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