The Christian Wars of today entail the many battles being fought which will effect the direction of the many churches affiliated with the message of Jesus Christ. What are some of the battles being fought? It would be beyond the scope of my weekly blog post to handle them all at once. Let's just say that if I wanted to, I could post a battle a week. Of course, it will come as no surprise to you that a religion begun thousands of years ago with sixty-six books and approximately thirty-one thousand, one-hundred and two verses would lend itself to debate!
Yet, on a daily basis these battles are rather brutal. The first thing that I would like to mention is don't assume when you are looking for a Church to attend that you should choose the one which is closest to your home. I wish that was an option for all of us. I wish every Church bearing the images and symbols that we have come to associate with Jesus Christ was worthy of our Lord and Savior and your attendance. No, just because a building bears a cross and stain-glass window or, you hear some awesome singing coming out of it, does not mean that it is a place of worship, learning or fellowship.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
A case in point: I could scarcely believe my eyes when I just so happened to peruse a local Westchester County, New York Church website. There is a woman, that I attend Bible Study with, who happens to love thrift stores, church tag sales and flea markets. She literally knows every one happening in this vicinity. She asked me if I had ever attended a huge one not very far from the church I attend. I said, "no," but afterwards went online to find out more details about this event.
The tag sale looked amazing but I lost my desire to shop when just out of curiosity I looked at the Mission statement of that Church. "We do not believe that the Bible is inerrant." "We aren't too concerned about creeds and formal theological statements, believing that everyone's faith is a matter of personal conscience." "We are open and affirming." "We answer only to the highest authority."
Titus 1:16-They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
My question is: just who is that highest authority? On the surface, there are bits and pieces of the truth reflected in this and other assertions made on this church website. But, look a little closer and you see the kind of deception that is at the heart of The Christian Wars. It starts with the Bible. The Bible as far as I'm concerned is the revealed Will and Word of God Almighty.
2 Timothy 3:5-having a form of godliness, but denying he power thereof: from such turn away.
So what is this church saying when it states that the Bible is not inerrant? Is it that God makes mistakes? He created the heavens and the earth. God could assure the synchronicity of the sun, moon and earth but, He could not find a way to let His Will be known correctly in the Bible? Or, are they hinting that other entities, other than the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit sometimes give us the greater truth? Or sometimes Jesus is right and sometimes ********** is right? Clearly, what this church proposes is outright Christian Civil War.
And, how lacksidasical to state that, "we aren't too concerned about creeds." Creeds explain the truths believed and confirm unity of purpose. So, this church is allowing any and all types of philosophy in and don't think that is so important. Sort of the "I'm okay, you're okay" thing. It may feel good but is hopelessly in error of the story and message of the Bible.
Ephesians 4:14-That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive
God is the author and finisher of our salvation and the Bible is a conduit to receiving that. The greatest minds in opposition to this life-changing book have fought to diminish its' credibility and hence its' importance because of this. Yet, they have not succeeded. Where they seek to tear it apart from literary, or through various scientific scrutinies, new evidence emerges pointing to the Bible's veracity.
I was raised in a tradition that mixed Biblical truth with traditions that had historically infiltrated the Church. These traditions arose in part to answer questions and appease those seeking to both follow God and their own past traditions. So, in other words, many sought to have the blessings and the peace that faith in God brings, as well as engage in whatever forbidden practices they may have wanted to continue.
Also, rather than trust in God to fulfill and reveal His message, people sought to answer questions by tweeking the gospel message to tantalize the listener. This caused people who did not truly understand the message to convert, but, in a superficial way. So, perhaps we can see now that no matter how well-intentioned our motive was or is, that there is no short-cut or soft-sell of salvation. Salvation is that point when we meet God and fully accept and understand the covenant that he has extended to us.
Isaiah 29:13-and the Lord said: Forasmuch as this people draw near, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear of Me is a commandment of men learned by rote
I understand the above described Church's desire to be welcoming and loving, for these are truly godly attributes. However, Jesus said, "you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." -John 8:32.The truth that Jesus refers to is contained in the Bible. We know that Jesus dramatically inaugurated His earthly Ministry by publicly reading from the scroll of Isaiah ( The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel-Isaiah 61:1) God anointed His Son to preach the gospel. Jesus then anointed us to do the same. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost"-Matthew 28:18. We begin as Jesus did to teach, but, are we teaching the unadulterated life-changing message of Jesus Christ or some facsimile?
**********- place the name of any other religious entity know the
Monday, April 30, 2018
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Babylon, Then And Now
What comes to mind when you think of ancient Babylon? I think of the fertile agricultural region of Mesopotamia and the area which would come to be called a "cradle of civilization." I also think of one of the ancient wonders of the world, the Hanging Gardens. 'The king spoke, saying,"is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"-Daniel 4:30. Tales of ancient Babylon also brings to mind biblical accounts of the Jewish nations captivity. When the Babylonian Empire was at its' height it had conquered nearly all of the Middle East, including the lands inhabited by the Israelites.
While some take issue with the biblical accounts of this time period, in my studies of the topic, I have found that quite often evidence has come to light which show how right and true the story of the Babylonian captivity was told in the Bible. The story begins with a people struggling to follow God Almighty. The Israelites wavered between living in the fashion God Himself had taught them and the cultural and social forces that conflicted with that practice.
In the books of first and second Kings and first and second Chronicles we further see the descendants of those lead to the Promised Land first by Moses and then by Joshua in civil division and living in animosity with one another. As that story unfolded God sent divine assistance in the form of prophets to mercifully re-direct His people. We are told the story of Kings such as Hezakiah who prayed for the nation of Judah (2 Kings 19:15-19). Yet, these efforts did not convince the people to change their ways of living, nor their relationship with God.
God, like any good parent, let them know what the consequences of their actions would be, yet, they persisted and chose the wrong path. In this case, this lead to what would come to be known as the Babylonian Captivity. Dragged from the land that the Jews were given by God and had battled to possess, they were now back where they had started in Egypt, slaves. The captivity in Babylon lasted 70 years. Through the prophet Daniel, God revealed many things to us including the number of years that the captivity of the Israelites would last.
It is from the revelations given to Daniel that we learn more of Babylon, Then And Now. Daniel was born into the upper echelons of the Jewish society of his time. However, all that was interrupted during the first incursions by the Babylonians into the Holy Land. It was then that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded and began what would be the first of three invasions leading to death, destruction and slavery for the Hebrew nation.
Daniel was probably about sixteen at the time that these events took place. His societal position made him a target for kidnapping. It was a common practice, in those times, to kidnap people of higher rank in order to extort money and ensure cooperation by invading armies. So, it was, that he was one of a small group that were taken hostage. (Daniel 1:1-4)
For most of us, it is hard to imagine what it would be like to be ripped from the bosom of your home and family by force and then taken to a strange land. Nothing was familiar to him, not the people, the clothing and even the language. The history of the world is full of such stories and even now it continues to happen. We know some terrible things happened to Daniel. Physical, and psychological abuse and even sexual atrocities may have been committed. The cruel sexual abuse of people in history may have included Daniel himself. "And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon"-2 Kings 20:18. We know that Babylon, Then And Now is replete with stories such as this. Think of the Yazidis and Christians who were abused by the ISIS forces in what was the territory of the former Babylonian Empire.
For those who have been so cruelly used, there is hope of healing after the abuse. Daniel's relationship with God was a key factor in surviving and even thriving. Indeed, there is nothing that this world can do to you that God can not bring you through. The Book of Daniel, Chapter 3 details how his captors tried to burn him to death but God brought him out unscathed. Daniel was used by God in a mighty way.
His gifts and favor with God emerged even in the harsh environment of the Babylonian captivity. He excelled when forced to learn the language and literature of his captives. He kept to God's commandments, and statutes even as he was persecuted for it. Has persecution ever happened to you in your family or at work just because you wanted to follow God? God blessed Daniel with revelations about the course of human history. These revelations were and still are shocking!
He was able to have the comfort of knowing that his people the Jews would be restored to their homeland seventy years into the future. God gave him a glimpse of the empires that were and would rule the region: Babylon, Persia/Media, Greece and then Rome (Daniel 8:20-22 & Daniel 11). Daniel described in his writings, through the symbols that God had given to him, the eventual collapse of these regimes. But that's not all.
Daniel imparted to us a timeline for the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Daniel 9:24). Forever, highlighting in yellow, the plan that God had to send His Son and when! The Book of Daniel is also prerequisite reading to understand the final book in the 66 book collection that is the Bible. Of all places, I recently got to explain this to a couple that I knew when in a library parking lot near my home.
I was running into the library to return some books that my husband had borrowed, when I ran into Michael*and his wife Jill*. Michael is a well-known political figure in Westchester County, NY. He and his family have been involved in local politics for a long time. He is also well-known by some as a shameless flirt. It seems that the charm and power of his position had enticed more than a few woman throughout the years. However, today I found a different Michael. He had gotten quite a bit older since I saw him last, and he had purposely called me over to ask a question about the Bible.
Apparently, Michael, not a church-goer, had picked up the Bible and rather than read the whole thing he just skipped ahead to the end. I have been known to do that while pressed for a deadline during my school years. Anyway, he was deeply disturbed by the images and ideas that he found in the book of Revelation. His first comments to me on the subject were an attack. Having done his share of drugs as a young man he told me that he was sure this Apostle John, who wrote the book, must have been high on something.
I asked him had he "read the Book of Daniel?" "No", was his reply. I told him that "in order to understand the book of Revelation, it is essential to have read the book of Daniel." Further, that "the images and ideas in the Book of Revelation run as threads throughout the whole Bible." I explained that "highly sensitive information has and always will be cloaked in secrecy. Symbols, codes and secret names have been used in every culture and nation on earth, especially during times of war. What bigger war is there than the battle between God and Satan, good and evil. So, is it any surprise that the Books of Daniel and Revelation, which heavily deal with such matters would be written that way?"
Daniel, was able to behold one of the greatest wonders of his time, the city of Babylon. The splendor of the Babylonian Empire extended to science, technology, and architecture to name but a few of its' accolades. Babylon, or present day Iraq, again came to prominence under the former dictator Sadam Hussein, who often referenced the glory of that former empire in referring to his own achievements.
Daniel was truly a visionary because he saw, with God's help, much more than those who live in the moment do. He saw beneath the surface of his situation and beyond the grandeur of ancient Babylon. God gave Daniel a picture of Babylon, Then and Now because it represents and points to the ultimate battle of good and evil that has and will continue to be waged for the souls of humanity. Many of the things and types of things that occurred in Babylon need to be understood so that we may be able to understand the prophetic events that are unfolding now and in the future. God did not want us to be ignorant of these events and told us to be watchful.
* the names and a fact is changed to protect identity.
While some take issue with the biblical accounts of this time period, in my studies of the topic, I have found that quite often evidence has come to light which show how right and true the story of the Babylonian captivity was told in the Bible. The story begins with a people struggling to follow God Almighty. The Israelites wavered between living in the fashion God Himself had taught them and the cultural and social forces that conflicted with that practice.
In the books of first and second Kings and first and second Chronicles we further see the descendants of those lead to the Promised Land first by Moses and then by Joshua in civil division and living in animosity with one another. As that story unfolded God sent divine assistance in the form of prophets to mercifully re-direct His people. We are told the story of Kings such as Hezakiah who prayed for the nation of Judah (2 Kings 19:15-19). Yet, these efforts did not convince the people to change their ways of living, nor their relationship with God.
God, like any good parent, let them know what the consequences of their actions would be, yet, they persisted and chose the wrong path. In this case, this lead to what would come to be known as the Babylonian Captivity. Dragged from the land that the Jews were given by God and had battled to possess, they were now back where they had started in Egypt, slaves. The captivity in Babylon lasted 70 years. Through the prophet Daniel, God revealed many things to us including the number of years that the captivity of the Israelites would last.
It is from the revelations given to Daniel that we learn more of Babylon, Then And Now. Daniel was born into the upper echelons of the Jewish society of his time. However, all that was interrupted during the first incursions by the Babylonians into the Holy Land. It was then that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded and began what would be the first of three invasions leading to death, destruction and slavery for the Hebrew nation.
Daniel was probably about sixteen at the time that these events took place. His societal position made him a target for kidnapping. It was a common practice, in those times, to kidnap people of higher rank in order to extort money and ensure cooperation by invading armies. So, it was, that he was one of a small group that were taken hostage. (Daniel 1:1-4)
For most of us, it is hard to imagine what it would be like to be ripped from the bosom of your home and family by force and then taken to a strange land. Nothing was familiar to him, not the people, the clothing and even the language. The history of the world is full of such stories and even now it continues to happen. We know some terrible things happened to Daniel. Physical, and psychological abuse and even sexual atrocities may have been committed. The cruel sexual abuse of people in history may have included Daniel himself. "And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon"-2 Kings 20:18. We know that Babylon, Then And Now is replete with stories such as this. Think of the Yazidis and Christians who were abused by the ISIS forces in what was the territory of the former Babylonian Empire.
For those who have been so cruelly used, there is hope of healing after the abuse. Daniel's relationship with God was a key factor in surviving and even thriving. Indeed, there is nothing that this world can do to you that God can not bring you through. The Book of Daniel, Chapter 3 details how his captors tried to burn him to death but God brought him out unscathed. Daniel was used by God in a mighty way.
His gifts and favor with God emerged even in the harsh environment of the Babylonian captivity. He excelled when forced to learn the language and literature of his captives. He kept to God's commandments, and statutes even as he was persecuted for it. Has persecution ever happened to you in your family or at work just because you wanted to follow God? God blessed Daniel with revelations about the course of human history. These revelations were and still are shocking!
He was able to have the comfort of knowing that his people the Jews would be restored to their homeland seventy years into the future. God gave him a glimpse of the empires that were and would rule the region: Babylon, Persia/Media, Greece and then Rome (Daniel 8:20-22 & Daniel 11). Daniel described in his writings, through the symbols that God had given to him, the eventual collapse of these regimes. But that's not all.
Daniel imparted to us a timeline for the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Daniel 9:24). Forever, highlighting in yellow, the plan that God had to send His Son and when! The Book of Daniel is also prerequisite reading to understand the final book in the 66 book collection that is the Bible. Of all places, I recently got to explain this to a couple that I knew when in a library parking lot near my home.
I was running into the library to return some books that my husband had borrowed, when I ran into Michael*and his wife Jill*. Michael is a well-known political figure in Westchester County, NY. He and his family have been involved in local politics for a long time. He is also well-known by some as a shameless flirt. It seems that the charm and power of his position had enticed more than a few woman throughout the years. However, today I found a different Michael. He had gotten quite a bit older since I saw him last, and he had purposely called me over to ask a question about the Bible.
Apparently, Michael, not a church-goer, had picked up the Bible and rather than read the whole thing he just skipped ahead to the end. I have been known to do that while pressed for a deadline during my school years. Anyway, he was deeply disturbed by the images and ideas that he found in the book of Revelation. His first comments to me on the subject were an attack. Having done his share of drugs as a young man he told me that he was sure this Apostle John, who wrote the book, must have been high on something.
I asked him had he "read the Book of Daniel?" "No", was his reply. I told him that "in order to understand the book of Revelation, it is essential to have read the book of Daniel." Further, that "the images and ideas in the Book of Revelation run as threads throughout the whole Bible." I explained that "highly sensitive information has and always will be cloaked in secrecy. Symbols, codes and secret names have been used in every culture and nation on earth, especially during times of war. What bigger war is there than the battle between God and Satan, good and evil. So, is it any surprise that the Books of Daniel and Revelation, which heavily deal with such matters would be written that way?"
Daniel, was able to behold one of the greatest wonders of his time, the city of Babylon. The splendor of the Babylonian Empire extended to science, technology, and architecture to name but a few of its' accolades. Babylon, or present day Iraq, again came to prominence under the former dictator Sadam Hussein, who often referenced the glory of that former empire in referring to his own achievements.
Daniel was truly a visionary because he saw, with God's help, much more than those who live in the moment do. He saw beneath the surface of his situation and beyond the grandeur of ancient Babylon. God gave Daniel a picture of Babylon, Then and Now because it represents and points to the ultimate battle of good and evil that has and will continue to be waged for the souls of humanity. Many of the things and types of things that occurred in Babylon need to be understood so that we may be able to understand the prophetic events that are unfolding now and in the future. God did not want us to be ignorant of these events and told us to be watchful.
* the names and a fact is changed to protect identity.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)