Supernatural Clips

He wants it all today! by The Band thats lives the music! Forever Jones

2012-01-18T20:29:00.003-05:00

Band Bio

The dinner date movie that is fresh and Original

2012-01-17T18:44:00.006-05:00

This movie is a nifty idea of a movie which I wish I had thought of. It contains a fresh and an original presentation of the gospel which I have not seen elsewhere before. Jesus comes in person to a cranky housewife and asks her to go with him on a dinner date. The idea itself is concurrent with scripture because Jesus often invites people to "come and drink or dine" with him. If you are a skeptic of religions and you want a non religious, real world, approachable God who you can relate to and understand this movie is definitely for you. You can go watch it at the link bellow or buy the DVD. In any case, I think you will find its conversations and revelations delightful. Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/3s3JiLBe1xU

The Art of Donald Pass

2011-04-13T15:21:00.000-04:00

Vision of The Final harvest

2011-04-13T15:01:00.006-04:00

---------------------------------------------

Mr Pass obviously had a very real, genuine experience that illuminates the final reality of what is going to happen at the Resurrection of souls, some to everlasting life and others to damnation. His art is also quite engrossing. It's one of the best resources that I have seen on this subject.

Video

You can also see his art at, http://www.donaldpass.com/

Donald Pass draws what he saw in a vision in 1969. This is an artist's vision of 'The Resurrection harvest' and his interpretation of his vision at a cemetery which he then put on canvass. He was only partly able to capture this deeply moving experience but one can get a sense of what he saw in his art.

How To be Never Lonely "Live"

2010-07-14T21:56:00.003-04:00

The Danger of Porn part 3 of 3

2010-07-14T10:24:00.004-04:00

The danger of porn part 2 of 3

2010-07-11T01:07:00.002-04:00

The danger of porn part 1 of 3

2010-07-10T19:41:00.001-04:00

Keys to overcoming Pornography in our Home

2010-06-08T00:14:00.034-04:00

There are probably lots of sources both online and in book form, secular and Christian, that have useful information concerning sex that can be helpful to a married couple or to those who are to be married soon. The treatment bellow is not directed at such good sources but explicit hardcore pornographic sites that are sinful, addictive, and detrimental to our spiritual life.

Do we really need to establish today that Porn is a hellish sin? Isn't it obvious? Apparently not! Shouldn't a redeemed people shy away from humanity depicted at it's worst? Theoretically, they should but practically they don't. We can tell this from statistics such as that collected by the Barna group and the response given by people from different backgrounds and sections of society, to questions regarding the use of Pornography. Although well forewarned of the dangers of lust in scripture, a lot of people including Christians naively venture into these internet hell-holes called porn sites that are gateways into the sickest debauchery known to man. This is partly due to Porn being easily accessible through the net, right inside our home and only a few mouse clicks away. Those who flirt with online porn, soon enough find themselves, getting deeper and deeper to where they become addicted and find it difficult to free themselves. Once porn gets its hook in us, we become enslaved to it and find it hard to pry ourselves from it. It turns into a regular habitual ritual in which one seeks to procure excitement that they were only supposed to get from a marriage bed. How can we overcome the problem of pornography in our homes? The chapter bellow is a short account that seeks to shed God's light on this very serious matter.

Porn as Warfare

The Devil is in the conception and details

We wouldn’t do justice to the topic of pornography if we didn’t try to show that it has satanic roots. This can be a tricky task as sex was something good given to us by God for intimacy and joy in marriage. Mr. Briggs endearing article quoted here, that talks about the life of the now deceased porn actress, Linda Boreman gives us an inkling into porn's demonic roots. The article documents innuendos made by Linda that she was forced to do sex acts with animals, she was threatened and abused often and that there was frequent drug use by her and her husband/producer while working with the mob as overseer. If it proves nothing else, Linda's life shows that porn started as a mob contraband just like liquor in it's early years. What is porn but a false fantasy sold to us, that is birthed in the deep recesses of hell itself, in order to destroy us. It must be one of the adversaries’ favorite weapons to degrade people and turn them into something animalistic and something much lower than what they were created to be; in God's image. Maybe you don’t believe in the existence of a horned and hoofed fiend. We don’t either; we believe the real devil is much more sinister than Hollywood's classic portrayal of him. How does he operate? Let's take a closer look.

The Power of suggestion

Perhaps you have had an experience when all of a sudden a sick, sensual thought came into your head. You sense that it came from somewhere close, you even think it's from your own mind. You could have left it alone but you follow through with it and act on it, only to regret that you did. How many times has that happened to us and yet we fall for it again and again? That is the power Satan has still, to slip in an idea in order to tempt us, make us fall, control us and if possible even posses us. As a fallen celestial creature, yet limited by God in his activities, one of Satan’s methods of attack is the power of suggestion.

Begin to filter your thoughts and identify the foreign ones by putting them in light of the whole counsel of God.

The suggestiveness of movies

We can take this truth further by saying that there is nothing more suggestive than a moving picture. All Satan has to do is influence and possess unregenerate men motivated by greed, lust and power and use them to produce movies to disseminate his evil, sinister plan. As the god of this world, Satan has temporary access into our realm that allows him to suggest, tempt and lie in order to blind us to God’s truth. He might say things like, “Your husband doesn’t love you.” Or “You are not pretty” or “There is money in the sex industry” Attacking the mind with such suggestions may be all he has to do, to lead men with a selfish nature to do his will; our own fallen-ness and corruption will do the rest.

Therefore, it’s not that far fetched to say that he uses Pornography to tempt, entrap and enslave people into sin. How and why he does this and why he is allowed to continue (for now) is subject for a branch of theology called ‘theodicy’ ( the study about the existence of evil in the world) We won’t get into it very deeply here but we will assert simply that it is true (A study in the book of Job and the gospels illustrates the reality that the devil exists and is sometimes allowed to tempt people through sorrow, disease, lack, desire suffering and other ways)

It's a biblically well established fact that Satan's methodology is to lie and tempt people, make them fall and destroy them any which way he can. Eve and Judas are prime examples of this in scripture. We will stipulate and try to prove here that pornography is one of major ways Satan does this today. As soon as film became invented in the last century men had already started to use it for making 'naked pictures'. This continues up until today when tech savvy teens do 'sexting'. The fact that porn became a protected form of free speech where as only a few decades ago it was an outlawed contraband is a sad footnote in our history and an indication of where things are moving in our world

Prophetic insight: At a certain place, The Bible, lumps all such activity, behavior and lifestyle and calls it spiritual Sodom (To what else can Rev 11:8, Isa 1:9 refer to, except the apex of sinfulness), as an emerging element of one of the signs of the last days and very last hours, where moral and spiritual life would have deteriorated in our world, to the point of requiring God's intervention and judgment, the way it did in the time of Sodom. Just think how much sin we have become used to in our time, it's getting to the point where we are getting a taste of the pressures that Lot must have felt while living in Sodom.

Porn in a Christian marriage and churches

A cursed booty

What does a redeemed people have to do with partaking of material showing humanity behaving at it’s worst. Instead of praying for their conversion should we partake of their sin?

There may be good ways of using one’s imagination in order to make one's marriage exiting in the bedroom; but using pornography is not one of them and will have the opposite effect. Allowing Pornography in a Christian home is like sneaking in Achan’s booty (Joshua 7; 1-26) ; it can only result in judgment and destruction. The word in the camp during defeat was "There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel"
What was it about that Canaanite booty that was heinous? Naked pictures and/or Canaanite gods?

In any case, we shouldn’t expect God to bless us unless we have repented and stop permitting it's uses in our homes. Also, because the pornography pictures today tend to show extreme depravity, the same spirit can enter a once wholesome marriage and destroy it. It can create a feeling of inferiority and an unfair comparison with ‘professional‘actors and their acts who almost always have exaggerated sex drives and and/or over-enhanced physique. These will serve to create cracks in marriages that along with other factors can help destroy it. We will throw the follwing advice out of our hat for someone.

Stop watching porn; you can't use a sinful merchandise to build a holy marriage, you will only destroy it. The way you will see your spouse will start to change and you may never recover that giddy kind of love you had at the beginning.

Lessons about warfare from the old Testament.

When Balaam, a prophet for hire and Balak the wicked king of Moab conspired to destroy Israel, they found out to their dismay that ISRAEL was blessed and protected by God. It’s interesting that the next mode of attack they tried was not a military one but a spiritual one (Revelation 2:14) according to Jesus words. By making the men of Israel to fall into sin with the strange women of Moab, they were able to score a considerable victory against a previously impregnable force by making God angry at them. Even so today, Satan uses the same technique to attack and destroy the people of God. Pornography is really the same ancient technique tailored for today using current technologies. The people of God need to be aware and be forewarned and stay away from it.

Porn: A Red Line not to be crossed

Porn addiction is an example of the enemies 'trap door' bondage in which people can fall into while on an illicit search for gratification. Besides, if one is satisfied with the imaginary and the virtual why go look for the real thing?

A Scriptural Foundation

The Lord Said, "He who looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart"(Matthew 5:28) The usage of both verbs in "he who looks.. to.. lust" intensifies the act to where just looking at people and admiring their natural attributes is precluded from being sin. We look at people everyday and we say "She is beautiful" or "He is handsome". This is obviously not what should be understood to be sin.

Jesus' use of "he who looks" and "lusts" makes his statement fit aptly to the use of pornography we see in our world today. It fits so well in fact that it would seem like when he spoke it, He had anticipated a time, when men would streamline lust, first on paper and later on the new media technologies, as they have today. Being God and prophet He must have peered through time and given us a warning so we could be repentant of this scourge. What are we doing but looking and lusting when we watch Porn. Jesus statement can be reworded to apply to women also as they can also be guilty of such sins. She who looks upon a man to lust after him has committed adultery in her heart. We need to know and be convicted that watching porn is adultery of the heart and mind, a sin which should be hated and one if not repented is terminal to our spiritual life and growth. Eve, King David, Clinton, Tiger Woods, the list goes on and on of the people who "looked upon" and "Lusted" and experienced a great downfall. Each had brought terrible consequences and judgments upon themselves which also affected those around them as well. We find in Hebrews the following quote,

Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13:4

Internet Porn: The New Idolatry

It used to be people had to go to the seedy part of town wearing a trench coat with the collar up in order to hide their identity, while they browsed the sex shops and the coin operated peep shows. Today, due to the fact that porn sites are easily accessed and because they can be entered with relative anonymity, it’s easy to think we can get away with surfing porn on the net without fear of being labeled a pervert. It has also become very easy to think we can keep it a secret form everyone and believe that people are not watching. We can also convince ourselves that it won’t harm us or those around us, but this is a serious deception. We might think that no one is watching(Someone probably is; almost all our activities online are logged somewhere!) God is however watching and grieves and the people around us are very much affected by us watching porn. We might ask how or why is this true? It's true, because of the spiritual lukewarm-ness [6] that ensues from sin. While we are supposed to be burning filaments and be a light to those around us [7] we will have our spiritual light extinguished due to this idolatrous sin of worshiping in front of gross lewd images coming through our computer’s screen. Men who are the designated leaders and priests of the home will have become prisoners who are ineffective in discharging their holy duties to lead and minister to their families.

Lies and Excuses

“You will not surely die”

Those of us who succumb to wondering into online porn sites, tell ourselves the same lies Satan told Eve “you shall not surely die, but your eyes will be open to be able to see good and evil” Porn is most certainly the forbidden fruit of our generation that we ought to stay away from. Some of the lies we tell ourselves to ease our conscience when we open up this literal and figurative window (on our PC screen) to watch porn are the following.

Common lies we tell ourselves:- 0. I am lonely, god will understand 1. It won’t affect me or harm me. 2. I can stop any time I want. 3. To watch Porn is not a sin it's those who produce it that are sinning. 4. I am doing research to study the subject. (please! C'mon! ) 5. It will bring excitement to our marriage. 6. It will help me to learn techniques to spice up my marriage. 7. God must have allowed it to exist for a reason(C'mon!). Also refer *.

It’s dangerous

keep your mind out of the gutter

The dangers and pitfalls of being involved with porn are many. There is plenty of research from unbiased scientists about the adverse effects of porn on people, like for example the onset of depression on some. We will only state a few here from common observation.

Let’s begin with what it does to us individually. First, Porn introduces us to perversions and debauchery of the worst kind and stains our mind and stays in our memory’s registry for a long time. Therefore, we can say that every time we read or watch Pornography we are being permanently marked with sick, lewd images of debauchery and the words or images will stay in our memory bank for quite some time affecting us in our daily lives. Our self esteem can also be hurt by the use of porn which is no doubt habit forming. Secondly, we can be led to try to act out what we see in porn, in real life. Most rapes for example, have porn as some sort of ingredient before they occur. Thirdly, it demeans and degrades our perceptions of people around us, making us to see them as objects for sex and lust. It utterly corrupts us and can turn even the most innocent from among us into a pervert. No generation had to deal with what we have seen happen with the proliferation of porn happening in the world today. It has spilled over into the main stream affecting everyone and sparing no one including our very young, who are getting exposed to it at a much earlier age than ever before. Lastly, as the sin that it is, porn will drain us of a healthy thriving spiritual life. If we don’t repent from it our prayer life will dry up, lacking fellowship, intimacy and life from God.

Also being that we have brought in a detestable idol in our midst, it will stand as a wedge between us and our God hindering our intimacy and prayer. We need to get rid of it, if it's present in our home.

Besides us, porn can hurt others around us and near us. It can hurt marriages by introducing sex acts that may be unhealthy, violent, perverse or unnatural. Couples who partake of porn get cheated out of real love and intimacy, instead to emulate strange sex acts from the satanically inspired world of porn. When we surf porn we risk exposing someone young or impressionable which is a heinous sin according to Jesus. (Mark 9:42).

Many serial rapists and murderers trace the inception of their crime spree to porn. The convicted and executed serial killer Ted Bundy for example said in his last interview that soft porn was the gateway drug into his crime spree. If we don’t stop feeding our minds with Porno, we will be in serious jeopardy of coming into a bondage that can destabilize our spiritual life, our walk with God and how we see and relate to people around us. We might succumb to seeking to live out the fantasies from porn in real life situations; we will start to see people around us with a sexually evil eye. We might think that won’t ever happen to us but all it takes is the slight impairment that comes from use of drugs or alcohol to put us over the edge and do something we thought we would never do. We would then have graduated from the world of fantasy into reality and actual commission; from the sin of the mind and heart to the sin of the flesh.

I am addicted to Porn? What should I do?

1. "Look to those things that are above"

We in fact become complicit in the sin of others when we purchase or even simply consume porn. “Shall I then take away the members of Christ, and make them members of a harlot .. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit”(I Corinthians 6:17)
Therefore, Stop! Granted we will sometimes need to inquire good information about making love and the anatomical and physiological functions of our bodies, we should be careful about where we go to get information and advice. We are deceiving ourselves if we tell ourselves that we are visiting Hard Core pornographic sites or magazines to get good information on how to make love with our spouse. There are many good secular and christian sources both off and online geared towards helping a married couple. It’s better to remain naive and discover the joys of sex by experimenting with our spouses than rely on something evil and sinful like hardcore pornography and drink it's venom. The Bible teaches that we remain innocent concerning things that are evil (Romans 16:19, Revelations 2:24). Porn is definitely one area where curiosity killed the cat.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory (Colosians 3:1-4)

However, If you have somehow opened the door to internet pornography and have become addicted and want to be free, you can do so by simply repenting, asking for forgiveness and committing to use the net only for its better purposes. Install software filters to protect you family and have an accountability pact with your spouse where you both promise to be transparent, pray for one another and assure each other of your love. There are many anti-virus software like Zone-alarm's security suite, which include a parental control feature that locks out pornographic and Hack websites, that can be downloaded and installed for less than $50. This can help assure that children surf the net safely when parents are not present to monitor what they are doing. The Bible teaches that we set our imagination on things above, not beneath and have a though life focused on things, good pure, productive and clean.
.

2. A Good counsel “Flee fornication” and “be ye separate”

God’s Word concerning any form of sexual Immorality is always to run from it and stay away from it. It’s as simple as that. Because we are inundated with sexually provocative material in magazines, billboards and commercials, we have to be creative in how we practice these two simple pieces of advice from God’s word.

The word “Parabis” in Greek meaning a 'trespass-sin' in the New Testament and is used to mean trespassing a clearly stated commandment (Romans 4:15, 5:14; Galatians 3:19). Likewise we need to be convicted that going to a porn site is a ‘Parabis’, a spiritual trespass of God’s word that repeatedly says “do not enter, the sin of lust kills.”(Leviticus 18:29). As it turns out the internet has evolved to have some more safe guards in-bedded due to the outcry that followed its heyday when it was flooded with free flowing porn access. It's still not that hard to find and watch pornography online. However, because of the new federal rules put into law to protect minors, porn sites have to ask users to verify their age before allowing anyone to enter their website.

Next time you stumble upon this first page, consider it a warning not to go inside. If you do, you are committing a ‘Parabis’, a trespass into somewhere where the Lord does not want you to go. If you find that you habitually do this please take this time to ask God for forgiveness and take steps to eliminate the use of pornography in your life. God's grace and mercy always has a ready smile for a repentant sinner.

References for Further Study

[1] Matthew 5:28

[1] I wish you were hot or cold

[1] Timothy save yourself and those around you

[1] Mark 9: 42

[1] I Corinthians 6: 15, 17)

[1] The Act of Marriage: Tim and Beverly Lahaye

[h] I Corinthians 6: 18

[i] II Corinthians 6:17;l

[1] Romans 4:15, 5:14; Galatians 3:19

[1] Proverbs “a young man who goes to the door of an adulterous woman”

[r] Jesus said, "He who makes one of these little ones to stumble it would be better for him if he had a milestone around his neck and thrown into the sea"

[1] Joe Bob Briggs, Linda’s Life: A sad story, and its impact on us all. http://old.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-briggs042502.asp

[2] Job, Eve and Jesus were all tempted and propositioned different things

[3] [3] Joe Bob Briggs, Linda’s Life: A sad story, and its impact on us all.

[4] Achan whose family was stoned under Joshua’s leadership(Joshua)

[5] Matthew 5:28

[6] lukewarm

[7]Porn as a weapon of Spiritual Warfare

Seeing People Through Christ and allowing Him to grow them

2010-06-04T11:12:00.014-04:00

Excerpt from chapter: searching for the one
Never Lonely by Heli Tad

Seeing and growing people through Him

Probably the most important principle that needs mention here is that we need to look at people as a work being completed. “He that has began a good work in you will perform it until..” the end(Phil. 1:6). This means that the people we are looking at (ourselves included) will be missing something and may not have all the ingredients we would have liked to have in our prospective mates, spouses or neighbors. However, the fact that Christ is in them gives us hope and assurance that they are being progressively beautified by the greatest sculptor in the universe who will improve and perfect them through time. We just need to make sure that they are in Christ. We need not reject people easily or only want people who are perfect. We also shouldn’t be too quick to judge people but should rather give them a break when they make mistakes the way The lord does with us. We should quickly dethrone ourselves from the position of being their judge to which we were never elected and install ourselves as a disciple-disciple-er, to humbly and kindly teach them what we have learned and show them things that elude them. The simple truth is that after the fall, we are all in various degrees of nakedness, for which Christ has come in order to cloth us with his own righteousness(Galatians 3:27) . When we understand this, we won’t look down upon anyone, but we will allow The Holy Spirit to use us towards the end of helping them put on Christ’s righteousness and to grow into His likeness(Ephesians 4:14-16, I John 3:2) .

Seeing "Two and a half men" through a morality prism, or Dear Charlie

2010-05-31T10:46:00.055-04:00

“Two and a half men” starring Charlie Sheen, sticks to a recipe that flaunts a hedonistic portrayal of relationships in order to get laughter. Instead of boycotting the show for its 'in your face' hedonism we somehow forgive Charlie and laugh away at the jokes. Why? Well there is(was) a little cute boy in the show(who has since grown up) and Charlie's philandering are a result of him being raised by a doosie of a narcissistic mother. Also, the comedy and sarcasm is so good that we hardly notice the serious moral glitches paraded throughout the show. The show is smartly couched against an outcry with many shades of Grey that makes it blend into a strange normalcy we have become used to in the current cultural atmosphere. It's only when put against a white background(scripture) that its moral fuzz begins to differentiate and become visible. In it's bare form it insidiously challenges the very fabric of society by shall we say, "daring the male ego to seek to go to heights of debauchery".

It's true, the character Charlie has some identifiable likability; he has bouts with his conscience and he is certainly way cooler than his eccentric brother played by Jon Cryer (who Charlie generously allows to live with him along with his son). Just don't bring your fiancee within 50 yards of him or your wife for that matter. Yes, Charlie also commits adultery and once had gotten a black eye to prove it. He also usually drowns out his downturn in mood by drinking profusely and needs to see his therapist quite often. Can't even Charlie see that he must stop somewhere?

Getting away with murder

"That Charlie, 'har har', I tell you, is a smooth criminal." And so the mockery continues with Charlie laughing it up all the way to a ratings heaven and to a syndication blitz of a show about gross immorality. To be fair, Charlie Sheen is just an actor in the show who is only lending his 'academy award' caliber acting ability to such an inspiring production(sarcastically speaking). Assigning blame may not be easy in these situations. Is it the writers, the producers or the audience who is at fault? It suffices to say something is wrong and we are still waiting for the moral of this show to emerge. Is it that a life of philandering makes you hate yourself or that you should never grow up to stop chasing women? We give up; trying to find a moral in this show is like trying to eat spaghetti with a spoon. I don't think they are even trying Vern; are they?
It would seem as if every excuse possible is being created to corroborate the premise that Charlie's hedonism is cool or justified.

Analyzing Charlie

A conservatively minded, family oriented audience might find itself getting drawn in for a little while and might even occasionally sympathize with Charlie's pathos, only to end up being let down and infuriated as it watches the story lines descend extreme south very fast. Therefore the show should be visited and convicted with the old and yet still valid charge of being a corrupter of morals and promulgator of indecency. And yet, if there wasn't too much crude suggestive language and behavior and blatant debauchery put on a lot of the(ratings week?)episodes, we would have liked to give the writers more credit to having documented the classic American neurosis of wanting too much more than what this life can give, or what can be described in a simple term as selfishness. "How much is enough?"; "Remember that line from 'Wall Street', Charlie?" Which leads to the crux and apex of man's spiritual quest that says, "Where is satisfaction to be gotten for the human heart?" We will volunteer a clue to the answer; It's to be found at Jacob's well (read John Chapter 4).

Can Charlie be redeemed? Yes, we hope

It's obvious Charlie is stuck in a loop, why don't the producers seek a new direction for the show by finally giving Charlie a solid moral dimension instead of the fake 'eyes raised to heaven' prayers we see him do in a mockery of true spirituality. Maybe this time around, a 'new' Charlie can be written as an upstanding guy trying to stay on the straight and narrow, vending of the temptations that come at him and guarding himself from a relapse into 'old Charlie'(That would be a wonderful exploration if anyone is listening). Some of the other characters could also be written to having their own epiphanies. Charlie has grown and is currently in a monogamous relationship but keeps having double and triple visions which is an improvement still over his heyday when he used to bring home a new girl or prostitute every night. However, he keeps coming short of the promised land called fidelity even with the best of candidates. His fear of commitment we are told is due to him having mother issues having to do with, what else, but one of the religions of modernity, Freudian principles.

One can always dream

Maybe someone will write in an ending where Charlie has a conversion experience, even if only in an alternate universe, but we are only dreaming (sure, anything but that, as it would effectively kill Charlie the depressed "horn-dog" the bread winner of this show). And anyways, a show called Fringe running on another network is using that angle; we might have to tune in there next week instead.

Our 'beef' with the show

Someone will say, "There are fine, subtle points to these shows we need to appreciate, along with the biting sarcasm and a well written and acted comedy." To which we will reply, "Subtle points, really?! which ones?" Sure, it's superbly written and acted with a type of comedy that makes a farce of those things we all should hold sacred. Whatever other subtleties there might be are drowned out completely or forgotten while we unwillingly laugh at the sheer suggestiveness of the lines spoken in the show. Someone else might even suggest that these shows are the last bastions of a straight entertainment, as if God were to carry a bigger stick for one sin over against another. The truth is, a bold sin encourages other even bolder types of sin. Can someone please establish boundaries for sexual conduct for Charlie and the other characters in this show? If doing so makes it boring then we will at least have laughed without guilt being mixed in. Yet someone else will say, if you don't like it just don't watch it. We say, "Amen!, perhaps we won't"

The sign of the times: Repent

Once we have lit the barn on fire, there is no point in trying to save the hay. That's what sin does to our communities; it spreads like fire and ultimately it destroys lives; so we don't compromise with it, we put it out, by repenting(meta-noeo: greek for turning or changing of our mind) and turning our backs on it once and for all and embracing Christ's wonderful offer of his own pure and righteous life instead. Unlike when our buddies tell us to quit something, the power of the word "repentance" has great authority because it's heaven's council to someone living a wayward lifestyle. It's a council which we pray Charlie would also heed as God would accept and love and change him also.

Comedy and redemption

If you were to ask what hat the devil was wearing these days, comedy has to be one of his favorite five. What we as a people find funny can serve as gauge as to where we are in the history of western culture, where once upon a time Christianity held sway. Today, both seemingly and apparently, people want their fill of selfish indulgence as a right of passage before having to commit to any relationships. Comedy more than any other single art form encourages that. The way back from our dark digressions can be as simple as a genuine turning of our hearts to God who loves sinners. Charlie, we hope you will one day find redemption also.

The Waiting - Speak

2010-05-26T01:31:00.000-04:00

Sitcom Morality & TV's salvation

2010-05-23T23:47:00.047-04:00

The Value system inside The American Sitcoms
“the seat of the mockers”; “What can the just do?”

Television is often a loner’s staple diet and everyone else's junk food. The sweet covered poison capsules, that come to us through TV sitcoms can be awful tempting to emulate and become the playbook of life for a lot of singles. This is especially true where there is an an alarming absence of alternative programs that have a true godly, biblical vision that are able to compete in this genre(Except perhaps for Mr. Tyler Perry, Thank you!). Sure, some of these programs are hilarious and make us laugh and they may even have some useful, helpful qualities but they chip away at divine, eternal foundational principles that have to do with how we ought to live and which ought to be revered by everyone. Instead, mockery is made out of love, marriage, Christianity, The Commandments and even God himself; so woe is us.

In spite of the fact that sitcoms based on a married couple like 'Raymond' have proven that 'the funnies' don't have to come at the expense of morality and that audiences love them, the current slew of sitcoms and dramas, like for example, “Two and a half men” starring Charlie Sheen, stick to a recipe that flaunts a hedonistic portrayal of relationships in order to get laughter. Instead of boycotting the show for its 'in your face' hedonism we somehow forgive Charlie and laugh away at the jokes. Why? Well there is(was) a little cute boy in the show(who has since grown up) and Charlie's philandering are a result of him being raised by a doosie of a narcissistic mother. Also, the comedy and sarcasm is so funny we will hardly notice the serious moral glitches paraded in the show. It's true, Charlie has some identifaible likeability; he has bouts with his conscience and he is certainly way cooler than his eccentric brother played by Jon Cryer. Just don't bring your fiancee within 50 yards of him or your wife for that matter. Yes, Charlie also commits adultery and once had a black eye to prove it. He also usually drowns out his downturn in mood by drinking profusely and needs to see his therapist once in a while.

"That Charlie, 'har har', I tell you, is a smooth criminal." The mockery continues with Charlie laughing it up all the way to a ratings heaven and to a syndication blitz of an immoral/amoral show. To be fair, Charlie Sheen is just an actor in the show who is only lending his 'academy award' caliber acting ability to such an inspiring(not) production, so assigning blame may not be easy in these situations. Is it the writers or the producers or the audience who is at fault? It suffices to say something is wrong and we are still waiting for the moral of this show. Is it that a life of Philandering makes you hate yourself or that you should never grow up to stop chasing the ladies? Maybe someone will write in an ending where Charlie has a conversion experience, even if only in an alternate universe, but we are only dreaming (they would do anything but that as it would effectively kill Charlie the 'horn-dog' as he is often called). And anyways, such a show like that called Fringe is already running on another network; we will probably tune in there next week.

Someone will say, "There are fine, subtle points to these shows we need to appreciate, along with the biting sarcasm and a well written and acted comedy." To which we will reply, "Subtle points, really?! which ones?" Sure, it's superbly written and acted with a type of comedy that makes a farce of those things we all should hold sacred. Whatever other subtleties there might be are drowned out completly or forgotten while we unwillingly laugh at the sheer suggestivness of the lines spoken in the show. Someone else might even suggest that these shows are the last bastions of a straight entertainment, as if God were to carry a bigger stick for one sin over against another. Yet someone else will say, if you don't like it don't watch it. To which we reply, "If It's not good for a 12 year old you shouldn't sell it either, because that's who will/might end up watching it"

Once we have lit the barn on fire, there is no point in trying to save the hay. That's what sin does to our communities; it spreads like fire and ultimately it destroys lives; so we don't compromise with it, we put it out, by repenting(meta-noeo: greek for turning or changing of our mind) and turning our backs on it once and for all and embracing Christ's wonderful offer of his own pure and righteous life instead. Unlike when our buddies tell us to quit something, the power of the word "repentance" has great authority because it's heaven's council to someone living a wayward lifestyle.

If you were to ask what hat the devil was wearing these days, comedy has to be one of his favorite five. What we as a people find funny can serve as gauge as to where we are in the history of western culture, where once upon a time Christianity held sway. Today, both seemingly and apparently, people want their fill of selfish indulgence as a right of passage before having to commit to any relationships. They form convenient short term agreements for mutual gratification that are supposed to be ‘freeing’ such as the one made between Elaine and Seinfeld. In a particular episode Elaine and Seinfeld make a pact to sleep together without having to do the 'cumbersome' things that come with a real relationship. To be fair to the said characters, they only articulated the selfishness and sin smoldering beneath the veneer of a 'respectable' modern society. Of course, as even the characters eventually found out, it turns out that it’s not really freeing at all but rather a deceptive lie that traps people in a cycle of sinful liaisons, one regrettable affair after another. Sure, Joey and the other characters from the show 'Friends' might be nice but do they have to go to bed with a different person on every other episode? If we all lived selfish lives like that where would be fidelity, honor and a family with loving parents or children? Yet,the mockery continues and it keeps getting worse. What can then the righteous do?

It would seem that such selfish lifestyles are being embraced except for among a few pockets of resistance such as among Mennonites or the Hamish or those evangelical churches that have retained a traditional culture rooted in the faith and religion. If the old prophet Isaiah were alive he would have cried on the streets of New York, London or many of the world's cities that are heavens for a lifestyle of fornication "If God had not left us a remnant we would be like Sodom and even as Gomorrah" (Isaiah 1:9).

Live by TV Die on TV

Without any risk of sounding like an alarmist, we plainly observe the following. We see the fire burning all around us, families are going under, marriages are failing and children are without their mothers and fathers*. Due to the moral relativism that we live in today, we are left to fight our moral failures by confronting our insurrections on public television shows like Maury, Cheaters or The Steven Wilcox shows, way after they have become full blown and when only little or nothing can be done to save them. These venues have little power to effect change or bring about a solution as no one is able to invoke the divine moral code, The Ten Commandments or it's giver. How can someone be told that they have sinned when there are no clear defined laws that tell them what sin is? If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? A nation that could have been a light to the world, its shining example of justice, truth and morality has now parts that have become the moral scourge of the world, it's Babylon. It would wonderful if we had shows in TV land that are on par with regard to artistic creative aspects without compromise on good morals and righteous principles. It may be too late for that. Maybe it's time to jump ship before it sinks.

Excerpts: New Chapter: Communication

2010-05-23T19:28:00.008-04:00

We will include here a small discussion of interpersonal communication as it relates to the search for love. The following questions are examples of how communication plays a role in our search for a suitable companion. How are the signals we are giving and receiving being interpreted or deciphered? How can we hone and develop our communication skills so people understand exactly what we want to convey? Can we tell if he or she interested? Does she or he like me? Is their body language a predictor of whether they will say ”Yes”, ”No” or the dreaded ”Let’s just be friends”? Are they getting what we mean? Do we need to make ourselves clearer or are we perhaps pitching too hard? Do we need to take a hint that we might not be someone’s cup of tea? All of these questions have to do with our abilities to read and understand the signals we are giving and receiving from people.

One of the things we will need to have while looking and interacting with prospective friends is good communication skills. A great communicator is someone who is also a great listener. They can put themselves in other people’s shoes and understand where they are coming from while at the same time being able to convey their own thoughts well.

Communication with people whose background is from ‘reserved’ cultures tends to be slow paced while it tends to move fast in open cultures like in the United States. People from cultures where the parents are the ones who go in search of an appropriate mate for their children might tend to be reserved, quite or even withdrawn. The western cultures are quite the opposite in this regard and people learn how to communicate very well early on in their development. It's helpful to be aware of this when we interact with people from various backgrounds.

A Timely honest direct approach
“Let your Yes be Yes and you No be no”

Communication Rule # 1: Don’t keep them hanging

Sometimes we know if we are interested in someone who is propositioning us but they might be oblivious to our own feelings. It therefore becomes a matter of conscience and good form to let them know if we are interested or not. Fear or shyness may not be a good quality when it comes to love and relationships as it can stall us for too long in an unresolved state.

Rule # 2 Be direct

If we are interested in someone we should talk to them with a reasonable amount of directness. One of the best ways to express our interest is to tell them what we are thinking through a well prepared letter. This might be better than bringing it up during a conversation, over coffee or over the phone, because it will allow us to think through what we want to say and correct any mistakes before we say it. However strong we might feel, it’s better to keep our pitch light and not be too heavy handed. If they don't reciprocate our feeling, it will give everyone an easy way out.

Caution: Misunderstood

Because The Lamb is who we emulate and kindness has become our nature people often misjudge our gestures for romantic interest both in and outside of the church. Therefore we have to be careful how we project ourselves not to give people the wrong ideas. Signals meant to convey ‘Phileo’ love are often misunderstood as Eros love so we need to be careful not to lead people on. At the same time we need to put out signals that that are clear enough for conveying the feeling or emotion we want to transmit to perspective friends. Nuff said. (That's all we will say her and now).

Excerpt: Holy Spirit guidance improved

2010-05-13T11:09:00.006-04:00

Heeding our Sweet Holy Spirit
"it seemed good To the Holy Ghost and to us"

"He will lead you into all truth"

"Does The Holy Spirit take the role of being a match maker or does he leave things for men and women to decide for themselves? We believe the answer is 50/50. We see Him lead people in The Bible and in church history in various ways and in diverse situations. In at least on one instance, we see God telling a prophet(like Hosea) who exactly to marry in arguably one of the greatest love story books of the Old Testament. He is no doubt present to help us make good choices but may not override our will in this area. However, we would be foolish not to seek his voice and leading in this area or to ignore it after it's given. He might lead us to be cautious about a friendship we have started or tell us to hold off and wait or maybe even abort one altogether. Some might feel the need for a special time to pray and seek God in-order to get clarity.

11 "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish ; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 "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: 12-13

God has promised not to give us a serpent when we ask for an egg and we will stipulate here that this applies to many aspects of the Christian life including our search for a partner. The Holy Spirit more than anyone else would know who would suit us and whether two people can together have an enduring fruitful life that brings glory to God! If we find that we have a certain physical, emotional and intellectual compatibility with someone who is a Christian and that there is mutual interest, we should then run it by The Lord during prayer time to see how He would lead us, all the while studying the situation on the ground. This will give us a balanced approach that takes into consideration both spiritual and natural factors.

Seeking Holy Ghost Guidance
"He will lead you into all truth"

The Peace of God

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. NIV James 3:17-18

In the above quote, The apostle is talking about differentiating wisdom that is from above from that which comes from man. Notice how peace is repeated throughout heavenly wisdom while it's missing from the earthly kind (verses 14-16)

One of the ways The Lord leads us or confirms something to us is by granting us His peace in a situation. The absence of such peace should be a warning to us that ''kingdoms might be in conflict'' and we may be treading in risky waters. We are not here talking about minor disagreements which are quite common to all relationships but about a deeper spiritual chasm that may exist between us and a perspective mate. If we sense peace from God we should be able to move forward and continue to interact with our intended, always doing things prayerfully.

Hearing From God

Knowing God's perfect will for our life requires that a certain level of spiritual maturity be present where we are exercised to know God's voice and leading for our lives. This usually means having proficiency in understanding the scriptures and a prayer life that loves to have a daily intimacy with God. If we are not sure ourselves, it's always good to enlist others to pray with us and for us asking for God's guidance. The people we enlist should be spiritual, mature and trustworthy Christians. We might also want to invest time to learn about how to know God's will and how to hear his voice for ourselves, as this will beneficial to us in every area of our life, not just courtship. Hearing God's still small voice usually means that we need to find times during the day for quite prayer, shut away from all the noise and clamor of the world.

The Scriptures: The Language of Heaven

The Word of God in The Bible is totally inspired and it is God-speak for mankind. The word of God is the wisdom of God. Studying God's Word regularly and systematically becomes paramount because it's also The Holy Spirit's language through which He mainly addresses us. If we don't learn this language whatever we hear will be confusing to us. Practicing these precepts we have studied daily in our life makes them to be second nature to us and will immediately affect our decision process and every area of our lives. Even if dreams and visions are supplementary and exciting ways through which The Lord opens up our understanding, they work in conjunction with and on the foundation laid by the scriptures. Daniel was reading The Word of God given to Jeremiah when he received his spectacular visions about the end (Daniel 9:2).

The Word always precedes anything else The Lord might speak to us or do in our lives and we should be invested in studying it. God has once and for all time, singularly and perfectly represented Himself in the scriptures and will not contradict them nor himself change. The More of the Bible we have read and understood the clearer we are going to be able to hear God and the more God can speak to us in supplementary ways without us falling into error or deception. Therefore let us not be Bible illiterate but let's learn heaven's common language with man, the scriptures, thoroughly. The treasury of wisdom we acquire even on one reading of The Bible can be tremendous and will grow incrementally as we commit to study it more.

*************************************************

Like what you just read? Why not get a copy of the whole book?

Are you single and lonely? This book will help prepare you for the rough and tumble world of dating and relationships. It's choke full of great wisdom and insights from scripture. You can read the whole book or listen to the Cd at one or two sittings and come away with very helpful, poweful nuggets to help you in your christian walk. While reading these inspirational book you will realize that you need never be lonely or feel lonely. We pray that the same anointing that helped us to write it will touch your life in a special way also.

This poweful Book is full of scriptures and insights that can and will be helpful to you, a friend or a loved one.

Subjects addressed include RELATIONSHIPS, Loneliness, LOVE, SEX, SINGLENESS, MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, spirituality, intimacy, Lonliness, ASB etc,

A sweeping look at the issue of marriage, singleness, lonliness and the Bible's council on such issues

50 PAGES,

BOOKLET FORMAT AND CD

Dissonanace: It's a rough world

2010-05-12T19:27:00.055-04:00

The New world ethic and the reluctance to marry.

The modern sexual ethic does not bother with or require a marriage covenant before engaging in sex. This ethics is formulated by fallen men observing a fallen world and applying, a faulty fallen reasoning. If you go by trend setter TV shows like ‘Friends’ or ‘Seinfeld’ or other relationship dramas, it would seem like people want to experiment and exhaust all their options and tumble in bed with a bunch of people before they marry. Self is God and and it's pleasure is put above everything else, almost as if every last bit of juice has to be sucked out of the sensual entrée before finally giving into the married life. What's left for the eventual fortunate person to be the spouse? We wonder.

Thus in considerable sections of the post modern world, the traditional marriage has become a relic of a distant past that has been supplanted by something that only vaguely resembles it. The new mantra seems to say, "Be happy until you can't anymore any which way you like and later on if you feel like it you can always get married." We only wish we were making this up but that is the prevailing attitude in a lot of places.

The Value system inside The American Sitcoms

The sweet covered poison capsules, that come to us through TV sitcoms and dramas have become the playbook of life for a lot of singles. Sure, some of these programs are hilarious and they may even have some redeeming qualities but they chip away at the foundational principles that ought to be revered by everyone. The enduring success of sitcoms based on a married couple like 'Raymond' prove that 'the funnies' don't have to come at the expense of morality. However, the current slew of sitcoms and dramas, like for example, Charlie Sheen’s “Two and a half men” go even further in flaunting a hedonistic portrayal of relationships. What we as a people find funny can serve as rough barometer as to where we are in the history of western culture, where for a long while Christianity had held sway. Now, seemingly and apparently, people want their fill of selfish indulgence as a right of passage before having to commit to any relationships. They form convenient short term agreements for mutual gratification that are supposed to be ‘freeing’ such as the one made between Elaine and Seinfeld in one of the earlier episodes where they make a pact to sleep together without having to do the 'cumbersome' things that come with a real relationship. To be fair to the said characters, they only articulated the selfishness and sin smoldering beneath the veneer of a 'respectable' modern society. Of course, as even the characters eventually found out, it turns our that it’s not really freeing at all but rather a deceptive lie that traps people in a cycle of sinful liaisons, one regrettable affair after another. Sure, Joey from friends might be a nice guy but does he have to bag a new lady every other episode? Perhaps the character was being portrayed as having to compensate for other problems. In any case, if we all lived selfish lives like that where would be fidelity, honor and a family with loving parents or children?

Yet, it would seem that such selfish lifestyles are being embraced except for among certain pockets of resistance such as among Mennonites or the Hamish or those evangelical churches that have retained a traditional culture rooted in the faith and religion. If the old prophet Isaiah were alive he would have cried on the streets of New York, London or many of the world's cities that are heavens for a lifestyle of fornication "If God had not left us a remnant we would be like Sodom and even as Gomorrah" (Isa 1:9).

Without any risk of sounding like an alarmist, we can plainly observe the following. We see the fire burning all around us, families are going under, marriages are failing and children are without their mothers and fathers*. Due to the moral relativism that we live in today, we are left to fight our moral failures by confronting insurrections on public television shows like Maury, Cheaters or The Steven Wilcox shows, way after they have become full blown and when only little or nothing can be to save them. These venues have little power to effect change or bring about a solution as no one is able to invoke the divine moral code, The Ten Commandments. How can someone be told that they have sinned when there are no clear defined laws that tell them what sin is? If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

It need not be doom and gloom on our side of the fence if we build our homes on a sure foundation and learn to protect and secure what’s ours before we go out to save the rest of the world. This can be done by filtering our culture’s sewage and outlawing and divesting from its forbidden fruits. The Church needs to stand on the scriptures where our immutable God has always been never to budge from His own eternal Word. We need to put the trumpet to our lips and sound the alarm.

Our dangling economy and our dwindling livelihoods are never the main issue; they are a justly deserved judgment on our hedonistic and irreverent lifestyles. The thieves have come in and stolen our whole moral foundation from underneath our feet and we need to get it back. We need to have a spiritual and a scriptural revival accompanied by genuine repentance The main question of life has always been "Now that you know and have heard, what will you do with this Jesus? Will you crucify Him or make Him The lord of your life?"

God’s patience and mercy

“The one with you now is not your husband”(John 4:18)

What would Jesus say? Even though we know Jesus is capable of anger, Jesus' exchange with the Samaritan woman, who was living with a man out of wedlock, was not angry at all. Instead He invites the lady to a drink from the waters of life, but He still calls her (foul?) on the issue. This is yet another illustration of God’s capacity for love, mercy and grace toward us humans. In other words, He lets us know that He doesn’t like what’s going on but gives us time to get it right. We need to repent and make those things that offend (Him) right while The Lord is still disposed to be patient toward us.

It’s apparent from Jesus’ life and words that Our Lord is more tolerant of sexual sin than he is of religious hypocrisy and wicked unbelief in the presence of a clear testimony. This should give hope to all those who are bound to such besting sins that they can be extricated from them through God’s compassionate mercy, patient grace and cleansing power.

Dissent leading to apostasy

There is now a language form on which this dissonant lifestyle moves and evolves. Terms like “no strings” that define behavior have been invented and are becoming common place. The collective language of the people is the software on which it runs its social interactions and be it in a microcosm or in larger sections of society. The fact that language has been invented to describe sexually free lifestyles shows how prevalent it has become and how it’s growing. The dissonance from the ‘old rule laid by the fathers’ is now apparent, a different ethic is being promulgated and social norms are changing where the old understanding of marriage is ever always put on the defensive and new types of marriages are being discussed.

Marriage also has a bad reputation for trapping its adherent’s into an unhappy place for long periods of time. Even if this is at times true, it doesn’t justify the alternative of sinfulness. Acoording to Tv Land, Wives are desperate and need to go outside their home and partner to experience relief. Women do sexual exploits and gather to swap stories about them cajoling and urging each other to go on and live 'free'. One can only guess as to how far ahead or behind the reality is in our communities, from such depictions(and whether these shows are purposed to create their own realities).

If the collective conscience is self correcting it’s either slow in doing so or is losing the battle for a return to moral purity. Large sections of the ‘structural’ church have had terrible scandals and the living church has lost her saltiness to be a moral deterrent. It’s no wonder people are reluctant to marry inside and outside the church.

In the beginning was The Word and The Word was God.
All things were made through him... The Word became flesh
He said… “he who eats my flesh has eternal life...
the flesh profits nothing, the Words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life (John 1:1,3,14; 6:54, 63)

In contrast to the renegade and sinful lifestyles that don't work, imagine a software to life exists on which we are to run our lives in order to be whole. It has no bugs or glitches. That software is The Word and Jesus is that word. He is much more than just ‘software’; He is the nourishment of life itself. In one of his riddle laden discourses Jesus invites us to eat "himself"!? (which He explained to be His Word) so we can have life. This Word not only explains the world we live in but tells us how to live in it. It gives us the best available council on the important issues of life. We dare not reject it or replace it with empty philosophy or religion as its promise is life itself, a full life the way it was meant to be lived from the beginning.

The End

*Clayton B. Reid, Want to stay Married? Live in North Dakota News Max Mag. April, 2010 p.22

**********************************************

Like what you just read? Why not get a copy of the whole book?

Are you single and lonely? This book will help prepare you for the rough and tumble world of dating and relationships. It's choke full of great wisdom and insights from scripture. You can read the whole book or listen to the Cd at one or two sittings and come away with very helpful, powerful nuggets to help you in your christian walk. While reading these inspirational book you will realize that you need never be lonely or feel lonely. We pray that the same spirit that helped us to write it touches your life also.

This powerful Book is full of scriptures and insights that can and will be helpful to you, a friend or a loved one.

Subjects addressed include RELATIONSHIPS, Loneliness, LOVE, SEX, SINGLENESS, MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, spirituality, intimacy, Loneliness, ASB etc,

A sweeping look at the issue of marriage, singleness, loneliness and the Bible's council on such issues

50 PAGES,

BOOKLET FORMAT AND CD

Excerpts: Auto-sexual sin

2010-05-04T13:45:00.070-04:00

Auto sexual sins
& Cheating on your future spouse

It’s now part of the common vernacular to speak of metro-sexual, homosexual, bisexual and transsexual persons. How about auto-sexual-ity? This would be having sex with oneself which is commonly known as masturbation. We will try to talk about it in a way that is not embarrassing to readers. It's the one sin* most often associated with being single or alone and (may) be classified among sins called 'uncleanness' or impurity in the New Testament. Uncleanness or impurity (Akatharos in our original Greek scriptures) is another inclusive term that describes all sexual activity that may be classified as impure.

Auto-sexuality is different from other sexual activities in that it acts on itself rather than on others. Subsequently, outside of the church, it has earned the label 'safe' and is seen as the medically and morally benign sexual activity of choice in the post AIDS world. Some have surmised that, we have all done it at some point in our lives presumably more than just a few times. This might be generally true and also seems to be supported by the statistics. This makes it a human frailty or behavior common to many of us. The increase of its employment since the advent of the new technologies has to be considerable as they has multiplied the avenues through which temptation comes to us. Many, Christian and non Christian alike have candidly said that they have participated in, struggled with or fallen into this activity. There is no question that it can be habit forming. Some will go as far us to say how addictive it has become and how they would like to be free from it.

There is a strong association with auto-sexuality and pornography and in fact porn probably owes its existence, continuance and profitability on the demand side to this human frailty and sin. Of course, one of the ways to curb this behavior is marriage and The Bible recommends it saying, “Because of 'porneas' ...It’s better to marry than to burn”. In the absence of a marriage bed, some will inevitably take matters into their own hands and use auto sexual activity as an outlet. Pastor Mark Driscoll of Seattle's Mar's Hill church gets into bold, extensive and graphic discussions about ASB both inside and outside of marriage. We have rather employed a cautious, modest and scriptural approach to this issue. However, we want to point out that our view is certainly not the only one out there and it might be good to comapare what we are saying with other writers and teachers on the subject.

Is The Devil in it? If he is, It must not be good!

Society has increasingly become tolerant of nearly all forms of sin. It must be this 'frog in slow boiling water' effect happening around us but some people including ministers have questioned whether auto sexual behavior (ASB) should be classed as a sin or even if there is anything wrong with it. We will not presume to speak this way here, especially since many people's conscience tells them otherwise and their confession bears out to it being detestable to themselves. The Bible clearly teaches that if our conscience condemns us about something and if it's not of faith then it must be sin (Romans 14:23). Therefore, we weigh in on the side that says, It is a selfish, lustful, unbecoming act and therefore should be judged as wrong. We say this not to condemn but in order edify and clear the way for godly alternatives.

Of the many contrary bible based arguments against ASB, we will give a few here. Firstly, It's an act usually accompanied by picturing and lusting after an image of someone who is not a spouse. This means that when we engage in ASB, we are committing fornications and adulteries in our heart and mind without leaving the comfort of our abode. Undoubtedly, sexual sin can progress from something as benign looking as lingering on the pages of circulars with underwear models to something a lot worse. Similarly, ASB can also turn into a bondage and become a stepping stone to more and even worse misadventures.

Secondly, if one regularly uses ASB as an outlet, the need for seeking a spouse is much lessened or becomes non existent. As sex was intended to be a shared experience, the loneliness of auto-sexuality can be detrimental to becoming a happy wholesome individual. One might as well sign on a paper that says 'lonely for life'. If we can turn on and turn off ourselves, why would we need to seek a spouse? Thirdly, it is hardly conducive to the biblical idea of cultivating a thought life that is pure and chaste and is in fact an antithesis to it. We fail to see how those who defend ASB can call it pure (Katharos in Greek). We therefore conclude from these and other scriptural arguments that, although it may not seem immediately grievous or harmful as some other sins in its effect, it's a sin nevertheless, something a holy people shouldn't perpetuate.

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness"

(I Thessa. 4:7)

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Ephesians 5:3

The christian answer to sin is neither too sanitary to be ignorant of our struggles with our sexuality nor is it un-wholesomely permissive. It rather strives to stay on the narrow road attended by prayer and holiness on either side while basking in the grace and mercy of The Lord. If any slippage occurs the way back on this happy road is always confession and genuine repentance which The Lord gladly and lovingly accepts.

Thank The Lord, He doesn't put us in front of a firing squad every time we fail because some of us would have died hundreds of times. The compassions of our lord and His grace are such that not only is He merciful to us but He also understands the temptations we are put under especially in today's world. He is there to help and empower us always and give us grace when we need it. Paul’s candid talk in chapter seven of Romans applies perfectly to this activity even if he was not directly speaking to just this issue.

19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death ? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord ! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

(Romans 7)

*Sin is defined as breaking God's laws or being disobedient to His precepts. There may not be direct references to ASB in scripture just as there is none for smoking or certain types of drug use. We believe and argue that it fits in and can be classed with references having to do with sexual impurity or uncleanness.

Like what you just read? Why not get a copy of the whole book?

Are you single and lonely? This book will help prepare you for the rough and tumble world of dating and relationships. It's choke full of great wisdom and insights from scripture. You can read the whole book or listen to the Cd at one or two sittings and come away with very helpful, poweful nuggets to help you in your christian walk. While reading these inspirational book you will realize that you need never be lonely or feel lonely. We pray that the same anointing that hepled us to write it will touch your life in a special way also.

This poweful Book is full of scriptures and insights that can and will be helpful to you, a friend or a loved one.

Subjects addressed include RELATIONSHIPS, Loneliness, LOVE, SEX, SINGLENESS, MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, spirituality, intimacy, Lonliness, ASB etc,

A sweeping look at the issue of marriage, singleness, lonliness and the Bible's council on such issues

50 PAGES,

BOOKLET FORMAT AND CD

You can buy a hard copy of the complete blog 'Never Lonely' and an audio book CD using the paypal button bellow.

How to be saved from sin

2010-05-03T11:39:00.003-04:00

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24

Are You Saved? From what, you ask? Let me tell you.

If you have not had the privilege of knowing that you are saved from sin; we would like to give you an opportunity to do so here.

believe

Understanding what we say in our articles depends on this one terribly vital truth. This is that you can be saved by trusting "He whom God sent"our messiah Jesus. It's that simple; put your trust in him and follow Him and His Word for the rest of your life and You will be saved, so the bible teaches. "Believe upon The Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved; you and your family."

Repent

"Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins ; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit"

NIV Acts 2:38

You will need to repent of the sins in your life and forgive people. You may have to make restitution to those whom you have wronged. The blood of Jesus will then cleanse you from all past and future sins and is able to give you a good conscience with confidence to approach your God(1 John 1:4-10 ; Hebrews 10:19-22) You are also promised to receive the gift of The Holy Spirit. He will come and live in your heart and home.

Obey the gospel

The mini Gospel bellow found in the Book of Titus contains all of the main elements of Gods offer of salvation to fallen mankind,

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly , righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2: 11-15

Excerpts: Open letter to those facing divorce

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"For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously. Malachi 2:16"

Open Letter: To Those Facing Divorce

According to scripture, divorce is one of the dire effects of the fall of man, the emergence of sin and a heart condition which Jesus called "the hardness of our hearts". The single state is the only viable scriptural option for one during this time of brokenness, separation and the related anxieties. It allows for the time and process to heal from the pain of the divorce and to get in gear in order to be able to lead a full and fruitful life in its aftermath. In such a time one should draw near to The Lord so one can find healing and strength.

It should be a reason for great hope that "with God, all things are possible" including restoration of a broken marriage and the changing of the hearts of the individuals involved. The above quote by Jesus was spoken in reference to securing a deliverance in an impossible situation and we dare say it can apply here also. Just like the father in Luke's gospel waited for the lost son to come to his senses and return home one can hope and pray for the return of one's spouse. We are not told how long the father had to wait before being able to embrace his son; it may have been a year, two or even six years before the son returned. This may sound ridiculous by today's standards but it can give one time to heal, reflect and wait until clarity comes. Its a sad reality but one has to also prepare oneself to accept the finality of their separation especially if the other party goes ahead and gets married.

Having a forgiving heart will be always paramount in these situations regardless of the outcome so one can move forward especially when children are involved. One can then begin to pray for and anticipate whatever designs and purposes The Lord may have for them. It's no surprise then that the standards set for us by scriptures are very high when it come to marriage and divorce, as the family is the cell unit of a community or a nation. The well being of oneself and one's children, love and peace in the home, all depend in large part on God's laws concerning marriage being honored and remaining the community standard. We are responsible not only ourselves but for our neighbors' also. This is the heart of The Law of God.

People on the brink of divorce should reflect and identify what behaviors and attitudes led to a rift during the marriage and ask God to effect change in them and their spouse. Were there things like infidelity, jealousy, malice or being too controlling with each other? Prayers and supplications should be made for change and healing concerning any known issues. There is bound to be plenty of hard work, sweat and blood but couples should consider it to be their sacred duty and a worthwhile sacrifice, made in order to save their marriage. Even in a sin tattered world, if there is love and if contentious spirits can be put aside, there is no doubt marriages can be saved; for the very Almighty himself is for them, not against them! Even though it may be unrealistic to guarantee that an agreement between fighting spouses will be reached every time on every issue; God has promised to come in their midst and grant their prayers when they do decide to agree. This is a tremendous promise! Both the man and the woman should try to save their marriage by making the right concessions, compromises and by working toward changing their behavior and attitude which brought them near to a break up.

31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32

Kindness and tenderness should replace harsh words and unkind remarks. Both sides should tender some compromise on contentious issues and try to find a workable middle ground. Couples need to remind themselves that It's God who gave them oneness of spirit and body (Malachi 2:16). Since God was part to their original agreement and since we know He hates divorce, we can safely assume that He will not agree to their divorce even if one or even both of them wish it or want it. The devil on the other hand wants to destroy marriages so people need to be aware of the spiritual aspects of the predicament they will find themselves in if they don't tread carefully and prayerfully. God can't make two people agree; they have to do that themselves, but if and when they do heaven will become part of the equation and solution to their problems. Subsequently couples in trouble should pray together for the renewal of their covenant. They should also agree to commit to work on their issues together and begin with a fresh new start by forgiving each other of past hurts. People who feel their marriage is going stale should do whatever it takes to keep it fresh and alive so things do not deteriorate for them through neglect.

Patience required
The golden oil of heaven

"Love is patient"

Last and yet not least, Most escalations of a couple's conflict has to do with their capacity to tolerate each others imperfections. Therefore the strength of the marriage is based on the amount of patience they are able to foster towards each other. We need to always pray to be able to better exercise patience and practice 'her' sister virtues in our daily interactions. It's one of the attributes of our Lord that He is patient towards us and it's also one of the premiere godly attributes necessary for couples. Patience is the golden oil for all relationships which keeps their wheels from locking, helping them to run smoothly. It is an important ingredient that gives room for one's better half to grow. Where this attribute is practiced liberally couples can cultivate their weaknesses and turn them into strengths thereby allowing themselves to be a good mate for each other. .

Like what you just read? Why not get a copy of the whole book?

Are you single and lonely? This book will help prepare you for the rough and tumble world of dating and relationships. It's choke full of great wisdom and insights from scripture. You can read the whole book or listen to the Cd at one or two sittings and come away with very helpful, poweful nuggets to help you in your christian walk. While reading these inspirational book yoy will realize that you need never be lonely or feel lonely.

This poweful Book is full of scriptures and insights that can and will be helpful to you, a friend or a loved one.

Subjects addressed include RELATIONSHIPS, Loneliness, LOVE, SEX, SINGLENESS, MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, spirituality, intimacy, Lonliness, ASB etc,

A sweeping look at the issue of marriage, singleness, lonliness and the Bible's council on such issues

50 PAGES,

BOOKLET FORMAT AND CD

Introduction to Never Lonely

2010-05-02T14:15:00.007-04:00

Prologue: The article bellow was not written on a whim but was born out of decades of struggles with these issues, numerous searches for love and fulfillment on and off-line and many failures, rejection and brushes with the darkness before reaching illumination. Therein lies, we hope, it potency as an antidote along with exposition of some carefully chosen relevant biblical passages and the fact the The Holy Spirit helped and inspired us to write it! Many of its lines and phrases came to us while on our knees in prayer. However, we still ask that you do your own studies and searches to see if it be so. We hope, these truths will set someone free and help to heal them.

We have tried to bring a fresh look into some of these issues so that hopefully, it won't be redundant for you if you have recently read a book or heard a sermon on singleness and marriage. To those who may not have studied these issues and who seek a guide we hope this will be a good starting place for you.

Please Note that the essay bellow are bound to be continually edited We will append additional complimentary insights from time to time.// There is also bound to be not a few edits and rewrites in order to improve clarity and remove ambiguities that may arise. Its a book in the process of being written.

Introduction: "I need love right away!"

A recent Ad from a lady on a popular website read. "I have been keeping myself for several years believing God would send me a husband but now I am tired of waiting. I would like to have a man in my life right away. Are you that man?"

Somewhat startling as this Ad may be, its not uncommon and it illustrates the struggles many believers have with respect to the issues of marriage, relationship and being single. Many people, including those who are Christians, are trying to find their kindred spirit through the Internet, hoping to stumble upon love . The frustrations people experience in these areas are numerous. We will try to plug a few holes, bring to light certain issues and try to uncover truths that have remained hidden for various reasons.

Because these issues can be a puzzling conundrum to those of us who have found happiness in this area to be illusory, we have tried to demystify this issues and have outlined bellow, the pieces of the puzzle that involve, marriage, singleness and spirituality. This article is designed to be helpful for all 'saved' singles and especially to those who are in their late thirties or forties who want or need some insight in this area.

We realize that younger people have a different dynamic and understanding when it comes to these issues and we will leave that discussion to other younger writers, although a lot of the things mentioned bellow can apply to all. Nevertheless, we are pointing our pen mainly at older singles whose passions we assume have ebbed a little or at least have been tempered and to whom 'burning in love' is not their main problem or motivation.

We trust that if you are young and stumble upon these words you shall find nuggets of wisdom that can enrich your understanding; so we encourage you to read also.

***************@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*****************@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

There shall never be loneliness

When temptation becomes overwhelming
or the loneliness hard to bear
It should drive us to our knees
Into our Lord's arms who cares
Where He attends to our cries
and helps us to bear
Sin's violent thrashings

And with our heart's thirst quenched
we come away singing and rejoicing
full to the brim, belching mysteries
of a world to be birthed soon
and looking to it's glorious rise
where there shall never be loneliness
But every Joy and happiness

sighing and longing
We wait to enter her gates
This New Jerusalem
where the righteous dwell

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Like what you just read? Why not get a copy of the whole book?

Are you single and lonely? This book will help prepare you for the rough and tumble world of dating and relationships. It's choke full of great wisdom and insights from scripture. You can read the whole book or listen to the Cd at one or two sittings and come away with very helpful, poweful nuggets to help you in your christian walk. While reading these inspirational book you will realize that you need never be lonely or feel lonely. We pray the same anointing that helped us to write it will flow and touch your life.

This poweful Book is full of scriptures and insights that can and will be helpful to you, a friend or a loved one.

Subjects addressed include RELATIONSHIPS, Loneliness, LOVE, SEX, SINGLENESS, MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, spirituality, intimacy, Lonliness, ASB etc,

A sweeping look at the issue of marriage, singleness, lonliness and the Bible's council on such issues

50 PAGES,

BOOKLET FORMAT AND CD

Ch 0. Marriage and The Single State

2010-05-02T14:11:00.025-04:00

***************@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@*****************@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Marriage and the single state
"Better to marry than to burn"

2. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
7 Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. 8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. 9 But if they do not have self-control, let them marry ; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion

. I Corinthians ch. 7 and verse 2, 7-9.

Preliminary Considerations

The problem: Sexual sins and the bible's solution, marriage

Let's start with the problem called sexual sin. In verse 2 in the above portion, the Greek word 'Porneas' (translated above as immoralities) is used in the plural to indicate any and all abuses and misuses that can occur with our innate sexuality. The word is a junk drawer term used to indicate all the different sexual sins known to man. (Think, fornication or sex outside of marriage, adultery, rape, incest, perversions, orgies, homosexuality, bestiality porn,..., etc; the types of sins can vary as much as there are people.) Marriage is therefore, the Bible's, one of two, holy and sanctified alternatives, given to man to curb these manifestations. The other alternative is that of the single calling or choice which is to remain single maintaining purity from all such activities that may be 'Porneas'. This latter choice may not be easy to live out in today's 'naked media' cultures and societies; it can nevertheless be a worthwhile biblical strategy for some.

Auto sexual sins

It’s now part of the common vernacular to speak of metro-sexual, homosexual, bisexual and transsexual persons. How about auto-sexual-ity? This would be having sex with oneself which is commonly known as masturbation. It's the one sin most often associated with being single or alone and (may) be classified among sins called 'uncleanness' or impurity in the New Testament. Uncleanness or impurity (Akatharos in our original Greek scriptures) is another inclusive term that describes all sexual activity that may be classified as impure.

Auto-sexuality is different from other sexual activities in that it acts on itself rather than on others. Subsequently, outside of the church, in the post aids world it has earned the label 'safe' and is seen as the medically and morally benign, sexual activity of choice. Some have surmised that, we have all done it at some point in our lives presumably more than just a few times. This might be generally true and also seems to be supported by the statistics. This makes it a human frailty or behavior common to many of us. The increase of its employment since the advent of the new technologies due to online porn is incalculable but has to be estimated to be huge. Many, Christian and non Christian alike have candidly said that they have participated in, struggled with or fallen into this activity. There is no question that it can be habit forming. Some will go as far us to say how addictive it has become and how they would like to be free from it. There is a strong association with auto-sexuality and pornography and in fact porn probably owes its existence, continuance and profitability on the demand side to this human frailty and sin.

Of course, as stated before, one of the ways to curb this behavior is marriage and The Bible recommends it saying, “Because of 'porneas'....It’s better to marry than to burn”. In the absence of a marriage bed, some will inevitably take matters into their own hands and use auto sexual activity as an outlet.

Is The Devil in it? If he is, It must not be good!

Society has increasingly become tolerant of nearly all forms of sin. It must be this 'frog in slow boiling water' effect happening around us but some people including ministers have questioned whether auto sexual behavior (ASB) should be classed as a sin or even if there is anything wrong with it. We will not presume to speak this way here, especially since many people's conscience tells them otherwise and their confession bears out to it being detestable to themselves. The Bible clearly teaches that if our conscience condemns us about something and if it's not of faith then it must be sin(Romans 14:23). Therefore, we weigh in on the side that says, It is a selfish, lustful, unbecoming act and therefore should be judged as wrong. We say this not to condemn but in order edify and clear the way for godly alternatives.

Of the many contrary bible based arguments against ASB, we will give a few here. Firstly, It's an act usually accompanied by picturing and lusting after an image of someone who is not a spouse. This means that when we engage in ASB, we are committing fornications and adulteries in our heart and mind without leaving the comfort of our abode. Undoubtedly, sexual sin can progress from something as benign looking as lingering on the pages of circulars with underwear modelsto something a lot worse. Similarly, ASB can also turn into a bondage and become a stepping stone to more and even worse misadventures.

Secondly, if one regularly uses ASB as an outlet, the need for seeking a spouse is much lessened or becomes non existent. As sex was intended to be a shared experience, the loneliness of auto-sexuality can be detrimental to becoming a happy wholesome individual. One might as well sign on a paper that says 'lonely for life'. If we can turn on and turn off ourselves why would we need people? Thirdly, it is hardly conducive to the biblical idea of cultivating a thought life that is pure and chaste and is in fact an antithesis to it. We fail to see how those who defend it can call it pure(Katharos in Greek). We therefore conclude from these and other scriptural arguments that, although it may not seem immediately grievous or harmful as some other sins in its effect, it's a sin nevertheless, something a holy people shouldn't perpetuate.

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness"

(I Thessa. 4:7)

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Ephesians 5:3

A course of action

Based on the same scriptures we council instead that we all strive for a high standard of purity and holiness in the sight of God while we are single. Those who 'burn' let them seek to marry as there is no sin in that. If desire cannot be projected at a spouse it's lust. Our imagination needs to outlaw lust and be exercised to a higher, purer thought life which is our christian ideal. This is not just puritan idealism; it's a real, sound Biblical strategy and course of action for the many who earnestly desire holiness and don't want to be overcome by lustful thoughts. Failure is probable and inevitable at times because of our sin nature and our environment but we can improve and grow toward having a pure thought life, one which is abounding with transparent prayer(confession, petition, intercession and intimacy) with God's help. One of the precious promises of the gospel is to eventually come to a place of overcoming temptation in all its forms the way our lord Jesus did.

The christian answer to sin is neither too sanitary to be ignorant of our struggles with our sexuality nor is it un-wholesomely permissive. It rather strives to stay on the narrow road attended by prayer and holiness on either side while basking in the grace and mercy of The Lord. If any slippage occurs the way back on this happy road is always confession and genuine repentance which The Lord gladly and lovingly accepts.

Thank The Lord, He doesn't put us in front of a firing squad every time we fail because some of us would have died hundreds of times. The compassions of our lord and His grace are such that not only is He merciful to us but He also understands the temptations we are put under especially in today's world. He is there to help and empower us always and give us grace when we need it. Paul’s candid talk in chapter seven of Romans applies perfectly to this activity even if he was not directly speaking to just this issue.

19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death ? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord ! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

(Romans 7)

Self Control and The single state

As most christian singles will have found out, the same type of discipline and grace required not to lust after someone and overcome the various 'porneas' is what is also required to remain single and holy for a season, seasons or even longer periods of one's life. The permanent single state must therefore be a prolonged state of what most singles have already experienced or are experiencing in their daily walk and struggle to live right before their maker. We need not be scared of it. It must also have been attended by deeper conviction to put aside one's self for the purposes of The Kingdom exclusively and permanently. Even then, it must be something that has to be taken and weighed each day, trusting God to keep one strong. No religious vows are necessary. Some of us might have felt such a deeper call for separation, prayer and seeking the heart of God.

Our Uniqueness

Paul does speak of his being single as a unique gift but he also speaks of having the right to marry(like other apostles) which he willingly laid down. On the other hand, his apostolic requirement for church leaders was that they should be married to one wife. Each christian is unique and will have a unique call, development and ministry so Paul says above, "..each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that"

A lot of single people's unhappiness has to do with internal and external pressures put on them to be in a relationship no matter what their circumstances are. As we shall see from scripture, this is neither right nor good as it does not always hold true that we all should be married. This means that you may not have to go by the advice of your relative from Pekipsi, who occasionally likes to put on the mantel of 'Tzeitel' the matchmaker.

We will come back to this but let's digress to another important truth!

Ch 1. We are Never Alone

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Never Alone
Intimacy with Christ

We can all surely understand people’s need for a mate. We pray God give those of you praying and asking for a mate, the desires of your heart and bless you with someone that can fulfill you and make you happy! Until then, think of prayer time as a 'romantic outing' or having a barbecue or drinking coffee at Starbucks with Jesus. That way, one never feels alone or lonely. Christ is always available to hear us, talk to us and sup with us. The intimacy we cultivate with The Lord will enrich all aspects of our life and will also help us in our search to find the right companion if and when we are so inclined. Our adoption into God’s family means that we are literally yoked in service with many wonderful Christian brothers and sisters so we should never feel lonely. The nature of our relationship with the Lord is such that it should grow to where the worldly concept of loneliness should no longer touch us or cause us to be in pain or sadness. We need not conform ourselves to the ways of the world. The Lord will become our unfailing joy in all matters and situation. As Paul said, “Nothing can separate us” from His Love.

The valley of decisions

We have come to the conclusion that because attitudes regarding marriage are lax while God's law is not( check Luke 16:17-18 above) that it is absolutely essential for a Christian to be led by the Holy Spirit in this area. By that, we mean let The Holy Spirit give you the name, photograph and GPS location of the person you are supposed to marry. (We say that in humor, but you get the point!) We really only have one chance in a lifetime to get it right and 'get the gold', so we should pull on all our resources and give it all we can, before arriving at a final decision. Pray, study and learn as much as you can about, 'prospective' friends; you are bound to encounter some diamonds in the rough, some sheep and yes, some wolves and a few in-between.

Such vigilance should hold especially true for those of us forty-somethings who are looking for another chance at marital bliss, who have made some attempt before which failed or those who had somehow forgone the 'joy' of the whole experience altogether. We might rather have to 'tunnel upward' in spiritual thirst and hunger for the prize of the high calling of God and be less concerned about being with a mate(even if only for a season). Lost in the heart of the master means being more concerned about making spiritual impact in a needy world while in a deep, close relationship with him. Even if that is all we will have here in this life, it would have been worth it! It is better than succumbing to a bad, mediocre relationship or (worse) an unhappy and destructive one. (for those gambling on a compromise, "Don't!").

If God gives us both(companionship and anointing) then blessed be. Some people have that double joy of being with their true life-partner and serving the master effectively, but the reality is a lot of people don't and some just gamble on someone and lose out on both ends, spiritual and marital.

Seeking The Jewel of Heaven
& the desire of nations

We should want to make sure that we know Christ and The power of His resurrection and count all else as rubbish like the apostle says. This often means putting our own wants and desires on the cross and suffering loss of life to gain His abundant life, which is more than a fair exchange. We might be wrongly perceived as "playing for the other team" (to use a reference from an episode of Seinfeld) or made to feel sex-less in a sin crazed world. This is one other cross to bear in this adventure where we are bidden to scale higher spiritual altitudes and hitherto unexplored peaks. Imagine the power of a testimony that says "I strive to live pure in a corrupt world and Christ helps and forgives me in my infirm seasons." So we should never give up on holiness, no matter what the temptation or the barrage of lies we face( Hebrews 12:14, I Thess. 4:2-8). We know the wisdom of our choices will be apparent to our Lord who rewards us. If we have Christ in his fullness in this life then we have the greatest part as all things that seem important pale besides Him. As the old Hymn states so beautifully " The things of this world will grow strangely dim."

You can buy a hard copy of the complete blog 'Never Lonely' together with the audio book Cd.

Ch 2. Seeking Companionship

2010-05-02T14:05:00.010-04:00

Seek and you will find
Looking for Love

We hope what we said so far makes sense to some of you and that it encourages you to seek to know Christ more in the short time that is left. There are plenty of other writes are who are better placed and more qualified to write about courtship and the mechanics of searching for a mate. Please feel free to consult these sources where ours seems deficient, skewed or unrealistic. This book is mostly about the important and yet often wanting spiritual, biblical, theological and philosophical ideals regarding marriage and singleness. However, before we establish those we want to touch on some of the realities and the practical aspects of searching for a mate. While we have the workings of a particular culture in mind, we might not do justice to the dynamics of interactions in your corner of the universe. Please feel free to use your own imagination to fill in the details where our descriptions seem to be lacking.

Jesus said of the single calling “not everyone can receive it" so it’s not for everyone. Of course, if one finds their true friend and partner, it’s a wonderful thing and they should consummate a marriage. However, not all of us will find it easy to find a mate in our modern, irreverent, sin and self worshiping world. Christians might find their way of life to be a rarity even as they themselves are. A significant portion of the pool of christian 'single' people over their late thirties would have gone through one or more relationships, some of whom may still be binding according to scripture. In addition, to make matters more complicated, each individual is bound to have various social, medical, psychological and economical issues that need to be worked out before reaching a cleared flag to marry.

Searching for friends in the internet age

Some of us are pining for someone to set us up. Where is Tzeitel* when you need her? Today, we have thousands of computer servers and their webmasters doing her services. This has brought millions of people together so they can try to make a connection. This is an incredible advancement but as we find out soon enough it can be deceptive. We have all logged on, created a profile and waited until "we got mail". Some of us are still waiting! While it has increased our possibilities it may make us overlook what is close to us and in front of us "This lady from Scandinavia has a great testimony,... that African guy is an upstanding member of society" etc etc. The Logistics can be a nightmare and the information can be endless; it's also very easy for people to misrepresent themselves for comic or more ominously for nefarious reasons. While the number of choices for friendships may be unlimited the task of vetting for a single choice is virtually impossible. Good or bad, internet dating has become a popular way of life for today's tech-savvy generation and has become part of many people's calculations when it comes to searching for a mate. It has given an option to people who cannot meet people in the conventional ways or who may find that they are too tied up with work not to be able to socialize.However, it still remains true, that there is no better place for us than the local church, where to foster friendships, know about each other’s character, testimony and worship-life. .

Desirability and attraction

Looks are the reason why Mathilda married way before her brighter friend Jennifer leaving Jennie a little sad and at the same time struggling to be happy for her friend. Its just a general fact of life that those with genes for good looks or with better social status and wealth will advance to the finals sooner in the game of love. Some of us might like to marry persons created in the image of Ken and Barbie who are also super-spiritual. But we will find that there aren't enough to go around and that they are usually all taken by others who are from similar gene pools. Some of us are late bloomers and only catch up to our rich or statuesque peers later in life.

23 and those [parts] of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely [parts] have more abundant comeliness; 24 whereas our comely [parts] have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that [part] which lacked; 25 that there should be no schism in the body; but [that] the members should have the same care one for another.( I Corinthians 12: 19-29)

There is however no need for anxiety as God is not a respecter of persons(Or In the original language no respecter of 'faces'). He has a way of compensating the plain or average among us the way he compensated the attention starved Leah over her beautiful sister Rachel by making her womb fertile (Genesis ch. 29:31). In many instances in scripture, God is seen to be present among His people as an equalizer, giving favor to those who are seemingly left behind. Those who are first are seen ending up being last and vice-versa. Jesus himself was despised and rejected many times; He was considered uneducated, rough and may not have been that good looking! Paul was maligned in the same manner. God often chooses the weak, beggarly and 'non-beautiful' of the world for himself(1 Cor. 2:28-29). We should take courage that where we start in life may not matter if God is working in our lives, for He is able to take us to greater heights than what we have known.

Because appearances play a role in courtship, a small mention needs to be made of what we find attractive and desirable in one another. Desirability, often connected with looks and considered to be mainly visual, also includes things like intellect, personality and spirituality, but ultimately is only known to the mysterious chooser hidden deep within the seeker's psyche (mind). The Holy Spirit's influence can't be discounted here but we will limit ourselves to the human side of attraction for now. Some people's chooser is quite fickle and rejects people for small trivial things. They say things like "She twirls her fingers or he rubs his nose when he speaks" We hear of people getting rejected for such minor quirks and mannerisms. That is why first impressions are often important. Temperament and attitude which are both reflections of our inner character are also big factors when it comes to like-ability. One's work, education and income can also be important, decisive factors for some people.

There is also no doubt that attire, grooming, hygiene and posture affect how we measure each other. These might be areas where "the children of this world are wiser than the children of light" but it does not have to be necessarily so. The people of the world learn early on how to play 'the game of love' from 'externals' and they get very good at it, but we have to learn to trust in The Lord. They know how to wash the outside of the cup and yet it's dirty inside; we concentrate on the inside, in the planting of virtues and plucking of sin.

We hate to sound like the TV makeover gurus but it is still needful to take care of the outside and often its what gets our foot in the door of love(We apologize to you anointed pilgrims in your Khaki's and camel hair attire but it needs to be said in this context, as some of us can be negligent of it) Our body image, our looks, attire and grooming are important because a lot of people's decisions primarily pivot on these factors. Within limits, we can all help our outward image by spending some time in front of the mirror. It goes without saying that cultivating one's flowers and garden well invites the butterflies and bees to come. Once they show up we still have to go through a selection process.

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CH 4. The True meaning of love

2010-05-02T13:57:00.009-04:00

Establishing the true meaning of Love

Love, the oozy, gooey stuff that you felt in your tender years may not always show up in your latter days as you search for a mate. Where had that gotten you anyway, right? Often times, it got us trouble! It may have worked for Pete the quarterback and Jenna the cheerleader(sorry you guys!) but such love has left many of us devastated in its wake. We are, of course, poking fun at the old infantile idea that love is a special feeling you have that lets you identify your mate magically. We shouldn't discount our feelings but we should consider character as well; because, we will soon enough be confronted with, the inner working of the person we choose for a mate and the sooner we know the better. Some of us have found out to our shock, that finer looks can cover up serious monsters lurking beneath the skin. What is love then, is it a chemical response to the geometry of someone's face, shape and voice or is there more to it? We will venture here to explore what many before us have tried to do, that is, to define love concisely in its fullest most complete form. But first lets see what love is not.

Deficient portrayals of love in the media culture

One of Satan's subtler tricks may have been to redefine love just as an amalgam of feelings and sensuality, such as portrayed in daytime TV soaps, some romance books written for woman or certain exploitative cinema. In many so called romance books and movies that are marketed and consumed in mass, people's understanding of love is framed along narrow or bizarre physical and emotional plot lines and scripts. The current debonair movie stars are seen falling in 'love' and engaging in a number of steamy sex scenes which command big revenues at the box office. The temptation to buy into the illusion of such portrayals of 'love' can be immense as it can feel good for a while but its better resisted. It creates a fantasy world that competes with and detracts from the real possibilities that come in life. It also creates unreasonable expectations resulting in good prospective mates to be passed up for fantastic imaginary ones or it creates problems in relationships already entered. Not all fantasies may be harmless, some take a life of their own and can be taken too far into the realms of the demonic.

Pornography: The Love of Lust

Porn addiction is an example of the enemies 'trap door' bondage in which people can fall into while on an illicit search for gratification. Besides, if one is satisfied with the imaginary and the virtual why go look for the real thing? The Lord Said, "He who looks upon a woman to lust after her commits adultery in his heart". The usage of both verbs in "he who looks.. to.. lust" intensifies the act to where just looking at people and admiring their natural attributes is precluded from being sin. We look at people everyday and we say "She is beautiful" or "He is handsome". This is obviously not what should be understood to be sin here. As the God that He is, Jesus lays claim to that part of our imagination, that tries people on for size and pleasure and commands us to arrest it and turn it over to him. Therefor, the obvious application is to look at people around us with a pure motivation but it also has the following very important implications.

Jesus' use of "he who looks" and "lusts" makes his statement fit aptly to the use of pornography we see in our world. It fits so well in fact that it would seem like when he spoke it, He had anticipated a time, when men would streamline lust, first on paper and later on the new media technologies, as they have today. Being God and prophet He must have peered through time and given us a warning so we could be repentant of this scourge. Jesus statement can be reworded to apply to women also as they can also be guilty of such sins. She who looks upon a man to lust after him has committed adultery in her heart (see proverbs and Mark 10:12b for women causing adultery). We need to know and be convicted that watching porn is adultery of the heart and mind, a sin which should be hated and one if not repented is terminal to our spiritual life and growth. Eve, King David, Clinton, Tiger Woods, the list goes on and on of the people who "looked Upon" and "Lusted" and experienced a great downfall. Each had brought terrible consequences and judgments upon themselves which also affected those around them as well. We find in Hebrews the following quote,

Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled ; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
Hebrews 13:4

Conclusion: What is Love?

As seen above, such lean, weak, emaciated or perverted portrayals of a so called love hardly come close to the full range, depth and reality of the love that is possible when we come to understand God's love for us and others. Thankfully, Christians need only look at the cross and the lives of those that exemplify it's principles in order to regain the true meaning of Love. It's in fact this God kind of love called Agape (in Greek) and not just Phelio(endearing friendship) or Eros(desire for opposite sex) that The scriptures say should be present between a man and a woman in Holy Matrimony(Ephesians 5:25). All three probably exists to some degree in good christian marriages. Agape is also supposed to exist between neighbors. Its a sacrificial love that treats the other equally if not better than oneself. Our understanding of love should then include a mutual respect and admiration, a sense of closeness of heart and mind and a camaraderie that comes from our allegiance to Christ. If people, who live their lives sacrificially everyday to serve others, don’t commend our love, we don’t know what love is because that is the love The Bible talks about.

A Love won through facing difficult circumstances together is bound to be much stronger and go much deeper than that found by just gazing at beauty which is passing.That is why soldiers who fought alongside each other and literally bled into each other while in battle, have a great love and respect for each other and an uncanny, almost eternal bond.

Implications to dating

Therefore we should look at and study the inner character of people and not just their outside visage. We should be giving out our laurels not just to attractive looking persons but to those who are patient, humble, kind, faithful, forgiving, diligent workers, peacemakers etc (Read the bible for a full list! Proverbs 31 and I Corinthians 13 are both good places to start). In the long run these types of qualities are what make a relationship or a friendship to be a lasting one.

Entertaining Angels and slaying dragons
where the rubber meets the road

We are not saying here that there shouldn't be a romantic attraction as most relationships start that way. However, we shouldn't dismiss prospective mates just because we don’t have a feeling initially or because they don't fit a certain mold we have in mind. We ought to rather give good people a chance and see if something develops; God may be the one sending them our way and we may be missing someone who has the potential to be good for us. "win friends for yourself..so they may receive you into everlasting habitations." It could be that we will find long lasting friendships even if we may not find our mate. We need to be guardedly open when looking for friendships. "Some have entertained angels unawares" Not everyone however may be an angel. It's true when we open up ourselves to others we also open up ourselves to possibly being hurt by them. Therefore, we might need to be on guard and be sensitive to how The Holy Spirit leads us because he knows what is in every one's heart.

Don't be weak or "take advantage" of others weaknesses

Because the western concept of dating can move too fast and does not have the boundaries set for us in the Bible, we need to be careful that while we search for friendships things don't turn out to be scandalous. It serves us well to take the following sobering advice from Paul.

that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The LORD will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. 9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. (1 Thessalonians 4:4-9 NIV)

Finally, the Holy Spirit, the oil of heaven is said to be abiding in us. That means we are reservoirs of Christ's wisdom, light, love and life. We should always be ready to love and minister to people we encounter, regardless.

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Ch 5. and 6 A Short Spiritual History; Dissonance

2010-05-02T13:51:00.041-04:00

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To understand these things better, it helps to go back to the beginning in the garden and look at the fall of man into sin and the effects it has had to the issues we are discussing.

Lets go to the beginning:

A short account of mankind's spiritual history as it relates to marriage

After God created the heavens and the earth, He then created man on the sixth day. This indicates that the world was first created as an environment for him. The Lord made the observation that "Its not good for man to be alone" and followed to make woman from man for his companionship. That is where our need for a mate, for intimacy and closeness comes from. One can only imagine the state of perfection in the garden and the sadness that ensued after the fall of man into sin and the resulting curse. Spurred by a fallen creature, Adam disobeyed an only commandment and lost his right standing and relationship with his creator along with life in paradise; it would take a tremendous work for it to be regained. His progeny, which we are, after him would be born and continue in this same fallen state. The tree of life which was easily within reach for Adam was no more so. We now know that a new environment will be created for mankind redeemed from the curse. Until the time when it's totally consumed, sin will continue to be the order of the day in the affairs of mankind.

Sin made a lot of things to go awry. It was lights out for mankind and spiritual death reigned along with its pal spiritual blindness. Lust, greed, jealousy, and hate quickly entered the picture right after the fall, as man became centered on self instead of the relationship he had with God. Where as the family was supposed to be a godly unit, after the fall, it had itself need for redemption along with the rest of mankind. There is no doubt that divorce is a direct result of man's fall (Mark 10:6-9). The original plan was "Let none separate what God has put together" Whereas the family was meant to be harmonious, it has often times became a war zone. "A man's enemies will be of his own household". Today, women and men's roles have become confused or unclear and therefore we have the "gender wars" along with other wars like "race wars" and other conflicts on this earthly realm.

Sex after The fall of Man

The fall of man also meant that the creator's gift of sex which He had purposed for intimacy and producing offspring could be misused in an infinite number of ways. The misuses began to manifest immediately in the post-fall(en) world with prostitution and homosexuality as notable examples recorded in Genesis. The reason for this was that when man lost the closeness and fellowship he had with God, the boundaries and parameters for right usage of his faculties also got blurred or were lost including that of his sexuality. Sin reigned in his body and mind.

It can be said that, where as human sexuality was among the good trees in the garden, perfectly alright for the first married couple to enjoy, after the fall, perverted forms of it began to fill the earth like 'thorns and thistles'. Also, the nature of sex was such that although initially created by God and meant for good, after the fall, it got slotted in among Satan's arsenal of weaponry, which he uses widely for tempting and destroying mankind.

Sex, among others 'things' could also be made into a god worshiped, vying for fallen man's love and attention over against his creator. This happened numerous times in history and had revivals as sex cults appeared and reappeared in almost every generation since the beginning including our own where we see a wickedly powerful nexus of greed and lust; of money making through media laced with sex.

Sex, sin and mercy in the Bible
It's revival or bust!

14 "My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms In the vineyards of Engedi." 15 "How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves." 16 "How handsome you are, my beloved, And so pleasant ! Indeed, our couch is luxuriant ! 17

The Bible uses the modest verb "know" to talk about marital sex and is ever hardly graphic or gross in it's descriptions of the act of sex. It is however surprisingly candid in certain passages as is to be expected from a book containing God's counsel to man on many issues. In some of the regulatory portions in The Law like Leviticus for example, it lays down 'The rules of the road' by directly banning incest, homosexuality and bestiality. Pedophilia is unthinkable as sex is allowed only between a man and a women who have come of age and who have been properly betrothed. Polygamy however, seems to have been permitted. In a few places it talks about romance, sex and love in poetic terms such as in the song of songs. It also contains teachable stories about the weaknesses and failures of heroes like Samson and David, the judgments incurred and the mercy granted giving us numerous snapshots and reels about redemption sought, granted and secured.

The New Testament continues and perfects the redemption theme that began in the Old, painting incredible portraits of God's love and mercy, such as found in the stories of the woman caught in adultery and the lost son. The one man, one woman marriage is put on a firm scriptural foundation, both by our Lord and his apostles. The New Testament preserves many of the Old Testament's ideas about love, sex and marriage and puts it on a stronger foundation than just law(s) by including grace and power to live according to the same law(s). On the other side, it inculcates a redemptive formula of mercy after repentance during moral failure. It lists and identifies the various 'porneas' and it sets a high standard for holiness and modesty in public.

We find that such Biblical values that were inculcated in many Christian cultures as proper, decent attitude and behavior have been fastly eroding. We have to have revival that takes us back to biblical Christian values or we stand to lose our moral fiber, our families, our heritage, our children and our future!

Grace

If you were born on this planet you will find yourself on the wrong side of God's righteous laws numerous times. The good news is that He promises to forgive, cleanse and and give you grace when you come to him in repentance seeking it. We can illustrate grace this way. If Gods grace extended to you is the size of Moses' staff (about six feet) then our many sex-cursions will only have covered about a hand's grip. This doesn't mean that we won't get a whipping from daddy once in a while when we need it(Hebrews 12:5-11). However, if you are his beloved child you will not be able to exhaust his mercy and grace towards you in a lifetime's career of sinning. His mercy towards us is renewed daily (Lam. 3:2-24). We need to praise God even if just for this and nothing else, because that is how deep, great and wonderful His love and mercy is toward those who come to him in repentance. David's answered prayer asking for mercy after falling into adultery, deception and murder illustrates this point.

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

As king David and others painfully learned, the aftermath to disobedience can be ugly; damage will be done to those around us, to our reputation and testimony. Sex outside the context of marriage is sin; it's not something the Lord winks at (or looks at lightly) even if He is many times very patient and forgiving of our trespasses. We have to realize sin has consequences; if it doesn't kill us immediately, it pulls us behind and can stunt our spiritual growth. We have to therefore earnestly seek after the holy life God desires for us to have through his son Jesus.

When we don't repent, The Lord allows us to reap what we have sown and the things we have done in secret will to come to light. People who didn't pay attention to us in better times will feel compelled to write an expose about us. Even in this there is mercy because it's when put in such precarious situations that many of us will be forced to wake up from the deceptions and stupor of sin to acknowledge our need for repentance. We would otherwise continue to do damage to ourselves and others. Practicing repentance, daily, hourly and minute by minute of any sin we become aware of will stop it's progress(James 1:12-15). In order to have victory over sin, we will also need to be aware of and repel, the enemy's evil plans and devices which he orchestrates to tempt and trap us, in order to make us fall and ultimately to destroy us.

The wrong attitudes about sex, un-repented, can bring contempt and judgment; so we need to be careful that the casual attitudes that prevail in the world don't infect our own thinking and attitudes about sex.

Free Love

While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage
2 Peter 2:19 (KJV)

There is no such thing as being free to do what we want with our sexuality. Those who preach free love and sexual freedom do not understand the real moral and spiritual consequences of what they affirm let alone the social, psychological and medical effects, none of us fully do. The Lord in his wisdom however does and He gave us commandments for the reason that we should protect ourselves, our neighbors and communities. Casual sex is not really that casual! The aids epidemic of the eighties and nineties came on the heels of the the sexual revolution of the seventies and put a sobering brake on the euphoria of free love. Famous athletes, personalities along with millions of people around the world were stricken; many would later die. Unlawful sex or sin as it's called in the Bible, is never free or cheap and it can have a steep price tag. The recent shocking death of quarterback Steven McNair at the hand of his young mistress while he was still married with several teenage children is a sad poignant example.

God is not mocked, whatsoever a man sows that he will also reap(Galatians 6:7).

Law and Grace

After miraculously setting Israel free from Egypt, Moses came down from mount Sinai with two tablets on which God himself had written his laws for man. The law had become necessary and was introduced so man could tell what sin was but his fleshly weaknesses prevented him from keeping it. Something else had to be done. Hope and light came in the form of a young Nazarene preacher from Palestine born under mysterious circumstances(by the Holy Ghost). It soon became apparent He was not an ordinary prophet. "No man taught like him" and did the works that he did, confirming that he was indeed the long awaited messiah. Centuries after The Law was given and it's main bearer and promulgator, the Jewish nation had failed, Jesus Christ entered history to help with our human plight.

Through the mystery and power of The Cross the sin problem was dealt a complete and final blow. This made it possible for man to live in harmonious fellowship with his God, his family and his neighbor again. Salvation had come with complete redemption to follow soon. The tree of life which was unavailable after we got booted out from the garden of Eden, is once more accessible to us through Christ. The new life won for us at the cross requires that we not be carnally minded and flee all forms of 'pornea'. We are to put our natural inclinations and desires under subjection to the new nature given to us in Christ. Sin in us is to be 'crucified' by us.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24

Are You Saved? From what, you ask? Let me tell you.

believe

If you have not had the privilege of knowing that you are saved from sin; we would like to give you an opportunity to do so here. Understanding what we said so far depends on this one terribly vital truth. This is that you can be saved by trusting "He whom God sent"our messiah Jesus. It's that simple; put your trust in him and follow Him and His Word for the rest of your life and You will be saved, so the bible teaches. "Believe upon The Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved; you and your family."

Repent

"Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins ; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit"

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly , righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2: 11-15

Jesus :The God-man

"There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Our lord Jesus Christ, the only GOD-MAN(theo-anthropos) is by his unique nature, the only person capable of standing in our stead and on our behalf in order to reconcile us to the side of God that is holy, righteous and just. That is the reason for his exclusivity as a saving and mediating agent not bigotry or narrow mindedness on the part of his followers. He is the only way by which God has designed for men and women to know him, be free from sin and be ready for the life to come.

The State of things: A continual struggle

Today still, even in Christian marriages the old serpent often slithers in to try to destroy the image that it’s supposed to reflect (that of the relationship between Christ and the church). So when Paul says "I would spare you…and I would even if all were like me" when talking about this otherwise blessed estate, he is delineating the challenges of marriage in our fallen world, particularly in difficult times.

Dissonance

The New world ethic and the reluctance to marry.

The modern sexual ethic does not bother with or require a marriage covenant before engaging in sex. This ethics is formulated by fallen men observing a fallen world and applying, a faulty fallen reasoning. If you go by trend setter TV shows like ‘Friends’ or ‘Seinfeld’ or other relationship dramas, it would seem like people want to experiment and exhaust all their options and tumble in bed with a bunch of people before they marry. Self is God and and it's pleasure is put above everything else, almost as if every last bit of juice has to be sucked out of the sensual entrée before finally giving into the married life. What's left for the eventual fortunate person to be the spouse? We wonder.

Thus, in considerable sections of the post modern world, the traditional marriage has become a relic of a distant past that has been supplanted by something that only vaguely resembles it. The new mantra seems to say, "Be happy until you can't anymore any which way you like and later on if you feel like it you can always get married." We only wish we were making this up but that is the prevailing attitude in a lot of places.

Freedom that doesn't free

These sweet covered poison capsules, introduced to us through TV sitcoms and dramas have become the playbook of life for a lot of singles. People want selfish indulgence as a right of passage without having to commit to any relationships. They form convenient short term agreements for mutual gratification that are supposed to be ‘freeing’ such as the one made between Elaine and Seinfeld. To be fair to the said characters, they only articulated the selfishness and sin smoldering beneath the veneer of a 'respectable' modern society. Of course, as even they eventually found out, it turns our that it’s not really freeing at all but rather a deceptive lie that traps people in a cycle of sinful liaisons, one regrettable affair after another. If we all lived selfish lives like that where would be fidelity, honor and a family with loving parents or children? Yet, it would seem that a lot of people are living this way except for pockets of resistance such as among Mennonites or the Hamish or those evangelical churches that have retained a traditional culture rooted in the faith and religion. If the old prophet Isaiah were alive he would have cried on the streets of New York, London or many of the world's cities that are safe heavens for a lifestyle of fornication "If God had not left us a remnant we would be like Sodom and even as Gomorrah" (Isa 1:9). Babylon is indeed rising.

Without any risk of sounding like an alarmist, we can plainly observe the following. We see the fire burning all around us, families are going under, marriages are failing and children are without their mothers and fathers.* It need not be doom and gloom on our side of the fence if we build our homes on a sure foundation and learn to protect and secure what’s ours before we go out to save the rest of the world. This can be done by filtering our culture’s sewage and outlawing and divesting from its forbidden fruits. The Church needs to stand on the scriptures where our immutable God has always been never to budge from His own eternal Word. We need to put the trumpet to our lips and sound the alarm. The economy and our livelihoods are never the main issue; the thieves have come in and stolen the whole foundation from underneath our feet and we need to get it back. We need to have a spiritual and a scriptural revival accompanied by genuine repentance The main question of life has always been "Now that you know and have heard, what will you do with this Jesus? Will you crucify Him or make Him The lord of your life?" If some sin so they won't feel lonely they need to realize that the ultimate loneliness is to live without The Lord. So Peter warns us by saying,

A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23 And it shall come to pass , that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

(Acts 3:22-23).

God’s patience and mercy

“The one with you now is not your husband”(John 4:18)

Even though we know Jesus is capable of anger, Jesus' exchange with the Samaritan woman, who was living with a man out of wedlock, was not angry at all. Instead He invites the lady to a drink from the waters of life, but He still calls her (foul?) on the issue. This is yet another illustration of God’s capacity for love, mercy and grace toward us humans. In other words, He lets us know that He doesn’t like what’s going on but gives us time to get it right. We need to repent and make those things that offend (Him) right while The Lord is still disposed to be patient toward us.

Dissent leading to apostasy

There is now a language form on which this dissonant lifestyle moves and evolves. Terms like “no strings” that define behavior have been invented are becoming common place. The collective language of the people is the software on which it runs its social interactions and be it in a microcosm or in the larger sections of society. The fact that language has been invented to describe sexually free lifestyles shows how prevalent it has become and how it’s growing. The dissonance from the ‘old rule laid by the fathers’ is now apparent, a different ethic is being promulgated and social norms are changing where the old understanding of marriage is ever always put on the defensive and new types of marriages are being discussed.

Marriage also has a bad reputation for trapping its adherent’s into an unhappy place for long periods of time. Even if this is at times true it doesn’t justify the alternative of sinfulness. According to TV land's depictions it would seem, wives are desperate and need to go outside their home and partner to experience relief. Women do sexual exploits and gather to swap stories about them cajoling and urging each other to go on and live 'free'. One can only guess as to how far ahead or behind the reality is in our communities, from such depictions(and whether these shows are purposed to create their own realities).

If the collective conscience is self correcting it’s either slow in doing so or is losing the battle for a return to moral purity. Large sections of the ‘structural’ church have had terrible scandals and the living church has lost her saltiness to be a moral deterrent.

It’s no wonder people are reluctant to marry inside and outside the church.

"In the beginning was The Word and The Word was God.
All things were made through him... The Word became flesh"
" He said he who eats my flesh has life...
The Words that I speak to you they are life."

(John 1:1,3,14; 6:54, 63)

In contrast to the renegade and sinful lifestyles that don't work, imagine a software to life exists on which we are to run our lives in order to be whole. It has no bugs or glitches. That software is The Word and Jesus is that word. He is much more than just ‘software’; He is the nourishment of life itself. In one of his riddle laden discourses Jesus invites us to eat "himself"!? (which He explained to be His Word) so we can have life. This Word not only explains the world we live in but tells us how to live in it. It gives us the best available council on the important issues of life. We dare not reject it or replace it with empty philosophy or religion as its promise is life itself, a full life the way it was meant to be lived from the beginning.

The End

**Clayton B. Reid, Want to stay Married...? News Max Mag. April, 2010 p.22

Conclusion: To marry or not to marry

2010-05-02T13:42:00.006-04:00

To Marry or not to Marry

We believe there are several important factors that are relevant today when considering whether to marry or not.

26 I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife ? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife ? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you marry, you have not sinned ; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you

(I Cor. verses 26-28)

1. We will call the first factor for consideration"because the times are evil" factor. This, we expect, will become more and more pronounced as we move closer to the Parousia or Christ's return. The "Present distress" Paul mentioned in the above scripture portion may have been referring to one or more of the following reasons. He may have been referring to persecutions, troubling times or to the moral conditions of a sin-city, that resembled the spirit of some of our own times and towns. There is no doubt that ancient Corinth was that kind of a city as it had glorified prostitution in its midst.

Jeremiah, Paul and Jesus

Jeremiah was commanded ‘not’ to seek to marry from his own homeland because of the tumultuous times and the character(?) of the people and the impending judgment of God.(Jeremiah 16: 2) Similarly, today there is a large moral and spiritual vacuum within the immediate communities where families dwell and seek support. In many places and countries including our own there is a trend of degradation within the mainstream culture to which many families lie exposed and are made hostage. A boiling point may not have been reached everywhere but a lewd spirit is prevalent in many places powered by the new media and technologies. It then follows that lots of grace and faith will be required for family relationships to thrive in an atmosphere often hostile to them. Even if we don't want to sacrifice our right to marry like Paul, yet like Jeremiah, the option to indefinitely prolong marriage, remains on the table for us when conditions for it are not right!

Jesus wept for The Jewish nation as he foresaw the troubles that were to overtake it. During His passion, when women wept at the sight of his suffering, He told them, "Weep rather for your children". He knew that what was coming would be horrendous.

2. The second important factor to consider is the Bible's open declaration that there is another estate, other than the married life, that is at least equally blessed, if not more(I Corinthians Ch. 7). Paul belonged to such a blessed estate and encouraged others to follow suit and we know what a powerful life he lived. Therefore, we should not feel unfavored just because we have remained single while others have married as long as we live for The Lord, remain pure before others and shun fornication. We might even be the ones who are 'lucky' as the single life provides for a freedom, power and focus that is impossible for those who are married.

3. Lastly, the question begs to be asked, "Are we(you) moving and deciding in faith when it comes to such issues?" Faith is a heavenly deposit toward an earthly purpose and we should make sure we have a strong guidance and a peace within our heart when we move to make big decisions concerning marriage. It's an irreversible covenant. We should not take The Lord's commandments concerning taking a divorced person for marriage lightly as their marriage might not be dissolved in the sight of heaven. Never do things out of desperation when forming a union but out of faith, love and a clear guidance from the Holy Spirit given individually and/or confirmed corporately.

Besides considering the usual social, economical, psychological and yes aesthetic qualities, everyone would do well to reflect on the above(rarely articulated)biblical insights while they pray about what God would have them to be or to do when it comes to issues of singleness or marriage.

Pray incessantly, but I think we have already mentioned that several times.

We need not stress more, that one seek to always be equally yoked!

For God's sakes, make yourself happy, rejoice whether you are married, single or somewhere in the middle. "Rejoice, I say again rejoice" You are not alone in whatever you are going through. Millions of people share your plight and God has promised to be with you and see you through. Amen?

May the Holy Spirit give you insight in all things!

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Finally: We admit, like many other compositions by men, the above article is susceptible to human error and can be wanting or incomplete. A few of the statements above verge on the theoretical rather than the practical; they were included because often theory serves as the track on which practice moves. One has to then test it out to see if it actually works. We have tried to lay some tracks and we will let you be the judge of their usefulness. Our charismatic leanings will become apparent and we hope we have put in ample scriptural support for our arguments so Christians across all denominations can digest what we are saying.

The vastness of the subject makes it impossible to comprehend everything about it or capture it in so few words. Therefore, in such places where it seems inaccurate or impractical feel free to ignore it. There are many comprehensive works written by others that cover the practical side of marriage, courtship and singleness we hope the above essay simply wets your appetite to pray, read and study more. God's Word is the final authority on all things pertaining to life and faith.

Amen!

* Tzietle is the name of the lady who plays a matchmaker from "Fiddler on the Roof"

Bible's Translations Used:

Torrey, R. (1995, c1897). The new topical text book : A scriptural text book for the use of ministers, teachers, and all Christian workers. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos research Systems, Inc

We have used mostly KJV or NASB which are word for word translations. In a few places we have made exceptions and we have employed a 'dynamic equivalence' translation like the NIV. We did so to make certain verses to be easily readable. We have tried to employ these renditions of the scriptures only in places where we believed that they have not taken away from the main thought(s) communicated in the originals.

Sexual divergence in post-modernity

2009-10-26T15:03:00.006-04:00

Monday, October 26, 2009
Sexual divergence in post-modernity

Introduction

Imagine a you-tube video that is directed towards Homosexuals which goes viral. It’s not offensive and not full of hate. It points out that its producers are not posting it because of their hate for gays but rather their intense love for their soul. It makes clear that God does indeed love homosexuals yet does not condone their sin. It shows that the creators are not merely tolerant but care enough for gays to tell them that they need to change and that God has a plan for their salvation. Some homosexuals might get saved while others may get angry. This is the nature of preaching of the gospel. Jesus said, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”[1]

The Social consequences of evolution:

What we in general, and our youth in particular believe about origins will determine the moral choices they will make in the future. The ruthless assassin Vincent played by Tom Cruise in the movie 'Collateral', says as he goes about his killing, "..Improvise, adapt to the environment, Darwin, ---- happens..whatever, roll with it". He says again, "Millions of galaxies of hundreds of millions of stars..each a speck on one in a blink..thats us lost in space" [2]. This is part of his rationalization for the terrible things he is doing! Its not an accident that both evolution and the idea of a godless universe are used by the writers when they created this amoral fictional character. He believes he is alone in the universe and has no moral qualms about killing people to get what he wants. The question then, that should be asked is, how do these 'celebrated' scientific theories filter down into our psyche and affect the moral choices we make everyday?

Man, a law unto himself, Secularism

Evolutionary theory along with the big bang theory have set aside or altogether replaced the creator God making man seemingly unanswerable to Him, His moral laws or judgments! This has been and still is a huge split with Christianity whose tenets include that there is a day of reckoning, a day of judgment and accountability serving as a strong moral deterrent (when conscience goes awry[3]*)! These scientific theories, at times overly presumptuous in their claims of having cornered the truth have garnered a faithful following. Together with anti-religion and atheistic philosophies, these theories form a wedge between genuine faith and honest science that seeks to ascertain the truth. Religious faith is being usurped its effectiveness as a moral & spiritual agent in a needy world. Some such philosophies have gone as far as to state religion to be a sinister plot by certain men to keep certain other groups of men under subjugation[4], making a "prison for their minds"![5] This is seriously doubtful since the progenitors of these faiths were themselves poor or belonged to lower economic and social strata and getting ahead was never their motivation in preaching and establishing their message, "The Lord Your God is one"![6]

The Anti God age

Under the sway of the 'Evo-bang' theories and philosophies that permeate our world, man is left to make his own moral boundaries and decisions, making them up and changing them as he wills to fit his own selfish motives. Traditional social norms have been eroded and replaced by irreverent cultural mores leading to what one might call an amoral/immoral society and a type of a biblical Sodom that would unashamedly say, "Bring out the men so we can know them".[7]

Therefore, "Thou shall not lie, steal, commit murder or covet your neighbors property" and other divine laws and tenets that were given to be honored and have served societies well in the past have been weakened or have a convenience clause added to them or are denied altogether! (Think of the rising divorce and crime rate in western societies)[8]. Science has also been wrongly used to furnish some of the justifications (By painting a godless universe and by sometimes blurring the lines between right and wrong) for which certain moral and spiritual principles are to be abrogated for 'better' ethics and man made laws plunging us straight into an Anti God age (Anti-Christian[9] if you will, to invoke Nietzsche) where we find ourselves today and where we have been for a while now! This might spell our demise! Unknowingly, we are cutting away at the pillars and limbs that support the very fiber of our society, its laws, education, its government and most of all the family structure! As it is said of the Anti-Christ, "He will change times and laws"[10] . May God help us if we cast away and forget these eternal words and principles by which we were created that have upheld us up to now. Perhaps indeed the end is near!

Darwinian roots to bold sin

Evolution is but a scientific denial of God and that under girds the thick unbelief prevalent in our world today especially among the elite. There is actually a relationship between Homosexuality and Homo erectus. 'Homo-Erectus' was coined as a Latin phrase to represent a precursor to modern man in the evolutionary development, meaning the erect human or a hominid who stood up straight. (The theory goes something like this: Supposedly our ancestors lost the curvature of their spine through painstakingly slow incremental physiological changes, that took thousands or millions of years , when one sunny morning a baby hominid came about who would not gallop the hillside and would not skip trees in the tundra anymore but stood erect on his(her) two feet!?) Fast forward to old Canaan land in Bible times. Can you imagine poor Mr. Lot, who was living in the ancient party town of Sodom, as some 'Homo-Erectus' men came and wanted to forcibly have sexual relations with a couple his guests? Ok, this is not that much of a funny joke! Especially to God, because according to the bible, that kind of attitude resulted in the whole town being overthrown due to his fierce anger.

Evolution and its affect on cultural and sexual norms

One of the influences of evolutionary theory on modern life may have been that it has made certain sexually taboo activities to be more acceptable as it has filtered down into the beliefs of so many of today's people both young and old. One man with such a disposition, when engaged in a religious debate, said the following. "Even 30 percent of animals including elephants engage in homosexual activity". He added that, he thought he himself was an accident of nature. His defense of his life style and actions was based on science droppings, evolutionary dogma and knowledge that had been gained from National geographic and Nova cable channels. We replied, "Not only was he not an accident but that he is a veritable miracle". We also wanted to add, that all the earth was in a fallen state and as such does not always act in line with the highest purposes intended for it.

Another individual angrily shouted that being gay was what he chose to be and do, when pressed by people he felt had misunderstood him. The politically correct term a 'lifestyle choice' resulted from terminology designed to protect his rights under the constitution. However, some other men claim that if they could help it, they would rather be heterosexual, implying that they act and live in such a manner because that's who they are and that's what they must do. For yet others it seems to be an experiment in an experience, which is to be prolonged or aborted, based on how one enjoys the initial and/or subsequent experiences. "Of course" they say, "You should try everything at least once". In a generation where 'Survivor' and 'Fear Factor' and other reality based shows have come to be popular, this seems to be the approach people take towards a lot of things including sexual encounters with individuals of the same sex.

Nature, nurture or spirit?

This leads to the question, how exactly is homosexuality to be understood and how does it arise? Some people will say, "Its all in the genes. You can't fault someone if they were born with that disposition". Hence we have the term 'sexual orientation', which is believed to be an outcome of one's genetic and/or psychological, make up! This leaves all of us to overlook our apparent gender identity and wonder if we don't have a bio-genetic makeup that disposes us to certain sexual pulls and attractions. It also puts a shadow on what we all should be able to take for granted. I.E. that our original gender bestowed upon us at our inception is what determines how we are to behave socially and sexually after we grow up.

Here we will introduce yet another possibility. Namely, that such pulls and a disposition toward such activity might lie in the spiritual aspect of our make-up rather than the biological or the psyche. In the book of Romans Chapters 1 & 2 Paul says that denying the evidences of God's created work (evolution?), banishing Him out of one's thoughts and failing to acknowledge and worship him as such will lead to being given over to a reprobate mind and what he calls unlawful and unnatural desires. This might explain why people who have been seeking a remedy in the psychology department have not been able to be successful.

Robbing the glory off of the children, Unholy entertainment

"From their children have you taken away my glory forever" Micah 2:9[11]

On a wider context, if we enlarge our subject to include all of our youth, we find that alarming trends are happening with respect to their sexual behavior. The effects of conditioning happening through lewd images that inundates the print media, the entertainment industry and new technologies like the Internet is incalculable. Porn is readily available over the internet, coming right into the rooms of most young people today, who have the internet savvy to get around any and all protection that parents might install on their computers. It’s an understatement to say that they are being corrupted and being initiated into all kinds of debauchery and lewd acts or what the bible collectively calls as 'sexual immorality'. Fewer and fewer children have the opportunity to grow up with their innocence intact and without being exposed to violent or sexually charged images or lyrical gyrations of lewdness. A large part of the responsibility goes to those who are profiting from the production, publication and dissemination of this kind of smut. You can go to some college campuses today and see a form of ancient Caligula-like pleasure romps happening with youngsters as onlookers and participants (Sometimes with authority figures as advocates)! [12]

Criminal behavior, hiding behind science

Coming back to the issue at hand, if it were true that there was some other hidden biological determinant, this on its own, in one stroke, would undo all old world taboos and superstitions having to do with ancient moral codes, permitting one to engage in activities considered very sinful and even abominable by society and especially by religious faiths, their adherents and institutions. THIS WILL LEAD TO A LOT OF IRRESPONSIBLE AND DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR, opening the floodgate to ungodliness and immorality, an abyss for which there is no bottom! This kind of thinking is behind the various amoral social groupings seen on the rise today where its ok to do anything and everything that would otherwise be considered morally repugnant. May God give us the grace to repent and open our eyes to see! On a recent web blog article, former homosexual Greg Quinlan denounces fallen artist Ray Boltz as false in a reaction to his recent confession that he is gay. He adds, “The director of the Human Genome Project, Dr. Francis Collins, said this: homosexuality is not hardwired. There is no gay gene. We mapped the human genome. We now know there is no genetic cause for homosexuality”[13]

For some, science has become a fig leaf with which to hide one's nakedness by passing responsibility for one's selfish behavior to individual genes or one's biological makeup. (Granted certain ailments and disorders have bio-genetic roots, all behavior may not be so rooted. Notice how certain criminal defenses are mounted today to evade responsibility! With respect to our discussion our Lord places the sources of such sins squarely within our evil hearts, Mark 7:21) We can only hope (said sarcastically) that scientist will soon find the individual sins (..er genes) that have to do with murder, rape and violence so that we can either quarantine and/or neuter people before they actually commit their first crime. In ethics for a brave new world, the two Feinbergs invoke Evelyn Hooker as saying the following.

Thus, Evelyn Hooker is most likely correct. Homosexuality is the result of a variety of causes, none of which decisively determines sexual preference. There may be some biological factors which either predispose or contribute to homosexuality, and the home environment is also a significant factor. Still, in cases where all of these elements are present, one will not necessarily become a homosexual[14]

After arguing that no scientific study has conclusively supported a biological cause for homosexuality, Richard Kirby comes to the following conclusion, “ Scientists may indeed discover a clear biological predisposition to sexual orientation. But a predisposition is not the same as a determination.”[15]

However there is are political reasons for the insistence that bio-genetic causes are responsible for sexual orientation even if studies on the subject may not be conclusive,

Many have concluded there is a genetic reason for homosexuality. Of course, this claim is extremely important to homosexuals for at least two reasons. First, if homosexuality is something innate or constitutional, then homosexuals are no more responsible for their sexual orientation than for eye color or height. Attempts to get homosexuals to change their sexual orientation will also be useless. Second, this claim has political ramifications. If there is a biological basis for homosexuality, then there will be pressure to grant them minority-rights status. This is a special civil rights status that would protect them from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation.11,[16]

As a man thinks of himself so is he!

Could it be that We become who we believe ourselves to be! As the old but true wisdom adage goes, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he"[17] and so he will do and act. How we see ourselves can determine how we act. The Issue then becomes whether we are doing the things we are doing because we are helpless victims of our nature or whether we are allowing ourselves to be overcome by our lower, baser selves? The answer may be somewhere in the middle, where our flesh and spirit constantly strive against one another. Although our biological makeup has a lot to do with our inclinations and behavior we have also been given a conscience and a will that we ought to exercise in making the right decisions. Further, being informed of our creator's intentions for our life can aid us in making the right decisions concerning how we are to keep and utilize our bodies so we can progress from the realm of sensations to the higher and fuller life that God intended for us to have. Yes, we are spiritual beings who live in a physical body with dual natures and created with the higher purposes of worship and communion (and definitely not for a one night stand hookup down at Oreilly’s pub for some sexual gratification). It all revolves around a question of anthropology and the nature of man.

On the other hand, if we think of ourselves as animals we will act as animals! In fancy scientific terms, if we think that we are some half-baked by product of evolution that inherited genes with a confused gender roll, we will act and live that way. (The argument will go something like this: After all biogenetic information is being recycled and passed in a continuous cycle of conception, birth and dying. Surely, there is bound to be an error where certain of the files with ones bio-genetic information got lost or confused with certain other files: This argument assumes a universe without an all powerful creator and sustainer of life). It is this latter view that we consider false and seek to challenge here. It is a fatal error to assume man to be just a biological without a soul, genetically pre-programmed to act in a certain way without recourse or choice. The real truth may be that there are both biological and spiritual aspects to our nature that are susceptible to various kinds of temptations. It might be closer to the truth to say that there are spirits (entities that beguile, tempt and even possess us) behind these and other types of human behavior, that can take over and control our lives in the absence of Godly influence and resistance on our part[18]

Who we are

Our mind is subject to tremendous outside pressures in the modern world that wants to imprint its own impressions on us, vying for our allegiances. Therefore, we need to have an honest mirror as a reflection of our true self and that mirror is the Word of God. We cannot see ourselves in a true light unless we have experienced regeneration. Who we truly are has always been a question of anthropology and theology. Jay E. Adams says the following of man’s nature, “ In all parts and aspects of his(Man’s) life he is depraved”[19]

Hope for a remedy, washed and changed

It seems that one of the illusions of being under the sway of gender-bending spirits is to believe this to be one's permanent biological state or condition or one's inborn nature! For those who seek hope or remedy, we dare suggest, that if it be a spiritual problem it has a spiritual solution. And even if it were a physical or biological ailment, God is the God of all flesh, its maker sustainer and healer! Having full faith in the maker's love for mankind, we dare suggest that one can have full deliverance and recovery if one were to come to Christ seeking it! Our hearts are full with faith to say, its possible in God for one to have restored the natural desire that one should have for a spouse of the opposite sex and lead a natural fruitful life! In the Corinthian church, there were former homosexuals who had been saved. Paul says to them in effect, “some of you used to be homosexuals and used to make yourselves into women, such things can leave one out of God's kingdom, but now you are washed and changed, sanctified and justified in the name of our lord Jesus and by his spirit”[20] What a powerful testimony this is of a transformed life. Even so today we have gospel ministers and singers who have been taken out of these lifestyles and been transformed. One famous example of this is the gospel singer, Donny Mcklurkin.

Helpful Websites

Changed to live the higher life! Homosexuals who changed![21]
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/ex-gay.html
http://www.exodus-international.org/[22]

Conflicting Paradigms and the Arts

Homosexuality and the media

However, there will always be powers that will want to maintain the status quo of sinfulness and who do not want change (spiritually speaking) and would rather battle to keep things as they are. One can always circumvent biblical morality by creating ones own religion or infiltrating the religious institutions with ones prophets and messiahs. Proponents of the gay rights movement have taken the battle to all fronts of society all the way from the streets, to the media, to the courts and into the church. The struggle would also have to include using the arts to propagate one's message by putting it in movies, music, the theater, sitcoms, talk shows and all the mainstream venues and media outlets. The gay cowboy movie, Broke Back Mountain is an example of this as well as the sitcom ‘Will and Grace’. It also proves how powerful these groups can be in being able to share their message of ‘understanding and tolerance’ (toward sin) and fighting ‘hate’.

For better or for worse, we saw all these things take place just within the last few years, as homosexual people fought to have their lifestyle acknowledged as a viable and healthy way of living worthy of acceptance of all. However, art cannot make sin beautiful any more than adding a realistic touch to Monet's paintings (by having some dog-pie appear on the left frame of his water lilies or flower beds) will make his work look better!

This has left people of faith sometimes reeling and seeking to strike a balance on how to resist this mounting assault while simultaneously showing love to people within their families and communities by providing the right spiritual guidance and support on such issues. It has not helped that in recent years, some mainline churches have lost the moral high ground to speak down on such debauchery because of scandals that took place in their parishes that have reverberated in the media, making it hard for everyone to decide on whom to trust on such issues. In a recent well publicized story one formerly abused man, accused a priest that allegedly abused him of "making him into a homosexual!"

Christ: The only ethical approach towards the homosexual community

The lord is interested in sinners and loves them. so we must also be and do likewise. This is the basis of compassionate ethics. Reinhold Neibuhr states, “ The crown of Christian ethics is the doctrine of forgiveness. Love as forgiveness is the most difficult and impossible of moral achievements”[23] Therefore, this paper is not an ant-gay diatribe! It's a pro-righteousness treatment of this issue with the hopes of winning hearts to the truth or truths set forth in the bible and mainly of the deep love that God has for his miss-stepping creation. Hatred of anyone within the reach of God's grace (and who isn't) although they engage in sexually divergent sins (and who hasn't) is wrong. It's the sin to be hated and not the sinner himself; because most of us whether we like to admit it publicly or not, have done things that have made us ashamed. Some of us have done even worse things while hiding behind a religious cloak and should be pointing a finger at ourselves not others.

The Theology of sin and redemption

The simple truth is that God loves all men (and women) and wants to save them when bent on things that will eventually destroy them and further, He wants to make them His own by saving them to the uttermost*[24]. And why does He hate sin in man? This is because sin is like a flaw or a blemish in an otherwise beautiful and beloved image of Himself. Because it subverts the creators intentions and hopes for the one created so much so that it frustrates and grieves and saddens Him. Therefore He hates it much like a father grieved by a wayward son who is doing drugs, carousing or involved in criminal activities. He is also forced to approach man in two ways I.E. Through the whip or through the loving Word calling him to repentance.

The Good news concerning overwhelming sin & substitutionary atonement

God must punish sin[25] but instead of making us know the full burnt of His wrath, He let His son Jesus Christ carry that wrath[26] fulfilling His own requirement for justice. Through the substitution of Jesus (He was made sin for us![27]) in our stead, our sins have already been bourn by our savior and therefore we can have forgiveness and reconciliation when we trust in Him.

Here is the good news concerning this or any other sin. This is simply that, you can be forgiven and also be totally and completely cleansed from it! Through The Blood of Jesus applied to your life when you believe, you are able to be purified and stand before your loving father with a pure conscience through the work of His grace, and subsequent sanctification. Jesus said that all sins that men do shall be forgiven them except one(and homosexuality is not that one). The Bible counsels us to flee "sexual immorality" and to keep our eyes and mind on things good, wholesome and spiritual.

Related links:
Swedish pastor convicted for preaching against homosexuality
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05111504.html[28]

Bibliography

Bible

All verses have been quoted from The King James Version of The Bible

Books

Anderson Kerby, Christian Ethics In Plain Language. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2005

Marx Karl and Friedrich EngelsThe Communist Manifesto,

Nietzsche Fredrick, The Antichrist, 1895

Feinberg, John S. ; Feinberg, Paul D. ; Huxley, Aldous: Ethics for a Brave New World. Wheaton, Ill. :

Crossway Books, 1996, c1993, S. 189

Cal Thomas, “Sexual Preference Is Not Determined by Genetic Factors,” DH, September 6, 1991.

Adams Jay E., A Theology Of Christian Counseling, P.141

Neibuhr, Reinhold An interpretation of Christian Ethics. New York Harper and Brothers 1935 P. 223

Website sources and links

http://blog.nola.com/faith/2008/09/gospel_singer_ray_boltz_admits.html

www.cbn.com/cbnnews/news/050315a.asp

http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/ex-gay.html

http://www.exodus-international.org/

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05111504.html

Movies

Mann, Michael Collateral film directed by and written by Stuart Beattie. 2004 crime/thriller

Wachowski, Larry and Andy The Matrix written and directed by, 1999 science fiction-martial arts-action film

Footnotes.

[1] John 15:18-19 (KJV)

[2] Collateral is a 2004 crime/thriller film directed by Michael Mann and written by Stuart Beattie.

[3] Proverbs 1:7 (King James Version)

[4] The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-martial arts-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, ‘The blue-red pill scene’ also
[5] The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
[6] Mark 12:29-31 (New King James Version)

[7] Genesis 19:5 King James Version

[8] Kerby Anderson, Christian Ethics In Plain Language. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2005. P.136, 143

[9] Fredrick Nietzsche, The Antichrist, 1895

[10] Daniel 5:7 King James Version

[11] King James Version of The Bible, Micah 2:9

[12] www.cbn.com/cbnnews/news/050315a.asp

[13] http://blog.nola.com/faith/2008/09/gospel_singer_ray_boltz_admits.html

[14]Feinberg, John S. ; Feinberg, Paul D. ; Huxley, Aldous: Ethics for a Brave New World. Wheaton, Ill. : Crossway Books, 1996, c1993, S. 189

[15] Kerby Anderson, Christian Ethics In Plain Language. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2005. P.112

11 Cal Thomas, “Sexual Preference Is Not Determined by Genetic Factors,” DH, September 6, 1991.

[16]Feinberg, John S. ; Feinberg, Paul D. ; Huxley, Aldous: Ethics for a Brave New World. Wheaton, Ill. : Crossway Books, 1996, c1993, S. 187

[17] Proverbs 23:7, The King James Version of the Bible.

[18] Ephesians 2:2-3 The King James Version of The Bible

[19] Jay E. Adams, A Theology Of Christian Counseling, P.141

[20] I Corinthians 6:9-11Paraphrase King James Vesrion

[21] http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/ex-gay.html

[22] http://www.exodus-international.org/

[23] Reinhold Neibuhr, An interpretation of Christian Ethics. New York Harper and Brothers 1935 P. 223

[24] Hebrews 7:25

[25] Roman’s 6:23 KJV Bible

[26] 2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV Bible

[27] 2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV Bible

[28] http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05111504.html

An intelligent & powerful man who lusted

2009-01-23T15:03:00.005-05:00

Solomon had transcended his Jewish identity and had become a cosmopolitan leader. He was married to Pharaoh’s daughter. His fame had also spread far and wide to the point where dignitaries like The Queen of Sheba came to Solomon to learn from his wisdom. His ministry and effect was not confined within the borders of Israel.

A young vibrant Solomon, who had been just anointed king, prays for wisdom that will allow him to rule the great nation of Israel. This The Lord grants to him in abundance. How much understanding was he given? It must have been considerable[2]. There were 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs that he had authored and he had knowledge about animal and plant life or what we today would call things like the Biology of fauna and flora[3]What we have in proverbs is a collection of only part of Solomon’s brilliant mind given to him by God. The amount and range of this collection is considerable adding up to thirty-one chapters of godly sayings, advice and counsel that address and pertain to numerous crucial issues of life.

[1] C. Hassle Bullock, Poetic books, an introduction to OT. P. 172
[2] Ist Kings 4:29
[3] Ist Kings 4:32

The Aftermath of Failure

We will accept with tradition and Biblical scholarship that says that Solomon is indeed the author of this Ecclesiastics.
.

Vanity of vanities all is vanity, begins Solomon…

It’s Motivation

4For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. [1]

This book, is believed to have been written during Solomon’s latter years. A Solomon well endowed in years begins to reflect at the ruins, ashes of his life and the one enduring eternal “Rock” who never fails. The sense of pathos starts from the beginning where one senses’ his regret. This is also why he must have needed to leave behind a recorded legacy of a partly wasted life that could have and should have been, lived better. One can speculate in this way when trying to narrow down Solomon’s motivation to write this book. He had indeed started well but did not finish as well as he would have liked so he, at least, tries to redeem the wastage by warning those who would live after him and would be confronted with similar choices. He can still get up, walk and pen words so he gets busy. He is not like the Rich man in hell whom Jesus talked about who is told its too late for him to warn his brothers. He writes an open letter to all those who would come after him to consider their ways.

Historical context: Solomon, Israel’s wise peace time ruler

Alas as it turns out a lot of the Israelite dynasty that continued after him had the same or worse problems but Solomon needed at least to give a warning to these subsequent leaders of Israel. What a well-lived life he had. Here was a man that had set his heart aright early on through the instruction of his father David and his mother Bethsheba[2]. He was a man who enjoyed world renown as a statesman of great wisdom. He had also enjoyed unprecedented wealth in a time of peace and prosperity. Israel was at the peak of her statehood with no enemies in sight.

9And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

He was also spiritually blessed to have had no less than two visitations from the Lord[3] in which the Lord had appeared to him to grant him not just the wisdom he had asked for to govern but also prosperity as an added bonus. As the one commissioned with building the temple he witnessed an inauguration attended by the visible glory of God’s presence. What days those days must have been? It makes one realize why those who had returned from Babylonian captivity had wept remembering Solomon’s temple. All of this would end in a low note at the latter end of his life for having forsaken the ways of the lord and amassing inordinate number of wives and concubines from heathen nations of which he had been warned would turn his heart away from God[4]. The decline of Israel and the period of the divided kingdom begin as soon as he is gone.

The Message of Ecclesiastics

Speculations aside, what is he saying to us? There is a type of layered wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastics that is different from the concise advice in pill form found in proverbs. Vanity of vanities all is vanity, begins Solomon and starts on a down turn with a problem. He is not unlike other Old Testament prophets in this way, who spell out their society’s problems. However Solomon does not direct his outcry at a particular group of people but towards the world at large and to himself.

In The beginning chapters Solomon demonstrates the futility of life, wisdom and the pursuits of pleasure and the amassing of wealth. What an important message this is to every generation of people who have lived on this earth. Don’t get caught up in those things because they all turn out to be meaningless empty pursuits.

He does not speak this like a philosopher but like a scientist who had been in a libratory and had experimented with all these things and found them disappointing. It’s a difficult book in this way that it does not advocate abstaining but preaches from the hindsight of one who has partaken of all these things. It seems to say you need not make those same mistakes ‘I’ have made instead of delineating a line that must not be crossed. In contrast Jesus and the New Testament draw a line and command us, don’t do these but if you do and fail you have an advocate with the father. That is why The Lord is greater than Solomon and everyone else. We all preach from a lesson learned after failure like Solomon. We say, I backslid into drinking, or pornography but you shouldn’t do that to yourself. It useless vanity and only leads to greater disappointments!

While chapter one states the problems of excess. Chapter two shows us how to live a contented life with measure. This idea is also found in proverbs. Solomon continues by sharing with us the importance of timeliness. He says to us, one of the most quoted sayings from the Bible, “There is a time for everything”. This ties in to the excesses of the beginning chapter because we need not have all things right now, rather good things will come to us in their appointed time which The Lord has ordained. So here again he lets out the other secret of contentment, which is trusting the lord’s timing for our life. God’s sovereign rule over the earth is also developed in this chapter. Solomon develops the themes of ‘futile pursuits’ in the rest of the chapters.

What he failed to do in life he tries to set aright on paper to forewarn others and leave a legacy of remorse that says, “learn from my mistakes” Solomon continues to rummages through all the let down’s of life (like work, politics, family, religion etc) but concludes by putting us on a nice comfortable hill that we can hope and trust in, That of The Lord’s.

12:1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;[5]

13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.[6]

What is the conclusion of a man whose life that had digressed on a tangent of amorous and greedy pursuits? Fear The Lord who will bring all to account!
[1] 1 Kings 11:4 (KJV)
[2] 1 Kings 11:9 (KJV)
[3] Ist Kings 11:9
[4] I kings 11:1-3
[5] Eccles. 12:1 (KJV)
[6] Eccles. 12:13-14 (KJV)

Intimacy

2009-01-23T14:57:00.008-05:00

Song of Songs: The book of Intimacy

This book is not just ‘The song’ but the ‘song of songs’. The title indicates, in what esteem this beautiful book was held by Solomon and perhaps also to subsequent Jewish tradition that had incorporated it as part of its community and spiritual life. It’s the Psalter of the young. The young don’t always have the blues that a mature audience would experience. You can imagine young Jewish men and women, girls and boys, perk up while its read in a synagogue. It adds balance to a spirituality that might be devoid of romance, physical love or intimacy. It validates the love God had obviously intended to be there between couples. But does this book hold another mystery key related to our own spiritual life?

7I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. Song 2:7 (KJV)

This is obviously a book about love and its intricacies. Love is a wonderful and necessary emotion that adds meaning and substance to all human experience. There is much sense to the notion that it was written while a young Solomon inspired by an immense love he has for a mysterious Shulamite woman, authors a short two or three character musical play about their love. Solomon waxes poetic about this Shulamite woman. The bible codex generally uses modest language in describing the relationship between a man and woman but here one gets more intimate language that affirms the love between a man and a woman.

Who is the Shulamite woman?

One might speculate, maybe the long legged models in ancient Israel dwell in region of Shulam or shunem. The New American Bible has the following footnote as to her identity. “Shulammite: so called either because the girl is considered to be from Shulam in the plain of Esdraelon (cf 1 Kings 1:3) or because the name may mean "the peaceful one," and thus recall the name of Solomon”.[1] We know of a Shunamite woman in the Bible who was given to David as a wife in his latter years. [2] Therefore, Solomon’s Shulamite could have been from the land of Shunem or (Shulam). Since we know Solomon to have had many wives she may have been the one among the many that made his heart skip.

The Theme of Song of songs

8I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. [3]

Love is the one prevailing theme of this book. So in its content it’s New Testament counterpart would be John’s gospel and his 1st epistle which have an over abundance of the word love (more than twenty times each). The word love is used many times in the sense of the love between God and man. What a profound concept! The love between a single soul or a collection of souls, which is his church and God can be said to be the greatest love of all loves without it being considered a travesty of interpretation. It’s no wonder then that this book has been allegorized to indicate this great love. Even while applying a literal interpretation it still can be used to illustrate that great love between Christ and his church[4].

30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

It’s Application: Speaking the Language of spiritual love and doing God’s works

The application of this book cannot just be thought of as a call to keep the home fires burning or rekindle romance with one’s spouse, although that is perfectly valid. We should be able to use intimate language in our worship and prayers to express our love for the Lord. We should ask, when was the last time that we told The Lord, “I love you Lord!” and sang the love songs of the church with a genuine and a true heart? Sometimes the cares and problems of this world can make our hearts cold and make us forget to tell The Lord how much we love him. Jesus had predicted that in the iniquitous last times “The heart of many will wax cold[5], and faith will have disappeared[6].

It was also a charge he had brought against the Ephesians church “You have left your first love… Do the first works”[7] We should also then love the Lord by doing the ‘first works’ and continue in the works he has ordained for us to do since the foundations of the world.[8] Do we still pray, read our Bibles, go to church and pray? If not we may have left our first love and may need to repent. The question is, how is our love life today not what have we attained so far? Jesus had said in another place, “If you want to abide in my love, keep my commandments”[9] In other words he was saying for us to do the things He cares about not the things we ourselves want to do. Such was also the call for Peter to take care of His Sheep, “Do you love me Peter, if you do, feed my sheep and flocks”[10]

Opening up to Intimacy with God

The language of intimacy is not unique to Song of Songs, David says, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”[11] Jesus goes even further in wanting to share himself with the materially rich but otherwise wretched Laodicean church.

17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.[12]

2I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 3I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 4My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. 5I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. 6I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.[13]

Transcending the elementary principles of hermeneutics for a minute and seeing the Bible as one whole unit that is God breathed we can glean the following understanding. When we see the above two scriptures in tandem we see illustrated, the problems that emanate from substituting intimacy with The Lord with something else like politics. The solution also becomes glaringly apparent. Many times we can be closed to the type of intimacy God wants to have with us which would have availed us much. Put simply, It’s all about Loving The Lord and spending time with Him. When was the last time we had a long deep intimate time of prayer?

[1]http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/songs/song7.htm
[2] 1 Kings 1:3)
[3] Song 5:8 (KJV)
[4] Ephes. 5:30-33 (KJV)
[5] Matthew 24:12
[6] Luke 18:18
[7] Revelation 2:4,5
[8] Ephesians 2:10
[9] John 15:9
[10] John 21:17
[11] Psalm 42:1 (KJV)
[12] Revelation 3:17-20
[13] Song 5:2-6 (KJV)

Insight into human suffering from Job

2009-01-23T14:50:00.003-05:00

Introduction

Job’s tragedy, the resulting dialogue and exchanges and final restoration have powerful lessons for all of us. Life can dish out some grief even when we have done our best to live righteously but we can hope for a better end and outcome especially if we are believing Christians. This comforts every person that has been hit with tragedy, sorrow and misfortune. This is the purpose of this book. To answer the questions, Why do the righteous suffer? How should we deal with our suffering and what will the end of be?

What manner of a man?

16If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; 17Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; 18(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;) 19If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; 20If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; 21If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate: Job 31:16-21 (KJV)

According to these verses Job was not only obviously a man of faith but also one through whom kindness flowed to others. He helped the poor and the widow (v.16) he had sheltered and shared his food with orphans (v. 17-18). He had helped and clothed the needy (V. 19). Jesus had also said, when you have a feast invite the poor and needy not the rich (Luke 14:3). James tells us such kindness is pure religion when combined with holiness (James 1:27) Job also describes his walk in the ‘holiness’ department as above reproach. No wonder The Lord had boasted about this man’s ways and his fear and reverential respect for him (Job 1:8).

9If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door; 10Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her. 11For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. Job 31:9-11 (KJV)

In the above quoted chapter and especially in the verses indicated, we get a vivid picture of what Job was like. Job relates a mini-biography that would make the best of Christians look bad. These poetry portions are even more revealing than the prologue written in prose about Job’s character in understanding the type of man Job was.

It will not just do Job justice to say, Job was a really good man but a sinner like all of us. Why was Job called a good man without par in all the earth? ”Wow!?, In all the earth?” Only a few exceptional men have had the distinction of being called the most humble, most wise in all the earth and these were Moses and Solomon respectively. Job in his just dealings must have reached the highest bar that can possibly be attained by men, yet his problems were just about to start.

Spiritual Warfare

Job’s bafflement of the events that had overtaken him emanated from the impeccable life he had lived. Why me? That he was a good man was not just his own evaluation but also God’s and negatively Satan’s, although the latter attributes self interest to Job’s motivations. This perfect life, surprisingly enough seems to be the reason he gets caught in-between God and Satan (Job 1:8,9). Such warfare, it’s proven, no one will escape who lives, past, present and future including even our Lord Jesus. This single profound truth can become one of the great lessons from Job. Life in its spiritually bare form is a battle and a warfare that involves us with colossal spiritual forces. This parallels what the rest of the Bible says on the subject. See for example Jesus’ temptation or the verses in Ephesians that clearly depict this warfare[1]

12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.[2]

The Reasons For Suffering

Satan Challenges even The Lord’s testimony about Job and God permits a temporary trail period for Job by Satan with certain conditions. Why? Because God is sovereign and able to command anything and everything he wants concerning his creation. That was also the sum of The Lord’s answer to Job at the end[3]. One need not ask “Why?” one needs only to trust God. That seems to be one of the important lessons conveyed by this marvelous book. Another important lesson is that others who witness our suffering will more often than not misinterpret it as God’s wrath and fall into judgment themselves.

But the real reason for suffering is not as satisfactorily answered as in other New Testament portions concerning the subject of suffering. However, Job must have come to a realization of ‘the why’ himself and gives us the following hint.

10But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.[4]

A fuller more satisfying explanation of suffering from the New Testament can be found in the apostle Peter’s epistles who also had a theology of suffering as a fellow Christian sufferer and one who had seen The Lord suffer.

4:1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;[5]

10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.[6]

Why God permits the temporary suffering of his own becomes one among many theological questions that posit themselves to the reader of Job’s story. According to Peter, Suffering works in us sanctification. Therefore, the questions Job posits for its reader gets its full answer in The New Testament in Christ. This is perhaps also an answer and a solution to the questions and riddles of our own lives.

A Blessed End For the Sufferer

God is the ultimate authority on the outcome of suffering and He must anticipate a good end for it. This we can believe and rejoice about knowing that the reality of suffering is inescapable for every soul but its end will always be beneficial to it. The end for Job was a theophany[7] and a blessing and a restoration that exceeded his initial state and ownings[8]. Job had the joy of seeing the lord which is the heart desire of all devout men yet granted to only a few like Moses, Daniel and Isaiah. “The pure in heart shall see God.”[9]

[1] (Matt. 4: 1-10. Eph 2:2).
[2] Ephes. 6:12 (KJV)
[3] (Job 401; 42:1
[4] Job 23:10 (KJV)
[5] 1 Peter 4:1 (KJV)
[6] 1 Peter 5:10 (KJV)
[7] (Job 42:5)
[8] Job 42:12,15
[9] Matthew Ch 5

The Shulamite(debugged)

2008-11-21T11:04:00.018-05:00

The Search For The Shulamite
The most perfect, beautiful and desirable woman

Who can find a virtuous women? Proverbs 31:10
A beautiful women who rejects good sense is like a gold ring in a pig's snout
Proverbs 11:21

The Question: A book about love, written in beautiful poetry, 'the Song of Songs', also known as 'The Song of Solomon' talks of a Shulamite women who is beautiful and desirable to her beloved more than all others. The question that begs to be asked is, "What makes the her so desirable?"

Search for an answer: Was it just her natural attributes or was there something else? Her physical features don't seem to have been as exceptional yet she was loved more than all the others (Song of songs 8:8). Why was she Solomon's favorite? Could there be a double entendre woven into this unusual poetry? Could it be as some writers and commentators have suggested a metaphor for a soul who is loved by God and one who is desirable to Him for friendship and fellowship? We will leave that for another dscussion.

The following essay ponders what the heart of such a beautiful women loved by God (and her man) might be like. We have upped the ante of beauty to include righteousness. Remember the teenage movie 'weird science' in which two wiz kids are somehow able to create the ultimate woman who turns out to be the once beautiful model Kelly Lebrock? If we apply spiritual(and not just physical) parameters to create a picture of this most beloved of women, would we possibly come up with the shulamite of Solomon or a heretical monstrosity? Read bellow and You be the judge. No one woman might have all these attributes but 'her' ideals can be studied and emulated beacuse in of themselves they are etrnally relavant and trancedent virtues that come right out of God's Word The Bible!

We hope you do the deeper searches with the linked scriptures and are able to form at least a rough caricature her. You can then supply the flesh to her skeletal form. In the least, We hope to show that a two dimentional physical appearance is not all there is to beauty even after you consider a bright intellect as they do in beauty pagents. It would be interesting to see what woman can come up with as an answer to the question of what real beauty is. We have opened up the discussion so you can participate and add to it. Therfore, this essay is not a final a verdict as to what real beauty may be.

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Who is the shulamite or what was(is) she like?

Conjecture or Assumption: The essence of a shulamite can be expressed as a collage of other virtuous women in the bible who are spoken of well by the spirit.

She has an inner spiritual beauty (translate-the fruits of the spirit) along with (and not just) the know-how to make herself look attractive on the outside like Sarah. ( Not everyone inherits genes that make for exceptional physical beauty like Sarah, so you have to work with what God gave you but everyone can have the more precious inner beauty, the beauty of salvation). She is aware of modern fashion but dresses modestly when it comes to her choice of hairstyle, apparel, jewelry or makeup. She does not seek attention by wearing skimpy or flashy clothes but lets her inward good character be the point of conversation among her peers. She is not driven or motivated by lust or greed but lets higher principles (of The Word & The Spirit) be her light and guide!. She honors her body (she does not cheapen it!) as the seat of birth and as a temple. She keeps herself in good physical shape and health.

She considers Christian submission (to a righteous rule or directive) as a good thing so she exercises it. She is chaste with eyes only for her betrothed and the bridegroom (I mean Jesus, of course). She is a lover of Jesus like Mary Magdalene. She is a devout, focused and attentive disciple (as a student of righteousness) like Martha's sister, Mary. She has a servant's heart and is not bossy. She is a kind, gentle and humble soul like Mary mother of Jesus who would be both a good mother and a good wife. She has a giving heart and keeps giving even though she has next to nothing herself or is going through a hard time like the generous widow who gave her last two coins. She is a faithful minister unto the Lord like Elisabeth, always serving the Lord in His house and having His priorities at heart! Aware of her own faults and shortcomings, she is not overly judgmental but practices being merciful!

She is a resourceful person (a proverbs 31 women) able to cook and keep a clean and organized household as well as having wisdom along with a reverential fear and respect for God. She is a spiritual/prayer warrior like Esther, whose courage and decisiveness saves her people from certain destruction. She is loyal and faithful to her kin (brothers and sisters in Christ) and to God himself like Ruth was to Naomi. We are making the conjecture that this is what constitutes the perfect women, the proverbial Shulamite from the 'Song of Songs' who is also a type of the church. Since the 'Song of Songs' is a book about intimacy the shulamite is a worshipper and all her good qualities come and flow from the intimacy she has with Jesus. As a worshipper, She dances for joy, singing and rejoicing over the victories of her beloved like Miriam. She is full of laughter and the joy of her maker.

These qualities don't come overnight but are lofty qualities that take a lifetime to develop through God's grace and help. If you feel you don't have them all, don't worry, not many women are like that. Just be one that trusts in Jesus and He will work those qualities in you! Only be willing to be changed and molded by him. A good place to get started to having her qualities is to get introduced to her beloved Yeshau! Here is how!

Timeliness

2008-11-13T21:51:00.011-05:00

3:1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Eccles. 3:1-8 (KJV)

1.To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Introduction

This introductory statement in verse one in the above passage provides for a succinct statement for all the specific applications listed bellow it, so we will delve into its implications more deeply before looking at the other verses. Verse one in the above passage posits for us a gem of an idea. It’s a beautiful idea that is not always apparent to us who live down here on earth. The seeming randomness of life, its cumbersomeness, its repetitiveness make us sometimes to believe that there is no plan or propose to life and the events that are happening in our world. But according to this statement by Solomon events are not haphazardly taking place and they are not random but they happen according to the predetermined plan and purpose that God has for them. This is not to say that all things are robotically pre planned before in eternity with no leeway for human will or impetus having a role in shaping a destiny. Both the sovereignty of God and the will of man are taught in the Bible even if we can’t always reconcile them intellectually. The latter mentioned is obviously smaller by comparison but does play some role.

God’s sovereignty and time

Time comes from the one who spun our globe(earth) on her axis and causes her to complete a single rotation amounting to a day. The idea of timeliness fits snugly into one of the great themes of the scriptures, that of the sovereignty of God in all of human life and activity. Stated precisely, The Lord by His infinite wisdom has established the times and purposes for all things that take place under heaven. He controls them and wields them according to His will. Time, like all things created by God, falls under the category of things upon which The Lord sovereignly reigns over. One recalls for example the great general Joshua, who prayed for and was granted more daylight-time to conclude his battles (Joshua 10:120).

The wise Solomon was aware of and sensitive to this aspect of wisdom, which we call today as timeliness. Solomon had said concerning love, presumably in his younger days, “do not awaken love before its time”(Song. 2:7; 8:4). In chapter three of ecclesiastics, which he must have written in the latter days of his life, he again echoes timeliness as being important to all aspects of life. In its simplest rendering the gist of this section in Ecclesiastes is to show the importance of good timing. Stated another way, it exhorts us that there is a right time to do certain things. It seems also to imply that we need to have enough wisdom to know the proper time to do certain things.

Today we say things like “Time is of the essence” or “Comedy is all about timing.” In a profound sense this idea of timeliness can transcends a mundane understanding and can be applied towards spiritual things the way Jesus and Paul had done. We can say then that synchronicity with heaven is of ‘the outmost essence’. Today, we need to discern the Lord’s will for our lives along with the right timing to execute them. Paul for example had spent a season of preparation after his conversion before he set out to go on his world changing missions. He said that before setting out to go to Jerusalem that he had spent some time in Arabia. One can imagine that he was in deep prayer and study in preparation for the work God had ordained for him. We also are doing the same thing when we come to seminary to study.

Spiritual Timing

The Lord thought us to pray “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” Since messiah broke into our world and put on humanity in order to save us, the purposes of God and heaven also have come down to us and we are to work with them in synchronicity.

35Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. John 4:35 (KJV)

2He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. 3And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? Matthew 16:2-3 (KJV)

We are to have the spiritual insight to know that the harvest is indeed ready for reaping.We need to be able to see spiritual realities and not be blind to a lost and dying world the way the Pharisees must have been. Jesus told his disciples (and spoke to us by proxy) to work while it is still light because the darkness can come anytime when no one can work. Paul, for example says to us, “Be ready in season and out of season (i.e. preach)" These are all scriptural examples that speak of time and timeliness and of being synchronized with heaven’s plan and purposes.

The Lord’s Timing and prayer

The word time is mentioned 72 times in the gospels (76 if you include ‘times’) counting from the KJV version of the bible. In His time of ministry the Lord used to say, ‘I do what my father shows me". Every word, miracle was synchronized with The Father and that synchronicity happened during His prayer time. It can safely be said that, we ought to spend sufficient time in prayer so that we will know what the Lord would have us to do, as well as, where and when He wants us to do it. So the key to understanding and applying the timeliness that Solomon so eloquently talks about is to spend time with The Lord who fashioned time and still controls it.

Application: There are two ways we can practically look at and apply the above scriptures that Solomon presented to us. Negatively, We should be careful not to forgo the opportunities that present themselves to us especially those that are spiritual in nature. For example, when one senses a tug by the Holy Spirit to pray, it is essential to do so. On the other side of the coin, we should be careful not to do something too soon and we should wait for God’s perfect timing when making an important move, action or decision.

Prayer: What would you have me (us) to do this day, Lord? How about this week? This year? Dear Lord, Help us to be synchronized with your purposes and to be in tune with your timing for our life.

2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to be born refers to our birthday and can also be seen parallel with the day for us to be born spiritually from above that Jesus talked about in John CH 3. That time is always now because “Today is the day of salvation” We can always ask God to save us and allow us to start a new life in him, if we have not done so already.

‘A time to die’ can refer to the time we are finished in this world and are ready to depart to the next one. David had gotten so old they had given him a young woman to keep him warm. Paul was acutely aware of his own passing and anticipated his reward while he also got the satisfaction of a work that was accomplished well and was pleasing to his master. He had also said, “I die daily” referring to the dying that should happen everyday to our own self and our selfish desires.

‘A time to plant’ Jesus was referring to himself when he related the parable of the sower and we are ever to be the farmers and plant God’s word into people’s hearts, “whether they hear or they forbear.”

“A time to pluck up that which is planted” this would seem like a negative activity but its like firing an employee that steals and is sometimes needed. Perhaps the greatest illustration for this is Jeremiah, who was told he would, root out, and to pull down, and to destroy. John the Baptist also spoke about, “The ax being led at the root” the Lord will only tolerate evil for a time before he uproots it completely.

5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV)

9Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 10See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. Jeremiah 1:9-10 (KJV)

3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up

A time to kill This can refer to capital punishment where the bible talks about executing someone who has committed a heinous crime of murdering the innocent. It can also referrer to the killing that happens in war.

a time to heal can refer to the times of healing that come from the Lord. Jesus heals a demoniac and another man crippled for over thirty years so Jesus coming can be seen as the time for healing and thankfully is still going on. We can be healed spirit, soul and body by crying out and asking the Lord to save us and heal us.

a time to break down, and a time to build up Abraham was told to leave his fathers land and Go to the land where God would show him. We also need to know we are sojourners in this world. We need to know when to set up camp and we need to know when to remove our stakes from the ground for the next thing that God would have us to do. We should never have our stakes dug in too deep into the ground that we cannot move when the Lord calls us to go somewhere.

This can have other applications like for example in marriage. No man should separate what God has put together for God hates divorce and we should always seek to build up families. However, in the midst of unrepentant marital infidelity or abuse one might perhaps need to look into divorce as a sad but necessary action as a final resort.

4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn

The shortest verse in the bible says, Jesus wept. This he did because his friend Lazarus had passed and he had identified with his sisters in their great sorrow. That showed his humanity and so we also weep in times of loss and bereavement. The Lord feels our sorrow and He cares and does not leave us alone but is with us. We are to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. A merry heart does us good like medicine as proverbs tell us so we should rejoice in The Lord always as Paul also reminds us. Are you saying rejoice in the midst of trouble? The answer is “yes”. The joy of The Lord is our strength and so we need it the most at our ‘low’ times. We need to remind ourselves of the wonderful promises that He has given us especially at these low times in our lives. Paul said the above statement while he was in prison. He, like the apostles had found it a great joy to be able to suffer for the lord’s sake. He knew that to such was promised the kingdom of God.

A time to dance, The cripple at the gate who was healed by John and Peter leapt for joy and so he can be said to have danced for joy that he had been set free. Its very possible that Jesus had also danced as he had attended a wedding in Canna since that was the tradition not only in Israel but in nearly all cultures including our times. In Psalms 149, we are exhorted to praise the Lord in the dance. This psalm paints a picture of praise and worship that a lot of people in certain churches won’t feel comfortable with; nevertheless, The Word gives us the freedom and blessing to do so. David also danced before the Lord.

5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together this seems to speak of judgment and acquittal, as that was how Israel meted out judgment to transgressors. Jesus had said, “He who is without sin to cast the first stone” as a reminder of this grim period in the dispensation of The Law. Stoning is still practiced in some places in the Moslem world by groups like the infamous Taliban.

a time to embrace This is speaking of the embrace of matrimony whose bed is undefiled. This physical love between a husband and a wife is the only Bible sanctioned act of sexual nature. Perhaps it can also speak of the embrace or hug that happens between brethren of like mind, heart and faith.

a time to refrain from embracing; this is speaking of responsibility to things other than our spouses. For example a newly married soldier need not go to war but is to keep his wife company but others had to fight in ancient Israel.

This might also perhaps speak of offense that happens between people causing a rift. We are to always try to reconcile with our brother and exhaust all possible avenues before we break fellowship with them as a last resort due to their un-repentance.

6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away

A time to get, and a time to lose This is akin to the thought in the book of Job. Job said after suffering immense loss, “ The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord” Both gain and loss are part of the reality of life but why they happen might not be an easy mystery to unravel.” The Lord makes the sun to shine and the rain to come down on both the just and the unjust alike” So we should accept both gain and loss as the realty of life in order to be mature balanced people because both are inevitable.

A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

This phrase can have many secular as well as spiritual applications. One good example of this phrase might be when the Lord comes at the end of the age and separates the wheat from the tares. The parable of the sheep and the goats also speaks of a time when the just will be separated from the wicked to inherit eternal life. Another example is the hardening of Israel that took place because of their rejection of messiah and the ushering in of the gentiles into the kingdom. They were cast away for a time and we grafted in.

7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak

A time to rend, rend your hearts and not you garments says the prophet beaconing a wayward society to repent. We should always have an attitude of repentance.

and a time to sew; means a time for reconciliationa and put things together that were apart. Its not always good to reconcile individuals or groups of people without dealing with the hraet of the issue that separated them. But there comes a time that we also need to reconcile the broken and separated parts of what ought to be a unit.

a time to keep silence and a time to speak we are to be quick to listen and slow to speak. A lot of time the temptation is to say what’s on our mind. In retrospect however we realize that lots of times we do more harm by saying something rather than being silent. On the opposite end there are times we absolutely need to speak up so evil cam be thwarted and not take root in our lives or other’s lives as well as in our churches.

8. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace

A time to love, and a time to hate

We are to always love God and also our neighbor and hate sin always. But we are to forgive those who trespass against us and love them and pray for them.

a time of war, and a time of peace Solomon had obviously enjoyed a tremendous time of peace and prosperity during His reign, David however was a man of war. The business of war is always dirty even when its commanded by the Lord. The church today should always be on war footing in fighting and exposing the works of darkness in spiritual warfare. We are also to leave peaceably with everyone when possible. Today’s God people are no more to engage in meting out God’s Justice. He rather says to us, ‘vengeance is mine, I will repay”

Eccles. 3:1-8 (KJV)

W. Graham Scroggie, P. 143 The unfolding drama of redemption, Kregel 1994,

Genesis 1:1-14

Matthew 24:36

Joshua 10:12

Song of Songs 2:7, 8:4

John 4:35

Matthew 16:2-3

John 9:4

II Timothy 4:2

John 8:28,38

Luke 6:12, John ch. 17

John 11 35

Roman’s 12:15

Phil 4:4

Nehemiah 8:10

Matt 5:10

Calvin's Apology

2008-09-19T10:37:00.003-04:00

Calvin’s Apology, his institutes concerning our most precious faith
Reflection on the first volume of Calvin’s institutes

Motivation and nature:

Even though Calvin’s work ‘the institutes’ is understood to be systematic theology, it can also be very well seen as an apology to the Christian faith and especially of the reformed faith. It’s obvious that it was written as a defense against the Romanism of the times. This is evident from its content and from the main motivation stated in the opening of Henry Beveridge’s translation. In 1536 Calvin was in exile and thousands of his protestant brothers also known as the Huguenots were facing dire persecutions from an apostate Catholic Church and those under its sway. The principles for which they were fighting for had to be explained before the governing authorities and judges while still in the face of attacks by a formidable and well-entrenched enemy. In the opening letter to the king of France, Calvin discounts his motivation not to be for his own selfish desire, that of overturning his exile and preparing a return for himself to his native France. Calvin relates how he undertakes this task through God’s grace attributing his success in the work to His maker. The work was intended to become a match, an answer and shield against an overshadowing and formidable Roman Catholic Church, which had run a full course of heresy, corruption, tyranny and unorthodoxy. Once written, Calvin’s work becomes influential even beyond the times of the conflicts in France even up until today, especially among reformed circles.

The evidences of God in creation that is made clear to the conscience of every individual, along with the wholesomeness and truth of the scriptures are stated and defended with skill no par. This Calvin does in the first book of his humongous four-volume work, which he refers to as the knowledge of God and man, which he explains to be the sum of all wisdom.[1] Calvin here is defending the faith once delivered to all of us. Therefore, his apologetics goes beyond classical apologetics about the existence of God to further establish this only and true God to be the Christian God. Therefore, his statements and arguments along with the numerous inferences from scripture are compatible with pre-suppositional apologetics[2] (see Baird p.1) even though there are smatterings of classical apologies in his work. There is no doubt that he most vigorously states and defends the Christian faith with exacting deduction and thoroughness.

The Nature of Calvin’s Institutes: Defense

These initial chapters of the institutes are deep, well-rounded reflections of someone who has meditated all their lives on such issues, alongside of the scriptures, to come up with a sweeping and epic work about the knowledge of God and man. For example, Calvin starts out his treatise by saying the profound idea that man can only know himself through God. He states,

For, in the first place, no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves; because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves; nay, that our very being is nothing else than subsistence in God alone.[3]

These meditations or if we can call them vignettes or theological pieces, reveal a mind that is well versed in the scriptures as well as disciplines like theology, philosophy, psychology and logic, just to mention a few. Calvin succeeds in combining all the disciplines at his disposal to create masterful explanations for all of reality, which done well can be the ultimate apology and defense. He comes very close to succeeding in this formidable task of putting Christianity’s truth beyond the reach of any opposition. Calvin makes such arguments like the one quoted above throughout his treatise, as one grappling with any and all doubts, real or imagined, to answer and settle them once and for all in order to bring them captive to Christ.[4]

Its almost as if he means to leave no rock to be left unturned or no argument is to be left unanswered; all issues are dealt with and all doubts are repelled, resulting in a sizable work that surpasses the regalia and fodder of Roman hypocrisy. Of course he could not have foreseen the opposition and attacks that would arise in the centuries that followed his time. Others would have to have risen to answer those challenges when they materialized. What he deems as “perfectly obvious” in the above quote would get challenged in modern times as a presupposition, when Christianity becomes vilified by modern philosophies and so called sciences. Evolution, Marxism and secular psychology begin to have a grip on the thinking of modern man and a type of Biblical scholarship gets formulated in Europe that discounts the claims of the Bible. It then must follow that, new and even stronger apologetics needed to be developed and apologetics has to evolve to answer the objections and heresies of its times.

Its influence on Church Doctrine

In one place, Calvin explains how Augustine’s statement was misunderstood when he said, “he would not have been saved apart from the authority of the church” Calvin does this by putting Augustine’s statements in the proper context of the Manichean controversy which Augustine had been involved with.[5] This idea misconstrued had found itself into Catholic theology and lead to much abuse by the church whose practices were a far cry from what Paul had meant when he said,

Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. 2 Cor. 1:24 (KJV) [6]

. Its obvious Augustine was dear to Calvin and he explains what the Bishop from Hippo had meant without compromising the reformation idea of salvation by grace alone through faith. By doing so he also defended the scriptures and the budding growing reformation movement against the prevailing, oppressive, Roman thinking and dogma.

Criticisms of Calvin’s Work:

It is often stated that the over arching theme of Calvin’s institutes is the sovereignty of God. While this as a whole is a true, great and wonderful principle under which to systematize theology, some of its parts like predestination and election can be employed to an extreme to create theologically sticky positions. The main opposing view to these ideas is that, human drama in history is not precisely and robotically pre-planned by God but its dynamic requires the input of human actors and players, who have a part in molding destinies, theirs as well as others. The strength of this opposing view is that it puts human responsibility on par with what scripture says about it.

Two things however are true, whether or not we can harmonize them, namely the sovereignty of God, and the free will of man. Neither of this can cancel out the other. They are both thought in scripture, and exemplified in experience (Scroggie P. 143)[7]

The Little Foxes that Divide:

Calvin often employs scripture in expounding these truths and so we can say he is biblically based. However, smatterings of the philosophy of former greats like Augustine have obviously influenced him and are found quoted in the body of his work. Human opinion and reflection or even bias can creep into a theological body of work. Therefore, it becomes necessary to state that no human theological work, not even an influential one like Calvin’s can be put on the same level as God’s word but should only at best be subservient to it. It also becomes necessary to measure all of its parts, even the minute ones, alongside of the scriptures to determine whether they are totally free from error. While works like Calvin’s can be valuable due to their clarity of exposition and certain degree of doctrinal correctness found within them, their inerrancy cannot and should not be exaggerated.

We should therefore rely on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God for guidance while we employ all such works. As Daniel says, “Knowledge shall increase”. It follows that when we have a better vantage point and better linguistic and theological tools at our disposal, it should not be beyond the realm of possibilities for us to revise or critique a great reformer and theological mind like Calvin, in some of the ideas he has posited that have been less than illumining. For example, when Calvin famously states double predestination in Ch. 21 of the institutes, he is saying something not explicitly stated in scripture but one he had synthesized from scripture albeit correctly or not. The implications of this view have polarized evangelicals into two camps even unto this day.

Calvin had said,

By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death.[8]

Not all of the other 1st generation of reformers had agreed to it and even if Paul seems to have mentioned both predestination pair they are not thought to unfold in the same manner or to be equally weighed (Berkhof, 110)[9] As someone who is of reformed faith and who has himself written a great sweeping work, Phillip Shaff says the following, in his discussion of the Calvinistic system, In Book VIII of his eight-volume church history work,
Calvinism has the advantage of logical compactness, consistency, and completeness. Admitting its premises, it is difficult to escape its conclusions. A system can only be overthrown by a system. It requires a theological genius of the order of Augustine and Calvin, who shall rise above the antagonism of divine sovereignty and human freedom, and shall lead us to a system built upon the rock of the historic Christ, and inspired from beginning to end with the love of God to all mankind [10]

Conclusion

Calvin’s work in the institutes provides us with a working philosophy of how God can be known and how we are to know ourselves. The institutes can be viewed as a defense of the reformed faith against the errors of the then prominent Catholic church but goes far beyond in its sweep to be an enduring work of theology and philosophy. Its one of the greatest stabs ever made at the question of what reality is from a Christian’s point of view. Therefore, it is also a defense against philosophical atheism and therefore can also be classified as a work of apologetics or at least as one that includes apologetics. Notwithstanding its greatness, the work has certain limitations in stating and holding a strict view of election and predestination that leaves little room for human impetus, responsibility or will in the process of salvation. While it reinforces the idea that salvation is (wholly) of the Lord[1] it also baffles the issue of why the punishment of the lost becomes deserved. It therefore creates a conundrum that may not be solved and these ideas may never reconcile in a Calvinistic model to one’s satisfaction. One will have to wait until eternity ensues and Jesus comes with the answer. A simpler model that can serve us well might be one that leaves room for human responsibility while it leaves the answer to the question of how God elects before the foundation of the world, as one that we can only wonder about and one which we can only peer through darkly as one looking through a glass.

[1] KJV Jonah 2:9

Bibliography

Bibles

The King James Version of The Holy Bible

Books

Berkhof, Louis: Systematic Theology, Banner of Truth 2005

Calvin, John The Institutes of The Christian Religion Arnold Hatfield, London 1599
(Online versions)
http://www.reformed.org/master/index.html?mainframe=/books/institutes/
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.txt

Schaff, Phillip History of the Christian Church, Volume VIII: Modern Christianity. The Swiss Reformation, Charles Scribner & Sons 1910

Scroggie, W. Graham, The Unfolding Drama of Redemption, Kregel 1994

Online resources

Baird, Bryan Neal, An Apology for my Theology, The inseparable link between Reformed Theology and Presuppositional Apologetics
http://www.reformed.org/apologetics/index.html
Calvin, John The Institutes of The Christian Religion http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.txt
Schaff, Phillip History of the Christian Church, Volume VIII: Modern Christianity. The Swiss Reformation.
http://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/history/About.htm
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc8.iv.xiv.ii.html
[1] Calvin Calvin's Institutes, CH. 1, P.1
[2] Baird, The inseparable link between Reformed Theology and Presuppositional Apologetics p.1

[3] John Calvin, The Institutes of The Christian Religion Ch. 1 sec. 1
[4] KJV, 2Cor 10:5
[5] John Calvin, The Institutes of The Christian Religion, Ch 2 sec 4?
[6] KJV 2 Cor. 1:24
[7] W. Graham Scroggie, The unfolding drama of redemption, Kregel 1994
[8] John Calvin, Calvin's Institutes, CH. 21, John Calvin P.568
[9] Berkhof, P. 110
[10]Schaff, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc8.iv.xiv.ii.html

[11] KJV Jonah 2:9

Dispensationalism and problems with its extreme hybrids

2008-08-14T10:51:00.007-04:00

Prologue: The paper bellow is a response to the shock I had experienced when I got exposed to ultra-dispensational ideas in my school. Firstly, I will say, dispensational theology can be one of the best ways of mining and exploring the vast treasures of the scriptures, especeally those of endtime prophecy. Just check out the wonderful chart at the link bellow and you will see what I mean. http://standeyo.com/News_Files/Trib_Time/Trib_Time_Images/Trib_Timeline_entire.web.jpg

My main problem with it has been the following. Jesus being God, transcends time and space and his message and work cannot just be tied to a single dispensation (i.e. that of His coming, ministry, His death, life and resurrection). He did at times speak of His ministry as being limited to the house of Israel, but He also spoke of others from afar off (i.e. gentiles) entering the kingdom. Therefore I believe, most if not all of his preaching was meant for the whole world and to all subsequent future generations and times not just to the house of Israel in first century Palestine. When the Lion-lamb was roaring in Judea his voice and words were to be eternally relevant and they were to be heard ringing by everyone till He came back to reclaim His inheritance.

Since Paul said follow me as I follow Jesus, he was a continuation of Jesus ministry and I am not sure he should be seen as a stand-alone economy or dispensation. I could accept a softer demarcation line between the two and the dispensation of the mystery has its foundation in Christ’s work. However there is not a clear strong break as from the Law that can be differentiated between say John and Jesus’ ministry. As it is said, “The Law and The prophets were until John” I believe, this period between Jesus and Paul is also where most of the arguments against dispensationalists arise. As dipensationalists say and describe well, events included in this period are, Israel’s rejection, the cross, more rejection and a church made up of gentiles and Christians supplanting the former. The essay bellow is my wonderments against hyper-dispemsationalist ideas.

The writing bellow is not always easy reading and some of my viewes have matured since I wrote this essay. Dr. Fowler who is refered in the paper has also sadly passed to be with the Lord. I had grown to love the man for what he has thought me. Except for matters set here and the doctrine of unconditional election, I have had no problem gorging his brialliant, multi-layred and often mind blowing lectures. The references to dispensationalists in the paper bellow is mostly refereing to ultra-dispensationalists not to dispensationalists who rightly divide the word of truth.

Introduction

The disciples had asked Jesus in Acts chapter one, “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” They had asked it out of ignorance, seeking Jesus, their master and teacher to answer their burning question. Jesus had discouraged them from that line of questioning but instead diverted their attention to the task at hand. That task was witnessing the life death and resurrection of their master to the whole world! Interestingly, He had not denied such a kingdom would someday manifest, it was just not to be then.

Isn’t The Kingdom Within us?

20And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 22And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. Luke 17:20-22 (KJV)

The question this paper will ask and try to answer is, whether the phrase ‘The Kingdom of God’ found in scripture is referring to an earthly messianic political kingdom. This idea is something dispensationalists staunchly declare to be true. The above passage seems to be a proof text that they are wrong. However, dispensationalists will say that, ‘within you’ is a faulty translation of the Greek word ‘en-mesu’, whose accurate translation is ‘in your midst’. However, the verse just above that seems to emphasize the invisible, spiritual qualities of this kingdom. Jesus says of the kingdom, “It comes not with observation” even as He stood in the flesh before them. He seems to be saying that, it is not a tangible, visible, earthly kingdom. Also if He were offering an earthly kingdom, it would seem like He had just missed a great opportunity to say so. So why do dispensationalists claim that Jesus was offering an earthly political kingdom? Why do they say that the beatitudes are a Jesus’ political platform, telling Jewish people of first century Palestine, how he would rule if they accept him and crown him? Does that sound somewhat strange?

A Gut Feeling Versus Scripture

I had just come back from class after having a small debate with Dr. fowler as to why the church was not the kingdom of God here on earth. He had said that the kingdom that Jesus and John had preached was an earthly kingdom that had been postponed because the Jewish people had rejected their Messiah. This came against my own background and training, where I was thought that as a member of God’s universal church, which currently is his only representation here on earth, I was also a citizen of the kingdom of God. Hearing this idea that had seemed obvious to me being challenged had made me feel like the rug had been pulled out from under my feet. Perplexed and astonished, I started to ask other Christians if they also believed they were in the kingdom of God and without thinking about it, some immediately said yes. This made me realize that I was not alone in my belief that I was currently part and parcel of the whole of God’s kingdom, which admittedly would have other types of representations.

Catholic Church

The fact that the Catholic Church believes itself to be the kingdom of God on earth is really a peripheral issue. The question is whether the practices and the creedal statements of this religious institution are correct. Its system of faith and practice proves to be fundamentally wrong when seen from an orthodox, biblical point of view. This disqualifies them from being the kingdom of God here on earth, if such a concept is at all conceivable. However, the problems within those creeds and practices are a topic for another discussion. It is duly noted that Augustine, an early catholic theologian one of the great church fathers conceptualized the church as the kingdom of God in his work, ‘The City of God’.

The Question

The question is whether the body of Christ, made up born again spirit filled believers, can be understood to be a part of the kingdom and the only representation of God here and now on this earth. I will try to state and argue this position in this paper. However, I will try not to be doggedly dogmatic, if the facts as stated in the bible lead to a different conclusion. I, in fact acknowledge that this is possible. If my arguments are wrong and I am able to wholly see their error I will then revise my position on the matter!

Experiencing God’s power, The Kingdom

Of course the kingdom I believe I am a part of would not be a kingdom that is an earthly and political kingdom but a heavenly and spiritual one. In short, it is heaven on earth. It is possible I am not using the right words and employing the proper semantics, but God’s presence has been real for me more than a few times and that has made me know that I am part of his kingdom. This type of outlook comes from my charismatic and Pentecostal background where I had experienced and felt the presence and power of Christ many times in worship services and in my own devotional time. Jesus also seemed to have described the kingdom this way,

25And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Matthew 12:25-28 (KJV)

In the above quote from the master we find that He uses the presence of God’s spirit interchangeably with God’s kingdom. Jesus had also described the kingdom not necessarily as an earthly political system of government but as something that was revealed and to be entered through faith.

17And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
21In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. 22All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
23And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Luke 10:17-24 (KJV)

In other words, as far as the disciples were concerned the kingdom has been given, was received and it was to be propagated. Believing that I was part of this kingdom had made me feel special. I had felt like an elite unit where I belonged and had a definite and specific purpose of evangelizing and reaching the world for Jesus. Dr. Fowler, who seemed like a fiery evangelical himself had said that we now have a legal paper or a promise of being a member of that future kingdom but did not yet belong to it. I could accept this statement and still think of myself as being in the kingdom of God. However, this outlook had left me a bit dissatisfied prompting me to write this paper.

Dispensational Postponement

After poring over this I began to do some research to find out what the doctrine of postponement had meant. I was able to ‘google’ an article on the doctrine of postponement written by someone who is a proponent of dispensational theology from the website of a Connecticut church. (http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/dispen/ponepone.htm). In this article the dispensational theology of postponement was posited against replacement theology, which the article had called erroneous. Replacement theology posited that the church had replaced the Jewish nation of Israel as the new kingdom of God on earth after their rejection of messiah king. The article started out saying,
Dispensationalists teach that the kingdom, which was described and promised by the Old Testament prophets, was announced and offered to Israel at our Lord's first coming, but due to Israel's rejection of Christ, the kingdom was postponed and awaits future fulfillment. John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus and the disciples all proclaimed this message: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7). The expression "at hand" means near. The King Himself had come to earth and the kingdom was so near it was almost here! But one fact must not be forgotten. The kingdom offer was conditional. It was offered on the condition of repentance.
I had not subscribed to either doctrine before now. This left me in the middle, wondering if a synthesis of both position or even whether some other explanation might be possible. Up to this point my Christian walk had not necessitated that I take a position. Ignorance had been bliss for me. It had not even occurred to me that it would be something I would have to take a position on. It also occurred to me that it would be a great tactic for Satan to pit believers against each other on controversial issues that had no present solutions. I was happy to let the question resolve itself in eternity future when all questions and debates would be resolved and melt away due to the brilliance of the master as He would tabernacle among his people in the new Jerusalem.

And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. [23] And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. [24] And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. [25] And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. [26] And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. [27] And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Rev. 21:22-27 KJV)

Asking for the Guidance of the Holy Spirit

I began to pore over the different kinds of synthesis of ideas and explanations that were possible and began to prayerfully explore them asking The Holy Spirit for guidance. However it also occurred to me that my present knowledge of the bible might not be enough to either accept or reject these ideas, especially because the scriptures that had to do with a restoration of the Davidic kingdom were scattered throughout the Old Testament. They were not adequately familiar to me as a new testament believer in order to reach a conclusive plateau. Also I had loosely taken those scriptures to mean that Jesus would be the one who would establish the millennial kingdom as a direct descendant of David while all the believers before and after Christ would be present. Upon further study I was able to hone a better picture of how the millennial reign was to be played out but I was still left with a lot of questions.

The Cross was Never a Conditional Event

It was said, “The kingdom that Jesus had preached was solely for the Jews and Jews only”. Losing my sense of belonging to God’s eternal kingdom was not the only reason I had found it hard to accept the statement. There was also something gnawing at my heart though yet beyond the grasp of my intellect that had made me to be at odds with the above statement. I was able to uncover what it was after mulling over the thoughts in my mind. Eureka! The above reasoning had seemed to me to suggest that the cross was also a conditional event as it had come right after the offer of the kingdom. If the kingdom had been accepted (and it was accepted by many in Israel and not just a few (John 3:32, 12:42) would the cross then have been necessary? Was the rejection of Messiah by the Jewish people necessary for the cross to have happened? It would appear to have been so. Jewish elements facilitated the betrayal, rejection and ultimately the death of Jesus Christ our Lord. As we well know, the cross was a prophesied event right from the beginning and if anything was unconditional, it was the cross that Jesus had to bear to save all of us from our sins. The Lamb of God was to be slain even before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). The cross along with the resurrection is the central message of the New Testament church (Machen P. 60).

Postponement and the Problem with Conditionals

Its true God’s word is full of conditions and conditionals. The supposed postponement was dependant upon the rejection or the acceptance of the messiah by the Jewish people. Yahweh had often said things like, “If you obey me you shall eat the good and the fat of the land.” If the kingdom was offered and rejected resulting in its postponement then everything else that came afterwards would have been a condition of that rejection. Or would it? This could include the Lord’s death on the cross, his resurrection and ascension and ultimately the birth of the church itself. Was it at all possible that the cross could not have happened? God forbid!

A Riddle About Acceptance and Rejection

This faulty argument would suggest itself unless of course the two events were completely independent of each other. Stated differently, the cross would have happened whether the Jews had rejected Jesus or not. We can say this without negating the postponement and the prophesied fate for the Jewish nation that’s yet to happen in the future. If the condition of acceptance were to occur the cross would still happen. The only required players would be the Romans to crucify him and a small group such as the priestly class to betray and give him over to them. The whole nation need not reject messiah and in fact not all had. It is said in the bible, “many believed in him.” But many had also rejected him prompting him to say,

37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Matthew 23:37 (KJV)

Another explanation mentioned in class by Dr. Fowler was that the rejection itself was a sure thing. God knew the Jews would reject Christ. The condition of acceptance was never a possibility thus necessitating the cross. But why offer something if you know its to be rejected? Perhaps this is to assure its acceptance the next time around it is offered. These are difficult questions to answer but there is no doubt that the cross itself was a sure event that was to happen regardless of any other outcome of events in Palestine. This is because prophecies concerning messiah’s death on the cross abound in scripture. Are prophecies concerning him being rejected by the nation of Israel just as abundant? I am not sure and I will continue to research this query. Concerning their future acceptance, it is said in Revelations Chapter one, “They will see him whom they have pierced and they will weep for him.” It is true this scripture can also apply to all of humanity.

Did Jesus Come to Establish an Earthly Kingdom?

God never starts something that is sure to fail. God’s word says, “My word does not return unto me void without accomplishing the purpose for which I have sent it” (Isaiah 55:11) Perhaps, Jesus had never meant to establish an earthly kingdom like a dispensationalist might argue. It is quite possible He had only meant to establish a kingdom that was a spiritual one (Matthew 11:11). If He hadn’t meant to establish an earthly and political kingdom, then the claim that He was offering one might be untrue. If we are to think dispensational (I.E. periods of time representing dealings of God with unique and exclusive characteristics that do not overlap) then it could be argued the plan was to establish a spiritual kingdom on earth where God desired men and women, both Jews and gentiles to worship him in spirit and in truth I.E the church age (John Ch. 4).

“I came to light fire(s), how I wish it has kindled”

Jesus had completely succeeded in establishing a kingdom in the hearts of men, both Jews and gentiles until a time as when they had a readiness to receive his kingdom of power that would be enthroned in the heavens and on earth attended by all of its full strength, glory, and its armies. Before that would be possible however, messiah had to humbly come on a donkey and bid all gently to believe and come into his kingdom. He had said, “Come all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest. My Yoke is easy and my burden is light.”(Matthew 11:29-30)

That He was offering a spiritual kingdom to be established in the hearts of men cannot be denied. A simple reading of the gospels reveals that fact. He had said in John chapter three that, “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again of the spirit and water.” We can easily infer that by this He had meant a spiritual kingdom (born of the spirit) that had an earthly component (born of water). And people were literally coming in throngs to enter this spiritual kingdom, even if they were drawn by temporal blessings.

16The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. Luke 16:16 (KJV)

Thy Will be done!

When you are born again by believing and receiving Christ, you are immediately born again into the kingdom (as well as being part of His body and His bride, the church). To say you are not yet in the kingdom is to deny the sense of belonging to the greater whole that is God’s abode that is governed by him. You become part of god’s kingdom not in way demons and frogs and camels are as part of the collective created realm but as an adherent to the revealed will of God in His word. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” This is the exclusive principle for belonging to God’s kingdom here on earth. Where His will is being done there its His kingdom. Therefore, “Thy Kingdom come” Is not just a prayer cry for a future Messianic kingdom but a cry for a present refreshing, revelation (Of Christ anew) and manifestations of God’s presence and power among his people and the contemporary generations.

Therefore, we don’t just have a deed that says we will be in the future kingdom of God but the realities of that kingdom will start to manifest in our lives today. These realities include the peace of Christ for He is the prince of peace. It includes joy, because at his right hand are many joy and pleasusres. To say as dispensationalists might say to a born again person, “You are not in the kingdom but you only have a paper or a deed to the real estate which you will inherit later” may not be correct. It might be more accurate to say you are in the weaning process of the kingdom and will continue to be in it until its full manifestation when Christ returns. Until then don’t fall of the wagon. In the scripture above, Jesus’ words in the King James speaks of entrance into the kingdom using a present-continuous tense implying people have entered, are entering and will enter the kingdom until messiah returns.

Notice that in the above-mentioned verse from Luke, The Lord does not qualify the entrance period by saying, “If all of Israel rejects me then another program will kick in and the kingdom program will be postponed.” The entrance period is a continual period extending even up to the tribulation period. Later in Acts chapter one, even when he had opportunity to state to the disciples this supposed fact of postponement of the kingdom, He brushes off the question and deploys them to go about executing his great commission.
Is this promise for me?
An article from a Westminster website critical on dispensationalist ideas says the following.
Some dispensationalists hold that the sermon on the Mount and most of the Gospels belong to the Kingdom Dispensation which is yet future. The Book of Revelation after the third chapter also is said to belong to the future. Thus only part of the Gospels and the Pauline Epistles are said to be intended for the Christians of today.
(http://www.the-highway.com/Scofield.html)

Nowhere are dispensationalists more polarizing than when they deny the simple believer from possessing the blessings of scripture intended for him. A dispensationalist will say, “The beatitudes were a political platform that Jesus had stated to show how He would rule if he had not been rejected” That seems like a profound statement. Is it not true the beatitudes are the very software for the heart attitude of the church? Here is one of the most defined problems with dispensational thinking in that it makes the very words that Jesus had said we should build our lives on, into a political platform for a messianic government.

It’s true that the Sanhedrin is mentioned in the beatitudes as a panel for mediating disputes failing which would lead to the worse judgment of hellfire. This could be a type and shadow of the heavenly panel of elders that make council on affairs here on earth. The New Testament church also has such a panel of elders who are called to solve disputes. If the beatitudes were only a political platform for an Israelite kingdom then it has no applications for the church. Or does it? Its principles had been and still are the very color and character of the church. The church immediately after the Lord’s departure had those very characteristics that were supposedly meant only for an earthly political kingdom. Being reviled they blessed, they loved their enemies and taught and practiced inward purity charity and righteousness as taught by the Lord.

“Will You Now Restore the Kingdom to Israel?”

The reason the disciples had asked the question, “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” was because Israel, at that time was under the iron handed rule of Rome. If they were asking when there would emerge a sovereign, independent Israel then that prophecy was fulfilled in 1948 when the nation of Israel came into being. Israel was not a free nation during Jesus’ time, boasting of having God’s laws and His Temple within her borders but a mere subject of a foreign power. Where as before she had possessed within her God’s Temple so that all the nations might come to be mediated through her to know The Lord, she had now become a failed endeavor. The new wine had come, and the old plan was supplanted by a new plan, at least for a season (or if you will for a dispensation of time). This new plan was that The Lord would live in the hearts of willing disciples, write his laws on their hearts and send them out to reconcile others by being living, walking temples and by bidding people to come into His kingdom of grace. Paul says in his letters, “You are living epistles.” and “You are the temple of The Holy Spirit.” However God is not yet finished with Israel and she has a role to play in the final end time events just before the return of Messiah. The temple worship will be restored and a king will rule out of Jerusalem.

The Gentle Kingdom

9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Zech. 9:9 (KJV)

42:1Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. Isaiah 42:1-2 (KJV)

The kingdom, that is now, must be a gentle kingdom because the estranged will of men requires time, patience and many graces to line up with the eternal purposes for which God has intended for it. So God has to unfold his plan slowly over what will seem to us like considerable periods (chunks) of time in order to bring it to full fruition.

19For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. Romans 8:19-22 (KJV)

The Sermon on the Mount was not messiah’s platform for an earthly Jewish kingdom, as a dispensationalist might claim, but rather the new wine for the brand new church. It’s the high standard for living established for those invited to come into the kingdom and those who would believe and receive grace towards salvation. Its principles continue to captivate the minds of men and women even up to today. The ideas in the sermon are found abundantly scattered throughout the rest of the New Testament. This makes the claim that its principles only belong to a ‘Davidic kingdom’ and are not mentioned or implied anywhere else in the New Testament besides in the gospels, a false one. These infectious principles were the very heart of the New Testament church that had displayed the love and forgiveness that their master had taught, even during harsh persecutions. Stephen is one example of such love. Also compare the following verses.

44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5:44 (KJV)

12And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 1 Cor. 4:12 (KJV)

The kingdom’s good news came first to the Jews because its initial bearers that were to carry it all over the world had to come from the Jewish nation. The kingdom here now is selectively manifested to those who would believe. It is a softer, gentler kingdom because it mediates salvation and reconciliation in a fallen world by bidding them to come in through faith in the gentle savior. No harsh methods are employed to enforce its principles only a gentle appeal is made to the conscience of men coupled with a strong warning to those who would reject or ignore them. In contrast, the millennial reign of Christ is going to start out with a full display of the power of messiah king who had been slain as He comes down with millions of his armies and does away with the antichrist in full display for the world to see (Revelations 19:11-19). Bones will be broken (of the wicked) and skulls will be crushed. He will then rule on earth with His full power and with an Iron scepter. (cf. Psalms 1) A show of strength without a former declaration of peace through repentance and faith would have made Messiah’s rule a tyranny. He has shown His heart to be all love to his beloved creation man. Only after matters here on earth have deteriorated to a beastly tyranny will He come again to the rescue and start to rule with a show of strength to the enemies of goodness. Today, He yet rules in the hearts of those who would willingly welcome him in their abode. “Behold I stand at the door and knock, If anyone opens I will come in and sup with him and he with me!” (Revelation 3:20) What a beautiful gentle invitation that is! Dear ones, I bid you take advantage of it today!

10:1Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: 2 Cor. 10:1 (KJV)

When Jesus walked among men the first time He wielded no physical power but the gentle savior kindly visited all with love, mercy, healing and deliverance. Such was his kingdom come. Would someone who had intentions to rule on earth by force come humbly on a donkey when they had legions of angels at their disposal? The answer is, “Probably not”. Jesus could have asked the Father to send legions of angels to help him during his capture and imprisonment.

53Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? Matthew 26:53-54 (KJV)

The scriptures He was talking about were scriptures like Isaiah 53 that had to do with the suffering and death of Messiah to save us from our sins. However, He had displayed full authority in casting out all evil sprits that had beguiled men while He was on earth.

15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Col. 2:15 (KJV)

This same gentle appeal continued on with the apostle’s ministry and the kingdom of God came upon those who are possessed of evil spirits and was able to free them. As it stands today the assault on Satan’s hold on men also continues through the church as the kingdom of light clashes against kingdom of darkness in the arena of planet earth. In this war the Christians were to be the gentlest meekest warriors here on earth. Paul said, “let your meekness be known among men” Even as the Lord had said, “Be as harmless as doves..”

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

4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 2 Cor. 10:4 (KJV)

Would Christ’s Millennial Reign be Centered on a Jewish State?

Would this kingdom then be only a Jewish kingdom? They will definitely be part of it as the covenant, the promises, the law and the temple service, pertain to them and are given to them (Romans 9:4). The description of the millennial reign of Christ found in chapter nineteen and twenty of the book Revelations had not made that clear. The reign starts out as Christ comes from above with his armies and totally decimates the antichrist and all of his armies. We are only sure that the martyrs from the tribulation period would be present after being blessed with the ‘first resurrection’. Where would the church then be? Will she remain in heaven until the thousand years are over? I sure hope so. Or will she be numbered among his armies that come with Him? She could be in heaven to that place prepared for her readying herself further for the bridegroom and the wedding that is to take place in chapter twenty.

21:1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Rev. 21:1-3 (KJV)

In order to argue a postponement and future establishment of a completely Jewish messianic kingdom doesn’t one have to leave the church made up of both Jews and gentiles out of the millennial reign altogether? The solution that Dr. Fowler gave me was not disagreeable to me. We (the church) will reign alongside Christ as his queen during the millennial reign of Christ. Dispensationalists believe the marriage mentioned in chapter twenty-one calling the heavenly city of Jerusalem a bride is not referring to the marriage ceremony of the Lamb to his bride but to another cosmic event. So why can’t we be called the kingdom of God on earth today? I don’t know ask the dispensationalist croud.

Millennial Reign: Jews only or a Heterogeneous Mixture

The question still remains, are the Christian martyrs during the tribulation made up only of Jews? Are the 144 thousand Israelite bondservants that are to be sealed and sent out to preach the gospel going to constitute a large part of this group that will be in the first resurrection (Revelations 4:7-8)? What of those who will survive the seven year tribulation period out of all of the nations of the world? Just like Solomon’s old kingdom, messiah’s reign on earth would be centered in Jerusalem where the affairs of state would be run by Jews and proselytes along with the resurrected martyrs from the tribulation. The rest of the nations although depleted due to the final horrendous war would also enjoy sovereignty and be asked to pay homage to Messiah and his kingship. Although at first this had not seemed plausible to me, I was now open to explore its implications.

The idea of establishing a millennial kingdom centered around a Jewish peoples like in the days of old, might not be contradictory to the whole of the teachings of the bible. I had imagined that since God is making one church body out of Jews and gentiles today (Ephesians 2:16; 1st Corinthians 12:12-13) by doing away with the separation and enmity between the two, that his millennial reign would also consist of a heterogeneous group like those described worshiping God in Revelations (Revelations 7:9-16).

21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. John 4:21-26 (KJV)

True Worship had been freed from one point and place on the map of the earth to thousands of points and places where men can congregate and even individually worship the Lord. But when Christ returns to reign on earth he would have use of the temple services and ordinances that only Jerusalem can afford. That could be the main reason for the creation of at reconstituted Jewish nation with all the old trimmings of Law and Temple worship readying itself for the coming of Messiah who would rule here on earth.

Of course, the word of God is true and makes every man a liar who goes contrary to it. Therefore, I had to concede that my initial understanding could be wrong and a millennial messianic rule attended by Jews and complete with a newly instituted temple worship was quite possible and might fit the overall teaching of scripture concerning the very last days before eternity. Messiah Jesus is recognized and crowned by the natural branches, the Israelites and begins to rule out of the chosen holy city of Jerusalem. However, at the end of his earthly reign lasting a thousand years a rebellion will ensue. The following quote from the King James Version of The Bible illustrates this fact.

20:5 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. Rev. 20:1-9 (KJV)

Why Not Call the Church a Kingdom?

However, it was still not clear to me why the church would not and could not be called the spiritual kingdom of God here on earth. When Christ had said to Pilot,

Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. [37] Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. (John 18:36-37 KJV)

“My kingdom is not of this world, if it were my followers would fight to free me.” It had seemed to me that He had made it clear that his kingdom was an invisible kingdom, which had brought the spiritual realities of heaven into our fallen world that had much needed it. He did not say “I came to rule over the Jews who have rejected me.” Of course saying that He was a king would have made him deserve the punishment as the enemy of Rome for which very reason He had been accused. However, his next statement to Pilot is a veiled one and seems to deny at least his earthly kingship. Yet he had publicly said, “You will see the son of man seated at the right hand of glory.”

It was noted in class that the word ‘kingdom’ seems strangely absent in the Pauline letters that had to do with the revelations concerning the church. We never say, “Did you notice there is air in this room” because it is assumed and it’s so obvious that we don’t mention it. The church, as the only entity claiming to be under the lordship of Christ and being loved and sustained by him, need not say she belongs to his kingdom. That is because it is obvious and that it is assumed to be so. It was noted that rather, words like ‘body’ and ‘bride’ are used to describe the church. These were very intimate words indeed that signify intimacy, oneness, wholeness and complete unity with God. Paul does say we have been translated into (past tense) the kingdom of the light of his dear son (Colossians 1:13). Perhaps the word kingdom was not used more often for the reason that it would fail to describe such closeness and intimacy. The Bride is to be bonded in love with the bridegroom until the consummation of their love in marriage. So much so that she is not merely someone who is to be ruled (As described in Psalm 2 , for example) but an intimate love and desire of the king the way the Shulamite was to Solomon. Interestingly enough this marriage is said to happen after the millennial reign has ended and the bride, it seems is already in heaven.

2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Rev. 21:2 (KJV)

The Argument For Calling the Church Today to be God’s Kingdom

It is true the church while on earth is a spiritual entity and it consists of regenerated men, women and children who actually inhabit the earth as its members. They take the Holy Spirit with them wherever they go and they practice and fight with the Word of God, which is the sword of the spirit. This is one aspect of the warring church and the Christian Paul talked about in chapter six of the book of Ephesians. The Church also has other aspects, which most entities that are called kingdoms should possess. It has a rightful ruler (God and Christ), a governing constitutional document (The Bible), a governing body (Ecclesiastical Offices and Authorities) and finally it also has the empowering and preserving presence of the Holy Spirit. All this things are suggestive of a real kingdom made of all those believers who have been translated into the ‘kingdom of the light of his dear son’. Either way I was satisfied that whether one were to call the present church to which I belong a kingdom or ‘The Bride’ they are ascribing to her exalted positions of a closeness and nearness with the God of the universe and his Christ.

Conclusion

In the course of writing this paper, I have come to see how the millennial reign of Christ could be centered on a reconstituted Jewish nation, apart from the presence of the church. However, I have not been swayed from my belief that the church is just as well the spiritually powerful kingdom of God here on earth today. I still believe that today’s believers are in the kingdom of God as the Holy Spirit has come to live in them and has become part of the daily lives. Can God be outside of his own kingdom? Where He is present there it must also be the kingdom of God. He is present with us and abides with us. Because the very real presence of the third person of the trinity is among us we must be subsets of his glorious kingdom today. I have therefore concluded that both the church and the future millennial reign of Christ are aspects of the same kingdom of God.

A shimmering Zion is coming!

2008-07-24T09:28:00.002-04:00

A shimmering Zion is coming!
A Bible study

Answers to the questions: Is there coming (soon) a golden age for the city of Jerusalem? If so, why do we believe this to be so?

For Dr Rice Hall

August 13, 2007

Will there be a golden age for Jerusalem? This question is warranted for several reasons one of which is the following. Scriptural references about a glorious day coming for the earthly Jerusalem can mistakenly be classed with those referring to the “New Jerusalem” which shall come from above. These references in scripture are about the “New Jerusalem”, a heavenly city not made by human hands that will come down from heaven at a later point in The Lord’s prophetic program (Rev. 21:10-23). There is no doubt that such a city will one day manifest and she or it will be a glorious place.

However, when we enquire whether a golden age will come for the city of Jerusalem, we are talking about the historic city that has been perpetually ransacked and embattled through centuries. We are referring to that old city of David, the place where Solomon’s Temple was situated and the geographical area, which is currently the capital of the nation of Israel. Those of us who believe in a millennial view of eschatology (the end times) believe that Messiah king will return and reign here on earth for a thousand years out of this formerly tattered, many times besieged and ever embattled city. He will of course have the church alongside of him as he establishes this glorious earthly political kingdom. Is this view supported well from scripture? Well, lets us see.

Jerusalem in the center of the storm

Assuming the thousand-year reign of Christ mentioned in revelation as being imminent, it’s inconceivable that after his coming, Jesus would rule from any other place on earth other than Jerusalem. This is plausible if only for the reason that He has had strong connections with her not only at his first coming but also long before that. We will however try to prove this conjecture by looking at what scripture says on the matter. One might wonder if Jesus cannot rule from New York, for instance or Paris or Hamburg? Of course at his second coming, a lot of cities would have been indisposed as the events of the tribulation start to unfold and even Jerusalem would have suffered an earthquake (Rev 16:19).

There is no doubt that towards the end of the church age, the final theatrics of this unfolding drama will take place in and around the city of Jerusalem. Mount Olivet from where Jesus ascended and where He will touch ground on his return is one of many landmarks found near the city of Jerusalem (Acts 1:9-12). The valley of Megiddo is also close by. There, the great final battle will be fought and the enemies of God will be vanquished (Revelations 16:16). At Megiddo, the Lord will visibly appear in the clouds for all eyes to see along with his many hosts as He descends, confronts and does away with his enemies (Revelations 19; 19-21). The temple mount will be one of the locations that will figure in prominently in those end time events. The two witnesses will also have been preaching in the streets of this once forsaken yet always hallowed city (Revelation 12:3-11). Can there be any doubt that the king will rule from another place other than Jerusalem?

Israel: a prophetic time clock

In the middle of his discourse on the end times Jesus spoke of the parable of the fig tree.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:32-35 (KJV)

Like all the parables Jesus spoke had a key, this one must also have a key. Some like Hal Lindsay believe that the fig tree Jesus uses, as a prophetic time clock to indicate the very last days, is a reference to the nation of Israel (Matthew 24:32). This yields the formula,

(fig tree = Israel = an end time prophetic time clock).

Consequently, events having to do with Israel, become indicators of how close we might be time-wise to the midnight hour when the master will return. If this is the correct key to the parable then we could see all of the events forecast to happen begin to unfold right before our very eyes. Jesus’ words, “when his branch is tender, and putteth forth leaves” could be a reference to the coming into being of the nation of Israel, which happened in 1948 after almost two millennia. This can be seen as a partial fulfillment of prophesy for Israel’s Jews to return a second time to their homeland (Jeremiah 30:1-12, Isaiah 11:11). It is described by Jeremiah as a time of Jacob’s trouble followed by deliverance, while Isaiah speaks of its glorious aftermath.

Let’s look at another reference of the fig tree in the gospels. Earlier, Jesus had cursed a fig tree “not to bear fruit forever” for the reason that He didn’t find fruit on it; he had rather only found leaves (Matthew 21:19). Is Israel then cursed forever or will she rise again as a saved nation under God? The fig tree in Matthew 21 was turned into an object lesson about faith so it most probably has nothing to do with Israel. However, its also true that Jesus was very unhappy with that generation which may be characterized as one that was lacking fruit. This could (wrongly) be interpreted to mean that Israel is finished and has been replaced by the church as a living, spiritual and saved organism. We will later consider this question of whether the church has replaced Israel and if Israel will have a unique identity in the messianic kingdom.

Let us see if there is any support to the claim that Jesus’ reference to the fig tree is a secret (parable) reference to Israel. There is no doubt that a lot of the end time events will revolve around the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. When the time comes such events like, Daniel’s “Abomination that causes desolation” will unfold in the holy city of Jerusalem. Such facts favor the view that Israel is the fig tree and events having to do with her are a gauge of where we are in God’s prophetic time clock. We are also coming to a full generation’s time after the formation of the nation of Israel. It can then follow from Matthew 24:34 that those of us living today belong to that generation that will witness the extraordinary events that will transpire during last hour before midnight when Christ will come.

The intensity of current world events also supports the claim that we are already way past the eleventh hour. The contemporary Christian band ‘Jars of Clay’ has an album titled, “the eleventh hour” that has songs about the end. They were present at Billy Graham’s last crusade in Flushing Meadows, Queens on Saturday June 25, 2005, very near to the place where the UN had convened in 1947 to determine Israel’s fate. What was Billy’s message that last Sunday night? It was about the end of the world! Since 9/11 one does not get much arguments anymore if one claims that the end of the world is near. There is an unmistakable feeling that something is about to break loose! The signs of the times are not just abundant they are overflowing the brim; the starkest example of which is that lawlessness seems to be increasing and getting more and more blatant.

Erroneous Interpretations and predictions

Interpretations as forwarded by people like Hal Lindsay and his book, The Late Great Planet Earth can of course fail and are not unchallengeable. Its merit is that it makes us aware of how close we might be to the tribulation period and how we need to ready ourselves to receive the bridegroom. We should also leave room in our thinking that our configurations can turn out to be erroneous.

Some bible teachers like Harold Camping of family radio have predicted a specific year for Christ’s return and have shown up themselves to be wrong for the whole world to see. Such claims have also jaded their listeners allowing much skepticism and ridicule to ensue. Yet Christ’s return could be at the very door. Being a prophecy teacher though fun is not a simple task and one should be careful not to make blunders or mislead others! It requires one to be a ‘person of understanding’ well capable of putting prophesied events together in order to relate them rightly to current events so as to forewarn people about what may be coming right around the corner.

Worship unfettered by location

We will try to find some definitive answers by exploring some of the things Jesus had said concerning Jerusalem at the time of his first coming.

20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:20-24 (KJV)

Worship was no more to take place at this great historic mountain, the mountain of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob nor was it to be at Jerusalem, the ‘beloved city’. Jesus tells this to a humble Samaritan women and by doing so he also speaks to the rest of us. Jerusalem as a consigned place where worshipers of Yahweh would come to pay homage would no more have that distinction, at least for a while. Worship would now happen anywhere and everywhere among those believers who must worship God in spirit and in truth, for his spirit is always and everywhere present. Such worshippers, Jesus tells us, Yahweh seeks and even desires. Even though the worship now in the new covenant would transcend a specific place like Jerusalem or any other physical or geographical location, the lord still has use for this ancient city, his city. He had once spoken by the prophet “I will yet again choose Jerusalem.”(Zechariah 1:17, 2:12)

This statement of Jesus concerning universal worship taking place with no relevance ascribed to any hallowed places along with his prophecy about the destruction of the temple, temporarily relegated Jerusalem from her previous eminence as place where special spiritual activities sponsored by Yahweh God would take place. Her subsequent history proved these prophecies correct. She had perhaps served her most important purpose of bringing forth messiah from among her peoples (Revelation 12). Had her usefulness ended or did Yahweh have other future plans for her? Would she play another prominent role in the closing ceremonies as she had at the opening, in hosting and giving messiah to the world? The latter idea, that a glorious future is coming for Jerusalem, will be argued and supported from scripture in this short essay (This will be my Thesis.)

A Besieged City

2That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. Neh. 1:1-3 (KJV)

The clock for Jerusalem to be trampled underfoot by gentiles had already been ticking for some time when Jesus was born. A nation who had miserably failed the purposes intended for her and had become idolatrous is forsaken and divorced by Yahweh (Jeremiah 11:1-17) It had started around 586 BC when the Babylonian capture of Jerusalem and the subsequent Diaspora of Jewish people had taken place. Attempts had been done to bring back Jerusalem to some semblance of her former importance by Jewish people like Zerubabel and Nehemiah who were stirred and destined to the task by Yahweh along with the sponsorship of gentile rulers like the great kings Cyrus and Artaxerxes, who must have providentially been allowed to help revive her (Isaiah 44:82). However, after rejecting messiah, she would go further into oblivion and obscurity with respect to the attendance she had enjoyed from her husband Yahweh to whom she once was a “beloved” and “chosen” city. (Psalm 87, Psalm 76).

Jesus’ lament for Jerusalem and predicts her demise

Like Jeremiah had done centuries before, Jesus laments Jerusalem in a famous final farewell that spells her demise and coming into obscurity until some future time as she is ready to accept her king, which presumably will be at his second coming.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Matthew 23:37-39 (KJV)

The fact that a universal worship is instituted apart form regard to a special place like Jerusalem does not necessarily mean that Jerusalem will not come into her-own someday. If that were so, Jesus would not have left her future fate open-ended as he did in the above lament. He would have put a moratorium on her the way the scriptures speak concerning Sodom in the past or Babylon in the future as cities that will never be inhabited. The Lord rather speaks of her revival during a time when an atmosphere of ‘welcome’ will exist with a future generation as opposed to a time that was one of rejection and opposition characteristic with the generation present at his first coming (Matthew 12:34, 38-42,45). Therefore, in the above lament, Jesus not only prophesied Jerusalem’s demise but also leaves open the possibility of her future revival.

I will make her (Jerusalem) a praise in the earth!

That such a future revival of Jerusalem will happen is in sync with the many Old Testament prophecies concerning Jerusalem. One such prominent example of such a prophecy is found in Isaiah 62. Isaiah says this several hundred years after Solomon when Jerusalem must have experienced her best days. A simple survey of Jerusalem’s history such as was done in class proves that, such a glorious time as describe by Isaiah, where she enjoys such great blessings as to be called “a married land” have yet to happen.

62:1For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. 2And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. 3Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. 4Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
5For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. 6I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, 7And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Isaiah 62:1-7 (KJV)

The several references to ‘land’ in the scripture above, rule out any doubt as to whether the prophecy might be referring to the heavenly Jerusalem. “Yahweh will make Jerusalem to be praise in the earth.” It’s pretty obvious to any unbiased student of Bible History that this has not yet happened. Its one of those wonderful things slotted to happen in God’s prophetic time table, for which we can most certainly look forward to happen some day and perhaps even soon.
Her previously known glory days were during Solomon’s time, soon after which things went downhill for her and her people. Jerusalem was besieged and sacked numerous times after that, going back and forth as the prized possession of the powers that overrun her and her people. Starting from the Assyrians and the Babylonians and continuing on with the Greeks, the Romans, Moslems, crusaders and the Turks all the way up to the time the British relinquished the land to Zionists she remained ransacked and embattled having lost a significant portion of her former identity. In what might prove to be the dawn of her deliverance, resurrection and a future luminance, the nation of Israel miraculously came once more into existence in 1948. Before and since this date, Jerusalem has been fought for and embattled even unto this day. Therefore, scriptures like the one from Isaiah quoted above can only be talking about a yet to come future age when Jerusalem will once more come to prominence as the city of the king. This golden age could be right around the corner. This should be exiting to us Christians, as we would be right smack in the middle of her revival along with the inauguration of our sweet messiah Jesus as king eternal (Revelation 19).

Israel will be saved!

Perhaps the strongest reason yet that Israel will come back to her spiritual and natural glory with messiah at the helm is Paul’s prediction that all Israel shall be saved, in his epistle to the Roman Christians. Incidentally, this is one of those few conundrums found in the bible. Solving it could be like finding and putting in the most important piece of a jigsaw puzzle allowing one to clearly see the panorama of the prophetic landscape stretched out over the centuries. Paul calls it a mystery as he does with the marriage between Christ and the church or the mystery of lawlessness at work during the last days (Eph 5:22, 2Thess 2:7). Addressing gentiles and wanting them to understand this mystery, Paul wrote the following,

23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25For 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 fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26And 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: 27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Romans 11:23-29 (KJV)

Paul’s statements should not be understood to mean that all Jewish people will get a free pass to an eternity with God regardless of how they have lived. This would be contrary to what Paul is saying in the above-mentioned chapter and in the overall sum of his theology. Salvation will always be through faith in messiah Jesus, theirs as well as all others (Acts 4:12, Romans 1:16). Having first confirmed and affirmed this very important truth, we can then move to find what other conclusions can be drawn from what was said by the apostle. A proper exposition of the above quoted portion and of the whole chapter yields several very important truths. Perhaps the most important of these truths is that, Yahweh God is not done with his dealings with the “natural branches” the Israelites and has a plan to save them, even if they have been temporarily hardened.

Will Israel have a unique or a shared identity with the church?

After the Second Advent, will Israel have the same type of unique place she had before, as a special nation separated unto him, having been given His law and the temple ordinances? The situation has definably changed from the time Israel was born as many gentiles have now been brought up to speed in the knowledge of the Lord. On the other hand a significant number of Jews in Israel have a secular outlook partly as a result of the holocaust that had happened during the last century. Surprisingly enough, some spiritually reborn gentiles might even be encouraged by some of Paul’s statements to see themselves as the real Jews or the new Jews. Paul had written, “He is a Jew who is a Jew inwardly and has the circumcision of the heart and not just the circumcision after the flesh”(Romans 2:29) Jesus had also said of some professing Jews that they are really a synagogue of Satan (Revelations 2:9). This raises the important question as to who exactly is a Jew in God’s sight. Apparently being born one according to the flesh is not enough. Can one be a Jew spiritually without being one in the flesh? This idea that Jewish-ness is no more determined by lineage but by a relationship to the Jewish messiah leads to what is sometimes called as a replacement theology where the church has replaced Israel forever as the only beloved of Yahweh. As Paul pointed out in the previously quoted portion in Romans, it may be erroneous to think so. Israel is still beloved to the Lord even in their hardened state as we must have been while still in sin.

It might be wrong to completely fade out Israel into the church when drawing a portrait about the coming millennial kingdom of messiah Jesus. For example consider the 144 thousand messianic Jews of impeccable character that will most assuredly be part of a reconstituted Jewish nation during the millennium after the tribulation (Revelation 7:4). In the least this shows God’s desire to reconstitute a Jewish representation in the last days (Isaiah 11:11). Temple worship will only disappear in the New Jerusalem (Revelations 21:22). Until then it could be that it will need attendees for whose duties these Israelites would be the natural candidates. The presence of the temple where the Lord will have his throne while He dwells in the midst of his people will once more give Israel a unique identity as in the days of old. Ezekiel describes in great detail, a grand temple that will be built in the future when Christ will dwell in the midst of Israel.

4And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 5So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. 6And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. 7And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places. Ezekiel 43:4-7 (KJV)

A conciliatory note:

Whether or not The Lord has forever replaced or displaced Israel with the heterogeneous church made up of both Jews and gentiles is a controversial issue. Similarly, during the coming earthly reign of messiah king, whether Jesus means to incorporate Jewish people into his church body, ‘The Bride’ or if they are going to be formed into a unique entity and have their own identity, may be something up for debate and speculation. For the sake of an amiable exchange and to protect the spirit’s unity, we should leave such questions open ended for now. There might be scriptural support to convincingly prove either of these positions. Perhaps a deeper understanding of God’s word will allow one to cast a verdict in a particular direction and perhaps not. Like many controversial issues in theology, one will get different answers for these queries depending on whom they talk to. It might very well be one of those questions where we will have to wait in order to know the answer. John had said, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as He is”(1 John 3:2 KJV). While our present function is to know and love the Lord, only the Lord knows the specifics of our future as well as Israel’s. Therefore, we should refrain from speculating as to what will become of the church and the nation of Israel during the millennial reign of Christ. When the time comes God will show it to us.

Final Conclusion

It is however safe to generally say that all of those who will be saved are going to be incorporated into one whole kingdom under God even if they have specialized roles and functions. Its possible that during the millennial reign of Christ, a saved Israel might have a unique identity and a specialized function different from the church. However, we should all agree that in a not too far away future, there will come a time when there will be a saved Jewish population with their king in their midst ruling out of Jerusalem and with the church right near and alongside of them. Anticipating a time when Israel will come to a full spiritual awakening, Paul said the following,

12Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? Romans 11:12 (KJV)

Imagine a day when king Jesus has descended and is ruling with power and majesty out of this holy city as described in the second Psalm saying, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill Zion”. He will have made a grand entrance to save Israel and quell the world’s situation that deteriorates under an evil and false messiah (2Thess. 2:8). He will bodily dwell and walk among men in majesty. He will no doubt have the gloriously adorned church and a host of angles alongside of him. Now imagine a Jewish nation who instantaneously recognizes their true God and king (whom they had pierced) because of his great entrance and messiah’s decisive demonstration of His delivering power during their tribulation (Zechariah 12:9-11). Those coming days will no doubt be golden days for Jerusalem and for our world. A hopeful and vivid vignette of what those times will be like is found in the book of Isaiah.

5And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
10And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. Isaiah 11:1-11 (KJV)

Based on a preponderance of yet unfulfilled prophecies that relate a future messianic kingdom we conclude that a golden day is coming for Jerusalem!

Sources deserving credit:

Bibles

The King James Version of The Holy Bible

Books

Hal Lindsay, The Late Great Plane Earth. Zondervan, 1970

Celestial Sources

The Holy Spirit