, but also those evil men of San Francisco’s Bohemian Grove, the lords of the Satanic New Age movement, founders of other occult religions and Satanic cults and temples, and other spiritually dark activity, as well as the nest that hatched the eggs of sexual perversion throughout America. PizzaGate is nothing compared to the global JesuitGate, those sick, perverse men who use their power to pervert and recruit children as agents into their dark cabal and who seek to hatch the depths of evil in America, including in their powerful kingdom known as Washington, District of Columbia. In California, you will also find the Silicon Valley originators of almost all of social media, the mobile apps for most smart phones, the antivirus programs, computer operating and networking systems, the internet protocols and directives that were hatched from the Vatican’s CIA ArpaNet via DARPA and AARPA, the so-called ‘parental controls’ of those Roman spies, WiFi units for houses and businesses which filter, and their many other ways of ‘filtering’ the internet that seem to do very little filtering and are just a pretense to allow children to become perverted in their minds while letting parents think their children are ‘protected’ as many of these ‘filters’ have loopholes that allow children to find all sorts of sick perverted content.  

THE GAP: Church member or Christian?

I believe in weekly assembly on the Sabbath as both the Old and New Testament people of GOD practiced, but I also attend on Sunday with church members to stay in touch. Yes, I do believe in weekly assembly, but not the Roman Catholic system that is so ingrained in so many today in even Baptists (who like the Waldensians hid out in caves and valleys and practiced the old Biblical ways until the Reformation pulled them out of their caves as persecution ended).

The difference between Christians and church members? Christians go to lunch with you, show up when you’re most down, and are family to you. Church members only show up when they’re trying to boost attendance, get tithes or one-up you spiritually. Christians go about evangelizing their co-workers and lost friends, while church members walk around random neighborhoods with a survey hoping to guilt someone into coming to their big cathedral and helping them pay its massive mortgage. Christians spend their money on things that are proven to reach the lost like schools, camps, movies, and sports ministries. Church members spend their money on building bigger campuses, bigger programs and fun activities. Christians understand when you aren’t able to make it to their house or make it on time for fellowship. Church members look down on you, scold you, find fault and gossip about you. Christians pray for you throughout the week, know all the spiritual ministries that you’re doing, and the challenges you face each week. Church members arrogantly tell you all you’re doing wrong, preen their feathers, complain about your failure to keep their lists, talk down to you, and never see what hypocrites they are. Christians embrace you, love you, give money to you, lift you up to others even when they know your struggles, and are the real deal. Church members don’t even know you’re disabled, unemployed, or going through trauma and if they did, they’d gossip not help out. Christians know your weakest spiritual moments, your life events, and they are there not to judge or gossip, but to help you financially, encourage you spiritually, and just show love to you.

The Messiah showed grace and love to everyone unlike modern “church people”. He pursued the mission. If you wonder why over the many years, I have become less and less interested in churches and more and more interested in souls, perhaps it’s because over past few years I have started skipping many of the non-Biblical events at churches and spend that time reading the Bible with Christians. By doing so, I have covered many books of the Bible. In town, many congregations have yet to cover one Book of the Bible in that same time period, and many more haven’t covered a Book of the Bible for years, but have ample time for rock concerts.

Instead of listening to so many sermons by preachers who ramble about with their human wisdom or on ‘what they think about the Bible’ at churches, I am out ministering to the lost. I have no doubt that many think these things but don’t say it, because like the Dark Ages of Rome’s Big Church, most hunker down and let their leaders guilt them into submission and few any more have time to study the Bible, so if it isn’t being read in taught in their many church activities, they aren’t going to know / hear it. And most don’t. I’ve watched the results of those who live by the “church’s ways” and many still don’t get it even though their families and lives have spiritual wreckage and suffering, and even though they still have yet to win their first soul to Christ. They are sure they are right. I know many are sincere, but they have hurt many people and many lost people will be in hell because of these inconvenient truths. You’ve gone to church every event even though the Messiah and the apostles only attended on the Sabbath? You have been there on time with your Bible tucked high under your arm and paid your tithe to the building fund (i.e. tithe)? You have really “good activities”? Well, tell that to those screaming in hell who never heard the Gospel, because your time was wrapped up in showing everyone you were better than the rest of mankind. I had one gentleman a while back invite me to another event at church, so I asked him to go with me to lunch. Interesting how they won’t go to lunch with you, but they think GOD somehow is obeyed or that they have a spiritual merit token for going to more events. By the way, stats show Baptists now have the highest divorce rate. That’s what happens when they have no time for family among all their events.

I was reminded of these truths when I had a church member recently talk about my youngest son’s failure to come to one of their many services throughout the week. Well, that son handed out 21 Gospel tracts this past week. He also read more Scripture this past week than probably most of the congregations in this town have read all year. I also happened to know he has been praying regularly through his prayer list of around 30 people. I’m not judging the motives of the church members who said what they said and they probably have more care in their hearts than most, but if Christians were as worried about the lost as they were about manipulating their “church members” into more services, this world would have heard the Gospel many times over. If they walked across the street with the Gospel and spent thousands reaching them instead of spending it on their buildings and going on “missions trips” to swim in the island waters and waste thousands of GOD’s dollars, then this world would hear the Gospel in ways rivaling and passing that of the apostles’ day. That’s why I’m a worshiper of Christ but not a church fan.

The irony is that my father, both my grandfathers, my uncles, my brother, and my brother-in-law (until he deserted my sister and the ministry) have all been pastors, so I’m ranting as an insider. My Grandpa built one of the largest and fastest growing churches in America.  He also started one of the largest Sunday School Associations in all of North America, but almost lost his family. His youngest finally accepted Christ as Savior from prison a couple of years ago. I know exactly what I’m saying and am smart enough to know that it won’t get a lot of applause from tradition church goers. You know the type. They dress to impress, chat with their social circle at ‘church’ about their favorite social topics, enjoy some ‘positive, warm thoughts’ about Scripture or about ‘doing good’, and sigh with satisfaction that they earned points with GOD. In fact, many probably think they did something for GOD, because they ‘went to church’ – a mere building full of self-absorbed people who probably haven’t even told their own neighborhood about Christ. And these same people are often the ones who spend the rest of the week living for materialistic money, pleasure, and ‘good times’. However, they ‘went to church’ and they consider that a big deal to GOD.  

There’s a big difference between a congregation and a church.  A major difference exists between GOD’s people and people going through motions. A drastic gap can be seen between preachers sharing their thoughts about the Bible and a pastor who walks his congregation through the entire Bible.  A significant comparison can be made between a group of four to twelve families in a home where people are intimately connected to each other and mentored closely by their pastor, and a huge mass of humanity in a large non-profit corporate building where the people are running through a ritual of singing some songs, listening to a ‘sermon’ (lecture), listening to others sing some songs, saying ‘amen’, and going out to eat barbecue chicken afterwards. A building has nothing to do with the Body of Christ – that ended at the crucifixion when the Temple’s veil was rent in two, at which point the disciples of Christ became His Temple.  The Messiah said the day would come when worship would no more be at the building in Samaria or a building in Jerusalem, but would be in Spirit and in Truth. The Son of GOD said that where two or more are gather in His name, He is in their midst.  That seems quite different than the big franchises or cathedrals or buildings with steeples filled with people who don’t seem to know the Bible and haven’t read it through as a congregation in years … or ever.

That’s tradition for you – tradition is strong no matter how damning.

HOW COULD WE JUST WATCH?

How could humans just watch as Jews and others were singled out by the Nazis and carried off to the gas chambers to be killed? How could people get to such a point of inhumanity? Let me give you a possible answer.

Jesus, gasping for air and struggling to breathe, lifted his body upward with arms shaking to get another breath as the excruciating pain of his nerves in his head, hands, and feet joined the throbbing of his scourged body.

Meanwhile, His disciples stood and watched – doing nothing. Their own safety and comfort seemed to preempt any attempt to get Jesus off the cross. After all, they had to keep their name in the community and watch out for their own families first and foremost. In addition to the twelve, there may have been the one who was healed from blindness or the leper or Lazarus who He had raised from the dead or the adulteress woman who was forgiven or the many, many others who Jesus impacted with His love. Yet they all watched and did nothing. After the threat of persecution was passed, we see them gathered in an upper room – perhaps the same one as they had used on Passover Eve – perhaps they sang a chorus, read from the Bible, or even had a ‘service’, but when it counted most, they watched.

Yet, He forgave them and us while looking down from that cross upon those who did not deserve His love or sacrifice, including yours truly. He gave up His 33.5 years of life and He gave Himself over to such a barbaric death out of love for us – people who just watch instead of speaking out and making a difference for Him. May GOD forgive us for the times we fail to speak His name out of fear of losing our own status, possessions, or lives. May GOD grant boldness to us as we share His Gospel not just when it is convenient, but even when it makes us sacrifice the things that matter the most to us. May we never be satisfied with keeping traditions of men, and may we do our part even if the rest of His disciples would rather sit on their hands, run through Roman rituals, waste money on more buildings, parking lots, and greyhound buses instead of pouring that money into lost men, women, and children through private Gospel-soaked schools for lost children, movies for the masses to bring them to Christ, or a community building and light to the lost instead of a huge Romanist cathedral that collects dust all week, where men sit their carcasses on a bench for an hour and think they’ve done GOD a service, while they waste GOD’s money on their own choirs, ball teams, and fun activities, but can’t find a way to share free pizza with lost teens to reach them with the Gospel or make movies or build community centers to do the same. After their lecture with a handful of verses to justify the length of the ‘sermon’, they will talk in the foyers of their Romanist temple services of sports, movies, and their latest expense on themselves, but seldom talk in their so-called ‘fellowship’ of witnessing to the lost or what they studied in the Bible with their family that week in their giant Roman foyers. Their Christianity is one of self-absorption, spiritual pride, false piety, services, rituals, and getting a paycheck and pat on the back from their peers. They would never risk their job (and their pride of life) by living like Jesus at the workplace or mentioning His name – this would be anathema among their spiritual peers at their Romanist temples and even might lower the ‘tithes’ (aka building funds) which is why the pastoral staff would also frown upon them; and the poor soul who decided to shine their light at work, can not expect any assistance from their ‘church’ if they were so brave as to take a stand for GOD or talk of His love or just live the life of Christ, instead of doing the worldly wise way like their church peers of assimilating paganism and laughing and discussing pagan culture with their work peers in order to get another raise or be accepted. If their work mates curse GOD’s name, they just watch. If they mock Christianity, they just watch. Not once do they suspect that the so-called ‘Christian’ among them was actually a Christian or any different than themselves.

I don’t write such posts for “LIKEs” or expect any. I don’t write such posts for the praise of the local ‘church’, because it won’t happen. I don’t write such posts, because I think it will benefit me in any way – it will most likely do the opposite as even workplaces monitor social networking. I do so, because I don’t want to be one of the people who stands and watches.

May we never be satisfied with assimilating pagans and blending into a culture that hates GOD or we are no different than the disciples who blended into an angry mob as they took our precious Savior and bludgeoned Him with the Roman scourge and then shamed Him, before crucifying Him in a slow, grueling torturous orchestra of pain and degradation. While the mob of antiChrist pours out their vicious anger, hate, and violence against the Messiah who we love, may we never just watch. May we stand by His side without fear of the mob but rather with eyes gazing into eternity.H

INFLUENCE: How do Christians gain it?

When I think of the men in Christian circles who have money, influence, and a platform to communicate with the world, I must say I cringe a bit.

Oftentimes, the ones teaching a damning false gospel have the most wealth, influence, and the biggest platforms to reach the world. I think of all those faithful men with little or no platform, wealth, or influence who would love to get the pure, unadulterated Gospel to the masses, but seem to have their hands tied by the prince of this world, Satan.

Then I think of the handful of Christian men who do have more wealth, influence, and platforms by which to communicate and I think that at least this small handful have influence.  Then I watch as they use their influence to communicate very moral messages, but they hold hands with heretics and hedonism to do so.  If they just created moral messages, at least they would have made a difference as salt in an immoral world, but in order to get their message ‘popular’ enough, they resort to disobeying GOD by allying themselves with those who disobey what Scripture says about justification by faith, what Paul the apostle says about ‘women preachers’, and by embracing elements of the world such as rock music.

 

While I agree that atheism is foolish, abortion is murder, immorality is wrong, and prayer is important, let me ask you this: “How many non-atheists will there be in hell? How many anti-abortionists will be in hell?” How many moral people will be in hell? How many praying people will there be in hell?”  My guess is that the majority of people in hell were believers in GOD, many probably hated abortion and made prayers to GOD with their minds or mouths, and a good many of them lived by certain morals – they just never gave their lives to Christ or believed in His version of the Gospel found in His Word. How many will be in hell because of religion? Because they did not know how to get to heaven or how to know Christ?

Thus, if one is to use a hybrid of heresy, heathenism, and good moral truths to reach people, they are just being religious.  If one holds to the truth, but then holds hands with heretics, heathenism, as they teach truth, they have confused the Gospel.

So how does one have influence and present the truth of the Gospel. I believe Fanny Crosby provided us the best template for this.  She wrote many, many secular poems, and thus provided herself the influential platform and wealth to then get her very Biblical, laser-focused Gospel hymns into the hands of the people. In other words, she produced many secular works such as Song of Solomon that were not disobedient to Scripture in any way and which were not graphic, gratuitous, or a glorification of sin, while keeping her sacred works pure Gospel without compromise and without holding hands with heretics or embracing heathen culture to gain influence or money or a platform since all of these came through her secular platform.

Why waste time speaking on atheism, when only a tiny segment of atheists or non-religious people on our planet claim to not believe in GOD unless you’re just preaching something that will appeal to the masses and bring in dollars? Why waste time speaking out on prayer unless you are going to highlight the most important aspect of Scripture – that not all who pray are heard?

Why tell the lost they shouldn’t have abortions when their greatest need is salvation and when they have blind eyes and won’t even see why abortion is wrong? Catholic Vice-President Pence, Catholic Archbishop Cardinal Tim Dolan, and Catholic Kellyanne Conway were the top leaders of the March for Life this past year. Roman Catholics are tied together under dioceses of the Vatican’s authority, and the Catholic Church has taught for millennia that Christ alone was not sufficient for salvation. Paul the apostle in the Book of Galatians states that if anyone says this, even an angel, let them be “anathema”. That is a strong Greek word meaning “destruction” or “damnation”.  Paul says this twice in the first chapter. The entire book is about how we cannot start out in grace and then attempt to complete our salvation through works.

If we don’t get salvation right, then who cares how moral we are or if we pray. We still can expect damnation. Even as Christians, the Bible says if we regard iniquity in our hearts then GOD won’t hear our prayers. The only prayer He is said to hear of an unbeliever is that of their cry for salvation. He owes nothing to the unbeliever, because they are not His children. Their father is the Devil, as Jesus Himself stated to the unbelieving religious crowd of His day.

Abortion is wrong and should be stopped, but not by Christians forcing their beliefs on unbelieving blind people who can’t see through human government like the Catholic popes did during the evil Dark Ages of Inquisitions and cruelty that epitomized the old saying “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”.  Instead, the true Gospel is the key to abortion, atheism, and prayer. A false gospel or religion under the bureacracy of men who can gain power, money, and control through their offices is not the answer, but rather the opposite as can be seen in the Vatican’s centuries of barbarism and even the Jewish Sanhedrin’s treatment of Jesus for the very same reasons of power, money, and control of the people. The Sanhedrin didn’t want Jesus ruining their power triangle back then, and the Romans didn’t want the Christians ruining theirs centuries later.

The Roman popes, Jewish rabbis, Muslim clerics, or other religious bureacrats don’t want Christ or His Christians ruining their control and power today either. Christ was all about the common people coming directly to Him in prayer for forgiveness and worship without need of bishops, archbishops or bureaucrats. He had died at the hands of such men – religious Jewish leaders and political Roman leaders. Such words as ‘bishop’ were added to the modern translations but were not in the original language of the writings of Scripture. When people are in a relationship with Christ, they can pray and see the truth. Most of those influential Christians who are producing works on such subjects as atheism, abortion, prayer, and morals may be doing so, in my opinion, to get influence, money, and bring an ecumenical feeling of moral oneness between Christians and people who are without Christ.  Morals sell. Most in the world believe in them.  But Christ, His true Gospel and bearing His cross? Not so much.

Instead, believers with money, influence, and a platform from which to preach or teach or produce books or movies or television programs should spend their time focusing on the true Gospel and keeping it pure, so that salvation is sure, as this is the more important thing – salvation, not moralism.

If they want to extend their money, influence and platform, they should focus on secular matters which uses their same talents or abilities to write, produce, or speak, but without religious elements – in other words, like Fanny Crosby or the Song of Solomon in the Bible.

Take for instance those with money in Christian circles who are considered more conservative than some we could name.  Chick-fil-A used its kid’s meal platform to promote Jim Henson’s puppets who promote anti-Biblical values, the Berenstain Bear’s books that promote skewed family values and roles, and C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia that teach that wizardry and incantations aren’t so bad after all, in spite of the fact that a Biblical theocracy would condemn such behavior with the death penalty. Also, C.S. Lewis believed in prayers for the dead, purgatory, a false damning gospel of works salvation, occult beliefs, and was “converted” by the Catholic Tolkien. Tolkien’s three sons (one who was accused of pedophilia) attended the Jesuit school Stonyhurst College.  The Jesuits were known as the assassins of non-Catholic kings and they were the heads of the Inquisitions, while Stonyhurst College was where the two masters of the ‘perfect murder’, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Alfred Hitchcock, also attended. Jesuits were indeed masters of murder throughout history.

On the other hand, I would read the secular works of a Jesuit like the works of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle if it exalted righteousness, instead of glorifying sin.  On the other hand, I would not encourage my children to read a specific book or a series of books like ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy by Tolkien or the ‘Chronicles of Naria’ by C.S. Lewis if it teaches there are “good” wizards and that incantations are also “good”. When it comes to secular works, we can read after many different people if they are teaching that right is right and wrong is wrong. I would also prefer Sherlock Holmes over a book by a solid believer in the true Gospel if his secular work exalted sin or made wrong appear right or right appear wrong. Obviously in sacred works, I would only read after those who teach the Scriptures properly.

With the followers of Christ getting further from Scripture in these last days, especially the dumbed-down “followers of Jesus” in America, this previous paragraph was probably far too radical for most to swallow. That’s how dark and blind this generation is today, and I would suggest that this is probably due to the many heretics, hedonists, infiltrators, wolves, shamans, idolaters, and whoremongers that have been embraced by their pastors and exalted before them as “good Christians”.

SUMMARY

Gain influence through secular works that shun heresy and hedonism, and which glorify righteousness not sin, even if GOD is not mentioned (i.e. Song of Solomon).

Reach people through the Gospel with sacred works (preferably given out for free) that teach the most important things such as how to get to heaven through the true Gospel of Christ found in Scripture. Do so without entangling with the heretics or embracing hedonism to gain more of a platform. Use your secular works to create this platform.

We can get discouraged looking at how many men, doing the wrong thing in Jesus’ name, are given influence, wealth, and a platform to speak. At times, this can make me feel a bit anxious, angry, or sad, and perhaps all at once, because I do not understand why GOD allows the evil men to have all the power, wealth, and influence, while the righteous usually barely are surviving financially, are struggling to keep their jobs for their faith, or are being pushed out of large ministries for failing to compromise the Words of GOD and make them pleasurable for the ears of the self-absorbed masses.   Wouldn’t GOD want His faithful men to have all of this power and influence and ability to communicate to the masses? However, remember what Jesus taught us about His methods for getting the Gospel to people?

“For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we proclaim [or publish] Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”  – 1 Corinthians 1:22-29

GOD does not want any of us to glory in His presence as this last verse states. As humans, we are prone to sin and wander. GOD knows this, and to keep us pure and devoted to Himself, He often keeps us from any real power, wealth, or other such great temptations unless He has thoroughly tested us, and even still many succumb to the lusts of the eyes and flesh, and the pride of life. We must use whatever means GOD allows us to proclaim Him and His Gospel, whether it be speaking, movies, music, books or classrooms, but we must never resort to compromising His truth to further our influence and platform or we are guilty of the old Satanic adage: “The end justifies the means”.  In other words, it’s never right to do wrong in order to do right. Morals save no one. Changing Christ’s Gospel will result in those being ‘converted’ being told at the judgment ‘anathema’. Hanging out with those who change His Gospel in order to gain a platform, money, or influence so that we can then “reach more” for the Gospel will confuse the Gospel. Embracing or assimilating pagan culture will result in believers living disobediently.

We must choose the right road to end up at the right place.

Grace to you.

MESSIAH: Jesus, Yeshua, or Yehoshua?

I have little care for the politics, traditions or whether a particular discussion plays into my own thoughts on a matter. I also have no need to condemn people or pretend that their beliefs are based in some dark conspiracy. I also prefer not to know why some people use one name over another name (i.e. Jesus was used sound like Zeus, etc).  What I do care is to know the Truth and to understand Scripture. I prefer to take a scholarly approach to the matter, instead of quoting hundreds of conspiracy theorists who agree with some preferred view, so let’s get started by delving straight into the history of the name of the Messiah.

 

On page 67 of Victor Parker’s book ‘A History of Greece, 1300 to 30 BC’ published by John Wiley & Sons in 2014, we learn that the Greek letter Iota is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Yodh. Letters that arose from this letter include the Latin I and J, the Cyrillic І (І, і), Yi (Ї, ї), and Je (Ј, ј), and iotated letters (e.g. Yu (Ю, ю)).

In other words, the first letter in the Textus Receptus for the name of the Messiah [Ἰησοῦς] is the Iota which was derived from the “Y” sounding “Yodh” of the Phoenicians and very similar to the Yod of Hebrew, and from whence we have the name “Yeshua” or “Yehoshua”.  Derivatives of this letter “Yodh” were also the Latin “I” and “J”.  Thus, “YESU” in Greek became “JESU” in Latin as the Greek’s more “Y” version of Iota became the equivalent in Latin of “J”. In this, we find proof that the first letter of “JESU” should be the “Y” sounds of “YESU”. Let us continue.

The second letter in the Greek Textus Receptus for the Messiah’s name [Ἰησοῦς] is that of Eta.  Originally denoting a consonant /h/, its sound value in the classical Attic dialect of Ancient Greek was a long vowel [ɛː], raised to [i] in hellenistic Greek, a process known as iotacism. It was derived from the Phoenician letter heth . Letters that arose from eta include the Latin H and the Cyrillic letter И.

In other words, the second letter of “YESU” is the Eta which was derived from the “H” sounding “Heth” of the Phoenicians; thus, if we apply the ‘iotacized‘ diphthong sound value of the Eta, which appears to be an “H” and “E” combination, we find the result is that of “Y’HESU”, although some may see it as “YEHSU” or “YHESU”.

The third letter in the Textus Receptus rendering of the Messiah’s name [Ἰησοῦς] is that of the Sigma.  The shape and alphabetic position of sigma is derived from Phoenician shin 𐤔 .  The Phoenician letter Shin (also spelled Šin (šīn) or Sheen) gave rise to the Greek Sigma (Σ) (which in turn gave Latin S and Cyrillic С), and the letter Sha in the Glagolitic and Cyrillic scripts (, Ш).

In other words, the third letter of “Y’HESU” is the Sigma which was derived from the “SH” sounding “Sheen” of the Phoenicians; thus, if we apply this “SH” sound to “YEHESU”, we find the result is “Y’HESHU”.

The fourth letter in the Textus Receptus rendering of the Messiah’s name [Ἰησοῦς] is that of the Omicron. The Omicron represented the sound [o] in contrast to omega [ɔː] and ου [oː].

In other words, the fourth letter in the Textus Receptus rendering gives the name of the Messiah a sound of “Y’HESHOU”, instead of the heavily Romanized modern version, Jesus, pronunced “JEE’ – SUHS”.

The fifth letter in the Textus Receptus for the rendering of the Messiah’s name [Ἰησοῦς] is that of the Upsilon.  The Upsilon had the /y/ sound in Koine Greek.

Regarding the Textus Receptus’ use of a final letter [ς] for the Messiah’s name [Ἰησοῦς], on page 490 of  William White’s Notes and Queries, published in 1904 by the Oxford University Press, we read:

“In Greek, which did not possess the sound sh, but substituted s, and rejected the Semitic evanescent gutturals, Yēshū(ā) became Yēsū’ (Ἰησοῦ), in the nominative case Yēsū’∙s (Ἰησοῦς). In Latin these were written in Roman letters Iesu, nominative Iesu∙s. In Old French this became in the nominative case Jésus; in the regimen or oblique case Jésu. Middle English adopted the stem-form Jesu, the regular form of the name down to the time of the Renascence. It then became the fashion to restore the Latin ∙s of the nominative case, Jesu∙s, and to use the nominative form also for the objective and oblique cases, just as we do in Charle∙s, Jame∙s, Juliu∙s, and Thoma∙s. Very generally, however, the vocative remained Jesu, as in Latin and in Middle English, and this is still usual in hymns.”

In other words, the final “s” in the name of Jesus does not appear to have been used originally, but were only used in the nominative case for Latin and French, although the final “s” was not part of the “stem-form” of the name which was “IESU or JESU”.  In this, we find good reason to believe that the final “s” was an added piece as the name of “IESU” was translated into Latin and eventually French.  This would seem to render the name of “JESUS” as “IESU” more properly without a final “S”.

Thus, knowing that the final letter in the Textus Receptus was considered an addition for the nominative Latin and French renderings of the Messiah’s name, we can conclude that the name found in the Greek sounded fairly much like “Y’ – HE” – SHO’ – UH”, thereby rendering it with the sound closest to ‘Yehoshua” which is the Hebrew name [יְהוֹשׁוּעַ] for “YaHeWeH is Salvation”.  Therefore, the following verse makes complete sense.

“And she [Mary] shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Ἰησοῦς [YEHOSHUA]: for he shall save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21

 

 

If AntiChrist came to your town?

Remember the old poem “if Jesus came to your house?” I have one for you: “If AntiChrist came to your town?”.

Many today who profess the name of Christ are probably without salvation. Baptism and the LORD’s Passover are acts of obedience to Christ, but are not merits for salvation. However, as acts of obedience to Christ, they usually follow immediately after salvation. Few youth or others are being baptized in congregations today, yet most claim salvation. Have they really given their lives to Jesus Christ to own in exchange for the Holy Spirit who is our seal of redemption and our promise of eternal life someday?

Also, many have been sold the lie of “once-saved-always-saved” in which a magical “sinner’s prayer” purchases them salvation as though it is some incantation by which a life of faithfulness can be foregone. A ‘sinner’s prayer’ is the first step of faith, but salvation is by a life of faith, not an incantation. Persevering faith cannot be replaced by incantation ‘sinner’s prayers’ that offer a warranty of ‘once-saved-always-saved’ and persevering faith cannot be replaced by works.

GOD’s grace makes faith possible, but GOD’s grace is not a license to sin or assimilate, and today most (not some) Christians offer fake “grace” to people in the sense they apologize to the lost world for the standards of holiness found in the Bible or for anything in the Bible that the depraved culture finds too “mean” or “ungracious”. Our grace must end where GOD’s grace ends.

Most in congregations assimilate paganism. They embrace the artistic forms and cultural blueprints of hedonism, the backbeat of shamanism, the attire of harlotry and shame that would make any early Christian blush, the literature of heretics, the symbolisms, feast days, artistic forms, and even the Latin Vulgate text of the Catholic Church, and all of this in the name of the Messiah without even the slightest hesitation or embarrassment. In fact, they celebrate their assimilation. Culture is the physical Sprout or Product that blooms when the Seed of Belief has flowered, as conveyed by missionaries years ago on the Back to the Bible broadcast. Thus, to adopt the culture of pagan belief or false religion, because it is politically expedient, contemporaneously expedient, artistically enjoyable, aesthetically beautiful, or a favored tradition, is to refuse to be transformed and conformed to the image of Christ as commanded in Romans 12, and is instead patterning ourselves after the world’s blueprint, which is the very assimilation condemned in Romans 12:1-2.

If one assimilates sun worship, heathenism and / or the false religions of the day, including Catholicism, to maintain a certain network of friends or to indulge one’s own artistic palette or to avoid offending men, while offending GOD, let us remember the Words of the Messiah Himself:

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and affluence.” [Matthew 6:24]

It is not our job to make the Gospel of the poor, humble Carpenter of Israel appear ‘affluent’ to the rich and powerful of this world. Jesus warned us that we would be hated for His sake, not embraced. If so many today among even the ‘conservative’ or ‘fundamentalist’ congregations have succumbed to being absolutely in bed with the culture of religious heresy, sensual paganism, and Romanism, and even celebrating it with great religious zeal among the most conservative of cathedrals in the name of Christ, can anyone explain to me how the Roman AntiChrist will not be welcomed with wide open arms into any city or church building in this land? Will this Man of the Devil be some raunchy evil-looking man? Or could the key to universal worship of this Man of Perdition be that of conditioning people to today’s raunchy culture, so that when AntiChrist does appear, he will in contrast look so much better, far more affluent, moral, cultural, intellectual, polished, beautiful and similar to the epitome of what every pagan and false believer has celebrated as the ‘perfect man’ in Hollywood, in Romanism, in universities, and in cathedrals for decades now and with the same fake grace and openness to worldly and heretical culture? The Devil is not as stupid as some may think.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY: Celebrating a lie?

With my own family name having an Irish nomenclature that is at least two thousand years old, and possible connections to the earliest Irish, Celtic, Gaelic fathers of Ireland who are said to have descended from Fenius Farsaid, I find rich irony in the writings of Phillip Schaff regarding what the Roman papists have attempted to do to my ancestry. Fenius Farsaid was king of Scythia, son of Boath, grandson of Magog, son of Japheth, living at the time of Tower of Babel, while his son Niul, and his grandson Goidel Glas were contemporary of Abraham and Moses. Fenius Farsaid is said to be one of seventy-two chieftains at the Tower of Babel when the languages changed. Such is the legend.

The Irish flag is green, orange, and white; green for Catholics, orange for Protestants and white for peace between the two. Yet, while St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of green (Catholic) and alcohol (beer), Phillip Schaff, the renowned historian of church history, gives great evidence that Patrick was a prohibitionist and not Catholic (‘green’). Such rich irony!   Patrick was neither ‘green’ and against drinking, yet his day of memorial is celebrated with green and drinking, and in some cases, both (such as green beer). Schaff proves that the Catholics stole the story of Patrick and used it to supplement the failed mission of their own ambassador, Palladius, who returned to Rome in failure. Patrick was also said to have converted directly to Christ, to have taught the Trinity using a three-leaf clover, to have pointed the natives away from men’s traditions and religious hierarchy directly to Christ, and to have celebrated Jesus Christ and to have taught beliefs directly from the Bible without Roman influence at all in his life, and with teachings contrary to many of the doctrines of the Roman and even Anglican churches.

Patrick wrote a hymn titled “S. Patricii Canticum Scotticum” which states:

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort (i.e. Home).
Christ in the chariot-seat (i.e. Car).
Christ in the poop (i.e. Sloop, Boat).

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

Salvation is of the LORD,
Salvation is of the LORD,
Salvation is of Christ.
May Thy salvation, O LORD, be ever with us.”

No wonder when we see Patrick of Ireland’s song and compare it, we can see that while Patrick’s song was completely devoid of the Catholic’s focus on the crucifix, a so-called Protestant like Craig Courtney appears to have almost plagiarized Patrick’s song while giving it more of a Catholic sun-worship twist (Catholics being descendants from that sun-worshiper, Roman Emperor Constantine I, who considered himself the sun god of Romans and the Messiah of Christianity simultaneously as recent archaelogy and a historical documentary have pointed out). Are you surprised that Courtney was commissioned by the Vatican to write music for them? The cross upon which Jesus died was an ancient sun-worship symbol of Rome, the sign of Apollo the sun god, in use by pagans long before the time of Jesus Christ. To compare Patrick’s hymn lyrics shown above to the lyrics of Craig Courtney, that darling of certain fundamentalists, be sure to visit the article at this link.

A member of historical societies in the 1800s, German-educated Phillip Schaff, assisted with encyclopedias and wrote his own works in addition to his professorship at Union Theological Seminary in NYC and his role with the Chicago World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893. He provides evidence in his “History of the Christian Church”, Vol. 4, Circa 1875, that debunk common misconceptions about Patrick the Saint. Here’s a link to Schaff’s history from the 1800s: “History of the Christian Church”, Vol. 4, Circa 1875, Phillip Schaff.

CHRISTIAN VIEWS: Fake news?

Have Christians lost certain views from the Bible that slowly faded during the thousand years of the medieval Dark Ages? Is the traditional routine at your local assembly really the same one that early believers had?

Thankfully, we have the Bible which has been preserved for this very purpose as history and tradition have drastically changed over the past two thousand years, and far more in some sects than others. Many preach false gospels and have lost their purpose in the drone of formal, dry traditions or modern, lavish, contemporary self-centric purposes.  However, in this article I hope to focus on just one aspect of the “fake news” preached in many pulpits.  Some of these you may already have suspected such as the old “be sure to attend every service, give your tithe, and do something good this week and you’ll be good with GOD” routine.  The New Testament speaks of giving “as GOD has prospered you”, and not “giving a tithe”. Tithing was in the Old Testament. Could it be applied to the New Testament? It’s possible, but it’s not absolutely clear.  It’s definitely a great place to start, but in the New Testament, we are told that all we own is GOD’s to use, and we should be generous; however, Paul was taking up a one-time offering for the poor in Jerusalem when he mentioned taking a collection of money in 1 Corinthians 16. In other words,this gave purpose to members giving their money.  It wasn’t an ongoing “tithe” that Paul mentioned for the expenses of cathedrals, nice organs, flowery robes, Greyhound buses, or Dolly world trips for the youth.

We are also told to give to the storehouse as GOD has blessed us.  The Words of GOD in the Bible also never commanded us to “attend every service” – it simply says to not forsake the assembling together with other believers.  And while “doing good” is always great to do, it won’t make you “good with GOD”.  You can only be “good with GOD” when you are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ washing away your sins when you by His grace give your life to Him in repentant faith, at which time His Holy Spirit comes within you.

Most pastors stay busy keeping the members happy to keep their job, so that the mortgage can be paid.

And then there’s this whole “fake news” in congregations today that emphasizes a building as the “house of GOD”, but the New Testament is chuck full of the apostles pointing to the body of Christians as the “Temple of GOD” (aka house of GOD).  Hebrews shows clearly that the old Levitical system had passed and its old Temple.  That was the whole purpose of the author of Hebrews saying that Christians should not “forsake the assembling of yourselves together”. With the old Temple system and its priests and sacrificial elements having passed, Paul wanted to be sure they realized that even though the building is no more, the sacred assembly should continue just as the Old Testament people of GOD did every sabbath, and as even the New Testament custom was, the Bible states.

Constantine the Great must not have gotten the memo, because he had priests, temples, and sacrifices (the sacrifice of Jesus every week when they pray over their Eucharist wafer).  When Constantine usurped Jesus’ title as “Head of the Ekklesia” (or “Called Out”) and proclaimed himself Jesus, while starting his Catholic Empire from Rome, he also pushed the local bishop of Rome into the background and made himself the ‘Vicar of Christ’ (or substitute of Christ) on earth. This should be no surprise, because most emperors considered themselves to be ‘god’.  As the existing Roman Emperor of the West and the Roman Pontiff of the pagan priesthood of the sun, it is no surprise that he also wanted to be the Messiah of the Christians as well, essentially making his office over all of Christendom and establishing the first throne and role of the Pope as head of all other leaders in Christianity, while pushing the bishop of Rome under his authority (these roles were later merged with Constantine’s papal role).

In the early centuries of Christian circles, the Eucharist that emanated from this Roman religion was anti-Scriptural and “fake news”.   The author of Hebrews makes it abundantly clear, as any Greek scholar can see in the Greek language of the original text, that there is no more need of sacrifice for sins, because Jesus died once for all people and for all time – a theme reiterated in the Book of Hebrews very precisely and clearly.  Besides, if the Eucharist wafer was “Jesus”, then anyone eating it would be a cannibal and also in violation of the basic moral rules set down by the apostles of not partaking of bloody sacrifices.  Jesus would have also been guilty of partaking of His own blood at the Last Supper if the fruit of the vine (as Jesus called it) had been His literal blood. After all the Law of Moses strictly forbid the partaking of blood for obvious reasons, and Jesus stated that He came to fulfill the Law, not abolish it.  He had to fulfill it perfectly in our place, since we were unable to fulfill it perfectly.   Jesus referred to Himself as the Living Water to the woman at the well in Samaria – that didn’t mean He was really a “long drink of water”.  He also said that the bread and fruit of the vine were His body and blood in a figurative sense.

Jesus also called Himself the Bread of Life in another passage. He is also the Lamb of GOD.  To use these symbolic utterances as a way of teaching that Jesus was really a physical lamb or a literal loaf of bread or cup of grape juice is absurd to any reasonable human, but then again, there are many blind and unreasonable humans on this planet. So this idea of Jesus drinking blood or teaching others to drink blood was simply “fake news” handed down by the mouths of Romans who are not to be trusted as they are historically mass murderers, conducting the genocides of the Inquisitions, the Crusades, and many other murderous campaigns, including the backing of Hitler who led the Holocaust.

So the fake news of tradition in Catholic circles is fairly apparent to reasonable individuals, but the fake news of tradition in Protestant circles is not as apparent to some.  What they don’t realize is that their traditions are often borrowed from the Catholics, so the “fake news” of how a congregation is to operate has often been a result of clergy and their members looking more at what “the Romans did” or what history says (controlled by the Romans for a thousand years), and far less about what GOD actually said in the Bible (which is what GOD has preserved as our source of Truth).

Let’s look at the “fake news” of Protestantism found in the narrative that our spiritual lives are based upon a quick incantation known as a “sinner’s prayer”, our cathedral attendance, “tithes”, and doing good and / or doing what the pastor says to do, and then we’re “once-saved, always saved”.

First, a sinner’s prayer is just the beginning of faith in Christ.  Ephesians 2 and Titus 3, as well as a massive body of other Scripture, make it very clear that we are saved by faith – faith that continues and perseveres until the day of our death.  This is not works salvation, but faith that works.  Salvation is secured by faith, and then works are the evidence that faith actually exists within a person as the Book of James states (“I will show you my faith by my works”).

What type of works or fruit do the Romans of Constantine’s Catholic sect of “sun day” worshipers do? What type of works or fruit do true Christians do? Remember, by their fruits, you will know those in Truth from those in error.

Christians prays only to GOD, but Catholics pray to men in addition to GOD.  Catholics use rosary beads, nuns, monks, idols, relics, and sacred heart worship, all of which are found in paganism’s original Babylonian religion, but none of these are found in the Bible or true Christianity.  So the Romans again are guilty of “fake news”.

However, the Protestants have their own “fake news” and it isn’t pretty either. That’s why I prefer Christians and not some sect of “fake movements” such as Protestants, evangelicals, fundamentalists, and such.  Either we’re Christian or we’re not – we’re obedient to GOD and faithful or we’re not.  There’s not different brands of “Christian”.  I believe many are afraid to call Christians “disobedient” or “heretical”, so they resort to this branding.

The traditions of Protestants include a lot of things that the early believers never did, but the Romans did, such as building large cathedrals, and focusing on themselves with their rich anthems and nice suits, instead of focusing on the people in the congregation and the community like the early Christians.

I know of a godly woman whose husband had a heart attack. She had taught at a very conservative Christian school for years, but after her husband’s heart attack, she struggled to keep her head afloat. She needed financial help. I know of a pastor’s wife whose self-centered husband deserted her and left the country, leaving her all alone with her two daughters.  She had spent her life helping him at his congregational appointments, but now had to suddenly get a job working, which she immediately did without the best resume. She is having to stay at her parents’ house to make it. Not everyone has parents. And then there’s a gentleman who is going through some sort of fibromyalgia that is messing with his body (i.e. cramps, etc) and he has a difficult time doing construction work anymore as a general contractor, so he’s attempting to start other side businesses. I know of a gentleman in a foreign country who needed financial help, because once the natives learned that he was a Christian, they pulled away his lucrative business from him and left him with nothing (the poor Christians in Jerusalem who the apostle Paul was helping were probably in a similar situation due to the persecution in Jerusalem). I know of a village where Christians were driven into the forest from their homes, and they needed financial aid, because they only had forest creatures to eat and no shelter. I know of a cop who wouldn’t be a cop today if it wasn’t for someone helping him out when his car broke down, just as he was about to be hired. He was thankfully hired, and got the job and was able to pay a portion of the tithe money back, so that it could be used for others in the future. The number of people like this is astounding.

That’s why GOD ordained Deacons to handle the financial and physical assistance side of the Levitical duties that the elders were attempting to shoulder at the beginning of the Book of Acts. We are also told in the Apostle Paul’s letters to the young congregational leaders, Timothy and Titus, the qualifications for both deacons and elders. Elder were also known as “pastors” (which means “shepherds” – remember Jesus saying to Peter to “feed my sheep”?).  Another name for elders was that of “overseers” (which the Anglican translators of the King James Version translated as “bishops” which conveniently supported their belief system in a Roman papal hierarchical system of bishops, cardinals, priests, and such, even though the Bible teaches nothing of such a hierarchy).  And by the way, “the elders” is plural and typically how you see that body described, similar to the polity of a presbytery used by Presbyterians today (don’t get me started on their fake news of believing that it’s acceptable to add man-made additions to Scripture to “further explain” how the mechanics of grace works – grace is a mystery that GOD says He will use the ages to explain to us – it is arrogant to think we can explain grace).  Again, there are many Christians and non-Christians in various denominations, and I believe that arrogance, branding, and false teaching has helped to splinter and divide the Body of Christ.  We who believe in the Bible alone and what it teaches for salvation are Christians alone. No other labels are needed. What is needed is to help the type of people who I have described above, and such was the job of the Deacons in the early history of the Christian believers.

When it comes to socialism, also known as involuntary, coerced removal of your money by a corrupt government for distribution to others, Paul the apostle stated that if a man didn’t work, then he shouldn’t eat. Such involuntary removal of money from citizens by governments is called theft.

However, there were also exceptions to that rule of “if a man doesn’t work, neither should he eat“.  For example, an act of charity (or giving alms to the poor) is the voluntary giving of one’s money to others, based upon legitimate needs.  Disability, involuntary unemployment, and other difficult circumstances and timing can leave a Christian person in great need, no matter how hard they have worked to provide for themselves and their families. This is not to be mandated by either congregations or by governments.  This is voluntary, but organized by the Deacons in the congregations if the Deacons are doing their job.

In 1 Corinthians 16, Paul the apostle was raising support for the poor who wanted to work, but who had been driven from their trade (i.e. idol makers) due to their new commitment to Christ and who perhaps needed job training (which happens today as well as fields of commerce become outdated). Some Christians today also work as hard as they can, but still can’t make ends meet. There are people who can work 2-3 jobs and still go negative at the end of each month due to the present economy and these are legitimate needs. In other words, there are more needs sometimes than just disability cases or the like.  This was organized by the Deacons.  This was not “feeding the world” outside the congregation, since many non-believers, many of whom are addicts, liars, and slothful, could quickly eat away the storehouse of believers like a cloud of locusts. However, this financial care for each other would serve as a testimony and an attraction to the non-believers who would see that Christians loved their own, instead of biting and devouring each other.  Also, we do see some well-supported precedence of helping out the unbelievers with money in an attempt to share the Gospel in the Book of James.  We also see this model today in Christian soup kitchens, rescue missions, and other charities that give out food and clothing and shelter to the poor along with the Gospel. What we don’t see is helping believers with their financial needs outside of sharing the Gospel.

Thus, the Body of Christ was encouraged in the Book of James to share charity along with the Gospel. It’s tough for a hungry or naked person to know your Christ until they see your Christ through your life. We must not just say “have faith”, and “hope you can find some food and clothing”, but while we are sharing the Gospel, we must help those who need food, clothing, and shelter as is reasonable based upon circumstances. This is what we call Gospel-based sharing of food, clothing, and shelter with the unbelieving poor.  After all, what is more important? Spiritual needs or physical?

However, the Bible was clear that someone who didn’t take care of his own household was worse than an infidel. We must also care for the Christians in our congregation, because if we say we love others, but close our bowels of compassion upon them, do we really love them? And if we don’t, how can we say we love GOD and are a disciple of Christ when we care more about building larger church campuses, and getting ourselves larger and larger houses and barns, than helping our brothers and sisters in the LORD who have needs?  And while some disabled or other helpless individuals may always need our help, other believers, such as the unemployed, may only need temporary help such as help buying initial supplies or tools to start a business either long-term or interim until they can find a job, mentoring, networking assistance, and such.  Most people want to keep able-bodied people either dependent upon welfare on one side or on the other side they don’t want any welfare at all. How about a balance of Christian love like the Bible teaches?

And yet church (i.e. circe) buildings keep rising more and more as church ‘campuses’ around the nation continue to expand and grow, almost in proportion with the unemployment rate.  How ghastly to see such self-consumed individuals putting on such a show of religion without any true love for others!  Yet, in the Bible the early believers met in houses.  To ask for a building permit from the Roman government for a cathedral would be a quick way to have your entire congregation marched into the arena for the lions to eat.

Balconies and parking lots keep growing, almost in sync with the event calendars, activity schedules, and rock concerts. Most of the congregations’ money continues being wasted by the church “leaders”. It’s a real shame. Congregations find ways to buy new Greyhound buses, trips to Dollywood, carnivals, sports teams, gymnasiums, large multi-million dollar cathedrals and campuses, and the list goes on. But the very purpose for a tithe in the Old Testament was the very purpose in the New Testament for giving money as the LORD has prospered you. Purpose is the key to giving, not just to continue an ongoing ritual. What was that purpose? We see Paul fulfilling one aspect of that purpose when he asked for a one-time gathering of money in 1 Corinthians 16 for a specific need in the helping of Christian believers in Jerusalem.

That purpose was two-fold: 1) spiritual ministry as the Levites ministered to the LORD in His holy temple and sacrificed to Yahweh and sang to Him, and a 2) physical/financial ministry in which the Levites distributed money to those with needs as each purpose had need from the Temple storehouse.  In the New Testament, you see elders (also known as pastors or overseers) praising and sacrificing their own wishes for the Messiah and His body, while singing to Yahweh and caring for their flocks spiritually (as Christians now ARE the Temple of GOD), and deacons caring for the flocks physically and financially.  You see that many of these early elders and deacons had full-time secular jobs.  Paul the Evangelist, who was quite mobile, still was a tent-maker. You didn’t see a lot of elders, deacons or evangelists just sitting around in an “office” (a Roman invention) waiting for help from hard-working members with his house, car, or ‘needs’.  The elders were examples for the congregation of how the believers should operate regarding hard work, faith and practice. Perhaps that’s why they didn’t have an epidemic of pastors and “full-time ministers” viewing pornography?

You also see in the Book of Acts, these Christians selling their lands and consolidating their money together to create a similar type of storehouse as that seen in the Old Testament Temple storehouse (most people don’t even get that from the story of Ananias and Sapphira – just the negative part of them dying), so they never put this alongside the whole storehouse that Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 16, a storehouse which Paul was intending to use for a specific one-time purpose of financial aid to believers. So today, most congregations are laughable at best and unjust and self-centered and stingy; yet, like the Laodiceans, they think they are very spiritual as they buy themselves new gymnasiums, fun times, travel buses, trips to amusement parks, youth activities, trips to beautiful tropical islands (i.e. ‘mission trips), and free rock concerts.  Does this sound more like a social club using nonprofit status to do whatever they want and get a tax break for it? Indeed, it does. And this is done, while the true purpose of the money goes lacking.  What a testimony the Body of Christ could have if they showed love to their own Christian families; after all, the early believers were known for their love.

If you see people in your congregation who are unemployed, take them out to eat. Help them with employment. Watch out for them. Ensure your Deacons are caring for them, not as some type of tyrant over their shoulder, but truly caring for them like a brother. That’s the job of the Deacons! Are they doing it?

If your congregation just spends money on buildings, fun times, parking lots, big screens, and concerts, be sure to set your tithe aside in a separate account each month, and use it to help those poor who are doing their very best and struggling to make it.  Only give to your congregation with an actual designation of your funds such as marking it “for the Backyard Bible Camp” where you know children are actually being evangelized, or “for the unemployment fund”.  Otherwise, keep the money in your own separate account, and give it to those you know are hurting, instead of funding new parking lots, buses, sports and youth activities, and so much waste. Also, buy tracts with your tithe money.  Help out Christian family or friends who find themselves in tough times.  A few years ago, I heard my old congregation was selling their $3 million church campus and buying a $9 million campus. And their former campus was beautiful and brand new!!! That $6 million could have been used to send poor children to Christian school to hear about the Gospel for the first time or for a million other uses for Christ!! Let’s invest in the people, not the buildings.  The Bible is clear about the purpose of the money of GOD’s people. It was to be invested in the spiritual ministries of GOD’s people (and this might include food, shelter, and clothing for lost people), and the physical needs of GOD’s people.

My heart goes out to the actual followers of Christ who are struggling, but are not being helped by those in “churches”. In these last days, I pray that more believers will have far more compassion and far less judgment on their brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray they will truly be the “Body” of Jesus Christ by using their hands to do what His hands would have done; to use their money to do what He would have done for others, and so forth.  It is so very, very disgusting to see self-centered, greedy, self-righteous people who haven’t endured many trials in their life who look down on those who have fallen into great trials in life.  The Pharisees among us are quick to trample them, gossip about them, quick to denounce them like Job’s miserable ‘comforters’ or quote them a verse about GOD supplying their needs, instead of taking out their own wallet and using their own time to help this person they say is a brother or sister in Jesus Christ.  Sadly, many of these people also treat their actual DNA brothers and sisters the same way.  Many of these Pharisees talk down about the unemployed by saying “my husband found a job right away”, or denounce the disabled by saying “they probably are faking it”, or ridiculing those whose businesses go under by saying “it was probably their fault”.  Or quoting a verse to them.  What did the apostle James say?  The very opposite.  James denounced these people by saying that we shouldn’t tell them to have faith (i.e. “the LORD will provide) but to help them.  Also, the apostle John did the same and said that if you can’t love your brother, then why are you saying you love GOD.  And if you close up your bowels of compassion upon a brother, how does GOD’s love even dwell in you?  Jesus also said that anytime you help one of the least of His hungry, thirsty, or imprisoned brethren (you know the ones you think are “losers” or “never do wells”) that you do it also unto Him.

I believe we need to stop this evil Pharisee-like spirit and the greed in congregations, and split up the mega’churches’ into smaller house congregations, and then you would no longer need the big screen TVs, decorations, carpet, banners, kitchens, gymnasiums, greyhound buses, additional parking lots, and additional balconies; nor would you need the extra “shepherding groups” and “book-reading coffee groups” for more “intimacy” in congregational groups.  But when false elders and false brethren rule, perhaps they actually want these things even though they don’t need them?

Also, the pastors of these smaller groups would more realistically be able get to know their members, care for them, eat lunch with them, and shepherd them.  Most pastors don’t even know their flock, much less are they actually involved in their lives as a caretaker and a shepherd to them. Have you been out to lunch with your pastor lately? Does he know what is taking place in your life? If not, then perhaps you should invite him to lunch?  If he’s always too busy, then perhaps you are better off going to a smaller congregation where the pastor truly cares for you.

Another advantage of house congregations is the intimacy you find. In most larger cathedral congregations, there are those who will say “we really missed you last week” or “you should really come to Sunday School” when what they really mean is “I’m better than you” or “we need you to increase our attendance rolls” or “we really miss your ‘tithe’ money in order to buy that new gymnasium we want’.  When someone says they really “missed you” with that pious, snarky tone, I encourage you to say to them: “Oh really? Then why don’t we go out to lunch this week”.  If they agree to do so, then you know they really care and you’ve gained a true friend, especially if they continue to go out with you on an ongoing basis and not just to be polite.  If they keep making excuses, then don’t waste your time with them. They care only about themselves and are more concerned with looking good for others. You’ll be surprised at how many fall into this category, but better to find out now.  You want to have brothers and sisters in Christ in your life who care about you, because when tough times come, you want to know who will be there for you. If they’re “too busy” now, it is not because they don’t have the time, but because they won’t make the time.  Yet, they want you to make the time for their beloved “activities” and “services” which are usually anything but what they should be.

Has your congregation read through the Bible in the last seven years?  Or do you just hear a traditional Roman “sermon” with a few Bible verses interspersed within it? Or do they hand out a “Bible Reading Guide” and expect members to just “self-serve” as though the pastor isn’t responsible for feeding GOD’s sheep?  If he is not, then what is his job as a teacher, as Paul required them to be? Chief storyteller? Chief moralist and sermonizer? Chief lecturer? How long will it take your congregation to get through the entire Bible at your present pace?  Never? Does your pastor seem to preach more to the lost than to the Christians in your congregation?  Remember that the congregation was only for the believers in the New Testament, not the children of darkness.  “Seeker friendly” congregations are in violation of Paul’s teaching if they invite the lost into their fellowship.  What fellowship has light with darkness?  Can you imagine the early believers inviting the lost into their house congregation?  The lions in the Roman arenas would have had a real feast if that had taken place. Lost people aren’t interested in visiting your congregation if they’re normal.  That’s like making a pig dress up in a tuxedo.

Do you have friends at your congregation who can’t wait to share the latest studies they had in the Bible that week or the latest testimonials of someone with whom they shared the Gospel that week? Do you have friends from your congregation with whom you pray on a regular basis? Do you have to turn down brothers asking to go on evangelistic endeavors with you? Or do you have to search your congregation for a partner to share your passion for wanting to reach the lost? Is your congregation really like family who enjoy talking Scripture? Or are they a bunch of fakes always talking instead about their latest business deal, television show, or social fun they had that week, and making a pretense of Christianity by sitting in their favorite seat and running through their church ritual each Sunday in order to have access to the gym, skate nights, Disneyland trips, and sports team activities?  Are you attending a “family get-together” of like-minded believers or a social club?  Stop listening to fake news in your pulpits! Stop practicing it at your congregations! Get together with some other believers who want to follow the examples and teachings of Jesus, the apostles, and the early Christians, and start a fellowship in your homes with them. Or just do it with your family! May the LOVE of GOD be with you!

Grace to you!

Christians: Guilty of Bizarre Practices

Believers have been found guilty of participation in pagan assimilation this week by celebrating the pagan sacred day known for vile, orgiastic sex rituals from Satanic Gnostics known as Valentine’s Day, a day known for its whips and the world’s biggest sexual-partner-swapping ritual.

The only Valentine or Valentinus of whom there is historical record was the founder of one of the most prevalent Gnostic sects, the Valentinians. He founded his school in Rome. According to Tertullian, Valentinus was a candidate for bishop of Rome but started his own group when another was chosen. The Valentinians were a group known for “adopting lovers”. They were noted in particular for their belief in “free love” and liberal view of sexuality. Valentinus, c.100-160AD, achieved a high degree of prominence in the Christian community between 135 and 160 AD and wrote the Gnostic “Gospel of Truth”. The “Gospel of Mary” and the evil “Bridal Chamber” sacrament were also associated with him.

Lupercalia is still celebrated today on Valentine’s Day.

The Valentinians believed that intentional coupling and the exercise of the directed imagination during coitus allowed for the formation of a pneumatic embryo. During sexual union, the man was to set his attention wholly on the divine Sophia and the woman on the man, and by doing so the embryo would be imprinted with a pneumatic seed thus guaranteeing the new child’s spiritual pedigree. This bizarre act of directed imagination during sex was the sacrament of the Bridal Chamber.

 

On that day of the Valentinians, also known as the festival of Lupercalia by some, women would have their names drawn by lot, and their selected mate would be randomly chosen for the coming year through this process. The festival began with the sacrifice by the Luperci (or high priests of Jupiter or the flamen dialis) of two male goats and a dog. Next two young men high priests of Jupiter were led to the altar, to be anointed on their foreheads with the sacrificial blood, which was wiped off the bloody knife with wool soaked in milk, after which they were expected to smile and laugh. The sacrificial feast followed, after which the young men high priests cut thongs from the skins of the animals, which were called februa, dressed themselves in the skins of the sacrificed goats, in imitation of Lupercus, and ran round the walls of the old Palatine city, the line of which was marked with stones, with the thongs called ‘februa‘ (i.e. hence February) in their hands in two bands. The men would whip girls and young women who were made to line up along the route to receive lashes from these sadistic men’s whips. This was supposed to ensure fertility, prevent sterility in women and ease the pains of childbirth.

While Christians do not usually partake in the bizarre rituals of the Gnostics, Satanists and pagans today such as partner-swapping, they do participate in the day itself and have for as long as the Constantinian sect, known as Catholics, retained the sacred pagan day for their members. This ‘sun day’ sect of “Christians”were based upon Constantine’s sect of “Christianity” known as Catholics, who also observed “Sun Day” as ordained by Constantine as part of his worship of the sun, but which was ordained for Catholics also later in A.D. 363 by the Catholic Council of Laodicea (appropriately named i.e. Revelation 3) as a replacement for the Biblical Sabbath. Today’s relatively tame Valentine’s Day celebration is big business—the 2012 holiday is expected to generate $17.6 billion in retail sales in the United States. That’s up from last year’s $15.7 billion, according to an annual survey by the U.S. National Retail Federation (NRF).

The rule in American Christianity appears to be 1) if something makes money for the economy, and 2) everyone else is doing it, then Christians are allowed to participate as well. The Bible condemns such pagan revelry, but nevertheless this practice has in the past century been embraced by many false religions including Gnostics and Constantine’s Catholic Circe, but also by true believers such as Baptists and Waldensians who have historically never participated in the past. For example, most Jews with faith in GOD and in obedience to the Torah prior to Jesus’ birth, and most Christians with faith in GOD and in obedience to the Bible after Jesus’ birth have given their lives to avoid participation in such festive days that assimilated pagan sacred days. We see the Jews refraining in times such as the period of the Maccabean revolt, and we see the Christians refraining in books such as the Foxes’ Book of Martyrs.

Both of these groups were tortured and massacred for refraining from such assimilation.  Only in the past century have we seen believers in great numbers participating in such assimilation, not only in pagan sacred days of witchcraft and Satanism, but also in the Satanic music, dress, porn, entertainment such as supernatural shows and books, and the overall culture of paganism and Satanism.  To participate out of peer pressure in a moment of weakness is one thing.  To participate out of ignorance is another thing.  Yet, today with the internet, most Christians know that this day is of pagan origin, and participate not out of ignorance or a moment of weakness, but out of sheer rebellion and exacerbate their evil by justifying it as “perfectly fine” just as the Laodicean believers in Revelation 3 who could not see they were blind and naked, while bragging on their spirituality. Most pastors rubber-stamp this mentality and thereby get to pick up their check at the end of the week from their ‘Circe’ (i.e. church) board.

In addition, many of the ancient true believing sects of Christians such as Baptists and Waldensians, who were once hunted down by Constantine’s sun-worshiping, ‘sun day’ Catholics for torture and death, are leading the way in such assimilation, and are also beginning to accept sacramental theology, ‘means of grace’ doctrine from Rome, and other forms of merited salvation. In Jeffrey Lieberman’s new book “Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry“, he explains the occult origins of psychiatry, yet so many who profess belief in Christ are following this religion of psychiatry with all of its disorders, labels, and drugs that seek to replace sin with labels, the Holy Spirit with drugs, and the Bible with false science that even many of its advocates admit is a failed construct. In other words, these so-called believers are being deceived by “pharmakeia” as the Bible in Revelation 18:23 said (regarding Babylon the Great), a prophecy foretelling what would happen in the final days.

As I look at supposed Christians of the most pure sects such as the ancient Baptists and Waldensians who hid in caves from Constantine’s “sun day” Catholics, and see that even these very conservative Christians have begun eating at the fruit of apostasy, I have to ask myself the question ‘if the apostasy or “falling away” has not begun, how much worse will it get?’ And if it is going to get worse, I must wonder if there will be any faithful left for Jesus to rapture.  To show how incredibly perverse we have become as so-called believers around the nation of America (and perhaps the world), my guess is very few Christians will like what is written on this webpage and most would not even understand what I’m saying [or be appalled by it].  This is the state of Christianity in our current year of 2017. Constantine’s Catholics once massacred millions of true believers, Jews, Orthodox, and non-Catholics who refused to participate in their days of revelry, their pagan culture of assimilation, and their damnable heresies; however, today’s believers do not need to be coerced to participate as they are pursuing such evil all on their own without any encouragement. 

Do not be deceived by false teachers who say there will be a great revival before the end of time.  The Bible in 2 Thessalonians 2 says a great apostasy will occur before Christ comes in Judgment to the earth. I have never seen such corruption called “worship” or so much sin called “acceptable” or so many false gospels called “truth” by those who are the most Biblical and ancient of sects in the world. Even so, come LORD JESUS!

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [i.e. Day of Christ, as in Christ’s Day of Judgment upon mankind] shall not come, except there come an APOSTASY first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Destruction [destruction is from Greek “apōleia” akin to the word “Apollyon” in the Greek]” – 2 Thessalonians 2:3   [emphasis mine]

How to Live With an Unqualified Clergy

Recently, John Piper wrote an article in reference to Donald Trump entitled “How to Live Under an Unqualified President“.  I found this exceedingly ironic and laughable, which in many ways epitomizes the state of the United States. Piper has already appeared in the past with similar maniacal articles that appeared to be his attempt at throwing the Presidency from Trump to Hillary Clinton. Yet, loyal Piper followers, like the children who mindlessly followed the Pied Piper to the crack in the ground (i.e. the abyss), are much like many other man-centric clone groups today that appear all around us in various forms.

If anyone has read the articles of our partner blog, politicalconnection.wordpress.com, they will understand that our partner website does not consider Trump to be a very moral individual and the words “dangerous” and “immoral” (regarding Trump) should come to mind when reading those articles. However, unlike the Pied Piper’s article above, our partner website’s articles also described how Hillary Clinton was even more dangerous. Our articles explained that in spite of Trump’s immoral past, Hillary’s felonies superseded any hesitations in voting for Trump. John Piper, on the other hand, seemed to be doing his best to help the pro-abortion, anti-gun Democratic nomination and communist criminal felon, Hillary Clinton, win the election. Well, John Piper, Pope Francis, CNN, and the Democratic communist party failed.  Now Piper writes the above article that sounds an awful lot like he could be from the “Not My President” crowd of thugs and villains who have been marching the streets these days.  Hillary Clinton was for abortion.  Trump claimed to be against abortion. Clinton was against guns. Trump claimed to be for guns to protect citizens from the tyranny that was almost upon the USA, similar to the tyranny that the Popes had leveled against the citizens of Europe and the United Kingdom in days past (which was the driving reason that many of the first Americans formed the original colonies and why some colonies banned Roman Catholics from living in their state while others only banned them from holding office to avoid the tyranny they had escaped coming to the shores of the New World in America). Why would John Piper push voters against the only viable candidate against abortion? When a holocaust of over fifty million babies have been killed in America due to abortion, why? I suggest for the same reasons that Pope Francis was also pushing voters against Trump.  John Piper and Pope Francis seem to be very chummy as shown in an earlier article on our website located at this link.

His article wreaks of man-centric wisdom and arrogance. Who is Piper to talk about how unqualified Trump is to be President? After all, Paul the apostle wrote many letters, but not once did he say that any particular Roman emperor was “unfit” or “unqualified” to be the ruler.  Paul’s only real philosophy on government was to pray for them and realize that GOD had placed them as the rulers for that era and time and place for a purpose.  Oftentimes, GOD places rulers in power, because they are a reflection of the people.  So how ironic is it that Piper himself is completely unqualified to be a pastor, whereas Trump is actually qualified to be President (regardless of how fascist he may or may not be), since Paul lived when past Roman emperors such as Nero lived and Paul never stated they were “unqualified” to be emperor or even hinted at it. After all, GOD establishes kings and removes them as the Bible teaches. The irony is breath-taking! It’s not even the pot calling the kettle “black”.  Instead, it’s a morally-challenged heretic calling a government official unqualified, because the official doesn’t meet the qualifications of a pastor. Piper’s moral failures and theological heresies are well addressed in the previously mentioned earlier article on our website located at this link.

In other words, John Piper is not qualified to be a clergyman like many clergy in the United States, while Donald John Trump actually is qualified to be President.

To show you how dangerous it is to live in a nation with men like John Piper, wolves in sheep’s clothing, where such men are an epidemic upon unsuspecting church goers, let’s look at how prevalent it is today. We see such theological “pop” groups forming around various “spiritual leaders” like Piper like so many clones.  Today’s so-called “leaders” consist of popular authors whose literary ‘rags’ contain little Scripture but lots of man-made philosophy. They also include mega-church pastors, YouTube sensations, televangelists, national denominational or “Christian” university heads and leaders, “Christian movement” leaders, and other non-Biblical theological influencers, rather than what the Bible prescribes – local elders and deacons.  From the local congregation, we see that a group of the various local elders around Jerusalem were the council who sent out evangelists to other parts of the world (usually single men in pairs of twos, an older mentor and a younger trainee).  The local congregation also seemed to be the hub for all other helpers, teachers, and gifts being utilized by Christ’s Body. They didn’t “join a church” but entered the Body of Christ through faith and repentance (“inward change” not “outward lists of men” as the Catholics teach), but came together to form a local assembly under the care (not control or tyranny) of a group of elders who were aided by deacons.  The various servants of the local congregation all appeared to be outgrowths of the local body of believers. They were not separate groups without accountability and they also were not ‘connected bureaucracies with hierarchy that was top-down’ such as European religious aristocracies like the Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Episcopal or other more bureaucratic, tyrannical “pyramid schemes” who all emanated from Constantine I, the emperor who the History channel has shown to be in love with himself, as Constantine was attempting to be the Messiah of Christianity or Christ and also attempting to be the sun god of paganism or the Emperor Caesar with his bureaucratic government forming his own Church (with the term “Circe” or “Church” being the actual name of a goddess holding a cup in her hand like the woman shown in Revelation 13). Most I know attending “churches” today actually act as though they are a part of the Roman system in how they treat others and how they seem little interested in discussing the Bible or hearing it read all the way through each year or at least every few years.

In the New Testament era, elders reported directly to Jesus Christ the Chief Shepherd as His under-shepherds as the letter from Peter describes. Elders were accountable to each other and to their flocks, and they taught their congregants to study the Bible themselves on a daily basis, as seen in the Berean Christians, so they didn’t need an ecclesiastical clergyman to tell them what to think as rabbis, priests, and other man-centric clergy do today. When I say ‘man-centric’, think ‘mind-control’. After all, when a clergy leader tells you “let us interpret the Bible for you” as I have heard stated before, you can bet they want you to turn your own mind off, stop reading the Bible for yourself, and let them tell you everything you need to know from the Bible (if their words include anything from the Bible, and since they prefer you not ‘fact check’ them at all, how will you know if what they say is their opinion or from the Bible).  Many church goers today prefer not to ‘fact check’ them, but prefer to lazily just accept whatever mush they are told to believe by the guy standing in a position of spiritual leadership, as long as theirs a hot-sounding rock band and as long as the clergyman’s words makes them feel good about their spiritual lethargy and “sounds good” to them and agrees with their own opinion – an opinion oftentimes not rooted and grounded in a lifetime of reading and studying Scripture verse-by-verse. They don’t even care if their pastor is pure in his morals, an example to their children and believers, blameless, or free of adultery.  Some may even prefer he be a little tainted to help soothe their own conscience.

Some church goers actually spend time in the Bible, but think that after reading or memorizing some common verses that they have heard repeatedly over and over that they know everything that needs to be known. Some even throw the Old Testament out and have no clue what it says or how it applies today.  Few thoroughly study Scripture, and this is frightening.  Why? Their entire salvation and belief system depends upon their understanding of what GOD has said in His word and do not realize that their trust in men is anti-Biblical as humans in general are not dependable. Any clergy who thinks you should trust him is probably the one you should’t trust.

Today, we must ask “how must we live with an unqualified clergy surrounding us in America”?  Well, first I do not believe if such clergy are teaching heresy or are morally unqualified such as John Piper that you should attend their large Roman cathedrals into which they’ve invested the majority of the given “tithe” money that could have been used to help the poor, spread the Gospel, and assist others.  Don’t read after them either.  Instead, mark and avoid them as Paul the apostle stated in Romans 16:17.  Do not bid them godspeed or have them into your home as John the Apostle stated as well in his letters.  Separate from those in major sins as described in 1 Corinthians 5 until they repent.

Do not be like the Pharisees among us today who do not follow the Biblical formula for restoration however. The Bible says we must first go to a brother alone to confront them when we hear they are in major sin to exhort them to repentance. If they do not repent, then go with two or three witnesses.  If they do not repent, then go to the entire local congregation and publicly rebuke them sharply as an example to discourage others from becoming exceedingly sinful. If they still refuse to repent, you must deliver their bodies over for Satan to kill and destroy, in order that their souls may be saved before they commit apostasy and shipwreck their faith from having defiled their consciences.  However, if at any point in this process from first confrontation to later public confrontations, if the brother repents, we should not continue to shun them, but welcome them with open arms rejoicing as the angels do and as the father of the prodigal son did in Jesus’ parable He taught.  This is not being done in most churches today.  Most don’t even consider sin to be sin.  Many use mental health labels in place of Biblical labels for the sin committed. Some are clueless that “mental health” labels and psychiatry was actually invented as a religion to replace Christianity in European and American society.  Others completely say that sin is “not really a sin”. Others still just look the other way.  Almost none go one-on-one in private to start the restoration process aimed toward repentance and loving restoration of fellowship like family should do.  They prefer to gossip about others instead and shun the person with no attempt at restoration.  Many actually just make up rumors that are not even true, much less encourage and restore each other with humble hearts instead of incredible pride.  In other words, most sin in congregations is excused.  The few who don’t excuse the sin of others as being “okay with GOD” are usually extremely arrogant in their own “works”, while they shun, denigrate and gossip about the one who has fallen.

One final note related to living with unqualified clergy.  If the elders and deacons are qualified morally and are theologically sound as described in both the letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus, they must be kept accountable by the sheep, especially in how much they emphasize GOD’s word. Part of this is what Paul described in his letters – their teaching ability.  They must be teaching the sheep how to feed themselves and most importantly, they must be feeding the sheep the right food – the Word of GOD.  When you see the Parable of the Sower, it shows how important having roots are to not “falling away”.  Most have been fed the lie of “once-saved-always-saved”, an important mantra propagated heavily in the 1970s and 1980s by that works-oriented man-centric preacher Jack Hyles, from the destitute city of Chicago. Hyles’ son was said to have committed adultery with at least ten women, and Hyles was also accused of the same by the man whose wife was said to have committed adultery with Hyles (Hyles’ secretary). In addition to his own fascination with his own greatness, Hyles used to teach all manner of man-made wisdom and very little to no Scripture in his books and works-laden “sermons”.  Is it no wonder that the Bible shows in that Parable of the Sower that Jesus gave to us that fifty-percent of those who receive the Word fall away because they don’t have sufficient roots.  Joshua 1:8-9 and Psalm 1 both describe that the righteous are rooted in the Word of GOD. The Psalms and actually the entire council of Scripture is replete with this incredible emphasis on immersing and grounding ourselves in the Word of GOD, not the wisdom of men. Paul was quick to point out that he did not come preaching the wisdom of men, but the words of GOD.  I have observed from my many decades on this planet of having been a Christian that the believers who ‘fall away’ are often those with roots in books, authors, sermons, and spiritual thoughts of men, but have little root in the study of the Bible, its lexicons, dictionaries, and other study tools, so that they may know for themselves what the Bible says. Seldom when they go to make a point on the Christian life do they quote Scripture, but instead they often resort to quoting men, men’s books, men’s theological systems, and men’s catechisms instead of the Bible. I believe GOD finds that abhorrent.

If your congregation loves to read books instead of the Bible or if your pastor likes to teach stories, moral lectures called “sermons”, “do good” messages, and quote “wise” words from other men or books, instead of reading and comprehensively teaching the chapters and verses of the Book of Books, GOD’s Holy Word, then you need to bring your pastor and congregation into accountability.  If they don’t listen and you live in an area where there are no sound congregations teaching the pure Word of GOD, then you may need to do, as my family and I do.  I teach my own family the Word of GOD for a couple of hours each weekend instead of going to a “service”, a meeting which usually requires no “service except that of sitting on a wooden bench for a couple of hours at a large, very expensive Roman-like cathedral in the name of spirituality.

The Blue Letter Bible online is a great tool by which you can teach your family and even show them how to drill down into the ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages to understand what more challenging passages of Scripture are saying. When the clergy fail us, we must take the reigns ourselves and continue to follow the designs of Scripture in teaching our families the Word of GOD to ground ourselves and those we love in all the Books of the Bible, rather than just a few popular verses or stories from the Bible, followed by the opinions and traditions of men – men who seem to care less and less about the Holy Word of GOD and who seem to love more and more the wisdom and words of men.  Israel used to read GOD’s Word to all of her people in just a matter of days.

Has your congregation read the entire Bible from cover to cover? How qualified is your pastor?

GRACE CARD: Not My Precedent

“Not my President.” What type of precedent does this set? And how does the Grace Card play into all of this?

This chant of “Not My President” has been the mantra of many Americans in the Democratic Party who are clearly offended by the laws of the United States. Even though the laws of the land are very precise in delineating how elections are to be run, including the use of the Electoral College and how the results are to be counted, and even though Obama and Hillary have both recognized that the elections were fair and lawful, some Americans still roam the streets with signs that say “Not my President” in total disrespect and disregard for the laws of the land and their countrymen’s preferences, because they didn’t match their own preferences.

Yet, this is very fitting indeed. Spiritual activities are often seen in the physical activities of a land.

Hillary scorned and bulldozed the rule of law, and Trump is fascist, immoral, and hateful.  Can Americans not see themselves in this mirror of political puddles or should I say mudholes? How does this connect with the title of our article?

The Bible tells us that GOD told Israel that if she, as His people who were called by His name, would humble themselves and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways, then He would hear their prayer, forgive their sins, and heal their land.  In modern times, American Christians have claimed this same promise conceptually in their hopes for healing in America as their economy seems at the verge of disaster, their freedoms are being trampled, their society is becoming militarized, their airports and borders are looking like the former U.S.S.R., their morals seem akin to those of pagan Imperial Rome, and their schools are a laughingstock. Is America going to become great again? That depends upon American responses to the following questions. Have American Christians turned back to GOD? Have they repented this past year? Do they even know what that looks like?

History tells us of the ancient Jewish people of GOD who, about two hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ, chose to wear the clothes, celebrate the holidays, adopt the same pagan entertainment, sports events and theaters in fashion like unto the Syrians, their neighboring pagan overlords.  Soon there were few who followed GOD or who lived separate, holy, and apart for Him. Few avoided pagan assimilation. Finally, their pagan overlords decided that the few remaining, who had not assimilated, should be forced to assimilate and adopt the pagan culture, customs and practices like the majority. One Jewish priest, as the ruler of his village, refused to adopt such practices, and when commanded to bow to an idol by Syrian troops, he refused and at that point the soldiers of the pagan neighboring country came at him with a fury. He hid in the hills with his family and a handful of other families. They were in revolt for the sake of following their consciences toward GOD. They fought back in defense of not only their lives, but in defense of the promise of Redemption for mankind, in defense of the last remnants of truth and purity of doctrine in the world, in defense of the very lineage of the Messiah.  If this handful of Jewish families failed in their resistance movement, they would become as the Israelites, their northern neighbors, who had been assimilated and who had vanished from the earth as a people.

These Jewish men in the hills were the final remnant who were preserving the lineage of Messiah.  They were the family of the Maccabees, and it was their refusal to give into the pressure of going along with their countrymen in celebrating holidays of paganism, wearing clothing like the heathen, adopting the practices, customs, and entertainment of those around them, that actually helped to preserve the Seed of the Messiah, the world’s only hope of redemption.  Can you imagine how important holiness and separation is to GOD?

The result was the miraculous victory of this remnant of the Jewish people which is remembered this time of year.  Some call it Chanukah or Hanukkah. The Bible calls it the Feast of Dedication, a feast in the winter (unlike the Feast of Tabernacles that also celebrated the temple’s dedication in the late summer).  Jesus ONLY entered Jerusalem exclusively at the time of a Jewish feast, and we see Him in John 10:22 walking on Solomon’s porch in Jerusalem during winter in celebration of the Feast of Dedication. This Feast of Dedication, which was not part of the original feasts to GOD in the Law but which was recognized as legitimate by Jesus with His celebration of them, was a memorial of what GOD had done in preserving His Jewish people, their Biblical beliefs and culture, and the Seed of the Messiah.  It is also a time for us in the modern era to think through the dedication of our earthly temples as believers, to allow the Spirit to search our hearts and know our thoughts and to show us where we are assimilating the heathen or living lawlessly before GOD in some way, so that we too can rededicate our temples to GOD.  Law was created by GOD, and specifically the Law of Moses to which Jesus referred.

While we are not expected to keep the Law of Moses for salvation, Jesus said the Law would not end until all is fulfilled.  Hebrews 10 points out that the sacrifices were fulfilled (and thus ended), because Jesus was a sacrifice and offering once for all (one time for all time as the Greek denotes).  This chapter specifically states that there remains no more need of sacrifices, because of Jesus the Messiah. Those who teach otherwise are twisting the doctrines of Christ. Meanwhile, the Law was held up by Jesus in Matthew 5 as something that we should teach and obey, as He stated that those who do so will be great in the kingdom of heaven, and that those who do not teach the commandments of the Law and who disobey them will be least in the kingdom of heaven.  Paul also stated that the Law, while unable to save us through works, is still our School Teacher to show us the right way of living and to show us how wicked we are in GOD’s sight and in need of a Savior.

Today, the vast majority of pastors and Christians (at least in name) are assimilating the pagans, disobeying GOD’s laws, and teaching a false version of grace. In fact, they love to flaunt what I call the “Grace Card”. And if you call them out, they will attack or shun you.  Just as many today attempt to justify their illegal actions or gain special favor (or grace) for employment or special exemptions from the law of the land by flashing the “race card”, the “gender card”, the “sexual orientation” card, or other such “cards”,  many Christians today are also flashing their “Grace Card” to get special exemptions from keeping GOD’s Law, to gain favor from GOD for their pagan assimilation, or to justify their spiritually illegal activities. In this effort, they also employ the skills of idol-making in that they take GOD and Jesus and paint them to have virtues and values that match their own preferences.  If they want a GOD who loves rock music, they make a little tweak with their sculpting knife.  If they want Jesus to go swimming in bathing suits with other people wearing ‘colored underwear’ known as short shorts in a pool of water, they make another adjustment with their scalpel. If they want to totally disregard the Laws of GOD, they paint a Jesus who preaches against the Law and the Prophets.

By their illegal liberties they take in changing the GOD of the Bible into their own preferences, they are actually creating a King or Messiah according to their preferences, and they are ignoring the GOD of the Bible and the Messiah King of eternity in the process.  In a sense, and whether they realize it or not, they are looking at the GOD of the Bible and saying “Not My President”.  In spite of which, they expect to still access heaven, gain much reward, and enjoy this life to the fullest of their flesh and the next life to the fullest of their spirit.  History has shown us that nations will not last who flaunt the Word of GOD and His Law and commands, regardless if those nations call themselves “Christians” or “pagans”.

Meanwhile in a metaphorical sense, history is saying “Not My Precedent”.  The precedent of history has always been that righteousness exalts a nation and sin is a reproach to any people, no matter by what name they call themselves.  There is no precedent in Scripture for GOD’s people being able to assimilate the culture of pagans, and reap His rewards in the process.  There is no precedent in Scripture by which we can say that Grace can be used for a “Get Out of Jail” card or a ticket to sexual immorality or freedom from the Law of GOD.  Grace has always been GOD’s gracious favor to open our eyes, humbling us and softening our hearts so that we may choose Him by faith. His grace has always been about granting us favor to resist sin in the Bible, and never a license to sin as most calling themselves Christians in America seem to believe.

Many of those calling themselves Christians seem to think that if they give their alms to the poor, show up once a week to sit on a wooden pew, and live out the traditions and rules of their spiritual dictator or cheerleader, depending upon their view of how their papal-like ‘pastor’ should be. Their ‘pastor’ lectures weekly at the front of their cathedral, and if they attend his sessions more than others then they believe they are doing very, very well for GOD. As long as they keep their circle of “Christians” happy, follow the list of their sect or group of religious church -goers, and don’t do anything “too bad”, then they are acceptable to GOD.  And how, may I ask, are they different than the Pharisees who lived by their traditions, rabbis, rituals, charity, and put on a religious show for their friends, but refused to allow GOD to rule them exclusively as King, Master, Owner, and Savior of their lives (i.e. not just Savior).

GOD wanted them to rend their hearts and not their garments. He wanted them to follow His Law and Words, not what ‘they think’ or what their ‘pastor’ thinks is acceptable.  In Amos 5, GOD told them to take away the noise of their songs and musical instruments, because He didn’t want to hear them. Imagine if He was sitting in the average cathedral with their church (‘church’ was a Latin word for a pagan woman with a cup in her hand, reminiscent of the harlot of Revelation 13, as seen in the etymology at this link and this link).  These large cathedrals of America have “worship teams” who play their noise of music in complete assimilation of the heathen’s songs of noise. He  did not want their offerings, and He does not want American Christians’ pagan offerings either.  American Christians, like Israel in Amos 5, also assimilate the heathen, sleep in the bed of pagan culture, and change the GOD of the Bible into a god of their own preferences.  They prefer a GOD who enjoys their pagan holidays which they celebrate in His name (i.e. Christ Mass) as Aaron also celebrated a feast to Yahweh mixed with paganism.  They even expect GOD to accept the pagan holidays named after pagan deities (i.e. Easter) as long as they do them “for Him“.

Jesus said for us to not add “old wineskins” to “new wineskins” and Paul said that Christ has no fellowship with Belial, but American Christians, whether they realize it or not, have told GOD the same thing they tell most of their former pastors who refused to give them what they wanted: “Get out of here!”  And again, most of them don’t even get it.  Even if they read a million articles like this one, they wouldn’t get it.

They have replaced GOD with a god who allows them to feel spiritual for attending all ‘services’, helping out with the cathedral activities, giving away some of their second-hand clothes, clutter, and other garbage to the poor and the “LORD’s work”, and who allows them to then enjoy their cultural paganism all week long just like their lost friends. They like a form of Christianity which doesn’t really cost them much – just enough to make them feel more spiritual than their neighbor and a fire escape from hell. If you point out how much assimilation has occurred in congregations to many of your fellow church-goers, this will help them to see how they really look like to GOD (i.e. like the picture painted above – one of pathetic hypocrisy), and they will probably hate you for it, shun you, and make up nasty rumors about you, so be prepared for persecution if you decide to take up your cross and follow Jesus rather than conforming to the world. Those sects, like the fundamentalists-in-name-only, seem to especially hate you – perhaps because they think they are perfect and don’t want you to show them that we all are falling quite short of GOD’s standards and need to repent?  But what choice do you have, since Jesus said if you don’t take up your cross of suffering, then you can’t be His disciple?

In Amos, the noise of Israel’s musical instruments, rituals, offerings, and religious froth were troubling to GOD, and you can assume that today the American Christian’s modern versions of the same are just as troubling. And you can also assume that judgment is coming.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that America is going to be ‘great’ again.

“I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not breathe [i.e. smell] in your solemn assemblies [i.e. your ‘church’ gatherings or services; i.e. they stink]. Though you offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings [i.e. give things for ‘LORD’s work’], I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take away from me the noise of your songs; for I will not hear the melody of your musical instruments. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”

As I wrote in one previous article, I can almost sense the judgments of GOD coming like a mighty rain upon the stiff-necked people of America. In Revelation 3, Jesus says that He vomits out lukewarm people, because He would rather them be hot or cold, yet most American Christians (if Christians they be) do not ‘get it’.  They live in bed with the world and enjoy the music of abominations even in their own congregations. They create and watch movies with pagan music, vulgar language, immodest dress, and other things abominable to GOD. They fornicate with their eyes and bodies, and divorce their spouses like their hedonistic neighbors without Christ (and sometimes worse than them), and celebrate Catholic holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Valentine’s Day, and they do all of this “for Jesus”.  But GOD doesn’t want their immoral ‘Christian’ music, their ‘Christian’ movies full of immodesty and rock, or their holidays. He despises their immodest clothing with “Christian sayings” on them, and their other ‘offerings’ to him. GOD wants their lives, but they continue with their stiff-necked love of the world, while offering money, temple time, and unjust “social justice” instead as a way of appeasing Him, so they can keep sleeping with their true love – the World. And so judgment will run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

What does GOD say?

“I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,
When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
They would have none of my counsel, and despised my every rebuke.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies.” – Proverbs 1:26-31

“He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck,
Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” – Proverbs 29:1

While most church goers either have no compassion or just simply ignore those who need salvation or restoration from ‘great sins’, other church goers have stopped calling such sins by the name of ‘sin’ in America. Neither attitude is of Christ, but a reflection of a proud, worldly, and pagan harlot Church in America holding a cup in her hand (like the pagan goddess after whom she is named, Circe, with a golden cup of abominations and spells) who either condemns the sinner or condones the sinner. Jesus recognized the sin, forgave and restored the sinner, and this is what we should do as well instead of either justifying the sin or looking down on the sinner.

There is more hope for a prostitute who stumbles seven times in sin and repents and gets back on the Gospel way, than there is for a man or woman who refuses to see their pagan assimilation as an abomination to GOD and who refuses to see that all their church attendance, ‘good deeds’, songs, and Facebook posts “for Jesus” or other “good causes” are but so much dung and vomit to His ‘nose’.  In John 8, Jesus addressed the hypocritical religious crowd ready to stone an adulterous woman.  The Perfect Almighty Lamb of GOD, whose heart yearned with love, forgiveness, and compassion for others, turned to the woman and asked her:

“Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

No wonder Jesus told the religious crowd:

“Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.”

Sunday, or the day of the Sun that Constantine established in violation to Scripture and who the Anglicans who translated the KJV supported by rendering the Greek word for ‘Sabbath’ into English as ‘first day of the week’, is the day of spiritual show for most I know. Do you wonder why the world doesn’t love the church goers today who flaunt their new riches, outfits, jewelry, and condemnation on Sunday, while turning their noses up at anyone around them who they don’t think is as ‘good’ as they are? This ‘Church’ is not why Jesus died.  Jesus died for sinners. He died for love – love that not one human deserves. He died for what people could become through His Spirit.  Jesus was compassionate and loving towards others, and devoted to sharing the good news with others and living a life free of pagan assimilation.

GOD hates and despises such false Christianity that only expects its false brethren to follow traditions and rituals described by men. GOD rather wants us to follow His Laws and requirements to not assimilate the heathen.

GOD prescribes that Love be our Rule. He hates ‘traditional Christianity’ that looks more Roman than Biblical, and that mocks His Law and His requirements for holiness, and which scorns sinners who need restoration or salvation. He longs for a People who share the Gospel with the lost rather than talking about it on Facebook and in Sunday School classes to each other, and who live holy, free of assimilation of pagan culture, free of false Roman traditions, beliefs, and holidays, free of judgmental pride, full of love for their own fellow believers who are struggling with wounds and shame from sin, unemployment, challenges of life, abuse, and scorn from the lost for their holy living. The local assembly of believers is to be a family, and not a time to invite lost people for the ‘circus’ of entertainment, rock music, and fun activities in hopes of ‘winning them’ – winning them? to what? As we have written in our article on “Church-i-anity” on this website, Christians should be engaging with the lost through community centers, motion pictures, books, Bible studies in their neighborhoods, and such – not by turning their congregations into circuses or into a ‘numbers game’.

GOD doesn’t find any joy in a harlot Church who offends their own who are trying to live holy by flaunting their assimilation and telling the separated, holy brethren to “get out of the cathedral club and truck it down the road to find another assembly”, or who ignore the financial needs of their own who are struggling from disability or tough times.  GOD despises those who ignore or condemn those struggling in sin instead of restoring them in meekness as He did. GOD hates when we fail to show love or when we wallow in every form of known sin and flaunt it on social media and in every day life in such a way as to discourage the few who are still attempting to follow GOD’s Laws in holiness. GOD is sickened by those who attend their cathedral club, and shame and persecute those who attempt to honor GOD with their lives and consciences by mocking, gossiping about and picking on them.

America was once a great land, full of love and compassion, where most believers had very similar thinking to each other before the movements known as liberals, new evangelicals, evangelicals, and fundamentalist movements began to splinter everyone apart. Before the past century, in America, you were either an obedient Christian with sound doctrine or you were a disobedient brother or heretic.  There were no ‘movements’ such as the ones mentioned. Satan seems to have strategically splintered believers into movements, and I believe he probably used ‘pop’ preachers and others to do so.

Liberals who didn’t believe in GOD were called atheists – they were not called ‘liberal’ Bible professors and given some position at a university.

New Evangelicals who didn’t believe in the inspiration of the Bible and who believed in allowing immorality were called heretics or false brethren or apostates or unbelievers – they were not acknowledged as just another brand of Christianity.

Evangelicals who believed in girls wearing bikinis to Sunday School Bible studies and listening to rock music in their private, public, and ecclesiastical gatherings were called immoral and disobedient Christians – they were not exonerated with the title of ‘evangelical’ as opposed to ‘fundamentalist’.

Fundamentalists who held the moral high ground and the theological high ground were called Christians in America before the past century, and the old American fundamentalists did not look to ‘fundamentalist leaders’, especially those with authoritarian, fascist temperaments or such who promoted national ministries, tours, campaigns, and mega-ministries instead of local elder-led congregations. Like papists of old, the new Fundamentalist leaders promoted papal authoritarian control of congregations by one man rather than accountability among multiple elders. They were known for their sermon delivery style that included screaming and violent fits of wrath onstage in which they supposedly were ‘naming sin’, hammering on ‘soap box’ topics, and creating a very man-centric environment where all manner of hero worship (with the fundamentalist leaders being the ‘heroes’) and man-centric teaching (instead of expositional chapter-by-chapter teaching) became the new normal for these self-proclaimed ‘conservative’ theologians and their followers.

Much like America’s recent elections, Christians were expected to choose one of these ‘movements’ or ‘parties’ led by these new movement ‘leaders’, and much like America’s recent elections, the choice of which movement a congregation would embrace was a terrible choice – a choice of the ‘least evil’ rather than purity of practice. While a few congregations may have avoided embracing any particular camp or large ministry or college or movement, many of the congregations in America did. Some movements leaned more towards love and Bible-centric focus, while flouting holiness. Still others had beautiful godly music while teaching heresy. Others flaunted holiness, rather than flouting it, but then were weak on expositional teaching of Scripture and loving others, but large on controlling others and man-centric focus (i.e. give a round of applause to ‘Fundie Joe’ who is speaking to us today for our emotional ‘revival’ meeting or let’s all click ‘LIKE’ a thousand times on this popular ‘leader’ of a national ‘ministry’ or go crazy over his lastest book – as opposed to only recognizing the local elders of a congregation).

Many entire denominations were pulled either into one movement or another from top-down bureaucratic ‘connected’ leaders who resembled Catholic Rome rather than New Testament believers. While the Jerusalem Council in the New Testament was simply a council of all the elders throughout Jerusalem, the papist model has not been a council of elders, but a monarchy with one supreme heretic on the Roman throne surrounded by heretics of lesser rank, resembling a feudalistic aristocracy. Today, they call these types of denominations by the name of “connected denominations”. I call them fascist bureaucracies.  In the New Testament, elders were accountable directly to Jesus Christ and to each other and their flocks. Flocks watched out for elders. Elders, and most probably multiple elders, watched out for a single flock. Elders watched out for other elders and other elders’ flocks in one sense. Flocks watched out for flocks as we see in 1 Corinthians 16 as the Corinthians were giving money for the poor believers in Jerusalem.  Elders filled new elder positions by appointment and by the election of the congregants [the Greek uses the word for ‘raising the hand’ in the context of such elections]. There was no preeminent elder that I can find in Scripture.  We see Apostle John in his letters calls out Diotrophes for attempting to be the preeminent one in a particular congregation.

This is the truth of Scripture, regardless of whether it fits into any one movement or denomination or ‘ministry’ or sect.

Before these ‘movements’ were spawned, most believers in America acknowledged the fundamentals of the faith or the basic doctrines of Christ and the Gospel. Then in the 1900s entered the ‘liberals’ who denied the Scriptures, opposed by the authoritarian “fundamentalists” whose leaders seemed to be papist-like in their fascism, as they angrily threw chairs across their tent meeting stages to the cheers of the audiences, while yielding godless sons in their own homes which contradicted the requirements of elders. Then again, these new entertainment masters of tent meetings and shows didn’t really answer to one flock, did they? Who was there to keep them accountable?

One fundamentalist leader was known to have even shot a gun at someone with whom they didn’t agree.  Another top fundamentalist leader, who started a school of higher learning, was said to have been a Freemason and attended a seance among other choices he made, including adding Freemasons to his leadership and collecting Catholic art. Some of the fundamentalist movement’s most admired leaders were Freemasons or sons of Freemasons (i.e. Satanists in disguise).  Who were these ‘fundamentalist leaders’ really? Infiltrators from organizations of Occult, Jesuit Roman, or Baalist disguise? Or all the above?

This does not mean that I believe all those who call themselves ‘fundamentalists’ are like this.  In fact, I believe quite the opposite.  I believe many fundamentalists are actually very sound doctrinally and in practice, although many do tend to lean towards heavy, authoritarian practices.  I also do highly believe in the fundamentals of the faith.  What I’m saying is that I believe those populist leaders who created the “fundamentalist movement” (not those who taught the fundamentals of the faith) created a movement of authoritarian, papal-like teaching for a reason.  Many of these men also promoted the ‘KJV-only’ movement which was also very papal-like in attempting to ruin the flock through creating the KJV into the only translation (which only they can “properly interpret” – or so they think) as opposed to teaching the origins of the KJV from the Greek and Hebrew and its words which are not of private interpretation, but are obvious in their ancient meanings.  Ironically, the opposing movements of the fundamentalists do the opposite in accepting every perverted translation that is printed such as the NIV which removes verses, meaning, and twists meaning.  Again, an understanding of the fraudulent nature of forgeries by the men of Rome in Vatican City such as the Codex Sinaiticus manuscript, the Codex Vaticanus manuscript, and others like them, which are clearly forgeries are necessary to see through the false intellectualism handed out to pastoral students by so-called ‘professors of theology’ at the non-Biblical ‘schools of higher learning’ who teach the students that all manuscripts are equally pure and all translations are as well to their own intellectual embarrassment since many of the fraudulent manuscripts and translations contradict the pure one. This, the ‘grand professors’ teach, is to be accepted by the students by a faith that lacks in logic.

So whether it is through populist leaders of national ministries (in opposition to the Biblical model of local elders) or in the KJV only movement or the other movements such as fundamentalist, evangelicals, neo-evangelicals and such or other non-Biblical institutes that vie for the minds of believers in the place of the local elders, we see how the Body of Christ has become so splintered, ignorant, and with such enormous variance in the meaning of Scripture (much of the teaching being false teaching or extra-Biblical).

As a result of rising ‘leaders’ under guise of being ‘leaders of Christianity’ in the past century, many of the Protestant denominations, many of whom were already very Roman in their sacramental beliefs but who had moved closer to Baptists in rejecting sacraments such as the Methodists and Presbyterians, began to deny the authority of Scripture, move back towards the legalistic requirement of sacraments for salvation, and to change the doctrines of the Gospel of Christ, while adopting Roman or pagan practices or sinful lifestyles.

Baptists began to fight over the inspiration of the Bible as well by the 1960s. In the end, a great number of ‘movements’ were borne – many of them with ‘leaders’, schools and colleges and sects which were not Biblical at all. While America’s spiritual leadership consisted primarily throughout its history of local pastors or elders, who were locally appointed by other local elders and also elected by the local people as the Bible teaches, the past century saw an enormous waterfall of new ‘national leaders of Christianity’, massive bureaucracies, ‘Christian college leaders’, conventions or church headships, ‘mega-ministries’, movements like those mentioned before, international franchise churches with top-heavy corporate control, and ‘mighty Christian celebrities’ and rock ‘stars’ arising to ‘lead’ the people, more than at any time in American history.

Looking back, it appears that many of these movements, whether by conspiracy of Jesuits and papists or by conspiracy of Satan, were tools to divide believers away from their elders’ rule, to point them to ‘top leaders’ of nationalist movements or ministries or colleges, and to ultimately destroy the congregations in America.  Instead of local pastors or elders who WERE the seminaries of old (much like Elijah and Elisha with sons of the prophets), clever men arose with large bureaucracies who paraded the old model of theological learning based upon Greek societies and colleges in the exact manner as Roman papists had done in Europe. The emphasis of what the Bible ‘really means’ was pulled from elders led by the Spirit, like Charles Spurgeon or John Bunyan or Jonathan Edwards, and handed to ‘higher learning’ institutes. The attention of congregants from local elders who lived the life of the Scriptures in front of them was pulled to ‘mighty leaders’ like C.S. Lewis who taught damning heresies of purgatory, work salvation, and occult theology, whose lives were not invested locally and who could look like celebrities from a distance (like the Pope) where they are not as easily inspected by believers in great contrast to the model of the Scriptures. Pastoral elders today feel the need to quote all these ‘spiritual celebrities’ – celebrities who are not even Biblically valid in their roles.

Today, we see the result.  I would estimate that 97% or higher of congregations are filled with pagan assimilation, error, and confusion. If I were to start a congregation in my local area only with families wanting to be free of pagan assimilation, I would be hard-pressed to find enough families to equal the fingers on my one hand, and most claim to be ‘fundamentalists’. So how can America have revival and turn back to GOD?

And this is how a nation is destroyed. Most congregations don’t even know what direction Truth is anymore as most have no idea what the Bible says, or when they do hear it, they usually learn it from a professor or pastor or papist who teaches it out of context with twists, turns, additions, deletions, and based upon manuscripts fraudulently forged by papists – manuscripts and teachings that are even defended by many ‘fundamentalist’, ‘evangelical’, and other such colleges and celebrity pastors, which should be of no surprise really.  Few know of the lies of the Jesuits or the forged manuscripts of the Vatican as the Christian journalist Chris Pinto has so well documented in his research on the scrolls of these Codexes that delete the Trinity and other important doctrines from them (i.e. Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus). Most people believe their fundamentalist, evangelical, or other leaders, and today the elder system is in shambles as self-appointed elders and pop authors and presidents of ‘Christian’ mega-ministries, colleges, and broadcast media have arisen as wolves in sheep’s clothing without appointment of other elders or the election of the flock, but rather as a franchise or through a university or another mega-ministry or so-called ‘Christian’ media introduction. I have never seen so many false ministries that look so close to the truth than in our present era.  Recently, I saw a ministry called ‘First Fruits of Zion’ that looked amazing until I searched for their Statement of Faith and read more about them, and finally realized they were teaching heresy, including the bizarre teaching that the sacrifice of animals is still required by Christians and they are anti-Trinitarian (they would love the Vatican’s manuscript, which many fundamentalists and evangelicals have also embraced, known as Codex Sinaiticus, which deletes the ‘Trinity Verse’ in 1 John). Is this Satan’s way of getting people ready for the third temple of the False Christ with animal sacrifices? Doesn’t the Roman Church state that the sacrifice of Christ continues with the ritual, weekly killing of Christ for sins (instead of what the Book of Hebrews teaches, for example in chapter 10, that Jesus died one time for all time when He died on the cross)? Will the Roman Mass (taken from Babylon), celebrated in modern times by name of the Eucharist, be merged with the animal sacrifices in the future third temple, headed by the False Messiah and False Prophet?

I have never seen so many religions that are variations on a legalistic Roman system or a legalistic Jewish system with a bit of heresy of a variety of sorts added into the mix, and so many people are falling for these clever ‘rip-offs’.  With all the ‘rip-off’ clothes that are a generic version of a famous name brand or ‘rip-off’ accessories that also attempt to look like the original popular name brand item, I can’t help but think of the term ‘rip-off’ with the modern variations of religious lies that are being touted today by many slick false teachers around the world with beautiful logos and visually appealing websites, intellectually worded and cleverly written books, and slick looking teachers … all filled with lies. And eternally, many are being ‘ripped-off’ due to these shysters.  Without the Bible, people today will easily be misled into the bogs of false gospels, diverse temptations, highly available addictions, pagan assimilation, and theological chaos where the quicksands of Satan will suck them down into the grave of damning heresy, unbelief and apostasy.

If Americans can search the Scriptures again to find the way to “true North” when it comes to the Truth of the Bible, and then knowing the ways of Scripture, can repent and turn to the Truth, then perhaps there is hope for America.

Meanwhile, as I look around, I see self-righteous fundamentalists, who have all but merged with the old evangelicals in practice, as they celebrate the pagan lifestyles of the lost world, books of witchcraft celebrating Harry Potter, movies filled with filth, the music of the shamans (rock music) in the name of GOD within their own congregations; the pagan witch festivals of Christ Mass, Easter, and Valentian’s Day in the name of GOD within their own congregations; and the writings and works of those who teach damning heresies such as John Piper, Tim Keller, the Gospel Coalition, Sovereign Grace Ministries (started by Roman Catholics) or C.S. Lewis who was ‘converted’ by the papist J.R.R. Tolkien whose writings were of Occult belief and whose children all attended Stonyhurst College, the school of the deceptive Satanic Jesuits who headed the Inquisitions and who are known for their Satanic practices, their assassinations of Protestant kings, their founding by and of the Illuminati, and their infiltrations of governments and religious denominations and circles throughout the centuries.

I also see the blatantly disobedient evangelicals who have basically become large social justice stations like the Jesuits with social gospels and full-time activities and rock concerts offered to their cathedral club members, without compassion on their own wounded or needy (much like the fundamentalists), while oftentimes excusing their members who are engaging in fornication and even their leaders (but allowing them to continue in their pastorates or non-Biblical bureaucratic hierarchies and non-Biblical nationalist teaching roles), while building larger and larger cathedral campuses, ministries, colleges, ‘Christian’ stores, and a market footprint that makes those merchants in the temple that Jesus whipped seem like children with a lemonade stand.  Today, the evangelicals lecture on whatever tickles the ears of their membership such as ‘How I know there’s a GOD’ or some other impotent topic that highlights their illustrious ‘intellects’ (spelled ‘EGOs’), but doctrine has been polished down to where it is ‘denominationally correct’, popular among the people, and no longer offends others (i.e. Biblical truth does) such as Catholic priests, rabbis, or other false teachers, and especially to such a point where their teaching will never offend their many denominational and local members who continue to drop their coins into the coffer, thus keeping their giant empire of cathedrals, colleges, industry, media, and merchandise alive … for Jesus, of course. Just keep in mind there were ten virgins, but only five were ‘rapture ready’ in Jesus’ parable of the wedding night. Judgment is coming.

Imagine if all of the ministry ‘leaders’, elders, university Presidents, authors, and media personalities who claim to be ‘Christian’ were to awake tomorrow and they decided to forsake pagan assimilation which means they suddenly embraced Biblical Christianity again, including its commandments on dress, music, holidays, ecclesiastical form, using money for members rather than fun parks, and suddenly rebuked their followers for their carnal lives filled with the sins deemed ‘acceptable’ to modern culture among their denomination, including certain forms of fornication and other pagan frolicking.  Would the average church goer leave their massive mega-churches, ‘ministries’, colleges, and such with a snort and a shout out ‘Not my President’, ‘Not my Pastor’, ‘Not my Ministry Celebrity’, or ‘Not my Favorite Author’? Would other wolves in sheep’s clothing just take their place? And would the church goers in America who claim to be ‘Christians’ just re-elect more wolves to govern their many forms of entertainment and ‘ministries’ so they could keep up appearances, ride their emotional feelings of spirituality during the ‘worship music’ on Sunday, and feel good about themselves for another year? After all, they visited the big cathedral in town and sat on its seats for the prescribed time.

To all of this, I must confess that my soul sighs and utters the prayer of the Apostle John:

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

For I still keep sensing the rains of judgment are coming.

” … let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”

 

 

CHRISTIANITY: According to me?

If you’ve ever grown squash plants, you may know vividly what happens when squash bugs bore into the root and kill it. Squash plants are only as good as their roots, and that’s why it is important for farmers to know what rots the roots and what nourishes the roots of plants.  Or eventually the squash bugs will be around to help finish off the rotten root, because “it’s what they do”.

Is it possible that what is rotting America’s roots today is a new version of Christianity? A version according to us rather than GOD?

I recently heard a rant on social media. This person claimed to be a “Christian” and spent time explaining (in their words): “what Christianity “means to me“.

This individual on social media defined Christianity as being about:

1. Having a “heart for GOD”; they explained one’s actions are unrelated to one’s heart
2. Having “love” (defined by what love “means to them”)
3. Not “judging” and to them “that’s not what Christianity is” as you must “love” them and let them do what they think is right without any rebuke

At least that’s what “Christianity” meant “to them”.  Didn’t GOD say to rebuke and exhort?  Didn’t apostle Paul say to judge each other, except when doubtful matters were involved? Didn’t Jesus define love as “if you love me, keep my commandments?”  Doesn’t having a “heart for GOD” mean our heart is not separate from our actions? Does GOD matter anymore? Does what He say have anything to do with what “we think” today?

The response to this anti-Biblical self-fabricated version of “Christianity” according to this individual? Over fifteen thousand people raved and “LIKED” the comments spoken which were devoid and contradictory to Scripture!  How many today know Scripture? Most of the arguments were highly reminiscent of the old justifications that we heard in the 1970s as to why “rock n’ roll” is acceptable to GOD – only today that argumentation is being used for everything from transsexualism and sodomy to murder (abortion) to divorce to witchcraft being viewed as entertainment (Harry Potter) and the most profane of sins. But the core arguments and philosophy began in the 1970s as people began to justify their “Christian rock”.

And today, people praise this type of “feel good” rhetoric. And this teaching emanates straight from the Satanic Bible that preaches “‘do what thou wilt’ shall be the whole of the law“.  In essence, the majority of American Christians today have espoused the basic tenets of Satanism philosophically, and their culture and lifestyle looks like it came straight out of Baal worship.

Jesus warned that if you don’t take His cross you can’t be His disciple.  Yet, perhaps the vast majority of American Christians don’t care what Jesus said, because that isn’t “what it means to them”.

So let me translate what was said in that social media rant that I saw:

1. Live evil and follow the Satanic Bible as long as you love Jesus “in your heart”.
2. Christian love is doing whatever you want, as long as you give lip service to Jesus.
3. Rebuking and exhorting those in sin is “judging” and that’s very bad.
4. The apostle Paul got it wrong in I Corinthians 6:2 teaching us to judge each other.
5. Jesus was confused when He stated that by their fruits you will know them.
6. “Judge not” in Matthew 7 can be twisted to whatever warped desires we have.

That social media rant revealed in great part what is rotting America’s roots. In three bullet points, it was clear that:

1. Fathers have failed their families by not grounding them in the Word.
2. “What it means to me” has become the average church goers’ “source of truth”.
3. Christians today don’t know the Bible very well, if at all.

Today, people want to have sex with any person and any thing that they desire.  They want to participate in the most bizarre orgies or Satanic practices and still be “Christian”. One Christian rocker said they have gotten past “the fear of GOD”. At least that’s what it “meant to me” he could add.   Proverbs chapter 1 says the “fear of GOD is the beginning of wisdom”.  So who do you believe? This Christian rocker? Or the Bible? Most seem to side with the Christian rocker. It has become a circus in American “Christianity” better titled “Church-i-anity”.

Today, Jesus and GOD have been crafted into idols – false gods that do not resemble the Jesus of the Bible.  Is this why so many CINOs (Christians-in-name-only) flash the Satanic salute, listen to Satanic music, watch Satanic entertainment, and live in fornication, while calling themselves a follower of “Christ”?

I am reminded of Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer who said she would never change her blindness because the first face she is going to see is the face of Jesus.  She probably penned more hymns than any other hymn writer in history and wrote some of the greatest and most sung hymns of the past two centuries. She stated:

“Sometimes I need to reject the music proposed for my songs because the musicians misunderstand that the Fanny Crosby who once wrote for the people in the saloons has merely changed the lyrics. Oh my no. The church must never sing it’s songs to the melodies of the world.” – Fanny Crosby

Today’s “Christianity” is not a reflection of Scripture, but like the false Christs that so many have sculpted into their own image today, Christianity has become whatever it “means to me” rather than what it means to GOD. Why? They are simply clueless about what GOD in the Bible says about it, and no wonder – after all, the time they should have spent reading the Bible is most likely being spent listening to rock ‘n’ roll at home and in churches, because the Bible verses condemning enchanters really don’t apply anymore – at least, that’s “what it means to some”.  In reality, most congregations prefer their “Christian” witch doctors and shamans, who call themselves “pastors” and “worship leaders” rather than the Holy Word of GOD.  In fact to most in American churches, “grace” and “love” and “holiness” is “whatever it means to you”.  “What it means to them” is that the Bible got it wrong when it said that all Scripture was given to us for doctrine, so if you want to toss out the Old Testament or even parts of the New Testament, then feel free if that’s “what it means to you”.

Perhaps that is why two veteran “Christian” film directors, who once created hard-hitting spiritual films, are now creating a new movie with hundreds of immodestly clad young college girls running rampantly through it as the central theme of it.  After all, when Jesus said to not lust after a woman, that’s only for the men evidently – the women couldn’t possibly be guilty contributors by pulling off half their clothes – and we know these Christian film directors couldn’t possibly have a lustful bone in their body – not in the modern era where “Christian” men are too DE-sensitized from internet porn to notice a girl wearing short-shorts in public.

We can soon expect that girls running semi-nude with surf boards through “Christian films” will become the norm.  Wait a minute! It already is. Remember “Soul Surfer”? Oh, and there’s a long tradition before that of such revelry, beginning with Billy Graham’s so-called “evangelistic films” in the 1960s.  After all, they were “evangelistic” and we all know that as long as you’re doing a ministry, you can do whatever else you wanna do, right? Indeed, those 1960s Graham films must be acceptable to GOD as long as they were doing evangelism in the process of filming beautiful girls in bikinis playing volleyball and talking about Jesus, correct? At least, that was what “evangelism” meant to Billy Graham, and he couldn’t possibly be wrong, could he?  Billy Graham is the father, in many ways, of “cesspool Christianity” with all of its heavy metal rockers, bikini girls, tattoos, filthy entertainment, and justifications of evil in the name of Christ which pervades almost every Christian university today and many churches.

If someone has good looks, lots of money, and flaunts their body and power, most church goers “LIKE” whatever they say on social media, regardless of how ghastly it is spiritually. Therefore, it is no wonder that church goers are now all about being “LIKED”, so they also focus on their body, gaining popularity and power and money, getting their bodies to look good enough to flaunt them, and then do whatever feels good, no matter how raunchy – because in their mind, the Old Testament morals and judgments of GOD are all ancient history, and “grace” is all about being able to do whatever you want so that “grace may abound” (the very thing that Paul the apostle vehemently condemned).

And woe to the poor soul who speaks out against this modern cabal of Satanic iniquity being practiced by most church goers.  Any such preacher will be labeled “judge”, “extremist”, “fanatic”, “right-winger”, “hater”, and treated to about every sort of gossip, mockery, verbal abuse, mental anguish, threats, and persecution imaginable. In some ways, righteous pastors have more to fear from the retaliations of those church goers who want to live like Satan all week and still be told on Sunday that all is well.  And most of these church goers want “payback” on any pastor, who they call a “judger”, condemning their sinful lifestyles.  Thus, it makes sense that when a righteous pastor falls into sin, these evil church goers just about have a celebration rather than grieving.  No wonder so many pastors are either falling silent, dropping out of the ministry, or joining in this new ghastly debacle being labeled as “Christianity” – or better phrased “Christianity according to American church goers”.  If you live outside of America, do not learn her church goers’ ways. Judgment is coming!

Humans are good at lying to themselves.  If they want to rock ‘n’ roll, they do it.  If they want to drink booze, they do it. If they want to divorce their spouse, they do it. If they want to view porn, they do it.  If they want to celebrate a holiday, they do it. If they want to hang out with semi-nude girls in the name of “ministry”, they do it. And most today don’t admit they’re wrong, but instead justify their sins and rant with names like “haters” or “judges”against those who righteously rebuke them for their defilement of the temple of Christ – if, indeed, they are a temple of the Holy Spirit.  And that’s very questionable for most church goers when you examine how rotten the fruit is.

Many church goers today lie to the world through their social media and say righteous judgment is wrong, false “love” is good, and all those “do-right Nazis” are the problem in the world, because they’re “judging me”.  This is this vast majority of church goers in America who claim to be followers of “Christianity”.  While works do not save us, they do show whether we’ve been truly saved. Is it possible that America is merely religious and not followers of Christ? Is America filled with “‘Christians’ who aren’t Christians” who worship a “‘Jesus’ who isn’t Jesus”?

What did Jesus say? He rebuked the sinful religious crowd in the Sermon on the Mount about their lust, self-centered lifestyles, and self-justifications. He stated in that famous message:

“”Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:16-20

America has changed so drastically since the 1960s. The following quotes from a diverse group of philosophically different people sheds a bit of light on why America has changed so drastically.

“The secret of America’s genius is not in her halls of Government or even in the Senate, but in her homes and churches. America is great because she is good, and when she is no longer good she will no longer be great.” – United States Senator Henry F. Ashurst of Arizona

“The family is the basic cell of government: it is where we are trained to believe that we are human beings or that we are chattel, it is where we are trained to see the sex and race divisions and become callous to injustice even if it is done to ourselves, to accept as biological a full system of authoritarian government.” – Gloria Steinem, speech, July 1981

“Family is what grounds you.” – Angelina Jolie, interview, Jun. 13, 2001

“The family is both the fundamental unit of society as well as the root of culture. It … is a perpetual source of encouragement, advocacy, assurance, and emotional refueling that empowers a child to venture with confidence into the greater world and to become all that he can be.” – Marianne E. Neifert, Dr. Mom’s Parenting Guide

“The family is the basis of society. As the family is, so is the society, and it is human beings who make a family-not the quantity of them, but the quality of them.” ― Ashley Montagu

Families have changed, and schools, churches, and governments are all composed of the building block of families. Families are no longer led by fathers in studying the Word of GOD in the home.

There are two types of evil doers: 1) those who do evil and repent (and we should embrace and restore these individuals), and 2) those who do evil and justify it as “righteous” (this is the most prevalent form of evil in Christianity today).

I can tell you more than one story of pastors who had affairs and repented.  My heart goes out with compassion upon such a person and we should embrace and restore the penitent sinner, realizing it may be us next, instead of isolating, shunning, and gossiping about them like serpents of the Dragon.

I can also tell you of massive statistics of unrepentant Baptists who have affairs and divorce their spouse without repentance while claiming to be good Christians. There’s also those who assimilate and emulate the world in every way, embrace the culture of Baal in music, dress, holidays, entertainment and such, and who even in their churches live by Satanic philosophies such as “the end justifies the means” or “sin that grace may abound” and refuse to repent. We are not told to embrace and restore unrepentant brothers in gross sin, but rather to shun them according to 1 Corinthians 5, not “according to me”.

And then there are the Pharisees who sit in their pews and judge others every Sunday, but based on their own criteria of what, in their opinion, is acceptable to themselves and to GOD, rather than what is acceptable to GOD based upon the Bible. Ironically, this sort of person usually has little compassion on people falling into sin. They are white-washed sepulchers with zero compassion, love, mercy, or grace, while hypocritically participating in sins that their church and pastor endorse such as assimilation of the culture, absorption of its pagan entertainment, and refusal to get involved in unbelievers’ lives outside of their own cliques and “church clubs”. Why? They don’t think it’s sin.  And they will answer to GOD for their refusal to admit and repent of their sins of assimilation and hard-hearted self-righteousness. Repentant prostitutes and rapists will walk into heaven before those who inhabit a church pew on Sunday, thinking that filling that seat is their duty to GOD, while refusing to repent of their assimilation and justification of sins.

“… Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” – Matthew 21:31-32

“Christianity Today” is the best way to describe what is in most congregations in America, and it’s not true Biblical Christianity.  Let me illustrate for you what I mean. Which of the below are Christians and which are non-Christians and which are Satanists? You may be very surprised to learn who is who.  Then again, you may not. Not much surprises me anymore as well in American “Christianity”.

Much worse could be posted as photos, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable posting such raunchy photos.  Just know that almost everyone above consider themselves to be Christians.

What does the unchanging GOD say in His Word on assimilating the heathen?

“When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.” – Deuteronomy 18:9

“Thus says the LORD: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles …” – Jeremiah 10:2

Of course, today’s modern “Christians” have become so “wise” (in their own eyes) that they have learned how “unimportant” the Old Testament is to GOD and believers and how much GOD has supposedly “changed” from the Old Testament, so let me quote the New Testament:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:2

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” – 1 John 2:15

I can see why most false teachers just want music thumping in their church for most of the service.  Opening a Bible and reading it could really contradict everything that’s taking place in their modern “Christian” temple.

The deluded writer of “The Reluctant Skeptic” recently expressed the new mindset of many in churches who call themselves “Christians”.  He stated:

“I remember many other cases where someone “discovered” that certain logos, movies, books, and brands are special satanic ploys to mystically possess the population into Satan worship. Everyone was freaked out and spent time breaking curses, burning books, or destroying clothes with magical logos. We often take note from the Old Testament, where people worshiped idols of stone, and assume Satanism is still so “item-oriented.” But in this new dispensation God has revealed a Christianity that is no longer “item-focused” but “heart-focused.” While we usually realize that “goodness” is not about sacred items and temples, but we still think “badness” is contained within little curses and trinkets.”

His words sound convincing, but they don’t match what the Bible says.  Since he mistakenly dropped the Old Testament into the metaphorical ‘trash can’, composed of thirty-nine books given to us by the inspiration of GOD which soundly condemn witchcraft in all of its forms, movies, books, and brands, let me point him to the New Testament. Why? Lest this deluded writer feel justified and “righteous in his own eyes” as he mocks those who “freak out” and destroy such books and materials  (unless he also spurns the New Testament too because it’s not what it “means to him”).  Here’s what the New Testament says. The setting?  Directly after a demon-possessed man wreaked havoc, we read of this reaction by the believers in Acts chapter 19:

“Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” – Acts 19:19-20

Sounds like the New Testament Christians still “freaked out” and “burned books”.

But who can tell, the “reluctant skeptic” may not be who he represents himself to be. That’s why Christians must not just accept everything they read or hear without checking it against the Bible.  Jesus said to not judge by human standards, but by the Word in Matthew 7.  That’s the famous passage from which people love to quote “judge not”.  In reality, Matthew 7 was saying to judge righteously using the unchanging Word of GOD as your measurement stick, and not man’s constantly changing “wisdom” to judge others – human wisdom that is often based upon a “what it means to me” mentality.  One local leader in the medical industry, who claims to be “Christian” and who is celebrated as a “great guy” by many Christians, called a young teen believer “snobbish” for sharing his faith. Jesus commanded us to share our faith. Who do you believe? Jesus or this “Christian leader”?

We have two groups of people in America who attend churches and embrace a false version of “Christianity”.

One group are the Pharisees with zero compassion, white collared shirts, extending no mercy, grace, or love to the lost, and priding themselves in their own “righteousness” which is not righteousness, but a list of traditions and rituals that they are prescribed by their pastor or priest to follow in order to be “holier than thou”.  No wonder their children can’t befriend anyone but those in their tiny cliques and show no compassion to those lost people who need the Gospel.  They can’t even show kindness and friendship to their own fellow church members, they’re so cliquish.

Furthermore, I have noticed over the years that many of the youth who claim to be “holier than thou” are just as pagan in their lifestyles as their youthful “Christian” counterparts who they speak of as being “less holy”, but it’s just their list of assimilation is more accepted by their “pastors”.  Also, I noticed these “holier than thou” youth are very exclusive in ignoring the lost youth and anyone except those on their list of “good people”.  They stick to their fifty friends or so on social networking who also follow their pastor’s list.  They have their own sports teams, activities, choirs, and more with absolutely zero interaction with the lost world, and not just the youth – their parents too.  They can’t even say ‘hello’ to each other in their congregations, much less to those outside of them.  They are self-absorbed and stick to their tiny group of friends, instead of breaking their comfort zone and being friendly to those without their group of friends.  Within their little clan, they peak out at any others in the congregation or even in their community with suspicion and view everyone else beyond their ten friends at their Christian school or church as either “worldly” or “heathen”.  How will they ever win a lost person to Christ?

The other group of people are the trolls who claim to be “Christian” as they live as Satanic, Baal-ridden, worldly, demonic, sexually active, self-centered, and fill their minds with as much pagan culture as possible, even in their churches, while asking GOD to bless all the filth in their lives and they want their pastors to proclaim it all as “Christian”.

I recently saw “Christian” parents who raised a boy who acted like a demon-on-wheel, and they were saying “we don’t know what happened”, yet they babied, bailed out, pampered, and spoiled the child to no end.  I could tell in just the one short interview that they were “practicing parenting” according to a strange version of Christianity that seemed “right to them” rather than according to the Book of Proverbs and the Bible which teaches us to train, love, spend time, nurture, and teach discipline and the Word to our children, including how to avoid assimilation of the lost world, while still showing love, friendliness, and compassion to the world.

Most people who claim to be Christians are the very core problem in America – the cause of the rot at the root of the nation.  II Chronicles 7:14 stated that “if MY people” repented, then the land would be healed.  It didn’t say if the pagans would repent. Jesus also stated in Matthew 5 as well what happens to a people who refuse to be salt and light in a lost and pagan world.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” – Matthew 5:13

Today, those claiming Christ are more angry at those warning them of judgment and rebuking them sharply, as the apostle Paul commanded we do, than they are at those who are killing babies and committing crimes against nature. Persecution is coming!  When salt is no longer salty, it is tossed into the street … and that’s when the trampling begins.

Those claiming to be GOD’s people must repent! Or they can expect the trampling … and very soon.

 

SEX: In marriage?

“Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden.” – Proverbs 30:18-19

When the average adolescent thinks of ‘sex’, they think of pleasure, fun, or what type of ‘orientation’ they prefer as if it is a new type of cookie or snack to enjoy, thanks to the sexual revolution in the 1960s, the CIA’s Arpanet (internet), and Hollywood’s constant barrage of immorality being fed to them through media channels filled with instant gratification.

No wonder about half of all marriages end in divorce with 8.8 years being the average length of an American marriage.  This doesn’t count all the new ‘lifestyles’ and ‘orientations’ that have decided marriage isn’t needed anymore except for tax breaks and benefits.

There’s a reason that America has become like this.

The idea of marriage has been replaced with ‘free sex’, but I really don’t think most people grasp what that term ‘free sex’ means.  Let me explain.

“For every action, there is an equal (in size) and opposite (in direction) reaction.”  – Isaac Newton

Remember Newton’s third law of motion?  Think in terms of this scientific principle when it comes to sex.  If you decide to have sex (action), you are accepting the real fact that for all that great pleasure, you will have great responsibility (reaction).

No wonder the Bible states that sex is for only those who have entered the covenant of marriage. Why? Because marriage requires commitment, and when the responsibility comes, some may be tempted to play the ‘deadbeat’ role instead.  Marrying a spouse should not be seen by any young man or woman as ‘fun’, but as ‘honorable’.  Why so?  They are taking on more responsibility for another person.  When they then decide to have sex (and the accompanying responsibility), this is honorable as well.  Why?  They are showing their willingness to take on any even greater level of responsibility.

Is that how most teens in America think today? No.  And this is why people divorce.  And this is the purpose of my article – to let young people know what they should expect from a Biblical perspective – the blessings and fulfillment of being honorable enough to take on more responsibility.  Sometimes, couples have life-changing events such as disease or accidents and no pleasure (sex) is involved – just responsibility; therefore, we must set this as the expectation for prospective couples if they are to have a proper view of marriage. Expectations are being set by public schools, Hollywood and the internet which are teaching that no responsibility is required. Also, many have resorted to what the Bible phrases as spilling their seed on the ground as seen in Genesis 38 in the life of Onan whom GOD killed. In this passage in Genesis, we see that Onan’s purpose was to avoid the responsibility (or ‘the duty’ as the Scripture states it) that he had to his brother’s wife (a duty which would ensure that this widow had children to care for her in her old age and which probably meant more responsibility for him as he would need to help her care for the children). Instead, Onan enjoyed the sexuality of his brother’s wife (which was his duty), but not the responsibility to her (which was also his duty to her) by allowing such sex to result in procreation.

“Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.” – Genesis 38:8-9

Marriage is a picture of Jesus Christ and His Bride, and such behavior is incompatible with this image of our relationship with GOD.  Furthermore, much of the self-gratifying habits in people’s lives is accompanied by lust and often begins long before marriage, which in turn gives the youth the idea that pleasure is the purpose of sex.  While sex has pleasure (and responsibility), pleasure is not the Biblical purpose of sex.   Sadly, in the modern American culture, women have similar behavior. Some justify such self-erotic behavior, because they say the Bible doesn’t really say anything is wrong with it, but in doing so, they actually show their ignorance of what marriage is all about.  GOD promises judgment upon those who engage in sex outside of the form and structure which He has given to us.

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and the adulterous.” – Hebrews 13:4

Marriage was defined by GOD in Genesis 2.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24

Sex is only to be had in marriage, not with one’s self, not with others, but only with their spouse. I remember after marriage that something changed as we became ‘one flesh’.  It was almost like we had the same mind at times and it was quite dramatic.  Also, when you offend your spouse, you are offending yourself, because you have become one flesh.  Those who invent perverted sexual lifestyles are marring the beautiful picture of Christ and His Bride as seen in marriage.  Those who practice abuse or other evil within their marriages or who attempt to redefine marriage using perversion are also marring the beauty of this Biblical model of our relationship with the Messiah. Those who are self-absorbed and practice sexuality on their own are also marring the beauty of GOD’s image of marriage as being Jesus wed with His Bride, the People of GOD. Marriage is about being married together, not marred together.

Marriage is not only a picture of Christ, but also as Hebrews 13 said previously in this article, marriage is all about honor – a willingness to take on responsibility for another and to place their lives in your care. This is honorable.

“Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.” – Ecclesiastes 9:9-10

Marriage is also about procreation.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” – Genesis 1:27-28

The Birth Control Project gives the history of how birth control was an invention of grisly, Nazi-like people such as Margaret Sanger, who touted Hitler’s thoughts on procreation and sterilization, influenced America in not just abortion, the ‘morning after pill’, or other obviously evil practices, but also in the practice of standard birth control pills which seek to stop life before it is allowed to even conceive.  Such a view of sex again is that the action of sex should not be met with the equal and opposite reaction of responsibility.  This again plays to man’s sense of self-gratification, a concept that is very much the opposite of the model of Christ.  Could you imagine Jesus and his Bride not wanting to bring forth many children to the Father through the Seed of the Gospel? And in this way, most who profess Jesus’ name do not really think through the model of Christ or the Biblical worldview of procreation as they practice contraception (which means ‘against conception’), which is a way, like Onan, of avoiding the responsibility that comes with sex.  What many do not realize are the enormous number of ‘female problems’ that occur as a result of the use of contraception or tubal ligation. While this article is not meant to tackle this difficult subject, just know that ‘Big Pharma’ may not want you to know how their contraception drugs can affect your fertility and they have many voices preaching their viewpoint, so be sure to read after the testimonies and voices of those who care. Also, I have read the testimonies of many, many ladies who suffer today from tubal ligation.  However, these are difficult choices you must make and I would encourage you as you make your choices to look at the Biblical model of marriage as a picture of Christ and His Bride, as well as the Biblical view of Onan who attempted to separate sex from responsibility.

GOD does tell spouses to be sure to not defraud the other spouse in a relationship in 1 Corinthians 7 where He makes it clear that sex is something in which married couples should be doing regularly in order to not bring temptation to the other spouse.

“The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” – 1 Corinthians 7:3-5

However, does the Bible ever promise us a ‘great sex life’? No -especially if cancer or accidents or other things happen. Does GOD ever say that we should expect marriage to be about sex? No. It’s about love.  It’s about the other person’s needs.  Even the idea of not ‘defrauding’ another spouse in bed is about their needs. Let’s hear what the Bible says.

“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.” – Proverbs 12:4

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.” – Proverbs 18:22

“House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.” – Proverbs 19:14

” An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” – Proverbs 31:10

While separation is sometimes necessary in order to protect the life of a spouse from abuse or disease, divorce is considered to be against the will of GOD as seen in the below Scriptures.

“And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”” – Mark 10:11-12

“And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”” – Matthew 19:3-12

“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.” – Luke 16:18

“To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.” – 1 Corinthians 7:10-11

While the apostle Paul states that a wife who separates from her husband should remain unmarried or reconcile to her husband, he does allow for a widow or widower whose spouse has died to remarry, although he adds the caveat that he thinks they are better off if they stay single as himself.

“For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.” – 1 Corinthians 7:7-9

Therefore, we conclude that all sex, whether self-gratification, perversion, adultery, and Jesus even named ‘lust’, which falls outside of marriage is against the laws of GOD, and is an abomination to GOD.  We also see that those who attempt to enjoy the sexuality of another within the legalities of his duties, such as Onan, but attempt to avoid the responsibility of such sexuality is not pleasing to GOD (GOD killed Onan).

My sole purpose for getting up this morning and writing this article was to ensure that the unmarried, especially the Christian youth, understand that sex is about love and responsibility for another as Christ loves His Bride, not one’s self-absorbed pleasures.

My brother-in-law led many to Jesus Christ before he suddenly came down with a life-changing illness. I have seen my sister stand beside her husband. I have watched her assist him as he has suffered for over seven years with a life-threatening disease that may soon claim his life. This is love.

I never knew my grandfather when he was a playboy and a mafioso-like, devilish rebel against GOD.  I only saw him as the loving father, godly pastor, and fervent believer that he became after the Holy Spirit transformed his life. However, I am told that my grandmother put up with his evil ways for years, while staying faithful to him and to GOD.  The result was what Paul implied in 1 Corinthians 7.  Though you can bet she wasn’t in that marriage for the pleasure, she won him to Jesus Christ through her faithfulness and had the extraordinary pleasure and fulfillment of seeing him become a loving husband and father as a result.  This is love.

I have seen my father care for my mother as she endured surgeries, had difficulty walking and doing everyday biological functions. Few on this planet live in such a selfless, loving way, and many will just exit when the times get tough. But that’s what marriage really is – an opportunity to love.

GOD has clearly stated that He will judge those who use the sexuality of marriage for their self-absorbed purposes.

We hope this Biblical worldview will allow the reader to have realistic expectations and will assist them in not just avoiding divorce, but thriving in their marriages as they realize that marriage gives them an opportunity to love another believer in the Messiah and to live out a model of Christ’s love for us.

Love is all about others, not one’s own self.  And we can love another only because GOD first loved us.

REFORMED: Sign of the end?

• Does Reformed theology’s popularity indicate we’re ‘close to the end’?
• Where does the Reformed movement trace its origins?
• Was Calvin a ‘converso’ infiltrator? Did he go to school with Ignatius?
• Is the time of the Gentiles coming to an end as more move into Rome’s bed?
• Why were popular reformed movements today like Sovereign Grace Ministries started originally as ‘People of Destiny International’ and ‘Covenant Life Church‘ by Roman Catholics, Larry Tomczak and C.J. Mahaney?

Why do Calvin’s core Reformed doctrines and beliefs, his assistance of the Inquisition, his beheading of other Jesus followers, his Jew hatred and works salvation (sacramentum) all resemble the Catholic religious system of Rome? Was Calvin ‘renouncing’ or ‘reforming’ the Catholic Church? Was ‘reforming’ the Catholic Church the right thing to do?  … READ MORE

THE AMERICAS: Deleted?

Let’s review a few of the following thoughts together.    Obama, Rouhani, and Putin seem to be working together as explained later. Chatter has increased about massive mega-earthquakes across America at a level never before heard. ‘Atlantis’ is said to not be a past city, but a future continent as stated in the video at this link and documented in the video at this link. And then there’s a massive economic tsunami being predicted by high-level globalist leaders.

What if all of these reports have something in common?

If some of the best and brightest who are moral and well-meaning in the intelligence, military and local law enforcement communities just believe whatever their superiors, news feeds, and ‘intelligence’ data tell them, won’t the populace as well? Who will see ‘it’ coming? How deeply in trouble are Americans?

This lack of perception – this darkness is exacerbated by a deep abiding fear in the guts of the few who see what is happening – a fear that makes them afraid to speak out, paranoid, frozen, which can leave them almost feeling desperate and hopeless. Furthermore, the threats, dirty tricks, whispering campaigns, blackmail, mass surveillance, and technological manipulation are being employed to shut down the last few voices who are speaking out.  Not everything is as it seems.

How many of the ‘moral’ have been a huge help to the Enemy without even knowing it … but I digress.

I have heard numerous leaders voicing their fear of what might be taking place in America very soon. People with ties to intelligence are warning of what this year might be like.  World leaders are making very troubling comments and placing alerts to others. Something monumental must be happening and very soon.

Remember that conversation between Obama and Putin that showed how chummy they are? It took place just before the last election.  Well, Obama recently called Putin and we are told he didn’t even mention Putin’s aggressive actions toward our military on the call. So what’s up?

Well, first here’s another thought.  If Obama is chummy with Putin in private, but acts like his nemesis in public, then what might be Obama’s relationship with Iran’s President Rouhani?  Some are saying his deal with Iran was one of the most radical deals in history.  It basically guaranteed not only the massacre of Israel, but also the eventual possibility of Iran using nuclear weapons against America.  And then there’s not just Iran and Putin, is there?  There’s also ‘the Kims’ leading North Korea. What would happen if these men all united with Obama? What could happen if the great Jihad is near? What if someone pushed a ‘red button’ and played ‘martyr’? Or what if several someones did this?  I caution you to look behind the mask. Several of the covert agents of Rome are also sounding the warning [UPDATE: On the morning that I posted this article, one of Rome’s valuable infiltrators published a similar article to mine that same day with similar warnings, but it’s expected that she would do so for credibility purposes; for once the madness begins, they want it to look like they were the ones warning people].

If Obama has been painted to be radical as a President in such a way that the world could believe that he would be capable of assisting the Muslims in an ‘inside job’, then it just might make a believable story if ‘something happened’ to America. After all, most people are flabbergasted with how Obama has stayed in power, while constantly vetoing the will of the people, and many Americans are afraid of what he might do next.  What if in addition to a ‘police state’ and another Nazi Germany, Obama has worse things in mind? And not really Obama, but the Global Roman Occult who are his Puppet Masters.  They continue to infuriate Putin using their puppet Obama. Or could it all be a stage play and all of these world leaders could be the Occult’s players? Even if you don’t want to participate in this grisly tale, much of the world is going to soon be facing times darker than have ever been seen in world history according to prophecy especially after Seal Four. What is Seal Four?

I have heard all types of theories on America’s place in prophecy. Many admit that they don’t really know. I fear that this is the real truth about America’s place in the near future and in the worst possible way. Is it possible that ‘America the Beautiful’ may soon become ‘America the Deleted’?

One theory is that America is one of the ‘young lions’ of Tarshish seen in Ezekiel 38.

“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” – Ezekiel 38:13

Tarshish’s location is debatable, first of all. Some put Tarshish as far away as Britain. Some towards Yemen where most think Sheba and Dedan are located. The name Tarshish in the Old Testament is Hebrew and sounds much like the Greek name Tarsus in the New Testament, so some place Tarshish at the location of Tarsus, located left of modern-day Syria, towards the bottom of modern-day Turkey. This location for Tarshish is halfway between Britain and Yemen. Most theories agree Tarshish is somewhere along the coasts of the Mediterranean. Sheba and Dedan are also thought to be coastal countries around Saudi Arabia. All of this said, I have reviewed the Scriptures on ‘young lions’, and this term is used as a reference to ‘nations who are taking a spoil of other nations’, and this makes the most sense. Several passages seem to be a cryptic reference to either Ninevah or Bashan (modern-day Syria) or Rome as well (one passage seems connected to Israel’s destruction by Rome’s hand).

Overall, its interpretation is a bit shrouded and uncertain. In other words, the idea of it being America is quite imaginative at best. Here are the Scriptures for you to peruse as well on ‘young lions’.

• Isaiah 31:4
• Jeremiah 2:10-15
• Jeremiah 51:38
• Amos 3:4-8
• Hosea 5:14-15
• Nahum 2:11-13
• Zechariah 11:1-3
• Ezekiel 38:13

Again, there is no real mention of America, Canada, South America, or Australia in prophecy. Another theory is that perhaps America is part of Rome, and one of the ‘iron legs’ found in Daniel the prophet’s vision in Daniel chapter 2.  That might be a bit of a ‘stretch’ (pun intended), but it may also be the only option left.  Or is it?

Another recent theory is that of America being ‘Babylon the Great’ in Revelation 17 and 18, but that theory is difficult to prove.  For example, Babylon the Great is a city (or ‘polis’ as the Greek says), has a golden cup in her hand, is drunk with the blood of martyrs and saints, and sits on seven hills (John the Apostle knew that everyone knew Rome was the ‘city on seven hills’ and Rome has historically been called ‘Babylon’).  Even if you assign the ‘golden cup’ some sort of meaning, pretend that the ‘city’ is metaphorical, attempt to prove that somehow the seven hills are the seven mountain ranges of North and South America (which is a bit sketchy), there is still one thing you will lack.   The one thing lacking is the blood of the martyrs flowing in America. Since a Roman emperor is to be the final False Messiah, then it would behoove Rome to ensure the blood of the saints are flowing in America. Could this be why Rome chose Obama as their puppet in the White House?  Now, Revelation 18 says regarding Babylon the Great “for in one hour is thy judgment come”.  So technically, the ‘one hour’ judgement of the Great Whore  (i.e. the real Babylon the Great) takes place toward the very end of the seven year period, not the beginning, but perhaps the False Messiah doesn’t have too many options when he’s attempting to create a ‘cover story’ and a replacement for Rome’s destruction.

Therefore, while this theory of America being ‘Babylon the Great’ is beneficial to the final Roman Messiah in his quest for the worship of the world, it means that if you accept this theory, you must accept the fact that Christian blood will soon flow in America and that America will no longer be found (which is another description of Babylon the Great). We’ve been told and shown in videos for years now of hundreds of ‘camps’ in America, of guillotines being shipped, of refrigerated trucks being used by FEMA, and numerous other morbid, grisly preparations. What’s their purpose? And why are we told in the Bible that in the last days there will be those who are beheaded for Christ?  And why is the guillotine the chosen form of execution by the evil powers of the Occult Romans?

A Knights Templar who believes in ‘Lucifer’, as he stated to me personally, told me that the guillotine is a form of execution by which the organs can be salvaged and frozen for later use.  In the article at this link, you will read about a legal question in which a driver wonders if he can continue using his truck for food transportation after FEMA had used his truck for transporting dead bodies.  It’s also said that hundreds and hundreds of refrigerated trucks were used by FEMA for the September 11, 2001 event.  If you remember Hitler’s evil experiments during the Holocaust, he was already finding ways to use the body parts of his victims. It appears that Nazi Germany may have well been the pilot program, and that the evil Roman Occult leadership is ready to conduct the real program … in the United States.

Even if you don’t accept this theory of America being ‘Babylon the Great’ (and I have very real problems with it, and believe Rome is the real ‘Babylon the Great’), you must admit that it’s the best route for the final Roman anti-Christ, since it would allow America, instead of Rome, to look like ‘Babylon the Great’, and allow the final False Messiah to look like the world savior.  After all the true Messiah and Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, is seen coming into His Kingdom right after the destruction of Babylon the Great. Thus, I can see Rome licking their lips at this theory even as I write it.  So whether Rome is trying to make America look like Babylon the Great or whether America is Babylon the Great, either way you will notice that things do not look good for America when it comes to America’s future place in prophecy based upon this theory.  And I’ve noticed that many are pushing forward this belief on the internet.  What if that’s because the Romans have decided they have found their proxy for themselves – a ‘Babylon the Great’ or ‘Atlantis’ to take their own place in Revelation? It is said that covert agents of Rome centuries ago were already using a coded name for America – that of ‘Atlantis’. Why?

Is this why these global Roman Occult’s many giant corporations have been outsourcing all of their work in the past couple of decades? Is this why the Romans want so many of America’s troops over in the Middle East, so they can use them after the continents of the Americas are gone? Is that why almost all manufacturing and other goods have been moved to other countries? Have they known all along that ‘Atlantis’ was never a past civilization under water, but a future one? Is that why they made veiled references toward the United States as ‘Atlantis’ even centuries ago? You would be amazed to read some of the potential evidence on this piece, but ‘Atlantis’ is not the central focus of this article.

Theologians for many, many years have pondered the place of North America, South America, and Australia in prophecy.  What if there is none, because they don’t exist?

This past week, I was pondering this age-old question on America’s place, and my mind happened to think upon the fourth seal of Revelation chapter 6 about the same time.  So I started to do the math … literally … in a spreadsheet.  So this is only a theory, but first we need to understand Seal Four, and how it might connect to certain events presently.

I have the nagging feeling that Obama’s ‘Muslim’ appearance seems to be a ‘cover story’.  After all, he was a fund raiser for the  Catholic Church – one of his only jobs before taking the role of President.  And then there are other connections he has had with Rome such as the Jesuits in his intelligence cabinet, and his purported job with the CIA front, Business International.  That doesn’t sound like a Muslim, but instead an Occult Roman, especially when you know that a Knight of Malta, awarded by the Vatican, is the one who setup the CIA with a group of Catholics and former Nazis such as Reinhard Gehlen and his intelligence team known as the Gehlen Orb.

Okay, so here’s the math, and I’ll even add pictures to this page, so you can see the numbers for yourself.  The fourth seal of Revelation is found early in the Book of Revelation in chapter 6.  It states that one quarter of the world’s population will be killed.  That’s a lot of people, so I did the math.  Based upon census reports that were taken mainly from around 2010 to 2015, we find the world’s population to be about 7.4 billion.  One quarter of the people would be 1.85 billion people.  If you were to delete the following countries from the globe, you would still fall short of removing 1.85 billion people.

1. USA
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. Australia
5. Iceland
6. Greenland
7. Japan
8. Indonesia
9. Singapore
10. Korea
11. South America and other oceanic countries and islands:
    • Argentina
    • Bolivia
    • Brazil
    • Chile
    • Colombia
    • Ecuador
    • Falkland Islands
    • French Guiana
    • Guyana
    • Paraguay
    • Peru
    • S. Georgia and S. Sandwich Islands (UK)
    • Suriname
    • Uruguay
    • Venezuela
    • Papau New Guinea
    • New Zealand
    • Madagascar

As you will notice above, this means deleting half the globe, or more specifically the countries which really aren’t a part of the ‘Old World’ and which really aren’t mentioned in the Bible in its prophecies.  Furthermore, you could add the following countries, whose armies are possibly those decimated by GOD in Ezekiel 38 and 39, and you still wouldn’t reach 25% of the world’s population.

1. Russia
2. Ukraine
3. Turkey
4. Georgia
5. Azerbaijan
6. Iran
7. Bahrain
8. Qatar
9. Libya
10. Sudan

I realize that a quarter of the world’s population in the fourth seal of Revelation 6’s prophecy is to be killed by death, plagues, beasts of the earth, and hunger, but if you read Daniel 11, verses 36 through 45, you will see the lands that the anti-Christ appears to overthrow.  They include most of the Middle Eastern countries, Egypt, parts of Africa, the North, and the East.  They must also include the Roman Empire or modern-day Europe, since the Roman empire is the empire that comes after the Grecian kingdom found in Daniel 2, 7, and 8, and with chapter 9 practically saying the future prince or Anti-Christ will come from Rome.  We feel confident that is why Europe is not mentioned in Daniel 11, since the Roman Beast will be the predator on the other nations.  If Europe, Africa, Egypt, the North, and the East of the Old World are still around, from where’s the missing 25% of the world’s population going to be extracted? After all, 25% of the world population is a lot of people even from starvation, beasts of the earth, and plagues.

And that’s why the thought dawned on me as to why America might not be mentioned in prophecy. Therefore, could it be that a nuclear holocaust either directly on the land (a ball of fire) or by simulating earthquakes or by setting them off as charges underwater (creating massive tsunamis) could wipe out the Americas; then, after that many people are killed from the globe (if the Americas are deleted), a shortage of food occurs due to the global repercussions (i.e. famine due to radiation, darkened skies, freezing temperatures, etc) of such an event taking place, people are eaten by wild beasts as starvation ensues and animals seek food, and plagues from the radiation of the nuclear holocaust begin to descend upon those left in the Old World?

What would happen to America if the Yellowstone National Park or the Snake River Volcano were to erupt as some authors warn us, in the article at this link and in other similar articles? They say the United States could be completely buried by the eruption.  What if one terrorist dropped a suitcase nuke on that area? The dangers today are real, my reader.  Have you read our ‘Most Important Article’ at the top of this page?

Does not Seal Four mention that war will be a reason for death, along with the other causes of wild beasts, plagues, and starvation? After all if Obama, Putin, and Iranian dictator Hassan Rouhani decide to delete America, we may then see Russia and Iran being smitten by GOD during the Battle of Ezekiel along with several other Islamic countries as they attempt to take over Israel according to Ezekiel 38 and 39.  I’m sure the False Messiah would love to take credit for what happens to Russia, Iran, and these other Islamic states, especially if they have just deleted America.  The False Messiah would love to steal the glory of GOD, since it is GOD who will fight the Battle of Ezekiel, protecting Israel and annihilating Russia, Iran, and the other states mentioned.

Could Putin’s new nuclear-capable submarines be the tool used by the Roman Occult to ‘delete America’? If Rome has worked so hard at making Obama look ‘Muslim’, he could be their ‘Muslim Messiah’.  After all, Muslims have been awaiting their own Mahdi Messiah for centuries now.  Could Rome create their Messiah in the form of Obama and then have him play the ‘ultimate martyr’ by pushing the ‘red button’ along with Putin and Rouhani to end America’s existence after massacring much of the population, while giving the Muslims their ‘Messiah’? If Rome has been building Obama to be their nemesis so they can seize the opportunity for glory as the savior and messiah to mankind, then this would play right into their hand. What if they decided to bring to pass that passage in Revelation 6 where one quarter of the world’s population die in order to set themselves up as the Messiah? What if they decide to make America their proxy as ‘Babylon the Great’ by massacring millions of Christians (remember they must make America look ‘drunk with the blood of the saints’) and then burning her with fire (i.e. the red button) and making her no more to be found?

What if a nuclear missile campaign aimed at America, Canada, Mexico, and South America were to occur in such a way that these continents were covered in water eternally? Would this not leave the Biblical world of ancient times (the Old World of the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia) intact for the final events of world prophecy to unfold?  Could such a nuclear holocaust also further melt the polar caps a bit more and leave these countries permanently buried beneath the sea (i.e. no more to be found)?

I hate the thought that Obama or the global Occult of Rome would do something like this, but the possibility did cross my mind. I am not a big fan of this theory since I am living in America, but I can not think through Scripture based upon what I like or don’t like.  After all, this scenario would definitely play into the plans of Rome, while explaining the fourth seal of Revelation.  And Rome is not a big fan of American Catholics who they consider to be too ‘liberal’.   If America and Canada and South America and Australia, and many of the island countries impacted by the side effects (i.e. tsunamis) from such a blast, were covered with water, we would still not reach 25% of the world’s population.  If the Battle of Ezekiel also took place in close proximity to such an event and all of those nations were deleted from the map, then as we said before, it still wouldn’t reach 25% of the world’s population. And then the Roman False Messiah could take charge, and bring ‘hope and change’ (where have we heard that before?).  He could pretend the Battle of Ezekiel was really the Battle of Armageddon.  He could pretend that Obama or whoever was behind such an ignominious event was really the Anti-Christ.  He could pretend that America was Babylon the Great (instead of Rome). And he could pretend to be the Messiah who says in Ezekiel 37 that He will make a covenant of peace with Israel and that He will set His tabernacle in the midst of them. This might explain why many believe the False Messiah will build Israel’s temple for them (as he attempts to look like the Messiah).  Daniel chapter 9 also confirms that Anti-Christ will strengthen a covenant with Israel and other nations for peace for seven years. And I really believe the world would follow him, completely deluded.

I hate to admit it, but this sounds like a real scenario.  I hope it’s not, and it is only just a theory, but below is the math.  Only GOD knows for sure.  When transvestites are overrunning our states, and one man who turned himself into a woman now wants to turn himself into a dragon, I must admit that America sounds an awful lot like Sodom and Gomorrah.

If Rome is set upon bringing this scenario upon America and pretending America is ‘Babylon the Great’, then we can expect massive executions of Christians and the continents on this side of the globe to be deleted.

We must pray for America and sow the seed of the Gospel while there is still time.  Is it possible that those ‘wise virgins’ found ‘worthy’ to escape the coming nightmare (using Bible terminology) will be raptured, leaving the ‘foolish virgins’ or unfaithful Christians to face the massive executions that might be coming? If so, let’s hope we’re found ‘worthy’ to escape this holocaust.

If so, I would expect the following scenario could possibly take place theoretically speaking.  The ‘wise virgins’ or faithful believers might be raptured, the ‘foolish virgins’ or unfaithful believers might then be executed (separating the tares from the wheat with a scythe),  and then the judgment or ‘deletion’ would occur of all the sex perverts, ‘Hogwarts’ witches, GOD-haters, producers of the majority of the world’s porn, Hollywood, and an anti-Christ populace that have murdered over 50 million babies and who have removed GOD from public and corporate life. This is a very sobering and realistic theory. Is this why Rome appears to have been corrupting America for the past century like a farmer fattening its pig for the slaughter? Only GOD knows what the future holds.  Our job is to be faithful, and to pray, work for the Messiah, and wait upon the LORD to renew our strength.  We are told in the Book of Revelation that no matter how horrific it gets down here on this planet that most of Earth’s citizens will remain unrepentant, clinging to their lying theories of ‘evolution’ as an insane person clinging to a security blanket in hope that by placing ‘millions’, ‘billions’, and even ‘trillions’ of years into their theory that it will make it more believable, and thereby extinguish the truth that they will have to face their Creator on Judgment Day. After all, allowing Christ to pay for their sins is too humbling for them – first to admit they are sinners, second to admit that their daily lifestyle is exceedingly sinful, and third to admit they can’t do it on their own and they need the Messiah Jesus’ help.

Blessings and grace to you and your family.  I leave you with the photo of the mathematics I did, as well as a precious verse. Also, be sure to read our Most Important Article, because you will want to be ready when everything takes place.

“Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.” – Job 4:7-8

The nations highlighted in purple are the nations that we suggest are the probable nations of the Battle of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 38 and 39).  If all nations in the left column were deleted, that’s 24.4% of the world’s population (i.e. possible 4th Seal of Revelation chapter 6?).

ISRAEL: Watershed moment?

“And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a token sign which shall be spoken against.” – Luke 2:34

Notice that Simeon prophesied that Jesus is set for:

• The fall of many in Israel (A.D. 70)
• The rising of many in Israel (began in A.D. 1948)

Regarding the fall of Israel, Jesus pleaded with Israel to repent, but as seen in Matthew 23, He finally proclaimed to them:

“That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth”

The response of the Israeli Jews is seen three chapters later in Chapter 27:

“Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.”

Jesus is also set for the rising of Israel.  In 1948, we saw only the tip of the iceberg.  The actual rising of Israel is still yet to be seen.  Jesus will descend from heaven at the Battle of Armageddon as seen in Revelation 19, and every eye will see Him as stated in Revelation 1, and the enemies of Israel will literally quake before Him as stated in Revelation 6.

I believe Jesus has been empowering Israel, as stated in Zechariah 14 through 16, during the 1948 initial battle, and the other wars since then such as the wars of 1967, 1973, and more.  He is still fighting beside them through all the attacks that continue.  Furthermore, in Jeremiah 23, the Bible states that GOD is not happy with those world leaders who refuse to protect His sheep, whether the people of Israel or those Gentiles who have been grafted into these Messianic prophecies. He is going to bring His sheep back into the fold of Israel and give them shepherds who will protect them.

“Woe be unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD lives, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD lives, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.”

Israel is the safest place in the world for the Jews currently.  Anti-Jewish violence is on the rise as America is no longer being a Light and a hindrance to anti-Christian and anti-Jewish violence around the world. Why does Satan, that old Dragon, and his children hate Jews so insanely? The Jews who gave us the Messiah and Jews were chosen as the oracles of GOD as Paul mentions.  Revelation 12 explains the great hate and violence that the Dragon perpetuates against the Jewish people. Messianic Gentiles around the world must look out for the Jews who are in their country, because violence is on the rise toward those who are Jews.

In past years, the Messianic Gentiles provided a haven for the Jews during time of pogroms and holocausts.  Many of these Messianic Gentiles such as Corrie Ten Boom were treated just as violently and severely as the Jews they protected.  I am sure GOD has a special reward for their bravery and loving kindness.

Also, it may be very soon that the Jews in Israel are allowed the opportunity to return the favor that the ‘righteous Gentiles’ bestowed upon them, because the world is becoming more and more like the olden days in which pagan Rome, both the imperial and religious empires, was bent upon paganism and hedonism, and intolerant of all who follow the Bible. This will be Israel’s ‘watershed moment’. Will the Israeli Jews return the favor to those righteous evangelical Messianic Gentiles who have supported their tiny nation with immense financial gifts and who have spoken out upon their behalf for decades? Or will they allow them to be murdered and crucified and beheaded by their enemies?

Keep in mind that many true evangelical Gentile followers of the Messiah Jesus, such as the Baptists and Waldensians whose martyrdom and beliefs historically date back to the time of the apostles, were also put to death side-by-side with the Jews during the Inquisitions, Crusades, pogroms, and holocausts for refusing to bow to Imperial Rome or the Unholy Roman religious empire.

Today, it appears the days of covert operations, Crusades, and holy wars are back as a Jesuit Pope, a communist U.S. President, shadowy intelligence organizations, and the world leadership led by Occult Rome in their many covert conferences around the world, are marching toward one world domination.  Soon you can expect the Bill of Rights to be tossed and the murder, mayhem, and Inquisitions to follow.

Israel has an opportunity as the metaphorical walls and cage doors are being closed by the Occult leaders of this present world system upon anyone who believes in the truth of the Bible. Will they run missions of mercy to Christian evangelical believers as they ran recently in Yemen and Syria to their own Jewish people? In some cases, the Jews didn’t want to go to Israel, while Christians who hold beliefs in the same Bible would welcome a home in Israel.

Will Israel make the right choice? Or will they placate the sexual deviants, the U.S. Democrats, anti-Semitic European Catholic nations, the atheists and hedonists, and the very nations who seek their own country’s destruction? Will they placate the communists and Nazis who may attempt to politically influence Israel to not rescue such helpless Bible-believers? I say Israel shouldn’t apologize for being Jewish. They shouldn’t apologize for having a nation. They shouldn’t give up one square foot for a so-called ‘Palestinian State’ or any other such nonsense.  Every time they give up a square foot of land, it is turned into a launching pad for Islamic terrorism.  Israel should never have given away the Sinai Peninsula or other lands of theirs which were taken and used by the Muslims against them. Instead, they should hold on to every piece of land and if an enemy attacks them, they should do what they did in the Six Day War and confiscate their land. Why? This is just, and it also will allow them to accumulate more land for the persecuted evangelical Christians who may need to shelter alongside them, shoulder-to-shoulder, in the coming days as the world grows far darker than it has been for many centuries.

With the barbaric, bloody Roman Empire rising back into power, will Israel allow them to be metaphorically ‘tossed to the lions’ as in ancient days? Or on the other hand, will they welcome these Gentile believers in the Jewish Messiah Jesus who may soon need refuge? Will they welcome persecuted evangelical Gentiles who have generously poured tourism dollars, investments, and ministry monies into their country and cause? Will they show generosity to them as readily as they have shown tolerance to those who want their own ‘pride parades’ and special rights who visit them from America, and who scorn the Torah and its beliefs? Will they be as gracious to the evangelicals as they have to their Muslim enemies who daily invade and stab them? If the rapture occurs very soon, the evangelical Christians may not need Israel’s assistance, but the question still remains. Will they be willing to help these people who have been a help to them?  They just may be willing. At least, one can hope.

Israel has shown themselves to be a ‘moral army’ as they call themselves, filled with mercy to their enemies.  Have they learned to love, live humbly and show mercy as the ancient prophets commanded in these last days? This may be their watershed moment. So far, I have been impressed by what I have seen in recent days as Israel does what no other nation is doing – following the words of their own Messiah Jesus to show love to those who wrongfully abuse them, whether or not they acknowledge Jesus.

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. “And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ‘I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” – Matthew 25:31-46

I am reminded of Joseph whose brothers sold him into slavery as he tested his brothers to see if they had learned their lessons.  They had, and Joseph revealed himself to them.  The Bible says that Jesus will soon reveal Himself to the Jews as their veritable Messiah. Ezekiel 39 and Zechariah 12-14 both seem to indicate, as does Romans 11, that soon Israel will have the Spirit poured upon them and recognize their Messiah.  Let’s pray this is very soon for their sake and for the sake of Messianic Gentiles as well. We can only hope their eyes are opened soon as the violence and rhetoric of hate is escalated by those who desire to purge the world of anyone who believes in the teachings of the Torah and Holy Scripture.

As Paul the apostle desired in Romans 10, so we desire as well.

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”

HE AROSE: First Fruits or Easter?

Should the resurrection of Jesus be celebrated this year on March 27th? or on April 24th? or on April 26th? or every day?

Did Jesus rise from the dead on Easter Sunday? or did He rise from the dead on the Feast of First Fruits? And when should we celebrate it? On Easter Sunday (March 27)? or on the Feast of First Fruits (April 24)? or should we celebrate it three days and nights after the Feast of the Passover (April 26)?

Some say that Resurrection Day is their favorite holy day.  Since he wrote the majority of the New Testament, which holy day was Paul the apostle’s favorite?

“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.” – Romans 14:5-6

Does this mean that Paul the apostle would have encouraged Christians three hundred years later to follow the leadership of Constantine I, who considered himself to be the Head of the Church vicariously in Jesus’ place, and who dedicated a day of worship to the sun in 321 A.D. (Sunday) and who led Christians to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on the day of the fertility goddess and Babylonian deity, Ishtar (Easter)?  I have heard some ‘cowboy scholars’ who attempt to wrestle the German word ‘Oestre’ to the ground and pretend it was an old Germanic word for “resurrection”, but their lack of historical backing and the machinations and little hoola-skirt dances around semantics are not convincing when the width, height, and breadth of history weigh heavily in the other direction with mountains of evidence heaped in favor of both the etymology of the word ‘Easter’ being a derivative descended from Ishtar and the facts on syncretism practiced by Constantine and the Romans; in other words, they combined all things Baal and Bible, including the holy days.  I need not spend much time on addressing these self-proclaimed ‘experts’ since most are either virulent Catholics, tradition-worshiping Protestants (‘protesting’ Catholics), or some other sect who embraces the pagan witch Sabbath of ‘Easter’ out of blindness and who use it for the worship of Jesus Christ. This is utter sacrilege, as the Bible itself repeatedly teaches in both Testaments. There is no fellowship between Christ and Baal.

Therefore, when we see the Pope ringing bells, lighting incense on fire, and making a Roman show at Easter time, we have the opportunity to join the Romans and their version of Christianity – a blend that is metaphorically far more potent than marijuana as it uses about 75% Baal practice and doctrine and about 25% Bible practice and doctrine.  Judaism actually does a bit better with a religious blend of about 75% Bible practice and doctrine and only about 25% Baal practice and doctrine. Soon, when prophecy is fulfilled, that will change to 100% Bible as the Jews finally accept their own Messiah of whom their prophets prophesied for thousands of years.

As Paul the apostle stated in Romans 11, it’s much easier to graft the natural Jewish olive branch back into the Messianic faith than to graft a wild Gentile olive branch into the Messianic faith. More and more we see even Baptists mimicking Rome with the pagan, idolatrous Baal practices which are addressed with far more documentation and in great length throughout this website. They engage in the charismatic healing powers akin to shamans, the music of the voodoo witch doctors, the literature and entertainment that exalts the occult, the culture and many of the beliefs of the Roman occult, and the lifestyle of pagans. The Baptists are considered some of the oldest Christians in the world, along with the Waldensians.  They are considered to have existed since the time of the apostles outside of the fake, occult Christianity of Rome. Yet, today they are not much different. Few who claim Christ are. How many are still ‘watching’ or even aware of these matters?

It appears the time of the Gentiles is coming to an end.

The Jews were only blinded in part until the time of the Gentiles ends, according to Paul’s writings in that chapter. We know that a ‘falling away’ was prophesied to take place by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2 and that he wrote in his letter to Timothy that in the last days people would not endure sound doctrine.  We see all of these things  happening today. We see the Jews are back in their land as the Bible predicted. I believe the time of the Gentiles is at the very close as even many conservative Bible-believing groups begin to head back under the skirts of pagan Rome and it’s Baal beliefs.  I believe the pouring out of the Spirit upon the Jews is very close, as well as their final seven years as prophesied by Daniel which were put on pause the year of the crucifixion (approximately A.D. 31 Passover). Now, I believe that prophetic clock is about to tick once again.

Therefore, since Easter is a mix of pagan worship and Bible worship, and Christians are not allowed to mix pagan and Biblical practices, we must conclude that Easter is not an acceptable time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Whether you celebrate the resurrection on the Feast of First Fruits (April 24 this year of 2016) or three days and three nights after the Feast of the Passover (April 26 this year of 2016) or every single day, this is your choice to make as Paul said in the Biblical quote above.  Paul was addressing the Biblical feast days and Sabbaths in light of the Messiah’s first coming, especially with the Gentiles added to the mix. Much of the New Testament is simply an explanation of the Old Testament in light of the Messiah’s first coming.  That’s the best way to understand the New Testament.  That was the context for those verses on some seeing one day as holy and another person seeing another day as holy. Let each be at peace with their conscience on these matters.  What Paul was not saying is that we can adopt pagan witch Sabbaths and mix Biblical and Baal worship.  I believe this is a reprobate interpretation of Scripture and a twisting of this passage to fit into the Roman system as it continues to become popular once again even in America as the Gentiles fall away, resist sound doctrine, and as their time comes to an end.  Paul was addressing a difference in opinion over which Biblical feasts were to be celebrated, not which pagan feasts were to be mixed into Biblical feasts.  I believe Paul, a student of Gamaliel and bond-servant of Jesus Christ, would have some very direct words for those today who are following this practice.

Thankfully, a remnant of believers will follow the Scriptures and remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ, not on a pagan witch Sabbath with the sounds of witch doctor’s drumming and the adoption of pagan culture and Roman beliefs, but on the week that Jesus died approximately 1,985 years ago with the simple hymns and early Christian beliefs still intact in spite of Roman usurpation of the Scriptures.  A remnant is still waiting and watching for His return, and like the wise virgins in Jesus’ parable, their watching is soon going to pay off.  May you be one of those counted worthy to escape the coming nightmare.

Grace to you.

 

THE END begins

You may have heard the phrase ‘now the end begins’, but it’s exceedingly doubtful that you have heard it in the context of what I’m about to share. I could provide literally pages of predictions about the ‘end times’ that apply to today, but many could be pushed aside as having been prevalent centuries ago as well.  However, there are certain matters that show that we’re in an unprecedented time period which the Christians of the two past millennia have never experienced until this era, and these matters are chillingly irreversible.

Never before could this be said, but let me explain to you ‘why’.  Israel was foretold to become a nation again by the Bible and 1948 is a fulfillment of this. Many Bible teachers proclaim this.  However, I would like to share several things that are little taught by prophecy teachers, but extremely relevant to what is happening right now.

In Ezekiel 37, we read that the dry bones of the valley will be resurrected and turned into one nation under one leader, and that GOD would rule over them forever.  Today, Israel has been resurrected and they are one nation and with one leader.  How close are we to GOD ruling over them forever? What few mention is that Ezekiel is told to prophesy TWICE to the bones.  What happens the first time? The bones come from all over and join together to form an exceeding great force of people.  That’s where we are today, but I believe many miss that second prophesy of Ezekiel.  What is the second prophesy?

In the second phase of Ezekiel prophesying to the dry bones, these bones are filled with the Spirit of GOD.  Where have I seen this thought of Israel receiving the Spirit of GOD?  In Zechariah 12:10 right after GOD destroys the nations that come against Israel. What nations? The ones listed in Ezekiel 38 who right at this very hour are encircling Israel and threatening them.

And where else have I read of GOD putting His Spirit into Israel?  Ezekiel 39:29 right after GOD destroys these certain nations that come against Israel.  Many place this battle shortly before the final seven years of Daniel’s prophecy as found in the very last few verses of Daniel chapter 9.

Where else have I heard of GOD pouring out His Spirit upon Israel?  Romans 11:26 also speaks of a future time in which GOD will turn away ungodliness from Israel.  Other prophecies could be quoted.  Zechariah’s prophecies give the best timeline though.

In Zechariah chapters 12 through 14, we read of how Israel would become a nation again – how that Judah is first (1948) and then Jerusalem (1967).  Israel fought in 1948 to remain in the land she has just been given (Psalm 83), and Jerusalem was inhabited again by Israel (1967) just as those verses prophesied and in that order.  All these things have happened.

And then in Zechariah 12:10, we read of a spectacular battle that appears to be in the very near future.  In this battle (described in great detail in Ezekiel 38-39), these Middle Eastern and Northern nations come against Israel, and after He makes it very clear that He is the One who destroyed these enemies, creating a spectacle for the world to see, He pours out His Spirit upon the Israelis.

This is the second phase of the prophesies of Ezekiel to the dry bones.  It hasn’t happened. Several other things take place after the pouring out of the Spirit upon Israel including a revival in their land where idolatry and abominations are ended.  Imagine what Obama and the United Nations will think of this with all of their ‘political correctness’ and idolatrous world religion talk?  This revival in Israel is followed by further attacks upon Israel by the world and finally the Battle of Armageddon in those three chapters.  This is a great timeline in Zechariah 12 through 14, and it shows also that we are living just prior to when these Ezekiel 38 and 39 attacks will take place against Israel – and ironically, the same nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 are the same ones creeping around Israel at this present hour. Then after GOD annihilates Israel’s enemies for her in a way that is clear for the world to see, GOD’s Spirit is then poured out upon them and He is their GOD forever.  Yes, He is their GOD even during the horrific events and judgments that follow when 144,000 Jews (12,000 from each tribe) are sealed by Him in Revelation 7 to protect them from His exceedingly horrific judgments that He will execute against the inhabitants of earth.

The first prophecy in Ezekiel 37 has the bones coming together.  The second has the Spirit coming within them.Therefore, we appear to be living presently between these two phases of dry bone prophesies. That’s exciting!

Let’s take a look at another timeline.  In Matthew 24, Jesus describes the end times for his disciples.  Jesus states that many will represent themselves as ‘Christ’.  One example is the papacy who claim to be the Vicar of Christ (i.e. ‘Vicar’ means ‘substitute’). Others have also made this claim. Then Jesus describes the ‘beginning of sorrows’ or what some might call ‘the beginning of the end’.  The word ‘sorrows’ is the word for birth pains as in the labor of a woman.  This reminds you of the wording back in Isaiah 66 where we see the labor of a woman is shown and then ‘children are born’ and the question is asked:

“Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.”

Israel was born in one day back in 1948 just as this passage states. In fact, the nations and kingdoms rising against each other, also mentioned in this Matthew 24 passage, were almost the very stimulant for Israel becoming a nation.  Is this not ironic?

As you think of Jesus’ words describing what He describes as ‘birth pains’ preceding these final world events and later when He gives the parable of a fig tree budding, keep this passage in Isaiah 66 about the budding of Israel in mind. The ‘birth pains’ that Jesus describes include international wars, famine, earthquakes, and epidemics of disease. He also describes martyrdom of the saints and an increase in false teaching.

Each of these events have been seen in unprecedented proportions in these last days – last days that the apostles appear to have placed as beginning right about the time of Pentecost in the Book of Acts about fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection if you read Peter’s words in Acts 2 in relation to Joel’s prophecy of the last days.  When the last two millennia are compared to all of the past six millennia, these ‘birth pains’ are quite intense.  When you compare the past century with the preceding two millennia, you will note a remarkable increase in these types of activities that Jesus’ mentioned – there have been almost as many this past century as the two millennia prior.  Also, when you compare this past decade with the past century, these activities such as earthquakes, famine, epidemics, hurricanes, martyrdom, and false teachings have so drastically increased that just this past decade and a half alone have seen about the same as the prior century.  This is indeed remarkable and a sign of a very, very heavy ‘travail’ in the works as we prepare for the end times.  I have written another article on this website giving the statistics which show all of these astounding matters.

If the last days were around Pentecost and Israel is now in the land which is the first phase of Ezekiel’s prophecy, then what else is remarkable?  The rest of Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 are exceedingly poignant.

Not only does Jesus perfectly describe our present era as a time when the love of many will wax cold and when the Gospel will be preached into all the world, but He then in verses 15 through 20 continues the timeline of end time events with a description of the revealing of the man of sin, the false Roman Messiah, who some call anti-Christ.

Then from verses 21 through 31, we are told about the awful horrific time known as the ‘great tribulation’ and the appearance of Jesus in the heavens to war against the nations at the Battle of Armageddon.

In other words, somewhere after the waxing cold of believers and the Gospel being preached to all the world, and somewhere before the next verses telling of the revealing of anti-Christ is where we presently are in history in Matthew 24.  Now these are not the exceedingly poignant words that we mentioned earlier, but we’re getting there.

It’s in verse 32 that Jesus seems to pause after having given His disciples this concise summary of end time events from their ‘birth pains’ all the way to the Battle of Armageddon.  Here He appears to bring Israel back into the focus as He explains a parable of a fig tree.  Throughout Scripture, we see a fig tree oftentimes represents the nation of Israel while an olive tree typically represents the Messianic faith of Israel. Examples of this precedent for Israel’s nation being compared to fig trees exist in Judges 9:10, Song of Solomon 2:13, Jeremiah 8:13, Hosea 9:10, Joel 1:7, Matthew 21:19, and Luke 13:6.

After Jesus summarizes these end time events, He then shares an interesting parable which should make any believer rejoice and bring chilling fear to any unbeliever in our present era.  And this is why I quote His exact words from verse 32 to verse 36:

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh: So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near at the door. Truly I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knows no one, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

Just as a fig tree puts forth its leaves with tender branches, you know summer is nigh, Jesus states.  The budding of Israel took place in 1948. Israel has been putting forth their new leaves.  We can assume then that ‘all these things’ such as the ‘abomination of desolation’ and the ‘Battle of Armageddon’ mentioned in the synopsis prior to verse 32 are ‘near at the door’.  In fact, Jesus makes very clear just how ‘near at the door’ the end is in relation to the budding of this fig tree.  He says that ‘this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled’.

Today, fewer and fewer people are alive from the generation when Israel became a nation.  Jesus also makes it clear that His Words are true and that we need not doubt them.  In other words, Jesus is adamant that ‘this generation shall not pass’ until ‘all these things’ are fulfilled.  Keep in mind that ‘all these things’ includes every part of Jesus’ synopsis including the Battle of Armageddon.  He also clarifies that He’s not giving us a ‘day or an hour’, but He is giving us a really big hint – a hint that His disciples asked Him to give them at the beginning of this chapter.

Some state that this parable can be a reference that Israel will not pass away as a nation before these events take place, but I highly doubt this interpretation, though I do not say it is impossible. Why? The context of Jesus’ words – the budding of the fig tree appears to be the major sign that ‘all these things’ are at the door.  Jesus’ words emphasize the nearness of these events and He is giving an answer to His disciples who were asking for timing.   There is a connection between the budding of the fig tree and the final world events.  Remember the words of Ezekiel 37.  I highly doubt that Jesus was making a random statement that Israel would never perish as a nation until He returns at the Battle of Armageddon.  I think Jesus was dropping a really big hint.  In other words, when you see the ‘fig tree’ budding, you can bet you’re standing at the door of the end of all these things, and that the very generation who saw the fig tree bud will still be alive to see ‘all these things’ including the Battle of Armageddon.  I realize that other interpretations can be made of this passage, but more and more after decades of study, I believe this is the more likely interpretation.

Let’s look at another interesting succinct timeline found in 2 Thessalonians 2.   In this chapter, we are told that the ‘restraining’ must be removed from the midst of the earth before the final Roman messianic man of sin can be revealed.  We are also told that the second coming of Jesus can’t take place until the man of sin is revealed.  Therefore, we see a possible rapture followed by the anti-Christ being worshiped, followed by the coming of Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon when every eye will see Him (as Revelation 1 puts it).

Present Day Israel

Paul made it clear in Romans 11:25 that the ‘fullness of the Gentiles’ would eventually come and that the blindness of Israel was ‘temporary’ or ‘in part’.  He also makes the case for why if Gentiles could be grafted into the Messianic faith or ‘olive tree’, then it’s even easier for Israel to be grafted back into their own Messianic faith in the future when the time of the Gentiles is full.  We also read in 2 Thessalonians 2 that there will be a ‘falling away’ in the end times.  If the Gentiles are fading and Israel is coming back into the focus, then this makes sense.  Also, remember Daniel chapter 9’s timeline of 490 years.  We see the ‘pause button’ was pushed at year 483 back at the crucifixion of the Messiah when the Jews didn’t believe, but there are seven years left to the work GOD is doing in the Jews; therefore, anyone who teaches ‘replacement theology’ or that Christians took the place of Israel in GOD’s covenant with them, they are extremely poor theologians.  However, sadly there are many of these today in an era when the ‘falling away’ seems to be occurring at an alarming rate.

Did not Jesus say in Matthew 24 that the love of many would wax cold? Did not Paul the apostle write in 2 Thessalonians 2 that this was an event that would take place and that then the ‘man of sin’ would be revealed after the ‘restraining’ was removed?  If the ‘restraining’ being removed is the Holy Spirit and He is the Seal of Redemption to those of us who have trusted Him, then I would assume that those who are ‘watching’ will be taken with the Spirit from this planet … followed by the showing of the ‘man of sin’ … followed by the great tribulation … followed by the return of Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon.

It matters not what your theological teachers have taught.  The Bible is very clear in how it has presented the truth of what is to happen in various Books of the Bible, and it has given us a very clear outline of these end times with very clear signs that we’re there.  Based upon the timing that the Bible gives us, I believe we are living …

• Between the two phases of Ezekiel’s prophesying to the dry bones seen in Ezekiel 37
• Between the preaching of the Gospel to the whole world and the revealing of the ‘man of sin’ in Matthew 24
• Just prior to the ‘Restraining’ being removed to allow Anti-Christ to appear as seen in 2 Thessalonians 2
• Just prior to when mid-east and northern nations attack Israel and the Israelis then have the Spirit poured upon them as seen in Ezekiel 37 and 38, as well as in Zechariah 12 through 14.
• After the budding of Israel when her leaves have been put forth at summertime, standing ‘near at the door’ of all these things that Jesus preached would take place, including the Battle of Armageddon
• Just prior to the call of the Groom in Song of Solomon 2 who called to His Bride standing in the secret places of the cliff and the cleft of the rocks to ‘come away’ at summertime
• Just prior to the final words of Matthew 24 which say that ‘one will be taken and the other left’ which Jesus followed with the parable of the wise virgins who were watching for the Groom in Matthew 25 when the Groom came suddenly, leaving behind the foolish virgins who lacked sufficient filling of “Oil” to suffer through the events coming upon the world

Remember Jesus’ words to the seven congregations of GOD in Revelation 3 where He promised to keep one congregation from the time of testing coming upon the world, while warning another congregation that unless they repented, He would come upon them as a thief in the night? Remember the five foolish virgins, though not harlots, were left behind?  Remember Jesus’ words?

“Watch therefore: for you know not when the Master of the house comes, at evening, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly, He finds you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”

Remember Paul the apostle’s words as well?

“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” – Luke 21:36

SORROW: Surviving?

Sorrowful? Rejected? Fearful? Abused? Humiliated? Forlorn? Hopeless?

There’s a difference between sorrow and discouragement; hopelessness and sadness; self-pity and grieving.  Sometimes the line is hard to find, and other times, we may know the line, but that doesn’t make dealing with grief any easier.

Are we just surviving or thriving? Do we believe that GOD is out for our destruction or instruction?

Ever feel despised, rejected, sorrowful, or feel like grieving inwardly because of the tests you have faced alone? I know of someone who stood for what was right only to be rejected. He was demonized, the victim of false accusations and testimony, humiliated and framed. He was different than all of his friends and family in a unique kind of way. He was falsely judged by others. He was treated this way more from the religious people than even the non-religious. Those who claimed to be the most pious of GOD’s followers treated Him worse than those who didn’t claim to believe in GOD.  Many people didn’t give Him the benefit of the doubt, but just believed what backbiting tongues said.  He was deserted by His closest friends.

His name was Jesus. He endured all these things and he understands our grief.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” – Isaiah 53:3

Jesus was so sorrowful and grieving to such a point that he was described with the title of “man of sorrows” and “acquainted with grief”.    Jesus was perfectly sinless, but He had to live in a world of sinners. He probably felt so different, alone, and sad to be away from His perfect, loving Father.  He had to face evil every day.  He had multiple reasons to grieve beyond even persecution and probably far beyond what we can imagine.

Yet, we see Jesus going to His Father in prayer alone many times.  Even in His last hours before His crucifixion in the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Him praying alone to His Father.

“Is any among you enduring trouble or suffering hardship or evil? let him pray …” – James 5:13a

Sometimes we fellowship in Christ’s sufferings and it helps us understand Him better.  Sometimes we suffer, so that we can understand others better. Sometimes we suffer problems and sorrow because of our own foolishness.  Jesus never did, but He did have to suffer the shame, separation and rejection of bearing our sins, and by doing so, He felt forsaken and separated on the cross from His Father for the first time ever as though He was the guilty one when in fact we were.  He was hung in nakedness and shame and rejected by all men as a condemned criminal (which He was not).

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” – Matthew 27:46

Yet Jesus prayed to His Father to forgive these people whose sin had separated Him from His Father. Instead of revenge or drinking alcohol or using illegal or prescription drugs or even committing suicide to cope with sorrow, Jesus was thinking of others … forgiving them … showing love to the other criminal who wanted to be with Him in His kingdom.   We need to do the same.  Instead of pitying ourselves or condemning ourselves or trying to escape our consciences through substance abuse, suicide, entertainment, or other means, we should be like Jesus and continue thinking of others. This is very hard, but it’s important to do.  The wrong type of sorrow can lead one to both physical death and defeat, and even spiritual destruction. There’s a difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow.

“For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death.” – 2 Corinthians 7:10

And it’s okay to cry.  Jesus wept when His friend Lazarus had died.  Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane not only for the needs of others but for His own grieving heart.  Jesus cried out to His Father in sorrow on the cross.  Sometimes, we need to cry out, pray, and show love and forgiveness to others in order to cope, instead of hiding from others or curling into the fetal position under our covers.  Instead of escaping our sorrow, we need to confront it with tears.  We need to understand that we are not alone in this world, geographically or in time.

Sometimes the wicked set snares for us, falsely accuse us, and throw stones.  I’ve found the religious crowd or worldly Christians are far, far worse.  Jesus spent almost half of His ministry fending off the religious rulers.  Think of Him the next time church members, your in-laws, or others begin to seek your hurt or when they grind their teeth into your already troubled heart.  His apostles, His prophets, and His judges have all been there. And not just in times of persecution such as Elijah who felt very low and alone or when Joseph was framed or when Job was tested, but also in times of punishment by GOD such as when David lost His firstborn and saw his son Absalom killed.  Or when Samson walked behind a grinding stone with his eyes put out.

Sometimes, life is like sitting in a rainstorm with a two-ton truck stuck in a ditch with no cellphone, no tow truck, and a long night (or several nights) ahead of you. If you’ve ever been there, you know what I mean.

Are you a child or teen whose parents are always fighting or divorcing? Are you ridiculed at school for trying to follow Christ? Are you despised for loving the Bible instead of Harry Potter? Are you humiliated by your friends simply because you find more pleasure in the Creator who gave His life for you than the trashy talk and lifestyle at school?

Are you a spouse who feels neglected, alone, always the ‘giver’ in the relationship, and in a dead-end, horrible marriage?

Life is like a covert intelligence agent who can’t talk to anyone about his troubles, except GOD, and He can’t point His finger back to anyone or even act as though He’s working for anyone.  He’s alone.  And if he is working for the cause of righteousness, he can’t pity himself or lick his wounds.  He has to move forward and ignore the lies, the danger, the enemies on every side, and stay focused and committed to doing the right thing, knowing that GOD is on his side.

It’s easy to despair. Or blame others. Or blame yourself. It’s easy to quit.  It’s even easier to quit when you put yourself out on a limb, and those who you think will be there to support you most are the very ones who let you down the most.

However, while we may sorrow, as Christians we should never despair, pity ourselves, give up on life, or escape using mindlessness or sinful vices.  This will only lead to more issues and despair.

Instead, we must pray, pray, pray, and read the Bible. I have found the Psalms to be a great blessing to me when I’ve walked through great sorrow, fear, and anxiety of the soul.  We must find ourselves in the presence of GOD again where there is peace, joy, and companionship.  We must reach out and forgive and love others, and show them the redemption found in Jesus Christ, and none of this is easy. It’s even more difficult when we have to show love to fakes in our congregations or community who pretend to be the most pious, but who in reality are unloving, unhelpful, condemnatory, or ungracious when we need them most. When you hear the platitudes of people acting pious, but who you know will never pay for your auto repair bill when you need it most, we can become cynical. Avoid this trap. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, and press on, because WE ARE NOT ALONE.  He is always longing to spend time with us.

Perhaps your son was just diagnosed with cancer and your world is shattering.  You can cry, and feel sorrowful, and pray, and read the Psalms, and then start doing it all over again. And even when those in your congregation are uncaring, Jesus cares.

Perhaps you were saved out of a life of sin and were excited about the work of GOD, but then found yourself bitter at the hypocrisy around you and falling back into sin again.  We can’t blame others, but don’t despair.  Talk to Jesus.  He loves you.

Perhaps you started out soul-winning and reading the Bible as a teenager, and now you are in the corporate world, completely away from GOD and perhaps even divorced and living in fornication with others.  Don’t continue.  Talk to Jesus and turn from your present course.

Perhaps you are a missionary and your wife has left you and everyone in your supporting congregations are making ugly rumors about you that aren’t true to justify their own sinful, evil lifestyles and choices.  Look to Jesus.  He’s not condemning you, and He’s the judge.  He’s the same Person who saw the wicked hearts of the religious crowd and even some of His own disciples who began to question whether a handicapped person was being punished for their sins.  He’s also the same One who healed the handicapped person.  He loves you.

Perhaps you set out in life begging GOD to use you, longing to have a ministry to as many people on the planet as possible – perhaps millions or even billions – and not for self-aggrandizement, but just out of solid love and compassion and kindness for others.   Instead, now you sit behind bars for a stupid mistake. Don’t lose hope.  Talk to Jesus. Jesus is the same One who saw the repentant heart of an adulteress woman, and turned away those hypocrites who were there to exercise ‘justice’ on her.  He’s the One who also was perfect Himself, but chose not to condemn her but rather He forgave her.

Perhaps your spouse was just killed in an accident.  Look to Jesus.  He can carry you through as He did a friend of mine who went through this very thing.

Perhaps you have now lost your house, your wife, your children, and all your possessions to a fire, and have given up on life.  Perhaps you’ve turned to alcohol for an escape.  Talk to Jesus. Cry for a bit. Read the Word.  Get on course.

Perhaps you turned down a career in the entertainment world to avoid a sinful way of making a living, but now you have been jobless for a year after doing all you could to find a job and those in your congregation are not helping you with your bills or encouraging you or taking you to supper or loving on you. Instead, they’re the ones who are gossiping about you and throwing ‘stones’ at you.  They’re the ones assuming the worst instead of the best.  It’s a test.  Don’t despair. Look to Christ. Many have been there before. Remember what Jesus said?  He said we should take no thought for tomorrow for our heavenly Father sees even the sparrow fall, so we know He watches our every test.

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

Life is a Test of our love for GOD.  Jesus said that many who are first in this life will be last in the next life. He also said that many who are last in this life will be first in the next life.  Therefore, if you are walking close to GOD and you still feel like last place, then rejoice!  Many have been where you now are with those problems that seem so rare to your life, so unusual and unique to you, but remember that Jesus knows your every anxiety, fear, and despairing thought.  Look to Jesus.  He will never fail you.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2

When you are on-track with GOD, and you know you are doing everything you can, you can sleep in peace, knowing that GOD is in control.  Even if you face overwhelming challenges and reasons to fear and doubt, you do not have to do so.  You can look to Jesus instead.  And when a tsunami is facing you or an earthquake is splitting all around you with mile-deep chasms, you can rest in Him.  Because He loves you.

“… God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” – Psalm 46

GOD wants us to thrive, not just survive. He is not out for our destruction, but our instruction. Why? So we may be able to avoid eternal destruction in some cases, and so that we may learn more of the lessons He has for us in life in other cases.  May His grace, peace, love, mercy, forgiveness, and kindness be yours today as you look to Him.

FREE: Prophetic Charts

For my own families’ Bible study, I have created a couple of prophetic charts to assist as we study what I consider to be events that are very likely to take place very shortly.  I will give you a brief understanding of each chart in the caption. To view each chart a bit bigger, just hold your computer keyboard’s CTRL button and use the scroll wheel on your mouse to make the photo bigger.  When you’re done making the photo larger, simply reset the screen back to normal size by holding the CTRL button and clicking on the zero key on your keyboard.  Enjoy!

I have categorized both the Old and New Testaments based upon what I perceive to be the main categorical topic within each Book of the Bible. That doesn’t mean that each Book does not contain other topics. However, I do find it interesting how both the Old and New Testaments seem to have the same type of categorizations.  The Old Testament is more prophetic and historical, while the New Testament is more about Wisdom related to how the Messianic people of Faith are to live after Jesus the Messiah came the first time, and how His first coming relates to the Law and the Prophets found in the Old Testament.  The prophecies of the New Testament are primarily related to the events around Jesus’ Second Coming.

The following chart shows how the prophetic signs and judgments of GOD within the Book of Revelation would look in a spreadsheet.  I have a personal theory that the Book of Revelation seems almost like a hybrid of a website and a spreadsheet in how it’s arranged as if GOD was showing that He knew these inventions involving hyperlinks and cellular data would exist in the future.  I could be wrong, but I have built out what the spreadsheet might appear to be.  Hyperlinks could be added to certain events in the spreadsheet to take you to a drilled-down detailed description of things.  For example, the False Messiah could be hyperlinked to Revelation Chapter 13.  Israel could be hyperlinked to Revelation Chapter 12. The Seventh Seal could be hyperlinked to the First Trumpet Judgment. And so forth.

The Battle of Armageddon at the bottom of this spreadsheet could be followed by the Millennial Reign of Jesus the Messiah upon this earth for a thousand years.  After these thousand years, the old earth and heavens melt with a fervent heat, and the judgment of the wicked begins from the Books and the Book of Life.  The Books appear to be the Book of Works which is appropriate since most without Jesus think they are ‘pretty good people’.  Sadly, they will see they were really filled with innumerable evil works and if they did not live perfect and their name is not found in the Book of Life, they will be damned.  And Hell will be tossed into the Lake of Fire along with Satan, the False Messiah, and the False Prophet.  It will be a dreadful day; however, after this the New Jerusalem, the New Heaven, and the New Earth will be unveiled for those of us who by faith have given our lives to Jesus the Messiah and thus have our names written in the Book of Life.  Be sure you have your name there!  Give your life to Jesus if you have not already!  Words and intellectual belief won’t save you.  We must believe in Jesus by giving our lives to Him and allowing His Spirit to indwell us.  Blessings and grace!

Finally, I have a theory that the Prophetic Books of the Old Testament were fulfilled primarily in chronological order.  I realize there may be a few verses here or there that may not follow this theory, but I believe the overall larger part of the Old Testament Prophets do seem to follow this logic.  I also checked with my father who studied at three different Bible colleges including Moody Bible Institute during the late 50s and early 60s and who pastored for over forty years and he agreed with me.  Therefore, the following chart shows what I theoretically think may be the passages of the Bible that have not been fulfilled yet.  When you see “(completed)” to the side of an Old Testament Book of the Prophets, it’s my way of noting that most of its prophecies have been fulfilled already.  This chart may be helpful for those who desire to review these ‘unfulfilled’ passages as they ‘Watch’ and ready themselves for the Messiah’s soon appearing!

ELECT: A President not a pastor?

How many times have you heard the comment: “We’re electing a President not a pastor”.

This is a dichotomous view that is heavily prevalent now among many believers. Their belief is that our personal life is separate from our public life.  I had a conversation with Josh Duggar a few years ago at the last election.  He was pulling at the time for Rick Santorum, a known Knight of Malta and RINO.  Yet, this philosophy that our public life and our personal life never intersect has impacted not only the political views of families like the Duggar family, but also people in my own congregation. It’s widespread. Is this Biblical? If a candidate lies to his wife, will he lie to you about his political promises?  Many other examples can be used.

Another popular view is that of pragmatism – a philosophy which the Jesuits who supervised the Inquisitions stated succinctly as ‘the end justifies the means’.  In other words, we should vote for whoever has the best chance of winning, even if the candidate is a ‘snake in the grass’.

Finally, to add to these two prevalent anti-Scriptural views, a final commentary on many believers today is that they are incredibly unlearned on what is happening and who is running.  I recently commented that Rand Paul was the only candidate to stand for all of our Bill of Rights to someone and they didn’t seem to know this – in fact, they seem surprised.  Yet, even a novice at current events should be able to ‘google’ for these basic facts and the records of the candidates running this year.

So why are American Christians completely anti-Biblical now in their belief systems and in their knowledge of government and what is happening in their country? And if they don’t even know the basic beliefs of candidates, can we expect them to analyze weightier matters of the Bible such as whether love and justice are more important than more minor issues (by the way, Jesus said this – not me)?  In other words, are life, liberty, truth, and love more important than fighting every war in the Middle East or economics or other less important issues?

I believe American Christian men are responsible.  I believe they are no longer aware of what the Bible teaches, because they don’t read and study it – in their homes or in their congregations. They prefer ‘good books’, videos, blogs, forums, and topical discussions and lectures.  I believe they are no longer aware of what our laws and Bill of Rights teach or what our candidates believe, because they are no longer actively studying these either.  They are irresponsible.  They sit on their couch and watch the tube or sit and view the internet.  They want Fox News to feed their minds (and Fox News, the fake conservative outlet, is the last media source they should be viewing but that’s not the major thing, because they would see this if they were studying the issues). We need a generation of Christian men who are following Scripture, not just talking about it.  They need to spend less time on the internet and watching their smart phone and big screen, and more time involved in life.  Otherwise, our congregations and our nation will be gone and they won’t even notice.

FOUR TIPS: Refereeing believers

If Christians followed Paul the apostle’s commands, much of the relationship problems within the Body of Christ, including their homes, friendships, and congregation, would be solved.

First, let me make it absolutely clear that in Romans 14, the overall subject is not GOD’s explicit commands or essential doctrines, but rather doubtful matters of conscience and discernment.  This perspective is essential to Romans 14.  Therefore, having said this, Romans 14 gives us four basic commands:

1) Don’t judge another brother on doubtful matters.
2) Don’t be offensive to another’s conscience over doubtful matters.
3) Don’t argue over doubtful matters.
4) Don’t do anything that you believe is a doubtful matter

We are not to do anything we believe is doubtful, because to doubt in one’s conscience will result in your condemnation, because whatever is not of faith is sinful for us to do.

The following issues might be considered by some to be matters that could create doubtful disputes:

• Appearances or dress that assimilates paganism
• Music that assimilates paganism
• Biblical version arguments by unlearned men
• Holidays that GOD doesn’t command us to observe
• Holy things that are associated with unholy things
• Moderate alcoholic consumption in social settings
• Other such matters

Our response on matters that are doubtful should be to never participate unless we can prove that Scripture allows us to participate.  Even then, we are to never offend others by embracing what they may still see as ‘doubtful’ or wrong.  Also, we should never argue and never judge or shun others who disagree but instead embrace other believers with loving-kindness, humility and grace into our fellowship.  I realize that 1 Corinthians 5 and other such passages command us to refrain from fellowship with others on certain matters that are not doubtful.

I realize that the four Biblical principles listed above are probably not being practiced by ninety-five percent of American congregations who prefer to retain their liberty to follow their preferences regarding embracing certain holidays, dress, music, dietary liberties, associations, and appearance regardless of who it offends. However, that’s why America is in such danger at this hour.  Be thankful if you are a believer in another country who does not have such problems of evil, rebellion, and spiritual immaturity in your congregation, but please pray for the American Christians who refuse to repent – they have almost lost their nation and many still think that voting for the ‘right’ politician will prevent judgment from continuing in their land.

“But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 24:48-51

Pray that Americans see the real problem is the greed, divisiveness, selfishness, and offensive behavior displayed within their own congregational walls, their own homes, and in their community. We need to look out for those who are weak.  We need to love each other and respect each others’ consciences. We need revival in America and throughout the world!  May we follow Paul’s exhortations in our congregations to find GOD’s blessings once again!

“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” – Matthew 5:9

 

RAPTURE: If, when, or not?

‘Ready or not, here I come?

Will most church attendees even see it coming? What an event to miss.  Why are there foolish virgins missing ‘the event’ in Jesus’ parable?  Are we given a timeline or timing? Study this chart in the below picture carefully and hear my initial thoughts.

1. Feast of Pentecost (summer) – the Rapture?
2. Feast of Trumpets (1st fall feast) – Ezekiel 38-39 Battle Call?
3. Day of Atonement (2nd fall feast, 10 days later) – Israel turns to the Messiah?
4. Feast of Tabernacles (3rd fall feast, 5 days later) – future temple built? Anti-Christ covenant of 7 years?
5. Middle of final 7 years – covenant broken and abomination of desolation
6. Feast of Trumpets (1st fall feast – seven years later) – Jesus descends and every eye sees Him with His saints? angels gather remaining elect?
7. Day of Atonement – Jesus pleads with the nations? destroys the wicked?
8. Feast of Tabernacles – Jesus IS the Temple upon earth for 1000 years?
9. After 1000 years (Revelation 20) – The old heavens and earth melt with a fervent heat; Jesus judges the lost, casts hell, the false messiah, the false prophet, Satan, and all those whose name are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life due to their unbelief into the lake of fire that burns forever; the new heavens, new earth, and new Jerusalem are now unveiled and inhabited by the Lamb of GOD, Jesus the Messiah, forever and ever with His saints – Hallelujah!

Could this be the timing of what happens in the future in relation to the Feasts of Israel in the Bible? Keep in mind that the Feast of Pentecost takes place June 12th of this year (although I am definitely not setting dates which is foolish). The Feast of Pentecost is calculated by counting (‘costing’) from the first Sabbath after the Passover for fifty (‘Pente’) days – thus, ‘Pente’-‘cost’.  Those who follow the Roman state religion of Catholicism (which many ‘Protesting Catholics’ or Protestants also follow) will date all of their holy days according to pagan Easter (Ostarte or Astarte) rather than Biblical Passover (a date actually stated in Scripture as the 14th day of the first Hebrew month, leaving no room for Roman doctrine). Therefore, keep this in mind when you go to look for ‘Pentecost 2016’, since the Roman State religion of Catholicism (Bel worship in guise of El worship) dominates much of the internet date-setting for this day.

While the above possible timing is theoretical, it may be of interest to those who understand the potential relationship between the fall festivals of Israel in the Bible and the second return of Jesus, especially the fact that both the tabernacle and the temple were completed and dedicated around the time of the Feast of the Tabernacles (24th of Kislev).

Jesus gave His disciples signs of His coming in three different parallel chapters of the Gospels, namely Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.  GOD knew that the world would be overtaken by the return of Jesus much like a man being surprised in the middle of the night by a thief.

“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:4

The wording “thief in the night” is associated with the wicked whenever the second physical return of Jesus to earth is mentioned.  This second coming is expected to take place at the end of the final seven years of Daniel’s prophecy.  However, there will be nobody in the media saying “here’s the beginning of the seven year period”.  My guess is that most won’t even know they’re in the final seven years of Daniel’s prophecy.

Whereas, the ‘thief in the night’ warning is for the unbelievers, the wording to believers is always ‘watch’.  I believe believers should ‘watch’ for the rapture, while the unbelievers will be overtaken by the second physical return of Jesus.

How close are we to the rapture of believers in the likely event that it takes place? How close is the physical coming of Jesus Christ to earth to judge unbelievers? And how soon will the ‘mark of the beast’, known as the number of the Anti-Christ’s name, take place? Could the ‘mark’ be preceded by the collapse of the world economy?  Is not an economic ‘mark’ sensible from a banking standpoint as QR codes and UPC codes are the norm, and border security and terrorism is all the rage today? Are not biometric IDs now available in the form of tattoos as shown in other articles on this website? Many professing ‘believers’ act today if it’s no big deal to take the ‘mark’.  What does GOD say in the Bible?

“And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.” – Revelation 14:11

What could be the timing of these events? Could they be as close as this coming year?

Amir Tsarfati, a major in the Israeli Defense Forces connected to Israeli intelligence and a Christian evangelist, warned in a New Year’s message that this year would be a year of tribulation.   Pastor Jack Hibbs, a well-known pastor in California, also is connected to high-level leaders in the American government.  He also warned at the start of this year that this year would be a year of tribulations.  They were not saying it would be the tribulation period, but simply a year of tribulations.  In other words, they must know something they’re not telling us.  That should give you something to ponder.  And then there’s this quote from an article at this link by ex-BIS chief economist William White.

The situation is worse than it was in 2007. Our macroeconomic ammunition to fight [economic] downturns is essentially all used up.

When it comes to timing, let’s address the basics first before we get into too much detail – let’s address some basic signs and then the subject of the rapture.  Then we’ll sink our teeth into some more interesting matters.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

We are told natural disasters will escalate at the end of time.  Read the article at this link, and decide if you think we’re there.  A great number of other fulfilled prophecies regarding the end times are shown throughout this blog and on our partner political site, but the article at this link has a good deal of signs listed that have been fulfilled.

The fact that the Jewish people are in the land of Israel fulfills a massive number of prophecies.  If you look at the article regarding the Temple Mount on our site, you’ll see potential signs of how very, very close we are.  One can see right now that Israel is surrounded by every nation mentioned in the battles of Ezekiel 38 and 39, and these nations are preparing for war against Israel.  Many prophetic teachers believe this battle will start off the time of the final seven years before the reign of Jesus Christ on earth.

So while we don’t know the timeline, the Bible has given us an indication of how close we may be.  Also, what about the timing? Is there a possible metaphorical connection between the fall festivals of Israel and the second physical return of Jesus descending to earth?  And what about the possible rapture theory? Wasn’t it proposed by an ecstatic woman or a Jesuit priest or in a variety of other ways such as the Scofield Bible? I must state that the final word is what the Bible says, not what ‘historical Christianity’ says, since much of it was Romanized by Baalist priests and continued by Protestant priests. Therefore, the Bible must be our sole guide – not history or tradition.  Now I must say that I admit that there is no clear evidence of a rapture of the saints before the final seven years. Or is there?

THE RAPTURE AND THE END OF THE TIME OF THE GENTILES

Why does it seem that all we see throughout the Book of Revelation on the earth during the final seven years are Jewish Christians such as those in Revelation 7, 12, and 14?  Gentile Christians are shown, but usually in heaven. Why?  Is not the last seven years known as Daniel’s final prophetic completion of the total 490 years related to the Jewish people coming into the kingdom of Messiah? Isn’t that the exact central focus of the 490 years in Daniel 9 which specifically says that they are pertaining to the Jews and their city of Jerusalem?  And don’t some scholars state that this is the time of Jacob’s trouble mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 30 of his prophetic book?

“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” – Jeremiah 30:7

Isn’t that because the ‘time of the Gentiles’ is expected to end just before the time of the believing Jews begins again?

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” – Romans 11:25

So what is this ‘mystery’ of which Paul speaks throughout this chapter and passage? Is it not the fact that the ‘time of the Gentiles’ will ‘be come in’, and then the time of the Jews will continue where they left off at the year of Jesus’ crucifixion which was year “483” of Daniel’s prophecy in chapter 9 of his prophetic book regarding 490 years? Did not Daniel state that the 490 years would begin with the order to rebuild the temple? Was this not about 450 years before the birth of Christ? And would that not place the Jewish prophetic timeclock at year 483 when Jesus gave His life for our sins at the age of 33 years old?  This leaves 7 years of Jewish prophetic time yet to come.

If you visit the respected Christian Apologist site carm.org, it doesn’t take much of a stand on either side of whether there’s a rapture, but it does alert you that the two main passages for its defense are 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and I Corinthians 15; however, neither of these passages appear to be useful for a rapture event. Why?

Both passages speak of the dead rising and thus appear to be the same event

If these are the same event, then what’s the timing?

1 Thessalonians 4:16 states “the LORD Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout”.  If this is a ‘rapture verse’, then how can Christians be quietly taken out of the way  into heaven with shouting from Jesus taking place? Doesn’t this look far more like the seventh trumpet of Revelation with the voice of an archangel and a last trumpet sounding?  Does it not look more like the Battle of Armageddon in which Jesus will physically descend to earth? Do not most rapture teachers state that the rapture will take place quietly before the seven years of Daniel’s prophecies and long before Jesus physically descends from heaven at His second coming?

I hate to break it to the pre-tribulation rapture adherents, but 1 Thessalonians 4 has Jesus coming down. This disqualifies this passage as being a rapture passage.  Since this chapter is the same timing as I Corinthians 15, this probably disqualifies the passage in 1 Corinthians 15 as well as being a rapture proof text since both speak of the dead in Christ at this event.   However, I don’t think this kills the rapture theory. Or even the pre-tribulation rapture theory.

After all, the entire “time of the Gentiles” is a mystery that Paul said was not revealed until his era – a time when the Holy Spirit came down upon believers during the Jewish festival of Pentecost (yes, Pentecost was a Jewish Biblical festival they were keeping). Therefore, precedent exists that GOD sometimes gives hints about the future without revealing all the details as we have seen in the Old Testament hints about the Gentiles being grafted into the Jewish faith of the Messianic promises, while keeping the ‘time of the Gentiles’ or the age between the 69th week and 70th week of Daniel a complete mystery which so far has lasted two thousand years.  That’s a lot of time to keep a mystery from the Old Testament prophets, but we see historically that it was a mystery GOD kept from them.

Thus, with precedence of only hints being given (i.e. no ‘hard evidence’) for this astounding mystery of gigantic proportions which we now know as the birth of the ‘called out’ congregation of GOD consisting of both Jews and non-Jews, we thus see the ‘rapture’ as being a viable theory and another extremely possible mystery that has lots of hints but no ‘hard evidence’. Revelation 3 also hints at Jesus rescuing the Sardis congregation (i.e. ‘rapture’), but not the Philadelphia congregation unless they repent. To the congregation of Sardis, Jesus states:

“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” – Revelation 3:3

As mentioned previously, the ‘thief in the night’ wording seems to always be connected with the physical return of Jesus at the end of the seven year period. Thus, it is interesting that to the congregation in Philadelphia, Jesus seems to promise to keep them from this final seven year period of astounding tests:

… Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trials, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” – Revelation 3:10

Furthermore, Paul tells that at the end of the “time of the Gentiles”, we will see the time of the Jews returning and there is a prediction in both the Old and New Testaments that all of Israel will be saved in one day.

“Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. ” – Zechariah 3:8-9

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.” – Zechariah 8:6-8

“Isaiah also cries concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved” – Romans 9:27

“Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. … For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” – Romans 11:5, 25-27

“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I turn back the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.” – Ezekiel 39:25-29

In this last passage, we see at the end of the battles of Ezekiel 38 and 39 that the Spirit is poured out upon the Jews.  This appears to be connected to the day when all of Israel is saved.

And then there’s the 144,000 Jewish Christians shown in Revelation chapter 7 who come from the twelve tribes of Israel. Where are these 144,000 Christian Jews today?  I believe this pouring out of the Spirit is where they emanate and I believe that the “time of the Gentiles” will already be over for several reasons.

Also, keep in mind that multiple times throughout the Old Testament prophecies and also in the New Testament such as in the passages from Romans 9 and 11 above, there is a mention of a remnant from Israel in the last days.  In Zechariah 14, for example, we read:

“Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” – Zechariah 14:1-2

“But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.” – Zechariah 8:11-12

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” – Revelation 12:17

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” – Joel 2:32

“And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.” – Micah 4:7

“Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travails [as in child birth – metaphorically speaking] hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.” – Micah 5:3

“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? he retains not his anger for ever, because he delights in mercy.” – Micah 7:18

“The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” – Zephaniah 3:13

“Isaiah also cries concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:” – Romans 9:27

Have you read 2 Thessalonians 2? Many teachers believe it is a reference to the Holy Spirit being removed from the earth.  Could this be when Christians are removed as well?  After all, the Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit is the believer’s seal of redemption.  Wouldn’t it be strange to have the ‘Seal’ removed, but not the believers?  I would find that strange indeed.  Thus, I believe it very well could be that believers are also removed at this time. 2 Thessalonians is also very clear with the timing.  The ‘restraining’ that restrains will be removed out of the way and then the Anti-Christ will be revealed.  It also states that the second coming of Jesus at His physical return to earth will come after the man of perdition or the Anti-Christ is revealed.  Hmmm.  In other words:

1. Restraining that restrains is removed.
2. Anti-Christ is revealed.
3. Second coming takes place.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now you know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now lets will let, until he be taken out of the way.  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:” – 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8

After walking through the Greek slowly word-by-word through the above two verses above highlighted with underlining and bold font, I rendered the following translation from the original Greek. In other words, I was checking to see if the Greek actually said the words in red above “he be taken out of the way” or if the translators were just adding the “he” for understanding which is standard translation procedures, and the answer was that they added the “he” to the sentence to help it make sense.  Knowing this, those two verses read like this:

“And now you perceive the restraining that he reveals in his time. For the mystery of the lawlessness already works; only this restrains now momentarily until out of the way becomes.”

In other words, this could mean that the restraining power of the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way (and many scholars do believe this to be true).  I would like to add one further note however. Since “he” is not in the original Greek, it reads “until out of the way becomes”.  This knowledge allows us to add another possible thought regarding this passage.  If the Holy Spirit is removed, could the Christians also be part of the restraining on earth?  Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 5?  If the salt loses its savor, it is good for nothing, and this seems to indicate that Christians are a type of salt that help to preserve society.  With the Holy Spirit and Christians removed, it would make sense that there would no longer be any restraining for Satan and his false messiah and false prophet to do their dirty deeds and delude the people of earth.  Also again, would GOD really remove the Holy Spirit from His people and leave them without the ‘Seal’ of their redemption?

In this above passage, I find one of the most convincing arguments for a rapture.  In many ways, I would imagine that if there is a “rapture”, then it would make sense that it would end what Paul the apostle called the “time of the Gentiles”.  Therefore, although there’s no hard evidence for a rapture, there is soft evidence (and not just in this passage alone). However, there’s no need to distort or warp passages like I Corinthians 15 or I Thessalonians 4:16-18 and turn them into ‘rapture’ passages when they’re obviously passages about the second physical return of Jesus to this earth at the end of the seven years.

Matthew 24 is also another passage about the second physical coming of Jesus that is typically used as a ‘rapture’ passage.  Although the entire chapter is fairly much speaking of the second physical return of Jesus, there is one spot in the chapter that could very well be an excellent indication of a rapture, but to my knowledge it has been overlooked by almost the entire community who believe in a ‘rapture’.  This ‘soft evidence’ is found in Matthew 24:38-39 which says:

“For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And [the unbelieving wicked] knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Notice it says that the coming of Jesus would be likened unto how the days of Noah were fairly normal with standard fare such as eating, drinking, marrying of people, and then suddenly like a flood the second physical return of Jesus will come.  So where’s the possible soft evidence for a ‘rapture’?  In the phrase “until the day that Noah entered the ark and [the unbelieving wicked] knew not until the flood came“. The flood will come suddenly to the surprise of the unbelieving wicked.

The entering of Noah into the ark did not come by surprise. Noah knew it was coming and was anticipating it.  The wicked didn’t even notice Noah entering the ark most likely since Noah and his family had probably come and gone from the ark many times.  In other words, Noah entered the ark while things were fairly normal and nobody really even noticed.  The sudden surprise came later. It wasn’t until the flood came suddenly that people were taken off-guard.

Sacrifices to Molech of the Baal sun worship religion, similar to the human sacrifices that took place on the festival of Dionysia around 500 B.C. or in more recent times during Saturnalia (X-Mass).

Here we see Noah’s entry into the ark as a possible metaphor for the Body of Christ and the Holy Spirit being taken into ‘the ark’ of heaven while the world barely notices.  That explains why Jesus’ second return is going to take everyone off-guard.  They will all think they’re doing GOD a favor by surrounding Israel and punishing them, especially with the ‘replacement theology’ sweeping through many congregations which seeks to deny Israel’s Biblical place in the future plan of GOD.  Many, if not, most today who call themselves ‘Christians’ are so far out in spiritual ‘outer space’ that they really have no idea how lost they truly are as they float in massive layers of heresy spoken by men like Tim Keller, John Piper, C.S. Lewis, Billy Graham, and many other false teachers as shown in detailed, documented evidence on this website.

Almost all of those claiming to be ‘believers’ today are playing the music of demons in their congregations, practicing charismatic spiritualism like shamans, dressing like naked savages in their communities, seeking entertainment with filthy, occult, and pagan material, drinking like fish, cursing like sailors, piercing themselves and defacing their bodies like heathen primitive tribes, while all the time talking about how a ‘revival’ is sweeping America.  Most of these people are well-described in the congregation of Laodicea found in Revelation 3 which GOD states He will ‘vomit out of His mouth’ metaphorically speaking. Will they even notice that the true believers are gone?  It’s very doubtful. Remember the great falling away that is to precede the revealing of the Anti-Christ.  I believe we are living in that era.  The Greek word ‘apostasia’ for ‘falling away’ is rooted in the Greek word ‘apostasion’ that means ‘divorce’.

With the amazing amount of heresy being touted in even ‘conservative’ or ‘fundamental’ congregations today, I really don’t think most people will even notice that believers are missing.

This make sense that after the believers are gone like Noah into the ark that nobody else notices them missing, and the world celebrates their False Messiah, their False Prophet, along with their false grace, false peace, false love, false worship, false godliness, false brethren, false version of Christianity, and false one world religion under the reign of Satan.  Then sudden tribulation will come upon them like labor upon a woman.  They will surround Israel and will quite possibly blame them for all of their problems. Then Jesus will appear in heaven with His saints.  I really don’t think the false believers in most congregations and the rest of the world will be expecting this to happen. The remainder of Matthew 24 even seems to preach this message. Since the False Messiah is indeed both ‘against’ and a ‘substitute’ for the true Christ, it would be no surprise if the world believes they are doing GOD a favor by rooting the Jews out of Israel, much like many Catholics for over a millennia acted as if they were doing GOD a favor by killing Jews and true Christians. Prepare for a possible similar type of world in the near future.

It will be like 1 Thessalonians 5 says – a surprise like a thief in the night to the unbelievers who just might be horrified that their ‘good works’ aren’t so righteous, their love, grace, and religion isn’t genuine, and that they only have a form of godliness, but are denying its true power.  However, the true believers will not be taken by surprise as 1 Thessalonians 5 also says, and if they are already taken away with the Holy Spirit, this makes perfect sense.  I believe II Thessalonians might possibly be the closest passage to giving us the exact order of what prerequisites and events need to occur and when.  The rapture, the Anti-Christ revealed, and then the surprise second coming of Jesus that the self-righteous world didn’t expect with all their false world peace and celebration of demonic activity in the name of piety.

POSSIBLE TIMINGS FOR THE RAPTURE AND END TIME EVENTS

Could the rapture take place at Pentecost or at least in the summer time?  Song of Solomon chapter 2 states:

“The voice of my beloved! behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he stands behind our wall, he looks forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice. My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.” – Solomon’s Song of Songs 2:8-14

Notice the Groom in this love song is speaking to His Bride from up behind the lattice of His windows.  He is not descending to His Bride. He is asking her to come up to where He is.  We are also told the timing – summer.

The rains in Israel continue through around the end of April.  In this passage, the rains are ended and the tender grapes on the vines give a good smell.  This speaks of summertime.  Also, the Bride seems to be hiding in the clefts of the Rock and in the secret places of the stairs.  It makes one wonder if she is facing persecution.  Multiple times throughout the prophets of the Old Testament and in the writings of the New Testament, the fig tree is used as a metaphor for Israel.  In this passage, we see the fig tree is putting forth her green figs.  This leads one to wonder if it is speaking of a young Israel sprouting forth, not yet ripe as they will be at the end of the seven year period, but still a new nation if this symbolism applies. Did you know that this summer, Pentecost will take place on June the 12th right after the rains of Israel are ended and at the start of summer?  I am not setting dates, but I am suggesting a theory of a possible Pentecost date either now or in the future … but this is only speculation.

In the article at this link the timing of when the ‘time of the Gentiles’ will be fulfilled is discussed more in-depth. We must be careful with the assumption that ‘the time of the Gentiles’ and the trampling of Jerusalem coincide; however, I believe it’s possible that ‘time of the Gentiles’ could simply be related to the mystery of the ‘called out’ Body of Christ and their era, and not necessarily parallel with the trampling of Jerusalem by Gentiles. Let’s look at two passages of Scripture:

” … and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” – Luke 21:24b

“But do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.”  Revelation 11:2

We have two elements here:  1) the ‘time of the Gentiles’ (which most surmise from Scripture to be the gap between the 483 years and the final 7 years of Daniel chapter 9’s 490 year prophecy), and 2) the treading of the Gentiles upon Jerusalem.  A quick glance at these passages would have someone placing the time of the Gentiles ending at the same time that Jerusalem is no longer trodden by Gentiles.  However, it could very well be that the time of the Gentiles may end a few years prior to the trampling of Jerusalem by the Gentiles being completed.  However, the reverse could not be true. Why?  Luke 21 denotes that the Gentiles will still be treading upon Jerusalem when the time of the Gentiles ends. Thus, the time of the Gentiles could end just prior to the final seven years of the Jews and Jerusalem restarting (from when they stopped at the Messiah’s crucifixion as the 483 years were completed).  And it also appears that while the ‘time of the Gentiles’ could end before the final seven years, on the other hand the treading of Jerusalem appears to end around halfway through those final seven years according to Revelation chapter 11.

The ‘time of the Gentiles’ appears to be a time when the ‘time of the Jews’ is not taking place. When is the ‘time of the Jews’?  Again, we point you to Daniel 9’s prophecy where we see that 490 years were prophesied concerning the Messiah’s tasks being completed for two important focuses: the Jews and Jerusalem. In fact, Daniel 9 is all about the Jews and Jerusalem and it is the main focus.  So we’re told by Daniel in that chapter that 490 years were appointed for them.  We perceive in this 490 year time-frame what appears to be three basic segments of time.  First, 49 years for the ordering of the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its completion right at the end of their 70 year Babylonian exile.  Secondly, 434 years from the completion of Jerusalem to the time that Messiah is cut off (the crucifixion).  The sum of these first two equals 483 years. Third, a final 7 years that would wrap up the total 490 years.  A gap occurred between the 483 years and the final 7 years simply because Israel rejected their Messiah. This is why the 490 year timeline was put on pause.  But it wasn’t a surprise to GOD.  He had already hinted at this mystery in the Old Testament about turning to the Gentiles for a time, and about Israel being scattered among the nations for many years (the Diaspora).  So when will the final 7 years start again? When the ‘time of the Gentiles’ are fulfilled.

While some may differ, I have found myself with the opinion that the ‘time of the Gentiles’ will end (i.e. with the ‘rapture’) prior to the final seven years of Daniel’s prophecy. With that in mind, let me give you my theory on some of the possible timing of the final years.

Remember how Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives and afterward the angels told his disciples that Jesus would return the same way that they saw him go.  We are also told in another passage in Zechariah 14 that the Messiah (Jesus) would descend upon the Mount of Olives and split it in half as He returns for the Battle of Armageddon at His second coming.  In this way, Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives and He will descend someday upon the Mount of Olives.

Following this logic, think of the Holy Spirit.  He descended upon Pentecost.  Is it possible that He will ascend (taking the Bride of Christ with Him and ending the ‘time of the Gentiles’) on Pentecost as well?  What’s special about the Bible festivals? And how do they relate to prophecy?  Well, the first coming of Jesus was seen to be tied directly to the spring festivals of the Bible, so therefore it is possible that the fall festivals are related to the second coming of Jesus (since none of them appear to have been fulfilled by the first coming of Jesus). For example, the first coming of Jesus appears to have been related to Passover (the timing of Jesus’ death as the Passover Lamb), the Feast of First-Fruits (the timing of Jesus’ resurrection), and Pentecost (the timing of the Holy Spirit’s descent upon the Body of Christ).  The basic fall festivals of the Bible are:

• 7th month Tishri – 1st day: The Feast of the Trumpets
• 7th month Tishri – 10th day: The Day of Atonement
• 7th month Tishri – 15th day: The Feast of the Tabernacles
• 9th month Kislev – 24th day: The Feast of Dedication

Trumpets were used for warning, war, and music in the Old Testament.  Could the battles of Ezekiel occur on the Feast of Trumpets? Could the appearing of Jesus take place on the Feast of Trumpets as the final seventh trumpet of the Book of Revelation is blown?  It’s possible, and I admit it is speculation, but it is intriguing indeed.

When you think of the return of Jesus physically to the earth, think of how compassionate He is.  As he lands on the Mount of Olives and splits it into two halves, creating a valley between the two sides, keep in mind what the Scriptures say.  Jesus does not appear eager to shed blood in the Battle of Armageddon … not until He has made a plea to the nations.

“A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.” – Jeremiah 25:31

“I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” – Joel 3:2

“Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Keep me burning till the break of day.”

These are only possible timings and others may have their own theories, but there does seem to be a lot of history and possibilities in these scenarios of the fall festivals being a fulfillment of Jesus’ second coming.

However, there have been so many false prophets setting dates for the rapture that it has become a joke.  I do not want to sound like an alarmist as many of these false prophets who make filthy money from their books and TV shows; however, we are close, children of the Holy Father.  We are very close. Most of those calling themselves ‘Christians’ today look more like the children of Satan.  Remember the ten virgins? Only five were ready for the Wedding of Jesus the Groom and His Bride the Body of Christians.  If we think of Jewish Weddings, they often had a period of betrothal that began with a prayer, a giving of a token of value, followed by a betrothal period.  Then upon the completion of the betrothal period, the Groom would wed the Bride and have the Wedding Feast.

If we think of salvation as beginning with the prayer of faith, whether verbal or unspoken, followed by the giving of a token, the Seal of the Holy Spirit, followed by a ‘betrothal’ period called the ‘Erusin’ by Jewish customs, then we see a connection between traditional Israeli weddings and how Jesus interacts with His Bride.  Keep in mind that “Erusin” (betrothal) literally meant ‘sanctification’ and was a time for the Bride to become sanctified as She prepared to be more like what the Groom desired.  That is much like the life of the Body of Christ throughout the past two millennia.  Then following this betrothal or period of sanctification, we see the Groom takes his Bride under the Tent for the wedding where He weds her.  This is the point where the foolish virgins (which appear akin to our modern ‘bridesmaids’) were not ready.  Half of them missed out on the Wedding and the Wedding Feast.  Yet they were still ‘virgins’ and not ‘harlots’, so some have proposed that this means only the faithful believers will be taken in the rapture as seen in the contrasting statements that Jesus made to the congregations of Sardis and Philadelphia.  Whether this theory is correct, I think it behooves all believers to be watching, because is that not exactly what Jesus said for us to do?

Imagine that all the genuine Christians were taken out of this world by a ‘rapture’ tomorrow.  Many of these true believers pursue holiness like the Messiah instead of this present world.  Many of these true believers still trust Jesus for salvation and not their own works.  So let’s be honest – true believers would probably not even be missed.

Most church-goers today attend out of tradition, trust their own works, assimilate the pagans around them, and would probably be thankful to no longer have to see Bible verses and spiritual comments on their Facebook or Twitter stream from true believers. They could then feel comfortable with their Harry Potter, Charmed, Priest, and other occult shows. They could enjoy their heretics who teach work salvation, false grace, and pagan assimilation without being pricked in their conscience.  They could act like a Baal worshiper in their music, dress, holidays, entertainment, and lifestyle without rebuke.  They could follow a false prophet like the Pope with the rest of the world into an era of false world peace, while worshiping a false messiah who pretends he is ‘GOD’, and he’ll probably look a lot like what most people would desire for their ‘god’ – someone who gives them whatever their flesh craves.   I think the world is ready for deception.   Even so come, LORD Jesus!

 

PORN EPIDEMIC: What you can do

“All you can do” is all you can do.

Lust may be one of the greatest destroyers of America today.  Do you know why most people can’t seem to control themselves? What controls and changes can assist those who are addicted?  We hope to address such matters and help you learn more about this plague and what you can do to help.

You may know that the New Testament was written in Greek.  One interesting word in the Greek is that of “thelēma“.  It means “desire, pleasure, will”.   When this word in the Bible speaks of GOD’s will, it is also speaking of His pleasure.  That should be a reminder to us that our will (i.e. the choices we make) is also directly tied to our desires or pleasures. In other words, if we want to stop making the wrong choices, then we have to see our desires change, and that’s something that only the Spirit of GOD can do for us. Yet, He wants us to pray to Him for His help. How many hours have we spent in prayer for His help this week? Praying and Bible reading, however, are not the only things we need to do which we hope to address in the remainder of this article.

What is the effect of hungry eyes? One effect is lawlessness.  It was once illegal to commit adultery or have pre-marital sex; in fact, such offspring was called illegitimate. Today, far worse evils abound as we see a nation now not only allowing pre-marital sex or adultery to be considered legitimate, but also almost every sick, twisted, and perverted form of sexuality under the heavens like unto the days of the blood-thirsty Romans and barbaric primitive tribes that America once evangelized. Why? When someone goes to fulfill their eye-gates, the pleasure is never as advertised and it is never satisfying long-term. Therefore, the eyes go back for more and each time the lust seems less fulfilling than the last time, so new areas of desire are then explored to bring the same level of ‘high’ or release of dopamine to the body so that sexual release may be experienced or something akin to it.

“Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.” – Proverbs 27:20

I find this verse to be both a reflection of my previous comments on the never-ending spiral down of one addicted to lust, but I also find a very serious warning in this verse. Lust may lead you to the fires of eternal torment. If you believe that saying a prayer a long time ago means you are going to heaven, you may want to stop listening to the ‘snake oil salesman’ preachers who sell such a version of Scripture from their pulpits and broadcast ministry platforms. The Bible doesn’t teach that a sinner’s prayer saves you. I challenge you to find such a passage that tells you salvation is by a sinner’s prayer. No the Bible states very clearly over and over and over that salvation is by faith or belief and repentance. This theme is repeatedly resounded. It is not by works or some secret charms or saying a sinner’s prayer much like an incantation. Instead, a sinner’s prayer is where the beginning of your commitment may begin to faith in Christ, but that’s not where faith ends. Faith must continue until death. If you get this wrong, you will be more likely to sin without worrying about the consequences.  I believe many people in this nation think they are Christians, but aren’t due to some prayer they said at some time, either to get someone off their back or because they didn’t understand they were making a life-long transfer of their own life to the ownership of Jesus Christ. Others don’t realize how salvation occurs. They think as long as they have good thoughts about Jesus and His resurrection and Gospel that all is well. This is the first and most important hurdle to overcome in your quest for dominance over your own lusts.

Faith saves you and faith keeps you. Faith is often begun with a sinner’s prayer, because at some point you must give your life to Jesus, not just say He’s wonderful without committing to Him.  My father asked me when I was young if I was going to heaven when I died. I told him ‘yes’.  He asked me if I had ever given my life to Jesus. I got it. I asked him ‘No, do I need to?’  He said ‘yes’ and asked if I wanted to make such a commitment to Christ. I said ‘yes’ of course, because I loved Jesus and had heard all about Him.  I just didn’t know I needed to do more than think He was a great person. Jesus stated that the Father will give His Holy Spirit to whomever asks.  Paul the apostle said that the Spirit is our seal of redemption. Therefore, it behooves everyone who wants salvation to ask the Spirit to come within them, surrendering their lives to the Spirit’s complete control and giving Him ownership of their lives. In turn, He promises to give your eternal life back to you since you were willing to give this temporary life to Him. What that means is you can’t do the things you want to do such as lust, but what’s great is that He gives His Spirit to possess you, so you don’t have to fight lust or sin in general alone. Something else you’ll notice once the Spirit indwells you is that you now have desires to share the Gospel unlike you ever had before. By the way, repentance is a word that many Christians don’t really understand and it’s probably because many pastors don’t either for many use it in the wrong way. Repentance means “changing your mind” not “turning from sin”. However, part of changing one’s mind would include turning from sin as one realizes that giving their life to Jesus means they will no longer be able to do the sins they once did. But some think repentance means “turning from sin”. It doesn’t. It’s a transformation of the mind. The Spirit and the Word are the agents used by GOD to transform our minds.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” – Luke 11:13

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” – Ephesians 4:30

^“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9

 ^“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” – Romans 10:9-11

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” – 1 Corinthians 6:18-20

Be sure you are a believer. Be sure you are living a life of faith in Christ, realizing you have given Him your body to use as He sees fit, which means you can’t use it to fulfill your desires. Again, works have nothing to do with salvation; they are only a symptom that there is faith and spiritual life inside of a person. Faith, however, is something you must continue until you die in order to see heaven, because it is more than just faith in your own ability – it is faith in Jesus’ payment for your sins and it is faith that He will reward you for giving up all the sins you want to fulfill. Let me tell you the real consequences of your failing to live by faith daily to ensure you are in heaven.

A pastor, whose congregation grew to such a point that they changed buildings four times as they expanded, is now out of the ministry. He is very close to me. At some point, we believe he fell into pornography and used “illness” and “cramps at night” as an excuse to not sleep much at night and spend his days sleeping instead. Jesus said that men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. He began to complain he couldn’t work due to the illness and had to “downsize” his work responsibilities. He had been the head of a large congregation where people would visit such as national conservative Christian celebrities. Even while heading that large congregation, he sought to get a job selling insurance on the side with the excuse that his health was poor and he was looking to eventually just do insurance. In reality, it appears he was really trying to get out of the ministry. Perhaps his conscience bothered him. At least at that time it did. A few years passed and then it was more than just staying up very, very late and sleeping in during the day and trying to get out of the ministry into the insurance business, but he was also taking morphine for his “illness” (which we suspect was no illness at all). Between the porn he was potentially consuming in great quantities at night and the drugs, he eventually told his wife that he wanted to resign and move far away from the large congregation to a congregation of only a handful of people and teach at a Christian school. This latter job was part of a new plan this pastor had. He evidently had carefully laid plans to fulfill his lusts. Using this latter Christian school job (which was more like a private school) on his resume, he was able to successfully apply for a job in China teaching English to school girls and boys. It is unknown if any of the girls where he was going were part of the reason he was headed to China. What we do know is that after convincing his wife that this would let him “recuperate” from this illness that no doctors could seem to resolve, he remained in China, blocked his wife from contacting him on his phone, and for some time now, he has not returned to the USA.  The wife and his children were devastated. Today, they still don’t know everything that happened, although certain matters did come to light over time that gave them clues as to what was happening. The wife says he is not the same man she married. He has changed so drastically. This man is an example to myself and to every man and to every woman as well that we cannot fulfill our lusts and not suffer the consequences.  I have begun to pray for some time that this man will either repent or be taken to his grave by GOD before he shipwrecks his faith, but I fear that he has already done so years ago when he made careful plans to destroy his marriage and turn his back on GOD. Regarding fornication, Paul spoke the following words in 1 Corinthians 5.

^“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”  – 1 Corinthians 5:4-5

“Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” – Psalm 19:13

“Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck” – 1 Timothy 1:19

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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.” – Hebrews 6:4-6

Don’t tell me that pastors are so unintelligent or blind today that they can read the above passages (and many, many more like them) and dig into the tenses and meaning of the original Greek language and still give false assurances to people that they can desert the faith and still go to heaven. You can lie to yourself or have a pastor of your choice today lie to you. Those willing to lie to you and tell you ‘once-saved-always-saved’ abound. However, you cannot shipwreck your faith and enter heaven no matter what anybody says. Even Calvin, in his Institutes commentary on the above verse in 1 Timothy chapter 1, was very careful to point out the real possibility of a believer shipwrecking their faith due to a soiled and unrepentant conscience.

Today, your salvation depends upon whether you maintain faith in GOD, and temptation is everywhere, and the devil and the world around you are bent on throwing temptation everywhere you go, and your own flesh is weak even if your spirit is willing. Satan wants you to cast aside your faith and join his children in celebrating their flesh. You can’t keep your life for yourself and give it to GOD too. You have to make your choice to follow GOD and stick with it.

And the obstacles to heaven are real and the number of people jumping into iniquity and outright sexual sin is growing younger and younger. Temptation is on phones, tablets, televisions, computers, new stands, billboards, entertainment clubs, malls, public pools, beach fronts, restaurants, and more. The wise man avoids these and we’ll address this later in the article. Also, it goes without saying that the FCC and the government are not doing their job.  In fact, the rise of today’s technology doesn’t help. But we can’t blame technology or the FCC, even if they are conducive to this modern epidemic of lust and porn. We must blame ourselves, because we aren’t required to do any of the above things. If I work from home on my computer, which is required for my job, and am able to place controls in my life, then you can too. How do we react when stats are saying that America is out-of-control? When conservatives are falling like flies to temptation and sometimes in the most perverse of forms?  We should expect such behavior when a culture is saturated with immoral images and hungry eyes everywhere.  Job, who is a great example to all of us and who the Bible calls a ‘perfect and upright man’ in his spiritual maturity and lawfulness, said:

“I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” – Job 31:1

Could this be a major reason that Job was considered a perfect and upright man in his maturity?  Why have standards of modesty, morality, and decency plunged to such low cultural levels both in the walls of Christian homes and also in the congregational assemblies? And could this be why those outside of Christianity are also sliding even further into more and more perversion, lawlessness, anti-authoritarianism, and the celebration of rebellion? Is there a root reason why the salt is losing its preserving properties in society?

“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” – Matthew 6:23

Is America currently suffering from a fascination with lust in all of its forms?  And if so, is this changing how American’s think? Can sin really blind people to their own stupidity regarding the importance of lawfulness, finances, authority, and their own success and prosperity?

“Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.” – Deuteronomy 7:26

In this article, I hope to give you solutions to help you if you struggle with temptation, especially towards the end of this article under the section called “The Cure“.

THE CURSE

“… having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are cursed children.” – 2 Peter 2:14

 

“Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.” – Psalms 119:37

 

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” – Matthew 5:27-30

Is it possible that lust can take you into foreclosure, divorce, pre-marital sex, perversions, lawlessness, and many other cultural trends? Can it also rob your spouse of what she deserves?

“Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.” – 1 Corinthians 7:3-4

Viewing the above verses, we see a short list of what the Bible says about porn starting to form.

1. Lusting after a woman is considered “adultery of the heart” by Jesus Christ
2. Don’t allow it in your house whatsoever – protect your home.
3. When we are outside of our home in situations we can’t control, we are to “turn away” our eyes from worthless things.

Adam and Eve knew they were naked even WITH clothing made of fig leaves. GOD had to make them coats of skins to ensure modesty.

Also, in the article at this link, you will see that whether a man admits to lusting or not is irrelevant since the Bible is very clear that nakedness is a shame and therefore off-limits.  Even after a man recovers from his addiction to porn, how long does it take before his numbness to nakedness leaves and his sensitivity to nakedness returns?  Thankfully, many who come out of porn find themselves more sensitive again and restored in both mind and body from the curse of porn. This shows there is help and that porn addiction is not a ‘disorder’, but spiritual warfare of the mind.  Later, I will show how science in a Ted Talks episode reinforces this thinking regarding restoration.

Can lust blind people to what they are doing to themselves as an individual or a nation? Can it be a worse enemy than a foreign invader to a nation?  Is this why a gentleman in the intelligence community told me that he had the authority to deny the President access to confidential, classified documents many years ago, and that a memo had been intercepted by American intelligence from Russia to one of their agents which stated that they were looking to corrupt the morals and music of Americans?

Do you understand how porn destroys those who are used as actors in the porn industry? Many in the porn industry are known to commit suicide?  Human trafficking of various aged youth and adults victimize multitudes. Porn also destroys the viewers. This is why we should never view pornography. Porn is a destroyer.  If you are in it, don’t continue.

Did you know that there is a price to pay for those men who continue in their pornography? Ted Talks had a very eye-opening program on this very topic as seen in the video at this link. Be sure to watch this video!!!  But the condition is reversible, so that’s the good news!!

THE CULTURE

Why have standards of decency plunged to such low cultural levels both in the walls of Christian homes and also in the congregational assemblies?

Why did music seem to suddenly change from classical and sacred music that built up the human soul and spirit as seen in many magazine music sales advertisements from the early 1900s to sensual rock music, including sexually perverse and even Satanic music in the mid-1900s? Is there a root reason why? Could it be that the men who are supposed to lead their homes and societies have become infested with pornography which sprang up just prior to the mid-1900s?

Men today are so numbed to nakedness and lustful dancing due to their porn habits (as proven in the earlier Ted Talks video) that it would be no surprise if they were to look at an attractive female with a skimpy outfit and say “She doesn’t make me lust” (while ignoring the Bible’s command about nudity, whether it makes one lust or not).  Is it any wonder it doesn’t make them lust when they’ve been secretly viewing far worse?

It might surprise you how many Christian men and even leading pastors are regular secret viewers of pornography. The statistics support this statement.

The vast majority of men in America view porn each month and that includes many who claim Christ’s name. One website article indicates that not only are the majority of Christian men addicted to porn, but that that “9 out of 10 boys and 6 out of 10 girls have been exposed to pornography before the age of 18; the average age of first exposure is about 11 years old. And that men are 543% more likely to look at porn than women.”.  What is going to happen to this generation if this trend is not reversed? Can you see how the FCC is one of the chief ways that this nation can be destroyed from within morally in a similar manner as the Federal Reserve can destroy this nation economically from within?

Knowing this statistic on the porn viewing habits of men versus women, is it not telling when the article at this link states that “34% of readers of Today’s Christian Woman’s online newsletter admitted to intentionally accessing Internet porn”. Keep in mind that these are probably the more conservative “soccer moms” of society too with such high stats.  In addition to these stats, the article reveals “seventy-five percent of pastors do not make themselves accountable to anyone for their Internet use.”

Another article writer states in his article that his own survey found the stats to be even higher than the previously mentioned article gives regarding the number of Christian men addicted to porn.

Another website states that some countries have banned porn, so why hasn’t America? Obscenity is not free speech.  Did you know that “the pornography industry has larger revenues than Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Apple and Netflix combined. 2006 Worldwide Pornography Revenues ballooned to $97.06 billion” and that “every second $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography, 28,258 internet users are viewing pornography, and 372 internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines”?

And the child porn industry continues to grow into a giant billion dollar industry.  A Senator in Georgia and her husband were killed when she started investigating this monstrous industry within the government.  I have a close friend who told me that most of the law enforcement officers within two counties of his office are in secret societies.  This doesn’t build trust. Have you ever wondered how certain government departments can track certain websites, but don’t seem capable of blocking them? Could they even be creating them? Is this not the ultimate form of racketeering and could not this be used for blackmail, extortion, and controlling high-ranking and even low-ranking officials in many of our government departments and offices? Could this allow the Occult who created much of our intelligence community to control our leadership and thereby our society? What can we do?  We can start by ensuring we aren’t viewing such sites ourselves, and then work to bring more accountability and discuss some of these matters in our local counties.

Meanwhile, babies continue to be aborted due to the irresponsibility of those having immoral relationships and attempting to absolve themselves of the responsibility of their actions. This is a pandemic! It is not an isolated situation. America is hemorrhaging.

Should not the porn industry be blocked by the FCC? Isn’t that their entire job? Their whole purpose for existence? Mainstream America used to ban obscenity and pornography for the majority of the country’s history. Why is it suddenly protected free speech? And why does its perversions get worse each year as society mirrors what is being pushed down the Arpanet (the original internet created by occult intelligence officers). Meanwhile, Americans’ freedom is slipping away from them as they slowly resemble Nazi Germany or Communist Russia more than the American empire that feared GOD and sang about Him in their national anthem and fourth of July independence celebrations with songs like “GOD bless America”! Such songs have ceased … and no wonder.

I believe one of the fundamental reasons that America is slipping into such a state is because of the purposeful removal of the Bible and GOD from public schools and public life, and the addiction of many men, who GOD called to be our leaders, all across this nation to pornography. Without moral leadership from fathers, women have had to take the leadership many, many times across America.  The children will continue to be sexually promiscuous which will result in abortions, more and more radical types of sexual expressions, and moral depravity on every level. Why? Because fathers do have that much influence – so do mothers. No wonder families no longer want to hear about Creationism or the Bible or the Truth.

So is this not an extremely important topic for Christians?

Do most pastors preach on this subject? This article isn’t to demonize them, because there are still some who do, but it is to ask the question – “why”? Are the Christians in your community outraged at what is being done to children’s minds by public school sex educators or the widespread availability of porn to them? Is your congregational allies working together to stop human trafficking, and to stop porn, obscenities and smut from being broadcast through television, internet, radio, movies, video games, and media?

Or is there a bigger fish to fry in your congregation? If so, I’m not sure what it might be. Yet, the pulpits and the leaders of many ministries are strangely silent.  Have you wondered how Christians who were the vast majority of Americans half a century ago have dwindled so quickly?

Typical American family in 1920.

Have you wondered how Christians whose standards of morality and decency regarding clothing, music, drink, entertainment, and culture have suddenly dropped so fast and so low in such a short amount of time? And who is this new “god” who wants worship that results in most churches celebrating with a sensual concert each week in their meetings? And what has changed the discernment levels of these Christians (if Christians they be) to such a degree that they so quickly enjoy the pagan, sensual culture of the world without a hint of conscience or even a clue that they might be violating the voice of the Spirit in their lives? What has numbed the consciences of American and European Christians so deeply?

Is it possible that some of the pastors you allow to teach you on the radio or television or through books may also be hooked on porn? Is it possible that your pastor or deacons or husband or father is as well? Is this possibly why pastors discernment seems to lack today as they now have begun to embrace outright heresies more and more?

This pandemic of porn and the cultural change it has brought world-wide is so great that the article at this link tells of one boy who was arrested for porn addiction at the tender age of 13 years old. Did you know that the largest consumer group for internet pornography is children between 12 and 17?  If the FCC is supposed to be shutting off such materials to minors, then how is this happening? If they know of these websites enough to track this 13 year old, then why can’t they shut down the websites?  Why so much mass surveillance? The devil has men on this planet and they are working to further his cause, and will do anything to have their way on this planet.  Is it really all about ‘terrorism’?  Or is this a way to monitor the thoughts of people on the Arpanet (internet) and to socially engineer our society in a very methodical, tyrannical manner by providing ‘eye candy’ and then tracking those who view it?  Is this why certain conservative politicians do well for a while in making change, but eventually drop away? Why would anyone be able to justify smut sites being available to anyone, no matter what ‘justifications’ or ‘end justifies the means’ reasoning is used?  Is this not the reasoning that led to the Inquisitions, the confessional booths, and other ways of social engineering in the past? Keep this in mind before you click on a website. Perhaps it will deter you from making wrong choices.

 

THE CURE

We need to shut down all these industries, make our government do their job and be more accountable to the people, and run such people from our land and block them.  However, the reality is that this war may take many years, so what do we do in the meantime?

I have committed myself to the LORD to ensure my eyes are fully dedicated to GOD and my wife.  Recently, I have decided to stop watching movies with my wife as much and dwelling more on being productive with my talents alongside her and listening more to audio Bible passages as I perform tasks around the house. It’s all about renewing or renovating our minds to be more like Christ.

It’s imperative to remove anything from our life that triggers thoughts or makes you stumble, regardless of how radical you have to be in making changes in your life if you really are committed to keeping your eyes pure. Obviously, there are times in life where you will just have to look away.   I have several godly men friends in my life that also overcame the lie of lust.  So there’s hope, my friend.

We all need mercy, grace, purity, and love, not lust, in our lives.  Nobody’s perfect. However, we must not remain in sin. We must confess our sins to GOD, forsake them, and commit ourselves to permanent change.  This takes perseverance.  We must persevere and focus on filling our senses with things of Christ and purity, instead of the world’s entertainment.

“He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.” – Proverbs 28:13

Permanent change can come through putting on the LORD Jesus Christ and making no provision for our flesh to fulfill its lusts, as Paul the apostle phrased it. You should use every way possible to ‘make no provision’ for your flesh, but you must also be committed.

I recommend you spend hours in prayer when you commit yourself if you are truly serious about living victorious.  Christian friends, the audio Bible, sermons from godly men, constant intercession and prayer, and avoiding situations, movies, music, or cultural events, things, or places that could lead to temptation are all vital to your success.

What does the Bible say?

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” – 1 Corinthians 10:12

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” – Philippians 2:3

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” – Galatians 6:1

 

SOLUTIONS TO HELP YOU

Instead of spending any more time talking about how we’ve collapsed as a national culture from the top offices all the way down to the common American, let’s instead focus on helping each other in spite of the culture.

Let’s now get down to some of the steps you can take to make no provision for your flesh. The first and foremost provision is not a “what” but a “who” – the LORD Jesus and His Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Answer.

The second provision is to FILTER ALL “VISUAL PORTALS” IN YOUR HOME whether they be internet, smart phones, tablets, television, movies, or otherwise. We will speak to how you can specifically filter them all throughout the rest of this article. I personally do not have the internet on my phone. One less source of temptation. My wife and I also have not had cable television or any television from the start of our marriage over eighteen years ago. We haven’t missed it at all. You can do this too. Give yourself six months and you’ll be surprised how the addiction wears off quickly. As a person who has worked from home for over a decade, I am required to have internet access at my house. If you aren’t required to do so, you may want to consider ridding yourself of the internet altogether. You’d be surprised how little it is needed, and how much more joyful your life would be and your time spent. If you must have the internet at your home, then here are some helps below.

HAVE A “PASSWORD PROTECTOR” IN YOUR LIFE whether it be your spouse, best friend, family member or pastor. This person knows all the passwords for your “human controls”. You do not. Have only the least amount of devices needed, so you don’t have to always be getting them to enter their password.

WEAR APPROPRIATE CLOTHING by noticing which clothes set off your urges” (i.e. too tight, too loose, etc). Also, wear appropriate clothing from an appearance standpoint for others’ sake.  I’ve found that if I’m wearing jeans around the house, temptation is far more limited; whereas, loose sweatpants or shorts could pose more of a problem. Perhaps the opposite is true for the opposite gender or for someone else.

DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE ALONE with temptation without accountability or “human controls”. This may mean moving computers to a central populated section of the house as my family and I have done. Be honest with those around you as to why you are taking such measures to control the internet, TV, etc (no need to get graphic but just in general terms). Do not take “no” for an answer if you are working with others in your household on this issue and let them know how important it is to you. Have the least amount of tech devices around you, not only for temptation sake, but also because most are time-wasters, electricity wasters, money-wasters, and just one more obstacle to successful living. Most people will “get it” including kids. At the same time, be accommodating as possible to your spouse or others when it comes to the aesthetics of the final look so that you don’t create an eyesore for the house. The most important thing is to ensure you are porn-free. That’s far more important to your family’s survival than any inconvenience.

TELEVISION AND MOVIE “CONTROLS”

Many years ago and only a few weeks after I was married, my wife and I decided that we would not have cable television. We only had video monitors by which we could watch movies. There are also ways to get television or movies streamed through computers and through the internet.  If you prefer to have no internet, there are DVD mail services, depending upon whether you are single or married or how much accountability you have in your life. For many, it may be better to have nothing.

I do suggest that the men have someone who is the owner of your Password for your entertainment choices (i.e. “Password Protector”). There are even some services that offer help to people, but I believe close family is usually best. Some other ideas that you may or may not need to implement include:

• Have a designated “mailbox courier” for the family (i.e. wife)
• Single people may even want to have the DVDs mailed to a close godly friend who controls the account (to keep them from changing the address of the DVD mailings).

The key is “whatever it takes for my will to break, that’s what I’ll be willing to do” and knowing what level of “controls” will work for you.  That attitude is really the main and first step to overcoming and recovering from any addiction. In fact, many of the principles in this article can be used for other addictions.

RESEARCH MOVIES FIRST

Movies can trigger lustful thoughts. If you find you keep losing the battle, you may want to ensure there is no battle – no way for you to see movies at all. Movies can be researched on the IMDB website to see what the Content Advisory says before viewing.

• To see the Content Advisory for any movie on IMDB, be sure to search for the movie using the search engine at the top of their page, then scroll past the Cast members to the section titled “Storyline“. You will find a hyperlink saying “View content advisory“.  If you click it, it will usually have the details of any objectionable elements in a movie such as any objectionable words, acts, or sights that one may experience in that movie.

After all, which of the sins that Christ nailed to the cross should I view for entertainment?

TABLET, SMART PHONE, AND COMPUTER FILTERS

Filtering your devices at the wired or wireless router level is important. Having a router that can be scheduled to go down at night can help you avoid finding a family member in the middle of the night looking at inappropriate material. Also, many routers have filtering software on them. Don’t expect the filters to be perfect. They usually still let a lot of filth into your home. This is why it’s best to go without internet if you can. If you can’t, then be sure you have all computers in an open environment, passwords on the computers in order to access the computers at all, and accountability so that nobody is alone by themselves.  If you are single, you should seriously look into doing your internet work at the library. It will save you money, time, and give you a much better social life – you might even meet someone very wonderful at the library or even make friends with the librarians or others.  Socializing is much better than social media. You can download software from Qustodio for android users or SafeEyes for Apple iPhone users for a small fee (and these products are worth the fee compared to any other services). For desktop computers, SafeEyes is also great or if you need a free choice, K9 Blue Coat Web Protection is great.  For a comparison of some top internet filters, you may visit the article at this link. Some internet filters allow you to get alerts if a user in your household is trying to access sites they shouldn’t and to view all the types of items that are being viewed by the users even if the users erase their internet browser history or reset their phone. I also encourage you to outlaw internet usage past bedtime hours using the time schedule feature. This protects you, your spouse, and your children from being tempted after everyone has gone to bed.

YOU NEED MORE THAN FILTERS

A friend of mine from a large ministry once stated that he has learned with his boys that there is no such thing as a ‘good filter’.  Keep in mind that there are ways around filters, so I have a couple more pieces of advice for you.

First, you will need someone who is the owner of your Password for you (i.e. “Password Protector”).

Second, after you have given yourself about a month to get used to the internet content filter and have its settings in a place where it blocks evil but doesn’t keep you from business needs on the internet, then you need to implement the next layer of protection.  Mac computers have similar features, but I will only speak to Microsoft computers.

For PC users:

• Go to the Start menu, then the Control Panel
• Go to the User Accounts and Family Safety section in Windows 7
• Go to the User Accounts section, and you should see two accounts – one is an Administrator account and the other is a Guest user account.
• Do not activate the Guest user account. Instead, create a new user account for the entire family and call it “Jenkins family” as an example.
• Give it standard user access, but reserve Administrator access only for the Administrator’s account (your ‘Password Protector’).
• This allows your ‘Password Protector’ the only Admin account and therefore the only opportunity to bypass filters.

Just know that if you have admin access, you can bypass filters quite easily with a bit of tech savvy. There’s also a video on Microsoft at this link for you to view and other helpful directions for setting up a user account for those not familiar with setting up Windows User accounts.  Keep in mind that Windows 10 is more like Google Chrome – completely and utterly senseless in protecting your kids.  You can setup ‘protected’ profiles for your kids, and your kids can just go setup their own ‘unprotected’ profile.  It’s almost like these tech giants really want people to view inappropriate things.  However, even if you have Windows 10, I would encourage you to get Windows 7.  Yes, you will have to endure that fascist little Windows 10 icon that constantly barks at the bottom of your computer telling you to upgrade to Windows 10, but there are even articles online to help you get rid of that icon.

In this way, the “Password Protector” will own the Admin account and will need to add a password to their account.  All others will use the standard user account named “Jenkins family” and no password is needed unless desired.  The standard user account doesn’t allow you to make changes to the computer, which keeps the techie members of the family from bypassing the internet content filter, whether purposefully or accidentally. It also keeps those “would be hacker” members of the family from disabling the K9 software using hacker software or other adjustments to system files.

Also, the “Password Protector” can also add a second level of protection to their computer using the Parental Controls under their Admin User account at this point by using the viewing time schedule to block all late night slots.  This keeps the computer inaccessible from the family from bedtime to morning, thus ensuring an extra hurdle for any family member attempting to bypass the K9 filter at nighttime.

Silicon Valley is the residence of almost anyone and everyone involved with the internet, social media, computer sales, antivirus software, parental controls or national tech companies. If it seems they are out to do everything possible to destroy your family and work against parents to let their children see inappropriate material, I wouldn’t doubt it. Don’t trust any parental controls or other so-called controls that they give to you. Even with all the combinations above, there’s going to be some way to still get past it all. However, the key is to make it far more difficult and less likely, and especially to limit the time allowed on the internet regardless of the whining and complaints it may generate.

WIRELESS ROUTER PASSWORD

As mentioned previously, a great way to really cut out temptation, especially for those using mobile devices in your home, is to use your wireless router as another layer of protection.  Your ‘Password Protector’ can own the passcode for the wireless router and add a schedule to the main router for the whole house.  By doing so, nobody can use the router at nighttime or whenever you’ve scheduled the router to be ‘down’.  You can also ensure that smart phones are unable to access the router this way unless the ‘Password Protector’ enters it for them to download some educational or other apps to their phone. The router password can then be removed at that point. Why? Because there are numerous apps for mobile phones that can completely delete internet parental filters.

For married couples with accountability, they may be able to enjoy wired and wireless combos in which the wireless router cuts off at 10 PM, but the wife can have the ethernet cord locked in a small safe (easily purchased from WalMart), along with her passwords, which only she has the key to access. This allows her to pull the cord out after 10 PM and watch some entertainment late on a weekend, as long as she remembers to put the cord away afterward (otherwise this option won’t work). This gives flexibility. Many other ideas are probably available to those who truly are willing to work hard to protect themselves and their children from sexual temptation. Also, turning your head and teaching your children to turn their heads when something inappropriate comes on the screen is also important to ensure we are teaching our families to not just avoid temptation through controls, but also through sheer will power. However, it is important to use controls to limit the majority of temptation, because eventually will power gets ragged if we are constantly having to exercise it against relentless temptation.  Better to be free of sources of temptation, than always having to take a stand at work or home or always having to look away or flee.

OTHER FORMS OF TEMPTATION

Regarding other forms of porn such as magazines or news stand items, we suggest that you be accountable for your time and to always take a family member with you when you know you are going out to places of temptation. This is not only good for temptation, but also good for bonding with other members of your family. This is what one pastor of mine in the past called the “magnetic’ principle.  Have a system by which you call your spouse (or roommate or ‘bestie’ for single folk) and let them know that you are leaving the office. If you have problem with renting videos (though not as prominent these days), cancel your card and tell them you’ve decided to spend more time in the Bible and less in video entertainment. Not only will this help you avoid future memberships, but it will give you an opportunity to shine your light of good works before men as Matthew 5 states. This is such an important way to show you are not perfect, but you are forgiven as a Christian. The world has seen enough hypocrites in religion and government who are supposedly ‘fighting’ such vices, but are themselves behind the scenes using an ‘end justifies the means’ mentality and living a life of hypocrisy. It’s easy for any of us to become this way if we start acting like we are doing things for a ‘good reason’.

Keeping yourself very, very busy with family, people, and things you need to accomplish in life such as fine arts, crafts, hobbies, side jobs, evangelism and ministry outreaches, and other great uses of time are also important.

In my opinion, one of the main causes that people commit sins of commission is because they are committing sins of omission. Sins of omission are failures to do something for GOD, while sins of commission are violations of GOD’s law. In other words, if we are busy doing what we know is right like evangelism, loving our neighbors by helping them out as needed, and being active in fine arts, crafts, and politics as salt and light in our community, then we will be less likely to have the time to sit around looking at things we shouldn’t be viewing.

Are you ambitious? Do you have a list of things you want to get done for Jesus Christ before you die? Do you have a list of things you want to accomplish in business before you die? Do you have a purpose for living, except to give yourself pleasure? Do you invest in others? If you can’t answer ‘yes’ to all the above questions, you may need to sit down and start writing lists, even if it goes against your natural human nature which tends towards sloth, self-pleasure, and the fetal position in life. You must get active or you will find too much time on your hands which will lead to great temptation. If you spend more than a couple of hours on the internet each day for ‘fun’, then you need to get off the internet and schedule other things that force you to stay busy. Idle hands are the devil’s playground as the old saying goes.

Be very careful of any “recovery programs” where you have to tell your “dirty secrets”. Unlike Jesuits or other priests in confessional booths across the world (many of whom are child molesters and sex addicts themselves), we really don’t need to hear your dirty secrets in order to offer you solutions in this article, so think about that for a moment.  In a sense, the internet is a huge confessional booth for the Occult to use in all of their business of blackmailing, extorting, tracking, monitoring, and finding dirt on their enemies. While the NSA and other mass surveillance techniques are illegal, I have determined that I want to live my life in such a way that there will be nothing for them to find as I told my wife recently.  That doesn’t mean I’ve lived a perfect life or that those ‘occult or governmental confessors’ are doing the right thing.  It does mean that this new mindset is something that can challenge me and perhaps you as well.

“All have sinned and come short of GOD’s glory”, the Bible says. We all need forgiveness for various things we have done both in secret and publicly. Instead of asking for you to tell us the dirty things you have done or monitoring your lives (which would only dirty our own minds), we want to offer you helpful solutions for absolutely free.  We don’t want to hear your tales of temptation.  Take them to the Wonderful Counselor, the Perfect Sacrifice, and the only GOD who will be able to forgive you.  Most men in all walks of life, whether clergy, government, or counseling, are absolute hypocrites I have found.  Only Jesus is perfect. And just before the law was going to be carried out by officials to stone an adulterous woman (a law which He as GOD wrote), Jesus told them: “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”  All the men walked away.  Jesus then told the adulterous woman some amazing news as the Perfect GOD and Man on earth:  “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”   Jesus was not about condemnation, but restoration.  Although there are times when condemnation is the only route, we must learn to be more about restoration and love in our congregations, and less about judgment. 

As a blog, we simply want to help, instead of making a buck, by providing real solutions that work that we have learned over the past decade and a half.

All we ask is that you share this article with other people, so that their families and lives might be blessed for the glory of GOD.  This is an article that every Christian should read. Donald Trump recently mentioned in a GOP debate that he wanted certain internet channels sealed off from the public that terrorists use in other countries.  If this can be done, then why aren’t we sealing off the smut displayed publicly emanating almost entirely from our country as well. This needs to happen. Obscenity is not freedom of speech.

Speaking of Donald Trump, he has made promises to three wives and has bragged about many other conquests in his own book, yet the media seem to love him to death. In many ways, he mirrors Bill Clinton.  Both are womanizers, liars, and Jesuit-trained. On the other hand, Josh Duggar had dirty thoughts and he is the topic of jokes and ridicule.  I’m not excusing his actions, but it does make one wonder about the double-standard.  In other words, the Bible says the world loves their own, but they hate those who follow Christ.  The world prefers a Donald Trump who brags of his indiscretions instead of a Josh Duggar who showed remorse after he was caught. Yes, he was caught, but he could have acted like Trump and joked away his sins. He didn’t.  This again is a sign of a nation in decline, when people exalt those who joke and brag on their sins, while showing judgment on those who act remorseful and guilty for them.  Josh Duggar is a good example of how looking at the wrong sites can lead you astray.  Don’t wait to repent after you’ve been caught. To this day, many question whether he’s repented or was just caught. That’s why it is better to come clean than get caught. And eventually, you will get caught. Let’s also show love to those who are caught and work to restore them instead of judging them. The key is to help people avoid destroying their souls eternally. Love them. Don’t allow false piety to destroy a brother who needs a helping hand and a kind word.

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” – Galatians 6:1

More activists, who exercise grace, mercy, love, and kindness, are needed to fight against the porn industry for the sake of those being victimized by it, both on the viewing side and the performing side.  Many on both sides want help, not judgment.  Less judgment. More solutions. More love.  And that takes a culture emanating from the life and words of Jesus Christ.  We need revival.  Please join me in praying for revival – first in our hearts, then in our families and friends, and finally in our communities both locally and globally.

“For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”” – Galatians 5:14

I love you, friend, and I trust that you will find victory in your struggle on this planet to do the right thing.  It’s not easy, but it’s very fulfilling and brings great joy!

SALVATION: By incantation?

Burning forever – will that be you?

A friend of mine said it best: “The sinner’s prayer is not an incantation”. Some think it is. They think they pray the sinner’s prayer like a spell or incantation and then they have eternal life without any possibility of “losing it”.

I believe most Christians act worldly and carnal today, because they have been sold a lie – a lie straight from Satan of “once-saved-always-saved”. For entry into heaven, GOD requires NO works, but He does require faith in Jesus Christ not just initially when you commit your life to Christ in a sinner’s prayer, but ongoing faith – faith that continues unto the end and overcomes as the Bible phrases it. A “Sinner’s Prayer” is simply a prayer of commitment to Christ by which we ask the Spirit to indwell us in repentant faith, but it is only the beginning of a lifelong journey.

You cannot neglect your salvation as the Bible states. Faith is not obtained by works, but faith does work, and a great sign that your faith is intact is the works that are in your life. Even Calvin warned about soiling one’s conscience and making shipwreck of faith in no uncertain terms in his commentaries, yet the reason many follow Calvin instead of Christ is in hope that they can say an initial prayer and then do whatever they wish. Only the Elect will persevere and be saved. The Elect are those who maintain their faith in GOD until the end. When Jesus says that “His sheep” hear His voice and will never perish, He is speaking of His Elect – those who persevere. When He speaks of no man plucking them from His hand, He is talking of the Elect.

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endures to the end shall be saved.” – Matthew 10:22

Hell never slumbers.

There is no rest for the wicked. They stay in agony continually. Make sure you’re not one of them.

Faith believes and faith keeps believing. That’s the continuous nature of the Present tense of the Greek, so whenever you see promises to those who believe, just remember that those promises are for those who believe and continue to believe. The Perfect tense in Greek is for present actions that are complete.

When Jesus gave parables of foolish virgins, seed that was choked by thorns, or the servant who hid his talent, He is not talking in terms of the hypothetical. When Hebrews 6 states that those who turn from the faith are without hope of future repentance, it is not a warning to the unsaved or a hypothetical situation. The Greek in the Hebrew is very clear. Your pastor’s false assurance may lead you into the flames of eternal justice someday. We can be sure that we have believed in Christ by signs given by the apostle John in his first epistle, but that doesn’t mean that we no longer have to continue in belief.

“The Death of Moses” by Tissot

Satan fought with Michael over the body of Moses according to the Book of Jude. Just think about the amazing riches and treasures and royal position that Moses forsook in order to follow GOD. Then think about what you are giving up and doing for Christ. Moses was saved the same way that we are today – by faith.

The apostle Paul makes this truth clear in his comparison between Abraham and believers today.

Jesus stated that we must abide in the Vine or we can expect to be cut down and burned in fire. You or your pastor can explain that away, but the Greek is absolutely clear again. Jesus is talking to those who were abiding in Him as being those cut down and burned in fire, and the picture is supported all throughout Scripture. Only those who want to feel they can spurn GOD’s grace without penalty would even look for a clause of “once-saved-always-saved” in Scripture. When you realize that GOD is just in damning all humans into the lake of fire forever including those who never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel, then you should realize how blessed you are if you have heard the Gospel and believed – blessed enough not to take your faith for granted. Your faith is provided by GOD’s grace. Do not spurn His grace.

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” – Hebrews 2:3

We are all saved by faith made possible by GOD’s grace. Without grace, you will have no faith. We must not spurn GOD’s grace today in our lives. We must continue in faith if we will see heaven and a reward.

Works can do nothing for us, but they are only a symptom of how our faith is doing. How is your faith today?

“For whosoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” – 1 John 5:4

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. … He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death. … He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it. … And he that overcomes, and keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:” – Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26

“He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. … Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. … To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” – Revelation 3:5, 12, 21

“He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” – Revelation 21:7

CHANGE: How much?

Two thousand years ago:

• The occult Romans ruled the world.
• The Pharisees exalted men, men’s rules, ignored the Word, and cared for their own agendas rather than GOD’s.
• The Sadducees taught heresy, and lived like there was no resurrection.
• The Believers were few, persecuted, shared the Gospel, and cared for each other.
• Most committed evil, had bread, circuses, myths about earth’s origins, and killed their own.
• Israel was in the land awaiting their Messiah.

In many ways, not much has changed.

JUST DO IT: How?

GOD’s Word is loved and desired by true believers, but how many are ‘true’?

I recently was thinking through some childhood friends of mine who were reared by parents similar to mine in many ways, but my friends have gone in a totally different direction both theologically and practically. Ever wonder why?

Looking out at the vast range of those who call themselves by the name of “Christian”, we can see many major differences between such individuals – differences ranging from lifestyle choices and worldviews in how we approach life to how we get to heaven and how major sins are to be viewed.

 

Congregations must stop entertaining false brethren and ‘feed the sheep’ as Jesus commanded Peter.

How can all of these many versions of the Gospel and different views be so different? And how can we know that we have the proper beliefs and that we are truly living for Christ? How many people care? Who really wants to read the Bible or live it? And what will that cost them eternally? Why don’t they care?

 

Most would probably love to have discernment, great habits in their lives, and lots of rewards including heaven in the next life. Most won’t have this. Most will burn including perhaps some reading this article. Others will be in heaven with little or no rewards including perhaps some reading this as well. Few will be in heaven with great reward. Very few. Why?

They know everything to do. They just don’t want to read the Bible or do right, because they have no passion for it. Why? They don’t see the consequences, because they lack the Spirit’s leading in their lives. Why? They don’t spend time with GOD. How do you do this? You read His Words. Then you pray back to Him. That’s called a conversation. If you don’t read His Word and pray to Him, you won’t have a passion for reading His Word. It’s the chicken and the egg thing. The more you do it, the more you’ll do it. It’s like many things in life.

If you are one of those who doesn’t want to do it, then join the crowd in heaven who have very little reward for all eternity. If you don’t even have Christ within you, the hope of glory, then without the Holy Spirit indwelling you, you will burn in the lake of fire. Your first step is to repent, believe in Christ, and ask His Spirit to indwell you.

If you’ve done that, then make sure you don’t neglect your salvation as Scripture clearly says. What does it mean to neglect your salvation? The Bible talks about shipwrecking faith, neglecting your salvation, and continuing in faith until the end in order to be saved all throughout its pages if people read it instead of trusting a preacher, who oftentimes tells people what they want to hear in order to pick up his paycheck at the end of the month.

If you overcome by faith, then you will be saved as Revelation says. Some think they said a “sinner’s prayer” and they’re all set. After all, works can’t save, so they figure they don’t have to do a thing. That’s where faith is needed; in fact, that’s where faith is not only needed but is required for your salvation. Without faith, don’t expect to enter heaven. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of GOD. That’s what the Bible says. It’s the Book full of all the facts on heaven and hell.

If you don’t read it and you just trust your pastor who needs your satisfaction to keep making his paycheck, then you might be trusting the wrong person. Haven’t you ever wondered if he was telling the truth about how you need to run around and do all those activities for the church in order to be “spiritual” or whether GOD really does require you to give all your money to help pay the mortgage of a giant “church campus”?

Have you wondered if perhaps your weekly fellowship alone was sufficient since that is what GOD required all throughout the Bible or if your money wouldn’t be best spent on helping fellow Christians and in ministering to the lost instead? The Bible has answers on all these matters. You will be amazed at how much easier GOD’s way is compared to your local pastor and church’s ways in many matters of money and requirements. On the other hand, you may be amazed at how holy GOD requires you to be and how that also makes your life easier in certain regards as it frees you from sin. Have you ever had questions about politics, economics, and family issues? The Bible has answers.

You should really read the Bible for yourself. It says that only through faith can we inherit salvation – faith that is trusting enough to obey.  No works involved. Just faith. But faith is needed not only initially when you pray a “sinner’s prayer” asking for the Spirit’s indwelling and forgiveness and restoration with your Creator, but also faith ongoing in your life. Is this perhaps why so many think they don’t need to read the Bible? Because some pastor told them “once-saved-always-saved”? That’s not what GOD says, and the continuous Present tense in Greek confirms what I’m saying.

Preachers who say “once-saved-always-saved” and who preach an easy-believism often quote verses out of context and without conveying the Greek tense.  In other words, “if you believe and continue to believe”, you will be saved. It all makes sense why so many people act today like they’ve already gained heaven through a “sinner’s prayer” and can now live their lives without Bible reading or prayer. In fact, many live with books about witchcraft and such.

They are false brethren in many cases, but there are also those who may have faith but see no reason to continue in faith. Here’s a great one – salvation.  And here’s a great verse that ties together Bible reading with faith:

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:17

Think about how many conspiracy theories have been found to be true, and how many have been found to be false. How do you know which is which? In a similar manner, how can you know if the pastor who says “once-saved-always-saved” is telling the truth or if I’m telling the Truth in saying that faith saves us, but that faith also keeps us? You need to know how to read and interpret the Bible yourself. Isn’t salvation too important for you to get wrong on Judgment Day?

How do we know we have proper beliefs and that we are truly living for Christ? There’s a simple way to know these things, but first we must determine who or what is our source of belief. In the case of Christians, the Bible has already told us who and what that should be. Jesus Christ said that His Spirit would lead us into all Truth, so He is the “Who” leading us into the Truth of which belief or practice is right. Jesus was also called “the Word” in the first chapter of John which showed how closely He was tied to His Word. Furthermore, we see that His Word is considered to be “the What”.  Jesus told false teachers that they were in error because they did not know the Power of GOD or the Word of GOD.  We see this theme throughout the Bible. The Bible also claims exclusive rights to these two for Truth.

The histories and traditions and rules of men outside these two sources are proclaimed by the Apostle Paul to be adding to Scripture. Making additions to Scripture is against GOD’s Word. Therefore, if anyone teaches you that the Bible is true, but leads you to “additional sources” to supplement Scripture, they are actually contradicting Scripture. “Let GOD be true and every man a liar” says the Bible. That includes all religious leaders, no matter how much they are admired.

What is this simple method for knowing that our beliefs and practices are correct as opposed to masses of others claiming to be Christians today? In order to live and believe the Truth, we must first be able to read the Truth, then interpret the Truth properly, and apply the Truth. Then and only then can we properly live and believe the Truth. The difference between myself and my childhood friends dawned on me today. Our fathers made the difference. My father devoted himself to the Bible and the leading of the Spirit. Their father was more about “good sermons”. I see this truth a lot in most denominations including fundamentalists who sometimes are the worst for emphasizing what they call “preaching”.

In reality, the term “preaching” in the Bible is the term for sharing GOD’s Word. With urban and rural traditions, many have come to think of preaching as someone talking about the Bible (i.e. ‘sermon’) or someone shouting from a podium in their cathedral or on a street corner. However, publishing, sharing, and proclaiming is the true meaning of the word “preaching” and “preaching” is nothing unless it is a sharing of Scripture. After all, even Satanic priests could “preach” in that sense of the word (i.e. yelling, lecturing, etc). Telling funny stories or telling people to live “good” or telling people to pray and read the Bible is nice, but that’s really not the preaching that will help people grow strong roots.

Preaching and teaching are to be centered upon this one method of reading, interpreting, meditating in the Spirit, and applying the Bible to everyday life and belief systems.  I watched my father do this day after day. He wasn’t just someone who told funny stories or who gave illustrations from the newspaper or who shared other entertaining thoughts or who lectured a dry lesson of moralism.  My father loved the Word. Today, I love the Word. My childhood’s friends love ‘sermons’, books, and ‘messages’ and enjoy keeping up with the latest popular preachers. Their father was the same, although in his day, books, messages, and sermons were more conservative. Today, his children are more liberal, but that’s because they were rooted in the wrong source – so-called “Christian” pastor’s, author’s, and other men’s thoughts rather than GOD’s thoughts.

I am so thankful for the heritage that I’ve been given by my father and both my grandfathers who all loved to read the Bible, study it for interpretation, meditate upon it, make application of it, and then form their lives and their beliefs based upon their final conclusions with the aid of the Spirit.  Those who follow the “spirit” without the Word are unable to do what the Bible says and “test the spirits”; thus, they may be following a crafty demon instead of the Holy Spirit. Those who follow the “Word” without the Spirit are unable to understand what GOD says in His Word. Look at false teachers who have not the Spirit. They may know the Bible like Jesuits, Mormons, and cult leaders, but they do not have proper beliefs or practices and may therefore even kill people thinking they are obeying the Bible. That’s why the Spirit and the Word are needed. One is the Message. The other is the Interpreter of the Message who indwells in all who give their lives to Christ in repentant faith.

Few read the Bible. Fewer interpret the Bible properly. Even fewer apply the Bible properly. Rare souls actually live out the Bible properly. Most church-goers do none of these.

A Christian high school teacher recently asked his students how many had read the Gospels. Only one in eight had read the Gospels. Are not the Gospels the very core of Christianity? The teacher exclaimed that he understood why Christian school teens are leaving Christianity. I believe those young adults are a reflection of their parents, and this was in a strict fundamentalist school that was strong on Bible memory, yet it appears these high school students seldom if ever read the Bible of their own accord and expect the school to tell them what to think and what the Bible says (much like the papacy did to people).

Most congregants want their pastor to entertain them, but pastors who give them what they want instead of what they need are very foolish.

Most congregations operate the same way. The pastor does not read or teach the Bible in most congregations, but gives his thoughts on a couple of verses from the Bible instead for most of the hour or in many cases during whatever time is left after the music of the enchanters is finished. The pastor does not teach his congregation how to interpret, to research the Scriptures, to use rules of interpretation or to dig into the original Greek and Hebrew from whence their translation was derived. Instead, they expect their congregation to trust whatever they say. In this way, the churches in America have begun to reflect the Romanists. I genuinely wonder how many pastors could teach their congregations the rules of interpretation and language and how to apply them to Scripture studies if they were asked to do so.

“What does it all mean?” Is this how your congregation feels as they slumber to the sound of the reading of the Bible? Try applying it. They might hate you, but they might just wake up.

Most pastors in America do not apply the Scripture to daily living, cultural choices, lifestyle, or to how they conduct “church” which has become a social club in most towns.

I’m convinced by my observations that few pastors apply Scripture to daily living, and one reason is because they don’t know the Scriptures. Their congregants don’t either, since most expect the pastor to do this for them. The Bible teaches that we all should know how to study the Bible. We can’t blame the pastors. By the way, most godly pastors on this planet who do teach and apply Scriptures are underpaid, overworked, and are treated like a “stress ball” and “pin cushion” by their congregants. That’s why most pastors prefer to just fulfill their congregants’ desires instead. However, keep in mind that there’s a Payday Someday.

If congregations did read the Bible, interpret it, and apply it, then would it not be easier for congregants to live the Bible in front of a lost and dying world whose vast majority will burn with eternal fire (while being ignored by most churches today in America)? Yet, I also wonder how many in America’s churches think their intellectual belief in Jesus will get them into heaven.  I wonder how many have actually prayed to Jesus Christ and committed their lives to Him, asking for the Holy Spirit to indwell them?  I even wonder how many pastors have done this? The devils believe there is one GOD and tremble. Saving belief or true faith is willingness to give one’s life to GOD, to repent and carry their cross and follow Him. How many today are doing so? Have you ever prayed to Jesus in repentance and told Him that you want Him to take your life as His own and indwell you with His Spirit? If not, you are without salvation. Salvation is only through giving our lives to Christ.  Is it possible that many in congregations do not care about learning the Scriptures and applying them to their lives, simply because they are not true believers, but are only going through the traditions they have learned with only an intellectual acknowledgement of Jesus Christ’s Truth?

Imagine your congregations reading several chapters every week in their congregational meeting, followed by interpretation, and then application. Let me show you an illustration of what this all means. I will read, interpret, and apply two verses from the Scriptures for you below. This is from a Bible study I did with my family which we conduct on Sunday evenings together where we usually cover around three chapters every week (according to my family’s estimates when I asked them).  Let me first share a photo of the first of these two verses found in Deuteronomy 18 along with the original Hebrew language and each of the key Hebrew words to the right of the passage as seen at the Blue Letter Bible (www.blueletterbible.org) website.

Now using the rules of interpretation which I have clearly outlined in the article at this link, I have rendered the interpretation (not “MY” interpretation but what I believe is “THE” interpretation) of this verse below. Does that mean how I render the passage’s interpretation is always right? No, but I am not trying to tell you what “I think about it”, but instead I am showing you exactly what the passage says and means based upon the Hebrew word definitions given to us at each of the links to the Strong’s IDs for each key Hebrew word. Also in RED, I have given to you several applications of the interpretation below. Here’s what is being said.

When Israel comes into the Promised Land, they are not to learn of the way of the pagans there. Not one of the Israelites were to be:

• One who passes their children through fire (much like abortion today)
• A diviner (one who uses demonic insight such as a fortune-teller, fortune-cookies, astrologer, palm reader, zodiac/signs, crystal-ball-reader, psychic, tarot card reader, Ouija board reader, divining rod user, or other objects to foretell or inform others of things through spiritism)
• A conjurer (such as a rain dancer, magician of black magick like the men of Egypt who cast their rods on the ground and turned them into snakes or like the False Prophet will do in the end of time or like shamans and witch-doctors do through their sorcery (false medicine), false healing, or even Satanic televangelists do today).
• A “serpent” (could mean a demoniac since the Hebrew word “nachash” means serpent and this word is associated with demons or spirits or “pythons” as some historically have called demons; it could also mean one who hisses like serpents such as hypnotists or who writhes like serpents such as mediums who are possessed and serve as channels or mediums to demons; it could also mean one who “observes diligently” since this Hebrew word is translated as such throughout the Old Testament and this is a characteristic of a snake; in fact, one of the best possibilities is a hypnotist since this Hebrew word is for “snake” and also since it is used elsewhere in Scripture as “observes diligently”, because it is the serpent who charms it victims by slowly hypnotizing them first; as you can tell, the word has some ambiguity and it is interesting that the translators of the Bible tend to translate it “enchanters” which is a word rooted in the Latin which connotes an altered form of singing – as opposed to “chanters”; the writhing of the serpent can be construed to be likened unto certain forms of dancing and the hissing can also be interpreted as sounding like certain forms of singing; spell-casting is another possible interpretation of the word “enchanter” that they chose since this word is akin to “incantations” and “enchantments” which appear to be an altered state of mind and music differing from cantillations by cantors which is proper singing identified with the Biblical music of Israeli and Gentile Christian worship songs)
• A Witch which was one identified with worship of demons or idols which were rooted in ancient Baal or Bel worship (Satanism aka paganism); the definition in the Lexicon also described this person as being given to enchantments or magical songs

Now let’s take a look at the second verse.

Not one of the Israelites were to learn the ways of the heathen and be:

• A Charmer (this Hebrew word “Chabar” is defined as someone who through entrainment unites a confederacy and in this context is one who leads a group into a united league with the spirit world such as a séance leader or a shaman known for thousands of years as being identified with their spirit drumming such as the modern rocker who as Mickey Hart, the famous rock drummer, wrote in his book “Drumming at the Edge of Magic” described as a body of people who in his concerts who became entrained or united together by the power of the spirits as his drums beat – he also describes how the drums could be used to either bring about either fellowship or possession with the spirit world; Joseph Campbell, the famous occult leader, also taught similar beliefs in which he explained how the spirit drummers could communicate with the spirit world and use their drums to travel into the world of the spirit world; entrainment or unity of such a group spell or chain is seen in spirit drumming circles and in séances where the spirits unite into a chain using the people in the group as a confederacy).
• A requester of spirits (one who asks spirits for insight through prayer or ritual or other means such as a medium or spirit guru or yogi)
• A Wizard (one who has Satanic wisdom into the ways of the spirit world, whether it be the rituals, chants, mantras, implements, or other occult spells, spell-casting, or occult knowledge; also, one who may have insight into knowledge through such spirits much like modern occult masters, grandmasters or psychics who have clairvoyance or have been used to supposedly see an enemies’ war strategies or the perpetrator of a crime or other supernatural events or knowledge; a “wise man” or “Wise-ard” or wizard in matters of carnal knowledge, occult lore, or spirit powers and “visions”)
• A Necromancer or one who requests the “dead” for a conversation such as the host of an occult television show “Crossing Over”; one who communicates with the “dead” upon behalf of others; through the rule of context and the insight given by passages such as Saul’s visit to the witch of Endor, one sees a witch that seemed surprised to see Samuel appear; this may have been because GOD actually let Samuel appear instead of a demon impersonating “Samuel” which may have been what she was used to seeing (i.e. demons shape-shifting to appear like a dead loved one)

How do you access the Blue Letter Bible site to look up each of these Strong’s IDs yourself for each word? Here’s some direction.

I like to use a large video screen to show those I teach the words in the original language and their definition when I come across a more difficult passage, so they can see for themselves what the Bible says in the original language as well as what it means by definition which is the first rule of interpretation. Here’s an example:

In addition to this definition, you can find an even more thorough definition below this one as seen below.

Also, while these tools from the Blue Letter Bible are convenient and therefore great to share with you for your Bible Study, it is always wise to read several different Lexicons and Bible Dictionaries, especially the older ones.  I also encourage you to familiarize yourself with the Hebrew and Greek alphabets as seen on Wikipedia at this link and this link.  I teach my own children these alphabets and how to pronounce them, so they can view the original language and verify what each letter is saying in the original manuscripts. Many tools exist on the internet, YouTube, and Bible Study websites including the Blue Letter Bible site for learning to pronounce the original Hebrew and Greek words. It’s also very much worth your time to watch Chris Pinto’s well-researched documentaries at this link and this link on the importance of using translations that originate from the Masoretic Hebrew Text (Old Testament) and that originate from the Textus Receptus (New Testament) due to the occult Romanists who introduced fraudulent manuscripts and forgeries in the past couple of centuries which they claimed were ancient. Chris Pinto’s documentaries can be found on his website at this link along with many other documentaries on the intrigue of Rome. His research complements much of my own. The translation that I have chosen for this exercise is the Young’s Literal Translation, because it translates some words better than the King James Translation. By definition of “translation”, any translation isn’t going to be a complete replica of the original language, because certain Hebrew and Greek words do not exist in some languages, and therefore substitute words describing the concept or message of the Hebrew and Greek words must be used. In this way, the message of what GOD is saying is still communicated if the translation is accurate.  In fact, written language is only a system of symbols which represent concepts or messages. Thus, the key is to convey the message within a translation and not to use the same exact word since that word may not be available in the target language.

I also used the Rule of Usage which is the second rule of interpretation. As you can see below, it helps to know where a particular Hebrew or Greek word was used throughout the Bible and to see how it was used in each of those verses.

Also, one who reads throughout the entire Bible and is familiar with it contents is able to have a great understanding of context and can compare a verse with others in their head. For those who may not be as advanced in their understanding of the Scriptures, the Blue Letter Bible also has a “Cross Reference” tab which can be used to see other passages related to the verse they are reading in order to establish context. Other Bible study tools and even study Bibles have similar cross-reference aids.

Precedent, unity, and inference are three other rules of interpretation that are also aided by a knowledge of the rest of Scripture and its context to determine if there is a precedent by which this word has been used or translated a certain way before, to see if this adheres to the unity of the rest of Scriptural truth, and if a word has been used in a certain way before, then by inference one can feel comfortable using it in such a way in the verse which they are studying.

A knowledge of logic, syllogisms, and history are also useful to ensure one is not making completely illogical determinations or developing interpretations that completely contradict other passages. History allows us to understand the context in which a book or passage was written. In fact, the Bible contains a great deal of history right within its own covers and that history is an infallible, inspired, and excellent source for historical assumptions to be made. I would love to someday to create an article or even a YouTube video in which I can step you through all the various research that I do in order to arrive at my interpretations above, but for now, we will conclude this article with the simple helps given above. Sometimes “too much” can confuse and frustrate those who are struggling as it is in their Biblical studies.

In conclusion, using the rules of context, usage, definition, logic, history, precedence, unity, and inference to determine interpretation is very important instead of standing unprepared in front of a congregation without any idea of what the Bible is truly saying and sharing what’s “on your heart” or what “you think”. Even worse is the Bible teacher or pastor who must ask his class what “they think”.  On the other hand, a pastor or teacher who allows different men to give a reading, interpretation, and application of a passage while coaching them behind the scenes throughout the week would be a great way of the pastor mentoring more men and would fulfill the caring nature of a true under-shepherd of GOD.

Keep in mind that much of application and also even some of interpretation is made possible by the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit who indwells true believers is essential to being true to GOD’s Word and being able to apply it to our everyday lives.  In fact, I have found that He tends to apply Scripture to my life during my daily routines if I’m listening to His direction and to His working on my conscience. If we do not come to the same conclusions on interpretation or application, it is usually because one of us is not hearing the Spirit’s voice although it could be that we’re seeing two different complementary thoughts as well. Or it could be because we’re both off-base with our studying habits or we are both lacking the Spirit’s filling. Also, as men following Christ, we can learn from each other and from the older Christian men among us especially. Women are told in the pastoral epistles to learn from each other as well with the elder women taking the lead.

In closing, one of the greatest ways to teach the Scriptural applications that you flesh out of the Bible is to live the applications out in front of your congregants and children daily. Sometimes a ‘show and tell’ on the spot is helpful. For example, if you read about the Biblical mandate to care for widows who need financial care, you may apply it by starting a fund for widows (instead of a fund for sports teams) in your congregation. You may want to start with the wives of pastors and ministry workers. I recently had an older Southern Baptist pastor’s wife telling me of her concerns. She had called the Southern Baptist office and had asked what would happen if her husband passed away. She was told that they might help her out with her utility bills. I could tell this lady was weary from years in the ministry and from working full-time herself to ensure they could survive financially. Also, I noticed the pastor’s wife didn’t feel comfortable asking the congregation this question. I understand. I was a pastor’s son and I worked in the ministry myself many years ago before I realized that GOD doesn’t require us to depend upon self-centered, fleshly individuals for a full-time salary.  Wouldn’t it be great if this lady could ask her congregation to care for her? Wouldn’t it be great if her congregation not only took care of her but also all the other widows who might need help if they had exhausted all other means of survival and could just not work any longer? The Bible teaches that congregations are required to not only take care of widows, but also orphans and other helpless congregants. This is called application not only in the abstract, but in the concrete living of a people.  Furthermore, in the above two verses, I could have continued my application by pointing to the dangers of Harry Potter who promotes witchcraft, the television show “Charmed” that promotes “charming”, the book and movie by C.S. Lewis “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” that exalts wizards doing incantations for the “good” side, the television show “Psyche”, movies like “The Craft”, or Tolkien’s trilogy “Lord of the Rings” that promotes a “good” wizard and concepts such as the gods creating the world, pantheism, and more. Such applications may anger some of the congregants, but it also may awaken them from their daydreaming or playing on their iPhones. It may also rid your congregation of false brethren who can hinder the congregation from being united and in one accord with the Holy Spirit. Remember that the Apostle Paul said the congregation should have no fellowship with darkness. Congregations were only for the people of GOD.  Never were unbelievers yoked together with the fellowship of believers for “evangelism” or “seeker-friendly” activities.

I hope this article has been a help to you as you read, interpret, and apply GOD’s Word to your life, so that you may then live your lives as written epistles before men and show forth your good works in glory to GOD.

THE BIG IF: Owning or blaming?

Have you ever blamed others because you couldn’t find your glasses only to find them on top of your head or searched for your phone only to find it tucked in your pocket or wondered what the smell was in the room that someone must be creating only to find out that you had stepped into something in the yard? It’s easy to see what we think are other people’s problems. Remember Adam in the Garden of Eden? He blamed Eve. What did Eve do? She blamed the Serpent. That’s sinful human nature at work.

As Christians, we must be responsible and own our sin and its consequences in our economy or society, instead of blaming Obama or lost people. Christians almost unanimously assimilate paganism in some form instead of living holy. Almost all American Christians focus on Christian leaders instead of the Word, and live arrogantly toward GOD. They deny their sin and justify it.

GOD says He won’t hear our prayers if we regard sin in our hearts, so the first step is to humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways; then GOD can hear our prayers and forgive our sins and heal our lives and our land.

IF … IF … “MY PEOPLE” …

THE LAW: Still necessary?

Has the Law been abolished? Is the Spirit the new Law? Has Grace replaced condemnation? These are actually simple yet difficult questions to answer.

If one has the Holy Spirit, one will be led into the Truth. What is the Truth? Isn’t that the question that Pilate asked Christ? Yet, Jesus stated “Thy Word is Truth” when praying in the Garden of Gethsemane one chapter earlier. Thus, the Word of GOD can answer all of our questions listed above.

What does the Bible say? Romans says the Law is incapable of saving us and it is incapable of helping us obey GOD.

Then is the Law still relevant? Yes, because it is both a schoolteacher and it is a mirror.

The Word as a schoolteacher, as the Apostle Paul pointed out in Romans, schools us in right and wrong. It exposes the evil works of darkness and is a great tool in showing the lost that they need GOD. It also helps us understand the background of many of the New Testament concepts. Those who understand the Law are much better capable of understanding and teaching to others the words of Christ and the apostles, whether it be references of it that they quote in their Gospels and Letters or whether it be prophetic events, the New Testament Christian congregational model, or the concepts of faith and grace mentioned throughout many of the letters of Paul the Apostle.

The Word as a mirror, as Romans 3:20 points out, shows us what type of person we are (exceedingly sinful as the Apostle James also points out regarding GOD’s Word in his epistle).

“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” – Romans 3:20

The mirror allows us to see how much we need a Savior and also how great GOD’s grace is to us for sending a Savior as the Apostle Paul clearly states in the first several chapters of Romans.

Can the Law still reveal to us how wrong we are and how much we need a Savior? Yes, it can as Ray Comfort points out in his famous message “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” and in his soul-winning approach as he uses the Law to reveal to people how exceedingly sinful they are and how they need a Savior. The Apostle Paul clearly supports this use of the Law throughout his letter to the Romans. Without the Law, we would have not known our sin. Knowing our sin, we can now see our need for the Savior.

Does the Law still school us in right and wrong? Yes, it does. Adultery is still wrong. Lying is still wrong. Cheating is still wrong. And the list could continue.

Can the Law offer us the power we need to obey the Law? No.

Can keeping the Law save us? No.

Romans 3 clearly shows that none of us have gone without sin, and James 2 clearly states that if we commit one sin, then we are guilty of all. Therefore, the Law condemns us instead of saving us. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be a schoolteacher in showing us “true north” when it comes to right and wrong. Paul uses this exact picture in Romans of the schoolteacher. Therefore, while being schooled in the Law that GOD gave us allows us to know very general boundaries of right and wrong, just as our conscience that GOD gave us also allows us to see right and wrong, we cannot find the power we need to please GOD in sanctification and we cannot obey the Law perfectly to gain salvation.

Thus, the Law has value in helping us to know our sinfulness and the need of a Savior, but it can’t save.

The Law has value in helping us to know a general standard of right from wrong, but it can’t provide all the specifics of what is right and wrong or empower us to do right.

Only the Holy Spirit can help us know the detailed things that are right from wrong and only by walking in the Spirit can we avoid violating GOD’s commands or laws.

Are we expected to obey the Mosaic Law? Not for salvation, and like our conscience or the general revelation of GOD’s creation, it’s boundaries are too general for sanctification (although it does school us in the basic boundaries of right and wrong). It is not comprehensive enough. On the other hand, the Spirit is.

Also, parts of the Law were already fulfilled such as the sacrificial system since Jesus Christ is our sacrificial, vicarious Lamb. Why then did the early apostles and Jerusalem congregation rightly exhort the Gentile Christians to abstain from meat offered to idols, from things bloody, from things strangled, and from fornication? Because these dietary laws were still expected to be obeyed, as well as GOD’s moral law. Does this mean that GOD expects all of His dietary laws to be obeyed?

The vision of Peter of the unclean meat is an answer in part to that question in which Peter was commanded to eat unclean meat. Also, the other answer to that question is the fact that only three dietary laws were expected of the Gentiles (i.e. meat offered to idols, bloody meat, strangled meat).

Today, science has helped many to see why certain meat is actually less healthy than others. Whereas unclean meat may have been less nutritious than clean meat, meat that is bloody is deadly. Thus, we can see the reason that the Gentile believers were still told by the apostles not to eat bloody meat even during the first days of the early Christian period due to the life-threatening dangers associated with it.

When we see the wisdom of GOD’s laws regarding physical objects such as bloody meat as confirmed by scientific examinations today, it helps us understand that anything that GOD sets off-limits for us in the spiritual or physical realm are only for our good, and not to keep something valuable away from us as Satan would like for us to think. In other words, when we see the scientific dangers of bloody meat being eaten, we should realize that the dangers we cannot see in “meat offered to idols” and other spiritual matters are just as real.

Note that Paul’s discussion on meat offered to idols in I Corinthians 8 and Romans 14 has been twisted by most theologians today to mean that we can eat meat offered to idols (i.e. participate in things associated with paganism as long they are not inherently wrong). Paul did not say this.

If you search the internet for articles or photos on I Corinthians 8, you will find lots on the subject of legalism, but not much of anything on the subject of respecting another person’s conscience. It appears today’s believers totally missed Paul’s point in their haste to use liberty as license, white-wash themselves and condemn anyone trying to live holy. The strongest of brethren can barely survive the tongue-thrashing of the false brethren and false pastors in churches today, much less the weaker brethren or new converts.

They want their sin and anyone who speaks out is a legalist. This is the message they have extracted from Paul’s teachings in I Corinthians 8 and Romans 14 in error, and if a new convert or someone with a very sinful past is offended by some association of theirs, the false brethren, who are the majority today, will tell these brethren for whom Christ died to hit the road after they’ve given these brethren a good lashing of words (filled with false doctrine). In reality, a “legalist” is one who attempts to do good works for salvation, not sanctification. The false brethren say that anyone doing good works is a legalist. What did Jesus say?

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:16-20

Wow! When you read the above passage, Jesus doesn’t sound anything like most pastors and church-goers today. That’s because many of today’s pastors and church-goers are false, fakes, and frauds who follow tradition and carnal desire, not Scripture. They serve a false Christ crafted into the image of their own lusts.

The apostles and congregations at Jerusalem told the Gentile Christians that they were not to eat meat offered to idols which confirms that Paul was not saying this as seen in Acts 15 and Acts 21.  What Paul said was that those who were stronger should not enjoy things which might cause another weaker brother to fall. For example, if bell-bottom pants or wire-rimmed glasses in the 70s were associated with the hippie movement and the Beatles, you were not to wear such things even if they weren’t inherently wrong. Why? Because someone who was weaker in the faith might be offended. This was all part of Christian love.

It was about the 70s time period, in fact, that many pastors twisted I Corinthians 8 and Romans 14 to say that you can enjoy things associated with evil as long as you did it away from “weaker brothers”. Paul didn’t say this. Then, pastors swapped things associated with evil for things that were evil such as immodest dress and rock music (the music of enchanters and charmers that Scripture associates with witchcraft in Deuteronomy 18 and condemns to the same death as necromancers, witches, warlocks, fortune tellers, psychics, and such under the theocratic government in which GOD ruled Israel). Paul condemned such evil practices of accepting pagan assimilation and he condemned the practice of accepting even things associated with such paganism.

Then, pastors began to allow such things to be enjoyed publicly and encouraged the “weaker brothers” to allow their “stronger brothers” to have their “liberty” and to more or less “look away” in the name of “grace”. This was blatant disrespect for the brethren who were following Christ in holiness and this was utter disobedience of Paul’s words.

Furthermore, the forms of evil degenerated to levels as low as the acts of sodomy and the reading of  books of witchcraft which became a new matter of “meat offered to idols”. Alas, the pastors then began to bring the evil of indecent covering of nakedness, transgender dress, and the music of the enchanters and charmers into the congregation and continued to do more and more evil in the name of GOD, including justifying many adulterers and adulteresses. This was utter sacrilege.

At the last, it was no longer strong brethren avoiding any association of evil in order to avoid any offense to a weaker brother’s conscience. Instead, it became evil, disobedient, heretical brethren committing the most lewd and vile abominations right in their congregational gatherings and these twisted, evil pastors who have taken over most pulpits in America began telling anyone with a conscience who objected to their wicked stance to “find another congregation” if they didn’t like their new levels of wickedness. This is obviously repugnant in the sight of GOD and a direct violation of all that Paul taught.

“That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.” – Acts 15:29
“As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.” – Acts 21:25

Did GOD’s morals change after Christ’s redemptive work? Absolutely not! Or as Paul the apostle would say “GOD forbid” that we violate His laws which are His loving way of helping us have a more abundant life in Him.

“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” – Romans 3:31
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? … What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” – Romans 6:1, 2, 15
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” – Romans 7:7
“Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.” – 1 Corinthians 6:15
“But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.” – Galatians 2:17

In fact, the apostle Paul or other apostles reiterated in the New Testament much of the moral law that was found in the Old Testament and even some of the other parts of the Law such as the dietary ones mentioned above. Also, it appears that even some of the financial practices of the Old Testament were still in effect as we see the Apostle Paul exhorting people to give according to how GOD had prospered people and mentioned a storehouse in I Corinthians 16.

In actuality, this storehouse greatly resembled the economic system used by the Jewish nation when you see the early believers in Acts 5 and 6 selling their properties and creating this central bank as it were for the financial assistance of believers and the ministry of GOD (just as the Israeli temple had been used by GOD in the Old Testament for the same type of storehouse for the people in need and the care-taking of His work and those who performed His work). While the purpose of the ministry, which the money funded, may have slightly changed, since Christians are a royal priesthood of believers which the Levites symbolized, the purpose of the money for the financial care-taking of GOD’s people appeared to stay pretty much the same except deacons replaced the Levites in this financial ministry. Elders replaced the Levites in the spiritual side of ministry.

The first few verses of Romans 12 reiterated how pagan assimilation was just as evil as it had been in the Old Testament. Many other New Testament books reiterate the same as well as many of the commands that had been given regarding a plethora of other laws including the Sabbath weekly assembly as seen in Hebrews 10:25 and we see this example in the Book of Acts.

The Law cannot save, but those who are saved obey the Spirit and the Spirit will not lead anyone to disobey the moral laws of GOD. In fact, the Spirit will take us beyond just the general laws of GOD to a higher and better way of obeying even more specific details that only He can reveal regarding good and evil. GOD still forbids that pastors promote the gravest of abominations today in the name of grace while trampling GOD’s Law and His commandments. Those who know the Word and have the Spirit realize the portions of the Law that were abolished by Christ’s work on earth. They also understand that the Law and the Holy Spirit do not contradict each other regarding GOD’s character and expectations. Is this not what Jesus and Paul meant by stating that they were not out to destroy the Law? Yes, we are still to avoid fornication and other sins that the Law as a schoolmaster taught us were evil. GOD gives us grace to avoid fornication, not grace to enjoy fornication as so many seem to have misunderstood.

When Paul says we are not under the Law but under grace, he is definitely not giving a license to sin, but rather the opposite. He is taking the loophole away from men who would call themselves disciples but act like the Pharisees. The Pharisees didn’t violate the exact letters of the Mosaic Law, but they did sin against the spirit of the Law (and in a sense, they sinned against the Spirit of the Law). They wouldn’t commit adultery, but they would lust.  In other words, they would not obey the Spirit of the Law, but only what was written down in the Law. In this way, Jesus sought to establish the Law in a much more perfect way.  His Sacrifice was more supreme than the sacrificial systems. His law of love and golden rule were a fulfillment of the handful of rules found in the Law. His approach to the Law was indeed perfect and completely synchronized with the intent of the Law and not against the Law (as so many today are teaching). He paid for the penalties of our sin, not so we could accumulate masses of sins, but so we could have grace to obey GOD’s commands and not sin.

Paul was showing that by walking in the Spirit, we have a better Law dwelling within us Who can show us what is right and wrong in spirit, and not just in letter; in specific day-to-day events and decisions, not just in general boundaries.

Therefore, grace and liberty were never about freedom from the Law, but grace was given so we can more perfectly obey GOD’s moral law and the higher Spirit of the Law. Grace was about Jesus obeying the Law perfectly for us, because that was something impossible for us to do. Why? Jesus hated sin and could not have fellowship with us unless He did this.

Jesus wanted to set us free, because Sin made us the Law’s slave. Grace and liberty freed us from that slavery, so that we could truly obey the laws and commands of GOD.

In other words, if you signed a contract to pay back a million dollars under Old Testament law as a poor, struggling farmer but couldn’t keep your contract, then you would become a servant (i.e. slave) to that person for a period of time to pay back your debt (unlike the modern American system of debt that lets people defraud others through bankruptcy law).

Just as that physical scenario played out, if you as a spiritual creature decide to not accept Jesus’ payment for our sins, but instead attempt to pay GOD back by trying the impossible task of keeping the Law for salvation and failing, then you would be a slave of the Law and the penalty would be death. This word picture is clearly painted throughout the New Testament.

The Apostle Paul is saying that you no longer have to be a slave to the Law, because Christ has paid the debt of the Law. Instead, since Jesus paid our price of redemption, we are bond-slaves or servants of Jesus Christ, so that we can serve Him out of a heart of love and not begrudgingly. We are expected to obey the Spirit of the Law, knowing that we are His brothers, children of the Father, and will one day reign as Kings someday with Him.

In other words, by living as His slave for this life, He promises to make us Kings in the next life.  That’s a great deal!  I hope you see how even the laws of the Old Testament regarding debt and slavery are actually beautiful pictures of Jesus’ redemptive story through this article, as well as how blessed we are to be His slaves instead of slaves of the Law which would mean eternal death one day for us. I trust that you have a better understanding of the phrase “not under the Law”.

Multiple other illustrations could be used outside of the Israeli slavery system for debtors such as the stories of Egyptian slavery, of Ruth’s kinsman redeemer Boaz, or of Hagar and Sarah as the Apostle Paul used for illustration. The Old and New Testaments work beautifully together in physical and spiritual mirrors of exquisite Truth. Those who despise the Law or the Old Testament are foolish in their darkened minds.

Now we obey the Spirit of the Law and not just the letter of the Law by walking in the Spirit who gives us liberty and grace to obey GOD’s law. Liberty and grace have never been about giving us permission to sin. Instead, all of the Law and the Prophets and the Grace of GOD and the Liberty found in Jesus Christ are all pointing us to Christ who is our Master and Owner. We are expected to obey Him willingly by His Spirit’s power, Who is indeed our highest and best Law and Who will never contradict the spiritual and moral guidelines of His written Law.

DREAM POWER: Spiritually Physical, Physically Spiritual

Dreams, aspirations, recognition, goals, pleasures and ambitions are such powerful motivating forces for us.

Have you ever wondered what’s the best way to accomplish all that you should do in life? Is it through the power of positive thinking? Is it by “naming it and claiming it”? Is it something that is even possible to accomplish? If so, what’s the secret?

The following truths may be some of the most important insight you have ever received from the Scriptures.

Jesus taught in parables which were earthly stories with heavenly meaning. We also see a connection between the physical and spiritual in a particular battle in which the Israelites would win as long as Moses arms were lifted upward. We see this connection between the spiritual and physical in the subject of faith. Hebrews 11 shows how faith resulted in physical manifestations within the lives of those who believed in GOD. Some take Hebrews 11 and James 2 which both show how a soul filled with faith results in physical change, and they try to create a doctrine of works salvation. However, not only does the Apostle Paul refute such damning heresies in his letters to the Galatians and his letters to the Romans, but we also see the same in Paul’s epistles to Titus and the believers in Ephesus. Furthermore, Jesus shows this connection between the physical and the spiritual in John 3 when he teaches Nicodemus that those born of the Spirit are to be likened to the way wind cannot be seen, but it’s effects can be seen.  In other words, the spiritual realm impacts the physical realm.

“Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that you did set your heart to understand, and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I am come for your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make your understand what shall befall your people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” – Daniel 10:12-14

Again, we see here the spiritual and the physical interacting as a messenger from GOD was withstood by the prince of Persia for twenty-one days and then we see who appears to be a chief angel of Israel, Michael, coming to help him. Finally, the messenger was able to deliver the message. In this we see the truth of the Bible coming alive as seen in the following passage which explains that even though humans in our lives seem to be the “problem” sometimes in this struggle called life, they are not the problem:

“Because we wrestle not against blood and flesh [i.e. humans], but with the principalities, with the authorities, with the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, and we wrestle against spiritual evil in heavenly places; because of this take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to resist in days of evil, and having done all things — to stand.” – Ephesians 6:12-13

We are wrestling against the spiritual realm, and it appears in the physical realm. In other words, win in the spiritual realm successfully and you will find the physical realm becomes a place of exciting and great possibilities. Why am I establishing this Truth?

Because this is one of the most important truths you may ever learn. Within the spiritual realm, the real work is being done, and that work affects your job, your family, your life, your dreams, aspirations, recognition, goals, pleasures and ambitions.

Even the occult and their Hermetic doctrines teach “as above, so below”.  Many of the occult symbols seem to imply this philosophy whether it be the symbol of a pyramid overlaid with an upside-down pyramid or other symbols that seem to be overlaid in reverse as each other, almost as if they are shadows or reflections of the right-side-up symbol. In other words, it appears that Satanists understand these truths of the spiritual impacting the physical perhaps better than some Christians.  That’s why it’s important to know the Bible. It has the answers for life and when you realize how powerful these truths are, it can completely change your life.

Prayer is quite possibly one of the most powerful but least used weapons in the toolbox that Ephesians 6 recommends to succeed in the spiritual realm.

For example, when you see Balaam in Numbers 22, 23, and 24, he is unable to cast a curse upon Israel because the Israelites are pleasing to GOD. In Numbers 25, 2 Peter 2, Jude, and Revelation 2, we see that Balaam later taught the king of Moab (Balak) to use his pagan women to entice the Israelite men into fornication and into the sin of eating things offered to idols. In other words, by getting a people to sin, they can be cursed and are no longer under GOD’s protection and blessing.

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if you will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which you have not known.” – Deuteronomy 11:26-28

“Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” – Proverbs 14:34

“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14

We see this truth in many other passages as well. We see that prayer is hindered by sin and that a curse is placed upon one’s life by living in sin. However, prayers of repentance and prayers for deliverance from sin will be heard by GOD. This is an important truth, and in this truth is a key to unlocking your life into the beautiful prosperous success that GOD wants you to have. Another truth is that of meditating in GOD’s Word day and night. We must also pray for our goals in light of GOD’s will for our lives.

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Your Word. … Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against You. … I will delight myself in Your Statutes: I will not forget Your Word.” – Psalm 119:9, 11, 16

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” – Psalm 66:18

“And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” – John 14:13-14

“You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.” – James 4:3

“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” – Mark 11:23

“This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make thy way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.” – Joshua 1:8

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.” – Psalm 1:2-3

“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” – Luke 22:42

We look at Joseph and Daniel in the Bible who accomplished so much.  Both served as top advisers to world-renowned emperors of vast, massive empires.  We see their power and achievement in this life. We look at Job who achieved great things in the end of his life. However, we must not look past the previous severe trials and temptations of all three of these men and many others in the Bible who prospered.  Job was told by his wife to curse GOD. He did not. He was attacked by his friends, but refused to become bitter against GOD. He refused to allow his eyes to look upon a maiden due to a covenant with his eyes. Joseph resisted the temptation of his boss’ wife and was framed for doing right. He resisted bitterness against Potiphar or against his brothers. He maintained an excellent spirit and great work ethic. Daniel had an excellent attitude and spirit, and his work ethic was also above reproach. Both Joseph and Daniel were proclaimed by leaders in the empires which they helped govern to both have the Spirit of GOD within them. They were obviously walking in the Spirit. Daniel was a man of great prayer as he prayed three times each day. He also lived a very strict lifestyle in obedience to GOD’s laws which some today would call “rigid” as he refused wine and meat offered to idols. GOD blessed His life immensely. Keep in mind that not everyone in the Bible had immense blessings in this life right away or at all in a material sense. Job was not blessed right away, but rather at the end of his life. Job, Daniel and Joseph endured great trials first.  Many martyrs had to submit to GOD’s will even when it meant “bad things would happen”. In fact, martyrs are precious in GOD’s sight. GOD chooses what is best for us in this life.  Some die martyrs. Others become rulers and materially blessed.  GOD makes those choices for everyone on this planet.  However, which is better? Great reward in this life or great reward eternally? Either way, it is important to know that you will probably have reward neither now or later (in eternity) unless you practice some basic Biblical truths in your life, while recognizing that GOD ultimately can grant you grace or resist you.

“But God is the judge: he puts down one, and sets up another.” – Psalm 75:7
“And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings, and sets up kings: he gives wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:” – Daniel 2:21
“This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will, and sets up over it the basest of men.” – Daniel 4:17

“Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.” – 1 Peter 5:5

The Apostle Paul explained to New Testament believers that assimilation was forbidden in Romans 12:1,2 and that identification with pagan practices such as wine and meat offered to idols should be avoided in Romans 14:21. The Apostle further detailed his reasoning in Romans 14 and I Corinthians 8 by stating that even though idols are nothing in the world and thus the meat untainted, one must not consume it if they have knowledge that it is identified with an idol, because of the association alone. He also explains how this could affect weaker brethren in Christ.  Romans 14 spoke specifically to doubtful matters as obviously the Law must be obeyed. In doubtful matters, Paul states in Romans 14 that we must 1) never do anything that offends another believer as a stumbling-block even if that means giving up our own wants, 2) never do anything if we have a doubt about it, 3) never judge others over doubtful matters but let GOD be their judge someday, and 4) never argue with others over doubtful matters.

So many today have perverted these chapters today and have concluded that meat offered to idols is just fine with GOD (in other words, perfectly acceptable activities that are associated with evil are just fine). Paul does not teach this. He teaches the opposite.  Even if the meat is perfectly acceptable, because one has knowledge of association with evil, it can offend another believer and must be avoided.  Paul clearly states that he will not eat meat offered to idols and offend a soul for whom Jesus died by his own careless actions. Furthermore, the apostles and the entire congregation of believers in Jerusalem made it extremely clear to the early New Testament Gentile believers that “meat offered to idols” was forbidden as seen in Acts 15:29 and 21:25 regardless of how that impacted the jobs and lives of the new Gentile believers.  After all, GOD must be preeminent in all things. No association with paganism was allowed.

If you have stayed with me this long, you are about to hear life-changing truths from the lives of Daniel, Job, Joseph, Jesus, and the Word which will allow you to see your dreams realized. Here they are:

1. Repent, believe in Christ’s redemption and give Him your life for His Spirit’s indwelling
2. Avoid sin and its curse in your life and live righteously to gain the blessings instead
3. Walk in the Spirit by faith rooted in the Word
4. Meditate day and night in the Bible
5. Share the good news of salvation, sanctification, and the Bible with others
6. Every decision, goal and action you have each day should be accompanied by prayer
7. Your dreams, aspirations, recognition, goals, pleasures and ambitions must be GOD’s will and must be pure and eternal in nature – for example, any recognition desired should be eternal recognition given to you at the Judgment Seat of Christ someday).

As you obey the above list, you may also see your ‘dreams’ change from self-centered ones to GOD-glorifying ones.  If you compare the list that I have created above using major truths that I have spotted time and again throughout the Scriptures, you may notice that it almost mirrors the spiritual armor of Ephesians 6.

In closing, prayer is one of the most overlooked keys to life and our success. You will also notice that Paul emphasizes this very thing at the end of his list of spiritual armor. Do you remember how epoxy adhesive works? There are two tubs of chemicals.  Separate from each other, neither tube of chemicals is successful or prosperous.  Think of one tube as your physically spiritual actions. Think of the other tube as your spiritually physical actions.  In other words, one is your earthly actions and the other your heavenly actions. When combined together, these two tubes can create an adhesive that is incredibly successful.  Even so, if you couple your physical actions with spiritual actions you will find everything is far more successful. This is where much power is to be found.

Using the same epoxy example, think of the Power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of GOD; these two working together can also accomplish amazing things. Prayer must work within the boundaries of GOD’s Word and within the will of GOD’s Spirit. Princeton University’s motto many years ago when they thrived as a school was ‘Dei Sub Numine Viget’ which translated from Latin to English means ‘Thrives under the Power of GOD’.  Princeton University’s motto can’t be found today on their website, and their thriving has ceased as they now tell old wives’ tales when it comes to the origins of mankind and the heavens and earth, while also telling failed economic theories and loading their student’s minds with lots of other incredibly subversive ideas. Their thriving has ceased, and today they just live off the reputation they once had.

When life has difficulties, whether great or small, I believe it is often an exercise for us in prayer.  Pray your way through the challenge and you will find that it helps you pray more frequently all through the day. When you are making decisions about your spouse, job, school, vehicle, or mundane tasks, be sure as a believer in Christ to pray, thinking through Scripture while walking righteously in the Spirit as you use your life as a witness for Him, submitting all to His will. If you do so, you will find your life is truly blessed.  Grace to you!

PAGAN CULTURE: Redeemable?

Click photo to ENLARGE.

Is pagan culture redeemable?

Which of the following practices (which fit into Wikipedia’s definition of cultural practices) did GOD allow His believers to practice? Of which of them, could a person say the following?

“I know XYZ is pagan in origin, so I just redeem it and put Jesus first in it.”

• XYZ = Psychics
• XYZ = Seances
• XYZ = Necromancy
• XYZ = Reading of fortunes, palms, cards, crystal balls, and other divination
• XYZ = Meat offered to idols (Acts 15:29 and 21:25)
• XYZ = Bestiality
• XYZ = Necrophilia
• XYZ = Ouija boards
• XYZ = Rock music
• XYZ = Revealing dress
• XYZ = Transgender dress
• XYZ = Bloody meat
• XYZ = Strangled meat
• XYZ = Bel feast days such as Christmas or Easter
• XYZ = Tarot cards
• XYZ = Pornography
• XYZ = Dancing seductively
• XYZ = Books glorifying sin
• XYZ – Pagan entertainment
• XYZ = Sodomy
• XYZ = Adultery
• XYZ = Fornication
• XYZ = Forbidding marriage
• XYZ = Forbidding meats
• XYZ = Feminism
• XYZ – Transgender roles
• XYZ = Evolution
• XYZ = Fascism
• XYZ = Communism
• XYZ = Idols such as golden calves and decorated trees
• XYZ = Profanity, obscenity, and vulgarity

The “Book of Incantations” of Satanic origin as seen celebrated in the movie based upon C.S. Lewis’ book “Voyage of the Dawn Treader”.

When it comes to culture, so many have a hard time realizing that GOD will not allow us to adopt pagan ways or “redeem them” for Him. Others realize it, but choose selectively which pagan practices they will redeem based upon their traditions, social and religious circles, or personal preferences.

Those who feel they can adopt pagan practices and customs must walk over a plethora of Scriptural verses and Biblical stories to say that Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, would agree to adopting any pagan practices in His name.

Why then do so many today do so? I believe the answer is because they “wanna do” what they want to do. It may be for convenience, social reasons, tradition of parents, clergy and friend, or just for their own pleasure, but it really oftentimes comes down to putting themselves on a pedestal as a god unto themselves.

THE SEASON: Jesus is the reason?

IF “JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON”, THEN:

1) Why does history record a Christian being martyred for this celebration?
2) Why was Tammuz born on December 25th and celebrated for Millennia?
3) Why was Tammuz’ birth directly linked to the birth of the Sun?
4) Why did sun worshipers for Millennia celebrate this Winter Solstice?
5) Why was this celebration part of the eight witch Sabbaths of the sun?
6) Why was this celebration linked to human sacrifice for thousands of years?
7) Why do witches today STILL celebrate it?
8) Why are all the implements tied to ancient sun worship celebrations?
9) Why does history state that Catholic Romanists adopted it from the heathen?
10) Why does the Bible say not to imitate the heathen or adopt their ways?
11) Why did England legally ban Christmas once the Catholic Romanists were ousted?
12) Why did Catholic Romanists reinstate it once they took the government back again?

Tau, Tav, Tammuz, and Taurus represented by the “T” or “X” or + (cross) in ancient pre-Christ history. CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE

13) Why did early Christian America ban it by law for hundreds of years?
14) Why did it revive once the Catholic population in America increased?
15 Why do the Catholic occult’s Hollywood films promote it so much?
16) Is it because Christians have forgotten their history?
17) Is it because Christians have forgotten GOD’s commands on assimilation?
18) Is it because this Satanic Sabbath is packaged in the name of GOD?
19) Why does the Bible speak of ancient heathen decorating trees in their homes?
20) Why does the Bible speak of the weeping for Tammuz among the heathen?
21) Why do most theologians find Jesus’ actual birthday to be unknown?
22) Why do most theologians see winter as the least likely time for Jesus’ birth or for shepherds to be abiding in a field at night?
23) Why do the Druids connect directly to the holly and ivy? Where did Santa originate? Why did the Romanists rename their “gods” to be “saints”? Why is “Santa” a Roman word translated “saint”.
24) Why do tales of pagan gods Odin and Nicklaus (god of the sea) mirror Santa?
25) Why do tales of Odin’s flights through the sky mirror Santa?
26) Why do yule logs and the word “yule” tie directly to ancient heathenism?
27) Why does the practice of caroling tie back directly to ancient heathenism?
28) Why do the days of Christmas number twelve like Saturnalia?
29) Why did the Reformers and true Christians call the Pope “anti-Christ”?
30) If Catholic Romanists butchered Christians on Christmas, could they do it again?
31) Why does Catholic Bill O’Reilly use the term “War on Christmas” taken directly from the historical term describing the Protestant governments’ banning of Christmas by law?

Before I engage in activities that other Christians question, I like to prove whether I am able to participate as Scripture states.

Before I tell my friend who is a Luciferian that I’m right and he’s wrong about Christmas’ origin, I like to know that I’m right. Before I share the Gospel with a witch whose history defers from most Catholic Romanists and Protestants, I like to let her know I agree with her and agree with her on the history of Christ Mass and explain that she’s right that Christians shouldn’t celebrate it.  Perhaps then she will listen to me share the Truth of GOD’s Word and the Gospel if I am speaking the Truth and acting credible.

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” – I Thessalonians 5:21

Sadly, many witches and Knights Templar know far more than most Christians today on history, because Christians have gotten lazy and are throwing away their heritage to watch a sports show or movie instead of studying. If someone is consistently sharing the Gospel to others, they will eventually have to prove all things not just for themselves but also to others. You had better know how to answer these questions.  I wonder how “Christmas Christians” explain these things while soul-winning? Are they soul-winning? What answers would you give to a witch if she asked you the following questions? Would you just make up some new “meanings” for all the questions as the Romanists did in Medieval times?

A LIST FOR  “CHRISTMAS CHRISTIANS” TO EXPLAIN WHILE SOUL-WINNING

1. Can you prove that Jesus was born on December 25th?
2. Why was Tammuz born on December 25th?
3. Why does history support witches who claim they own the day?
4. What Bible verse allows you to “redeem” a Witch Sabbath for GOD?
5. 

   Sacrifices to Molech of the Baal sun worship religion, similar to the human sacrifices that took place on Saturnalia or X-Mass.

   Which Bible verse allows you to attach Christ’s Name to heathen ways?

6. What does the Bible say about imitating the way of the heathen?
7. Can you explain why you can “redeem” the Catholic’s Mass of Christ (Christmas), but not their Sunday Mass?
8. Can you explain why GOD killed 3000 people for “redeeming” Baal paganism for a “festival to Jehovah”?
9. Would you adopt a Ouija board or the Circle of Fire ritual and just give them new “meaning”?
10. Is there anything you can’t “redeem” for Him? Why the differences?
11. Can you redeem idols for GOD as well?
12. What agreement has the temple of God with idols? Are you not His Temple?
13. Is it okay to adopt heathen ways if you do good deeds on those days?
14. Is it okay to celebrate traditions that disobey Scripture for sentiment?
15. Is it okay to “keep the peace” at the cost of disobeying the Savior?
16. Can you explain why ancient witches celebrated this day and still do?
17. Can you explain why you can do the same in “Jesus’ name”?
18. Can you explain why martyrs died for refusing to adopt pagan days but you are allowed to adopt pagan days and further aggravate the matter by blasphemously saying that the precious sinless Lamb of GOD, JESUS CHRIST, is the reason for the season”?

If you celebrate Christmas and have a conscience toward GOD, then wouldn’t it be righteous to at least complete answers to the above eighteen questions if you do truly care about what GOD thinks?  And if you are really just trying to make your life easier, then just admit it.

As a footnote, it should be noted that the four major Witch Sabbaths of Baal sun worship all land directly thirteen weeks apart from each other and form a sun cross “+” which directly correlates to the winter solstice, the summer solstice, the spring equinox, and the fall equinox.  Coincidence or expected if these days are sun worship Sabbaths?

The fact that these Witch Sabbaths form a cross is not surprising once you learn the history of the cross, a symbol which was around long before Christ.  Crucifixion on a cross was also a pagan Roman tradition used long before Christ. Is it any surprise the Catholic Romanists take such pleasure in it and especially with little idolatrous representations of Jesus still hanging on it?

Did not Hebrews 12 state that Jesus despised the shame of the cross? The swastika is another example of a pre-Christ cross just like the standard cross. The cross is used for the Hebrew symbol “Tav” or the Greek symbol “Tau” from which we get our letter “T“.  It is believed to have been taken directly from TAMMUZ.  Ironically, today the Hebrews have a secular month called “TAMMUZ”.  The cross has been proven to be a pre-Christ symbol of pagan heathenism, and there are scores and scores and scores of crosses found by archaelogists and connected with heathen practices long before Jesus was born.

Did Catholic Romanists “redeem” the cross symbol or other heathen holidays?  If Jesus despised the shame of the cross, then why did Paul glory in it? To Paul, the cross was a sign of suffering to the early believers who gloried in their sufferings, but not in the pagan symbol of the cross. If you read the passage where Paul says this, you will see the context is his glorying in suffering rather than in his triumphs.

Almost all of Catholic belief was simply Baal sun worship belief taken from ancient heathenism and then merely re-labeled to represent “Christ” as the progenitor and representative of all the ancient Baal system. This is blasphemy and it is expected of anti-Christ Rome, but not professing believers.

The four minor Witch Sabbaths also land thirteen weeks apart and form an “X”.  Today, those who known occult symbols know that the “X” is used for many of their company logos, to represent themselves (i.e. “X-men”), and much more.

If you combine the cross (+) and the X, you will form a symbol known as the “Wheel of the sun”.  This eight-spoked symbol of sun worship and the patterns of the sun are seen in the court surrounding the obelisk of Rome, a phallic symbol of Baal, standing directly in front of the Temple of Jupiter known today as St. Peter’s Basilica.  In fact, the statue of Peter found there is actually the statue of Zeus.  They renamed Zeus as Peter and still worship this pagan deity. They also renamed Saturnalia, a heathen twelve day festival of sport in which orgies and debauchery took place before the Lord of Misrule was sacrificed. History records the story of a Christian, before the time of Constantine and his Romanist Church, refusing to play the part of this mocked “Lord of Misrule” and being executed for his stand for Christ.

They are the “X”-men and the Double-“cross”ers of the world. Will you emulate them or the Messiah?

Will we be transformed into Jesus Christ’s image as Apostle Paul exhorted in Romans 12? Or will we be conformed to the blueprint or schematic of this present world?

The choice is ours. The Judgment is His.

HEAD DOWN: In the bad times

Christians are diverse.

• Some are grieving widows.
• Some are singles longing to find their life-time mate.
• Some are ridiculed at school.
• Some are unemployed.
• Some are overwhelmed with business and / or personal obligations.
• Some are severely handicapped, blind, lame or have special needs for life.
• Some are old and neglected.
• Some are hated for their color, financial status, or physical limits.
• Some are persecuted at work for Christ.
• Some are persecuted at home for Christ.
• Many are hated for their beliefs by family, friends, and acquaintances.
• Some suffer from chronic pain.
• Others struggle with depression, pride, bitterness, and tempting pleasures.
• Many are holding on to hope.
• Many are struggling to have faith.
• Many wonder when they are going to see the reward for following Christ.
• Others do not see a way forward in life.
• Many are tired from the journey.
• Others feel despised, “smitten of GOD”, afflicted, sorrowful, grieving, and rejected of men and forsaken.

ALL WANT TO BE LOVED.

Don’t lose hope! ALL ARE LOVED with an everlasting love by a Savior who walked on earth and overcame the same trials as us and withstood the same temptations that we face in ways that we will never know until we get to heaven. Don’t give up to despair! Don’t give in to temptations. Let your head hang forward and let the weight of it metaphorically carry you through the last few laps of these few short years on earth. Keep your eyes on the glory set before you, the prize of the high calling of GOD in Christ Jesus!  When Jesus moves, the impossible becomes possible! We must not doubt His timing. He always knows best for us.

I remember many years ago in basketball practice that because we lost a game, we were required to run an extraordinary number of “suicides” (as the running exercise was called).  Some dropped out, one cursed the coach, another threw up, and the rest of us kept going. The only way I made it as one of the youngest members of the team was to put my head down and let the weight of it carry me forward. I’ve remembered that many times in life and I’ve metaphorically done that very thing many, many times.

Remember, that you are not alone. As a great Christian friend of mine recently stated, “GOD seems to move in the eleventh hour”.  Jesus actually moved even later than that in the story of Lazarus, but it was so that He could glorify Himself and fulfill His Will through raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus was not late to Lazarus’ household. He was right on time.

Your disappointments are His appointments! He has not forgotten or forsaken you (and He will not). Keep your eyes focused on Jesus who endured far more evil than us and He did not deserve it! Don’t do as Peter who lost sight of Christ and began to sink into the waters of the Sea of Galilee. When discouragement comes, throw it out of your mind and focus on the Messiah! Imagine what it must be like for those who do not have Christ or may not even know of Him.  Imagine their loneliness, addictions, sorrow, pain, and suffering in life with no hope. In Christ, we have hope!

When the valley is deep, when the problems seem insurmountable, when the mountain is steep, when the night seems dark ahead of you, when the river seems uncrossable, when the odds are impossible, and when the burdens of life seem far too heavy to carry another step, Jesus is able and completely in control. He plans the steps of His children.

Payday is coming! Remember Who made these promises is sure, firm, and solid as a Rock! His Word is true! You can make it if you look to Jesus!! When you seem buried in the tomb of despair, remember that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life! He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End! He is the Creator of the Universe and He is a Brother to all those who place their lives in His hands in repentant faith.

And many of us in the Body of Christ will be glad to give you a tight metaphorical virtual hug, and pray with you if you just need a shoulder on which to lean, a friend to listen, or just a good cry. That’s what Family do for each other. If you share your prayer requests in the comments of the “About” section of this blog (do not give away too much information about yourself for security purposes), I will be glad to pray for them!

I am so, so very thankful for a Savior Who loves me and understands me, and listens to me, and for those members of His family Who are there for me when I need it most.

If you have never heard of my Savior Jesus Christ, I invite you to read the article located in the top tab of this blog entitled “Most Important Article”.

BIBLICAL ACCURACY: Does it matter?

In an era of utter ungodliness in which people do whatever they wish with GOD’s Word and create new versions that leave entire sections of verses missing or which paraphrase Scripture to make it “easier to understand” to the point that the original meaning is completely destroyed, is it important whether or not, we treat GOD’s Words as carefully as GOD has asked us to do?

In an age where musicians blurt out lyrics that are more concerned with rhyming than sound doctrine and conformity to the Scriptures, is it important whether our Christian song lyrics conform to the Bible’s exact meaning? Or can we sing whatever we want as Christians?

GOD has some very damning penalties for those who tamper with His Word.

“For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” – Revelation 22:18-19

For example, let’s take a song that is sure to infuriate some readers who worship at the feet of tradition instead of the feet of the Messiah. The song “The First Noel” is an excellent case in point (obviously many “contemporary Christian songs” are far, far worse). First, what does “Noel” mean? ‘Noel’ is a variant of ‘Nael’ from Latin ‘Natalis’ or “birth”.

• The Bible says nothing of shepherds seeing a star.
• The First Noel says the shepherds saw a star in the East giving great light.

• The Bible doesn’t say shepherds were laying in fields (Luke 2 says “abiding” which means in the Greek “living”) and does not say what season of the year Jesus was born, and most theologians believe Jesus was not born in winter.
• The First Noel says that shepherds  were laying in fields on a cold’s winter night that was so deep.

• The Bible doesn’t say the star shone both day and night.
• The First Noel assumes that it continued both day and night.

• The Bible says nothing about three wise men, but only three gifts.
• The First Noel says “three wise men came from country far” and “then entered in those wise men three”.

• The Bible says nothing about where in the East the wise men lived and it says nothing of the direction of the star from the East.
• The First Noel says “the star drew nigh to the northwest”.

Is it a light thing to change Scripture when we like a certain tune or find a certain song to be a “treasure” from the traditions of church history? The Bible has some very scathing remarks for those who take His Word lightly. For example, in both the Law and the Prophets of GOD and the Revelation of Jesus Christ, GOD adamantly states that we are never to tamper with His Holy Word. Therefore, we had best place Him and His Word above our own desires to hear or sing certain music; otherwise, we are guilty of idolatry and of tampering with GOD’s Word.

• “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” – Deuteronomy 4:2
• “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” – Deuteronomy 12:32
• “Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:” – Jeremiah 26:2

Those who have the attitude of “we can tamper with GOD’s Word when it offends one of our songs” or who say “don’t tamper with our traditions or our songs” will one day stand before the Lamb Who will serve as Judge of all the universe and they will answer for their crimes against Him.

CHRISTMAS: The tale of two authors

I am republishing two great articles below which may explain why many Christians are no longer celebrating Christmas in spite of “Celebrity Christians” like Kirk Cameron who are promoting it and even making the over-the-top claim that Santa Claus is a “Defender of the Faith”.  Keep in mind that although Kirk Cameron once agreed with Ray Comfort that Catholics need salvation, more recently Kirk Cameron has started touring Catholic media and promoting their values.

Another more intriguing note is that Kirk Cameron was actually married in a Catholic Church after he was supposedly “saved”.  Why did he join Ray Comfort to start? Was it to get credibility? Why is he joining Catholics now? Perhaps that is a research project for you. You may not even believe what you find.

In addition to the many articles that are on our website, below you will find two very comprehensive articles on Christmas that explain why more and more Christians are not only getting rid of their Santa Claus decorations and Christmas tree, but are walking away from the festival day entirely.

1. Why Fewer Christians Are Celebrating Christmas**
2. Why I Don’t Celebrate Christmas

 **I do not know much about the author Heather Clark personally and I do not endorse all of the pastors she quotes, but I do endorse the history she shares in this article, because I know from my own research that the history she shares in this article is well-researched and well-written.

ROMANISM: Why study it?

One of the main reasons that I developed an interest in occult and ecclesiastical Rome many years ago was because of prophecy. The Bible clearly names the Romans as the final empire (before Jesus Christ returns to set up His glorious Kingdom) in Daniel chapter 2, chapter 7, very clearly in chapter 9, and vaguely in chapter 11. However, some Christian organizations and educational institutes state in error that Rome’s empire ended in A.D. 476.

My studies, as seen in both this blog and our partner blog, confirmed that the Roman Empire truly did NOT end in A.D. 476. Not only did the Unholy Roman Empire continue into the 19th century under guise of a religious-political hybrid, but their pagan Baal religion did as well under guise of Catholicism. Romans today probably have more power and technological capabilities to annihilate their opponents than anytime previously in history. Do not trust those who say the Roman Empire ended in A.D. 476. It did not. It continued until the present era as the Bible stated. Let GOD be true and every man a liar.

False teacher Billy Graham
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f68IgZruyNI

Another benefit of my research has been to help me see how many of our history books today have been revised and how much of modern Christianity still carries the remnants of Roman Catholic beliefs in their cathedral-building, day of holy convocation, holidays, treatment of widows and poor brethren, self-absorbed traditions and rituals, methods of ministry, inviting of pagans to be in their congregational times, mega-church mentality, charismatic and superstitious beliefs, ecumenicism and much more.

It also showed me how Roman Catholicism was but Baal worship re-labeled, and helped me see the history of Baal worship (Jezebel worship), Nicolaitanism, and Baalam worship in the Bible and the Book of Revelation and how it is still affecting us today.

The research has greatly changed my worldview both spiritually and physically in many ways. It has been well worth the research to find purity in theology and life, and to discover answers to questions in Scripture.

The correct Gospel is a matter of heaven or hell. Seeing the many tentacles of religious Rome and their covert Baal message is helpful in avoiding their many masked organizations preaching a works gospel.

Knowing the correct candidates to vote into office is a matter of freedom or tyranny. It helps to see which candidates are Knights and to also see why so many Democrats and RINOs are Knights who agree with each other, while the American people who just want to eat, live, and be free are perplexed as to why the people for whom they vote seem to be such lying phonies. It helps to see the agenda of secular Rome, who resides under the same pontiff as religious Rome, as well as their many spies, soldiers, and operations who purport the most heinous of governments and crimes so that they may corrupt, destroy and overcome the American Empire (and with it the world).

Truth, knowledge, wisdom, instruction, and understanding are all worthwhile things to pursue for a Christian as the Spirit of GOD used Solomon to tell us in Proverbs.

FAITH IS LIKE FIRE: Grace is the fuel

By faith, one is saved from eternal damnation. Faith is made possible by GOD’s sovereign grace.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6

“But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” – Galatians 3:11

“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love.” – Galatians 5:6

Faith saves us. Faith keeps us.

“Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” – Hebrews 4:11

“Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:” – 1 Timothy 1:19

“Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear:” – Romans 11:20

“Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” – Acts 14:22

Works are just the byproduct of faith, not the fuel. If Faith were a fire, the warmth, the light, and the dirty soot would be our works (our righteousness is as filthy rags), but the fuel would be GOD’s grace.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” – Titus 3:5

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” – Isaiah 64:6

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”  – John 1:17

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” – Romans 5:2

“But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” – Romans 5:15

As activity from a human body shows that the spirit of life still remains inside a human being, even so spiritual actions or activity or works are proof that our faith is true saving faith and that the Spirit of GOD lives within us. As we abide by faith in Christ, He produces fruit or works in our lives.

We cannot abandon faith and abide outside of Christ and hope to remain alive, anymore than a branch can abide outside of a tree’s vines and roots and hope to still remain alive. Our faith is GOD’s gift to us, and it is fueled by His grace. We must approach GOD with love and fear, knowing that without faith and our lamps filled with His Spirit, we will be like the foolish virgins of Christ’s parable in the end – shut out of the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” – James 2:26

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” – John 15:4

GOD keeps the fire burning, not us. It behooves us to kneel before Him prostrate in thanksgiving for His great grace if you are child of GOD today, because if you fail to abide in Him and your faith dies, it is impossible to renew such faith. We are solely dependent upon our GOD’s grace, not living in fear of “losing our salvation”, but in faith that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him as Hebrews 11 states.

Some in Arminius’ camps believe in “repeated regeneration”. In other words, they believe if you fail to maintain works (i.e. works salvation) or if you shipwreck your faith that you are given multiple opportunities to renew it. The Bible teaches that works have nothing to do with keeping one’s salvation. The Bible also teaches that once the fire of faith has died on the altar of a man’s life as the grace of GOD is removed, then you are eternally apostate and hopeless. Do not look to Arminius or any other man’s additions to Scripture for your beliefs on salvation. Look to Scripture alone.

“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” – John 15:6

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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.” – Hebrews 6:4-6

“Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Keep me burning till the break of day.”

Faith saves and that faith is made possible by GOD’s grace. We do not deserve His grace. “Saving faith” perseveres and it does show forth fruits meet for repentance. Our works are but the byproduct of our faith. He chooses to whom He will give grace and thus empowers “saving faith”, which means some will sail to Heaven’s shores, others will shipwreck their faith, while others will never get into the ship. Ultimately, the latter two did not have “saving faith” and were not of “the elect” or “saved”, even if they started out in faith. Only GOD has a right to give us faith that perseveres through His grace.

“Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God” – Romans 15:15

“But He gives more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.” – James 4:6

“As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.” – Romans 9:13-16

Some followers of Calvin believe that this verse teaches that GOD damns some and limits his atonement to just those who receive His truth in faith, but that doctrine is not taught anywhere in Scripture. The Scriptures are abundantly clear that the ark of Christ’s salvation is open to everyone until the door of His grace shuts out those who waited too late to receive His gift of salvation. Does GOD choose to share a different measure of grace with certain people in His sovereignty? Yes.

Does that mean He restricts some from coming to Himself? No. His atoning death on the cross is not limited to just an elite group of people. He died for all men, and He also gives all men a free will and choice in the matter.

Does GOD choose to dispense grace based upon something He sees in a man?  How does this work? The Bible doesn’t go into a detailed explanation on this subject, so you can either disobediently add to Scripture as Calvin and Arminius did or you can trust the Father to explain it to you in heaven someday. Beware of those who are more into teaching catechisms and spouting syllogisms and rationalism than they are into quoting Scripture. Adding to Scripture in order to reveal the “secret things” of GOD is not intellectual but extremely foolish.

“The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” – Deuteronomy 29:29

Does GOD tell us to choose or does He force salvation upon us as an abusive spouse? GOD does tell us to choose many times in Scripture, and His character is not that of an abusive spouse, but a loving Groom. Are we depraved? Yes. How can we then choose Him? Why do some choose Him and some reject Him? How does this work? Why does GOD choose some and not others? Arminius’ followers may say it is because we choose GOD and He in His foreknowledge then gives us grace. Calvinists would say that it is because GOD selects men in His Sovereignty alone and damns the rest to hell.

Again, the Scriptures do not explain the mechanics of grace to us. Some run around “giddy as a school girl” with what they think is their perfect understanding of these truths, denouncing other believers who disagree with them. Many of these type of people are more into traditions, catechisms, divisions and debates than they are into sharing the Gospel and Christian unity.

In truth, our human minds cannot comprehend such matters, and those who say they know how or why GOD shows grace to some and not to others are like Calvin and Arminius who foolishly argue and attempt to show others answers on a matter that GOD will take ages to show to us.

They do not prove how intellectual they are, but rather the opposite. We can’t understand His sovereign grace in this life, but He will take ages to show to us how rich His grace truly is in the next life.

“That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” – Ephesians 2:7-8

DECEIVED: The girl who knew too little

Once upon a time, Satan had transformed himself to look like a popular boy and so he was very angry when a very beautiful college girl refused to attend a social event with him when he asked. Therefore, he donned a mask and kidnapped the girl and showed her the tools of his torturous plans and convinced her that there would be horrors to come.

Then Satan exited and later returned without the mask as the girl’s hero, rescuing her from the clutches of her perceived kidnapper. The media celebrated the “young man” and his rescue of this college girl. The college girl not only attended a social event with this young man, but also joined him in fighting against various social ills and finally married him.

This grieved her father who didn’t trust the “young man”, but she was convinced that she was doing the “right thing” and forsook the advice of her father. Satan then destroyed the girl and took her to hell with him. The father wept.

The moral of the story?

• Girl = American Christians
• Masked Boy = Jesuits
• Unmasked Boy Hero = Catholics
• The father = The Father in heaven

This has been transpiring for some time and will continue, and sadly most Christians don’t see it.

United we stand? Shouldn’t we be careful with whom we unite since Paul the apostle, John the apostle, Jude the apostle, and Peter the apostle, and Jesus Christ all spoke out against the dangers of wolves among the sheep?

The only difference between the eternal destinies of those who trust the Catholic Church and those who trust the Church of Satan is that the Catholic Church is more blasphemous and deceptive, because they attach the name of Jesus to their path to hell. Those who hold hands with false teachers who preach another Gospel have failed to read Galatians 1 where Paul said “let them be damned [or anathema]” who preach “another gospel” of works. Uniting with false teachers just because they also believe that GOD is not dead is ludicrous. What will be next? Uniting with those who teach that the gods are not dead? At what point will people realize that GOD makes the rules on who is damned through His Word and that uniting together with “the damned” or heretics to fight atheists, abortion, or human trafficking or other evils is absurd.

T-R-A-I-T-O-R … signer of the Manhattan Declaration and traitor to Jesus Christ, the President of the Southern Baptist Convention Al Mohler betrayed the martyrs who spilled their blood in defense of the Gospel against the wolves of Rome. May the Creator bestow upon Mohler a heart of repentance or a judgment that befits his crime, preferably the former.

The Roman Catholic Church was the one who banned the Bible and threatened anyone who sought to read it for themselves with cruel and despicable judgments, but now they try to claim they are the ones who gave the Bible to the world – hypocrites. The Romans changed their doctrine every few years as seen in the timeline and article at this link. Yet, preachers who have massive followings among evangelicals are holding hands with them now, including some high-ranking Baptists.

The “gospel” of the Manhattan Declaration is a united “gospel” shared by the Roman Catholic Church and popular “Protestant” leaders such as Al Mohler of the Southern Baptist Convention. This is not the “gospel” but “another gospel” of which Paul the apostle spoke, which he said is one of damnation (“anathema”) in Galatians 1. Ironically, many of the social ills that the Catholics are uniting with Protestants to “fight” are actually ills produced by the covert military operatives of the Vatican known as the Jesuits. Could it be that some of these popular “Protestant” leaders are covert Jesuit agents as well (as the Jesuit Oath speaks of such infiltration)?

The Manhattan Declaration was a cornerstone document of this betrayal of Jesus Christ in which its Protestant signers, such as President of the Southern Baptist Convention Al Mohler, assert that they are not of a political group but are together with Roman Catholics in following their “Christ” and their “gospel”. In this way, they have betrayed Jesus Christ and have made the Father weep.

Frank Turk attended a Catholic university (SBU) and claims to be a “New Calvinist” while blogging on “First Things” which is a Catholic website founded by Richard John Neuhaus, a Roman Catholic priest and Catholic media commentator.

Yet Turk, as seen in the article at this link, refused to sign the Manhattan Declaration due to its ecumenical nature, but Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, was more than willing to sign it. I think we’ve just reached a new level of perversity in American Christianity.

DEAD MUSIC: The sound of lifeless ritualism

Some equate tradition with intellectualism, when in fact the opposite is true. Those who do things, because they’ve always done them are those who fail to think for themselves.

In the past, I have spoken of the evils of orgiastic, hedonistic rock music, but today I would like to speak of the dangers of emulating the dead, ritualistic music of pagan tradition and lifeless intellectualism. Such music plagues some Protestants today in even fundamental circles.

I also would like to point out the importance of using only Biblical words in Christian music.

Has Christianity become centered upon the aesthetics of music and musical personalities, instead of the Scriptures? Why is it that a person can compromise with a group of anti-Christ religious rulers like those wicked men in Vatican City under the guise of the arts and “high culture” and still be honored by and invited by those claiming to be Christians to lead their music? Could it be because they are also guilty of many of the same grievances against Yahweh?

The subject and the mode of the arts must please Jesus Christ. Christians should never emulate the dead, ritualistic traditions of paganism, but should rather show forth a “new song” in the arts. Requiems, masses, and Marian art from the damning Catholic religion are an example of pagan art forms. Yahweh had three thousand Israelis executed in Exodus 32 after they employed a golden calf from the Baal religion for a feast day for Yahweh.

A great example of this truth is how lapdogs of Rome in art and musical circles have doors opened to them by fundamentalists who rightly decry the ecumenicism of Billy Graham and Jack Van Impe, but who in the arts have a different standard as they exalt ecumenical and Catholic art forms and allow celebrities of such religious persuasion to influence their youth through art, drama, music, and literature, all under the guise of intellectualism (much like the Higher Criticism movement also used intellectualism to decry the reliability of the Scriptures). Intellectualism, “high culture”, tradition, or other excuses are never acceptable reasons to violate the commandments of the Almighty regarding separation between the holy and the profane.

A difference must be made between the religious and the secular. Heretics must be completely marked out and avoided in all things as Paul specified. Whereas, the lost world does not need to be avoided as long as what they are doing doesn’t violate GOD’s commands. My own children understand this concept. We must be careful what we exalt in the area of the religious and in what we offer in the name of the Most High Creator. The Creator doesn’t want us to take the works of darkness and “redeem them” for His use. He wants us to put away the “unclean” things of the old man and the world’s system and be separate from them. He wants us to embrace the pure, the new man, and pattern ourselves after the image of Himself.

“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” – 2 Corinthians 6:16-17

The ecumenical Getty duo rocks for Jesus, while those who listen to their rock music are proudly “cleaning up” their music for their traditional, ritualistic, dead congregations. Is this not blatant hypocrisy? Throw out the rock, but also stop listening and emulating it yourself (whether or not you “cleaned it up”) and stop exalting ecumenical groups to your youth.

Some speak boldly against ecumenical heretics such as James Dobson or Rick Warren, but allow musicians like Craig Courtney and the Gettys or organizations like Sovereign Grace and the Gospel Coalition to influence their youth toward a more ecumenical path.

Is this not blatant hypocrisy?

Has Scripture changed or have the leaders in Christianity changed? Has Rome changed or has the view of today’s Christians changed toward Rome who once burned babies and children alive, skinned fathers alive in front of their wives, and crushed women inside of Iron Maidens among other gruesome tortures they conducted under their Council of Trent doctrines (doctrines that still remain unchanged today)?

Craig Courtney is a great example of a musician who is exalted among Christians whose music is ritualistic, dead and contains lyrics that are not Biblical.

Let us contrast the hymn of Patrick of Ireland with the hymn of Craig Courtney. Which one sounds more Catholic? For example, the Irish flag is green, orange, and white; green for Catholics, orange for Protestants and white for peace between the two. Yet, while St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of green (Catholic) and alcohol (beer), Phillip Schaff, the renowned historian of church history, gives great evidence that Patrick was a prohibitionist and not Catholic (‘green’). Such rich irony! No wonder when we see Patrick of Ireland’s song and compare it to Craig Courtney’s song, we wonder if Courtney plagiarized Patrick’s song and just simply gave it more of a Catholic sun-worship twist (Catholics being descendants from that sun-worshiper, Roman Emperor Constantine I, who considered himself the sun god of Romans and the Messiah of Christianity simultaneously as recent archaelogy and a history documentary have pointed out). The cross upon which Jesus died was an ancient sun-worship symbol of Rome, the sign of Apollo the sun god. Let’s read the lyrics of the hymn of Patrick of Ireland and then compare it to the lyrics of Craig Courtney, that darling of certain fundamentalists in Greenville, South Carolina.  Patrick’s hymn titled “S. Patricii Canticum Scotticum” states:

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the Fort (Home).
Christ in the Chariot-Seat (Car).
Christ in the Poop (Sloop or Boat).

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

The latest song by Craig Courtney may be his least Roman-inspired song, compared to others listed below, but even it brings to mind a vision of crucifixes and Catholic liturgy as it exalts the cross in place of the Christ in stark contrast to Patrick’s hymn.

“The cross before you to lead,
The cross behind you to defend,
The cross below you to uphold,
The cross beside you to befriend,
The cross above you to inspire,
The cross within you to consume,
The cross surround you with its power,
Enfold your life, your soul, your all.

The cross each morning when you rise,
The cross each evening while you sleep,
The cross to see before your eyes,
The cross upon your lips to speak,
The cross be all that you would hear,
The cross be all that you believe,
The cross be with you in this life,
The cross be with you when you leave.
The cross before you,
The cross within you,
The cross be all you need.”

This latest mysterious song by Craig Courtney sounds like something taken from a Dracula movie with its ominous line “the cross behind me to defend”. Its line “the cross within me to consume” smacks of the Catholic Eucharist. The line “the cross beside you to befriend” sounds a bit of a stretch. Why would the cross be our friend? The cross represents the pain and suffering we have to bear. Furthermore, it almost seems as if he stole a song from Patrick of Ireland or another Christian writer who had actually written about Christ and then replaced the name “Christ” with the word “cross”. In other words, Craig Courtney replaces Jesus with the cross as the object of adoration all throughout this song.

Is this actually sung by Christians today? Just watch as a Baptist choir sings this song in the video at this link.

Really? Wow! In spite of its awful tune, its totally non-Biblical lyrics, and its generally, … well, typical boring Courtney sound, there are actually people in Christendom who sing this song and swoon over this composer and others like him who prostrate themselves at the feet of those dark lords of Rome for financial gain or whatever reasoning they use to prostitute their talents out to the Vatican.

Notice the warrior symbol IHS of the Jesuits in the cross found in the video of the Baptist choir. More than likely, the people in that congregation do not even realize they are displaying the symbols of the Jesuits as they sing a song by a Roman lapdog.

Why would a Baptist congregation sing this music? I can only think that they’ve been emulating their favorite mega-ministry, radio station, or perhaps their favorite fundamentalist university whose sponsors and leaders have included men from the Freemasons, Knights Templar, Ku Klux Klan, Notre Dame affiliates, and other cloaked Romans.

I can’t imagine them choosing this song for its tune, arrangement, or words. Should they be choosing music based upon what others do? Should we determine how trustworthy a ministry is by its size or its tenure or its high-end, slick appearance or its financial assets? Or is Scripture alone the measure of its integrity?

And beware of some of these ministries parading as “conservative” or “fundamentalist” who are the ones introducing much of the Catholic mindset to Christians, their congregations, and ministries.

Malachi Martin, confidante to four popes, professor in Rome at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, exorcist, and a former Jesuit himself until he requested release from his Jesuit vows, is world-renowned as an author. Malachi implicated the great majority of Jesuits and Romish priests as being demon-possessed in his book ‘Hostage to the Devil’, a book in which he describes how even many of the Romish exorcists were also demon-possessed.The Roman Jesuits were the masters of the Inquisition.  They led the chilling, horrendous torturing of believing Christian men and women as the Jesuits would slowly murder them by removing their skin while they were still living. Or roast them alive for hours. Or cut a hole in their stomachs and drop a rat inside of them, while placing a hot pan over the opening, thus forcing the rat to eat its way through their bodies. Or perform other twisted, demented, agonizing horrors upon those who had faith in Jesus. And these vile, sick, demonic, twisted Jesuits perfected their perverted Satanic art of inquisitions, torments, and executions over the centuries. They were masters at extracting the screams of Christian men and women with the most grotesque of evil means.

One of Craig Courtney’s most popular arrangements is that of the song “Here I am, Lord”, a song written by Dan Schutte. Who is Dan Schutte? Schutte is a Jesuit as Wikipedia explains in its biographical sketch as seen in the following excerpt, and he is specifically part of the new strategy of Vatican II which is to absorb the Protestants through false charismatic unity, ecumenicism, and rock, ritualistic, new age, and other popular musical styles.

“He was one of the founding members of the St. Louis Jesuits who popularized a contemporary style of church music set to sacred texts sung in English as a result of the liturgical reforms initiated by Vatican II.”

Are there some ministries that are too important and tenured to receive a rebuke? When they are rebuked, do they take such rebuke humbly as Paul said for the Philippians to do? Or do they act like so many Jesuit priests – proud, wrathful, authoritarian, vengeful, shunning you, and giving you the ‘cold shoulder’? Didn’t Jesus say to give the brethren ‘cold water’?  And not ‘cold shoulder’?

Should Christians, like those in the Baptist choir video linked above, be emulating their favorite ministries as though their favorite ‘ministries’ always make the right choice? Or should they think for themselves? So many Christians today do not think for themselves and fail to use Scripture alone to work out their own salvation and sanctification with fear and trembling.

I believe the dead, ritualistic musical sound of certain composers is a reflection of their belief system. They have a dead, traditional Protestant religion filled with rituals, instead of a vibrant, Spirit-filled, Christian relationship with Jesus Christ, and it shows in their music. There are few things that don’t show up in a person’s music. Music is a reflection of their soul and spirit, and the lyrics of such dead, boring ritualistic music is a confirmation that their beliefs are Roman-inspired instead of Christ-inspired.

Some musicians confuse boring ritual music with well-crafted music of great learning. They aren’t the same.

Many of the early and even popular religious rock bands today are Roman Catholic.   Thus, I realize with so many of Rome’s religious rock bands singing lyrics that sound more like the morality teachings of Harry Potter or John Lennon or Ghandi while being incorrectly dubbed as “Christian music”, that a song with lyrics that mention anything that sounds Biblical must be a welcome relief to some since people’s expectations of “things acceptable to GOD” have plummeted so very low these days. However, music written for the Savior must reflect Scriptural Truth, not man’s wisdom or Catholic theology.

And what about the line “the cross be all that you believe” or that last line “the cross be all you need”?  This is heretical if not also blasphemous. To take the sun cross of Baal upon which Jesus was crucified and to idolize it and adore it in the place of Jesus Christ is just unthinkable by any stretch of a Christian’s imagination, yet fundamentalist Christians sing this song in their congregations. If Courtney was using the ‘cross’ as a symbol of the Gospel, his theology is still rancid. Also, if Courtney was attempting to use the ‘cross’ as a symbol of the Gospel, he got his symbols confused.  Scripture uses the cross as a sign of suffering. Paul gloried in his sufferings rather than his triumphs.  The cross itself is a pagan symbol which predated Christ, because obviously it was used to crucify Jesus Christ according to Scripture and also it is said that it was used to kill other followers of Christ as well.

So much was this pagan implement of Rome and ancient Babylonian Baal worship used to kill those dear to the Father in heaven that it should be obvious why early believers saw it as an emblem of suffering. I understand why the Romans love the crucifix, but why would any Christian exalt and coddle such a symbol of pagan Rome and Babylon that caused so much suffering to believers?

Do some conservative musicians exalt Craig Courtney to their congregations and ministry followers? Yes.

What does that tell you about how traditional people are and how many don’t even think through the lyrics they’re singing as long as the music sounds morbid and slow enough? Or should we even consider the possibility that some may actually be thinking through the lyrics of this song in conservative Christian circles and STILL sing it?

Do people really sellout Jesus today for an excruciatingly boring tune such as ‘The Cross‘? Meanwhile, study the rich text of ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross‘ and its splendid accompanying composition, and then compare it to Courtney’s ‘The Cross‘, and one can only wonder why the former sits unused while the latter is embraced. Is it the drinking water that is contaminated? What is wrong here, people? Perhaps it is the one-man shows in pulpits today and boy bands which have replaced the reading of Scripture in congregations today that has brought about such a leader-dependent, easily duped, tradition-based, ritualistic generation of people who call themselves ‘Christians’.

It is said that a young man named Alexander who was attempting to desert the army of Alexander the Great was brought before this mighty conqueror, and that Alexander the Great said “Son, change your name or change your conduct“.

Who are these pastors today in Baptist and conservative congregations who lift up allies of Rome such as Keith and Kristyn Getty and Craig Courtney? Could it be the same wolfish men of Rome who were known to infiltrate congregations as early as the time of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth as I read in one history book?

Is that why certain seminaries and universities are crawling with men who can tell you what ‘really happened‘ during what they describe as the ‘myths‘ of the Crusades, Inquisitions, and other massacres of Christ’s martyrs and who play down the number of people who were killed in such holocausts?  Can we really just throw away our history books or Christian books like ‘Foxes’ Book of Martyrs’ or ‘Martyrs’ Mirror” or “The Trail of Blood” and trust these men to tell us the “truth”?  Can we allow them to ridicule books by intellectual giants like Samuel F.B. Morse or Alexander Hislop, whose bibliographies are overwhelmingly filled with ancient sources from rare European libraries that would make any modern book pale in comparison?  Can we allow them to continue to lie to people through their online magazines such as ‘The Christian Post’ or ‘Christianity Today’ whose leadership has supported the Baal worshipers of Roman Catholicism by adopting the Manhattan Declaration, numerous other heretical beliefs of Rome, and other ecumenical initiatives?  Can we accept the even more deceptive sources such as textbooks, magazines, and books that pretend to be ‘fundamentalist’ which gives people the appearance that they are ‘conservative’ when they are really sources from wolves in sheep’s clothing?

You may be surprised how many of the ‘founding fathers’ of the ‘fundamentalist’ movement were men involved in the secret societies of Rome.  Several of these laughably ‘revered’ men even were said to have prayed to the dead.  I heard with my own ears the once ‘revered’ Jack Hyles speak from a pulpit about how he would ‘pray to his mother’ at her tomb. He was not alone.  I have been told that a long-standing employee who had worked for a top fundamentalist organization for decades had inside information that included testimony that an even greater ‘giant’ of fundamentalism is said to have held seances with the dead, a practice of witchcraft condemned in the Bible as necromancy.  No wonder that particular ‘giant’ and his succeeding generations led people to sing requiems (prayers to the dead in the form of song) and masses, embrace Catholic art, and held hands with men of Rome in various forms such as Freemasons, KKK, Notre Dame sponsors, and Knights Templar. They also allowed young people from their organization to participate in ‘seminars’ at the home of a local dentist who would teach the youth a warped version of history akin to the “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion‘ and closely resembled anti-Jewish hate rhetoric. The dentist was also included on this particular so-called ‘fundamentalist’ organization’s list of preferred dentists for their employees’ medical program.

No wonder that when their publisher was called into question as to why they were promoting a Catholic perspective in their narrative of history and other publications that they refused to be held accountable, but ignored the rebukes and the calls for a retraction.  No wonder their current President ignored an employee who attempted to ask why their organization was sympathetic to Harry Potter in their publications. And when the alarm was sounded regarding heretics and books promoting witchcraft, their ‘fundamentalist’ followers continued to march after their ‘fundamentalist’ leaders without blinking as if they were completely blind … as if they had been trained through many decades of ‘authoritarian’, fascist leadership to accept whatever they were told as ‘truth’.

Are these ‘fundamentalists’ actual followers of the ‘fundamentals’ of the faith or are they just a cult-like movement who does what their leaders say to do unquestioning in their loyalty to their ‘leaders’? Why do they ignore such utter evil?  One must logically ask if these people are truly following the Word, both incarnate and written, or if they are instead just following a tradition. Could this be why many who have attended ‘fundamentalist’ organizations have been devastated by the gossip, Pharisee-like judgment, false piety, papal authoritarianism, and unloving actions of these so-called ‘fundamentalists’?

I have many friends who are very loving and devoted to the Messiah who are involved in the ‘fundamentalist’ circles, and not all of their organizations, congregations, and ministries are cult-like traditionalists. Thus, we must also distinguish between which shade of the movement is truly following the Messiah for the most part and which is not.  Certain branches of ‘fundamentalist’ leaders and people appear to only be following traditions and authoritarian clergy much like the Catholics while never questioning their leaders regardless if they promote witchcraft, ‘Christian’ fantasy, Catholic culture, authoritarianism, and many other non-Biblical concepts.  You will notice in this website that we advocate very high standards of holiness and doctrine.  This doesn’t make us ‘fundamentalists’ but followers of the Messiah.  You must distinguish between these two properly.  One is a movement.  The other is a relationship.

Keith and Kristyn Getty singing a concert in honor of the Catholic Saint Patrick of Ireland.

Can we really hope that the next generation will somehow know the truth of what Rome did to the martyrs when so many trolls are in control of the pulpits, universities, schools, and textbooks of future generations of believers?   The Bible teaches that the congregants and the nearby elders are the ones who work together to ‘appoint pastors’, not some convention, university, or ‘ministry office’ that puts itself in ‘charge’ as an ‘authority’.

How can the next generation know the truth when those who are now being “appointed” into pulpits are not even being told by these so-called ‘educational’ seminaries and universities? And why are those who have captured our seminaries and universities in both ‘fundamentalist’ and ‘evangelical’ circles, while filling students’ heads with revised, white-washed Roman Catholic views of history, helping to appoint pastors for local congregations? And since when do universities, conventions and seminaries “appoint” pastors and have sway over such decisions? Does not Scripture teach that the job of the laity is to elect pastors in communion with other faithful local pastors?

It seems the music leads the way for people to follow Satan. No wonder a story like that of the Pied Piper was written.

Typically, what I’ve seen happen with Christian individuals and congregations is that their music mimics the pagans, then their bodies mimic its lifestyle and culture, and finally their minds fall into apostasy. In some rare cases, worldly wisdom and intellectualism lead the way, and as the mind grows dark, then the body follows.

Either way, the music usually reflects such worship of the intellect and traditional human wisdom. In both cases, the music can convey the lusts of the body or the pride of the mind in its sound.

Craig Courtney, friend of the Vatican

In some cases, music has departed from gorgeous hymns sung with fervor by Spirit-filled choirs to dead, dry ritualistic theological garbage laboriously chanted by our people like so many friars or monks, while in many cases, the youth flee the congregations of Jesus Christ to join the world and their wild rocking music of the enchanters and charmers in order to escape dry, dead traditions. Or worse yet (and more realistically and prominently), the adults and youth bring the wild rocking music of the enchanters and charmers into the congregation.

The dead ritualistic music reflects a religion of traditions and intellectualism.

The wild music of enchantment and charming reflects the orgiastic hedonism of debauched paganism.

Both types of music reflect a language and culture that falls outside of Scripture.

Obviously, those who sing the song “The Cross” by Craig Courtney have forgotten what the cross meant to early believers. Believers gloried in their suffering, but they did not cherish such suffering. Hebrews 12 says that Jesus endured the cross and despised its shame. Paul gloried in his sufferings rather than in his successes and in this context, he stated that he gloried in the cross (not in the symbol but in the honor of suffering for Christ). The symbol of the sun cross (“+” and “x”) was pre-Christian and part of the sun worship of Babylonian Baal worship.  Romans were historically known to sacrifice criminals to the gods on their venerated sun crosses as seen in articles such as the article at this link.

When persecution swells throughout the United States in ways that make the German Holocaust look like a picnic, perhaps then the believers will begin to realize that Jesus is the one to be adored, not the cross of suffering. They have forgotten the suffering of the cross and this is why they can idolize and adore it in this present hour by singing songs by lapdogs of the Romans, the same Romans who helped to inflict suffering upon Christians for millennia.

Not only is Craig Courtney idolizing the cross instead of Jesus, he gives idolatrous worship to “Mary”, goddess to Catholics everywhere who they call “mother of heaven” and compare to a “dove” in their doctrinal statements.

This is the cover illustration for one of the books written bv Christina Rossetti, sodomite and Catholic poet, whose lyrics on Marian worship were chosen by Craig Courtney for a song composition by Courtney

Of all the lyrics available in the Western Hemisphere, Craig Courtney chose the lyrics of the dead, mystical, lesbian Catholic poet, Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), so he could add some dark, haunting music to the words of her goddess lyrics. Listen as the Catholic director in the video at this link explains how Jesus looked up to Mary, just as Mary looked up to Jesus. What blasphemy!

Such a sad and hopeless religion. I’m thankful that GOD saved my grandparents out of this dead religion with its dead, anti-Christ music.You can also see a Presbyterian church sell out to Rome as they sing this song of worship to Mary in the video at this link.

Here are the lyrics of this idolatrous song titled “Herself a Rose” which not only deifies Mary and personifies her as a Dove and Jesus as a Rose, but which also references the venerated “Sun” of Catholicism, who is a false and different Christ than the “Son” of the Most High who true believers worship.

“Herself a rose, who bore the Rose, She bore the Rose and felt its thorn.
All loveliness newborn Took on her bosom its repose,
And slept and woke there night and morn.
Lily herself, she bore the one Fair Lily, Sweeter, whiter, far Than she or others are:
The Sun of Righteousness her Son, She was His morning star.
She gracious, He essential Grace, He was the fountain, she the rill:
Her goodness to fulfill And gladness, with proportioned pace
He led her steps through good and ill.
Christ’s mirror she of grace and love of beauty and of life and death:
By hope and love and faith Transfigured to His Likeness,
“Dove, Spouse, Sister, Mother,” Jesus saith.

Wow! “Herself a ‘Rose’ who bore the Rose”? “Her goodness to fulfill”? “She was His morning star”? Those who know Marian worship in the Catholic religion will immediately recognize the doctrine whereby they associate Mary with the deified Dove in their theology.

Another Courtney song is called “Sanctus“. Courtney was commissioned by the papal leadership to write it for a special High Mass at the Vatican. No man can serve two masters for he must love the one and hate the other. Is Courtney sold out to Jesus Christ? No. Courtney is sold-out to Rome, and is a a traitor to Jesus Christ and his martyrs who died at the hands of Rome. I have no desire to sing the songs of a sellout, especially when his lyrics are anti-Christ and his musical sound reminds me of a Roman chant which in my opinion is akin to a dripping faucet. We must remember as a follower of the Christ that Scripture, not musical pleasure, comes first, because that’s the price of His cross.

Should we not encourage those who use their talents to exalt the name of Jesus Christ in song? For example, listen to these beautiful arrangements of hymns heard in the videos at this link and this link and this link and this link?

Why do we feel a need to sing slow, morbid, dry dirges that exalt Mary, the cross, Vatican Requiem and Mass art forms, or dead ritualistic anthems? Why not sing exuberant, uplifting Christ-glorifying, Spirit-filled songs of Praise to the Lamb, the Messiah?

When a composer is still alive or his influence is at least still potent, his beliefs and doctrine can also steer people into the dark paths of heresy. May we never be guilty of making a choice with our music which can potentially serve as a path to heresy for a weaker brother.

Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice. We should as well.

I have to almost chuckle aloud at what one minister of music told me many years ago when I was in high school. I had asked to be excused from singing a John Denver song in our “Christian” school choir. The minister of music said he would excuse me, but that if we followed this principle of association, we would have to get rid of almost all of our music. What?

This minister of music obviously had a very small repertoire of music if all he could find were country songs by new age musicians like John Denver.

Don’t get me wrong – I do understand that the principle of association can be taken to an extreme. After all, the Psalmist David wrote music and he had committed adultery; however, he repented. I am not saying we have to use music by only those who are morally blameless, because nobody is without sin. I am not even saying that we have to stay away from music that was written by composers or authors who are dead and whose author no longer has influence; however, what I am saying is why would we want to promote certain individuals who are selling out or why would we want to be guilty of making a choice with our music which could potentially serve as a path to heresy for a weaker brother? Why wouldn’t we want to find the songs with the holiest styles, the best tunes, the most Scriptural lyrics, the best authors and composers and associations, and the most spiritually effective emotions and thought to them? Why would we not want the best? Any musician worth his salt could find barrels of good music. For one, the hymn book is filled with a great number of such songs that are becoming extinct and that are no longer even remembered.

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaks.” – Hebrews 11:4

The price of a sellout never really matters in the end.

Why would we even want to use music by a sellout? That’s the better question.

It reminds me of a conversation I once saw among people debating over “levels of separation” and whether the Bible forbid this level or that level.  My question to those debating the subject was “Why would you want to even hang around those type of people even if you could prove from Scripture it was ‘okay’?”  I have no desire to hang around or support men who disobey Scripture or preach heresy or who use their influence to promote heretics or heresy.

We must encourage those who are using their talents for the Savior and we must speak out against those who are willing to lay their talents at the feet of heretics, wolves, and Rome’s bidding, because one day we will stand before the Awesome Lamb and Judge of Mankind, alongside those millions of saints who died by the hand of Rome.

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” – James 4:4

DISOBEDIENT: Ann Voskamp, Beth Moore and Sarah Young

Ann Voskamp’s “Not-So-Holy” Experience?

Disturbed by the false teaching and mushy-gushy, ‘feel good’ theology of Beth Moore, Sarah Young, and Ann Voskamp’s “Not-So-Holy Experience”?

Here’s a really great answer to their teaching without getting too deeply into the false doctrines that they are spreading such as their practice of pantheism, Catholic lectio divina, charismatic additions to Scripture and viewing our holy relationship with the  Almighty Creator in a disturbingly sexual manner (reminiscent of the charismatic rock music that came out of the Vatican II strategic councils on ecumenicism and that devoured most Christian congregations in America).

This verse says it all. After all, Scripture is to be our source of all Truth and not some ladies’ experiences.

“Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” – 1 Timothy 2:11-14

In the final analysis, what you have are disobedient ladies making lots of money at the expense of the Gospel, and the weight of their words that now fill their coffers with riches will one day be what drags them to the bottom of the eternal abyss.

In many ways, they are representative of many American Christian women whose eyes are more fastened upon a nice house or car or material good than the Truth of the Living Almighty Creator. Their husbands seek to pacify their materialistic desires rather than reproving them. And so in the end, the national and personal debt implode or the parents forsake their children to make another dollar and buy another “thing”.   At the last, the children and the generations to come suffer. Thus, we have the same scenario that Adam and Eve experienced.

Eve was deceived by Satan and wanted things.  Adam pacified her. Their children are now paying the price.

TRUTH: Love’s Guide

Paul, Jude, John, Peter, and other apostles were able to earnestly and assertively debate false teachers, because they were knowledgeable of the Scriptures and were imbued by the Holy Spirit. They were commanded by GOD to debate and expose them.

Most don’t realize that we are commanded to do the same, However, many authors and theologians today feel they would be insensitive, intolerant, or unloving if they spoke the Truth as the Apostles did.  In other words, they presume to know better than the Apostles.

Why?

Is there any inspiration, infallibility, or reliability in men’s quotes or books? Do men’s opinions really matter as they are promoted behind pulpits, mics, pens, and video cameras across this land? Aren’t all the men and women you know imperfect?

Truth gives Love direction.

“Yes”, all the people I know are imperfect and “no”, their opinions are not inspired, inerrant, or infallible. On the other hand, the Holy Bible’s words are completely inerrant, infallible, and inspired by GOD, and so it behooves us to know the Word and to allow the Spirit to lead us into all Truth rather than depending upon emotions, or the latest trends, attitudes or theological quotes for our direction. Love is not a human emotion, but it is an actual choice and quality of a person as described by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 13. Love does not determine Truth, but rather Truth determines Love. Love is not subjective and dependent upon how humans define Love, but rather Love depends solely upon Truth for its direction just as a blind person depends upon a walking cane, dog, or another person for guidance. If we rely upon our own senses or thoughts for how to Love, we will soon find ourselves to be blind leaders of the blind who all fall into the ditch together, and perhaps an Abyss, if we’re not being led by Truth.

Most pastors and people who claim to be nominally ‘Christian’ today seem incapable of knowing Truth, defending it, or exposing those who pervert it. Why? I believe they are being led by emotions, peer pressure, and traditions instead of Truth – namely, the Truth of GOD’s Word. Christ stated to those who opposed Him that it was due to their lack of two essential aspects of the Christian life that they were theologically errant: knowledge of Scripture and empowerment by the Spirit.

Did GOD command you to read your favorite minister’s or ministry’s thoughts or to read devotional stories from your favorite pastors or Christian authors?

Did He say to read the latest Christian magazines or novels or pop authors? Did He command you to be involved in ALL of the activities at your local congregation? Is that one of His imperatives?

Did He command us to be silent in the face of false teachers and apostate teaching? Or did He tell us to be endearing to false teachers or brethren?

Did He command us to mindlessly conform to others at our congregation like so many clones and to “just get along”? Or did He tell us to be conformed to the image of His Son by being transformed by His Word and Spirit?

Did He tell us to never sacrifice Truth for the sake of a false “Unity”? Did He say that we show we love Him by keeping His commandments?

Did He command pastors to give nice priestly lectures from the pulpit or did He say to proclaim the Word from the pulpit continuously, both in season and out of season?

Did the Word of the Almighty Father say to simply encourage and be kind to others or did He say to rebuke and correct error and false doctrine, and to publicly expose and mark those who are propagating such error? Is love a mushy, sentimental feeling? Or an avoidance of confrontation or conflict?

Or is it rather an obedience to Christ’s commands which include rebuking others, striving or contending with others in defense of Truth, standing against traditions of men and doing right even when nobody else does?

Speaking the Truth may offend, but Truth is part of showing Love.

“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” – Jude 1:3

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” – 1 Peter 3:15

 

“‘Hear a word of Jehovah, sons of Israel, For a strife is to Jehovah with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God, in the land,'” – Hosea 4:1

Click photo to ENLARGE it.

“Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.” – Matthew 22:29

“And I call upon you, brethren, to mark those who are causing the divisions and the stumbling-blocks, contrary to the teaching that you did learn, and turn you away from them” – Romans 16:17

Truth doesn’t walk a different path than Love, but rather is the Guide of Love.

What of those who say that you are not loving if you speak out against sin, heresy, and false teachers?

Let’s listen to the Father Himself address this question through His Words that He delivered to His Servant and Apostle John.

“And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the anti-christ. Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.” – 2 John 1:6-11

PRIEST: Which one?

What religion’s priest:

1. Is called “Father”?
2. Sprinkles the babies?
3. Uses holy water on the congregation?
4. Is celibate?
5. Reveres Sunday as a holy day?
6. Celebrates the sun’s waxing at Winter Solstice around December 25th?
7. Celebrates the Spring Equinox at Easter?

The answer is the religion of Mithraism.

WHAT RELIGION DID YOU THINK I MEANT?

How many people today are serving Satan when they think they are serving GOD?  Is the question really whether we have given our lives as a living sacrifice upon “the altar”? Or is the proper question “to which altar have we offered our lives, knowingly or unknowingly?

Mithraism was the Mystery religion of ancient Persian sun worship, a variant religion of the original Satanic Babylonian religion of Nimrod Baal worship which inspired numerous variant religions in places such as Rome, Greece, the Maya, China, India, and throughout the world. 

Read more: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/mom/mom08.htm

Sacred-texts.com has a massive collection of history and resources from almost every religion and denomination in the world. A great repository of religious references that you may wish to bookmark.

Trust the Bible alone and the Spirit’s voice, not a pastor or author or professor. Read for yourself what history tells us about the Babylonian religion of Baal worship, and look around to see how today’s “church” is nothing but an imitation of it.

Follow Jesus Christ and His Word alone, not denominations or men in pulpits, and let the Spirit teach you.

GRACE: Not a lot of syrup

“Thou art the man”

“You have abandoned the commandments of the LORD”

Is holiness a “four-letter word” among Christians today? Is that due to grace or Satanic deception?

True grace produces holy living. False grace produces fleshly living perversely defended as “true” grace.

We need to show more grace today, and grace isn’t just a syrupy, mushy ‘feel good’ word that people with no spine say just before they give their congregation a virtual group hug.

Nathan showed grace to David. He said “THOU art the man!”. Afterward, David repented and begged GOD not to remove His Holy Spirit and finished his days with honor. True grace! Nathan’s tough, direct, and bold words made a difference eternally!

Elijah showed grace to Ahab. He said “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed after Baal.” After this, Elijah was able to slay hundreds of prophets of Baal which helped to preserve the nation of Israel from destruction. True grace!

Jesus showed grace to the religious leaders of his day. He said: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves … You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?”

Because of his words, we see how angry GOD is with the religious crowd who like to justify their sins and still look spiritual to those around them, and who try to obey only what is written instead of applying what is written to ALL of their life and culture via the Spirit’s voice. It’s truly grace to have GOD show us that we need more than compliance with the written word alone, but also love for Him, so that we listen to His Spirit and apply the principle of what He has written to all of the many things in all of our lives and culture, whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do … not clinging to “liberty” but casting ourselves at His feet and giving every doubtful matter over to Him regardless of the cost. I realize this message may not be popular with many today, but these are not my original thoughts. I’m just sharing what GOD has already told us in His Word. Therefore, whether we like it or not doesn’t even matter. We’ll still be judged by His Words someday, so we may as well know what we’ll be facing at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and sooner rather than later. 

“What then? shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? let it never be!” – Romans 6:15

LORD’S DAY: What is it?

What does the Bible say regarding the “LORD’s Day”?

There’s only one reference to the “LORD’s Day” in all of Scripture and it has no reference to a particular day of the week.

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet” – Revelation 1:10

Historically, Israel always had their day of rest and assembly on Saturday. Jesus followed the same custom as seen in Luke 4. Nowhere in Scripture are we told any different.  So where did this Sunday observance originate?

Constantine began a day of rest in honor of the sun god in A.D. 321 and a few years later, the state religion of Roman Catholicism, which Costantine had founded and of which he was the leader with his title “head of the church”, followed suit in their Council of Laodicea where they adopted the practice by pretending to stand against Judaizers in condemning the Saturday Sabbath and embracing the Sunday “Lord’s Day”. Traditionally, Romans were enemies of the Jews and of the Christian believers, all of whom observed the Saturday Sabbath as the “Lord’s Day”. Roman Catholics changed the LORD’s Day and the Sabbath to Sunday as seen in the Council of Laodicea and also as seen in the following comments below from their own theologians. Scripture in the Greek text uses the word “sabbaton” or sabbath in reference to the Resurrection of Christ. Translators changed this to “first day of the week” as can be seen in the article at this link.

“It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church.” – Priest Brady, in an address, reported in the Elizabeth, NJ ‘News’ on March 18, 1903.

“Protestants … accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change… But the Protestant mind does not seem to realize that … in observing Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the Church, the pope.” – Our Sunday Visitor, February 5th, 1950.

“Of course these two old quotations are exactly correct. The Catholic Church designated Sunday as the day for corporate worship and gets full credit – or blame – for the change.” – ‘This Rock’, The Magazine of Catholic Apologetics and Evangelization, p.8, June 1997

Q. Have you any other proofs that they(Protestants) are not guided by the Scripture?
A. Yes; so many, that we cannot admit more than a mere specimen into this small work. They reject much that is clearly contained in Scripture, and profess more that is nowhere discoverable in that Divine Book.
Q. Give some examples of both?
A. They should, if the Scripture were their only rule, wash the feet of one another, according to the command of Christ, in the 13th chap. of St. John; —they should keep, not the Sunday, but the Saturday, according to the commandment, “Remember thou keep holy the SABBATH-day;” for this commandment has not, in Scripture, been changed or abrogated”
– Rev. Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism; New York in 1857, page 101 Imprimatuer

Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; —she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.” – Rev. Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism; New York in 1857, page 174

Q. In what manner can we show a Protestant, that he speaks unreasonably against fasts and abstinences?
A. Ask him why he keeps Sunday, and not Saturday, as his day of rest, since he is unwilling either to fast or to abstain. If he reply, that the Scripture orders him to keep the Sunday, but says nothing as to fasting and abstinence, tell him the Scripture speaks of Saturday or the Sabbath, but gives no command anywhere regarding Sunday or the first day of the week. If, then he neglects Saturday as a day of rest and holiness, and substitutes Sunday in its place, and this merely because such was the usage of the ancient Church, should he not, if he wishes to act consistently, observe fasting and abstinence, because the ancient Church so ordained?” – Rev. Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism; New York in 1857, page 181

Question: Which is the Sabbath day?
Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”
– Rev. Peter Geiermann C.SS.R., The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50

Q. Must not a sensible Protestant doubt seriously, when he finds that even the Bible is not followed as a rule by his co-religionists?
A. Surely, when he sees them baptize infants, abrogate the Jewish Sabbath, and observe Sunday for which [pg. 7] there is no Scriptural authority; when he finds them neglect to wash one another’s feet, which is expressly commanded, and eat blood and things strangled, which are expressly prohibited in Scripture. He must doubt, if he think at all. …
Q. Should not the Protestant doubt when he finds that he himself holds tradition as a guide?
A. Yes, if he would but reflect that he has nothing but Catholic Tradition for keeping the Sunday holy”.
Controversial Catechism by Stephen Keenan, New Edition, revised by Rev. George Cormack, published in London by Burns & Oates, Limited – New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: Benzinger Brothers, 1896, pages 6, 7.

“The Church, on the other hand, after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath, or seventh day of the week, to the first, made the Third Commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the Lord’s Day. The Council of Trent (Sess. VI, can. xix) condemns those who deny that the Ten Commandments are binding on Christians.” – The Catholic Encyclopedia, Commandments of God, Volume IV, © 1908 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat – Remy Lafort, Censor Imprimatur – +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York, page 153.

”The [Roman Catholic] Church changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by right of the divine, infallible authority given to her by her founder, Jesus Christ. The Protestant claiming the Bible to be the only guide of faith, has no warrant for observing Sunday. In this matter the Seventh-day Adventist is the only consistent Protestant.” – The Catholic Universe Bulletin, August 14, 1942, p. 4.

“All of us believe many things in regard to religion that we do not find in the Bible. For example, nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath Day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the Church outside the Bible.” – The Catholic Virginian, “To Tell You The Truth,” Vol. 22, No. 49 (Oct. 3, 1947).

“… you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify.” – The Faith of Our Fathers, by James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, 88th edition, page 89. Originally published in 1876, republished and Copyright 1980 by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., pages 72-73.

‘Deny the authority of the Church and you have no adequate or reasonable explanation or justification for the substitution of Sunday for Saturday in the Third – Protestant Fourth – Commandment of God… The Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.” – Catholic Record, September 1, 1923.

“But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn’t it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistent; but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom, even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text in the Bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away – like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair.” – The Faith of Millions

“Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the Church ever did, happened in the first century. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. “The Day of the Lord” (dies Dominica) was chosen, not from any directions noted in the Scriptures, but from the Church’s sense of its own power. The day of resurrection, the day of Pentecost, fifty days later, came on the first day of the week. So this would be the new Sabbath. People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically become 7th Day Adventists, and keep Saturday holy.” – Sentinel, Pastor’s page, Saint Catherine Catholic Church, Algonac, Michigan, May 21, 1995

“If Protestants would follow the Bible, they would worship God on the Sabbath Day. In keeping the Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic Church.” – Albert Smith, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the Cardinal, in a letter dated February 10, 1920.

“The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] Church.” – Monsignor Louis Segur, ‘Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today’, p. 213.

What Important Question Does the Papacy Ask Protestants?
Protestants have repeatedly asked the papacy, “How could you dare to change God’s law?” But the question posed to Protestants by the Catholic church is even more penetrating. Here it is officially: “”You will tell me that Saturday was the Jewish Sabbath, but that the Christian Sabbath has been changed to Sunday. Changed! but by whom? Who has authority to change an express commandment of Almighty God? When God has spoken and said, Thou shalt keep holy the seventh day, who shall dare to say, Nay, thou mayest work and do all manner of worldly business on the seventh day; but thou shalt keep holy the first day in its stead? This is a most important question, which I know not how you can answer. You are a Protestant, and you profess to go by the Bible and the Bible only; and yet in so important a matter as the observance of one day in seven as a holy day, you go against the plain letter of the Bible, and put another day in the place of that day which the Bible has commanded. The command to keep holy the seventh day is one of the ten commandments; you believe that the other nine are still binding; who gave you authority to tamper with the fourth? If you are consistent with your own principles, if you really follow the Bible and the Bible only, you ought to be able to produce some portion of the New Testament in which this fourth commandment is expressly altered.”” – Library of Christian Doctrine: Why Don’t You Keep Holy the Sabbath-Day? (London: Burns and Oates, Ltd.), pp. 3, 4.

“There is but one church on the face of the earth which has the power, or claims power, to make laws binding on the conscience, binding before God, binding under penalty of hell-fire. For instance, the institution of Sunday. What right has any other church to keep this day? You answer by virtue of the third commandment (the papacy did away with the 2nd regarding the worship of graven images, and called the 4th the 3rd), which says ‘Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.’ But Sunday is not the Sabbath. Any schoolboy knows that Sunday is the first day of the week. I have repeatedly offered one thousand dollars to anyone who will prove by the Bible alone that Sunday is the day we are bound to keep, and no one has called for the money. It was the holy Catholic Church that changed the day of rest from Saturday, the seventh day, to Sunday, the first day of the week.” – T. Enright, C.S.S.R., in a lecture delivered in 1893.

”Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act. And the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.” – C. F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons, in answer to a letter regarding the change of the Sabbath, November 11, 1895.

“Tradition, not Scripture, is the rock on which the church of Jesus Christ is built.” – Adrien Nampon, Catholic Doctrine as Defined by the Council of Trent, p. 157

“The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or interpret even divine law”. The pope can modify divine law, since his power is not of man, but of God, and he acts a vicegerent of God upon earth” – Lucius Ferraris, Prompta Bibliotheca, art. Papa, II, Vol. VI, p. 29.

“The leader of the Catholic church is defined by the faith as the Vicar of Jesus Christ (and is accepted as such by believers). The Pope is considered the man on earth who “takes the place” of the Second Person of the omnipotent God of the Trinity.” – John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, p. 3, 1994

“…pastoral intuition suggested to the Church the christianization of the notion of Sunday as “the day of the sun”, which was the Roman name for the day and which is retained in some modern languages.(29) This was in order to draw the faithful away from the seduction of cults which worshipped the sun, and to direct the celebration of the day to Christ, humanity’s true “sun”.” – John Paul II, Dies Domini, 27. The day of Christ-Light, 1998 

“The Sun was a foremost god with heathen-dom…The sun has worshippers at this hour in Persia and other lands…. There is, in truth, something royal, kingly about the sun, making it a fit emblem of Jesus, the Sun of Justice. Hence the church in these countries would seem to have said, to ‘Keep that old pagan name [Sunday]. It shall remain consecrated, sanctified.’ And thus the pagan Sunday, dedicated to Balder, became the Christian Sunday, sacred to Jesus.” – William Gildea, Doctor of Divinity, The Catholic World, March, 1894, p. 809

“The retention of the old pagan name of Dies Solis, for Sunday is, in a great measure, owing to the union of pagan and Christian sentiment with which the first day of the week was recommended by Constantine to his subjects – pagan and Christian alike – as the ‘venerable’ day of the sun.” – Arthur P. Stanley, History of the Eastern Church, p. 184

“When St. Paul repudiated the works of the law, he was not thinking of the Ten Commandments, which are as unchangeable as God Himself is, which God could not change and still remain the infinitely holy God.”  – Our Sunday Visitor, Oct. 7, I951.

“Question: How prove you that the Church hath power to command feasts and holydays?
Answer: By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves, by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same Church.” – Henry Tuberville, An Abridgment of the Christian Doctrine (1833 approbation), p.58 (Same statement in Manual of Christian Doctrine, ed. by Daniel Ferris [1916 ed.], p.67)

“Some theologians have held that God likewise directly determined the Sunday as the day of worship in the NEW LAW, that he himself has explicitly substituted sunday for the Sabbath. But this theory is entirely abandoned. It is now commonly held that God simply gave His church the power to set aside whatever day or days she would deem suitable as holy days. The church chose sunday, the first day of the week, and in the course of time added other days as holy days.” – Vincent J. Kelly, Forbidden Sunday and Feast-Day Occupations, Washington, DC, Catholic University of America Press, Studies in Sacred Theology, No. 70.,1943, p. 2.

“If we consulted the Bible only, we should still have to keep holy the Sabbath Day, that is, Saturday, with the Jews, instead of Sunday; …” – A Course in Religion for Catholic High Schools and Academies, by Rev. John Laux M.A., Benzinger Brothers, 1936 edition, Part 1.

“Sunday is a Catholic institution, and… can be defended only on Catholic principles…. From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first.” – Catholic Press, Aug. 25, 1900

“The Sabbath was Saturday, not Sunday. The Church altered the observance of the Sabbath to the observance of Sunday. Protestants must be rather puzzled by the keeping of Sunday when God distinctly said, ‘Keep holy the Sabbath Day.’ The word Sunday does not come anywhere in the Bible, so, without knowing it they are obeying the authority of the Catholic Church.” – Canon Cafferata, The Catechism Explained, p. 89.

”Reason and sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these alternatives: either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible.” – John Cardinal Gibbons, The Catholic Mirror, December 23, 1893.

 

WHAT DO THE BAPTISTS SAY?

“There was and is a command to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will however be readily said, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week, with all its duties, privileges and sanctions. Earnestly desiring information on this subject, which I have studied for many years, I ask, where can the record of such a transaction be found: Not in the New Testament – absolutely not. There is no scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the seventh to the first day of the week.” – Dr. E. T. Hiscox, author of the ‘Baptist Manual’ [Dr. Edward Thurston Hiscox (1814–1901) was a distinguished Baptist theologian and author whose Standard Manual for Baptist Churches (published in 1890) and New Directory for Baptist Churches (published in 1894) were considered two of the foundational works of the modern Baptist church].

“To me it seems unaccountable that Jesus, during three years’ discussion with His disciples, often conversing with them upon the Sabbath question, discussing it in some of its various aspects, freeing it from its false [Jewish traditional] glosses, never alluded to any transference of the day; also, that during the forty days of His resurrection life, no such thing was intimated. Nor, so far as we know, did the Spirit, which was given to bring to their remembrance all things whatsoever that He had said unto them, deal with this question. Nor yet did the inspired apostles, in preaching the gospel, founding churches, counseling and instructing those founded, discuss or approach the subject. Of course I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history as a religious day as we learn from the Christian Fathers and other sources. But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of Paganism, and christened with the name of the sun-god, then adopted and sanctified by the Papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism.” – Dr. E. T. Hiscox, report of his sermon at the Baptist Minister’s Convention, in ‘New York Examiner,’ November 16, 1893

“We believe that the law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of His moral government.” – “Baptist Church Manual,” Art. 12.

“There was never any formal or authoritative change from the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath to the Christian first-day observance.” – WILLIAM OWEN CARVER, “The Lord’s Day in Our Day,” page 49 [William Owen Carver (1868–1954) was a denominational stalwart and longtime professor of Missions and Comparative Religion at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. For more than four decades he educated the denomination’s ministers and missionaries. Carver was considered one of the brightest minds in the growing denomination, a distinction evidenced by a seminary building, denominational library, and Baptist school of social work that continue to carry his name. He was a prolific writer, managing editor of the SBC academic journal Review & Expositor, and the first president of the Southern Baptist Historical Society].

“There is nothing in Scripture that requires us to keep Sunday rather than Saturday as a holy day.” – Harold Lindsell (editor), Christianity Today, Nov. 5, 1976

Be sure to read the article at this link to learn more about Biblical Sabbaths.  Also, to learn more about the Biblical significance of the “Day of the LORD” which comes at the end of history, and possibly in the SEVENTH MILLENNIUM of history, read the article at this link.