Seek the Lord while He may be found

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” -Isaiah 55:6 (KJV)

the fallen music leader

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:13-14)

Isaiah 14:11-12 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols [stringed instrument]: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

Isaiah 5:12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of His hands.

only joking

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, 
Is the man who deceives his neighbor, 
And says, "I was only joking!" 

Prov 26:18-19


"only joking" is NOT an cover to get away with saying things that are rude, hurtful, or hateful...

I wonder if the same applies for "Just sayin'"...

Do not associate with those who are given to change

Do not associate with those who are given to change

Prov 24:21

fly like an eagle

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Prov 23:5

He who gives to the rich shall come to poverty

He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely cometo want. 

Prov 22:16

We are the Lord's

“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.” -Romans 14:8 (KJV)

permissive will

At various times I have heard talk about God's "permissive will".

While a case can be made that God is absolutely sovereign (and He is) and He owns and is completely in control of everything (and He is), some folks go to an extreme is saying that "well, since God permitted it to happen, it must have been His will...".  They even use this as an excuse for them to fulfill the lusts of the flesh...

The truth is, that just because something happens, it doesn't mean that God permitted it.

For example, if my son goes out and steals something or commits some other crime, it does not mean that I as his parent permitted it.  In fact, I have forbidden that he engage in such activities, and I will hold him accountable for the consequences of such behavior.

The only way I could have been said to have "permitted" his behavior was that I permitted him out of the house.  The alternative was for me to keep in locked up in his room.

Mankind has a tendency to commit sin.  When man sins, it does not mean that God has permitted it.  In fact, God has forbidden it and levies consequences, judgement, and accountability when we do sin.  The fact that none of us escape His accountability is evidence of His sovereignty over all.  The alternative would be that God turn us into mindless robots without free will or keep us locked up in padded rooms by ourselves.

Our having free will comes with it the responsibility for our own behaviors.  Our having free will does not make God any less sovereign or in charge of everything.  In God's sovereignty, He gave us a free will, and it magnifies God's ability to accomplish His Will in coordination with (often in spite of) our free will.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be

Ecclesiastes 1:9,  “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

Sound Words

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.” -2 Timothy 1:13-14

definitions

word definitions according to the bible that are different than modern definitions

justice - getting what you deserve

mercy - not getting what you deserve

grace - getting what you don't deserve

love - putting someone else before yourself, selflessness

hate - hate is not the opposite of love, it can be a component of love.  righteous hatred is motivated by love, you should hate anything that hurts or enslaves someone you love.  wicked hatred is motivated by selfishness and covetousness.

selfishness - the opposite of love, self-centered

covetousness - wanting something that IS NOT rightfully yours

jealousy - protective of something that IS rightfully yours

replenish - fill completely

overpopulation causes plague?

Topic for future study:  It is commonly taught that plague and disease are "nature's" way of dealing with over-population, or population that has outgrown it's ability to sustain itself at its current level of technology...


Is this accurate and truly represent actual history?

This sounds suspiciously like something contrived by eugenicists to brainwash the common populace into accepting population control, de-population, and to provide cover for the intentional release of disease.

http://shapedbytruth-news.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-history-timeline-of-population-control.html

beasts of the earth

“And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:7-8)

Topic for further study:  Are these "normal" wild animals that participate in the death of 25% of the global population?  Is it possible that they are something more, as in the days of noah?

Battle

Our internal battle is against our flesh

Our external battle is not carnal but spiritual

athiesm

the only way for an atheist to be intellectually honest is for them to say "whether or not God exists, i choose not to believe in Him"

an atheist cannot truthfully say "there is no God" as it is impossible for them to prove that God does not exist...

in order to prove that God does not exist, a person would have to know everything

as long as it is possible that God exists in the realm of what the atheist does not know, then the best they can be is agnostic...

meme

I finally heard a good definition of "meme" as being a contagious idea...

In these times we hear a lot about news, videos, songs, images, LOL-cats, etc spreading "virally".

As a computer scientist, I often deal with trying to contain the spread of computer viruses.

In reality, these computer viruses are nothing but information being copied from one node to another.

Information that changes the programming and thus the 'behavior' of the computer or device.

Can the right combination and pattern of information have the same effect on the organic computer that we call the human brain?

Of course, we experience the communication of information changing our behavior on a daily basis.

For example, if I came over to your house and told you that your dog was run over and laying dead in the road, if you cared about your dog it would be very upsetting to you.  It may evoke a traumatic emotional reaction of confusion, anger, grief and result in crying or screaming.  But then when you step outside, you find your dog happily wagging his tail and jumping up on you, glad to see you.

You see, it was not reality or the truth that effected your behavior.  It was information.  In this case the information was inaccurate (maybe I mistook the dog in the road as yours) or an outright lie, but it was not reality that you were reacting to, it was the information presented.

I remember the Batman movie with Jack Nicholson as the Joker.  In that movie, the Joker had laced soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, etc with chemicals that by themselves in each individual product were harmless and undetectable, thereby passing scrutiny of the FDA, etc.

However, when multiple products were used in any random combination, these chemicals would catalyze and cause a transformation to happen to the person who used them.

It is easy to imagine this in terms of a chemical or biological combination of agents.  Even medication that individually can be beneficial, can cause permanent damage or even death when taken in combination with other medications. 

What if the same could be done with information?

What if the information we glean from movies, tv, magazines, books, talk radio, music, etc seemed benign taken individually, but in one of many "right" combinations it could induce emotional and/or irrational behavior?  Are we being distracted by the plethora of sports and entertainment?  Are the news outlets more interested in inducing emotional states of anger, fear, or bliss rather than telling the truth?  Does the repeated and increasingly intense induced trauma put us into a passive suggestible state?  Are we being hypnotized to go about our days in an unquestioning daze?  Is being bombarded by the same talking points over and over again shape our thinking to the point that we react with cognitive dissonance to anything that is contrary to the mainstream message?

Combine this with fluoride in the water hardening our pituitary glands, mercury laced vaccines inducing autism, mutagenic viruses, breathing contaminated air, pesticides, cleaning chemicals, genetically modified organisms, artificial sweeteners and preservatives in our food, and on and on...

What could the synergistic effects be?

Could it help to explain why the world is going "mad"?  Why recently several people that I have known personally for years have begun to act emotionally and irrationally?  Why society calls evil good and good evil?

ritual

rituals are all about what you do, they are for the prideful

God is not moved by ritualism

ritualism is for devils

God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble, if you want God to move in your life, humble yourself before Him

Don't know

When I ask kids why they did something and they say "I don't know", my response is:

"Then, don't do anything unless you know what you are doing."

mainstreaming occult symbols

kindle - Promethius (Satan) showed man how to "kindle" or make fire (knowledge of the 'gods')

“From Voltaire: ‘The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbours, kindle it at home, communicate it to others and it becomes the property of all.’”

apple - bite out of the fruit of the tree of knowledge

pray with your legs

for God so loved the world, He did something...

cowards go first...

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.


the cowards [fearful] are first to go into the lake of fire...

zombies

the modern concept of zombies is a perversion of the Biblical teaching of resurrection, though there are hints that in the end times there may be some form of real zombification...

Revelation 9:6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.

Zechariah 14:12 And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

Lazy

We give in to kids not because we are good parents, but because we are lazy parents...

sin of presumption

But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die. Exodus 21:14

If a man wanted mercy, he would grab the horns of the altar. In this case, someone murders another with premeditation thinking "I can get away with this if I grab the horns of the altar". God says to remove him from the altar and kill him, he gets no mercy.

This is no different than someone thinking "I can get away with this sin, as long as I ask forgiveness afterwards".

Contrast premeditated, arrogant rebellion with someone who is not acting in rebellion but instead out of weakness, mistakenly, unintentional, or in ignorance... It is no less a sin, but mercy can be accorded in this case...

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them Leviticus 4:2

Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Psalm 19:12

There is no offering or sacrifice for the presumptuous, willful sin:

But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him. Numbers 15:30-40

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20

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

I will stir up the Medes against them

“I will stir up the Medes against them” (Isa. 13:17)

complicit

If you ignore evil you are complicit in it

and all that in them is

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is Exodus 20:11

So heaven, earth, and sea were created in six days... 

Also everything in heaven, earth and the sea was created in six days...

So... no gap theory, no millions of years, no day-age, no evolution... done!

lust

People reject God's word because of their lust


Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:


"willingly ignorant" = dumb on purpose

predators...

The Poison of Calvinism

The poison of Calvinism, Reformed Theology, and Covenant Theology has been creeping into so many churches.  Be wary of anyone that uses terms such as historic Christianity or traditional Christianity.  Also, while a systematic theology is a good thing, many people will claim that the only valid Systematic Theology is the one that is based on Calvinism.

Keep in mind that the Reformed churches (protestants) are just reformed (repackaged) catholics.  While Luther and the reformers did a great job exposing the worst practices of catholic popery and they did a great job of emphasizing a soteriology of "salvation by grace not works" they failed to reject the Gnosticism of Augustine (which is the basis for Roman Catholicism).  They also retained the belief in things like infant baptism and that there should be a cooperation between the government and religious organizations.

It was a real relief when I realized I did not have to defend the atrocities committed by "historic Christianity"!  Neither the Catholics (around 300 A.D.) nor Reformers (began in 1517 A.D.)  were guided by the Bible when they committed atrocities, and if you did deep enough you find that the first "crusades" were not against the moors, they were carried out against Bible believing Christians whose crime was owning their own copies of scripture!

If you dig beneath the veneer of the manipulated and contrived histories recorded by catholic and reformed 'historians', you find sporadic mentions of those believers who have been persecuted by the "government approved entities" including: first century church,  Montanists (150 A.D.), the Novatians (240 A.D.), Donatists (305 A.D.), Albigenses (1022 A.D.), Waldensians (1170 A.D.), Anabaptists (late 1400s A.D.).  There have always been a remnant of true believers that existed before and in spite of popery and the reformation/protestants who both persecuted the true believers.

The poison of Calvinism is the belief that God arbitrarily chooses who is saved and who goes to hell and they deny free will.

A perfect example of the fruit of Calvinism is John Calvin's theocratic government which burnt at the stake those they considered to be heretics (those who criticized Calvin's theology).

This belief results in things like the calvinist Puritans who believed they were the new Israelites who had a divine right to slay the native americans who they believed to be "canaanites".  It was also the calvinist Puritans that carried out the witch trials in America.

Interestingly, calvinists and reformed churches persecuted the anabaptists in Europe, which is the theological heritage of the Baptists.  

That was why the Danbury Baptists were asking Jefferson about protections against a national state-sponsored and enforced religion.  They knew what it was like to be on the wrong side of that because the state sponsored religions in europe (both catholic and reformed) had persecuted, imprisoned, hanged, beheaded, eviscerated, and burned at the stake anabaptists.  Jefferson described the "wall of separation" as a one-way wall that prevented the state from 1) enforcing any single at the exclusion of others religion, as well as 2) infringing on practices of any religion  

However, calvinism eventually crept into the Baptist churches in the south and the preachers used calvinism to justify slavery by saying the slaves were a cursed race.  This resulted in the split of the Southern Baptists from the northern baptists as the northern Baptists retained their belief in free will.  It was non-calvinist christians in the north and south that were the champions of abolition.  The majority of modern day Baptists of all flavors are indistinguishable from reformed churches and many have been taken over by Calvinists.

Even in the last 100 years we saw Hitler use Luther's anti-semitism and the state-sponsored Lutheran Church to justify the theft of the property of Jews, rounding them up into ghettos, transporting them to concentration camps and the ultimate solution of industrialized mass murder.

Gnosticism and it's Catholic and Calvinist derivatives is also being adopted in a watered down form by many non-Denominational, Pentecostal and Charismatic circles in the form of either the "Emergent" or "Emerging" church, Kingdom Now, Dominion Theology, Reconstruction-ism, New Apostolic Reformation.

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2010/12/reformation.html

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2012/06/reformed-or-re-packaged.html

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2013/06/disillusioned.html

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2012/10/wall-of-separation-is-good-thing.html

http://shapedbytruth-news.blogspot.com/2014/06/protestantism-is-unbiblical.html

freedom from sin

While in bondage to sin, we are a slave to the appetites of the flesh.  We cannot free ourselves from the flesh on our own.  The best perhaps we could do is replace one fleshly habit with another more socially acceptable one.

For true freedom, we must be reborn as a new creature and set free from sin by repentance and receiving the completed work of redemption Jesus purchased for us on the cross.

We are set free and are then able to master the appetites of the flesh by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

children of God

we are not all children of God

He is Creator of us all

We can become one of His children...

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12)

When we receive Jesus, we are adopted into His Family, grafted in, recreated as a new creature, and born again into the family of God, and we can then call Him Abba Father.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15)

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2Cor 5:17)

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:1-2)

entertaining angels

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Heb 13:2

No provision of salvation for those who take the mark

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Revelation 14:9-11


There are only two categories discussed in the Bible, those who take the mark of the beast and those who don't.  Of those who don't take the beast's mark, some are sealed with God's seal and are protected from God's wrath as it is poured out on whosoever receives the beast's mark.

The Bible is silent as to if there are any who take the mark and later reject it.

Folks can theorize that it may be possible, but they have to base their theory on their own human reasoning and contrivances as there is not anything Biblical to base it on.

It is a dangerous theory, however.  It may cause some to think they can take the mark to take advantage of its conveniences and to avoid the penalties of not having it, then repent of it later...

ye shall have tribulation

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world..” John 16:32-33

Persecution is real, persecution of the faithful has never stopped, persecution is happening, and persecution is coming...

Throughout the world, Christians are imprisoned, their property is stolen, their families are taken and given to others, they are being tortured, hanged, beheaded, and their meeting places are burned to the ground.

We have had it soft in the "west", but the tides are turning.  The western governments are redefining who and what is "tolerable" and what is a "hate crime".  The popular so-called "christian church" is liberalizing and redefining "christianity" then ridiculing anyone who upholds the Bible as the true authority.

Popular churchianity already compromises in every form and fashion in the name of being trendy and cool.  They already compromise for the love of money to keep the "tithes" rolling in.  They already compromise, capitulate, and apologize at the least bit of resistance from popular culture.

If they cannot stand when times are good and easy, how can they stand in the day of true persecution?

Jesus comforted His disciples by telling them in advance that persecution was coming, so that they would be prepared for it when it did happen.  So that when they were undergoing tribulation, they would remember He had already overcome the world, take comfort from that fact and endure through to their reward.

What is the "church" doing to prepare members for the persecution to come?

Are we prepared to truly trust the Lord to be our provider when we can no longer buy from the grocery store and feed our family without the mark?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when they are unpopular?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when we are threatened with imprisonment?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when we are threatened with torture?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when they put a gun to our heads?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when they put a gun to our spouse's or child's head?

Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. Luke 17:33

false doctrine

text out of context in isolation from co-text is a pretext to false doctrine

be like the most high

God is almighty, omnipresent, and omniscient.  

Satan is not, and needs technology in order to emulate The Most High.  (Isa 14:12-14)

Is that why there is a push to micro chip everyone?  To have surveillance everywhere, to track every one's movements, transactions, and behaviors?  Ultimately to control everyone's movements, transactions, and behaviors?

Ordinances -vs- Sacraments

There are many who twist the meanings of the terms ordinance and sacrament.  When I use the terms I differentiate between them as follows:

a) A sacrament is a work that contributes to or necessary for salvation.  If an institution portrays a religious activity as a requirement for salvation, then it is a sacrament regardless of what they call it otherwise.

b) An ordinance is merely an outward expression of something that has already taken place internally and spiritually.  The two ordinances identified in scripture include immersion (baptizo) and the "Lord's supper".

Jesus was immersed to fulfill all righteousness and believers throughout the gospels, the book of Acts and the first century church were immersed as an outward testimony of their belief.  They weren't saved by immersion, but immersion was an expression and testimony to others of their salvation.

The same with perceiving the body and blood of Messiah represented by the unleavened bread and wine used in the Passover Sedar meal.  Jesus instructed "As often as you do this, this do in remembrance of me" and Paul goes on to say that we should not partake of it unless we understand this representation (1 Cor 11:23-27)

visits to heaven and hell

Recently there has been a renewed interest in testimonies of people who have been to heaven or hell and come back.

There is a precedent in scripture for spiritual or heavenly visits and/or visions.  John, Paul, and several prophets to name a few.  But even these only got a limited peek of only what God chose to show them and there were things that they saw that they were told to seal up and not speak about because they were reserved for a particular time when they should be revealed.

There are many folks with "there and back again" testimonies that are sincere and true according to what they remember seeing... However, spiritual experiences, by their very nature, tend to be beyond our comprehension, experience, ability to understand and explain.

It is our responsibility to test everything and prove all things to see if they are true.  If it contradicts scripture, do not receive it.  Satan can appear as an "angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14) and even if an angel from heaven brings another gospel, we are not to receive it (Gal 1:8).

Many of these folks are sincere and I do not question they are relaying, to the best of their ability, what they have seen to the best of their memory and understanding of what they believe to be true.  

Keep in mind, however, that anyone can be sincerely wrong...

God does not change nor contradict Himself.  

Some of the things people have seen may go beyond their capacity for explanation, so they will try to recall and explain things in a way that they can understand and relate to based on their background, upbringing, and training.  So while God is consistent, an individual person's understanding of something spiritual can be incomplete or mis-interpreted.

This may account for why so many of even the most legitimate testimonies seem to contradict each other as well as scripture in some aspect or another.

Additionally, no single individual has seen everything there is to see, nor have they been "enlightened" and become conduits for "all truth".  These individuals are authoritative only in the testimony of what they remember seeing and hearing, and should not be trying to answer any and all deep theological questions.

The best thing to do is to take encouragement in the things that support and reinforce scripture, but do not base your theology on any human feelings or experiences.

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2014/05/visits-to-heaven-and-hell.html

WWJD?

Who Will Jesus Damn? 

Here is a partial list from just a few scripture verses:

Hypocrites (Matthew 24:51)
The Unforgiving (Mark 11:26)
Homosexuals (Romans 1:26, 27)
Fornicators (Romans 1:29)
The Wicked (Romans 1:29)
The Covetous (Romans 1:29)
The Malicious (Romans 1:29)
The Envious (Romans 1:29)
Murderers (Romans 1:29)
The Deceitful (Romans 1:29)
Backbiters (Romans 1:30)
Haters of God (Romans 1:30)
The Despiteful (Romans 1:30)
The Proud (Romans 1:30)
Boasters (Romans 1:30)
Inventors of evil (Romans 1:30)
Disobedient to parents (Romans 1:30)
Covenant breakers (Romans 1:31)
The Unmerciful (Romans 1:31)
The Implacable (Romans 1:31)
The Unrighteous (1Corinthians 6:9)
Idolaters (1Corinthians 6:9)
Adulterers (1Corinthians 6:9)
The Effeminate (1Corinthians 6:9)
Thieves (1Corinthians 6:10)
Drunkards (1Corinthians 6:10)
Reviler (1Corinthians 6:10)
Extortioners (1Corinthians 6:10)
Cowards (Revelation 21:8)
The Unbelieving (Revelation 21:8)
The Abominable (Revelation 21:8)
Whoremongers (Revelation 21:8)
Sorcerers (Revelation 21:8)
All Liars (Revelation 21:8)

Comparisons

comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise 2Cor 10:12

It is not wise to compare yourself with others or compare one person with another...

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. Gal 6:4

The only person you should be in competition with is yourself, every time you do something, you should work to do it better than you have ever done it before...

The only person you should measure yourself against is Jesus, because we are to be like Him.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1John 3:2

Greatest of these is love

Love is the greatest of these, it is the hardest to do but has the greatest impact and greatest reward

Confidence

So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper;I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?" Hebrews-13-6

Another logo?

Take a look at this logo...   Doesn't it look like something Cobra Commander would use?  It seems to imply something serpentine, reptilian, snakey, dark and poisonous...  two half moon arcs symbolizing as above so below...  perhaps a third strand of DNA or a parasitic serpentine invasion of human DNA?  Perhaps a genetic hybrid breaking out of a circle that binds it?

As we talked about before, in gematria, hebrew letters also represent numbers.  The hebrew letter vav ("v" or "w" in latin characters) represents the number 6.

This symbol has appeared in esoteric symbolism

Note that this symbol is conspicuously presented in the Monster energy drink logo.

And now this logo:

And it is appearing on several cars now...

Now what can this be a logo for possibly?  Maybe I'm just reading too much into things...

its a new Christian Church of all things... they held their first services on April 13th (um... interesting choice of 13?)  and according to their website  they appear to espouse typical vanilla "evangelical" beliefs.  This is not intended to be a "ding" against the pastor or folks who attend here.  Just raising the question.  

Also, why name a church "Solace" (soul-less?).   The English world solace is from the French word "solacier" meaning to "comfort, console" often with a sexual connotation.   The word "solace" occurs only once in the KJV in Proverbs 7:8, and it is quoting the "strange woman" who is seducing a foolish man into her bed while her husband is away: "I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves". 

I want to believe they are legitimate sincere Christians and this is nothing else but an example of how woefully ignorant Christians are concerning esoteric symbols and they are just wanting to look "trendy" and "cool".  

We often use symbols, logos, seals, tags, trademarks as a way of denoting "ownership".  

We see in scripture several times when a seal or mark is used to identify someone who is "sealed" or "marked" unto the Lord and under His protection. 

Evil spirits can only operate in the physical world if they are invited in and attached to something physical.  They can be attached to a location, a living thing (ie: person or animal), or an object.  Occult practitioners create a talisman by putting a symbol on an object and binding an evil spirit to it to "charge" it with power.  How many of these occult symbols do you carry around every day in your wallet?

We also know that the father of lies will use a mark to "seal" those who choose to worship and belong to him.

Being that marks can have such significance, maybe we should be more careful about what marks we choose to associate with.

Quick response on dual-covenant theology

I recently responded to a question about a ministry that promoted dual-covenant theology.

Dual-covenant theology is the belief that there are two ways to salvation.  One is by virtue of being a Jew, the other is by being a Christian.  This is my quick response concerning that...

It is always important not to get caught up in personalities, but to rely on personally examining the scriptures to prove all things and to determine what is true.  

I personally am very pro-Israel and do believe that we should support Israel and the Jewish people everywhere.  Of course the best way we can do that is to share the Gospel with them.  

There are many scriptures where Jesus Himself tells the Jews they cannot rely on their ability to trace Abraham as their forefather as their means of salvation (ie: John 8:37-40).

Also scripture says that we are all sinners convicted by the law, and the law cannot save us...

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:  Their feet are swift to shed blood:  Destruction and misery are in their ways:  And the way of peace have they not known:  There is no fear of God before their eyes.  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom 3:9-19

The opposite side of the spectrum from dual-covenant theology is replacement theology, where some believe that the "Church" has replaced Israel and that all promises to Israel now apply to the "Church".  This of course is the primary view of the Catholic church and most of the reformed catholic/protestant churches and is just as wrong (if not more).

In any case, what is the background we should understand?

Scripture depicts two different "views" of the messiah.  There is the Meschiach ben Yosef (Messiah son of Joseph) who is the suffering servant and sacrificial lamb after the model of Joseph who was betrayed and sold in to slavery by his brothers.  We know that this is when Jesus came the first time to be the Lamb of God and pay the price for our sins.

There is also Meschiach ben David (Messiah son of David), the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and reigning King who will come to reestablish the line of David, deliver Israel from her oppressors, establish the Kingdom of Israel, and rule over all the nations from Jerusalem.  We know that this is when Jesus returns and establishes His Millennial (1,000 year) kingdom (Rev 20:1-6)

The Jews of Jesus' time (as well as modern day Jews) were looking forward to Messiah.  But, since deliverance from Roman oppression was what they believed was their immediate and most pressing problem, they were looking for the Messiah to come deliver them from Roman rule and set up the Kingdom of the Messiah.

When Jesus came the first time, he did not meet their expectation as the Reigning King that was to deliver them from Roman rule and establish His Kingdom as promised in scripture.  They neglected the prophecies about Messiah being the suffering servant.  They were looking for the Lion, but Jesus came first as the Lamb.

While there were many Jews that did believe, the political and religious establishment was more interested in preserving their power and influence as well as keeping their Roman authorities satisfied with their handling of the people so they could maintain their position.

As to the question of whether it was the Jews or the Romans who put Jesus on the cross, it was neither...

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.  John 10:18.

If anyone wants to belabor the point, one can say that by extension, it was ALL WHO HAVE SINNED that put Jesus on the cross

Everyone is saved by the same faith and same covenant, both before the first coming of Messiah and afterwards.  We are all saved by looking to Messiah.  Before Jesus, from the very first sin, they were looking forward based in the promise of Messiah (Genesis 3:15).  After the cross, we are all saved by looking back to Messiah.

God has never totally abandoned the Jews.  For the first 100 years the vast majority of believers were Jews.  He has preserved them as a people for thousands of years in spite of being taken captive, diaspora, antisemitism, pograms, holocosts, and many attempts at genocide.  There is currently a growing number of Jews (Messianic Jews) who have realized Jesus is the Messiah.  In Revelation we see that God will send 144,000 witnesses, two witnesses with the power of Elijah that will die and come back to life, and even angels declaring the Gospel.

Additionally, some confusion comes from a need to determine the context of scripture and specifically who the scripture is being directed to...  When reading scritpure, one must determine is God speaking about an individual, a family/familial bloodline, a nation, or mankind as a whole?

Promises of God preserving Israel as a Nation do not have anything to do with individual salvation.  God's restoration and preservation of Israel as a nation are for His purposes and in keeping with His promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, etc...  

The current nation of Israel is a secular nation gathered together in unbelief as a fulfillment of prophecy and to set the stage for the events leading up to and during the tribulation period.  After the tribulation, Messiah Himself will gather together the faithful children of Israel and establish His Kingdom and Millennial reign.

In any case, it is natural for a Christian to have a love for Israel and the Jews and seek to bless them, because (far from replacing them) we gentiles have died to our old lineage, been reborn into a new family, we have been grafted in, adopted, and given a new name.  We are now one family under the Father in Heaven and we have the same inheritance in Israel and Jerusalem.  So come Lord Jesus! 

I have some additional information from my previous blog posts here:

God's People

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2014/02/gods-people.html

To the Jew first

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2013/04/to-jew-first.html

A cup of trembling

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-cup-of-trembling.html

And how God deals with the nation of Israel is a pattern of how God deals with nations:

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2012/11/consequences.html

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2013/02/woe-to-them-that-are-at-ease.html

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2012/06/slaves-in-our-own-land.html

http://shapedbytruth.blogspot.com/2012/06/harbinger.html

Pursuit

Don't waste your time pursuing me if you're not pursuing God. You're going to have to sprint after God to catch up with me
Eph 2:1-10

yin yang

A lot of folks are talking about how there's "truth" in every religion and philosophy.  I reckon in a way that is so, because why would someone follow a belief system if nothing about it was true.

Keep in mind though, would you drink water from a bottle that was 99% pure and 1% sewage?

In the same way, it doesn't take much lie to poison the truth.  Lies and sin are often characterized as "leaven" or yeast in the Bible; and, it doesn't take much leaven to spoil the whole lump. (Gal 5:9, Col 2:8)

Many vain philosophies, traditions of men, and doctrines of demons have crept their way into the  "christian" church.

These concepts go by many names, variations, and schools of thought.  Here, I'll address a simplified example of the school of eastern thought, the concept of there being some cosmic balance between "good" and "evil" or Yin and Yang.

The thing is, God didn't create a universe in a balance between good and evil.  He created everything good.  Evil is basically the corruption of something good.

In any case, the Bible does not teach dualism, in fact it teaches quite the opposite:

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;
that put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20



Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

it is not our place to judge

i often hear that "it's not our place to judge"

absolutely right

only God is in a place to judge

He has given us His standards for judgement in scripture

we should not come up with our own standards

neither should we ignore God's standards.

none doeth good

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Romans 3:12

They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Psalm 14:3

Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Psalm 53:3

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.  The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD. There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous. Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. Psalm 14:1-7

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.  God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.  Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God. There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. Psalm 53:1-6

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:  Their feet are swift to shed blood:  Destruction and misery are in their ways:  And the way of peace have they not known:  There is no fear of God before their eyes.  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom 3:9-19

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.  Isa 64:6

He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. Proverbs 28:9

Even the "good" (by our standards) works we do are unclean before the Lord if we are not in right standing with Him.

We can do no good apart from Him

you do well to be offended

Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 97:10 

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good Romans 12:9 

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Psalm 8:13

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

what is tragically lost in today's world is a sense of moral outrage...

we have been desensitized to a point that nothing is offensive and anything goes...

God however has not changed His position on anything, His judgement and justice remains true an changes not...

we should not mistake as permissiveness God's grace of allowing time for us to come to our senses and repent

God admonishes us in scripture to regard unclean things as an abomination, to abhor evil, and to keep it far from us

the surest way to keep from sin is for sin to be as much of an abomination, as offensive, as detestable, as much of an outrage to you as it is to God

if we truly are reborn as a child of God and have His nature within us, then the things that are an abomination to the Lord should be an abomination to us as well.

if we have the Holy Spirit indwelling within us, then the things that grieve Him should grieve us...

Love that is sincere, by nature hates evil...

if the sin that pervades the world does not bother you, then you would do well to examine yourself...

[The wicked] deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil. Psalm 36:4

Birds with Teeth and Claws

Hoatzin young and Emu even have claws on wings, similar to Archeopteryx

Rewards

You get more of what you reward

Children should have consequences for bad behavior

And should have rewards for good behavior

It is better to learn about consequences in a safe environment at home where parents can measure out the consequences in a safe but instructive way...

later, as adults, they will not have the covering and protection of parents to "soften the blow" of consequences

better they learn as many lessons as possible while young...

Fear

The only one worth fearing in this universe is God

If you put your trust in Yashua then you truly have nothing to fear

Fear not them who can destroy the body, but fear Him that can destroy both body and soul in hell.

If you are not in right standing with God (still stained with sin) you do right to fear

Fear is the beginning of wisdom

If you are in right standing with God (repented of your sin and received Yashua's free gift) you have nothing to be afraid of...

Honesty

Honesty is preferred to a friendly lie

think positive?

where is the concept of positive and negative in the Bible?

the terms positive and negative are products of new age and eastern mysticism, and they reduce God to a 'god of forces', an impersonal energy that can be manipulated by our will...  a ying yang dualism where everything has a good side and bad side...

positive and negative are subjective and we tend to identify things as positive if it is something that we like and negative if something uncomfortable... we like it because it places us in the judgement seat to determine what is good and what is bad...

The Bible on the other hand endorses the Truth as defined by God and speaking the Truth motivated by Love.

Truth is not positive or negative.  Truth just is...

God determines what is good and bad, and He created everything good, but many things have been corrupted by sin and rebellion...

persecution from within

As we move further into the 'end times', we will continue to see increased persecution of true Biblical Christianity.

Before Christianity in general is persecuted, the popular 'christian church' will continue to elbow out and eventually come to openly persecute Bible believing Christians.

We see that one of the signs that a people have rejected God is that God gives them over to be slaves of their own lusts (Rom 1:24).  The most evident sign of this is their acceptance and even promotion of homosexuality (Rom 1:32).  The abomination of homosexuality (or to use the Biblical term: sodomy) will become the "litmus test" the popular 'church' will use to identify all those 'evil' fundamentalists.

The pagan roman catholic church is now considering changing its public stance on homosexuality and launched a study into 'civil unions'.  This of course is no big leap for an organization whose clergy is already made up of homosexuals and pedophiles.

We see this happening with so many of the protestant (reformed catholic) denominations normalizing the abomination of sodomy and even endorsing it by appointing sodomites to clergy positions and performing so-called 'marriage' ceremonies.

We see this happening within the non-denominational and 'Charismatic' circles as their new age practices "go to seed" and their "new revelations" seek to embrace everyone with their gospel of  happiness and prosperity without a need for sin, repentance, and changing lifestyle preferences.

Also we see the current pope reaching out to the reformed catholic denominations, the non-denominational, as well as all other religions to join together in one big "it-doesn't-matter-what-you-believe-as-long-as-you-kiss-the-ring-of-the-pontiff" tent.

Eventually, what few churches that do not advocate for homosexuality will loose their tax-exempt status for promoting hate speech and then eventually forbidden to operate publicly.

Anyone who stands on scripture and does not go along with the predominant view of the 'church' is already seen as a closed minded fundamentalist 'hater', and this viewpoint will only grow more polarized.  Those who hold true to scripture will be further marginalized and vilified by those who call themselves 'christian' and think they do God a service...

These folks need to read Revelation 17:16 and keep in mind that once the harlot church has outlived its usefulness, the beast will turn on it and rend it to pieces.

the truth

If I be in trouble for anything

let it be for speaking the truth...

won over without words

1 Peter 3:1 they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives

inventing evil

"For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to honor God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper inventors of evil and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. –Romans 1:26-28,30,32

Having such a hardened heart that they are driven to invent evil...

watchman

Ezekiel 3:16-4:17 ESV

And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand.


notice that everyone is responsible for and will answer for their own actions, but the watchman will also be held responsible if he does not sound the warning...

patience of the saints

If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity;

he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword.

Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Rev 13:9-10

hugs

While hugs can be good as part of a reconciliation process...

Hugs don't make it "OK" to do something you are not supposed to do

God's people

Concerning Israel and the Jews.  On one hand they are supposed to be God's chosen people, yet of all people groups throughout history, they seem to be the ones singled out for suffering and hatred from all nations.

There are promises of God to Israel that are unconditional. For example God's covenant with Abraham was "one-sided" meaning that God contracted with Abraham such that God would maintain the covenant and there was nothing Abraham had to do to keep it and nothing Abraham could do to break it. (Genesis 15)

God has preserved Israel through the ages so that He can keep His covenants, regardless of the faithfulness of the people of Israel.

On the other hand, there are also promises of God to Israel that are conditional.  For example: 

Blessings and protection from the enemy for obedience:

If you follow My statutes and faithfully observe My commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit... Leviticus 26:3-13

Cursing and loss of God's protection for disobedience:

But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it... Leviticus 26:14-39

Restoration for repentance:

If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land... Leviticus 26:40-46

In all cases, God does exactly what He says He will do.



Additionally, the 'father of lies' has sought throughout history to wipe out the children of Israel. 

Some reasons why include:

1) They are the bloodline of the Messiah  

2) If they are wiped out, then the as yet unfulfilled promises of God to Abraham, David and the nation of Israel would never be fulfilled making God a liar and give the enemy a 'win' over Him.

3) They were also the preservers of God's Word and the preservation of the Jews and existence of Israel is proof of the validity of Scripture.

4) God still has plans for Israel, both for the current 'secular' state of Israel that has gathered together in unbelief, as well as for the future nation of Israel that He will gather together and establish when He returns (Rev 19-20).  God has not forgotten them, in Revelation we see that He sends two witnesses who are able to perform miracles similar to Elijah and Moses (Rev 11:3-12), and also 144,000 sealed servants who share the Gospel (Rev 7:3–8 ), and an angel to proclaim the Gospel (Rev 14:6-7). 

Ever since the first promise of the Messiah to crush the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15) the enemy has sought to corrupt and/or destroy the bloodline of the Messiah.  Examples include:

The slaying of Abel (Genesis 4:5-10), the incursion of fallen angels corrupting all flesh (except Noah, his wife and his sons) before the flood (Genesis 6:9-12). 

Tempting Abraham and Sarah to continue the bloodline through their own fleshly solution of the Egyptian hand-maid and Ishmael instead of waiting on God's plan of Isaac.

Pharaoh slaying of all Hebrew male children and Herod slaying of all children in the vicinity of Bethlehem 2 or younger.  Not to mention all the times that various tribes and empires have attempted to stamp out or starve out the children of Israel.

Even in more recent history we have examples of the pogroms in Russia and the Holocaust during WWII.  Antisemitism continues to this day in every country.  Also, the Arabs and Islamists maintain their hatred for Israel, Jews, and Christians.

So we see that God has a covenant to PRESERVE Israel through the ages to fulfill His plan but at the same time they are subject to the consequences of having rejected Messiah until such time that they repent and receive Him.