thenewreformation.net

ON TRUE RELIGION

 

 copyright 2025

by

thenewreformation.net

all rights reserved

 

 INTRODUCTION

 WHAT IS TRUE RELIGION ?

 

That is to say, what exactly do I mean

by use of such a term ?

 

For example, true as compared to what ?

 

True as compared to fake ?

 

Phony ?

 

Artificial ?

 

Game playing and hustling ?

 

Yes,

yes,

and yes.

 

We must start with a proposition

which I consider to be somewhat a priori

(i.e. self-evident truth),

although I am sure that many,

if not most !, persons

would find many grounds for disagreement.

 

To me, it is a self-evident fact

that “somebody” or “something”

has created this material universe

in which we currently find ourselves.

 

Either there is a Creator being

or there is not.

 

Modernly, Darwinists claim that

there is no God, and hence no Creator.

 

In effect, everything has created itself.

 

“In the beginning was matter”,

or energy, or some similar force.

 

Matter has, in effect, created God.

 

The Creator is considered by them

to be nothing more than a fantastical creation

of primitive, superstitious minds.

 

We just simply live and then die.

 

End of story.

 

A supreme being is simply wishful thinking,

or a projection of our own selves

onto the “canvas” of the material universe.

 

They will start from this postulate

and then claim that

they can disprove the existence

of an ultimate moral authority

in what can only be considered to be

an example of

very simplistic circular reasoning.

 

God does not exist and cannot exist,

therefore the universe cannot

have been created.

 

And so they begin

on a quest of explaining

how the known material universe

came into existence on its own,

with no animating and organizing force,

apart from various types of

physical events and causes and effects.

 

Darwin is claimed to have postulated

a scheme by which life came from non-life

by means of a series of random changes

over vast amounts of time

by which intelligence

is claimed to have evolved

from inanimate (and unintelligent) materials.

 

The mechanism (deux machina, anyone ?)

by which this is claimed to have happened

is by means of

radiation bombarding living material

(which just “somehow” originated

from non-life) and causing changes,

most of which were either detrimental to,

or in a very small amount of cases,

useful to, survival

(hence survival of the fittest).

 

 These basic building blocks

are claimed to have, effectively,

piled, the one on top of the other,

over and over again,

in violation of the 2d law of thermodynamics,

such that the simple organism

becomes more and more complex.

 

Modern people pretend that

this is a "scientific" view

to be compared with primitive

superstitions of ignorant persons.

 

While it is pretended that this is

some sort of modern masterpiece

of highly elevated thinking,

it is, in fact, no such thing.

 

It is, rather, the basis for

the religion of Hinduism

(the oldest known continuous religion)

and is very similar to

the Hawaiian/Polynesiancreation mythologies

(from which some persons believe

it was actually derived,

as a matter of speculative philosophy,

by Darwin, as he traveled through

the South Seas,

e.g. see the Hawaiian creation story

and chants, such as Kumulipo).

 

 In Hinduism and many other Eastern offshoots,

it is claimed THAT there are

continuous cycles of creation and destruction

by which one is claimed to evolve

to higher and higher levels of being.

 

Thus, it can readily be seen that religion,

and this speculative philosophy,

which pretends to be provable fact,

have been and are intertwined

and interwoven with one another

right from the very beginning.

 

That is to say, Darwinism

neither "proves",

nor disproves anything.

 

It is speculation, pure and simple.

 

Nothing more, and nothing less.

 

If one stops and thinks,

for even one moment,

one should realize that

if science is a collection of facts,

and the fact is that there is

a "prime mover”/Creator being/force

which is animating everything

which we see around us,

 then one cannot have science

without acknowledgment

of the fact of the initial and ongoing

creative force and driver.

 

The idea that "science" is inherently

in opposition to "religion"

is then readily shown to be a sham.

 

Because demonstrable facts

are a product of experimental verification

and of matters which are

OBSERVABLE,

MEASURABLE,

QUANTIFIABLE,

AND EXPERIMENTALLY REPEATABLE

, it can readily be seen that matters

such as "the Big Bang theory",

and various cosmologies and cosmogonies,

have no place alongside,

for example,

Newton's laws of motion,

or the analysis of chemical reactions

and such like.

 

This being so plain that one must speak

in terms of "hard science"

versus other kinds of "soft" science,

as if such a distinction has any meaning, whatsoever, other than to falsely claim

 that evolutionary theory is, somehow,

OBSERVABLE, MEASURABLE, QUANTIFIABLE, AND EXPERIMENTALLY REPEATABLE FACT

,

and hence a matter for scientific inquiry

i.e. collecting of facts.

 

This is a very shaky foundation, indeed,

upon which to stake the future state

of what is believed to be your eternal soul,

if ever there was one.

 

As one further considers the matter,

it becomes painfully evident

that we are in a sort of a mist

from which we are not going to

easily extricate ourselves.

 

SPECULATIVE PHILOSOPHY,

POSING AS

KNOWN,

MEASURABLE,

QUANTIFIABLE,

EXPERIMENTALLY REPEATABLE FACTS

is not really going to help us much.

 

It is simplistic and shallow thinking

at its core,

and really not worth much

when one is trying to figure out

“what actually is and isn't”,

in spite of it’s apparent (modern) ability

to pretend to be the answer

to all of our questions

about the meaning and purpose

of our current existence.

It opens the door

to all kinds of ridiculous speculation,

in place of useful knowledge,

I would think.

 

The reason for pointing these things out

is because we are going to run into them

over and over again as we consider

what is reality, and other, related matters.

 

Or to state it another way,

here is one of the numerous phony religions which I intend to juxtapose against

what I am, here, referring to as

“TRUE RELIGION”.

 

Again, the "true" in true religion

is another way of saying "fact-based",

or "factually-based" religion.

 

While noting that I am using the term RELIGION, here, to mean

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CREATOR,

as opposed to various rites, rituals, customs,

practices, and procedures.

 

RELIGION is, hence, here used

as a SYNONYM FOR ULTIMATE REALITY.

 

Okay now,

here is the fatal crux of the matter,

so far as the claims that

Darwin’s speculations

somehow rise to the level of

 MEASURABLE

OBSERVABLE

QUANTIFIABLE

AND EXPERIMENTALLY REPEATABLE

"facts" of science

("science" here being defined as

a collection of facts):

 

COMPLEXITY

 

I never tire of reminding any and all

who care about such matters

that when Darwin propounded

his speculative philosophical assertions,

the microscope had only recently

been developed.

 

The nature of DNA was completely unknown

and quantum mechanics

hadn't even been thought of

or considered as a potential reality.

 

 Darwin and his contemporaries

looked at the structure of leaves

and other plant tissues under a microscope

and noticed little empty boxes

which appeared to form

the skeletal framework of the leaf structure.

 

They called these little boxes "cells",

as in an empty room, or a prison cell.

 

They had no idea that within

each of these little boxes

had been a whole sea

teeming with living organisms,

each far more complex than

the skeletal leaf structure itself.

 

I like to think of them as LITTLE MACHINES.

 

NUMEROUS

“LITTLE MACHINES WITHIN LITTLE MACHINES”.

 

A closer look at each LITTLE MACHINE

showing yet another layer of

COMPLEXITY WITHIN COMPLEXITY.

 

It is the same with strands of DNA.

 

It is the same with t

he physio/chemical structures,

as well as atomic and

sub-atomic structures of matter.

 

It is the same with

every single self-replicating enzyme

which form the structural skeleton

of every single protein molecule.

 

YES, COMPLEXITY

WITHIN COMPLEXITY,

WITHIN COMPLEXITY,

such that it ultimately becomes

mathematically ridiculously impossible

to account for these structures

and their numerous interrelations

and their interrelatedness

by random processes.

 

The amount of time being required

for such to even potentially take place

to far exceed any amount of time

which ever has been,

or ever will, be postulated.

 

This is what I call

THE “HANDPRINTS” AND “FINGERPRINTS”

OF OUR CREATOR.

 He having made matters so complex

that only a very ignorant person

could possibly even consider that things

just somehow "fell together" on their own.

 

IT IS HIS SIGNATURE AS IT WERE,

and will be found over and over again,

as we begin to even barely

scratch the surface of this,

our current inquiry into

the nature of what is, and what isn't,

and what can be known, or not known.

 

So, it seems that

what is claimed to be science

is actually "science falsely so-called".

 

It being truly little more than

a modern mythology,

little different than the stories

of the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Greeks.

 

Instead of calling upon some

super-human anthropomorphization,

these moderns, in willful ignorance,

give the same attributes as found

in the ancient cosmogonies to matter.

 

Just as Sumerian gods and goddesses

were claimed to do all sorts of creative acts,

HERE IT IS ENERGY

AND VARIOUS ELECTROMAGNETIC FORCES

TO WHICH ARE ASCRIBED

THE EXACT SAME CREATIVE POWERS.

 

 First with a "big bang",

coming out of nowhere,

with nothing worthy of

an attempt at description preceding it.

 

Intelligent force simply being

replaced by inanimate forces,

which are claimed to be

“just in the nature of how things are”.

 

Of course, this is little more than

a grand cop-out,

pretending to be deep philosophical insight.

 

It neither proves, nor disproves anything, anymore than saying that the Sumerian gods

Anu, Ea, Enki, along with the Annunaki,  

are responsible for the creation.

 

These "moderns" simply hiding behind

the fact that because ultimate origins

are impossible to demonstrate

in an empirical manner,

therefore none of their idle speculations

can be disproven.

 

Such that lack of ability to disprove

is propounded as proof.

 

 Truly ridiculous,

once it is looked at more closely,

with discriminating eyes and thought/mind.

 

They merely obfuscate the entire matter

by hiding behind mathematical equations

and theorems which can only be "understood"

by a select few,

who now pretend to be

the duly appointed "keepers of the flame"

by virtue of such abilities.

 

A grand game of “hide-and-seek”,

as it were.

 

By controlling the ability to "hide the ball"

they pretend to some higher knowledge

to which they then ascribe the label, “science".

 

The perpetrators of such

being little different from

their Sumero/Babylonian

ancestral counterparts.

 

Yes, nothing but

a "modernized" form of priestcraft,

with the lab tech’s clothing

replacing the priestly garb of yesteryear.

 

 It is an unmitigated fraud,

through and through,

so far as I am concerned,

and little more than replacing

one set of speculative/philosophical claims

with another.

 

Merely a replacement of one "religion"

by another

(using "religion" in the commonly "understood" sense of the term).

 

Of course this all serving to underscore

THE NEED FOR REVELATION.

 

That is to say,

man is unable to understand

anything worth knowing,

when it comes to such matters as

ultimate causation,

without "the great whoever/whatever"

revealing it by one means or another.

 

Such that now we are confronted with

the problem of "seeking" that knowledge

and the answers to the perennial problem of

"who am I ?",

and "what am I ?",

and "why am I here ?".

 

 Most certainly NOT matters

that can be ascertained

by measuring various portions

and pieces of the material universe.

 

We having now begun to enter the realm

of what I am, here, calling

"TRUE RELIGION".

 

ON THE NEED FOR REVELATORY RELIGION

 Assuming the existence of a Creator,

that being the only reasonable postulate,

given the unbelievable layers upon layers

of complexity and organization,

one is FORCED to seek the answers

to ultimate questions

either directly from the source

(i.e. the Creator)

or by listening to the doctrines and dogmas

of very ignorant earthbound men

who are locked in

their four dimensional prison

of space/time, length, height,

width, and depth.

 

Because I am at sea as I write this,

I can't help but be reminded of the amoeba

which comes out of your stomach,

into the toilet of a cruise ship,

only to be unceremoniously ejected

out into the middle of the Pacific ocean.

 

What can it really know about

the world in which it is residing ?

 

 As it puts on its little amoebic lab coat

and begins to quantify and analyze

the waters and salts and equal-sized organisms which surround it on every side.

 

It thinking that it knows and understands

what is taking place all around it,

yet being so restricted,

by virtue of its own

physical and psychical limitations,

that it is simply unable

to perceive or understand

the grander scheme of things.

 

It really having no ability whatsoever

to understand the depth of the ocean

in which it exists,

or the existence of continental land masses,

or the numerous stars of heaven.

 

All of which it can neither perceive,

nor observe,

even while being surrounded by it

on every side.

 

 And what hubris and

incredible amount of exaggeration

it must take

for tiny little Mr. and Mrs. Amoeba

to pretend that the specifics

of their microscopic world

can be generalized into

a full and complete knowledge

of what is and what is not.

 

Think about it for a few minutes,

and then explain how it is

that you and I are any different.

 

Even with the most over-active imagination,

and with the use of

numerous mathematical formulae,

the poor little amoebae are restricted

from knowing any more than any other

equally-sized creature,

and certainly unable to either perceive,

or understand such matters

as the nature of the greater universe

in which they are residing.

 

Yes, it is all around them,

on every side,

yet they are lacking

the ability to perceive and understand

just exactly what it is

that they are looking at

and experiencing.

I would suggest that you and I

are no different.

 

We suffer from the exact same limitations,

yet, somehow unable to recognize

that such truly is the case.

 

What arrogance and incredible stupidity

must be required for our modern peers

to pretend like they have it all figured out

with a high degree of certainty,

because their artificially created

mathematical formulae tell them that it is so.

 

It truly is outlandish,

such that

IT IS DIFFICULT

TO TAKE SUCH PROFOUNDLY IGNORANT PERSONS SERIOUSLY.

 

At the end of the day

it can all too readily be seen

that without guidance from someone/something far greater than ourselves

we will simply remain hopelessly lost

within the limitations of our very existence,

WITH no hope of anything ever being otherwise.

Welcome to the land

of metaphysical speculation,

which will, soon enough, morph into

something which we know of as "religion",

with all of its amoeba-like

rites and rituals and practices and garb,

WHICH TAKEN ALL TOGETHER

CAN ONLY FORM

NOTHING MORE OR LESS

THAN PRETENSE.

 

Yes, pretended knowledge

professing itself to be

ultimate knowledge and fact.

 

Such that one needs to stop

and take a long, hard look

at these pretensions

long enough to reject them

as the utter nonsense

which they truly are

and can only be proven to be

moreso and moreso

with each passing hour, day, week, and year.

 

Men simply cannot be trusted,

for the most part,

when it comes to such matters.

 

Such that if our Creator wants us

to know anything about Himself,

and our current predicament,

then He must make it known to us,

if we are ever to get past

the very real limitations

of our very own material existence.

 

While noting that

it is just such a claim

which the ancient Hebraic/Christian

belief system makes.

 

While it is easy to make any claim

one should so desire,

here, it quickly becomes

a question of how one can ascertain and "prove"

such a matter as that the Creator

has spoken plainly, and in such a manner

that we should all sit up and take notice

and "listen up".

 

I will here contend that such is the purpose

of what I shall here designate as

"THE MESSIANIC PROPHECIES".

 

Something which cannot be so readily

and easily manipulated by unbelieving, faithless men and women,

who pretend to have personal

and private access to such higher knowledge.

 

Remembering that extreme caution is in order, given that we are, here, dealing with

subject matter wherein hucksters

will be found to abound

in nearly limitless quantity on every side,

and all the moreso in this day and age.

 

 

 THE MESSIANIC PROPHECIES

 ON PROPHECY AND PROPHETS IN GENERAL

 

Given that so-called “science”

is entirely unable to answer

any of the questions

which deal with ultimate causation,

then is there any way that a truth seeker

can find answers to any of these questions

with a reasonable degree of certainty ?

 

Or put another way,

has the Creator chosen

to communicate with us in a way

that can give us assurance of His existence ?

 

While the creation itself

is claimed to be a witness

in numerous different ways

(see Romans 1:20),

the holy writings which have come down to us

in the form known to us as

the Old Testament canon

is based upon exactly such a claim.

 

Here the Creator God

is said to have communicated directly

with a number of individuals.

 

 He is said to have shown Himself,

openly and plainly,

to one particular group of persons

from which He chose persons

who were intended to act as

direct “spokesmen”, on His behalf.

 

So, how can we know

who these persons are, or were?

 

Very simply.

 

They are/were persons

who would tell the immediate,

and less immediate, future histories

of kings, persons, and “kingdoms”,

in advance of the actual facts.

 

Only with one proviso,

i.e. 100% accuracy is required

(see Deuteronomy 18).

 

If they get even one thing wrong,

they are to be killed

(see Deuteronomy 18:20 and Deuteronomy 13:1-10).

 

It is THIS PROPHETIC OFFICE

which provided us with

the prophetic writings

which are contained in the Old Testament.

It seems that any number

of these Prophets of God

left behind writings

in which they made and recorded

numerous predictions regarding

various lands, and peoples, and kingdoms.

 

Many of the prophecies

seeming to be downright outlandish

at the time of their writing.

 

Beginning with Moses,

who was said to have spoken

face to face with God,

the prophetic tradition begins,

and then continues,

“on again” and “off again”,

until it finally, altogether ends

with John the Baptist,

immediately preceding

the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth,

"the man from Galilee".

 

This is in addition to showing numerous marvelous works and wonders,

and miraculous interventions,

by which the hand of an all-seeing,

all-powerful being simply could not be denied

by any rational person who cares to

examine the matter.

 

As men watched these various historical events unfold before their eyes,

in fulfillment of the numerous claims

and predictions made by these Prophets,

a corpus of writings began to be

collected together as compelling evidence

of what had happened.

 

It is within this collection of writings

that

A SERIES OF PROPHETIC PASSAGES

BEGAN TELLING OF A COMING “GOD-MAN”.

 

That is to say, a prediction,

or series of predictions,

claiming that

THE CREATOR GOD, HIMSELF,

WILL APPEAR AS A MALE HUMAN BEING.

 

As centuries went by,

each of a number of different persons

added pieces to this puzzle.

 

Over time the pieces coming together

to form a more and more clear picture

of what was to come,

and a more complete picture, as well.

 

It was as if each prophetic utterance

provided yet one more piece

in a gigantic jigsaw puzzle.

 

 By the time of DANIEL THE PROPHET,

who was kept prisoner

in the court of Darius,

during the height of Persian power,

one particularly specific prophecy

told that the Messiah

WOULD BE "CUT OFF" IN HIS YOUTH,

WITHIN 490 YEARS FROM THE DATE

OF THE GIVING OF THE DECREE OF CYRUS

TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM (537 B.C.)

(see Daniel 9:24-27; and see Ezra chapter 1; and chapter 6; and chapter 7).

 Such that those who were keeping track

of these prophetic utterances,

spanning centuries,

now could know exactly when to look for

the appearing of this man,

who was to be known as EMMANUEL,

meaning, “GOD WITH US”

(see Isaiah 7:14).

 

It is because of this level of precision

that there was Messianic expectation,

at the time of Christ,

throughout the Middle Eastern lands,

and particularly in

the tiny little kingdom of Judah,

where this prophetic tradition was centered.

 

People were watching for

and waiting for

the coming of a man,

who must be born

not too long before the expiration

of the 490 years.

 

It seems to be no coincidence

that the three Magi

(magicians/soothsayers,

from the very same Persian court

where Daniel's prophecy was MADE

APPROXIMATELY  500 years earlier)

were searching for a newborn babe,

who would be known as "the Son of God",

at the time of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

 

It also being, for the same reason,

the basis of the belief of Herod

that a usurper King was about to be born, causing him to have children

under two years of age to be murdered

(see Matthew 2:16),

causing the fulfillment of several more

Messianic prophecies

(see Matthew 2:17-18 and Jeremiah 31:15).

 

 Yes, there was tremendous expectation throughout the land,

for the reason that the Creator God

had spoken through one of his Prophets

to tell, within several years of time,

exactly when to expect the fulfillment

of over 1200 years of biblical prophecies.

 

Each prediction adding to those made prior,

to form a more and more complete picture.

 

Notice how this was done

in a way such that it did not depend upon

the whims of any one man,

or the peculiar beliefs of

any one or two generations

or groups of persons.

 

The prophecies being made in such a manner

as to preclude the possibility of

the kind of lying hucksterism

to which we are currently exposed

on a nearly ongoing basis,

as numerous modern false prophets

and false brethren pretend to know

all about the future

and exactly how it will unfold.

 

 Of course, these moderns

are wrong over and over again,

which would have gotten

a real prophet wannabe

to pay for his (or her) chicanery

with his/her life.

 

The Lord God spending centuries,

for over one millennium,

laying the groundwork

for what was to come.

 

The exact genealogical lineage

being spelled out in great detail,

such that there could be

no faking the evidence.

 

The true significance of many of the passages being just unclear enough (dark sayings)

such that people didn't even realize,

until after the fact,

just how pertinent many of

these previously obscure passages

actually are or were.

 

It is against this backdrop

that I would like to remind you,

dear reader,

about HOW the Creator

is claimed to have revealed himself

to the family members of the human family

which would ultimately

give birth to the Messiah,

known as "THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH",

among other names.

 

For purposes of this immediate discussion

I will skip ahead to the patriarch Abraham,

while most certainly not intending to

thereby diminish the various persons

preceding him (e.g. Adam, Noah, Enoch, etc.).

 

God talked directly to Abraham.

 

It is here that a pattern begins to emerge,

which will be seen through

both the Old Testament

and New Testament writings.

 

This being what I am herein referring to

as TRUE RELIGION.

 

DIRECT REVELATION

FROM THE CREATOR

TO THE CREATED BEING.

 

An intense direct communion between the two.

 

Sometimes by use of dreams,

and sometimes face-to-face,

as the Creator appears in different forms

which we refer to as "THEOPHANIES".

"ABRAHAM believed God

and it was counted to him

for righteousness"

(see Genesis 15:6 and Romans 4:3).

 

This is a fundamental premise

of a number of arguments

which are made by the Apostle Paul

regarding the doctrine of soteriology

(i.e. the doctrine of salvation).

 

According to the account

in the book of Genesis,

God made promises to Abraham

(Hebrews 6:13-15).

 

Abraham was also said to be seeking another, non-earthly, kingdom

(HEBREWS 11:10).

 

NOTE THESE TWO KEY ELEMENTS: 

 seeking our Creator;

 and

 our Creator speaking directly

to certain individuals,

such that actual statements

regarding the content of these conversations

have been recorded and transmitted

 from one generation to the next,

either in a written form,

or in the form of an oral tradition.

 

Abraham is called "a friend of God"

(see Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23).

 

That is to say he has

a certain degree of personal intimacy

with his Creator.

 

Abraham hears instructions

which are said to emanate from God

(see Genesis 12, 15, and 17, for examples).

 

He is told to go to another land

(see Genesis 12:1).

 

He is told of promises of A SEED

which will come forth out of his loins,

A CHILD OF PROMISE

(see Genesis 12:7 and Galatians 3:16)

.

 

Various covenantal promises are made to him

(for example, Genesis 12:1-3).

 

Exact statements are made to him,

such that it can be said that

Abraham was having a two-way conversation

with the deity

(see, for example, Genesis 15).

 

Abraham is a man of visions and revelations

(see, for example, Genesis 15).

 

His grandson JACOB

continues this familial tradition,

as he sees a ladder going up to Heaven,

with angels ascending and descending

(see Genesis 28:10-22).

 

He is said to have wrestled

with the Angel of the Lord.

 

A physical confrontation

during which Jacob receives injury to his leg, thereby forcing him to concede victory

to his opponent

(see Genesis 32:24-32).

 

AND THERE HE IS NAMED “ISRAEL”,

A PRINCE OF GOD

(see Genesis 32:28).

 

He being given this name by God, Himself.

 

His son JOSEPH is a man

who has dreams and visions,

and who is thought to be so wise,

and in contact with higher powers,

that he ends up as nothing less

than a counselor to the Pharaoh,

ruler of Egypt,

 

 where he has been sent as a captive,

thanks to the treachery of his brothers

(see Genesis 39–45).

 

JACOB/ISRAEL

is said to have produced offspring

in the form of 12 sons,

who would become known as

THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL

(see Genesis 35).

 

Upon his deathbed he makes

prophetic statements

(see Genesis 49),

including one in which Judah

is said to be a lions whelp,

giving rise to the title

"LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH",

which becomes a synonym for

CHRISTOS/MESSIAH

(see Genesis 49:9).

 

A pattern is thus further beginning to emerge, whereby God is in close contact with

specific persons,

who were very aware of His presence,

and to whom He is communicating

precise information,

by means of dreams and visions,

and outright conversations.

 

A pattern which will be seen to repeat

over and over again

throughout both

the Old and New Testaments.

 

This being what I refer to as

"TRUE RELIGION".

 

Not a series of rites and rituals

into which it would, soon enough, degenerate,

but rather, A RELATIONSHIP.

 

Or should I say a very personal RELATIONSHIP ?

 

And a very active and real relationship

BY WHICH THE EARTHBOUND RECIPIENT

IS ASSURED OF THE EXISTENCE OF HIS CREATOR,

who is directing his steps,

while communicating specific

and precise information to him.

 

A little over 400 years after Joseph,

his descendant, MOSES,

is said to have been

out wandering one day

during which he sees a marvelous sight.

 

A bush which is burning,

yet not consumed by the flame

(see Exodus 3).

 

Upon investigating the matter he is informed that he is in the presence of deity.

 

Again, he is given very precise

information and directions

(see Exodus 3:1-22).

 

It is at this juncture

that God tells what will now become

known as His own covenantal name,

YHWH,

implying a bond of very intimate union

between Creator and created being

(see Exodus 3:14).

 

And then after preparing Moses

by means of powerful signs and wonders,

THE DEITY MANIFESTED HIMSELF

to all who were called out of Egypt,

out into the wilderness,

where another pattern begins to emerge.

 

A pattern of saying one thing,

while doing another.

 

Of proclaiming obedience,

while continuing in disobedience.

 

Yet all the while carrying about

with numerous rites and rituals

by which TRUE RELIGION

is quickly transformed

into a new form of false religion.

 

The earlier “TRUE RELIGION”,

which is formed by intimate union,

culminating in profound obedience,

no matter what the cost,

IS now transformed

into outward conformity,

which is then used as a shield

behind which to hide

the most profound disobedience,

as already sick hearts

continue to become sicker and sicker,

whereby TRUE RELIGION

IS REPLACED BY PERSONS

who have chosen to "play religion"

in place of taking part in the real thing.

 

The cares of today

far overwhelming

the thoughts for the morrow,

and for the eternal state

into which all will,

soon enough, enter into

(see Matthew 13:22).

 

These being the prototypes

of what I, here, refer to, modernly,

as “CHURCHIANITY”,

where we all get together

and "PLAY CHURCH".

 

Just as little boys and girls play house,

and play doctor,

and play cowboys and Indians.

 

All make-believe.

 

And most certainly incapable

of changing wicked hearts

into anything worthy of the name

“RIGHTEOUS” AND “PURE”.

 

AND WHERE TRUE, SACRIFICIAL LOVE

IS REPLACED BY A SYSTEM

which is all about

“what is in it for me”.

 

All things revolving around

"ME, ME, ME”.

 

I call this system "CHURCHIANITY”,

because EVERYTHING !

revolves around a building,

which they call a Church.

 

Building funds,

parking lots,

new carpets,

baptismal founts,

new sound systems,

etc., etc.

 

It being A MAKE-BELIEVE SYSTEM,

which is entirely void of any ability

to effect change toward

REAL GODLINESS

AND PURITY

AND SEPARATION FROM WORLDLINESS.

 

Yet all the while practicing

rites and rituals

which pretend to be able to

make one a better person,

spiritually speaking.

 

"A FORM OF GODLINESS,

WHILE DENYING THE POWER THEREOF"

as the New Testament so well

states the matter

(see II Timothy 3:5).

 

Yes, ANOTHER CHRIST,

and ANOTHER GOSPEL,

and ANOTHER SPIRIT,

if ever there was one

(see II Corinthians 11:4 and Galatians 1:8-9)

.

 But, as the Apostle Paul warns us,

NOT REALLY ANOTHER GOSPEL,

but rather

a twisting of the gospel.

 

A twisting to their own destruction,

as I am given to understand the matter

(see II Peter 3:16).

 

 

 A DIGRESSION

 

Going back to where we started from,

so --- what is “TRUE RELIGION”, anyways ?

 

This phrase consists of two words.

 

One is not so hard to figure out,

i.e. what is TRUE ?

 

The other is not so easy to figure out,

i.e. what is RELIGION ?

 

Let's begin with religion.

 

As I am using this word

it does not mean what YOU probably think of

when you think about such matters.

 

For example,

belief,

cult,

doctrine,

rites,

rituals,

practices,

duties owed, etc.

 

Of course, this is NOT !!

what I am talking about, here.

 

RATHER ,

I AM USING THE WORD “RELIGION” TO MEAN

OUR HYPER-PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

WITH OUR CREATOR.

 

 That is to say,

is He at the center of every single thought,

action, and deed  ?

 

Or is He tangential ?

 

Some huge Santa Claus in the sky,

just waiting to rain goodies down upon us ?

 

Is He just there when we are overwhelmed

by helplessness and material need ?

 

Or is He our reason for life ?

 

Creed and doctrine having little or nothing

to do with it.

 

But, rather, A TRUE RELATIONSHIP

with someone or something

which we know to exist,

based upon past and present experience ?

 

Are we being constantly touched,

and are WE constantly touching and feeling ?

 

Do we have an inner two-way conversation

on a continuous basis ?

 

Or is all that we think of as religion

nothing more than rites, rituals,

customs, and duties owed ?

Once we have defined religion,

in the way which I am, here, defining it,

then it doesn't take long to figure out

what the "TRUE" part of true religion is.

 

Another word for it being "ACTUALITY".

 

"TRUE" AS IN "ACTUAL".

 

In other words

are we playing religion

as so many play church ?

 

Forcing our inner selves

into some self-serving

outward form of actions

to impress all of those around us ?

 

Or is TRUE RELIGION

reality/actuality-based inner response

to the calling of the Holy Spirit ?

 

Am I answering the call,

or am I just playing games,

in hope of getting something out of it

for me and mine ?

 

Now, let's try to redefine our terms

using meaningful synonyms.

 

 TRUE RELIGION is our actual relationship

with our Creator,

having been actuated by

His reaching down and touching us,

while making Himself known to us.

 

Being called to self-sacrificial service.

 

A giving up of ourselves,

so that He may more fully work in us,

upon us, and through us.

 

AN ACTUAL HYPER-PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP,

actuated by God,

and NOT man.

 

Please note that there is little or no place

for priests and ministers,

and other such-like professional hucksters (known by their constant money grubbing

with hands ALWAYS out

demanding that YOU give THEM

your time, labor,

and hard-earned substance).

 

NO PLACE OR NEED FOR ANY PEOPLE AT ALL

(see I John 2:27).

 

What I like to refer to as "CLOSET RELIGION",

i.e. just the Spirit of the Lord God Omnipotent communicating with my badly wounded

and mangled human spirit.

Nobody knows, or needs to know,

what exactly is going on

between me and my Creator.

 

And so far as I am concerned,

it is NONE of their business.

 

Never has been, and never will be.

 

An actual relationship,

unimpeded by my need, or desire,

to impress my fellow human beings

with my apparent religiosity !

 

That's right, I can, do, and will

refuse to allow any of my fellow humans

to be, or become, the arbiter

of my actual private

and very secret relationship

with my God and Creator.

 

Not letting the left hand know

what the right hand is doing,

as it were

(see Matthew 6:1-4).

 

Note that this simply CANNOT be faked.

 

 When only my God and myself

know what exactly it is

that is going on in my prayer life,

in my own sacred inner sanctuary,

there is, quite simply,

no room for “men pleasing” and such like.

 

THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT TRUE.

 

There is no lying or deception,

because it is, and will be, utterly pointless.

 

I knowing that I cannot fool or deceive

He who knows all,

and who knows my heart and inner being,

far better than I do.

 

I USE THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD

AS MY GUIDEBOOK.

 

I refer to the written word of God

as "THE LIVING WORD".

 

This is because IT TRULY IS ALIVE.

 

It will get inside of you

and change you from the inside.

 

 It is the Living Word,

as revealed by the Holy Spirit,

that shows us our desperate condition,

and LEADS US TO THE SON OF GOD, CHRISTOS.

 

It is by the written word that we learn of Him.

 

And we also learn of ourselves,

and exactly why it is that we are unfit

to enter into the Holy of Holies.

 

Into the presence of the living God,

whom we know of as our Heavenly Father,

or, Our Father Who art in Heaven.

 

HE IS LIGHT, AND WE ARE DARKNESS.

 

Turn on a light in a dark room,

and take note of what happens to the darkness

that surrounds you just moments before.

 

The light simply destroys the darkness,

as well as the power of darkness.

 

Where the light lands, the darkness is,

quite simply, vanquished.

 

 Also take note of the fact that

we were surrounded by numerous objects

that were simply not visible to us

before being revealed by the light.

 

It was all there, all along.

 

And while we may grope around the room,

and feel that there are, indeed,

unseen things and forces at play,

it is simply not to be compared to

the comprehension that comes from

having the lights turned on.

 

A similar effect takes place

as our own very dark and sinful selves

come into the presence of HIS light.

 

The closer you come into His light

the more you will realize

just how full of darkness you really are.

 

Because so few actually draw close enough

to realize the utter state of ruin and darkness

in which they exist,

there are not many who can tell you,

firsthand, what it is like

to be fully enveloped in fear,

quickly approaching terror,

 

 as the all-consuming fire,

which is our God,

begins to shake us down

to our very foundations,

as the darkness within

becomes all the darker

when contrasted with His light.

 

It is the Living Word

which first makes us aware of such things.

 

It acting as a warning

of what is soon enough to come.

 

For one will also soon enough realize

just how powerful a hold

the forces of darkness have upon us.

 

We being not just inclined towards sin,

but, rather, being horribly in love with it,

while being very unwilling to let go of it.

 

Yes, just like the moth that insists on

flying into the flame,

no matter how many times you try to deflect it from its self-willed path to utter destruction.

 

All will deny that such is the case,

as they beat their little moth wings

faster and faster,

 as they work and strive harder and harder

to fly directly into the flame that will

most assuredly be their undoing.

 

Such that whenever you see or hear anyone

acting as if they are such a "friend of God”,

you should be highly suspect.

 

THE WRITTEN WORD,

BY REVELATION,

GIVEN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,

LEADS US TO CHRIST.

 

AND CHRIST LEADS US TO THE FATHER.

 

Notice that there is no need for

idle speculation,

as is found amongst the numerous purveyors

of would-be religiosity.

 

No need to try to figure out

what is happening,

or what to do about it.

 

It being all plainly written out,

for all to see.

 

It being so obvious

that numerous false religions

and belief systems

had to be created and maintained

by the dark lord,

 in order to cause hopeless confusion,

and to deflect and distract from

what is all too plain for ALL to see.

 

Persons pretending as if

the plain statements of Holy Writ

are somehow too difficult to understand.

 

THEY HAVING TURNED

THE SIMPLICITY WHICH IS IN CHRIST,

AND INTO CHRIST,

INTO SOME GRAND, COMPLEX MYSTERY,

the meaning of which can only be ascertained

by a select few

(see II Corinthians 11:3).

 

They even having created numerous writings

(bible substitutes and mimicries),

along with false doctrines,

which they hold up alongside

the true and actual written Word of God,

as being, somehow, in equality with it.

 

And then let the confusion begin in earnest,

as all waste their time

coming up with ways it can be,

or may be,

rather than using

their very short time on this earth

practicing what the holy scriptures

so plainly teach.

 

 That is,

 LET YOUR SIN FIND YOU OUT

THEN ACKNOWLEDGE IT

SEEK FORGIVENESS

AND CHANGE YOUR COURSE OF ACTION

(change of direction being the meaning of REPENTANCE/METANOIA).

 

Coming before the Father,  

through our High Priest, Jesus,

while seeking mystical union

with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

THAT'S IT.

 

Couldn't get much simpler than that.

 

Our ability to see the unseen

becoming more advanced and profound

as engrafted faith,

based on experience of living for,

and with,

our Heavenly Creator/Father,

causes us to continue, ever onward.

 

He becoming more real to us

the more we dedicate ourselves to His service;

and the more we learn to live our faith

on a day-to-day,

and moment by moment basis.

NOT BLIND FAITH, BUT LIVING FAITH.

 

This being why one must be

so suspicious of men.

 

They will take the simplicity

which is in Christ,

and into Christ

(see II Corinthians 11:3)

and put it out of reach,

as they will most assuredly

put the yoke of the law

back upon you

(see Galatians 5:1),

so that they may enslave you

by use of misdirection

and pretended “secret knowledge”.

 

Thereby turning what should be clear as day

Into an unfathomable mystery.

 

Misleading and misdirecting,

by use of numerous carnal concerns

and methods.

 

One need only look to the Pharisees

of Jesus’ day,

as well as the Hellenistic Judaizers

and Herodians (Edomites) of His day,

soon enough followed by

the so-called Talmudic sages,

and their Romanist papist progeny,

for numerous examples.

 

One (Talmudists) writing

a whole series of new books

full of idle speculation,

while the other (Romanist/papist offspring) creates the legalistic mumbo jumbo system,

COMPLETE WITH WORSHIP OF THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN, INANNA/ISTAR/ASTARTE/ISIS/ASHTORETH/ ATHENA/ARTEMIS/DEMETER/MINERVA WITH HER NEW NAME OF MARY, QUEEN OF HEAVEN.

 

THIS ANTICHRIST SYSTEM

designed to supplant

the system of the Father crying out to us,

"come let us reason together,

though your sins be as scarlet,

they shall be white as snow"

(see Isaiah 1:18).

 

(note: ANTI MEANS “TO REPLACE”,

in New Testament Greek,

hence, A REPLACING OF CHRIST,

in addition to meaning

“to be in opposition” to Christ)

 

The Father crying out to us,

not because the law has been annulled,

or abrogated,

but because it has been fulfilled,

to the letter, BY CHRISTOS,

who has become our atonement/covering

(see Matthew 5:17 and Romans 5:11).

 

 OUR SINS HAVING BEEN COVERED

BY HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD,

just as was seen on the Day of Atonement

(see Leviticus 23:27),

as the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies

and poured blood on the Mercy Seat of the Ark,

as the angels of heaven symbolically

spread their wings over the lid of the Ark,

inside containing the tables of the law,

Aaron's rod that budded,

and a pot of manna that does not decay

(see Hebrews 9:4).

 

Representing the law,

the righteous works of man,

and the miracles of God,

all combining together

as symbolic of our godly lives,

here on this wicked Earth.

 

Just as one cannot see through the blood,

which is acting as the type of

THE SPILLING OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF MESSIAH,

so the Father does not see your filthy sinful self through the blood which was so selflessly shed on Golgotha.

 

Yes, the law has been fulfilled

(see Matthew 5:17).

 

No need to go back under its yoke.

For now, all who have been

CLEANSED BY HIS BLOOD

are free, in Christ

(see John 8:36, Romans 6:18, 22, 8:2, Galatians 5:1, 13, I Peter 2:16, and James 1:25) 

 

Not as a license to do evil,

but as a way to make it

so that

we have only one need and desire,

which is to serve Him,

and to be more like Him.

 

The law of expedience replacing

the law of Moses, as it were.

 

My main concern now being

only what I can do to come into

closer mystical union with the Father,

the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

by obedience and faithfulness unto Him.

 

 

ON SEPARATION

 

 "AND I HEARD ANOTHER VOICE FROM HEAVEN,

SAYING, COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE,

THAT YE BE NOT PARTAKERS OF HER SINS,

AND THAT YE RECEIVE NOT OF HER PLAGUES"

REVELATION 18:4  

  "BUT AS HE WHICH HATH CALLED YOU IS HOLY,

SO BE YE HOLY

IN ALL MANNER OF CONVERSATION (I.E. CONDUCT),

BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN,

BE YE HOLY,

FOR I AM HOLY"

 IPETER 1:15-16

 

“FOR I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD:

YE SHALL, THEREFORE, SANCTIFY YOURSELVES

AND YE SHALL BE HOLY;

FOR I AM HOLY”

 LEVITICUS 11:44

 (re: eating “any creeping thing”)

 

 HOLY = HAGIOS

 

Bauer Greek Lexicon =

“RESERVED FOR GOD AND HIS SERVICE”

 

Thayers Greek Lexicon =

“SET APART FOR GOD,

TO BE, AS IT WERE,

EXCLUSIVELY HIS”

 I like to think of holiness

as being synonymous with separation.

 

The root of the Greek word "hagios" is "HAG".

 

Its basic meaning is AWE.

 

Our God, being, above all else, awe-some.

 

His presence being awe-inspiring.

 

It seems that linguists

can't help but equate awesomeness

with being set apart.

 

We are set apart

for the being who has so awed us.

 

In the above-cited lexical entries, note:

 

"RESERVED FOR GOD",

and

"SET APART FOR GOD".

After considering these matters for a long time   

I find myself being forced to conclude that

SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD

(THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL)

is the essence of TRUE RELIGION.

 

I was probably 18 years old,

while studying the history of religions,

when I came across something known as "separatist" Baptists.

 

I was already aware of Quakers,

18th century "Puritans",

Amish,

and other such-like groups,

so that I did have SOME familiarity

with the concept of separation from this world

and from worldliness.

 

I thought about John the Baptist,

and Elijah,

and Jesus escaping into the wilderness.

 

Of Abraham wandering.

 

 Of Noah in his Ark,

and of numerous Protestants,

thrown into dark dungeons,

for having the audacity

of sharing their newfound knowledge

of the Greek New Testament

with their neighbors and fellow countrymen.

 

So, what do all of these

have in common, exactly ?

 

Being alone !!

 

Or more precisely,

being alone, while having

one constant companion,

who they will not set aside

for any worldly concerns.

 

There it is,

the flesh warring with the spirit

(SEE GALATIANS 5:17).

 

The flesh being unable to comply,

while the spirit becomes more and more willing, wanting, and desiring

intimate union with our Heavenly Father,

and his blessed Son,

and His Holy Spirit !!,

to the exclusion of all else

(see Romans 8).

The ultimate goal of “TRUE RELIGION”,

being, therefore,

TO BE YE SEPARATE,

BECAUSE HE IS SEPARATE.

 

We are a people set apart,

 for a purpose.

 

This world holding nothing for us,

but grief and longing for that other world,

and that other country.

 

The one for which faithful Abraham,

our spiritual father, was seeking

(see Hebrews 11:16 ff).

 

This is, after all, what being

the heirs to the promises

made to Abraham means

(see Galatians 3:7).

 

We do not seek carnal things.

 

Knowing that this world

is ultimately destined

to be consumed by flames,

in eternal judgment,

at the parousia/coming of our Lord,

in flaming vengeance

(see II Peter 3:12).

 

So that, if worldliness,

and the enticements of the flesh

put one at enmity with our Creator,

then how is it possible that

rock concerts,

prophecy seminars,

(i.e. ear tickling conventions),

barbecues and picnics,

are what so many claim is to be our calling ?

 

And all of this with spiritual pride,

and a great outward show of religiosity,

no less.

 

Do you really suppose that this

is what the RED LETTERS (words of Christ)

are intended to teach us ?

 

How am I to tell these persons from the world, when they are, in fact,

as worldly as any person or group

could possibly be ?

 

And how does this look alongside

Isaiah,

Elijah,

John the Baptist,

and our blessed Lord.

 

Can you even imagine those

behaving as a busload of these persons act ?

 

I am unable to reconcile the two, myself.

 

Isaiah was sawn in two for his witness

(see Hebrews 11:37).

 

John the Baptist was beheaded

in trade for the dance

of an enticing young girl

(see Mark 6:14-29).

 

Elijah spent much of his life

being chased by King Ahab and Jezebel,

who were both intent on killing him

(see I Kings 19).

 

The 5000 whom Jesus had just fed,

departed, just as quickly as they were able,

once he started pointing out

the true cost of discipleship

(see John 6:60-61).

 

Jesus told us that those

calling themselves Judaeans

are not,

but are rather,

a synagogue of Satan,

and that they had

ruthlessly murdered the Prophets,

and now the Son of God, Himself

(see Revelation 2:9 and 3:9).

 

This being further elaborated

by the testimony of Stephen,

the first martyr

(see Acts 6:8-8:3).

 

Dancing,

and barbecues,

and picnics,

and continuous shakedowns for money,

and building funds,

and parking lots

 

is what has come to replace

the good news (gospel)

of which we read

in both the Old and New Testaments.

 

That’s right, money, money, money ($$$).

 

And girl meets nice boy;

and boy meets nice girl.

 

And food and entertainment.

 

Which side of this equation

do you suppose John the Baptist

was standing as his fate was sealed ?

 

Which side are you standing on ?

 

 Alone with John, and our blessed Lord,

or as one of the partygoers,

watching aghast,

as one of the most horrible decisions ever made bears it’s rotten fruits ?

 

Remember, Herod, who murdered John,

ultimately split open,

as worms gushed out of his inward parts

(see Acts 12:21-23).

 

Perfectly illustrating the difference between TRUE RELIGION and false.

 

Wasn't it a party, being hosted by those

who had just crossed the Red Sea,

that Moses came down to after 40 days

on the mount in the wilderness of Sinai ?

(see Exodus 32:1-35)

 

This being what you will inevitably get,

should you decide that

your group membership

is more important than standing alone,

in a self-imposed wilderness.

 

Yes, SEPARATION/HOLINESS

is the diametric opposite of carnality, worldliness, and entertaining of the flesh.

 

 Okay now, here is the kicker.

 

All of this abhorrent behavior

is supposed to, somehow,

magically become o.k.,

because we are "saving souls for Jesus"

(see I Samuel 15:14-23).

 

Something which they

ridiculously, and deceitfully call

bringing persons to "accept Christ".

 

Yes, because their prey are worldly as can be,

and because a continuous stream of them

are necessary to pay for their building fund,

they must lower themselves,

and my God,

and my religion,

down to the level of

the lowest common denominator.

 

The New Testament warns us

that “BY THEIR FRUITS YOU WILL KNOW THEM”

(see John 7:20).

 

 I would dare say

that if your moral relativism,

which is what this truly is, after all,

leads you to debasing yourself

in the manners which I have just described,

then you just MAY want to rethink

your very untenable position.

 

My favorite, at this hour,

is all of the Judaizing,

and searching for end time signs,

and blood moons,

and invasions of the Palestinian homeland

by some pretended end time person,

being little more than a figment

of their highly fevered imaginations.

 

Didn't Jesus say that

"A WICKED AND ADULTEROUS GENERATION

SEEKS AFTER A SIGN"

and that the only sign to be given will be

"the sign of Jonas" ?

(see Matthew 16:4)

 

Then how can you possibly

reconcile the claims

of these would-be end time prophets,

with the Word of God, itself ?

 

 Were we not warned,

any number of times,

in the New Testament,

that these persons would be coming ?

(see II Peter 2:1-22; II Peter 2:1; Matthew 7:15; Jude 1:14-21; Acts 20:31)

 

Such that there is simply no excuse

for not recognizing the rottenness

which their "system" so amply demonstrates ?

 

The Apostle John being abundantly clear,

in contrast,

that you have no need that men teach you,

BECAUSE  YOU HAVE A CHARISMA/ANOINTING

FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD

, which will NOT lead you into error

(see I John 2:27).

 

And what of JEREMIAH 31:31 and following, wherein we are told of the New Covenant,

whereby our heart of stone will be removed,

and replaced with a heart of flesh ?

(see also Ezekiel 36:26-27)

 

And that we would have no need

to ask anything,

because the law will be written in our hearts ?

(see Jeremiah 31:33-34)

 

 Yes, as the very Holy Spirit within us

causes us to cry out "Abba, father",

being interpreted, "Daddy, father".

 

That is to say, crying out

with a very high degree of intimacy.

 

Such that we are nowhere near

separated FROM this world,

as we are separated TO --- Him.

 

If the world and the flesh

are at enmity with the Father,

the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

then why would any true child

of our blessed Lord and Savior,

and his Heavenly Father,

want to even allow the appearance of worldliness and fleshliness to be any part

of their walk and life ?

 

Isn't that what separation means,

after all ?

 

SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD,

THE FLESH,

AND THE DEVIL ?

 

Such that for the first 300 years after Christ, those claiming themselves to be

the followers of  “THE WAY”

refused to take part in politics or war.

And typically, at great cost.

 

Including forfeiture of life, liberty,

and property.

 

How is it that these moderns

claim and pretend that

we are all supposed to be involved with

these very things 

(i.e. politics and

worldly warfare/mass murder) ?

 

Oh, and you've got to love this.

 

They are doing all of this

for lost souls,

and for false Babylonian Talmudists,

calling themselves “Jews”,

by which they mean deniers of Christ,

no less

(see I John 4:3 and II John 1:7).

 

Those pretending to be

"the ancient Israel of God",

who are designated as “antichrist”,

and the “synagogue of satan”,

by the New Testament writers.

 

 And this, in spite of the fact that

the Word is abundantly clear

THAT THOSE WHO HAVE SAVING FAITH IN CHRIST

ARE THE TRUE HEIRS TO THE PROMISES

(see Galatians 3:1-18).

 

Why would anyone want to support

these purveyors of patent fraud ?

 

Especially when they have

repeatedly and consistently

shown themselves to be

so murderous and deceitful ?

 

Hmmmmm ---

 

Who is it that was a murderer and a liar

from the beginning, anyway ?

 

Even being said to be "the father of lies" ?

(see John 8:44)

 

Surely something seems to be amiss here.

 

And if we are told to avoid

even "the appearance of impropriety"

in our worldly pursuits,

how much moreso when it comes to

the things of God, do you suppose ?

 

Is this the example which our blessed Lord

taught us during his earthly ministry ?

 

Or wouldn't I be quite correct in saying,

“very much not so” ?

 

Then, what exactly are these man-made systems REALLY about, anyway ?!

 

What is the actual driving force behind it,

do you suppose ?

 

SLAVERY

ENSLAVEMENT

MIND CONTROL

BEHAVIOR CONTROL

AND GROUPTHINK !!

 We are supposed to live free in Christ

(see Galatians 5:1).

 

We are supposed to be in a state of liberty,

in Christ.

 

But, these will put a yoke about your neck,

just as fast as they are able.

 

EVERYTHING will consist of

rules, rules, and more rules.

 

All manmade.

 

But, while claiming that they are requirements for obtaining heavenly salvation.

 

The Word teaches that

we are to be led by the Spirit

(see Romans 8:14-17).

 

But these claim that we owe THEM

all of our time and energy,

as they PRETEND to be

God’s earthly representatives.

 

Of course, this is all couched in terms of "

serving God",

and "planting churches",

 and “evangelizing poor lost souls”.

 

 While they WILL NEVER TELL YOU

whose name is on the title deed

to their buildings,

and who reaps ALL of the gains

from the proceeds of sales

of “church” buildings,

and other associated properties.

 

Lawyers,

and accountants,

and real estate deals,

and book deals,

and concert tours,

and plenty of self-promotion,

and self-dealing,

and self-aggrandizement.

 

Commercialized ($$$) religion,

to the max.

 

It seems that the concept of

"DON'T MAKE MY FATHER'S HOUSE AN EMPORIUM"

has somehow escaped these persons

(see John 2:16).

 

I’m sure the great works

which they pretend to do

far outweighing

the need to obey God and Christ

(see I Samuel 15:13-15).

 

And in this regard,

one must never forget that

where there are large amounts of assets,

there will be numerous thieves,

and other like-minded persons,

who will be powerfully attracted,

as if to a magnet.

 

And you can rest assured

that they will maneuver themselves,

just as quickly as possible,

into the driver’s seat,

so that they may

more readily and thoroughly plunder

(just take a look around you,

at who is running YOUR little enterprise,

if you dare).

 

This being why “TRUE RELIGION”

and commercialized religion

are at enmity with one another,

by their very natures.

 

Never forget that it was Judas Iscariot

who controlled the cash box,

and who was pilfering it,

as did Ananias and Sapphira after him.

 

It seems that this has been a problem

long before today and now.

 

 Am I expected to believe

that the nature of mammon worshipers

has changed between here and there ?

(note: mammon = material goods)

 

Is anything really any different

between then and now ?

 

Same sinners.

 

Same temptations.

 

While remembering that

in order to destroy your eternal soul,

one of Satan's favorite tools

is the use of distraction and diversion.

 

This being the specialty of

the religious hucksters.

 

All of your focus being upon

fulfilling the needs and desires and aspirations

of your cultic leader and his followers,

"the true believers",

who claim to be holding “the keys to life”.

 

 In contrast,

I like to think of our Heavenly Creator

as the source of ALL positive energy,

while we are but conduits

through which this positive energy

can, and should, flow continuously.

 

For, just as the Sun is reflected

by the Moon at night,

so we are to become a reflection

of HIS heavenly glory,

while yet in this darkened earthly prison.

 

We becoming as thousands

of little points of light,

in an otherwise very dark night.

 

The darker the night is,

the brighter we shine.

 

But while ALWAYS remembering that

we are but a reflector.

 

No God and Jesus in our life means

NO reflection can be had.

 

This, of course, serving to further illustrate

the need for personal purity and cleanliness

in ALL conduct.

 

Because, in order to remain in His presence, certain behavior and conduct will be required.

 

Not as a matter of law,

but as a matter of expedience

i.e. what is going to get and keep me

in continuous ongoing contact

with my Creator,

such that I may radiate

HIS peace and glory.

 

Once one has a grasp

of the utter depravity of fallen man,

and the utter sovereignty of

the One who has the moral and legal right

to make one vessel for honor

and another for dishonor

(see Romans 9:21),

and who hardened Pharaoh's heart,

so that he would make and follow his own path

(he did it HIS way) into utter destruction

by gigantic waves,

one can see and realize that our Creator

is a very scary person and power, indeed

(see Exodus 7:13-8:19; 9:12; 10:20; 14:4).

 

With one person He may harden their heart,

while with another He may just leave them

to their own devices

(SEE PSALMS 81:12 AND ROMANS 1:24),

letting them have

the fruits/wages of their carnal labor,

remembering that “the wages of sin is death”

(SEE ROMANS 6:23),

such that leaving them to

their own devices is probably the worst thing possible for them.

 

Especially as layer upon layer

of neural matter is being continuously created

through neurogenesis.

 

Soon enough the layers of neurons

will cause evil thoughts

to become all-consuming,

like a switch that is always turned to "on",

but NEVER to "off".

 

With righteous thoughts, hopefully,

the same thing will happen,

but with positive thoughts and energy,

while bringing along with it

the Fruits of the Spirit,

THE MOST IMPORTANT OF WHICH

IS TO LOVE (= SELF-SACRIFICE).

 

To love yourself.

 

To love your neighbor,

while remembering the adage

“peace on earth and goodwill toward men”.

 

 And above all else, to love your God,

with all of your mind, body, heart, and soul.

 

Our blessed Lord being in every single thought which is formed deep inside of us.

 

The true believer not willing

to do ANYTHING without seeking

heavenly guidance and counsel.

 

Every single thought being subjected

to this process as it originates,

and LONG before any action

based upon such thoughts

ever even has opportunity to happen.

 

It is as our sin “finds us out”

(see Numbers 32:23)

that we are motivated by the Holy Spirit,

and made to be willing to do nothing

other than to serve our Creator,

and to put ourselves totally at His call.

 

Being willing to drop anything

and everything on a moment’s notice,

when believed to be necessary.

 

It is as if the Cloud of Glory

has begun to move away

from the encampment in the wilderness.

 

If I want to remain in His presence,

then I must drop EVERYTHING

in order to follow Him.

 

Never forgetting that

when the Glory of the Lord left the Tabernacle,

never to be seen there again,

as some cried “ICHABOD",

meaning "the Lord hath departed"

(see I Samuel 4:21),

others simply continued on,

all the way up to and following

the coming of the Messiah, Son of God.

 

It is as if they didn't even notice

that He was no longer in their presence.

 

And that He left because of disgust and repugnance caused by their faithlessness.

 

This, while the outward appearance

of their religion continued on,

as if the presence of the covenantal God

is no longer a matter over which

one should be overly concerned.

 

In this regard, it seems to me

that these modern, stillborn,

pretended purveyors of gospel truth

should take note and consider the following

for just one moment.

That is, if you can have

a temple made of stone

which has become “ICHABOD”,

yet every person simply carries on

as if it were not so,

then what of the temple

which is made without hands ?

 

Is it possible that you and I could be ICHABOD,

yet not even know it ?

 

Could our little cultic centers

be void of God's Spirit ?

 

But with another spirit --- ?

(see II Corinthians 11:4)

 

When I look into the mirror

at the bodily temple in which

I currently reside, in the flesh,

should I be crying out “ICHABOD” ?

 

 So, continuing,

what exactly are the distractions

and diversions which I have

just previously alluded to ?

 

In order to help to see and define

exactly what I am talking about, here,

I find it useful to imagine myself

standing before the judgment seat of Christ,

known in New Testament Greek as

the bema (pronounced BAY-ma).

 

In my mind’s eye I imagine what Christ

will be asking me,

and what I will be answering.

 

Will he want to know about ballgame scores ?

 

Rock concert ticket sales ?

 

Or the latest prophecy seminar ?

 

What I think about this or that person ?

 

Or ask me about what YOU did

with YOUR life ?

 

Do you suppose He will want to hear

my latest rant about politics

and worldly affairs ?

 

Will He care what party I voted for,

or how I feel about any particular

candidate or issue  ?

 

Why is it that none of these things

sound like the things which

our blessed Lord will be concerned about ?

 

My main concern being

what will elicit the statement,

"WELL DONE THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT".

 

One can readily see how this mental imagery

can act as both a filter and a lens.

 

It makes it easier to see what it is

that we NEED to see,

which is, otherwise, quite well obfuscated

by all of the cares and concerns

of this wicked generation and their world.

 

Do you suppose our Lord will ask me

about you ?

 

Or will he ask me about me ?

 

My purpose in bringing these matters

to your attention is to give you ideas

about new ways of thinking.

 

 If you feel like all of the doctrines and dogmas of all of these modern Judaizers

are doing little more than to

obscure your vision,

THEN YOU ARE PROBABLY GOING TO NEED

SOME KIND OF A WAY TO FIGURE OUT,

ON YOUR OWN,

WHAT YOU REALLY SHOULD BE,

OR NEED TO BE DOING.

 

One of the hallmarks of

the Protestant Reformation

was the idea of Sola Scriptura.

 

It seems that ungodly men

are always wanting to tell about

the things of God,  

while their own personal lives

are ungodly and worldly as ever.

 

It does not seem to take long

before they are making claims

to some higher secret knowledge

and authority.

 

For example, Romanism,

with its claims to have an oral tradition,

which is claimed to be superior to

the written Word of God.

 

Many strange and foreign doctrines

having originated from just such a source.

 

The post-second Temple authors of the Talmud provide another good example.

 

They claim to have a written Torah

and an oral Torah,

with the oral one taking precedence

over the written one.

 

That is to say,

a bunch of persons calling themselves rabbis claim that their long-winded and obtuse arguments, among themselves,

regarding the meaning of any Mosaic passage

of Old Testament Scripture,

is superior to the plainly written Word of God,

brought to them by Moses, himself,

directly from this very same God.

 

The problem with the Papists

and the Talmudists

is that they add to and take away from

plain teachings of the Scriptures

in order to superimpose their belief system onto the Word of God.

 

Better have a good reason for that,

wouldn't you think ?

 

 As an example,

Jesus specifically said to “call no man father”.

 

Yet the Romanists insist on being called

exactly that.

 

Nowhere in the written word is it told that Peter is the first pope of some huge

one world cultic mother goddess worshiping

system of Churchianity.

 

No problem.

 

Just rely on some pretended

ancient oral tradition and all will be well.

 

The Talmudic pretended "sages"

simply re-write scriptural passages

by interpreting them any which way they like,

so long as the plain meaning of the words

is not used.

 

Why?

 

More supposedly secret oral traditions.

 

Sadly, this is the rotten foundation

upon which much, if not most,

of what passes for modern evangelicalism

is based upon.

 

The Protestant reformers held to

a very different standard,

i.e. if it is not plainly spelled out in Holy Writ,

then it should probably be of little

or no concern to me.

 

The basis of our faith being

grounded and rooted in Scripture alone,

SOLA SCRIPTURA.

 

When (ungodly) men come along

and want to take away from, or add to,

what we are told in the Holy Writings,

we are not just suspect, but downright hostile.

 

Because we have heard and seen

far too much nonsense coming from those

professing themselves to be wise,

but who are ultimately found to be full of folly

(see Romans 1:15-32).

 

Far, far too many.

 

And today, it seems, more than ever,

as if some abominable plague of locusts,

or such like, has come upon us.

 

 SOLA SCRIPTURA (soley by scripture)

 

 and SOLA FIDE (solely by faith)

 

and SOLA GRATIA (solely by grace)

 

were the battle cries of the men

who first translated the Greek New Testament

into their vernacular languages,

and then were shocked as can be

when comparing what had been written

with what was being practiced

in the name of the very same author

of the writings, i.e. God.

 

I am telling all of this as background,

in order to explain why I will repeatedly

and emphatically warn you and admonish you

to avoid man, altogether,

when it comes to such matters as

your eternal state, in Christ;

or in outer darkness,

with much wailing

and gnashing of teeth.

 

 While I can NOT be certain

whether the choice is actually yours, or not,

in light of  the doctrines of predestination,

and foreordination, and foreknowledge

(SEE ROMANS 8:29-30, THE ORDO SALUTIS),

I can say that the Word declares

that by CONTINUALLY SEEKING,

you shall find.

 

By ASKING CONTINUOUSLY,

you shall be answered.

 

And by KNOCKING CONTINUOUSLY,

it shall be opened unto you.

 

"ASKING YOU SHALL RECEIVE"

"SEEKING YOU SHALL FIND"

AND "KNOCKING IT SHALL BE OPENED"

 All three are written

in the grammatical form of

the present active participle

in the original Greek text.

 

This particular usage of the language

being used to describe actions

that are continuously taking place

in the present.

 

We would probably call it your lifestyle,

or way of life, or ongoing daily conduct

I.E. A LIFE OF CONTINUOUS

ASKING,

SEEKING,

AND KNOCKING !!

 

That is, and should be, our true walk.

 

The goal, not being to "save souls for Jesus"

(the office of the Holy Spirit, in actuality),

nearly so much as to the obtaining of

personal purity and separation

from the filth of this wicked world.

 

A life dedicated solely to Him

and to His purpose.

 

A life of complete dedication to Him.

 

So, how am I to find out more

about such matters ?

 

By seeking counsel from the Word of God ?

 

or from men who will tell the opposite,

with lots of sophistry, and smooth doubletalk,

to "prove" their assertions ?

 

This being what it will all have come down to

as you stand

before The Judge of your eternal soul,

on that day.

 

While remembering that

your only defense can be truth,

and truthfulness.

 

No lying will stand

at the judgment seat of Christ.

 

Truth and truth only.

 

With stakes so high, I hope to get it right.

 

And I know that it will have to be on my own !

 

There being so few godly persons

who have any real ability, whatsoever,

to guide me.

 

SOLA SCRIPTURA

 

SOLA FIDE

 

SOLA GRATIA

 

So, what are the distractions

and diversions, anyway ?

 

Anything that keeps you from placing

our Lord and His commands

continuously front and center.

 

While it could be job, school, career, marriage,

or numerous other things,

I think that the most dangerous of all

is false religion, itself.

 

No need to seek salvation

if I believe that I already have it,

because some conniving,

self-serving, self-dealing man

has told me that it is so,

wouldn't you think ?

 

And while all my time is spent

pleasing my fellow cult members,

how much time am I irredeemably losing,

that should have been used

to make preparation

for meeting my maker face to face ?

 

And to learn how to use the great powers

which our Lord has given to us

to exercise on His behalf.

 

 While, in that regard, I must say,

that so far as I am concerned,

the ultimate goal of our sacred relationship

IS power.

 

Yes, raw power.

 

Power for good.

 

Power for rightness.

 

Power to repel and bind evil,

to name just a few.

 

When I think of power,

I think "God power".

 

That is to say, all REAL power

comes from our Creator.

 

Because He is the source,

we desire to connect with Him.

 

I need to be "plugged in",

as it were.

 

Because we are not unlikely

to be needing TREMENDOUS power

at any given moment,

one should want to be cautious

 about doing anything

that could possibly reduce or dilute

the amount of power available

at any given time.

 

If we are to act as a conduit,

then we should want to keep our “pipes” clean,

so that the power may flow freely,

forcefully, and unimpeded.

 

We should be VERY afraid of ANYTHING

which could even POSSIBLY cause blockage.

 

One analogy that I like to think about

when considering this matter

likens this conduit concept to a lens on a laser.

 

The word says that

"God is light".

 

In the world around us

we are surrounded by light.

 

The light which is all around us

is scattered light.

 

So, what do you suppose happens

when you un-scatter the light ?

 

Instead, concentrating it

into a stream of "coherent light".

Voilà !

 

You now have the laser beam.

 

Who would have thought that

by bringing all of the light waves

into one single wavelength

we would get, what is essentially,

an explosive force ?

 

A very hot and VERY intense beam of light.

 

It can cut right through steel, for example.

 

In order to make coherent light

one must run the highly reflected,

diffused, and diffracted light

through a series of lenses.

 

If there is even the slightest bit of smudge

on the lenses, as the laser is pushed up

to full power, everything will explode

at some point.

 

All of that power hitting

that single piece of smudging on the lens causes the destruction of the entire machine.

 

I use this as an analogy

of our vertical relationship.

 

And as an example

of why personal purity of heart, mind,

body, and soul is so important.

 

It is like our Creator is providing the light

which He will then shoot through us

as we become the lens on the laser.

 

So long as everything is on low power

all will seem normal.

 

But as the Lord above directs more power

and energy into and through us,

sooner or later the smudge

that is in our hearts and minds

will begin to interfere with

our use as a conduit.

 

Just like the smudge on the lens of the laser,

as the power running through us is increased there will come a point where it will

become self-destructive.

 

Such that if spiritual power

is to be an ultimate goal,

then one must tend to

carefully polishing one's internal lens

on a regular basis.

 

 To those who seek HIS power,

our walk, and our thought life,

and the keeping of our heart,

and letting the sin “find us out”

are not casual matters.

 

And for any who have committed themselves

to spiritual warfare,

as a manner of life,

we must be all the more concerned

with obedience to the commands

of our Heavenly Father,

and His blessed Son,

and His Holy Spirit.

 

Such persons MUST be circumspect

in ALL things.

 

Because, it is in our thought life,

and in our hearts, that this war ever rages.

 

Remembering one of the most difficult of principles, which is that our heart

is deceitful above all things

( --- “and who can know it ?”)

(see Jeremiah 17:9).

 

Such that the idea

that if you just follow your heart,

all will go well,

will likely lead to unanticipated

adverse consequences.

 

When we speak of warring with the flesh,

we are really talking about warring with

our heart and mind.

 

It is here where our human sickness will fester.

 

It is here that our satanic nature

can run around, unfettered, and untamed.

 

A very dangerous place, indeed.

 

It is here where our disunion

between God and man,

and our inner self, will begin and end.

 

If the tongue is lit on fire of Gehenna/Hell,

then how much more so THE SOURCE

of the speech which comes flying

out of our mouths during certain

unguarded moments.

 

It is here that your sins WILL find you out.

 

Herein lies the swamp that is

in great need of draining.

 

A veritable cesspool of thought

which will precede action.

 

 And one can only begin to imagine the effect

of a continuous barrage of ungodly poison coming at my contemporaries from every side

and every quarter.

 

Between the television, the movies, the radio, magazines, and pretended "news" papers

it may simply become impossible

to keep the lens clean.

 

THEREBY DESTROYING YOUR POWER !!

 

Such that you can have

an outward form of religiosity,

but while completely lacking

ANY power, whatsoever.

 

The lens in most people's heart

having become so filthy

that it would be hopeless

to try to run concentrated energy through it

without causing the person who is the conduit

to simply explode into flames and vanish.

 

So now, instead of a life

steeped in miracle power,

one is forced to seek a life of

further distraction and diversion.

 

 One no longer tending to the needs

of the inner person,

as they are, effectively, tossed about,

like floating around in a tempestuous sea

after the moorings have broken loose.

 

They now go from one guru to the next.

 

From one leader of "the faithful" to the next.

 

From one system of belief to the next.

 

Until finally there remains no system,

and no growth in saving faith.

 

Talking the talk,

but having no idea how to walk the walk,

having never actually done so.

 

So now outward conformity

with man-made systems

takes the place of a power-filled life

of freedom and liberty in Christ.

 

Our freedom traded in

for numerous musty old rules

in which will be found

no power whatsoever.

 

 Instead one will look down

to see that they are covered in chains

which are so heavy as to end

any possibility of flying

(or, even walking) free in the Spirit.

 

Our concerns now becoming

how to impress and please

our fellow lost souls,

instead of how to commune

with our living God,

to the exclusion of all else.

 

The time is so short,

and the job of cleansing our inner lives

of all of their inner filth so large,

that there is bound to be a disconnect

at some point.

 

There being no time to waste

on doing what it takes to be spotless

and without blemish, in boldness,

as we come to stand before Him

as He comes in flaming judgment

(see Ephesians 5:27).

 

Every second that is wasted on our

all-too-human diversions and distractions causing us to have that much less time

to get it right.

 

This being one of the main problems

with “Churchianity”.

 

It being, fundamentally,

THE ULTIMATE DISTRACTION

AND DIVERSION.

 

For now, instead of listening to

that tiny little quiet voice at the back of our head

(see I Kings 19:7-18),

we are continuously bombarded

with everything except that.

 

Instead of seeking guidance

from our Heavenly Father

on a breath by breath basis,

we look to our fellow humans

for our instructions and directions.

 

Again, the more we are doing this,

the less time we have to deal with Him,

and with His spirit.

 

The more we listen to man,

the further we are removing ourselves

from the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

 

MORE MAN,

LESS GOD.

  Oh, but how ironic can it get,

as you are actually moving

further and further away from Him,

you are becoming more and more

of a master at outward religiosity.

 

Yes, the very one that is

totally lacking in power.

 

Our lens has become so smudged

by the cares of this world

and the things of man pleasing

that very little power can be

run through this conduit

without causing it to fracture

into many numerous tiny pieces.

 

But outwardly, more religious than ever.

 

Maybe even more zealous

of whatever particular cult

or cultic center than ever.

 

This is how the ubiquitous building fund

and fraudulent missionary work

comes to take top place

in our hierarchy of values,

as we zealously build cult centers,

and parking lots,

and promote picnics and barbecues,

and "Christianized" worldliness and fleshliness.

The hearts which are deceitful above all things leading the way down the road to perdition

as we live for the commands of man,

more and more to the disregarding

of the voice of the Holy Spirit,

WHICH IS FINALLY STILLED ALTOGETHER.

 

As I am so busy worrying about

“saving souls for Jesus”

(which is the office of the Holy Spirit,

and not man, never forget)

and "planting churches"

(i.e. buying real estate

and getting others to pay for it)

that I soon enough forget my first love

(see Revelation 2:4-5),

as true religion steadily decays,

moment by moment,

into commercialized religion ($$$),

which will, ultimately, be found

to be of very little use.

 

As I am told by my spiritual slavemasters

all that I must do

to promote their own earthly desires,

and ambitions, and demands,

more and more to the exclusion of

doing that which I ought to be doing, instead,

 

SOON ENOUGH, TIME WILL RUN OUT !!

And what was thought to be a good way to go turns out to be the exact opposite of everything we first thought and hoped it to be.

 

A slow and insidious process,

made all the more destructive

by virtue of such.

 

Rite and ritual having replaced

internal cleansing,

as my soul becomes

more and more complacent,

as I soon enough feel

the cold chill of impending death

and judgment,

for which I find myself completely unready,

in no small part due to the very persons

who pretended to be paving my way

to heavenly glory.

 

That is to say,

ultimately fatal to our spiritual well-being.

 

Yes, FATAL distractions and diversions.

 

Working stealthily to undermine

the TRUE POWER and TRUE GODLINESS,

without spot or blemish,

before Him at His judgment seat.

 

And what a loss that is going to be.

ON PRAYING WITHOUT CEASING

 

The Word tells us that

we should “pray without ceasing”

(see I Thessalonians 5:17).

 

I cannot begin to tell you

how many times I have heard

supposed (or should I say, pretended)

pastors and ministers tell their little flock,

that this is to be taken figuratively.

 

Because,

“anyone knows that this is

simply impossible to do”.

 

I not only disagree, but, rather,

in terms of TRUE RELIGION,

I believe that this is

the single most important concept

that there is  

(aside from loving one another

with self-sacrificial love,

as a lifestyle).

 

What has happened is that

they have confused petitioning

with continuous intellectual

and spiritual intercourse,

because they fundamentally

think of their religion as a way

to make connection with some great

Santa Claus in the sky (Bacchus ?).

 

 Therefore, prayer IS petition,

so far as they are concerned.

 

It is this same mentality

which will read out of

some stale old prayer book

and expect that this will have any power

to get ANYTHING accomplished.

 

For most of us it is during times

of INTENSE emotional

and mental and physical anguish

that we actually learn

how to pray in a way which can be pleasing

to our Lord, God, and Creator.

 

This being one of the unexpected benefits

of a life full of crisis.

 

I think of times when the life of a loved one

is hanging in the balance.

 

Or a time when I am trapped, alone,

in the wilderness.

 

Or during very imminent

wholesale destruction,

e.g. being on a sinking ship,

with water up to your ankles,

or having a huge storm bearing down on you

with certain death and judgment

written all over it.

 

That which causes us to say that

“there are no atheists in the middle of

a huge storm” as their ship begins

taking on serious amounts of water.

 

Trapped like a rat.

 

And knowing that the time

is quickly approaching

FOR a reckoning with your ultimate reality,

WHATEVER that may be.

 

So far I have been talking about

WHAT prayer is.

 

Now, let’s look at HOW.

 

The word says that

the fervent prayer of a righteous person

availeth much

(see James 5:16).

 

Notice the kind of prayer which is spoken of.

 

Fervent prayer.

 

Intense prayer.

 

Focused prayer.

 

 And not just any old person doing the praying.

 

But a righteous person.

 

A person who stands RIGHT before God

(sounds like a consecrated life to me).

 

But, this is really not what I am talking about when I talk about praying without ceasing.

 

Here, I am speaking of something,

which is, indeed, rooted in the same ideas

of high intensity and right living,

but the "without ceasing" part tells us

that this must be something which

we can do continuously, at all times,

and in all manner of circumstances.

 

In order to be done "without ceasing"

it seems that it must be done in a manner which does NOT require us to stop everything

until finished.

 

Rather, my idea is, that

what is being spoken of here,

is an inner conversation with our God.

 

One that goes on continuously.

 

As an example,

in my own (idealized) life

I know that I converse with our God

and his blessed Son

nearly every minute of every day.

I have trained myself

to monitor every single thought,

as it originates.

 

And then to weigh it and analyze it.

 

And then begins the discussion

with our Lord, above.

 

Sometimes I am in a monologue form,

as if reciting a soliloquy,

while at other times I believe that

the Lord takes part in a two-way conversation.

 

And at still other times

our Lord will show me object lessons

by which He challenges my thoughts.

 

Sometimes to make a point,

and at other times to show me

either how right or how wrong

I am, or have become.

 

The word of God says that

"faith is the substance of things hoped for

 and the evidence of things not seen"

(see Hebrews 11:1).

 

It is faith (belief)

which becomes saving faith,

by means of an ongoing process.

 

 Note how it says "substance" and "evidence".

 

Faith is not blind faith.

 

It is NOT something

for which we have no empirical experience

or evidence

(empirical = by use of the five senses).

 

This is where our prayer life

really begins to more fully come into play.

 

It is where our Lord can and does

make Himself known to us.

 

As He shows Himself more and more,

we will respond more and more.

 

Upon realizing that our living

God provides us with guidance,

we learn to seek that guidance.

 

And, soon enough,

a strong believer will become

dependent upon that guidance.

 

It being a sort of a feedback loop.

 

 More asking and waiting on the Lord

turns into more refined guidance,

which turns into more dependence

upon that guidance,

which is now causing our God

to become very real to us.

 

Faith/belief becoming stronger

by virtue of this process.

 

As can be readily imagined,

it will not take long

before your internal relationship

with our living God becomes something

which you cherish so greatly

that you want to do nothing

that will interfere with that.

 

As we draw closer to Him

we become more and more desirous

of pleasing Him

(see John 14:15).

 

We being no longer driven and motivated

by rules and regulations,

but by intense and very real

self-sacrificial love.

 

GOD IS LOVE.

 

And to be in His presence is to know love.

 

To have His love directed toward

our innermost being will cause

a resonance deep within,

as we become less worldly/carnally minded,

and begin to reflect His heavenly glory

with each and every thought,

deed, and action

(see John 3:30).

 

Our thought life begins

to matter more and more to us

as we soon enough realize that

this is where the real battleground lies.

 

We learn, by experience,

and by our union/contact with Him,

that we must take every thought into captivity, and that we must subject it,

before it subjects us

(see II Corinthians 2:5).

 

We learn to take each

aberrant and abhorrent thought

at its very genesis,

and to lay it upon the altar within our soul

in order to reframe it,

or to destroy it,

along with its power over our future actions.

 

We thereby learning of spiritual warfare.

 

 No overt action being allowed

until we have contained and isolated

the thought, and then taken it before our Heavenly Father for close examination

and scrutiny.

 

Ever seeking our Lord's guidance.

 

This is real prayer life.

 

Not some reciting of poetry,

and incantation-like formulae,

but an ongoing discourse

and seeking for instruction and illumination coming from Him who created us,

and who well knows our inner parts

and how they have become so perverse.

 

Now, instead of flailing about

and never knowing what is going on

in us and around us,

we grow more deeply in love

with He who guides us

and is willing to come and reason with us

regarding our apparently

sordid and pathetic condition

(see Isaiah 1:18).

 

 Always wanting to please,

but never being able to.

 

Always wanting to do right,

but with wrong, somehow,

always coming to predominate,

just when we thought

we had it all worked out.

 

Thousands of good intentions

being wiped out in an instant.

 

Because we should have stopped

and sought counsel from Him,

instead of acting while unchecked,

and following some fatal inner impulse

to our own immediate

and oftentimes permanent undoing.

 

Two choices standing before us.

 

One being to stop and wait on

our Heavenly Father to lead us

and to give us His input,

while the other choice is to just go forward without stopping and waiting.

 

Without seeking His guidance.

 

 And without waiting on Him,

while flying headlong into our own

ultimate and very sure undoing

and destruction.

 

Can you see, dear reader,

why our prayer life MUST be continuous ?

 

If I am NOT praying without ceasing,

how can this process continuously take place ?

 

Less internal discourse,

while actions take place,

which should have been dealt with

long before they became actions.

 

It REALLY being “pray without ceasing”,

or face the consequences of utter ruination, caused by our fallen nature

becoming our guide,

in place of His heavenly wisdom

and guidance.

 

In this regard,

allow me to remind you of the process

by which we grow in grace

and saving faith.

 

 WE FIRST “LET OUR SIN FIND US OUT”

(Numbers 32:23).

 

This is your thought life.

 

As we think deeply,

we begin to realize that

all is not well deep down inside of us.

 

We, therefore, allow and encourage

the Holy Spirit to put the light

on this darkness within.

 

Instead of running from it,

and hiding from it,

we work hard

to bring it out into the open,

where we can take a good,

long, hard look at it.

 

We bring it to the altar,

before our loving and forgiving God Almighty, and we examine it closely, TOGETHER.

 

We “come and reason together”

(see Isaiah 1:18)

as we plead with our Heavenly King

to help us to understand

and come to terms with

our own colossal failings.

 

We don't play games.

 

And we don't play hide and seek.

 

This ongoing process being

far too important to allow it to degenerate

into fake sanctimoniousness,

based upon our utter denial

of our own true inward condition.

 

We acknowledge our wrongness

with forthrightness.

 

What the word terms as

“confessing your sins”

(see I John 1:9).

 

That is, to be "homologeo",

in the original Greek

(pronounced "homo-lo-GEE-oh").

 

"Homo" meaning same,

while "logeo" means word, idea, or saying.

 

We are to be at one word with Him (acknowledging).

 

Meaning that we are both

calling sin the same thing.

 

We both agreeing that I am coming up short,

and have completely “missed the mark”

(the actual meaning of sin = an archery term).

 

No whitewashing.

 

No pretending.

 

No make-believe.

 

No saying that bad is good,

or that black is white,

or that down is up.

 

No moral relativism

i.e. it's okay, because of ---

whatever carnal circumstance.

 

GOD IS LIGHT.  

AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL.

 

Not a lot of room for moral relativism.

 

He is unchanging.

 

What is wrong now

is not going to somehow become okay

because of --- whatever.

 

 Upon completion of

our truthful acknowledgment

of our utter innermost failing

the Word tells us that our Lord

will separate this sin from off of us.

 

This being the meaning of the word "aphiemi" (pronounced "ah-FEE-ay-mee"),

which is translated "forgive".

 

He being faithful to forgive.

 

Meaning faithful to lift this sin off of us,

or to separate us from it.

 

Thereby freeing us from the bondage

which our shortcomings are sure to

put us into.

 

This is the framework of our prayer life.

 

Because our thoughts, deeds, and actions

are continuous, so must be our taking of them

into captivity.

 

So long as you’re thinking is taking place,

the above-referenced process must also

be taking place.

 

 Continuous thoughts

creating the need for continuous discourse

with our Heavenly Father.

 

Praying continuously without ceasing,

without which, we will continuously

suffer consequences of our failure to do so.

 

Soon enough realizing that

not only is it possible to

pray without ceasing,

it is imperative !!

As an illustration of this process

I would like to digress for just a moment

to share with you something

we have only recently learned,

thanks to modern medical imaging

of the human brain.

 

It seems that as you formulate thought,

tissue is created,

which corresponds to that thought and thinking.

 

Many will be familiar with the concept of synapse formation in nerves.

 

Every long term memory requiring

long term synapse creation and maintenance.

 

 As we get older our memories begin to fail us because our synapses are being made

and maintained less and less.

 

First the short term memory fails,

then the long-term memory,

as the synapses begin to degenerate

more and more with each passing day.

 

But, what you probably didn't know,

and haven't seen,

is that within several hours

after thinking fresh thoughts

a little sphere appears

along the length of a nerve fiber

(the nerve fiber = a dendritic spine).

 

It looks like a little grape.

 

It rises up from inside the dendritic spine

and forms a little bulb

which now sits on the outside of

the nerve fiber.

 

While you thought it was fleeting and gone,

it is, instead, contained inside that little sphere.

 

That sphere will later form into

the long term structure of memory.

 

One can only imagine that if that sphere contains good thoughts,

then the more the better.

 

But what if it contains thoughts of

torture, murder, rape and plunder,

as so many do in THIS day and age ?

 

What will happen as more and more

of THESE little spheres are piled

on top of one another ?

 

One can only shudder to think about

such a matter.

 

Soon enough the thoughts will rule you,

instead of you ruling them.

 

I see this little sphere

attached to the nerve fiber

when I think of the power of

continuous, ongoing spiritual intercourse

with our heavenly Creator.

 

If that little sphere represents

my giving in to evil,

then I will want to minimize

the effects of its existence.

 

Better yet, I should want to

make it non-existent.

I will want it lifted off of me,

and separated from me,

just as our blessed Lord and Savior

has promised to do.

 

That little node showing to me

that our thoughts will inevitably

have consequence,

just as surely as they have

a physical storage space inside my cranium.

 

Now, the reason that

I am telling you about these things

is because I think that they give a useful way

to visualize what the process is

by which one is more able to take control

of one's thought life

in order to make good use of

matters discussed above.

 

If I can visualize a disgusting thought

forming itself into one of those little nodes,

I can also imagine myself

not allowing that little node

to even form in the first place.

 

I have a way to visualize,

in my mind’s eye,

what it is that is taking place,

and to take control of the process.

 

Instead of amorphous, fleeting thoughts,

here now, and then gone, a moment from now,

and of no immediate concern

once out of my mind,

and of even less consequence,

I have a way of becoming cognizant

of the fact that my thought life

DOES have consequence,

thereby causing me to be much more alert

and guarded than I otherwise would be.

 

As I think about those hideous little bulbs sprouting up inside my head,

I find myself much more motivated

to take control of my thought life.

 

It is out of the heart

that the issues of life proceed,

and it is out of the heart

that the mouth speaketh

(see Proverbs 4:23 and Matthew 12:34-36).

 

Therefore, if I want all to go well,

I realize that I must diligently

and VERY consistently

deal with what is in my heart/mind.

 

No more wild devil’s playground,

while thinking that it really does not matter.

 

 Instead of just allowing my thoughts

to go crazy inside my head,

I will actively and aggressively attack

any which I feel to be offensive to my God,

and will put a forceful and immediate stop

to the process of internal degeneration

by taking it to the Lord in prayer.

 

THINKING WITHOUT CEASING,

CAUSING PRAYING WITHOUT CEASING.

 

No longer a secret, hidden battleground.

 

But, instead my mind has become

a place of refuge, and peace, and respite.

 

A place where I may escape from

the clamor of this world,

which is going on all about me,

virtually non-stop.

 

My mind now having become an oasis

in an otherwise arid wilderness,

where I may go and spend time

with my best and most favorite

friend and mentor,

to discuss how I may overcome

the numerous obstacles

which are nearly continuously

placed in my path

by Satan and his minions.

 

Where others cannot stand silence,

while seeking continuous mental distraction,

so that they don't even ever have to

deal with themselves,

I thrive on stillness and quietness,

so that I may go deep inside

my own mind, soul, and spirit

in order to consider deep things,

and to commune with my beloved Savior.

 

Remembering that

the object of my faith

is to become more like Him

(see Romans 8:29).

 

As John the Baptist so well stated the matter,

“HE MUST INCREASE AND I MUST DECREASE”

(see John 3:30).

 

Such is the case in my thought life.

 

More of Him and less of me.

 

More focus on what I believe

my wonderful Lord will find to be pleasing,

with far less concern about

entertaining the overly numerous,

ever present demands of the flesh,

which cause me to become

a reprehensible object of utter disgust,

within my own self.

And now,
instead of getting a little bit sicker

with each passing minute,

I am learning to become a warrior

and an overcomer.

 

Instead of being full of fear and trepidation,

I become more and more full of

God-given power and wisdom from above.

 

A life of growth

replacing a life of degeneration,

and the making of an eternal bond

with my eternal Creator.

 

All of the negatives of life

being slowly, but very steadily,

replaced by positives and positivism.

 

As life becomes uglier and more brutal,

senseless, and meaningless

to many others,

my life takes on new meaning

with each additional day

which our Lord is kind enough to gift me with.

 

A life of thanksgiving

replacing a life of pretended entitlement,

with all of the disappointment

which that is bound to cause.

 

 A world of despair and uncertainty

being replaced by a world of magical wonder

and knowledge of blessedness.

 

Unfortunately, much of our time

is NOT spent in perfect union with our Lord.

 

At times we will quietly drift away,

often without even realizing it.

 

At other times

we will find the cares of the moment

far outweigh our ability to do

what we know to be right

(Matthew 13:22),

while we instead embrace evil,

quite knowingly and willingly.

 

There are most certainly numerous times

when we can become obstinate

and half-hearted,

if not downright willful and disobedient.

 

Instead of being a sweet savor unto our Lord,

we can become a stench in his nostrils.

 

Finally, upon realizing the error of our ways

and the absurdity of our position,

at war with our Creator,

and even within our own selves,

we must learn the meaning of

penance and penitential prayer.

When our sorrow is real,

our need to attempt to restore fellowship

with our God also becomes very real.

 

Soon enough we shall find ourselves

on our knees,

crying out for mercy,

as a recalcitrant sinner,

in utter bondage to open rebellion,

our baser nature having gained

the upper hand,

if but for even one moment

(see Luke 18:13).

 

Suddenly we find ourselves at a distance

from that to which we desire to draw near.

 

Upon realizing the error of our ways

we seek to restore the fellowship

which once tasted and felt so good.

 

A true believer cannot go

for very long in opposition

without feeling

that dreaded loss of fellowship.

 

It is at this juncture that one

will cry out for mercy,

as if lost in a barren wilderness

of our own making.

 

 As we become grieved

by the very grievousness

which we have become,

we will cry out in utter shame,

while begging for mercy,

as we all too suddenly go from

a feeling of strength

to a feeling of utter helplessness and despair,

as if irretrievably lost.

 

I believe that everyone has areas in their life where they have less than complete mastery.

 

Areas in which we live in total weakness

and failure.

 

As we meet up with

“THAT SIN THAT DOTH SO EASILY BESET US”,

everything which I have been telling thus far begins to come into play with full force

(see Hebrews 12:1).

 

First, we will fail even to recognize

what is happening to us,

being so much more familiar with

outright rebellion than with humble obedience.

 

 Then, upon realizing what IS happening

we find ourselves denying the reality

and the seriousness of our actions,

as we begin to make excuses,

and seek rationalizations and justifications.

 

Telling ourselves how it is not really so bad,

or that it will just be this one time,

not yet realizing that we are refusing to acknowledge our sin and our sinfulness.

 

AS WE REFUSE TO BE "HOMOLOGEO"

(I.E. AT ONE WORD),

it will not take long before we realize

our loss of fellowship with God and Christ,

as we grieve the indwelling Holy Spirit.

 

Soon enough we believe

that God has abandoned us,

not yet realizing that

it is us who are abandoning Him,

if but only for a season,

as our sin has not yet found us out,

our earthly existence

and the cares of this wicked world

far outweighing our ability

to sense the full gravity

of our present course of action.

 

 If we truly are children of God,

then at some point the Holy Spirit

will prick our heart,

as we suddenly realize

the perilous position we have

so stupidly put ourselves into.

 

Truly it is time to stop everything

and to stop moving

further and further away from His light,

as we stupidly and ignorantly

feel that we have been abandoned,

in spite of the fact that

we are the one doing the abandoning.

 

This being our constant and continuous

war with the world, the flesh, and the devil

(see I John 2:16).

 

As we more fully come to realize

that the flesh must truly be put to death daily

(SEE I CORINTHIANS 15:31 AND GALATIANS 5:24),

if we are ever to successfully continue

on our spiritual quest,

and to gain the mastery over

our own very unruly heart

(Jeremiah 17:9),

 

 then we will need to

come more fully to realize our need

to get down on our knees

and to cry out for mercy,

and to begin, yet once again,

THE RESTORATIVE PROCESS.

 

Being careful not to

confuse repentance with penance.

 

The one being a change of direction,

while the other consists of heartfelt sorrow

and remorse.

 

I, suspecting that the sorrow

will have to come first,

before the change of course

is likely to take effect.

 

Because our Lord,

and our ongoing relationship with Him,

is most precious to us,

we will stop everything

until we get this matter right,

as we are forced to come to terms with

the deeper meaning of

“TRUE RELIGION”.

 

 A process by which we are changed

from a wretched creature,

unable to see its own wretchedness,

into a blessed creature

unable to even desire to live

without continuous and vital union with

our Creator, and His blessed Son,

and His Holy Spirit.

 

World without end.   

 

Amen.

 

 

MESSIANISM

 

MESSIAH is a person who was prophesied.

 

The word MESSIAH means

"TO BE ANOINTED".

 

It has the same meaning as the word "CHRISTOS"

in New Testament Greek.

 

There is nothing new about what most people

will refer to as "Christianity".

 

Most people have no idea that

when they use this word, “CHRIST”,

that they are actually saying "MESSIAH",

such that CHRISTIANITY = MESSIANISM.

 

While the life of Jesus of Nazareth

can be said to have taken place

approximately 2000 years ago,

the idea of which it is the fulfillment

goes all the way back to

the writings of Moses,

about 1200 years before that !

 

First in a promise that is said to have been

made to Eve in the Garden of Eden

(see Genesis 3:13-15)

and known as

THE PROTO EVANGELIUM.

 

 And then again in DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 18

where one like unto Moses is prophesied

(see Deuteronomy 18:15-22).

 

One need look no further than

the ancient mythologies

to discover this theme of

a coming "super-being".

 

He is found again and again

in stories of heroes and demi-gods.

 

Such beliefs permeating the entire

ancient world for millennia prior to Moses.

 

That is to say, there appears to have been

an oral tradition,

which preceded the written traditions,

and which circulated alongside

the first known cuneiform writings.

 

Having so many similarities with one another

that moderns try to pretend that

the later writings (Moses) are merely retellings of the same earlier

(Sumerian) stories and writings.

 

Rather than realizing that there is, likely,

one original and earlier source,

from which both came,

which branched out into

numerous localized variants,

they, instead, pretending that the one

is merely a plagiarized replication of the other.

 

I am, of course, mainly referring to  

the so-called "NOAH STORIES" of ancient Sumero/Babylon,

as being an excellent example of this process.

 

Sadly, solely due to apparent

modern social biases,

it is disingenuously claimed that

the Noah story of Genesis

is merely a retelling of the Sumero/Babylonian mythological stories of

UTNAPISHTIM, ZIUSUDRA, ATRAHASIS,

AND GILGAMESH.

 

Their methodological basis

being deeply flawed,

with reasoning that looks only at similarities,

but never at the differences.

 

The earlier tellings being full of

mythological ideas such as

being able to swim to the bottom

of the deepest seas,

or to fly into outer space

on the back of an eagle.

 

 Lots of magical actions

and magico/religious thinking.

 

After all, these are people

who are claimed to be half-man and half-god,

such that they are only barely constrained

by the physical limitations

which both you and I take for granted.

 

A reading of the story of Genesis

being a far cry from

the Sumero/Babylonian tradition.

 

No magic.

 

Just a big barge loaded with animals,

with exact measurements of

the various depth soundings,

along with numerous

exact measurements of time.

 

Reading much more like

a modern historical account,

than ANYTHING you will find

in the extant writings preceding it.

 

 Such that one must ask oneself,

which is more likely ?

 

1. that an oral tradition becomes

    MORE precise and detailed over time ?

 

or

 

1. less precise and detailed ?

 

Of course, to ask it is to answer it.

 

After all, it IS self-evident, if nothing else,

that fireside tales generally get

wilder and wilder

with each telling and re-telling.

 

Actual measurements and other such details being relegated to somewhere other than

the retelling of the story.

 

In this regard I should like to note

a couple of matters regarding oral traditions.

 

The ancients would sing their stories,

tell their stories, dance their stories,

and act out their stories in cultic rituals.

 

It is because of these things that the ideas

of the moderns regarding the unreliability  

of oral and ancient traditions have little

or no merit, whatsoever.

My favorite example of this

inherent conservatism is

the religion of Old Kingdom Egypt,

as compared with Middle Kingdom

and New Kingdom Egypt.

 

There being 3000 years of continuous history, with plenty of material remains to study.

 

Based upon the ideas of our contemporaries,

one would expect to see a tremendous

variety of beliefs and ideas.

 

But, such is, most certainly, NOT the case.

 

It is, rather the consistency which stands out,

so conspicuously.

 

Thereby demonstrating

the incredible conservatism of this process.

 

It is because the moderns pretend that ignorant and foolish storytellers

just made all of this stuff up

while sitting around campfires

and entertaining little children,

that they believe that there will be

embellishment upon embellishment,

the one laid upon the other,

each time it is retold.

 

But, this is not how the process

is KNOWN to have taken place.

 

The main ingredient,

which is all too casually "forgotten",

is that the story is considered

to be important enough,

by an entire culture,

that they feel a need

to have a reliable way

to transmit the data,

from one generation to the next,

while maintaining continuity

of all important and consequential

material facts.

 

YES, THE STORY BEGINS WITH FACTS,

AND REAL LIFE HISTORICAL EVENTS

,

considered to be so important

that cultic rituals and re-enactments

become commonplace memory devices

amongst ALL such systems.

 

The process being innately

conservative as can be,

as amply demonstrated by

the history of 3000 years

of ancient Egyptian religions.

 

 These being just the opposite

of what you are told how it should be.

 

I would suggest that

it is this same process, here,

by which Egyptian religion

maintained its form for three millennia,

which was used in order to communicate/transfer the oral traditions, through multiple generations,

for the most part intact,

prior to the writing of the Hebrew alphabet.  

 

The reason why I am bringing this up

IS BECAUSE THE BOOK OF GENESIS

MAKES REFERENCE TO

AN APPARENTLY ORAL TRADITION,

which began in the Garden of Eden

i.e. the seed of the woman

will crush the head of the serpent,

but will have his heel bruised

as a result thereof

(SEE GENESIS 3:15);

along with God clothing Adam and Eve

with animal skins,

requiring shedding of blood,

while providing a covering,

which is, after all, the meaning of atonement

(see Genesis 3:21).

 

 This being followed by another oral tradition, concerning Cain and Abel,

wherein a sin offering

was said to lay at Cain’s door

(see Genesis 4:7),

and wherein Cain’s works were rejected,

while Abel’s apparent faith (i.e. not works)

WAS found to be acceptable

(see Genesis 4:4-5).

 

Followed by Noah’s bringing seven

of certain kinds of sacrificial animals

into the Ark

(see Genesis 7:2),

and his building an altar,

after landing,

while making animal sacrifice to

He who had saved him

from the worldwide deluge

(see Genesis 8:20).

 

Some call it "THE SCARLET THREAD",

which runs through both

the Old and New Testaments,

while thereby tying them together

into one book

(I.E. JOINED TOGETHER BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST).

 

Showing the need for shedding of blood

as an atonement (i.e. a covering) for sin.

 

The theme of “THE SUFFERING SERVANT”

(SEE ISAIAH 53)

running all the way through

the Holy Spirit-inspired writings,

from one end to the other.

 

Nevertheless, in regard to

seeing and understanding such matters,

one must continuously remember that

spiritual things are spiritually discerned

(see I Corinthians 2:14),

WHICH MEANS

NO INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT

RESULTS IN NO SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT.

 

This being why so many men

are unable to see or tell the difference

between the writings of the Apostles

and those of pretended rabbis/teachers

and sages, along with their

far too numerous progeny.

 

YOU CANNOT REPORT ABOUT WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE.

 

And you cannot see

when you don't have eyes to see with.

 

And herein lies the problem.

 

 Natural men, as brute beasts,

pretending to some kind of life

outside of Christ,

while actually being dead and blind

in sin and trespass

(see Ephesians 2:5-9),

and while actually having no idea

that such truly is the case !

 

Uglier than sin,

while believing that

they are beauty personified.

 

A stench in the nostrils,

while pretending to be

a sweet savor unto the Lord.

 

First, they must remake Christ

into their own image

(see II Corinthians 1:4),

and then come up with

a new "gospel message"

of financial security,

and money raining from heaven,

and goodies for everybody

i.e. mammon worship

(mammon means material goods).

 

And, of course,

THIS ALL BEING ANIMATED BY ANOTHER SPIRIT.

 

Not God's Spirit, but man's.

 

MAN'S CHRIST.  

MAN'S GOOD NEWS.  

AND MAN'S SPIRIT.

 

A VERY UNHOLY TRINITY

if ever there was one.

 

The number of man(6)

stated 3 times  

= 666 = deified man,

the number of the beast

(see Revelation 13:18). 

 

Human man-made temporal system

versus God's God-made eternal system.

 

Therein lie the real lines of demarcation.

 

Oh, and don't forget,

how they will load up their conversation

with the same words

which have become so dear to you and me

from our reading of

the Old and New Testaments,

but giving them different meanings

which are very different from

those intended by the languages,

and by contemporaneous

common usage thereof

(i.e. grammatico/historical context).

 

Such that you think

you are both talking about the same thing,

but you most certainly are not.

 

And then speak of “love”,

and call people “brother” and “sister”,

and take on all kinds of

chameleon-like attributes,

designed for nothing less than

to deceive the real sheep

into believing that these are,

indeed, truly,

part of the selfsame flock.

 

WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING

WHITED SEPULCHRES

CLOUDS WITHOUT RAIN

A BLOT

STAINS

TARES

(STEALTHILY PLANTED BY “THE ENEMY”)

  These are but a few of the names

by which they are readily identifiable

for any who are willing

to look just a little bit closer.

 

Then as people wake up

and complain of what a fraud

has been perpetrated upon them,

these can be heard to tell all about  

the imminent demise of our faith,

while complaining that their pews

are no longer full, but are, instead, empty.

 

Failing to even begin to recognize

that people no longer flocking

to their “cultic disinformation centers”

is one of the best things

that can happen for all of the rest of us.

 

Yes,

 

“GET OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE ---

LEST YOU PARTAKE OF HER PLAGUES”

, is what I remember hearing from on high

(see Revelation 18:4).

 

 MESSIAH means to be anointed with oil.

 

“CHRISTOS” is the Greek form of the word.

 

Hence, as stated above,  

MESSIANISM AND CHRIST-IANITY

ARE ACTUALLY ONE AND THE SAME THING.

 

Both looking forward to the coming

of a person who is said to have been anointed.

 

For that is the core meaning of the words.

 

One who is anointed,

as the Old Testament kings of old

were anointed with oil before taking office

(SEE I SAMUEL 10:1).

 

They were anointed by a man.

 

But this One will be anointed

by no less than the Creator, Himself.

 

A human, anointed as a king,

by God, instead of by man.

 

Never forget this.

 

(Ungodly) men love to create much confusion

by throwing around the words Christ,

Jesus, Christian, church, grace, faith,

and such like.

 

They will add many new meanings

and shades of meaning,

while avoiding the actual definition

as if it never existed.

 

MESSIAH AND CHRIST

are words whose real relevance exists

long before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

 

Looking FORWARD to a day

when God's earthly representative

would take up His throne amongst fallen man.

 

This is the promise.

 

IN DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 18

Moses prophecies that God will send a prophet, like unto Moses.

 

And that whoever refuses to listen to Him

will be held accountable

(see Deuteronomy 18:18-19).

 

That is the promise.

 

 The Heavenly Father

will make Himself manifest.

 

He will walk amongst men

and will talk amongst men,

but will be soundly rejected,

scorned, and ultimately slaughtered

by the very persons who claim to be

his good friends.

 

Ouch !!

 

That is the Messianic promise.

 

 A redeemer.

 

A deliverer.

 

A substitutionary sacrifice

on behalf of fallen, wicked man.

 

That is the promise.

 

Which first started as an oral tradition,

with reverberations throughout

all of the ancient mythologies,

and especially the so-called hero myths,

which then awaited the invention

 of an alphabetic language,

from cuneiform,

to Phoenecian, to Hebrew, to Greek,

in order to add much more detail,

which was now more permanently recorded

in a written form.

 

For 500 years of Persian ascendancy

our God providentially saw to

the building of the Eastern roads

by which this alphabetic writing

would be able to freely spread.

 

After which the Western roads were built

by the Greeks and Romans,

until the entire ancient world found itself covered with a huge road network

by which Paul and the Apostles

would be able to freely travel

from one end of the known world to the other.

 

Thus bringing about the fulfillment of promise, by making the communications system

come into existence,

by which this gospel (good news)

would be spread and communicated

to all to whom the Lord had ordained

from before the foundation of the world,

in “THE FULLNESS OF THE TIMES”

(see Galatians 4:4-5 and Ephesians 2:10).

 

 Nothing left to chance,

as the Lord God Omnipotent

effectually carried His desires into effect,

in spite of much opposition

from Satan and his followers

(see Isaiah 55:11).

 

A war which is being fought continuously,

while you and I are barely aware,

even if at all,

as to what is taking place all around us,

on every side.

 

So, again, I must ask,

rhetorically, but of course,

WHAT IS MESSIANISM ?

 

It is the waiting for this person

to come to this Earth

and make His presence known.

 

It is the fact that provision has been made,

and that every detail has been,

or will be, caused to take place,

under the direction of the Highest Power.

 

MESSIANISM is the believing in,

and looking forward to,

the revealing of the Son of God in human flesh.

 

 The revealing of the God-man,

as king over all the earth,

and all created beings.

 

It is the waiting and watching for

this supernatural person to become manifest.

 

We looking for one who is anointed

by our Father who Art in Heaven,

as his earthly manifestation

and representation,

containing the fullness of the Godhead bodily

(see Colossians 2:9).

 

Because He is supernatural,

it would only naturally be expected

that His earthly presence

would be surrounded by the supernatural.

 

A supernatural being

surrounded by supernatural goings on.

 

The revealing of “THE ONE”

who was prophesied from ancient times.

 

A person who would most definitely

STAND OUT from the rest of the crowd.

 

A Messianic expectation

(see, for examples, John 4:25–26, John 1:19-22, Matthew 1:22-23, and Matthew 2:1-8).

 

So, MESSIANISM begins with a promise,

and expectation,

and finally, a fulfillment,

in the form of an extraordinary being.

 

And of course, with all of the controversy

that can and will surround

such a series of claims and beliefs,

before, during, and after the fact

of the revealing of such an entity.

 

This, of course, includes our recognition of,

and response to, this series of events.

 

For once one becomes cognizant,

one becomes responsible,

and hopefully, responsive.

 

Watching and waiting.

 

Searching and seeking.

 

Until the Son of God

is finally and fully revealed to us in this world.

 

Awaiting His coming.

Accordingly, men diligently searched

the prophetic writings

for clues as to who it would be, and when.

 

Where He would come from.

 

How one would recognize Him.

 

And how one could or would tell Him

from numerous deceivers,

and pretended messiahs.

 

Satan did not sleep during all of this.

 

Being the deceiver that he is

(the father of lies;  SEE JOHN 8:44)

it didn't take him long to start creating

false prophets,

and false religions,

and false messiahs.

 

All with just enough truth

to trick the unwary.

 

Many world religions

and philosophies

and belief systems

were created by the dark lord

to turn many away from the truth

 

So that they may pay homage to him

and his system of lies and half-truths,

and obfuscations,

and changing of the plain meaning of words.

 

Such that one is so inundated with false signals that it would seem to be hopeless

to know Messiah when seeing Him.

 

You can hear the same lies every day,

right now, as people claim that

Jesus of Nazareth is an avatar,

or a prophet,

being just like Buddha,

or Mohammed.

 

Then, because our Heavenly Father

chose to give us a BOOK for guidance,

now everyone else has a book of their own,

to compete with the Holy Spirit-inspired

(God-breathed) writings.

 

Rites and rituals which were created

as models and types of things to come

(e.g. the temple and animal sacrifice)

become a part of this panoply of ideas.

 

Because the seed of a woman was promised,

all of a sudden every single

Satan-inspired mimicry

has a mother and child of its own.

With statues of same being created early on,

and then being clothed, “fed”,

and carried about in idol processions,

and worshipped by all,

even unto this very day.

 

Now, all of a sudden,

there are stories of creatures

that are claimed to be half-human

and half-god (demigods)

sprouting up all over the place.

 

Stories of God-like heroes abounding

on every side.

 

Through means of cross-cultural exchange,

soon enough, every culture has

some kind of similar sets of stories,

all claiming to originate

from some source of ultimate truth.

 

And no end of soothsayers,

and prognosticators,

and all of their huckster enablers,

all trying to make a living ($$$)

off of their pretended secret knowledge.

 

Create so many lookalikes,

and sound-alikes,

that it becomes

a seemingly overwhelming task

to even begin to untangle

this web of deceit and lies

and misdirection and confusion.

 

Whereby Satan causes the hope

which comes from the promise

to turn into hopelessness and despair,

and a feeling of never being able to ascertain which is truth and which is fiction.

 

The hopelessness which causes one

to throw one's hands up into the air,

as one decides to just reject all of it,

all at once.

 

Living in ignorance and despair

seeming to be far more desirous

than this state of affairs.

 

Noting that this model of confusion

has worked so well that it was used

for thousands of years before,

and now thousands of years after,

the revealing of MESSIAH.

 

 Slight permutations from system to system,

but all essentially the same

when looked upon more closely.

 

So much so that comparative mythology

has become an object for study

in which the things in common

are shown to be numerous and widespread.

 

One does not even have any idea how to even begin to untie this “Gordian knot”.

 

And with all of the religious "helpers"

assisting you,

each claiming to be divinely inspired

and authoritative,

things become even more hopeless,

as I begin to despair just from

describing it here.

 

THIS BEING WHY I MAKE SUCH A MARKED DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE MAN-MADE RELIGIONS

VERSUS GOD-MADE TRUTH FROM ABOVE.

 When everyone has a different opinion,

while all claim to be equally authoritative,

there are bound to be problems

with numerous divisions and schisms

having become the order of the day.

 

Numerous false Christs,

false messiahs,

and false systems

all competing for your

very limited attention and lifespan.

 

With hopelessness posing as divine guidance,

each and every step of the way.

 

SO, WHAT TO DO?

 

BY CONTINUOUS SEEKING

YOU SHALL FIND.  

BY CONTINUOUS ASKING

IT SHALL BE ANSWERED.  

BY CONTINUOUS KNOCKING

IT SHALL BE OPENED TO YOU

(see Matthew 7:7-8).  ---

 

and behold I send you the Paraclete

(literally the one called to your side

i.e. the Holy Spirit)

who will show you all things

and bring them to remembrance

(see John 14:16 and John 14:26).

 

 SOLA SCRIPTURA

 

SOLA FIDE

 

SOLA GRATIA

 

that is,

solely by scripture

solely by faith

and solely by grace

 

This was the battle cry of the Reformers

during what has come to be known as

the Protestant Reformation,

following centuries of having been

clearly led astray

by their fellow co-religionists,

who had replaced Scripture with “tradition”.

 

Replaced living faith with

pretended faith,

being blind faith in manmade doctrines,

like transubstantiation.

 

My faith in God

now having been turned into faith in man,

by those who claim to be

turning bread into flesh,

and wine into blood,

by use of magical rites and incantations,

so that they may cause you to bow down,

and to idolatrously worship their “wafer god”.

 

The fact that chemical analysis

shows that no such transformation,

or any transformation at all,

has actually taken place

by means of these pretended sacrificial rites

and magical incantations,

causing purveyors of this system

to cry out that one must blindly believe

what they are being told,

and then pretending that

this is what scriptural faith is.

 

Of course, no such usage

of the Greek word translated "faith" (belief)

can be shown to exist in the New Testament.

 

 So that they now claim that

believing in their magical abilities

is a matter of deeper “faith”,

and that God has demanded

that you turn off your (God-given)

critical faculties,

and just believe in these fairytales

and ungodly concoctions

which are being purveyed by them.

 

Always for a price ($$$).

 

Bought and paid for in gold and silver,

and precious objects, seemingly without end,

but of course.

 

A “huckster heaven", if ever there was one.

 

So now stupid blind ignorance

is held up as a virtue,

as the plain meaning of words

are subtly and craftily changed

to suit the purposes of those

who would “lord it over” their fellow man,

to the detriment of ALL living creatures,

as it turns out.

 

So, faith,

which is simple “belief”,

has been turned, ever so subtly,

into a system of works.

While the Apostle Paul is abundantly clear

that grace and works are mutually exclusive

(see Romans 11:6),

that can simply be disregarded

as just another man's opinion,

because we have loads and loads of tradition which says otherwise.

 

And grace (unmerited favor)

is no longer grace

(see Ephesians 2:8 – faith is a gift of God).

 

For now it is not something given freely,

which is the plain meaning of the word,

but is now pretended to be

the means by which one is

to pull oneself up by one's own bootstraps,

as grace now becomes a debt owed to us,

because of our good works.

 

And now, all of a sudden,

good works become working for

their cult of Maryolotry,

which they now further claim to be

the one and only true religion/system.

 

A rather ridiculous claim

in light of Scripture and history.

 

 For how did the Romanist system

of the western empire

rise to such pretended primacy

and ascendancy, anyhow ?

 

Oh, by means of excommunicating

and murdering as many as possible

who belonged to the Eastern Othodoxy

and original system,

in what has come to be known in history as

"THE GREAT SCHISM OF 1054".

 

Yes, declare all of the "others"

to be schismatics and heretics,

and simply excommunicate

and murder them all, 

and voilà, suddenly the Greek New Testament, which text was being protected

by Greek speaking persons

of the Eastern and original

and oldest assemblies of believers,

whose native language it is,

has been replaced by Jerome's

highly corrupted Latin Vulgate.

 

Nasty old Greek from the East

having been replaced

by the Latin vernacular of the West.

 

 A model which has served well

these moderns,

who now loudly proclaim

that we cannot know

the true and original text,

with any degree of certainty,

such that who knows what “version”

of the Bible to believe ?

 

So now the very Word of God

is castigated,

and kicked off to the sidelines

as being somehow unreliable.

 

Confusion replacing certainty

just a little bit more each day,

as secular humanism (i.e. nihilism)

becomes the true religion of our day,

while claiming to be

far more intellectually superior to

those ancient superstitions

of ignorant backwards people.

 

Such that now we have an entire society

of ungodly, not-too-bright persons,

who think that their Heavenly Father

is “The Great Ape” of Heaven,

and planet Earth.

 

 And who think that life has come from non-life, without even one shred of empirical evidence,

i.e. no one can show such a process

taking place, or can demonstrate

an actual process by which such

has happened or even COULD happen !

 

All hypothesis and theory,

replacing any kind of certainty,

and then calling this “science”,

as they sneer down at all

who aren't going for this

utterly ridiculous nonsense,

and, but of course,

they are able to falsely point at

all of the phony purveyors of false religions

as their example of your only other

intellectual alternative.

 

Two forms of unreason and nonsense

being given to you

as your only intellectual

and spiritual choices.

 

A false dichotomy if ever there was one.

 

Is it any wonder that downright nihilism

and hopelessness

have become the vanguard of our age ?

 

 With secular materialism,

i.e. mammon worship,  

and unbridled lust

having become the order of the day ?

 

And “here I stand” at this very dark hour,

as I survey all of the human wreckage

on every side.

 

Surely by it's a rotten, murderous,

mammon-worshiping fruits,

you should be able to see it

and know it for what it truly is

(see Matthew 7:16–23).

 

But, alas, such is not the case at all.

 

Not now, and never has been.

 

Lies upon lies upon lies,

having become far more desirable

than even the slightest amount of truth.

 

It is as if you are very much alone

in your quest for truth.

 

But, not to get too upset,

for such it has been from the very beginning,

it would seem.

 

 

EPILOGUE

 MODERN FALSE PROPHETS AND FALSE PROPHECY

  I marvel that ye are so soon removed

from him that called you into the grace of Christ

unto another gospel:

 

Which is not another;

but there be some that trouble you,

and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

 

But though we, or an angel from heaven,

preach any other gospel unto you

than that which we have preached unto you,

let him be accursed.

 

As we said before,

so say I now again,

If any man preach any other gospel unto you

than that ye have received,

let him be accursed.

 Galatians 1:6-9

 

 

Take heed therefore unto yourselves,

and to all the flock,

over the which the Holy Ghost

hath made you overseers,

to feed the church of God,

which he hath purchased with his own blood.

 

For I know this,

that after my departing

shall grievous wolves enter in among you,

not sparing the flock.

 

Also of your own selves shall men arise,

speaking perverse things,

to draw away disciples after them.

 

Therefore watch, and remember,

that by the space of three years

I ceased not to warn every one

night and day with tears.

 Acts 20:28-31

 

 

 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam,

prophesied of these, saying,

 

Behold, the Lord cometh

with ten thousands of his saints,

To execute judgment upon all,

and to convince all that are ungodly among them

of all their ungodly deeds

which they have ungodly committed,

and of all their hard speeches

which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

 

These are murmurers,

complainers, walking after their own lusts;

and their mouth speaketh great swelling words,

having men's persons in admiration

because of advantage.

 

But, beloved,

remember ye the words

which were spoken before

of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

 

How that they told you

there should be mockers in the last time,

who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

 

These be they who separate themselves,

sensual, having not the Spirit.

 

But ye, beloved,

building up yourselves on your most holy faith,

praying in the Holy Ghost,

Keep yourselves in the love of God,

looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ

unto eternal life.

 Jude 1:14-21

 

 

 Beware of false prophets,

which come to you in sheep's clothing,

but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

 

Ye shall know them by their fruits.

 

Do men gather grapes of thorns,

or figs of thistles ?

 

Even so every good tree

bringeth forth good fruit;

but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

 

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit,

neither can a corrupt tree

bring forth good fruit.

 

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit

is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

 

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,

shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;

but he that doeth the will of my father

which is in heaven.

 

Many will say to me in that day,

Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name ?

and in thy name have cast out devils ?

and in thy name done many wonderful works ?

 

And then will I profess unto them,

I never knew you:

depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 Matthew 7:15-23

 

 

 For then shall be great tribulation,

such as was not since the beginning of the world

to this time,

no, nor ever shall be.

 

And except those days should be shortened,

there should no flesh be saved:

but for the elect's sake those days

shall be shortened.

 

Then if any man shall say unto you,

Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

 

For there shall arise false Christs,

and false prophets,

and shall show great signs and wonders;

insomuch that, if it were possible,

they shall deceive the very elect.

 

Behold, I have told you before.

 

Wherefore if they shall say unto you,

Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth:

behold, he is in the secret chambers;

believe it not.

 

For as the lightning cometh out of the east,

and shineth even unto the west;

so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

 Matthew 24:21-27

 

 

 

Little children, it is the last time:

and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come,

even now are there many antichrists;

whereby we know that it is the last time.

 

They went out from us, but they were not of us;

for if they had been of us,

they would no doubt have continued with us:

 

but they went out,

that they might be made manifest

that they were not all of us.

 

But ye have an unction from the Holy One,

and ye know all things.

 

I have not written unto you

because ye know not the truth,

but because ye know it,

and that no lie is of the truth.

 

Who is a liar

but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ ?

 

He is antichrist,

that denieth the Father and the Son.

 

Whosoever denieth the Son,

the same hath not the Father:

but he that acknowledgeth the Son

hath the Father also.

 

Let that therefore abide in you,

which ye have heard from the beginning.

 

If that which ye have heard from the beginning

shall remain in you,

ye also shall continue in the Son,

and in the Father.

 I John 2:18-24

 

But there were false prophets

also among the people,

even as there shall be false teachers

among you,

who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,

even denying the Lord that bought them,

and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

 

And many shall follow their pernicious ways;

by reason of whom

the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

 

And through covetousness

shall they with feigned words

make merchandise of you:

whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not,

and their damnation slumbereth not.

 

For if God spared not the angels that sinned,

but cast them down to hell,

and delivered them into chains of darkness,

to be reserved unto judgment;

 

And spared not the old world,

but saved Noah the eighth person,

a preacher of righteousness,

bringing in the flood upon

the world of the ungodly;

 

And turning

the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah

into ashes

condemned them with an overthrow,

making them an ensample

unto those that after should live ungodly;

 

And delivered just Lot,

vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

(For that righteous man dwelling among them,

in seeing and hearing,

vexed his righteous soul from day to day

with their unlawful deeds;)

 

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly

out of temptations,

and to reserve the unjust

unto the day of judgment

to be punished:

But chiefly them that walk after the flesh

in the lust of uncleanness,

and despise government.

 

Presumptuous are they, selfwilled,

they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

 

Whereas angels, which are

greater in power and might,

bring not railing accusation against them

before the Lord.

 

But these, as natural brute beasts,

made to be taken and destroyed,

speak evil of the things that they understand not;

and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

 

And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness,

as they that count it pleasure

to riot in the daytime.

 

Spots they are and blemishes,

sporting themselves with their own deceivings

while they feast with you;

 

Having eyes full of adultery,

and that cannot cease from sin;

beguiling unstable souls:

an heart they have exercised

with covetous practices;

cursed children:

 

Which have forsaken the right way,

and are gone astray,

following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor,

who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

 

But was rebuked for his iniquity:

the dumb ass speaking with man's voice

forbad the madness of the prophet.

 

These are wells without water,

clouds that are carried with a tempest;

to whom the mist of darkness

is reserved for ever.

 

 For when they speak

great swelling words of vanity,

they allure through the lusts of the flesh,

through much wantonness,

those that were clean escaped

from them who live in error.

 

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.

 

For if after they have escaped the pollutions

of the world

through the knowledge of the Lord

and Saviour Jesus Christ,

they are again entangled therein,

and overcome,

the latter end is worse with them

than the beginning.

 

For it had been better for them

not to have known the way of righteousness,

than, after they have known it,

to turn from the holy commandment

delivered unto them.

 

But it is happened unto them

according to the true proverb,

The dog is turned to his own vomit again;

 and the sow that was washed

to her wallowing in the mire.

 II Peter 2:1-22

 

 

 

Moreover, brethren,

I would not that ye should be ignorant,

how that all our fathers were under the cloud,

and all passed through the sea;

 

And were all baptized unto Moses

in the cloud and in the sea;

 

And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

 

And did all drink the same spiritual drink:

for they drank of that spiritual Rock

that followed them:

and that Rock was Christ.

 

But with many of them God was not well pleased:

for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

 

Now these things were our examples,

to the intent we should not lust after evil things,

as they also lusted.

 

Neither be ye idolaters,

as were some of them;

as it is written,

The people sat down to eat and drink,

and rose up to play.

 

Neither let us commit fornication,

as some of them committed,

and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

 

Neither let us tempt Christ,

as some of them also tempted,

and were destroyed of serpents.

 

Neither murmur ye,

as some of them also murmured,

and were destroyed of the destroyer.

 

Now all these things happened unto them

for ensamples:

and they are written for our admonition,

upon whom the ends of the world are come.

 

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth

take heed lest he fall.

 

There hath no temptation taken you

but such as is common to man:

but God is faithful,

who will not suffer you to be tempted

above that ye are able;

but will with the temptation

also make a way to escape,

that ye may be able to bear it.

 

Wherefore, my dearly beloved,

flee from idolatry.

 I Corinthians 10:1-14

 

 

 

For 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.

 

For Solomon went after Ashtoreth

the goddess of the Zidonians,

and after Milcom

the abomination of the Ammonites.

 

And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD,

and went not fully after the LORD,

as did David his father.

 

Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh,

the abomination of Moab,

in the hill that is before Jerusalem,

and for Molech,

the abomination of the children of Ammon.

 

And likewise did he for all his strange wives,

which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

 

And the LORD was angry with Solomon,

because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

 

And had commanded him concerning this thing,

that he should not go after other gods:

but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.

 

Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon,

Forasmuch as this is done of thee,

and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes,

which I have commanded thee,

I will surely rend the kingdom from thee,

and will give it to thy servant.

II KINGS 11:4-11

 

 

 

 

Hear another parable:

There was a certain householder,

which planted a vineyard,

and hedged it round about,

and digged a winepress in it,

and built a tower,

and let it out to husbandmen,

and went into a far country:

 

And when the time of the fruit drew near,

he sent his servants to the husbandmen,

that they might receive the fruits of it.

 

And the husbandmen took his servants,

and beat one,

and killed another,

and stoned another.

 

Again, he sent other servants more than the first:

and they did unto them likewise.

 

But last of all he sent unto them his son,

saying,

They will reverence my son.

 

But when the husbandmen saw the son,

they said among themselves,

This is the heir;

come, let us kill him,

and let us seize on his inheritance.

 

And they caught him,

and cast him out of the vineyard,

and slew him.

 

When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh,

what will he do unto those husbandmen ?

 

They say unto him,

He will miserably destroy those wicked men,

and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen,

which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

Jesus saith unto them,

Did ye never read in the scriptures,

The stone which the builders rejected,

the same is become the head of the corner:

this is the Lord's doing,

and it is marvellous in our eyes ?

 

Therefore say I unto you,

The kingdom of God shall be taken from you,

and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

 

And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken:

but on whomsoever it shall fall,

it will grind him to powder.

 

And when the chief priests and Pharisees

had heard his parables,

they perceived that he spake of them.

 

But when they sought to lay hands on him,

they feared the multitude,

because they took him for a prophet.

 Matthew 21:33-46

 

 

 

 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved

a song of my beloved touching his vineyard.

 

My wellbeloved hath a vineyard

in a very fruitful hill:

 

And he fenced it,

and gathered out the stones thereof,

and planted it with the choicest vine,

and built a tower in the midst of it,

and also made a winepress therein:

and he looked that it should bring forth grapes,

and it brought forth wild grapes.

 

And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem,

and men of Judah,

judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

 

What could have been done more to my vineyard,

that I have not done in it ?

wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes ?

 

And now go to;

I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard:

I will take away the hedge thereof,

and it shall be eaten up;

and break down the wall thereof,

and it shall be trodden down:

 

And I will lay it waste:

it shall not be pruned, nor digged;

but there shall come up briers and thorns:

I will also command the clouds

that they rain no rain upon it.

 

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts

is the house of Israel,

and the men of Judah his pleasant plant:

and he looked for judgment,

but behold oppression;

for righteousness,

but behold a cry.

 Isaiah 5:1-7

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple:

and his disciples came to him

for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

 

And Jesus said unto them,

See ye not all these things ?

 

verily I say unto you,

There shall not be left here one stone upon another,

that shall not be thrown down.

 Matthew 24:1-2

 

 

 

Then spake Jesus to the multitude,

and to his disciples,

 

Saying,

The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

 

All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe,

that observe and do;

but do not ye after their works:

for they say, and do not.

 

For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne,

and lay them on men's shoulders;

but they themselves will not move them

with one of their fingers.

 

But all their works they do for to be seen of men:

they make broad their phylacteries,

and enlarge the borders of their garments,

 

And love the uppermost rooms at feasts,

and the chief seats in the synagogues,

 

And greetings in the markets,

and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

 

But be not ye called Rabbi:

for one is your Master, even Christ;

and all ye are brethren.

 

And call no man your father upon the earth:

for one is your Father,

which is in heaven.

 

Neither be ye called masters:

for one is your Master,

even Christ.

 

But he that is greatest among you

shall be your servant.

 

 

And whosoever shall exalt himself

shall be abased;

and he that shall humble himself

shall be exalted.

 

But woe unto you,

scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites !

for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men:

for ye neither go in yourselves,

neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

 

Woe unto you,

scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites !

for ye devour widows' houses,

and for a pretence make long prayer:

therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

 

Woe unto you,

scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites !

for ye compass sea and land

to make one proselyte,

and when he is made,

ye make him twofold more

the child of hell than yourselves.

 

Woe unto you, ye blind guides,

which say,

Whosoever shall swear by the temple,

it is nothing;

but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple,

he is a debtor !

 

Ye fools and blind:

for whether is greater,

the gold,

or the temple that sanctifieth the gold ?

 

 And,

Whosoever shall swear by the altar,

it is nothing;

but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it,

he is guilty.

 

Ye fools and blind:

for whether is greater,

the gift,

or the altar that sanctifieth the gift ?

 

Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar,

sweareth by it,

and by all things thereon.

 

And whoso shall swear by the temple,

sweareth by it,

and by him that dwelleth therein.

 

And he that shall swear by heaven,

sweareth by the throne of God,

and by him that sitteth thereon.

 

Woe unto you,

scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites !

for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin,

and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,

judgment,

mercy,

and faith:

these ought ye to have done,

and not to leave the other undone.

 

Ye blind guides,

which strain at a gnat,

and swallow a camel.

 

 Woe unto you,

scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites !

for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter,

but within they are full of extortion and excess.

 

Thou blind Pharisee,

cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter,

that the outside of them may be clean also.

 

Woe unto you,

scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites !

for ye are like unto whited sepulchres,

which indeed appear beautiful outward,

but are within full of dead men's bones,

and of all uncleanness.

 

Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous

unto men,

but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

 

Woe unto you,

scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites !

because ye build the tombs of the prophets,

and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

 

And say,

If we had been in the days of our fathers,

we would not have been partakers with them

in the blood of the prophets.

 

Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves,

that ye are the children of them

which killed the prophets.

 

Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

 

 Ye serpents,

ye generation of vipers,

how can ye escape the damnation of hell ?

 

Wherefore,

behold,

I send unto you prophets,

and wise men,

and scribes:

and some of them ye shall kill and crucify;

and some of them shall ye scourge

in your synagogues,

and persecute them from city to city:

 

That upon you may come

all the righteous blood shed upon the earth,

from the blood of righteous Abel

unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias,

whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

 

Verily I say unto you,

All these things shall come upon this generation.

 

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 !

 

Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

 

For 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 23:1-39

 

 

 

 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street

of the great city,

which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt,

where also our Lord was crucified.

 Revelation 11:8

 

 

 

The merchandise of gold, and silver,

and precious stones,

and of pearls,

and fine linen, and purple,

and silk, and scarlet,

and all thyine wood,

and all manner vessels of ivory,

and all manner vessels of most precious wood,

and of brass, and iron, and marble,

 

And cinnamon, and odours,

and ointments, and frankincense,

and wine, and oil,

and fine flour, and wheat,

and beasts, and sheep,

and horses, and chariots,

and slaves, and souls of men.

 Revelation 18:12-13

Beloved,

believe not every spirit,

but try the spirits whether they are of God:

because

many false prophets are gone out into the world.

 

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:

Every spirit that confesseth

that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh

is of God:

 

And every spirit that confesseth not

that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh

is not of God:

 

and this is that spirit of antichrist,

whereof ye have heard that it should come;

and even now already is it in the world.

 I John 4:1-3

 

 

And now I beseech thee, lady,

not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee,

but that which we had from the beginning,

that we love one another.

 

And this is love,

that we walk after his commandments.

 

This is the commandment,

That, as ye have heard from the beginning,

ye should walk in it.

 

For many deceivers are entered into the world,

who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.

This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

 II John 1:5-7

 

 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write;

These things saith the first and the last,

which was dead, and is alive;

 

I know thy works, and tribulation,

and poverty (but thou art rich),

and I know the blasphemy of them

which say they are Jews, and are not,

but are the synagogue of Satan.

 

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:

behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison,

that ye may be tried;

and ye shall have tribulation ten days:

be thou faithful unto death,

and I will give thee a crown of life.

 

He that hath an ear,

let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

He that overcometh

shall not be hurt of the second death.

 Revelation 2:8-11

 

 

 

 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write;

These things saith he that is holy, he that is true,

he that hath the key of David,

he that openeth, and no man shutteth;

and shutteth, and no man openeth;

 

I know thy works:

behold, I have set before thee an open door,

and no man can shut it:

for thou hast a little strength,

and hast kept my word,

and hast not denied my name.

 

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan,

which say they are Jews,

and are not, but do lie;

behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet,

and to know that I have loved thee.

 

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience,

I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation,

which shall come upon all the world,

to try them that dwell upon the earth.

 

Behold, I come quickly:

hold that fast which thou hast,

that no man take thy crown.

 

Him that overcometh

will I make a pillar in the temple of my God,

and he shall go no more out:

and I will write upon him the name of my God,

and the name of the city of my God,

which is new Jerusalem,

which cometh down out of heaven from my God:

and I will write upon him my new name.

 

He that hath an ear,

let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

 Revelation 3:7-13

 

But what I do, that I will do,

that I may cut off occasion

from them which desire occasion;

that wherein they glory,

they may be found even as we.

 

For such are false apostles,

deceitful workers,

transforming themselves into

the apostles of Christ.

 

And no marvel;

for Satan himself is transformed

into an angel of light.

 

Therefore it is no great thing

if his ministers also be transformed

as the ministers of righteousness;

whose end shall be according to their works.

 II Corinthians 11:12-15

 

 

 

 O foolish Galatians,

who hath bewitched you,

that ye should not obey the truth,

before whose eyes Jesus Christ

hath been evidently set forth,

crucified among you ? ---

 

Even as Abraham believed God,

and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

 

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith,

the same are the children of Abraham.

 

And the scripture,

foreseeing that God would justify the heathen

through faith,

preached before the gospel unto Abraham,

saying,

In thee shall all nations be blessed.

 

So then they which be of faith

are blessed with faithful Abraham. ---

 

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,

being made a curse for us:

for it is written,

Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

 

That the blessing of Abraham

might come on the Gentiles

through Jesus Christ;

that we might receive the promise of the Spirit

through faith. ---

 

Now to Abraham and his seed

were the promises made.

 

 He saith not,

And to seeds,

as of many;

but as of one,

And to thy seed,

which is Christ.

 

And this I say,

that the covenant,

that was confirmed before of God in Christ,

the law,

which was four hundred and thirty years after,

cannot disannul

that it should make the promise of none effect.

 

For if the inheritance be of the law,

it is no more of promise:

but God gave it to Abraham by promise. ---

 

For ye are all the children of God

by faith in Christ Jesus.

 

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ

have put on Christ.

 

There is neither Jew nor Greek,

there is neither bond nor free,

there is neither male nor female:

for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

 

And if ye be Christ's,

then are ye Abraham's seed,

and heirs according to the promise.

 Galatians 3:1; 6-9; 13-14; 16-18; 26-29

 

 

 

And we know that all things work together for good

to them that love God,

to them who are the called

according to his purpose.

 

For whom he did foreknow,

he also did predestinate

to be conformed to the image of his Son,

that he might be the firstborn

among many brethren.

 

Moreover whom he did predestinate,

them he also called:

and whom he called,

them he also justified:

and whom he justified,

them he also glorified.

 Romans 8:28-30

THE ORDO SALUTIS

THE ORDER OF SALVATION  

FOREKNOWLEDGE

PREDESTINATION

CALLING

JUSTIFICATION

GLORIFICATION

 

 

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings

in heavenly places in Christ:

 

According as he hath chosen us in him

before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy and without blame

before him in love:

 

Having predestinated us

unto the adoption of children

by Jesus Christ to himself,

according to the good pleasure of his will,

 

To the praise of the glory of his grace,

wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

 

In whom we have redemption through his blood,

the forgiveness of sins,

according to the riches of his grace;

 

Wherein he hath abounded toward us

in all wisdom and prudence;

 

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,

according to his good pleasure

which he hath purposed in himself:

 

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times

he might gather together in one all things in Christ,

both which are in heaven,

and which are on earth;

even in him:

 

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,

being predestinated

according to the purpose of him

who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

 

That we should be to the praise of his glory,

who first trusted in Christ.

 

In whom ye also trusted,

after that ye heard the word of truth,

the gospel of your salvation:

in whom also after that ye believed,

ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

 

Which is the earnest of our inheritance

until the redemption of the purchased possession,

unto the praise of his glory.

 Ephesians 1:3-14

 

 

 For by grace are ye saved

through faith;

and that not of yourselves:

it is the gift of God:

 

Not of works,

lest any man should boast.

 

For we are his workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus

unto good works,

which God hath before ordained

that we should walk in them.

 

Wherefore remember,

that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh,

who are called Uncircumcision

by that which is called the Circumcision

in the flesh made by hands;

 

That at that time ye were without Christ,

being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,

and strangers from the covenants of promise,

having no hope,

and without God in the world:

 

But now in Christ Jesus

ye who sometimes were far off

are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

 

For he is our peace,

who hath made both one,

and hath broken down

the middle wall of partition between us;

 

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity,

even the law of commandments

contained in ordinances;

for to make in himself of twain one new man,

so making peace;

 

 And that he might reconcile both unto God

in one body by the cross,

having slain the enmity thereby:

And came and preached peace

to you which were afar off,

and to them that were nigh.

 

For through him we both have access by one Spirit

unto the Father.

 

Now therefore ye are no more

strangers and foreigners,

but fellowcitizens with the saints,

and of the household of God;

 

And are built upon the foundation

of the apostles and prophets,

Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

 

In whom all the building fitly framed together

groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

 

In whom ye also are builded together

for an habitation of God

through the Spirit.

 Ephesians 2:8-22

 

 

 

 Whereby, when ye read,

ye may understand my knowledge

in the mystery of Christ

 

Which in other ages was not made known

unto the sons of men,

as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets

by the Spirit;

 

That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs,

and of the same body,

and partakers of his promise in Christ

by the gospel:

 Ephesians 3:4-6

 

 

Brethren, be followers together of me,

and mark them which walk

so as ye have us for an ensample.

 

For many walk,

of whom I have told you often,

and now tell you even weeping,

that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

 

Whose end is destruction,

whose God is their belly,

and whose glory is in their shame,

who mind earthly things.

 

For our conversation is in heaven;

from whence also we look for the Saviour,

the Lord Jesus Christ:

 

Who shall change our vile body,

that it may be fashioned

like unto his glorious body,

according to the working

whereby he is able

even to subdue all things

unto himself.

 Philippians 3:17-21

 

 

 

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,

concerning them which are asleep,

that ye sorrow not,

even as others which have no hope.

 

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,

even so them also which sleep in Jesus

will God bring with him.

 

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,

that we which are alive

and remain unto the coming of the Lord

shall not prevent them which are asleep.

 

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven

with a shout,

with the voice of the archangel,

and with the trump of God:

and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

 

Then we which are alive and remain

shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,

to meet the Lord in the air:

and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

 I Thessalonians 4:13-18

 

 

 

For ye, brethren,

became followers of the churches of God

which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus:

for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:

 

Who both killed the Lord Jesus,

and their own prophets,

and have persecuted us;

and they please not God,

and are contrary to all men:

 

Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles

that they might be saved,

to fill up their sins alway:

for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

 I Thessalonians 2:14-16

 

 

 

 Now we beseech you, brethren,

by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and by our gathering together unto him,

 

That ye be not soon shaken in mind,

or be troubled,

neither by spirit,

nor by word,

nor by letter as from us,

as that the day of Christ is at hand.

 

Let no man deceive you by any means:

for that day shall not come,

except there come a falling away first,

and that man of sin be revealed,

the son of perdition;

 

Who opposeth and exalteth himself

above all that is called God,

or that is worshipped;

so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,

shewing himself that he is God.

 

Remember ye not,

that, when I was yet with you,

I told you these things ?

 

And now ye know what withholdeth

that he might be revealed in his time.

 

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:

only he who now letteth will let,

until he be taken out of the way.

 

And then shall that Wicked be revealed,

whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth,

and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

 

 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan

with all power and signs and lying wonders,

 

 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness

in them that perish;

because they received not the love of the truth,

that they might be saved.

 

And for this cause

God shall send them strong delusion,

that they should believe the lie:

 

That they all might be damned

who believed not the truth,

but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord,

because God hath from the beginning

chosen you to salvation

through sanctification of the Spirit

and belief of the truth:

 

Whereunto he called you by our gospel,

to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Therefore, brethren, stand fast,

and hold the traditions which ye have been taught,

whether by word, or our epistle.

 

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself,

and God, even our Father,

which hath loved us,

and hath given us everlasting consolation

and good hope through grace,

 

Comfort your hearts,

and stablish you in every good word and work.

 II Thessalonians 2:1-17

 

 

 

 

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,

that in the latter times

some shall depart from the faith,

giving heed to seducing spirits,

and doctrines of devils;

 

Speaking lies in hypocrisy;

having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

 

Forbidding to marry,

and commanding to abstain from meats,

which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving

of them which believe and know the truth.

 I Timothy 4:1-3

 

 

 

Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds,

and destitute of the truth,

supposing that gain is godliness:

from such withdraw thyself.

 

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

 

For we brought nothing into this world,

and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

 

And having food and raiment

let us be therewith content.

 

But they that will be rich

fall into temptation and a snare,

and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,

which drown men in destruction

and perdition.

 

For the love of money is the root of all evil:

which while some coveted after,

they have erred from the faith,

and pierced themselves through

with many sorrows.

 

But thou, O man of God,

flee these things;

and follow after righteousness,

godliness,

faith,

love,

patience,

meekness.

 

Fight the good fight of faith,

lay hold on eternal life,

whereunto thou art also called,

and hast professed a good profession

before many witnesses.

 I Timothy 6:5-12

 

This know also,

that in the last days perilous times shall come.

 

For men shall be lovers of their own selves,

covetous,

boasters,

proud,

blasphemers,

disobedient to parents,

unthankful,

unholy,

 

Without natural affection,

trucebreakers,

false accusers,

incontinent,

fierce,

despisers of those that are good,

 

Traitors,

heady,

highminded,

lovers of pleasures

more than lovers of God;

 

Having a form of godliness,

but denying the power thereof:

from such turn away.

 

For of this sort are they which creep into houses,

and lead captive silly women laden with sins,

led away with divers lusts,

 

Ever learning,

and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses,

so do these also resist the truth:

men of corrupt minds,

reprobate concerning the faith.

 

 But they shall proceed no further:

for their folly shall be manifest unto all men,

as theirs also was.

 

But thou hast fully known my doctrine,

manner of life,

purpose,

faith,

longsuffering,

charity,

patience,

 

Persecutions,

afflictions,

which came unto me at Antioch,

at Iconium,

at Lystra;

what persecutions I endured:

but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

 

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus

shall suffer persecution.

 

But evil men and seducers

shall wax worse and worse,

deceiving, and being deceived.

 

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned

and hast been assured of,

knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

 

And that from a child

thou hast known the holy scriptures,

which are able to make thee wise unto salvation

through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

 

All scripture is given by inspiration of God,

and is profitable for doctrine,

for reproof,

for correction,

for instruction in righteousness:

 

That the man of God may be perfect,

throughly furnished unto all good works.

 

I charge thee therefore before God,

and the Lord Jesus Christ,

who shall judge the quick and the dead

at his appearing and his kingdom;

 

Preach the word;

be instant in season,

out of season;

reprove,

rebuke,

exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

 

For the time will come

when they will not endure sound doctrine;

but after their own lusts

shall they heap to themselves teachers,

having itching ears;

 

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth,

and shall be turned unto fables.

 2 Timothy 3:1 - 4:4

 

 

 

MODERN BELIEVERS ARE PLAGUED BY PERSONS CLAIMING THAT ANCIENT HEBREWS AND JUDAEANS

HAVE BEEN RESURRECTED FROM DESTRUCTION,

AND REINSTATED, BY GOD,

AS A PEOPLE, AND AS A NEWLY CREATED NATION. 

 

Claiming that there now is a distinction between the judaeans and the gentiles, contrary to the very plain teachings of

the new testament scriptures  

(see Galatians 3:28-29).

 

These moderns, instead,

preaching another gospel

of pretended end time prophecies,

now said to replace all that

the mainstream churches

have previously understood and taught

for over two millennia.

 

They claim that modern

Babylonian Talmudist imposters

and Kabbalists,

whom they deceptively refer to as "jews",

are destined to be the worldwide

end time rulers of all mankind,

contrary to the plain teachings of

the Old Testament and the New Testament prophecies and writings.

 

 There have always been two peoples,

when it comes to matters of faith,

and this appears to have been so

from the very start.

 

While the ancients looked for

the Coming Christos/Messiah,

as revealed in the Old Testament prophecies,

and the Mosaic temple economy,

moderns are quite happy to create,

and attempt to institute,

a replacement caricature

of the ancient temple religion,

and its sacrificial system.

 

While the ancient Mosaic sacrificial system

was instituted in order to cause persons

to look forward to,

and to begin to comprehend and understand the significance of  “Christ crucified”,

these modern judaizers are unable to

see past their own carnality,

while, instead, embracing the carnal type  

of that which was to come,

as if it were the ultimate fulfillment,

in and of itself.

 

There have always been two types of persons,

one spiritual,

and one fleshly.

 

While the Lord God Omnipotent

spoke to the spiritual persons

in the form of Old Testament prophecy,

the fleshly ones had no real desire for,

or taste for, the things of The Spirit.

 

These are the same ones

who murdered the Prophets,

and then set up their own counterfeit system

within the already existing temple economy.

 

They being all too happy

to take part in rites and rituals,

but with little or no understanding

of just exactly what it truly IS all about.

 

Loving to think of themselves

as being“God's chosen”,

even while they are unfaithful as can be

when it comes to matters of obedience.

 

The Prophets, and New Testament writers,

are full of warnings and rebukes

concerning these types of persons.

 

It is said that these persons

showed no interest in the

"weightier matters of the law",

justice, mercy, and faith

(see Matthew 23:23).

 

Taking that which was intended to

free a man from spiritual bondage,

while instead using it for

the very opposite purpose of

enslaving their fellow humans,

as they continuously fleece them

as if they are their own little

private flock of sheep.

 

Justice, mercy, and faith

all having been tossed aside,

while, instead,

demanding obedience to their own

man-made systems,

instituting bondage and slavery,

which more and more becomes

their one and only concern.

 

So that while the coming Messiah

is actually the entire focus

of the Old Testament revelations,

these change that focus into

their own seeking after worldly affairs

(the world, the flesh, and the devil)

(see I John 2:15-16).

 

 They both worship the building,

and the furniture,

and the rites and rituals,

and their own military capabilities,

in the place of coming closer to

our Creator in the abject humility

which is appropriate to the circumstances.

 

Just as it was then,

so it is today.

 

The men ending up worshiping themselves,

and the works of their own hands,  

in place of obedience to the living, loving God.

 

(self-worship = 666,

the number of the beast in Revelation 13:18  

= the number of man, six, in triune form

i.e. man as god = deified natural man)

 

So, just as today people speak of

“a church” as being the building,

instead of an assembly of persons

inside the building,

so the ancients came to regard

their temple service and buildings

as the true goal of their religion,

to the exclusion of all else.

 

 The flesh was warring against the spirit,

with a vengeance !!

 

With the flesh easily prevailing

and dominating, over and over again.

 

So that instead of looking for

a new heavens and a new earth,

as did Abraham and the Prophets

(see Hebrews 11:10, Isaiah 65:17, and Revelation 21)

,

these are perfectly happy with their current, hellish, material existence.

 

That is, so long as they can “prevail over”

their fellow humans,

whom they refer to as the goyim (cattle),

and to “lord it” over them.

 

Two peoples from the very beginning.

 

One fleshly, worldly, and carnal,

while the other is concerned only with

how to be a sweet savor unto our Lord,

with their focus being upon

“that other Kingdom”

(see Hebrews 11:8-10),

the non-earthly one,

for which our spiritual father Abraham

was said to be searching.

 

That heavenly Jerusalem,

which the Prophet Isaiah tells of

in the last chapters of his prophetic writings.

 

They, instead, focusing exclusively upon

the 0ld covenant rites, rituals, and forms, while, all too conveniently forgetting that Jeremiah the Prophet told of a replacement

“new covenant”

(Jeremiah 31:31-34),

which was to bring an end to,

and replacement of, the old covenant,

as also prophesied by Ezekiel

(see Ezekiel 36:24-28).

 

"For if that first covenant had been faultless,

then should no place have been sought

for the second.

 

For finding fault with them,

he saith,

Behold, the days come,

saith the Lord,

when I will make a new covenant

with the house of Israel

and with the house of Judah:

 

Not according to the covenant

that I made with their fathers

in the day when I took them by the hand

to lead them out of the land of Egypt;

because they continued not in my covenant,

and I regarded them not,

saith the Lord.

 

 For this is the covenant that I will make

with the house of Israel after those days,

saith the Lord;

 

I will put my laws into their mind,

and write them in their hearts:

and I will be to them a God,

and they shall be to me a people:

 

And they shall not teach every man

his neighbour, and every man his brother,

saying, Know the Lord:

for all shall know me,

from the least to the greatest.

 

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,

and their sins and their iniquities

will I remember no more.

 

In that he saith,

A new covenant,

he hath made the first old.

 

Now that which decayeth and waxeth old

is ready to pass away."

 

Hebrews 8:7-13

 

 A new covenant was prophesied,

in which we will be changed from within,

and one in which we need to call no man rabbi/teacher (see I John 2:20-27),

because God, Himself,

will write His law upon our hearts,

such that we will know right from wrong, without having to be told which is which

by some man or group of men.

 

Radical transformative change over time

was built into the original temple system,

from the very beginning,

from type (animal sacrifice),

to fulfillment (Christ/Messiah crucified

and risen from the dead),

as we steadily moved from shadow and type

into substance and fulfillment,

now having become actuality and reality

in our daily existence.

 

There being no longer Judaeans nor Greek

(see Galatians 3:28-29),

but rather, those who will obey

from a transformed heart,

and those who will not obey.

 

 So that where God instituted a system,

which was intended to change and evolve

over time, as one grows deeper

in revelation coming from our Creator,

so, the other became frozen in time.

 

As time and events progressed,

with the earlier animal sacrificial system

becoming less and less relevant by the day,

the followers of the older covenant

became more and more detached

from historical reality.

 

Instead of desiring to continue moving forward toward our ultimate goal

of spiritual union with Christos/Messiah

(Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; see I John 5:7), their modern counterparts want everything in the older system of animal sacrifice and temple service to return, and to permanently remain as it once long ago was.

 

As if wanting to go back in time to their former “glory days”, instead of moving forward

towards something which they apparently

do not want, or care to know about.

 

The flesh dominating over the spirit.

 

 The carnal and fleshly things being far more desirous to them than the things above,

which they are unable to perceive with their carnal senses

(see I Corinthians 2:14).

 

It appearing as though,

so far as they are concerned,

if it is not of the flesh,

then it is of no concern or interest to them.

 

The worldly concerns being

their only real concerns,

while the otherworldly was relegated to anywhere but here and now.

 

Even after the twelve tribes of Israel

had been ignominiously driven out

of the carnal land of promise,

because of their grotesque infidelity,

and continuous covenant breaking

(ASSYRIAN CAPTIVITY - APPROXIMATELY 722 B.C. BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY - 587 B.C.

ROMAN DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM - 71 A.D.

AND THE FINAL DESTRUCTION OF JUDAH

AT MASADA - 132 TO 135 A.D.)

modern imitative imposters continue to insist that they are “God's chosen”,

entitled to rule all of mankind,

based upon twisted scripture interpretations,

and pretended prophetic promises.

(in this regard examine the very early prophesied destruction of Israel,

(see Deuteronomy 28:15-68;  29:16-20; Chapter 30,

especially vss 14-19; 31:15-18; and 32:1-43, especially vss 21-29)  

Today modern Babylonian Talmudist pretenders loudly proclaim that the land

which God drove the real children of Jacob

off of, actually now belongs to them

 

They claim to prove this

by means of much twisting

of the sacred scriptures

(see II Peter 3:16).

 

Further proclaiming that the 2d temple,

the complete, permanent,

and utter destruction about which

Jesus prophesied on his way to Golgotha

(see Matthew 23:38 and Matthew 24:2),

and which was destroyed

by the covenantal God, Himself,

must needs be rebuilt,

as we are all forced back into submission under their yoke of bondage,

if only they could have their way

(10 lost tribe fantasy replayed !!).

 

 This has spawned numerous moderns

who pretend to be bringing about

the end of this world,

and the consummation of the ages,  

as they wait for some pretended “rapture”,  

(see Matthew 24:26-27),

followed by a restoration of

the Old Testament temple economy,

complete with  blasphemous animal sacrifice,

in utter rejection of the once-for-all

ultimate sacrifice

(see Hebrews 10:10)

of our loving Messiah,

who laid down his life for his sheep.

 

They seeming to be under the influence of

strong delusion

(see II Thessalonians 2:11),

"that they should believe the lie".

 

They can say “Jesus, Jesus”,

all they want (ANOTHER CHRIST ?).

 

And they can tell how "Christian" they are,

all they want (ANOTHER GOSPEL ?).

 

And tell how they are “saving souls for Jesus”,

by appeals to the flesh and worldliness,

all they want (ANOTHER SPIRIT ?).

(see II Corinthians11:4, and Matthew 7:16-23)

 

They being, quite simply, quite wrong !!

 

“GET OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE ---

LEST YOU PARTAKE OF HER PLAGUES”

is, again, what comes to mind,

as I continue to survey all of

the spiritual wreckage

and grotesque chicanery

which I find all about me.

 

And here it can so readily be seen,

the fleshly persons persecuting those

who are faithful to the spiritual tenets

of our Master, now as then, all over again.

 

There really is not,

and never has been,

any real line of demarcation

between any one race of humans

and all of their fellows.

 

 There have always been

only two different kinds of persons.

 

One,

believing.

 

The other,

unbelieving.

 

One faithful.

 

The other faithless.

 

One being obedient.

 

The other disobedient.

 

These are the actual dividing lines,

far more than are such

artificial modern constructs as

between “Judaean” and “Gentile/goyim”.

 

While NEVER forgetting that

we are ALL members

of the fallen Adamic race.

 

"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO NOT ONE”,

was the exclamation of the Prophet

(see Romans 3:10).

 

 "WE HAVE ALL GONE ASTRAY,

LIKE SHEEP,

EACH ONE TO HIS OWN WAY"

is a further referenCe to this same concept

(see Isaiah 53:6).

 

And,

"ALL OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS AS FILTHY RAGS"

(see Isaiah 64:4),

should tell us all we need to know about seeking immortality

on our own terms.

 

These principles and matters did not change

as we went from Old Covenant

to New Covenant.

 

They remain just as valid today

as they were on the day following Adam's fall.

 

The imputation of the perfect righteousness

of Christ and His boundless perfect faith

is, truly, the only way out of this mess.

 

Messiah as our substitute.

 

That is the beating heart

of what I am here referring to

as Messianism.

 

Once again, no different in the Old Testament than it is in the New Testament.

 

The only material difference between the two being that one is form,

while the other is substance.

 

One is type.

 

The other fulfillment.

 

Old Testament as shadow of things to come,

while the New Testament

“Christ crucified and risen”

is the actual reality, itself.

 

Not two different plans and programs,

or dispensations,

but, a pure heart,

and a believing spirit,

whether Judaean, or Gentile.

 

Same in Old Testament

as in New Testament.

 

The Messiah providing the continuity

between the two.

 

Just as He is eternal,

and is said to come from eternity,

so are the principles upon which rest

the foundation of our belief,  

or our unbelief.

 

Only the props and the costumes changing, while everything else remains the same.

 

As regards the matter of salvation,

we are told in the Old Testament

that we will be able to stop sinning

when the leopard can change his spots

or the Ethiopian can change his skin

(see Jeremiah 13:23).

 

Do you really think anything has changed ?

 

Just take a good look around you.

 

Are men any different now

than they were then ?

 

Just ask the victim of the rape,

or the robbery, or the murder.

 

Ask the person who has been enslaved

by his evil neighbors.

 

Just what exactly has changed

such that wicked men,

with their minds and hearts

full of fornication, lying, adultery,

theft, and murder,

are somehow expected to walk

in the paths of righteousness,

in any real and meaningful way ?

Go turn on that one-eyed monster

in your living room

(the image of the beast ?

see REVELATION 13:15),

or look at various internet sites,

or go to the movies,

and you will get

far more of these abominations

than you ever could have even imagined.

 

And why is this ?

 

Because the best the natural man can hope for is to be a whited sepulchre.

 

Beautiful to look at from the outside,

but not such a pretty sight, or smell,

once one pulls back the thin veneer

of the sarcophagus lid,

and takes a long, hard look,

while taking a long, deep breath.

 

Ironically, nearly everyone will tell you

how this is not so.

 

Truly amazing.

 

 There it is right in front of your face and eyes,

and on every side of you,

and all about you,

but you will adamantly deny it,

nevertheless.

 

Doesn't sound like a very promising condition to me.

 

This is why Messiah came

to fulfill the law to the letter,

in order to ransom His sheep

out of this wicked state of affairs.

 

We simply being unable to comply with even the simplest of Commandments.

 

Just how hard can it be anyway ?

 

Worship the one God, YHWH,

and him, alone.

 

Don't make idols or graven images.

 

Don't use the name of our lord in vain.

 

Remember the sabbath, to keep it holy.

 

Honor your father and mother.

 

Don't murder.

Don't commit adultery.

 

Don't steal.

 

Don't bear false witness.

 

Don't covet.

 

How can there even be a controversy

about such matters ?

 

Yet we can easily be defined

as either predator or victim

in any given situation.

 

To the predator inside of me,

I must not kill, unless ---.

 

I must not steal, unless ---.

 

I must not rape and defile, unless ---.

 

I must not covet unless ---.

 

Amazingly this is where the religious

"man of the cloth" comes in.

 

He will tell us when it is okay,

and when it is not,

and how much $$$ we must give him

as our “toll fee” (e.g. indulgences).

But when it is I who am the victim,

I will see these things

in an entirely different light.

 

There will be no "unless ---".

 

And I will be utterly disgusted

by YOUR “religious authority”,

who has so cavalierly

diminished the gravity and seriousness

of YOUR crime.

 

I will abhor your pretended "man of the cloth", no matter how wonderful you tell me

he and his religion are.

 

 Christ/Messiah is the same yesterday,

today, and forever.

 

No vacillating.

 

No game playing.

 

No hucksterism.

 

No, “it's okay just this one time”.

 

Or, “you can do it without consequence

to your soul because of  ---”.

 

Oh, what a slippery slope that is sure to become, and that, all too rapidly.

 

Our blessed Lord is able to look deep within

the hearts and motivations

of both perpetrator and victim.

 

And able to judge wisely and righteously.

 

He being the only judge worthy of the name,

it would seem.

 

 Bad didn't somehow become good.

 

And evil did not somehow become righteous, as we passed from prophecy to fulfillment.

 

All remains the same.

 

Except that now believers will be filled

with the Holy Spirit of promise.

 

They will be constrained by the law

written in their hearts.

 

They may use their conscience as their guide,

if they will but listen to it, and obey it,

without recourse to flawed reasoning

used to justify whatever action

one sees fit to take part in on any given day.

 

Mediating forces.

 

Tempering forces.

 

Remembering of what is right,

and what is not,

and how I should conduct myself

in light of reality ! 

(see II Peter 3:11)

 

" --- SEEING THEN

THAT ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE DISSOLVED,

WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS OUGHT YOU TO BE ---"

 

The Lord made a covenant

with the sons of Jacob/Israel.

 

It was not for their own self-glorification,

as so many seem to believe.

 

They were not “God's chosen”,

in some sense which gives them

the right “to lord it over" their fellow man.

 

Rather,

as the pharoah's slaves,

being chosen to escape the bondage of Egypt.

 

As a type of being chosen

to escape out of this world,

and to escape our own self-willed sinfulness,

through the perfect life of Jesus of Nazareth,

and sacrificial death of Christ crucified.

 

The Lord God Omnipotent

using the confederation

of the twelve tribes of Israel,

the twelve sons of Jacob,  

to illustrate matters

that would be of tremendous importance

to the writers of the New Testament,

those expounding upon "the good news"

(the gospel) regarding the fulfillment

of the ancient Messianic prophecies

by Jesus of Nazareth.

The various buildings, instruments,

rites, and rituals ALL being symbolic.

 

Symbols of Messiah and the Messianic office.

 

As an example,

they have a temple built of stone.

 

But it is symbolic of the real temple,

which is made WITHOUT hands

(see Acts 7:48, Daniel 2:45, and I Corinthians 3:16-17)

.

 

They have a high priest,

as do we, in Messiah

(see Hebrews 4:14-16).

 

They have a concept of a chosen people,

called out of Egypt

(SEE I CORINTHIANS 10:2-4).

 

This being a type or symbol

of those believers who were called out

of this wicked world.

 

They celebrate sacrificial shedding of blood.

 

The symbol or type of our blessed Lord hanging on the tree,

as our Heavenly Father poured out His wrath upon him.

 

A people removed out of servitude to Egypt,

as the symbol or type of those

who will be purchased by the blood of Messiah, from their hellish overlord and master, Satan.

 

The concept of the scapegoat

(see Leviticus 16:8-26)

causing us to think about

the concept of the imputation of sin,

which later will give rise to

our understanding of the concept

of imputation of righteousness.

 

Just as the goat did nothing to merit the sin,

so our Lord did nothing to merit the wrath.

 

As the brazen serpent

was raised in the wilderness

(see Numbers 21:8-9),

such that those who looked upon it

were healed from the poison of the fiery asps, so those looking upon Christ crucified

will have their sins removed

by looking upon Him,

with the eyes of belief,

having been opened from above

(see John 3:14-21).

 

These being just a few examples.

 

 The Old Testament promises

were predicated upon obedience,

of which there was always very little.

 

And of what little there was,

mainly half-hearted.

 

A stubborn and rebellious people,

more interested in

the leeks and onions of Egypt

than their own souls and eternal state.

 

Is it really so different now ?

 

Are we really all that different

when put to the test ?

 

The Old Covenant being highly conditional

(see Deuteronomy 4:23-28;  and Deuteronomy 30:17-20)

,

was broken repeatedly,

until the people were driven from the land

on three different occasions,

and then finally utterly destroyed:

 

 ASSYRIAN CAPTIVITY (722 B.C.);

BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY (586 B.C.);

AND DESTRUCTION OF THE 2D TEMPLE

BY THE ROMANS (71 A.D.)

(THE TEMPLE BUILT BY HEROD THE EDOMITE);

CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY

THE FINAL DESTRUCTION OF

THE LAST FEW REMAINING JUDAEANS

BY THE ROMANS (132-135 A.D.).

 

After the death of Messiah,

at the hands of these very same persons,

they were driven from the land,

entirely and permanently,

as those who are simply unable

to keep their word,

no matter how numerous the warnings.

 

While looking forward to

the 1st and 2d century utter destruction

of the Hebrews and Judaeans,

as long before prophesied

in the book of Deuteronomy,

Jeremiah prophesied regarding

the replacement of

the Old Testament temple economy

by a new covenant.

 

 And that the believer’s heart of stone

would be replaced with a heart of flesh

(Jeremiah 31:31).

 

Not needing to be told what is right

and wrong.

 

Even following that,

things continue

just as has always been.

 

One group obedient,

and the other disobedient.

 

One group believing,

while the other is disbelieving,

(but while having learned how to feign belief,

and brotherly love).

 

One looking to scriptural matters,

while the other is carnal,

and mammon worshipping

as can be, or get.

 

Has anything really changed

since the time of Christ ?

 

Or, wouldn't it be fair to say that

continuity is the order of the day ?

 

 Not really old and new.

 

But prophesied and fulfilled.

 

Not really Judaean and Gentile/goyim.

 

But believing and unbelieving.

 

Faithful and unfaithful.

 

Obedient and disobedient.

 

Unreality and ultimate reality.

 

Let us be faithful !!

 

And believing.