Archive for the 'Religion' Category

If they weren’t Corporations under the Internal Revenue Code, they wouldn’t have this problem!

Source:

More than two dozen churches and a socially conservative organization this week filed a federal lawsuit challenging New York’s restrictions on guns in sensitive areas.

The lawsuit is the latest effort to challenge New York’s law approved in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that found a century-old concealed carry law was unconstitutional. State lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul agreed to a measure that limited where guns can be carried as well as created new requirements for a concealed carry license.

The churches and the group, New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, pointed to the rise in threats against houses of worship, arguing that such a ban violates their Second Amendment rights as well as a natural right to self-defense while attending a religious service.

“The disarming of citizens while attending places of ‘worship or religious observance’ is not taking place in a vacuum,” the lawsuit states. “Religiously motivated or targeted attacks continue to be a risk to every congregation nationally and in the State of New York.”

The gun law approved in July limits where guns can be carried. Locations like mass transit, parks, as well as houses of worship are considered “sensitive locations” under the law known as the Conceal Carry Improvement Act. Heavily trafficked locations like Times Square also bar concealed carry firearms.

Only the Revolution is sacred; all else must be subsumed.

Source:

One family in Southeast Kansas took a hard look at what was happening in the 4-H program they’d been a part of most of their lives and decided to take a stand.

Charla King, her husband Ross King, and three of their five children (two are too young) are — or rather were — very active in the Cherokee County 4-H chapter.  But disheartened by the stands the national chapter seemed to be taking, and after being roundly ignored by the national group and essentially blown off by the state organization, the Kings are starting an alternative organization.  They’re calling it “Heritage Youth of America.”

[…]

Being devout Christians as well, the Kings did a bit more digging, finding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Critical Race Theory, and other social justice issues taking prominence at the national level and scattered across the website.

The final straw, King said, was when she found out that at a 4-H camp over the summer, a biological boy was housed in a girls’ dorm.

Animal Husbandry and family and small farming are growing increasingly important. While we admire them for trying to start an organization with traditional values, staying local with trusted associates is the only way to go. You don’t need another centralized organization; you need friends with morals and skills in your immediate area.

There’s more at the Source.

Via Instapundit

One cannot outlaw Christianity, for to do so would be an attempt to prohibit Christ. Governments can make all the rules they like, but all power in heaven and in earth has been given unto Jesus Christ, who is alive forevermore. Amen. And those rulmakers will die to burn in hell for all eternity.

Source:

If that headlined question above seems a bit of a reach, especially in view of the multiple federal court victories won in the last two years on behalf of religious freedom, then let’s take a closer look.

What we find is a hyper-secularized American public square that is increasingly abusing, penalizing, punishing, and firing Christians. It then tells them, in effect, “So, sue us,” knowing the cost of such litigation all but guarantees there will be no adverse consequences. Consider these current cases:

Georgia Substitute Teacher Fired: Lindsey Barr, now a former substitute teacher in the Savannah, Ga., public schools, lost her job when she expressed concerns about a book shown to elementary students, including her own. As a Christian, Barr objected to kids being shown pictures of same-sex couples parenting children as if that’s normal.

Barr is represented by attorneys from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the Arizona-based public interest law firm that specializes in First Amendment and religious freedom litigation.

[…]

New York Photographer Forced to Shoot Same-Sex Weddings: Emily Carpenter is a New York photographer who does not wish to be used to glorify same-sex wedding ceremonies.

A federal district court told her she has no such right, so, with the help of ADF attorneys, she is appealing that ruling. If she loses, she faces the prospect of losing her license to do business, fines of as much as $100,000, and a year in jail.

[…]

Airline Invites Employee Comments, Fires Two Christians for Theirs: Now-former Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants Marli Brown and Lacey Smith responded to a company invitation to employees to comment on the operation’s new policy in support of “equality.”

There’s more about each case at the source.

For now, redress is available through litigation, but why should Christians uniquely have to bear the mental and financial burdens that come with going to court to assure their constitutional protections simply because they are Christians?

Listen carefully, dear Brothers and Sisters. What matters, above all else, is that you proclaim Christ and His kingdom. What must be demanded is that a complete recitation of your beliefs be stated in court. We’re not arguing the validity of the beliefs; the Holy Spirit of God does that. All we’re arguing is the right to state these beliefs. If the court does not allow a brief but complete reading of the belief system, then they are also antichrist. Their blood is upon their own head. It’s not about winning the case by the terms of the US legal systems; it’s about glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ before your accuser and the wicked magistrates; in this, He will be well pleased with you.

You may not have understood the full import of what you were getting yourself into when you got converted by Christ, but your life is not your own; it was bought with a price. Anything our Lord demands of you to give, up to and including your very life as a martyr, that you must provide. Welcome to the Kingdom of God; it ain’t for sissies.

I hope and pray that American Christians will not back down from this moment. The enemies of God fear the truth of Christ, do not fear them.

Below is an excerpt from a forthcoming post here at TCJ, but it’s essential and germane. This must be stated clearly and succinctly to the accuser(s) and any judge or jury. This is what a Christian was born again by the Holy Spirit to do, glorify God by your testimony in the face of the enemies of Christ. Never abdicate your beliefs or deny His holy name! Demand that your beliefs be publicly stated and made in the written record of the court.

Draft: “We believe all men are sinners born that way by inheritance of sin from the first man, Adam. We believe that all men are sinners, and because of sin, all men are appointed once to die, then to stand in judgment before God Almighty. We believe that death and wrath abide on all men because of their sin; this wrath is outer darkness, eternal torment, hell, and burning alive. We believe and do know that under our own power, we cannot cease from sin, that the consequences of sin are eternal damnation, that following the Law cannot save anybody’s soul from death and eternal torment, and that no amount of appeasement toward God Almighty or good works on our part could save us. Man is totally depraved, and without God, he is lost forever, having no power on his own to save himself.

But we believe and do know that “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Having been the enemy of the Almighty, Christ made peace between God and us by His literal bodily blood sacrifice on a cross at a place called Golgotha in Israel just outside the city gates of Jerusalem some 2000 years ago. That same Jesus was and is the Christ of God. And He was buried in never before used tomb owned by one Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent man. And we believe that this same Jesus Christ rose from the dead again the third day, and was seen by the apostles and many other eyewitnesses over a 40-day-long period after His resurrection, including being seen and spoken with in the presence of 500 brethren at once, Christ was alive again in power and glory teaching and preparing His men for the birth of the New Covenant by the Holy Spirit that would come into them. Then, also witnessed by many, He ascended into a cloud out of sight and, still, today, is seated in judgment at the right hand of Power in heaven. This same Jesus, the Christ, is the highest Judge and final authority in all things. We believe He is ruling and reigning in heaven and earth in the affairs of men and nations until His literal bodily return, the day of which no man knows, but you must be ready for that final day when He will judge the quick and the dead.

After His resurrection and ascension, He sent the destructive forces of the first century Roman Empire against the temple and Jerusalem in 70AD to show that the Old Covenant temple worship system was completed in Him, ending it once for all.

We know and testify that He has forgiven us our sins and saved us from the wrath of God, death, and hell, having, by His grace, given us eternal life. And we do testify that if any would believe in the power of God to forgive you of your sin and save your immortal soul through faith in Jesus Christ’s atoning death, burial, and resurrection, Holy God is faithful to forgive your sin and save your soul that you too might enter into the New Covenant by Christ’s blood having life everlasting in heaven with Holy God. We further believe and do know by the Holy Spirit in us that the Holy Bible is the perfect, inspired of Word of God, holy and inerrant, the words of God to all men, given by Him that you might know Him and His mind toward you.”

With a heart of love toward you, we contest our right, before God and men, to say these things and any other thing as written or commanded by God in the Holy Bible.

Story via Instapundit.

Source:

In the next couple weeks, a Planned Parenthood branch will launch a mobile clinic in Illinois: A 37-foot-long RV with a waiting room, a standard lab and exam rooms.

The clinic will offer medication abortions, and hopes to later offer abortion procedures. The mobile unit is the first of its kind for Planned Parenthood in the nation, according to Yamelsie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.

The mobile clinic plans to be operational by the end of 2022, and Planned Parenthood will analyze patient travel patterns along the southern Illinois border to determine the routes the RV will take.

In the 100 days since the Supreme Court’s decision to repeal Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood’s location in Fairview Heights, Illinois, which is approximately 20 miles from the Illinois-Missouri border, has seen a 340% increase in people from outside Missouri and Illinois seeking abortion services and wait times for abortion services has increased from four days to two and a half weeks, according to a press release from the organization.

“When Roe fell 100 days ago, we doubled down on our commitment to patients. Today we march forward, expanding access to family planning in Missouri while we take abortion care on the road in Illinois,”  Rodriguez said in the release, which added that the clinic could help reduce travel distances, wait times and other barriers to accessing abortions.

There’s more at the link if you can stomach it. There are mobile spay and neuter RVs in my area. We suppose this is the next logical step; after all, we are but animals evolved from a puddle of ooze, and our nearest cousins are dumb chimps. We’re reminded of a coming dystopia every teen should read about in RebelFire: Out of the Gray Zone by this gal who dropped off the radar on purpose some months ago. We hope she is well.

If you’re interested in what the Holy Bible has to say about this topic and missed it last week, that post is here.

Proverbs 13.

It turns out that in preparing this study, the books of Timothy also have quite a bit to say on the subject. The world tells us that what we focus on is what we achieve; the Bible word is diligent.

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” – Proverbs 13:4

Background to the Law of the Tithe

The Law of the Old Covenant priesthood is completed in Christ. The Law of Moses included a 30 percent tax all in, not only the ten percent for the works of the temple but also the funding of the national needs of the children of Israel through various giving centered around the tabernacle.

As further background, we think it right that a member of the body of Christ gives ten percent to the local body for purposes befitting the Church of the living God. Before the Law, Jacob vowed a tithe in Genesis 28:20-22. But earlier than that, Abram, the father of us all by faith and to whom the Almighty promised the seed, which is Christ, gave a tenth part of the spoils to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-20). David (Psalm 110), Paul (Hebrews 7), and those who correctly read the Psalm and Hebrews liken Melchizedek to Jesus Christ, and not just by type. Under the Law given to Moses, the tenth part of all increase was to the Levites for the ministration of the work of God (Leviticus 27).

Nevertheless, we see Abram giving a tenth before the Law of Moses was instituted by God. We say a tenth is still due, for our priest is the great High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek abiding resurrected eternally at the right hand of Power ever making intercession for the saints (Hebrews 7). He was and still is, due the tenth part of all your increase.

The Law was a covenant with the sons of Israel, but we are the children of the promise, which the interceding years of the Law given at Sinai cannot disannul (Galatians 3:16-18). Abram gave ten; we ought to give ten; the Law, being a separate covenant completed in Christ, doesn’t disannul the tithe to Christ.

The laws under Moses always pointed to the need for Christ. Moreover, being patterned after the things in Heaven, they are beautiful shadows and a type of the mercy and grace of God that Christ Jesus would give Himself on the cross to complete. If you want to know more about the law of the tithe of the Hebrews, that is a separate post. It would be best to do your research.

A tithe goes to the body of Christ, not to a puppy rescue pound, for example. There’s nothing wrong with helping dogs, but that’s not tithing.

We are commanded to gather with a body of true believers. It is fitting to give ten percent of all gross receipts. If the work of that body is not proper, do not stay and withhold your tenth; find a group serving God in spirit and in truth. From a pure conscience, there is no monetary profit here either way; we only tell you to be a faithful steward toward Christ in all He has blessed you with in dominion.

If you didn’t get angry and you’re still reading, welcome. Readers here should know that we aren’t conflating a 501(c)3 Corporation with Christ, the body of Christ, or the work of Christ as He has commanded.

When it comes down to it, there are only four things you can do with money; make it, give it, save/invest it, or spend it. Everything we do with our finances comes under one of these headings. We put them in this order on purpose; this is the priority with which we should treat all money. Diligence in all four phases of handling our money produces superior results.

Exodus 20:15 – the Eighth Commandment – “Thou shalt not steal.” We must earn money; this is how we get it.

Next, you should give, yes, give, before spending a dime on anything, even on the overdue light bill. You must give God His tithe first. Remember, we are dealing with the spiritual empire of God Almighty. If you were doing math, you wouldn’t have taken debt in the first place to end up with overdue bills.

Then, you account for saving or investing, which should be at least 15 percent of all gross income and all received monies.

Next, and finally, you spend. Bills are first to spend on; then and only then are things not of bare necessity.

The one proviso is that you must reduce all debt to zero before investing. Settle those obligations first if you have overdue bills or any outstanding debts. There are mathematical reasons and spiritual reasons for this. Some make an exception for a house in which you live as allowed debt while aggressively funding retirement but consider making at least one extra mortgage payment each year.

We cannot express how poorly many have chosen; paying 22 percent on credit card debt while getting an average return over the years in suitable ETFs or Mutual Funds of 8 to 12 percent compound annually. Cut up the cards, grow up, tell your wife no, be a man, pay off your cars, and buy only used ones.

To properly serve the Almighty, you must stop voluntary servitude to debt masters (Proverbs 22:7). This applies to self, family, and church. You cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).

If (when) it all falls apart, you need to be debt free. The last thing you want is “collectors” looking for you and your family. There will be enough to account for without looking over your shoulder for the agents of banks or their IRS enforcers.

Making Money

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” – 1 Timothy 5:8

We see that as believers, we are to work, providing for ourselves and those in our household.

Though it should be enough that God has commanded us, it’s always instructive to look for the promise. When we know why He desires a particular thing for us, we find the truth of the blessings He will pour out upon us.

“11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

What we have in these two short verses is an exquisite axiom of Christianity so well adapted to the flourishing of society in good order to promote the pursuit of happiness under the blessings of Christ’s eternal graces.

Everything wrong today points to rejecting this simple life offered by God. Consider our times, how evil desires to know everything you do and to control you in it. The worst busybody of all is the devil by his agents. After all…

God tells us to mind our business, keep to ourselves, and quietly go about doing what’s right. God is obviously a proper southerner. All joking aside, in 1 Thessalonians 4, we are commanded to refuse a busybody, mind ourselves, and work. The twofold promise in verse 12 is that we first appear honest and upright to those without (outside the congregation, i.e., unbelievers) so as not to besmirch the holy name of our Lord. Oh, that Christians would show themselves upright in all things. And the second promise is that we might have a ‘lack of nothing.’ Amen.

These verses from Thessalonians have been on my heart much lately, longing for a simpler time and way. Of course, the context of Timothy and Thessalonians is much different, the early church was under persecution, and 70AD loomed; the apostles had been told it was the end of their epoch (Matthew 24:3, translated in the KJV as “the end of the world”). But perhaps that’s the point; no matter how bad it gets, stay faithful to God and pursue what’s right. The end is always a mere word away whispered in the throneroom of Heaven; it’s the time!

Giving

We put giving before spending, and so should every believer. Give first, before bills of any kind. The first fruits are the Lord’s. If you give first, you will see miracles in how your money spends thereafter.

We are advised under the New Covenant in Christ’s blood to give for the work of God. Christ’s people are always ready to distribute and communicate that which is not only due to Christ, but above, with a cheerful heart of thanksgiving, so the works of God may flourish until the time and times of the end, that we may lay hold on life everlasting. Giving is not only about money, but being rich in good works of your time in serving, provoking the brethren to love and good works, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost.

“17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” – Timothy 6:17-19

Neither are you too poor to give. Lest we be high-minded but instead be reminded, here is the widow with her mite; Mark 12:41-44.

The first and most essential survival preparation is that of a man’s heart toward holy Father God, through Jesus Christ. Verse 17 above tells us not to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who gives us all things.

Giving to the service of the Lord, like prayer, is another of those activities that cannot be adequately explained to those that have yet to do it. As with becoming earnest about prayer or witnessing, the blessing of the closeness to our heavenly Father in giving cannot be suitably expressed with words; you have to give to see the results and reap the rewards.

Saving and Investing

We are not providing investment advice. But, some general information that can help is to invest in only what you can understand. Don’t trust somebody with investments you cannot correctly explain in simple terms to a nine-year-old. Never invest in exotic or esoteric adventures. “Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.” – Proverbs 13:16

That challenge cuts three ways, do not trust things you don’t understand. Educate yourself by justifying your investment thesis on paper; writing down your conclusions. Then, be able to look your family in the eye and tell them how 20 years hence, the benefits of slow and steady measured progress in prudent patients will be great while the risks remain average.

“Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.” – Proverbs 13:18

Seek good counsel. Everybody in the investment world has an agenda and a product to sell. Finding somebody with the heart of a teacher to help educate yourself and understand the best decisions for your family is a very good option.

In Genesis 41, God has Joseph prepare for the lean years of the coming seven-year famine in Egypt. For this, his family all survived.

“6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” – Proverbs 6:6-8

Years ago, I heard preaching on these Ant verses. It pricked my heart and wrenched my gut. I was mad about it for a couple of weeks. The whole time I was thinking about how stupid an ant is and railing in my head against the message, the ant, and the preacher. How very mature of me, right? I still remember it well. However, it was very effective; being already debt free at the time, soon afterward, I started investing.

In Luke 14, our Lord discusses the cost of discipleship, which may very well be your life, and certainly was for those first-century martyrs and others since. But with many of the examples our Lord used, He chose simple object lessons that any man can understand and applied them to more demanding assignments. By God’s grace, we take the simple object lesson in the parable at face value and employ it for us here: “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” – Luke 14:28

Most have to realize they’re on the wrong track before making a change in money habits. It’s easy to cover an odious plan with heaps of debt, but soon it will catch up to you. Count the cost of not managing your finances as a steward of Christ’s blessings. Then make a financial plan to not simply survive but thrive and, more importantly, put yourself in a position to help others when they need it. A man must take care of his own house first, putting himself on a firm footing before he can suitably bless another.

You can allocate for children’s schooling or a down payment on a house, etc., in addition to the 15 percent minimum for retirement. Keeping a serious emergency fund in a checking account, perhaps as much as 5 or 10 percent of annual income, is recommended. The knot in your stomach goes away when you know you can cover with cash, an emergency room visit, or a blown transmission.

Spending

We all know how to spend money, but few know how to spend money wisely.

A zero-based budget leaves no money left over every month. Every dollar earned must be put down on paper before the month starts, then allocated within the areas of giving, saving/investing, and spending according to your plan. Yes, it’s hard, and you will fail for the first several months as you figure out your actual expenses. When starting this, you will be disgusted with yourself for your wasteful behavior but don’t quit!

And that’s the point, getting out of debt and saving/investing for the future are about behavior modification. Every aspect of society is geared toward your perpetual debt farm slavery in pseudo comfort and ease. In Christ, you can break the yoke of debt.

Go get your pay stub, or open your electronic pay stub. Seriously, go get it now. Look at it, what if you didn’t owe a dime of that money? It’s all yours with zero payments? What could you accomplish?

Remember not to love the money, for that is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10), but love the Lord our God, and all things He desires to give will be added unto you.

And finally, that inheritance we talked about: “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” – Proverbs 13:22

Here is a fully account of the follow-on antics.

Late Friday, the walleye fishing world was sent reeling after a cheating scandal was exposed in front of God, country, and a mob of justifiably furious walleye fishermen. Two guys – we can no longer call them fishermen without smearing the 99 percent who play by the rules – were exposed for what appears to be the most nefarious, blatant, and outrageous case of cheating that tournament walleye fishing has ever experienced.

Since we live in this drunkenly litigious climate, I will have to use every qualifier necessary – allegedly, reportedly, apparently – to relay this story, but when you have video captured from dozens of cell phones, it will be hard to build a case that their reputations have been unfairly tarnished.

I won’t use the terms apparently, allegedly or reportedly.  The video is right there.

When tournament director Jason Fischer sliced open the gullet on one of the fish that Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky had turned in, lead weights were exposed. Next fish – same thing. Next fish – lead weights and pieces of walleye fillets.

The duo had apparently, allegedly, and obviously, dropped these objects down the throats of their “catch” to enhance the weight and thus, improve their standing in the tournament. Fischer, a police officer in the Cleveland suburbs and a guy with an unassailable reputation in the Lake Erie walleye tournament ranks, was furious and threw them out of the tournament with a gesture reminiscent of the home plate umpire ejecting former New York Yankees manager Billy Martin.

Only the arrival of on-duty police officers likely saved Runyon and Cominsky from the assembled mob of “real” fishermen, many of whom had, behind the scenes, voiced their suspicions the duo had cheated in the past.

This story gets much messier. Since Runyon, of Cleveland, and Cominsky of Hermitage Pa., have already claimed the first-place prizes and considerable amounts of money in several LEWT events, including the 2021 season-ending championship, what happens now?

Legal eagles tell me that this apparent cheating in this weekend’s tournament constitutes fraud and is a felony. But the pair also took the top money in this past spring’s Rossford Walleye Roundup, and the huge payout in the 2021 Walleye Slam.

The duo weighed in the apparent top catch in last year’s Lake Erie Fall Brawl and made claim for the more than $100K attached to that finish, but then were disqualified. When the tournament director at the time offered no explanation or clarity other than to say one of them had failed the polygraph, the tournament lacked the transparency it so desperately needed.

Runyon went to great lengths to proclaim, repeatedly, that they were innocent and had caught their fish by following all of the rules. He secured legal counsel and has been trying to sue the Brawl to claim their so-called winnings.

Imagine that even after being caught red-handed, you were so eaten up with pride and greed that you hired legal counsel and argued that you “caught [their] fish by following all of the rules,” when that’s not even the point in question.

There is a lot of winnings and sponsorship money at stake.  Thieves and dishonorable men will go after that money.  But God doesn’t change His mind on the eighth commandment because of a lawyer.

Reading the title made you think, yes, we can be wise, or even I can be wise; perhaps there is a way under our superior efforts to make things right. “Wisdom finds a way” is one of the most deceptive things we’ve heard this year. It’s indicative of decay into the filth of human self-exaltation in our time. No, wisdom does not find a way. Delusion finds a way. Want to know what the wisdom of men looks like? Three hundred fifty million “free people” accepted the lockdown and put diapers on their faces. Even the Churches did this; God help them.

There is nothing wise about any man. Men are depraved, wicked, sinful, and fallen creatures that lack the capacity for any good thing, including wisdom. The pride of life causes one to become deluded into believing they are good and wise, even all-knowing. No, you’re not God! This idea comes from the devil, that old serpent, for when Eve saw that the fruit would make one wise, how could she resist?

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

So they ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and every decision any man has had to make since that day has only been a choice within the structure of the sin curse. No man has been free since that day, for every object of the heart’s desire is tainted by sin. The world looks at freedom as being free to sin. But sin is bondage in this life, and unto death. But, in Christ, a man can be free from sin (Romans 6:6-14).

The New Testament brings out this concept as well.

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” – 1 John 2:16

Where the woman saw the tree was good for food, 1 John 2 calls it the lust of the flesh. The woman saw that it was pleasant to the eyes, and 1 John calls this the lust of the eyes. The woman saw that it was to be desired to make one wise, and 1 John calls this the pride of life.

Any politician saying that “we” can take a wise course is a liar, and the devil is his father. Man only has the choice to accept sin or avoid sin as best he can. The latter is most often a more challenging course, but it’s far and away the right decision that reaps the blessings of the Lord of Heaven.

“And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” – Job 28:28

What is the locus of a just people’s desire to follow the path of wisdom? Fear of the Lord is the reason which leads a nation into understanding. Having come into the knowledge of the Lord, how does a person or a country demonstrate that wisdom? They shun their pride and the evil of their own understanding by relying upon Holy God; they depart from iniquity and their sins thereby. But to the lost sinners of an unrepentant nation coming under the judgment of God as evident in mass delusions, to say that we can be wise of our own accord is the wholesale embrace of the way of sin, evil, and death. Jesus is greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42).

Our failure of wisdom, being tainted by sin, is the problem that Jesus Christ died to solve; the perfect and sinless, wisest of all, and only begotten Son of God was crucified on the cross to pay for our sin since the fall in the Garden. He died to pay for your sin. Christ rose from the grave again the third day, the resurrected Saviour. Having defeated sin, death, and the tomb, wisdom is found in fear of Him. “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:11

“Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” – Romans 6:18

Serving sin no more, and pursuing Him that is righteous is the only wise way; but how?

There are a lot of definitions of wisdom. It’s problematic to define because it only comes from God. But God describes it as a fear of Him, departing from evil, entering into His righteousness to work the works of God. When a nation of men fears God and turns from its sins, they become the servants of righteousness. Only a man, having received the grace of God through Jesus Christ unto eternal life, fears God and departs from evil.

“To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” – Jude v25

Repent of your unbelief and call upon the only wise God to save your soul, for He is the one true power in eternity.

Background as definitions: Preterism and Postmillennialism?

Dr. Gentry:

Modern postmillennialism is largely, though not solely, committed to a particular interpretive tool known as “preterism.” This tool is helpful for explaining many of the catastrophic judgment passages as features of the founding of Christianity in the first century rather than evidence for the decline of Christianity in the final century.

However, postmillennialists do not adopt this interpretive approach in order to avoid a negative impact on their eschatological system. Rather, preterism arises naturally from a careful reading of the biblical text.

The evangelical, Reformed preterist strongly holds to the futurity of the Second Advent, the resurrection, and the great judgment. These are orthodox givens well exhibited in Scripture and long held by historic Christianity in creedal form.

Three factors generate preterism: (1) the importance of chronological indicators in biblical prophecy, (2) the impact of OT apocalyptic language on eschatological discourse, and (3) the significance of A.D. 70 for redemptive history. Let us see how these impact Revelation.

First, chronological indicators

Preterism relies heavily upon Revelation’s assertions of the nearness of certain prophetic events (1:1,3; 22:6,10), while non-preterists disingenuously re-interpret these. When the preterist comes upon didactically-seated temporal delimiters, he allows them their literal significance and seeks an historical fulfillment in antiquity. Where absent, then other issues must suggest the proper interpretation, which may or may not demand a past fulfillment.

The article discusses prophetic symbolic imagery and the foundational basis for the New Covenant, aka Christianity. The education in this short post is invaluable to the proper understanding of our current timeframe in God’s plan for our redemptive history in Christ. Read the whole thing.

Source:

US health officials have called for new prevention and treatment efforts as the number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases, which include gonorrhea and syphilis, has been skyrocketing over the last few years.

Speaking at a medical conference earlier this week, Dr. Leandro Mena of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that it was “imperative” that the US work to “rebuild, innovate, and expand” STD prevention. This comes as the rate of syphilis infections last year reached a 20-year high, and the number of new infections shot up 26%, beating a record set in 1948.

They need to “rebuild, innovate, and expand” what God has already prescribed in ordination from the start?

The head of the National Coalition of STD Directors, David Harvey, whose group is pushing a proposal for at least $500 million in federal funding to be earmarked for STD clinics, has described the situation as “out of control.”

Health officials are suggesting a number of possible solutions to the problem, such as, for example, promoting the use of condoms and developing at-home testing kits for some STDs that would make it easier for people to learn if they are infected and thus prevent further spreading of diseases.

“4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” – Jesus, in Matthew 19:4-6. He goes on to discuss divorce in the next several verses.

Jesus is citing Genesis 1:27 perhaps, but certainly Genesis 2:21-25. It seems that God has set forth from the earliest foundations in His created order all the innovations needed to curtail sexual diseases. The diseases themselves aren’t the problem; they are simply an outward result of sin. Sin, dear friends, has consequences.

What better way to show that sin is real and affects the sinner? Without fornication, there would be no STDs at all. God owes us nothing to prove Himself, but by His grace, He makes evident His existence by the very operation of the creation under His hand of divine dominion.

If you sin, then you will have illness with permanent consequences. Don’t sin, and you won’t get sick. What could be more precise in the economy of the Almighty than that?

At the fall in the Garden, the devil is cursed, the woman is cursed, Adam is cursed, and the very ground is cursed.

The CDC is correct; it’s “imperative” that the US solve this problem. Jesus Christ is the answer, and has been from the foundation of the world, and is evermore. He paid your sin debt on the cross in His blood for your forgiveness. By His resurrection is salvation from eternal hell (1 Corinthians 15:3-4): the Kingdom of God is at hand. Having received forgiveness, seeking Him first in all things that you sin against Him no more (Psalm 119:11) is the solution; that is full repentance. In John 8:11, Jesus didn’t say go and neglect a condom no more. After forgiving a sinner by His grace, He said: “go, and sin no more.”

There’s a reason that the DoD considers STDs a readiness issue. But for us, this stuff affects your family and church’s preparedness, not just medical preparedness. If you’ve got active sin of any kind in your camp (Joshua 7), it can destroy the foundations of unity. You need cohesion.

Of course, proper Christian training of children from the start averts a lifetime of confusion and physical, emotional, and phycological problems. Ask anybody saved later in adulthood what the price of sin is. I tell you, it’s too high, for if you knew what things they had done, you wouldn’t let them in your church or near your family.

If you’re a young man or woman, find somebody that you can cleave to for the rest of your life, and never let go.

Note: We’ve been providing a lot of Bible studies on eschatology, posting as we find them, or they have become available, or as we wright them. Soon we’ll make a post that will put them in preferred reading (viewing) order as an educational tool for the reader. That’s a goal here at TCJ, to make us better men and women through Christian education and ministry, better with our tools, and more knowledgeable and competent to survive what may come.

Eisegesis is reading into the text of the Holy Bible your presuppositions, personal view, or agenda, looking for confirmation bias in the Scriptures. Almost every American today, even the educated, operate their daily life in search of bias confirmation. This is very dangerous and has no place in proper Bible interpretation, nor is it wise in any discipline. Exegesis is drawing out the meaning, swallowing your pride, and letting God speak the truth to your heart regardless of how it makes you feel; it’s the plain meaning of Scripture in context.

We might have worded some things differently and have slightly differing views, but in the main, this is a very good brief overview of eschatology.

What is Postmillennialism?

When thinking about eschatology today, few Christians are even aware of the postmillennial view. When I have traveled to Russia, Ukraine, Latin America and other nations on short term missions trips, I am usually asked this question by new converts: “Are you pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib?” as if these were the only three forms of eschatology. I often have to explain that I am not a dispensationalist. It is difficult to show some Christians that there is another way of looking at the end-times and the millennium altogether.

Postmillennialism (literally, “after the thousand years”) is the belief that Christ will physically return to the earth only after a non-literal millennium is completed. Postmillennialism is optimistic about the end times. Christ’s reign over the earth from heaven increases during the millennium, which is thought to be not a literal one thousand year period, but “a very long time.” Postmillennialism places the Church in a role of transforming whole social structures before the Second Coming and endeavoring to bring about a “Golden Age” of peace and prosperity with great advances in education, the arts, sciences and medicine.

All Christians must believe in the literal, physical return of Jesus Christ. Christians may differ in their opinions as to the nature of the millennium and the exact sequence of end times events without departing from biblical orthodoxy.

However, I believe that major problems have been caused by the most popular system: dispensational premillennialism. Ironically, I did not know anything of the postmillennial view until I became aware of the limitations of the dispensational paradigm. In searching for a view to replace dispensationalism, I found postmillennialism to be most convincing.

The article goes on to provide a brief overview of not just the four main eschatological views but several views and sub-categories. It also provides an understanding of “the antichrist,” the second coming, the Beast of Revelation, the great tribulation, and more.