Perhaps not many view the Proverbs and Psalms as being prophetic.ย After so many decades of Bible study, I see Prophecy in almost every line of the Bible.ย As is understood, the Lord reveals things to us in stages.ย Most often, Old Testament events and poetry, describe an actual event such as Passover โ which is a picture of something far more dramatic in the future.ย Such is the case with this Proverb.ย At face value, it does not seem to reveal much to the casual reader โ but we are here to see what it really says.
Proverbs 11:8
The righteous is delivered out of trouble,
Only those who are truly born-again of the Holy Spirit of God, will be delivered โ because only the truly born-again โ are considered righteous. When we repent, and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we obtain His righteousness โ which guarantees our deliverance. None of the troubles, trials and tribulations of this present life and time, can compare to the Great Tribulation, and the judgments that will befall everyone on earth at that time.
Please do not allow the recent crop ofย preteristsย to worm their way into your faith in the deliverance promised to you by God in His Holy Book.ย It is described over and over again โ even in this short Proverb.ย Every Word of the King James Bible is true โ and you can trust it implicitly.ย Read it literally, and with faith.
and the wicked cometh in his stead.
Thatโs right. As soon as the church is taken up โ The Wicked One will swoop in. Just as a vacuum needs to be filled โ this will happen in such a way โ that it will not be readily apparent to those who are not alert. Since mankind always seeks to worship something or someone they can see, it will happen all too easily. The Holy Spirit that is indwelling believers here on earth, will leave along with the righteous that are being delivered. Once this happens, the only thing that was restraining the power of anti-christ will be gone! It will happen, but, we will NOT BE HERE TO SEE IT!
2 Thessalonians 2:6-8
6ย And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7ย For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He who now letteth will let, until He be taken out of the way.
8ย And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.
I find that the Apostle Paul must’ve been as obsessed with the Rapture as much as I am. Why?
Well, let’s seeโฆโฆ
Here are 33 different passages from just Paul himself, not even counting those of Peter, James, Jude, and John, that talk about the Rapture or some aspect thereof!!! Notice also that with the exception of Philemon, Paul mentions the Rapture in every single epistle and letter that he wrote!!!
Yes, I think about the Rapture everyday. It should be at least as important to us as it was to Paul, I would think.
“Waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Romans 8:23.
“Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:7.
“they that are Christ’s at his coming.” 1 Corinthians 15:23.
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.
“For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:” 2 Corinthians 5:2.
“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8.
“Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:” Galatians 1:4.
“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:10-14.
“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:31-32.
“until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6.
“till the day of Christ”. Philippians 1:10.
“to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better.” Philippians 1:23.
“the day of Christ.” Philippians 2:16.
“If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” Philippians 3:11.
“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Philippians 3:20-21.
“The Lord is at hand.” Philippians 4:5.
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4.
“And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:10.
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” 1 Thessalonians 2:19.
“the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thess. 3:13.
“the coming of the Lord” 1 Thess. 4:15.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.
“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4.
“the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ” 1 Thess. 5:23.
“the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.” 2 Thess. 2:1.
“the brightness of his coming.” 2 Thess. 2:8.
“the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thess. 2:14.
“the patient waiting for Christ” 2 Thess. 3:5.
“the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Timothy 6:14.
“His appearing and his kingdom.” 2 Timothy 4:1.
“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8.
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13.
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28.
The sky shall unfold Preparing His entrance The stars shall applaud Him With thunders of praise
The sweet light in His eyes Shall enhance those awaiting And we shall behold Him Then face to face
O, we shall behold Him We shall behold Him Face to face in all of His glory
O, we shall behold Him Yes, we shall behold Him Face to face, our Savior and Lord
The angel shall sound The shout of His coming And the sleeping shall rise From their slumbering place
And those who remain Shall be changed in a moment And we shall behold Him Then face to face
We shall behold Him O yes we shall behold Him Face to face in all of His glory
We shall behold Him Yes, we shall behold Him Face to face
Our Savior and Lord And we shall behold Him Our Savior and Lord Savior and Lord
Southern Gospel legend Dottie Rambo died on Motherโs Day, Sunday, May 11, 2008 when her tour bus ran off the highway and struck an embankment in Missouri. Dottie was on her way to North Richland Hills, Texas to perform a Motherโs Day show with Lulu Roman & Naomi Sego. Dottie was 74 at the time of her death and had spent 62 years of her life writing music and singing about her Savior.
Seven other people on the bus, including her manager Larry Ferguson and his wife and two children, were injured in the accident. They were hospitalized in Springfield, Missouri with moderate to severe injuries, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. Representatives from her recording label confirmed that Dottie was asleep at the time of the accident.
Dottie Rambo, born Joyce Reba Lutrell in Madison, Kentucky on March 2, 1934, started writing songs at the age of 8 while sitting by a creek near her family home. By age 10 she was playing guitar and singing on local country radio. Her father dreamed of the day that young Dottie become a singer on Nashvilleโs WSM Grand Ole Opry. When Dottie gave her life to Christ at the age of 12, changing her path from country music to gospel, her father did not agree with the decision, fearing that she would spend her life singing in backwood churches for little or no pay. He gave her an ultimatum; either stop the Christian singing or leave his house. Dottie chose the path that Christ had laid in front of her and was taken to the bus stop by her mother with all of her belongings in a cardboard suitcase and her name and address on a tag around her neck in case she got lost.
By the 1950s she had married Buck Rambo and had her daughter, Reba. Dottie and Buck traveled across the region singing her songs in small churches. Other gospel groups, like the Happy Goodman Family, heard her songs and started singing them. The then- governor of Louisiana, Jimmy Davis, heard her music and flew her and her family to the governorโs mansion so that she could sing her songs for him. Governor Davis paid Dottie to publish her songs and soon after, Warner Brothers Records signed Dottie and her group, The Gospel Echoes, to a two-record deal. When they wanted Dottie and her group to move to folk and start singing Rhythm and Blues, Dottie declined.
1 John 3:2
ย 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.
ย The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them:
Hmm.ย Easier said than done โ right?ย Not really.ย Of course, it is nigh impossible if one relies on their own righteousness, but the Bible implicitly states in many places, that only God is righteous, and that we, miserable sinners that we are,ย may receive His righteousness through faith in the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.ย His perfect righteousness is given to us, by Grace.
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
We are delivered from death and judgment only by recognizing and accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior.ย He saves us from eternal death in the Lake of Fire, and promises us an eternityย withย Him.
but transgressors shall be taken in theirย ownย naughtiness.
Just as naughty children never think they will be found out โ the sinner in rebellion refuses to acknowledge what needs to be done. They willfully choose the darkness of this world, and the Proverb states they will be taken in their own naughtiness. Not the misdeeds of another โ but their very own misdeeds. Sinners in rebellion will not be able to blame anyone (as is the popular trend today) because the Word says the blame will be squarely laid at their own feet.
In the universities and satanically controlled media, herculean effort is made to convince the lost that their condition is not sin and damnation, but that their misery is caused by others. Hence, the creation of the blame game. The evil one does not want man to repent, and he will do everything in his considerable power to cause the sinner to either kill themselves before they can get saved โ or contrive to bedazzle the sinner with psychology and fleshly enticements. But God, in His mercy, has given us a narrow pathway of escape. . .
2 Peter 1:3-4
3 According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.
Though I may wonder, I still will follow; Though I may wonder, I still will follow; Though I may wonder, I still will follow; No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me; The world behind me, the cross before me; The world behind me, the cross before me; No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow; Though none go with me, still I will follow; Though none go with me, still I will follow; No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now to follow Jesus? Will you decide now to follow Jesus? Will you decide now to follow Jesus? No turning back, no turning back.
Singh was raised a member of the Sikh religion. Prior to his conversion, Sundar attended a primary school run by the American Presbyterian Mission where the New Testament was read daily as a โtextbook.โ Sundar โrefused to read the Bible at the daily lessonsโฆTo some extent the teaching of the Gospel on the love of God attracted me, but I still thought it was false.โ
In the midst of such confusion and while only fourteen years old, his mother died, and Sundar underwent a crisis of faith. His mother was a loving saintly woman and they were very close. In his anger, Sundar burned a copy of one of the Gospels in public. Within three days Sundar Singh could bear his misery no longer. Late one night in December 1903, he rose from bed and prayed that God reveal himself to him if he really existed. Otherwise โ โI planned to throw myself in front of the train which passed by our house.โ For seven hours Sundar Singh prayed. โO God, if there is a God, reveal thyself to me tonight.โ The next train was due at five oโclock in the morning. The hours passed. Suddenly the room filled with a glow. A man appeared before him. Sundar Singh heard a voice say, โHow long will you deny me? I died for you; I have given my life for you.โ He saw the manโs hands, pierced by nails.
Amazed that his vision had taken the unexpected form of Jesus, Sundar was convinced in his heart that Jesus was the true Savior, and that He was alive. Sundar fell on his knees before Him and experienced an astonishing peacefulness which he had never felt before. The vision disappeared, but peace and joy lingered within him.
Despite his familyโs pleas, bribes, and threats, Sundar wanted to be baptized in the Christian faith. After his father spoke words of official rejection over him, Sundar became an outcast from his people. He cut off the hair he had worn long like every Sikh man. Against great opposition, he was baptized on his birthday in 1905, in an English church in Simla.
Conventional Indian churches were willing to grant him a pulpit, but their rules were foreign to his spirit. Indeed, he felt that a key reason the gospel was not accepted in India was because it came in a garb foreign to Indians. He decided to become a sadhu, so that he could dedicate himself to the Lord Jesus. He was convinced that this was the best way to introduce the Gospel to his people since it was the only way which his people were accustomed to. As a sadhu, he wore a yellow robe, lived on the charity of others, abandoned all possession and maintained celibacy. In this lifestyle, he was free to devote himself to the Lord. Dressed in his thin yellow robe, Sundar Singh took to the road and began a life of spreading the simple message of love and peace and rebirth through Jesus. He carried no money or other possessions, only a New Testament.
Sundar journeyed much. He traveled all over India and Ceylon. Between 1918-1919, he visited Malaysia, Japan and China. Between 1920-1922 he went to Western Europe, Australia and Israel. He preached in many cities; Jerusalem, Lima, Berlin and Amsterdam among others. Despite his growing fame, Sundar retained a modest nature, desiring only to follow Jesusโ example: to repay evil with kindness and to win over his enemies by love.
He was quite independent of outward Church authority in all his religious life, thought, and work. He dropped out of a Christian seminary that he briefly attended. Neither did he attach much importance to public worship because in his experience the heart prays better in solitude than in a congregation.
He traveled in India and Tibet, as well as the rest of the world, with the message that the modern interpretation of Jesus was sadly watered down. Sundar visited Tibet every summer and in 1929, he visited there and was never seen again.
The story of the song is covered in the Book by Dr. P.P. Job and Indian preacher in His book โWhy God Whyโ
An excerpt from the book is given below:About 150 years ago, there was a great revival in Wales, England. As a result of this, many missionaries came from England and Germany to North-East India to spread the Gospel. At the time, north-east India was not divided into many states as it is today. The region was known as Assam and comprised hundreds of tribes. The tribal communities were quite primitive and aggressive by nature. The tribals were also called head-hunters because of a social custom which required the male members of the community to collect as many heads as possible. A manโs strength and ability to protect his wife was assessed by the number of heads he had collected. Therefore, a youth of marriageable age would try and collect as many heads as possible and hang them on the walls of his house. The more heads a man had, the more eligible he was considered. Into this hostile and aggressive community, came a group of Welsh missionaries spreading the message of love, peace and hope of Jesus Christ. Naturally, they were not welcomed. One Welsh missionary succeeded in converting a man, his wife, and two children. This manโs faith proved contagious and many villagers began to accept Christianity. Angry, the village chief summoned all the villagers. He then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man instantly composed a song which became famous down the years. He sang:
I have decided to follow Jesus. (3 times) No turning back, no turning back.
Enraged at the refusal of the man, the chief ordered his archers to arrow down the two children. As both boys lay twitching on the floor, the chief asked, โWill you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife too.โ
But the man sang these words in reply:
Though no one joins me, still I will follow. (3 times) No turning back, no turning back.
The chief was beside himself with fury and ordered his wife to be arrowed down. In a moment she joined her two children in death. Now he asked for the last time, โI will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.โ
In the face of death the man sang the final memorable lines:
The cross before me, the world behind me. (3 times) No turning back, no turning back.
He was shot dead like the rest of his family. But with their deaths, a miracle took place. The chief who had ordered the killings was moved by the faith of the man. He wondered, โWhy should this man, his wife and two children die for a Man who lived in a far-away land on another continent some 2,000 years ago? There must be some supernatural power behind the family, and I too want that supernatural power.โ
In a spontaneous confession of faith, he declared, โI too belong to Jesus Christ!โ When the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is the power of [God in] demonstration.
John 12:26
ย If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour.
A great many articles are written about the underground bunkers of the elites and super-rich. These fortresses amount to vast underground cities, with every comfort known to man. Even the not-so-rich, have succumbed to the notion, that they can โride-outโ Armageddon. Bible believers should know, that those who are truly born again โ will not need to โhide out,โ because they wonโt be here. Not only that โ but it would be impossible to do so. This is not to say that you should not be prepared for natural disasters, and not so natural ones like losing your job. What is being discussed here is the Day of Wrath.
Revelation 6:16-17
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Zephaniah 1:18
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lordโs wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy: for He shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
butย righteousnessย delivereth from death.
It is of utmost importance to understand, that you have no righteousness of your own. ZERO. When you are born again โ you can possess His righteousness, and it is overflowing and enough! The good works and deeds you do after being saved, will gain you rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ. And that is a wonderful thing to work for.
Philippians 3:9
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
Revelation 16:7
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments.
James 5:1-8
5 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am.
Refrain
Redeemed, redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed, redeemed, His child and forever I am.
Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus, No language my rapture can tell; I know that the light of His presence With me doth continually dwell.
Refrain
I think of my blessรจd Redeemer, I think of Him all the day long: I sing, for I cannot be silent; His love is the theme of my song.
Refrain
I know thereโs a crown that is waiting, In yonder bright mansion for me, And soon, with the spirits made perfect, At home with the Lord I shall be.
Refrain
“Oh, what a happy child I am,
although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world,
contented I will be!”
Fanny Crosby, (March 24, 1820 โ February 12, 1915)
1 Peter 1:18-19
18ย Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19ย But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Are you fortunate enough to live among trees? The Word of God is replete with references to trees โ in the histories and prophecies. I often think of the old adage โ โhe canโt see the forest for the trees,โ when faced with the obstinate refusal of sinners to see the sin that they are mired in. As they are in the midst of it โ they fail to see how immense sin truly is. The Lord made all trees and plants on the third day of creation โ and He made them very, very good. . . not just good for food, shelter, clothing, and outright beauty. . .but good for our souls.
Trees Really Are โPleasant to the Sightโ
by Brian Thomas, M.S. *
Genesis 2:9 records one of the Lordโs original intentions for creating trees, saying, โOut of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.โ A new study has quantified just how pleasant to the sight trees can be, inadvertently confirming the truthfulness of this ancient biblical passage.
Professor William Sullivan and lecturer Bin Jiang of the University of Illinoisโ department of landscape architecture measured stress levels in participants who watched six-minute-long 3D panoramic videos of neighborhoods. The amount of tree canopy coverage in the various neighborhoods ranged from 2 to 62 percent.1
The researchers used three tactics to gauge stress: measuring salivary cortisol levels, detecting skin conductance, and conducting self-reports. Adrenal glands secrete cortisol hormone in response to stress, and sweaty skinโanother response to stressโconducts electricity more efficiently than dry skin.
Their analysis revealed that those participants exposed to 62 percent tree coverage experienced a 60 percent reduction in stress.
Their results also showed that 41 percent of participants showed no change in stress levels when only a quarter or less of the neighborhood canopies had trees. However, according to University of Illinois news, โwhen the percentage of tree canopy increased to 36 percent, more than 90 percent of viewers reported feeling calm or relaxed while watching the videos.โ1
These findings support the idea that urban planners and landscape architects who incorporate green spaces into their plans could help foster a healthier, calmer populace.
How could the calming sense of pleasure that comes from looking at trees have evolved? Did it somehow help mankind out-compete some ancient and unfeeling animals from which we supposedly emerged?
Rather, God built trees to meet humanityโs God-given ability to appreciate them and thus their Maker. What better disposition from which to appreciate the Lord than one of simple pleasure? Viewed from a biblical perspective, the positive effect of merely looking at tree canopies confirms the words of Genesis that God made certain treesโnot just the tree of the knowledge of good and evilโto be pleasant to the eyes.
* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.
Deuteronomy 20:18-20
18ย That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against theย Lordย your God.
19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is manโs life) to employ them in the siege:
20ย Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.
Revelation 22:1-3
22ย And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2ย In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river,ย wasย there the tree of life,ย which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3ย And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him
Please enjoy this lovely rendition of Joyce Kilmerโs/Oscar Rasbachโs โTrees,โ sung by Bob McGrath, in classical Irish tenor style...
The next time you are outside, stop and take a whiff of the oxygen and fragrance that trees provide. Really pause, and look up at their branches moving in the wind. Thank our Creator for giving us such beautiful, wonderful things, things that we so often overlook in our busy lives.
Verse1: Far dearer than all that the world can impart Was the message came to my heart. How that Jesus alone for my sin did atone, And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all, My past with its sin and stain; My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there, And Calvary covers it all.
Verse 2: The stripes that He bore and the thorns that He wore Told His mercy and lover evermore And my heart bowed in shame as I called on His name, And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all, My past with its sin and stain; My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there, And Calvary covers it all.
Verse 3: How matchless the grace, when I looked in the face Of this Jesus, my crucified Lord; My redemption complete I then found at His feet, And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all, My past with its sin and stain; My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there, And Calvary covers it all.
Verse 4: How blessed the thought, that my soul by Him bought, Shall be His in the glory on high; Where with gladness and song, Iโll be one of the throng And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all, My past with its sin and stain; My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there, And Calvary covers it all.
Note: There is little information available on this fine song, written in 1934, or its author, but itโs worthy of consideration both for how it came to be written, and for the aptness of its message. The full story is found in Al Smithโs Hymn Histories (pp. 125-127).
The song relates to a dancer named Walter โHappy Macโ MacDonald, whom comedian Eddie Cantor said had the fastest feet in the world. Mac was talented, but he was also in bondage to sin, and addicted to alcohol. One night in the early 1930โฒs he stumbled into a meeting in the Pacific Garden Mission, in Chicago. When an invitation was given for those present to trust in Christ as Saviour, Mac did not respond. But, as he returned, night after night, workers gradually came to know more about him.
Directing the mission in those days (1918-1936) were Walter Grand Taylor and his wife Ethelwyn, affectionately known as Pa and Ma Taylor. Ethel Taylor watched Mac, and her heart went out to him. She prayed, โDear Lord, please help us say and do the right things, so that we may win Mac to Thee.โ Finally, MacDonald did seek counseling, and Ma Taylor listened as he struggled with his past. โYou donโt understand,โ he prayed. โYou donโt know how bad I am, Lord. Really Iโm the worst man in the world. You canโt save me; Iโm too bad.โ
Mrs. Taylor recalled a message she had heard weeks before. Evangelist Percy Crawford had been a rebel in his youth. But one day he accepted Christ as his Saviour. The theme of Crawfordโs testimony was, โCalvary covers it all,โ and Ethel Taylor shared those words with MacDonald.
He asked her to repeat them, and suddenly the light dawned. โOh! Mrs. Taylor, Iโm so glad itโs true, and you told me. Calvary does cover it all! My whole past of sin and shame.โ The former entertainer trusted in the Saviour that night in 1934, and lived to become an outstanding servant of Christ.
This magnificent old hymn is pure praise from start to finish, and is chock full of solid doctrine. Turn up your speakers and see His glory. The chord progressions are spectacular.
All people that on earth do dwell, Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell; Come ye before Him and rejoice.
The Lord, ye know, is God indeed; Without our aid He did us make; We are His folk, He doth us feed, And for His sheep He doth us take.
O enter then His gates with praise; Approach with joy His courts unto; Praise, laud, and bless His Name always, For it is seemly so to do.
For why? the Lord our God is good; His mercy is for ever sure; His truth at all times firmly stood, And shall from age to age endure.
To Father, Son and Holy Ghost, The God Whom Heaven and earth adore, From men and from the angel host Be praise and glory evermore.
Hymn Story
All People That on Earth Do Dwell
In the Reformation, there was a difference of opinion between Luther and Calvin concerning music for congregational singing. Luther advocated the use of hymns and carols, and even wrote a number of those. Calvin was concerned that hymns not clearly based on scripture might introduce false doctrine into the church, and so he advocated the singing of Psalms. He said that there were โno better songs nor more appropriate to the purpose (of congregational singing) than the Psalms of David which the Holy Spirit made and spoke through him.โ
Calvin, of course, was based in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1551, a Psalter was published in Geneva that included a song based on Psalm 134 and set to a tune by Louis Bourgeois. In 1561, the Anglo-Genevan Psalter (an English-language Psalter) was published in Geneva that included โAll People That on Earth Do Dwellโ set to that earlier tune by Bourgeois.
The words to โAll People That on Earth Do Dwellโ were written by William Kethe, a Scottish clergyman who had fled the persecutions of Queen Mary. His exile took him first to Frankfurt, Germany and thence to Geneva. Kethe helped with the translation of the Geneva Bible in 1560 and contributed 25 psalms to the Anglo-Genevan Psalter.
Kethe left Geneva for England in 1561, and took a copy of the Anglo-Genevan Psalter with him โโ thereby introducing this music to the English. A number of his psalms found their way into the English Psalter of 1562, which was published by Thomas Sternhold and John Hopkins. All of his psalms were included in the Scottish Psalter two years later.
โAll People That on Earth Do Dwellโ is based on Psalm 100. That Psalm is five verses in length, and the song is four verses. The first verse of the song is based on verses 1 and 2 of the psalm, and each of the subsequent verses of the song is based on one verse of the psalm. It is probably the oldest hymn in common use today.
The tune by Bourgeois is known today as โOld Hundredth,โ and is one of the best-known tunes in modern hymnals โโ in large measure because it is also sung to the Doxology, โPraise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.โ
ย Make a joyful noise unto theย Lord, all ye lands.
2ย Serve theย Lordย with gladness: come before His presence with singing.
3ย Know ye that theย Lordย He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
4ย Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
5ย For theย Lordย is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.
sage
p.s. I post this as part of my continuous effort to point up the dangers of CCM, and hope and pray that Godโs people will wake up to the serpent in the singing. Can you see what is being lost as the old hymns are cast aside for simple lyrics and rhythmic melodies? CCM is now firmly in IFB churches everywhere.
It is a fact โ the bigger they are โ the harder they fall.ย The Pharisee in the illustration was full of himself, totally unaware that he was doomed.ย We also, as believers,ย canย fall to this sort of pride.
One pastor of a large and beautiful church, was a very confident man. He had a beautiful family, and was well received by his congregation. He was a learned man, and gifted teacher. This continued on for some time, and his pride grew along with his successes. One day, his teenaged daughter ran away from home. They had no idea where she was. Then his church began to splinter as he attempted to accommodate both progressives and conservatives within his congregation. The โblendedโ church service ensued, which was followed by uprisings within the sheepfold. Half the congregation left to join a contemporary worship church, while another half left to join a traditional church. His church went bankrupt, whereupon he was fired by the board.
How about us? Are we foolish and prideful enough to think we can accommodate the world in our hearts? The pastor in the story, is the story of each and everyone of us. He allowed his daughter to closely associate with worldly teenagers. He allowed young and fleshly people to hold sway in his congregation. We all try in varying degrees to accommodate the world. Perhaps our teenaged daughter has not run away from home, but put in perspective โ we all have our own kind of โrunaways,โ donโt we? Take your pick โ job? marriage? favorite sin? addiction? Do you know where they are?
but with the lowly is wisdom.
Daily, minute by minute, moment by moment, we must strive to keep the world, the flesh, and the devil under complete subjection. Any compromise or accommodation will lead to our shame. If we think we can master the devil without copious prayer and Bible study โ we give the evil one mastery over us because we are accommodating him. Donโt think for one second that you can outfox the fox on your own. Humble yourself, and rely only on Godโs wisdom and knowledge. Never attempting to put your own thinking or understanding into what you think God thinks. The only wisdom in this world is in Godโs Holy Word โ the Bible.
The prevailing trend is to put animals on the same level as man – making continual referrals to our “closest relative” – the chimpanzee. We see many well produced, heart-tugging, and expensive commercials for the Humane Society, or the ASPCA. All the while, crisis pregnancy centers struggle to keep their doors open, and private property owners are forced to surrender everything to an endangered animal.
Man is not an animal, man is God’s jewel of Creation
God. . .breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Genesis 2: 7
Man is special to God
God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion . . .upon the earth. Genesis 1: 26
Man is positionally important to God
Thou wast precious in My sight. . .and I have loved thee. . .Even every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. Isaiah 43: 4, 7
Our God is a Triune God
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is One Lord. . .Deuteronomy 6: 4
Man was created a triune being
I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5: 23
The New Age Religion seeks to spread the blasphemy, that not only is man one with nature – but God is also one with everything.
“Swami Vivekkananda, a Hindu guru widely thought of in America, taught that because the Mother-Goddess Kali is all, all in one, and all is cyclical, God is both good and evil:
‘Who can say that God does not manifest Himself as Evil as well as Good? But only the Hindu dares to worship him in the evil. . .How few have dared to worship death, or Kali? Let us worship death!’
Likewise, Lucifer is said to be neither evil nor good. He simply is. Formerly a destroyer, Lucifer now becomes a god – perhaps the God – chosen to shepherd mankind into the brightness of a New Age.
He is the Shiva and Kali of the New Age.” (Dark Secrets of the New Age,p. 87, Texe Marrs)
When young boys and girls are told repeatedly in school that the human embryo is no different than a chicken embryo in the early days of development – this sets the stage for abortion later on. After all – we eat chickens – don’t we?
14 I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139: 14-16
If you – or someone you know – is faced with an unplanned pregnancy – think about this one thing. . .ending the life that is growing, will not solve anything. Please, choose the miracle of life. Choose God’s way, not Satan’s way. God loves you so much, and you are so precious to Him, that He gave His life, so that you could live – you and your unborn child.
There are lovely and caring women, just waiting to help you, at crisis pregnancy centers all over America. Just look in the yellow pages. You will not be judged, you will be loved. You – and your child.
The reward of heeding wisdom, is God Himself. He is our reward! This is in direct contrast to what the prosperity ministries teach. If we seek after Him with the same intensity as a carnal person would seek after buried treasure – He will reveal Himself to us.
We continue on the same theme. This time finding out exactly what happens when we receive this Godly wisdom.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
12 To deliver thee from the way of the
evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
This “evil man” can come in the guise of a co-worker, a friend, TV personality, a worldly book or magazine, employer, family member, class mate, neighbor, internet, or even a passing acquaintance.
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
Of course, the “strange woman” could be any woman. She could be the neighbor that dresses immodestly in front of your husband, the girl at work, the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, one of the female false prophets on TV, your hairstylist, or even your kid’s Bible study teacher!
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
Proverbs 2: 10-22
And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19
Anyone may see, how electronics (via the prince of the power of the air) have captured the hearts and minds of an entire generation. A well stocked home library can effectively stem that evil tide! And via garage sales and thrift stores, the home library can be filled to the brim with books for every member of the family. Truly, the warm pages of a book are far superior and more intimate than a Kindle or lap top.
Our local Salvation Army has paperback books at two for $.99. And absolutely free – children’s books and Bibles. Hardback books are $1.99, and some are truly nice. I also have picked up many sheet music books (barely used) at the same price they charge for paperbacks.
Findings published in the journal Social Science Researchshow that raising a child in a home filled with books positively impacts her future academic growth and job attainment. Specifically, asPacific Standard reported, the study found that when it comes to standardized tests, โRegardless of how many books the family already has, each addition to the home library helps children do better.โ That makes sense: A book-filled home encourages a culture of reading for enjoyment and talking about books.
A growing body of evidence shows that growing up with home libraries boosts adult literacy, adult numeracy (math skills), and adult technological competence, with the greatest returns to the growth in smaller home libraries. In other words, adding just a few books to your home library can make a big difference.
Going from no books at home to some books at home. Going from some books to a few more. This is doable! Thatโs what weโre doing at BookGive all the time.
In this study, the researchers found that growing up with almost no books was associated with literacy levels at about 50% below average. Having at least 80 books raised the literacy levels to average. Once a home library hits the 300 range, the literary gains are not significant, although weโd never discourage folks from surrounding themselves with lots of books.
Our home library is significantly smaller now that our family has grown up and out, but we still feel that books are the gateway to knowledge. Some of my personal books are so well loved, they are more tape than paper… My sewing books are in the sewing room, cookbooks are in the kitchen, and and gardening books are all in a corner shelf near the piano. A full set of encyclopedias is stowed on a very high shelf in the linen closet. Because you never know!
The time you spend reading to and with your children, will be remembered with far greater clarity than any cartoons or games children play.
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, And liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, And searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.
Often the secular world will accuse Christians of being exclusionary – “Jesus can’t be the only way.” (Oprah Winfrey) What about that? Is He the only way?
Yes !
In reality, there have always been two Books. The Bible, and Creation. Creation has been around for 2,500 years before the Bible was given.
The outdoor book speaks to man about God through natural revelation. Every person born on this earth, is witness to God’s eternal power and Godhead, through nature. Common sense tells man that there is beauty, order, intelligence, and design.
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth. Isaiah 40:26
Are the heathen accountable? Yes.
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1: 19-21
If the individual responds positively to the truth that is revealed in nature, God, who knows our very thoughts, will raise up a missionary to give that person the truth in the written Word.
For example, when Paul and Silas wanted to go to a certain area in Asia, they were “forbidden of the Holy Ghost” – Acts 16:6,7.
Instead, God sent them to Western Europe, where He knew they were waiting to receive the Word. If people do not respond to the outdoor Book – they are still responsible for rejecting it – even if they never hear the Written Word.
Rejecting the truth of Creation will eventually cause individuals, as well as entire nations to become perverted. It makes no difference if the person is living in a hut in a third world country, or a penthouse in a fabulous city – it still applies.
1 O love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.
2 O light that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to thee; my heart restores its borrowed ray, that in thy sunshineโs blaze its day may brighter, fairer be.
3 O joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee; I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be.
4 O cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from thee; I lay in dust lifeโs glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms red life that shall endless be.
Lyrics: George Matheson 1842-1906
Music: Albert L. Peace
โStabilizing lines, especially for those in darkness.
Do you know the story behind it?
At age 20 George Matheson (1842-1906) was engaged to be married but began going blind. When he broke the news to his fiancee, she decided she could not go through life with a blind husband. She left him. Before losing his sight he had written two books of theology and some feel that if he had retained his sight he could have been the greatest leader of the church of Scotland in his day.
A special providence was that Georgeโs sister offered to care for him. With her help, George left the world of academia for pastoral ministry and wound up preaching to 1500 each weekโblind.
The day came, however, in 1882, when his sister fell in love and prepared for marriage herself. The evening before the wedding, Georgeโs whole family had left to get ready for the next dayโs celebration. He was alone and facing the prospect of living the rest of his life without the one person who had come through for him. On top of this, he was doubtless reflecting on his own aborted wedding day twenty years earlier. It is not hard to imagine the fresh waves of grief washing over him that night.
In the darkness of that moment George Matheson wrote this hymn. He remarked afterward that it took him five minutes and that it was the only hymn he ever wrote that required no editing.
O love that will not let me go. Heartening hope for you and me.โ
Oh โ those loud, attention seekers. They speak without thinking, and put their proverbial feet in their mouths at every opportunity. Well, as annoying as they may be โ the jabber mouths will not go on forever. The ones who take delight in mocking and ridiculing the Lord and His people will not get the last laugh!
Proverbs 10:31-32
31ย The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.
Recalling that only those who are under the Blood of Christ are considered โjustโ by God โ it does not bode well for those who have a froward tongue!
adjective: froward
(of a person) difficult to deal with; contrary.
In point of fact โ our blessed Redeemer made mention of this very thing, while He was here in the flesh:
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
32ย The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.
How do we know what is โacceptable?โ By reading, studying, and memorizing the Word of God. Being a Christian does not automatically cause you to speak with wisdom! This kind of righteousness comes only with having the mind of Christ, and making His thoughts and Words a part of you. And to prove that our own words can not count as wisdom, we look to our Savior once again, and see how He responded to the Devil during the temptation.
Matthew 4:3-10
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Notice that the Lord ONLY used Scripture to respond to the Devil. This is especially important for those Christians who somehow think the Old Testament no longer has meaning or importance to the Church! If the Living Christ thought it was important enough to quote โ how are Christians confident in not doing so as well? Are we responding to temptation with our own logic and reason? Are we foolish enough to think that our own resources can outfox the Fox? The Devil? The Tempter? This one thing โ failing to use the Word of God against temptation โ is the greatest weakness of the Church.
Donโt get bogged down in debate with the evil one and his minions โ you canโt possibly win against a supernatural intelligence like that using your own abilities. ย Use the Word of God as the sword of Truth!ย Memorize it, inhale it, study it, devour it.ย The wicked will flee. . .
So, you’ve done everything right. You’ve home-schooled for years, surrounded your kids with the love of Christ, and after years of careful tending – your semi-adult child rebels. And not a little rebellion – we’re talking major rebellion. I’m not referring to the sullen eight year old who refuses to finish his math paper – what is on the table here is the child who morally rebels, and may even leave home. Can this happen in a Christian home school? Yes. Rarely, but it does happen.
Every person born in the world has the potential for rebellion within them. One only needs to hear that first NO! out of a toddler’s mouth to believe it. This is natural rebellion as a result of the fall of man that every parent must quell in their child, or the infant terriblewill grow into an intolerable human being. But is teenage rebellion “natural?” Homeschool parents become defensive when overly helpful outsiders promise them, and none too kindly, that their teenagers are going to put them through hell. Is teenage rebellion inevitable?
To answer that question, we must address what causes it.
Attention starvation –Ok, you have three younger children that need 100% supervision. Your 15 year old doesn’t need that much from you – right? Wrong. The teenager that is “acting out” is actually “crying out for attention.”
Too much criticism from you– NEVER publicly chasten your teen. Bear in mind that teasing can be taken as mocking, and it is very, very painful. And please have a tender heart for other people’s teenagers.
Be informed – Always make every effort to be fully informed before you make a judgement on something. Often kids are so fearful of disappointing their parents they will compound what they have done by attempting to conceal it.
Making assumptions – Both teens and their parents make assumptions about each others’ motivations. And they are usually wrong!
The Golden Child – This is a toughie. It very frequently happens in multi-child households that one of them will seem “golden” to the other kids. They don’t seem to get disciplined, their grades are wondrous, they are talented, everyone loves them! Every person on this earth, including your “un-golden” child has something they can do well. Make it a priority to dig for that “gold.”
Alright, you did all that and you still have a rebel. What now? Cling to the Word of God like a life preserver in a stormy sea, and heed this promise:
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 (This Proverb does not guarantee that your children will be saved. Salvation is an individual choice that every person must make. The Proverb does, however, assure us that what we teach our children regarding character stays with them – even through rebellion.)
True story time –
A conservative family with seven children, all raised the in the same fashion, had one child that chose the world. After twelve years of homeschool and careful nurturing, the unsuspecting parents were greeted by a note and an empty bed one morning. Their 18 1/2 year old daughter had simply moved out in the middle of the night.
In her note she said she wanted to “see the world.” For these parents, it was almost like a death. For the first time in her life, the parents did not know where she was. They did not know who had helped transport her, either. All of her clothing had been taken, so it was clear she had moved out.
This experience was so terrifying for the parents, they called the prayer chain, and began fasting and praying with all of their being. Days passed, then weeks, then months. Then years. Not a word. The toll on the mother’s health was drastic. They acted hopeful around each other, but inwardly carried it like a ten ton weight.
The one day, out of the blue, the daughter returned home. She was a broken person. She no longer had that sparkle in her eye they all loved. She looked more like a hunted animal. And – she was four months pregnant. But – she was penitent! She came into the home, and in front of the entire family, got down on her knees and begged forgiveness from her parents, saying that she had already asked the Lord for forgiveness. And, those blessed, weary parents embraced that child with all the love they could muster, praising God and giving thanks for her safe return.
Did they reprimand her? No, because they could see that she had already “paid the piper” several times over, and bore scars that would last a life time. The purpose of this story, is to know that there is restoration for the rebel and their families. With God – all things are possible.
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Luke 15: 7
If you are coping with a prodigal, try not to give way to consuming fear – it is not the Lord’s will that we live in fear – even for our children. I have counseled women who are completely overtaken with thinking and fretting about their children. Jesus must be our all-in-all, not our children.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians 6: 4
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The way of theย Lordย is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Once again, the Proverbs make a clear demarcation between the saved and the lost. The pagan world is stymied when Christians repeatedly stand tall in the face of adversity. They would prefer, if when faced with calamity, that we collapse and fall into the abyss of sinful behaviors that they are mired in. But โ the Proverb states that the Lord is our strength. We do not need to resort to the worldโs accepted methods โ we have the Word of God. Nothing more is required to see us through lifeโs darkest hours.
Psalm 1:6 For theย Lordย knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Proverbs 10:30
The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
Thatโs right all you Mother Earth worshipers, you do NOT inherit the earth. No matter how much you do to โsave the planet,โ it wonโt help โ because itโs not yours to save. The earth is the Lordโs, and everything in it โ and He will give it to whom He chooses. It will not be given to the unrepentant, that is a fact.
Psalm 37:29
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
Revelation 21:6-8
6ย And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7ย He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8ย 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 fear of theย Lordย prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.ย
Proverbs 10:27
While the Word of God does not guarantee a long earthly life to truly born again believers, it does follow reason that those who fear Him, and forsake sinful lifestyles will have better health and greater joy in life. While we are in our flesh โ we long to be with Him, and having the knowledge of His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence will prevent us from taking a detour into the dark side.
Living the Holy Spirit filled life is a matter of surrendering our wills to His will. It is a matter of getting rid of our household gods and fleshly desires, and allowing the Holy Spirit to completely fill us. And while it seems that the wicked are holding sway at this moment in time โ remember โ that to God โ there is no time! Time only exists here on earth โ it is not a part of the heavenly realm.
The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.ย
Proverbs 10:28
Yes โ we must fear our Creator โ but we must also hope in Him. One need only see the hard, brittle, look in the eyes of the abrasive atheists when they are attacking the Bible and Bible believers. It is a cold, dead expression โ void of hope. And if the eyes truly are the window to the soul โ what does that tell us? There is death where there is no hope โ spiritual death. And then in the not so far off future โ eternal death in the Lake of Fire.
We can be truly glad of heart, and take joy in the fact that our futures are already secure, and written down in the Lambโs Book of Life. There is no reason to fret over evil doers โ because their future is already determined if they remain unrepentant. What a terrible thought.
The next time you hear news of murders, corruptions, and all the sundry evils that satan has in his arsenal, it would be wise to think where your hope is.ย It is not here! not in America, not in anything other than our blessed savior โ Jesus Christ.ย
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even aย vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
[Forgive me. I so wanted to post a video with the classic hymn – “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand,” but was unable to find one without a sensuous back-beat.]
24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
Those that are unsaved and living for the world system, fear death to the point they will do almost anything to avoid it. Because they have no hope for the future, and no concept of an eternity โ they cling with fervor to this earthly realm. Being completely self centered, they think nothing of killing the unborn, or using their body parts to extend their own lives.
25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
As believers, we know that our future is already sealed. That is our hope โ something the wicked couldnโt possibly understand. With Jesus Christ as our Righteous and Everlasting foundation, we are known by name, are built onto โ and permanently attached to Him. Once we are in heaven with the Lord, the wicked will no more come to our minds. Or to the Lordโs mind! And how grateful we should be for that! Not to think about what the evil are up to anymore โ that sounds like heaven to me.
Isaiah 65:11-17
11 But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget My holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.
12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before Mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, My servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, My servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, My servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:
14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.
15 And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto My chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call His servants by another name:
16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from Mine eyes.
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
How many of us think, that if we only had enough money in the bank, or enough food in storage, or enough gold coins, or enough whatever โ that we would be safe from impending doom?ย
Or conversely, how many of us rely on our poverty to sustain us?ย Believing that some entity or other will always be there to pick us up after we fall, or feed, clothe, shelter, and educate us merely because we exist?ย Assuming no harm can befall us because โtheyโ will help?ย
Proverbs 10:15
ย The rich manโs wealth is his strong city:
This image applies to both aspects of the Proverb โ because within a city or any metropolitan area like that โ both the wealthy and the poor live within yards of each other. Artificial insulation deceives the dwellers into thinking that all is well. The wealthy thinks his high tower protects him, and the poor thinks the system will protect him. And it doesnโt only apply to cities โ think of the wealthy plantations in the South before the Civil War. They were micro-complexes of supra-independence. But many of them were razed and burned to the ground โ lock, stock, and barrel.
the destruction of the poor is their poverty.
Do people trust in poverty? Absolutely! It is the same assumption that the wealthy make โ trusting in the world. Content to let others care for them โ the poor will end in destruction says the Proverb.
Not everyone who is poor or wealthy must end this way. It is a matter of where we put our trust. Trusting in ourselves, in money, in โprepping,โ in the government, in family, in religion, in education, in the media, in anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ โ is folly and destruction for both the rich and the poor.
Psalm 118:8-9
8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Please look at verse 8 above โ putting confidence in man โ includes yourself! V. 9 โ putting confidence in princes is the same as putting confidence in politicians.
Psalm 9:9-10
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.
There is an entire industry devoted to โprepping,โ or the storing up of food and provisions in cases of extreme emergency.ย But there is something else we need to think about storing up.ย And it is something that is mentioned frequently in the Word of God โ while โpreppingโ is not.ย Indeed โ it would not be an exaggeration to state that โpreppingโ has become a religion to many people!
Another way to describe storing up โ is laying up.
Proverbs 10:14
ย Wise men lay up knowledge:ย
It has been stressed repeatedly throughout these Friday Proverb studies โ that the only thing truly worth knowing about โ is Godโs Word. It is the foundation and cornerstone of all knowledge and wisdom. There is nothing โ NOTHING โ more important to our earthly sojourn โ than to โlay upโ knowledge of His Book! If you donโt โ you fall into the โbutโ category of this Proverb-
but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
The fact is โ If we posted all the fools featured on television in just one dayย โ from all the different sources such as news and talk shows โ wordpress would probably crash!ย
Thinking before speaking is a sign of wisdom. Laying up knowledge before speaking is another sign of wisdom. Far too many open their mouths to opine on things they know nothing about. By prefacing their opinion with an โI think,โ they believe they are qualified to hold forth, often having no more understanding of what they are talking about than a child would. Moreover โ they resist any efforts by others to teach them what they do not understand! That is willfully ignorant! And my friends โ Christians are guilty of this too. . .
Is ignorance an excuse? Not for believers! We are told again and again to feed on the Word. The more we take in the deep things of God โ the more we will know when to speak and what to say, and when to hold our tongues. What should come out of our mouths, is not our thoughts โ but His thoughts. And the only way to know His thoughts โ is by laying up the Words in His Book!
James 1:19
ย Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath
James 1:26
ย If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this manโs religion is vain.
Unruly behavior is one thing โ unruly mouths are another. Using our mouths to glorify Him is wisdom, which only comes from Him.
Proverbs 10:13
ย In the lips of him that hathย understandingย wisdom is found:
Any wisdom that comes forth from our mouths comes from Him.ย Havingย understandingย is different than having knowledge.ย The depth of our understanding will be commensurate to our walk with Him.ย Many sheeple devote their energies to earning advanced degrees or to studying the evil antics of politicians.ย From a humanistic perspective, they could be identified as having great knowledge.ย Yet โ they do not have understanding.ย No passage in Scripture expresses thisย difference better than the following:
Job 42:5-6
5 I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
In the forty-two chapters of the Book of Job, he makes an arduous journey from the mere knowledge of God โ to the true understanding of God. When Job submits โ he receives understanding.
but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
At its very essence โ the above verse means exactly what it says . . .ย rejecting Jesus Christ demonstrates a complete void of understanding.ย
Is that a tired and trite old saying โ โHate the sin, love the sinner?โย The ecumenical church movement has hijacked the Biblical definition of love, and morphed it into a mushy, weak-willed tolerance.ย Tolerance is not love!ย Oh you who say that God is Love, must also recognize that God is Truth โ and His Truth can not lie.ย And His Truth will not allow us to lie to ourselves.ย We can dig into this even deeper. . .
Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirreth up strifes:
The infamous Westboro Baptist Church perfectly typifies this Proverb. Their hatred has consumed them, and causes people outside the faith to make assumptions about others who carry the name of Baptist. Hatred blinds us to the Truth โ the Truth of the Gospel, which includes the truth of our own sin. Hatred causes families to fall apart, and continuous strife between people for every reason under the sun. If there is no forgiveness โ there is hatred, resentment, bitterness, and misery. Often lasting a lifetime.
Do you have someone you hate? Perhaps you were abused or neglected, and have good reason. But the hatred and bitterness you hold for that person or people, will eat away inside you, causing internal strife โ and stealing your inner peace.
but love covereth all sins.
Wow. Take a good long look at the above picture. That is an aged parent and adult child clasping hands. It isnโt always a parent that has hurt us โ sometimes itโs a sibling, neighbor, employer, teacher, friend, spouse, religious leader, peers, coworker, some corrupt entity or other . . . no matter what the source โ the resentment and hatred is the same. It could be something like a visceral hatred of the government โ to the girl who made fun of you in 7th grade. Only when you let that go โ and allow yourself to forgive (weโre not saying you will forget) and stop holding so tightly to the hatred that is sustaining you โ can you experience the Perfect Love that covereth all sins.
You canโt do it on your own, pray to Him for help, and He will relieve you of that burden. Once you are relieved of that terrible canker eating away at you, you will feel the covering of that sin like a soothing blanket, and the terror and anguish and hatred of whoever or whatever was the recipient of that hatred (deserving or not) will fade away like yesterdays clouds on a sunny day.
It is His love, and His love alone, that makes this possible.ย
1 John 4:17-19
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love Him, because He first loved us.
1 Corinthians 13:7
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
If you do not forgive โ your unforgiveness will grow and fester into hate.
Let His perfect love cast out that resentment, and feel the freedom of His perfect love. Love does not require you to become someoneโs doormat โ love frees you from hatred. Your view will change โ and you will see the the person you hated โ as a miserable sinner who needs salvation. Suddenly, things that seemed really important will diminish, and the Gospel and the sharing of it, will become what is most important to you.
Oh,ย the power of the tongue to commit good and evil!ย Wars have been waged over verbal missteps.ย Studies show that children parrot what their parents say -good or bad.ย Throughout Scripture, we are taught to speak with measure and care.ย The unsaved will judge the entire church and the Godheadย by what just one Christian says!ย It is so important, that there are dozens and dozens of verses relating to what people say with their mouths, not just their actions.ย
Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life:
With our words we can encourage, comfort, teach, edify, and otherwise do great things through the Righteousness of Christ. We can ask Him to speak through us โ to use us to glorify Him. The only righteousness the believer can possess is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ โ it is His Holy Spirit working through us that allows our words to be a well of life. And done in His Spirit โ our words can do the work we are here for. We can worship Him โ and we can witness about Him. All with words. And at the Judgment Seat of Christ we will be rewarded for what we have done with words.
When we talk about the gospel to the unsaved โ we are giving someone a lifeline โ we are giving living waterย from the well of life โ Jesus Christ!ย
The second half of this Proverb must be fairly important, because it is repeated twice in Proverbs 10.
but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
Once again we see that the wicked will not be able to speak to defend themselves. Right now โ it seems that the wicked are in great power, and have control of the air waves, and all media. Scripture assures us that this will not last much longer. And these scorners and mockers of Jesus Christ will not be allowed to speak at the Great White Throne Judgment when the charges are made against them. No lawyers to speak for them, or juries to empathize with them. Jesus Christ is the Judge, and Jury.
Revelation 20:11-13
11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Please donโt delay getting right with the LORD. Now is the right time to find Him โ not after you are dead. After this life is over โ there is an eternity โ and it is up to you to choose how you will spend it. That is the free- will given to man by God. We must choose Him. And we must come to Him by the way He specifies in His Word โ the Bible. If you would like to talk to us about it โ please email at:
Bible translations โ itโs a mess. If you are anything like me (logical, analytical, likes to read peer-reviewed research for *fun* on the weekends), the confusion surrounding Biblical translations seems to almost invalidate the Bible as a whole. To an external observer with a penchant towards experimental and evidence-based analysis, contradicting results invalidates the authority of the results. Due to the conflicting views on translations of Scripture, I am working to assemble my research to validate the authority of the Scripture in terms of the Authorized King James Version.
When Emperor Constantine took over the Roman Empire thanks to strong connections that were enabled by his father Caesar Constantius of the First Tetrarchy (AD 293 โ 305), he sought to unify paganism and Christianity. By unifying them, he would be able to manipulate himself into a position of absolute divine authority and unanimous approval from all classes through an imperial cult, a state religion wherein an emperor or group of emperors are worshipped as demigods or deities. When Emperor Constantine did this, he:
Increased tolerance of Christianity while limiting regulations against Roman polytheism.
Mingled pagan holidays with Christian beliefs.
Called for the Council of Nicaea, establishing the Nicene Creed and deity of Christ.
All of the unified religions established as the official religion of the Roman Empire were called, as a unit, Roman Catholicism. In an effort to unify Christianity and people who had pantheistic views for peace under his โdivine leadership,โ Constantine played his role carefully after analyzing that the Christians would not be so easily eliminated with simple persecution and massacre as was attempted during the reign of prior Emperor Diocletian and his Tetrarchy. Roman Catholicism embellished Christianity with ritualistic ceremonies, focusing on the value and authority of paganist rituals and ceremony as opposed to the authority of Scripture. Thus, any Scripture which was derived from the influence of that intermingling of Gnosticism, paganism and Arianism that was the result of Constantineโs efforts for a unified religion (Roman Catholicism) andany translation of Scripture which stemmed from that unification and desperate attempt to unite the pagans of the world with Christians uses a translation that:
1.) is anti-Trinitarian
2.) denies the authority of Scripture.
Most English Translations of Scripture come from copies of Greek codices of questionable translational authenticity kept in โthe holy city of Catholicsโ โ Vatican City.
Please note the following illustration:
I will be providing more information on this topic as time permits.
Matthew 5:18
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
This research, recently published (July 2024), entitled โReal-Time Self-Assembly of Stereo microscopically Visible Artificial Constructions in Incubated Specimens of mRNA Products Mainly from Pfizer and Moderna: A Comprehensive Longitudinal Study,โ indicates that everyone who was coerced into taking that Pfizer or Moderna vaccine could very well be infected with some strange unidentifiable nanotech.
Just Read the Highlighted Text:
As we reported here, we have isolated numerous and various unidentified materials โ a few ฮผm in size โ beyond the nanoparticles described in FDA reports for the mRNA injectables, in the Pfizer and even more so in the Moderna products.
Having concluded various experiments and careful observational studies, we infer that the materials and their observed stages of development are not natural. They are synthetic, and elemental seeming to govern a well-programmed process of structural self-assembly. That their provisional final production could be described as artificial has already been suggested in the numerous articles referenced so far…
โฆSasha Latypova, an executive and researcher for the pharmaceutical industry, discovered an extreme deviation in side effects among the batch-to-batch vials of mRNA COVID-19 injectables. In a normal world, this sort of wildly uneven deviation would be intolerable in ordinary pharmaceutical products receiving routine oversight by regulatory bodies adhering strictly to established protocols and safety guidelines. Nevertheless, as the public has been reminded continually, we are living in a โnew normalโ. How, therefore, might we understand more generally this obvious deviation from the old normal? One way is to consider intentionality. These products were meant to serve foremost as experimental injections for the whole of humanity โ including all ethnicities, sexes, and age groups.
This depiction squares with the FDA approval letter of the Comirnaty (Pfizer product; FDA, 2021), the post-marketing requirement, in infants under 6 months of age, the study completion of July 31, 2024, and the final report which is to be submitted by October 31, 2024. Worth nothing is that in the accompanying documents for the injectable products all details referring to the factories where they were manufactured were conspicuously redacted, which begs larger questions about secrecy undermining informed consent.
Broudy, Daniel & Lee, Young. (2024). Real-Time Self-Assembly of Stereomicroscopically Visible Artificial Constructions in Incubated Specimens of mRNA Products Mainly from Pfizer and Moderna: A Comprehensive Longitudinal Study. International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research. 3. 1180-1244. 10.56098/586k0043.
…
2 Timothy 3:1-9
3ย This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2ย For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3ย Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,4ย Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;5ย Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.6ย For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,7ย Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.8ย Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.9ย But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.
In this article by Al Mohler [president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary] he covers how the Hegelian Dialectic [though not identifying it as such] has effectively been used to disarm and deflate the Christians and Conservatives in America [and throughout the world] so that a battle was won without a shot ever being fired.
Thursday โข June 3, 2004
After the BallโWhy the Homosexual Movement Has Won
The spectacular success of the homosexual movement stands as one of the most fascinating phenomena of our time. In less than two decades, homosexuality has moved from โthe love that dares not speak its name,โ to the center of Americaโs public life. The homosexual agenda has advanced even more quickly than its most ardent proponents had expected, and social change of this magnitude demands some explanation.
A partial explanation of the homosexual movementโs success can be traced to the 1989 publication of After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90s. Published with little fanfare, this book became the authoritative public relations manual for the homosexual agenda, and its authors presented the book as a distillation of public relations advice for the homosexual community. A look back at its pages is an occasion for understanding just how successful their plan was.
Authors Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen combined psychiatric and public relations expertise in devising their strategy. Kirk, a researcher in neuropsychiatry, and Madsen, a public relations consultant, argued that homosexuals must change their presentation to the heterosexual community if real success was to be made.
Conceiving their book as a โgay manifesto for the 1990s,โ the authors called for homosexuals to repackage themselves as mainstream citizens demanding equal treatment, rather than as a promiscuous sexual minority seeking greater opportunity and influence.
Writing just as the AIDS crisis hit its greatest momentum, the authors saw the disease as an opportunity to change the public mind. โAs cynical as it may seem, AIDS gives us a chance, however brief, to establish ourselves as a victimized minority legitimately deserving of Americaโs special protection and care,โ they wrote.
Give them credit: they really did understand the operation of the public mind. Kirk and Madsen called for homosexuals to talk incessantly about homosexuality in public. โOpen, frank talk makes gayness seem less furtive, alien, and sinful; more above board,โ they asserted. โConstant talk builds the impression that public opinion is at least divided on the subject, and that a sizeable blocโthe most modern, up-to-date citizensโaccept or even practice homosexuality.โ
Nevertheless, not all talk about homosexuality is helpful. โAnd when we say talk about homosexuality, we mean just that. In the early stages of the campaign, the public should not be shocked and repelled by premature exposure to homosexual behavior itself. Instead, the imagery of sex per se should be downplayed, and the issue of gay rights reduced, as far as possible, to an abstract social question.โ
Portraying homosexuals as victims was essential to their strategy. Offering several principles for tactical advance in their cause, the authors called upon homosexuals to โportray gays as victims of circumstance and depression, not as aggressive challengers.โ This would be necessary, they argued, because โgays must be portrayed as victims in need of protection so that straights will be inclined by reflex to adopt the role of protector.โ
Such a strategy could, they asserted, lead to something like a โconversionโ of the public mind on the question of homosexuality. โThe purpose of victim imagery is to make straights feel very uncomfortable; that is, to jam with shame the self-righteous pride that would ordinarily accompany and reward their antigay belligerence, and to lay groundwork for the process of conversion by helping straights identify with gays and sympathize with their underdog status.โ
Obviously, this would mean marginalizing some members of the homosexual community. Kirk and Madsen were bold to advise a mainstreaming of the homosexual image. โIn practical terms, this means that cocky mustachioed leather-men, drag queens, and bull dykes would not appear in gay commercials and other public presentations. Conventional young people, middle-age women, and older folks of all races would be featured, not to mention the parents and straight friends of gays.โ Furthermore, โIt cannot go without saying, incidentally, that groups on the farthest margins of acceptability, such as NAMBLA [North American Man-Boy Love Association], must play no part at all in such a campaign. Suspected child molesters will never look like victims.โ
What about the origin of sexual orientation? The success of the homosexual movement can be largely traced to the very idea of โorientationโ itself. More precisely, homosexuals advanced their cause by arguing that they were born that way. Madsen and Kirk offer this as candid public relations advice. โWe argue that, for all practical purposes, gays should be considered to have been born gayโeven though sexual orientation, for most humans, seems to be the product of a complex interaction between innate predispositions and environmental factors during childhood and early adolescence.โ Alas, โTo suggest in public that homosexuality might be chosen is to open the can of worms labeled โmoral choices and sinโ and give the religious intransigents a stick to beat us with. Straights must be taught that it is as natural for some persons to be homosexual as it is for others to be heterosexual: wickedness and seduction have nothing to do with it.โ
There can be no doubt that Christianity represents the greatest obstacle to the normalization of homosexual behavior. It cannot be otherwise, because of the clear biblical teachings concerning the inherent sinfulness of homosexuality in all forms, and the normativity of heterosexual marriage. In order to counter this obstacle, Kirk and Madsen advised gays to โuse talk to muddy the moral waters, that is, to undercut the rationalizations that โjustifyโ religious bigotry and to jam some of its psychic rewards.โ How can this be done? โThis entails publicizing support by moderate churches and raising serious theological objections to conservative biblical teachings. It also means exposing the inconsistency and hatred underlying antigay doctrines.โ
Conservative churches, defined by the authors as โhomohatingโ are portrayed as โantiquated backwaters, badly out of step with the times and with the latest findings of psychology.โ
A quick review of the last 15 years demonstrates the incredible effectiveness of this public relations advice. The agenda set out by Kirk and Madsen led to nothing less than social transformation. By portraying themselves as mainstream Americans seeking nothing but liberty and self-fulfillment, homosexuals redefined the moral equation. Issues of right and wrong were isolated as outdated, repressive, and culturally embarrassing. Instead, the assertion of โrightsโ became the hallmark of the public relations strategy.
Other principles offered by the authors included making gays look good by identifying strategic historical figures as being hidden homosexuals, and, on the other hand, making โvictimizersโ look bad in the public eye. Kirk and Madsen suggested isolating conservative Christians by presenting them as โhysterical backwoods preachers, drooling with hate to a degree that looks both comical and deranged.โ They offered a concrete example of how this strategy could be used on television and in print. โFor example, for several seconds an unctuous beady-eyed Southern preacher is shown pounding the pulpit in rage against โthose perverted, abominable creatures.โโ While his tirade continues over the soundtrack, the picture switches to heart-rending photos of badly beaten persons, or of gays who look decent, harmless, and likeable; and then we cut back to the poisonous face of the preacher. The contrast speaks for itself. The effect is devastating.โ
Public relations is now a major part of the American economy, with hundreds of millions of dollars poured into advertising strategies and image enhancement programs. Observers of the public relations world must look back with slack-jawed amazement at the phenomenal success of the approach undertaken by homosexuals over the last two decades. The advice offered by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen is nothing less than a manifesto for moral revolution. A look back at this strategy indicates just how self-consciously the homosexual movement advanced its cause by following this plan.
Those who oppose the normalization of homosexuality have indeed been presented as backwoods, antiquated, and dangerous people, while those advancing the cause are presented as forces for light, progress, and acceptance. Conservative Christians have indeed been presented as proponents of hatred rather than as individuals driven by biblical conviction. The unprecedented success of this public relations strategy helps to explain why America has accepted everything from homosexual characters and plotlines in prime-time entertainment to the lack of outrage in response to same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.
At least we know what we are up against. Biblical Christians must continue to talk about right and wrong even when the larger world dismisses morality as an outdated concept. We must maintain marriage as a non-negotiable normโa union of a man and a womanโeven when the courts redefine marriage by fiat. At the same time, we must take into account the transformation of the American mind that is now so devastatingly evident to all who have eyes to see.
The real tragedy of After the Ball is that the great result of this is not a party, but the complete rejection of the very moral foundations which made this society possible. In order to address the most fundamental problems, we must understand the shape of the American mind. Looking back at After the Ball after fifteen years, it all comes into frightening focus.
ย Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. serves as president ofย The Southern Baptist Theological Seminaryย โ the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.
If you own and watch television, you have been subjected to the Dialectic. If you read a newspaper, internet, listen to radio, or have attended government grade schools and institutes of higher learning, [sarc] you have been subjected to the Dialectic. In most large corporations, hirelings are indoctrinated with the Dialectic. In โseeker-friendlyโ churches and โPurpose Drivenโ churches, the Dialectic takes precedence over the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Theย Hegelian dialecticย is the framework for guidingย our thoughts and actions into conflicts that lead us to a predetermined solution. If we do not understandย how the Hegelian dialectic shapes our perceptions of theย world, then we do not know how we are helpingย to implement the vision.ย When we remain locked into dialectical thinking, we cannotย see out of theย box.
Make no mistake about it โ the Dialectic is diabolical. And so is its instigator. His methods have NEVER changed, and the progression of sin is always the same.
Belief in a lie
Pride
Rebellion
The evil one still lies today, and people listen to him and turn from the truth.
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
We never rebel against God unless we first believe a lie. And it is usually a lie about ourselves. Once we believe a lie about ourselves, pride takes over, and rebellion against God and His authority ensue.
โEverybodyโs doing it!โ
โIt feels good to do it!โ
โLife is so unfair!โ
โI know more thanย my {parents, boss, teacher, pastorโฆ}!โ
โThose values/music/Biblesย are so old fashioned!โ
โI am more beautiful/attractiveย than _____!โ
โI am more talented than ______!โ
The doctrine of Satan is ridiculed by the world. He is portrayed as wearing a red suit, smelling of brimstone, and even holding a pitchfork! That is not how the Word of God describes him. In 2 Corinthians 11:14, he is called anโangel of light.โ And in 4:4, he is called the โgod of this world.โ Ephesians 2:2 he is the โprince of the power of the air.โ Well โ this new FOX television series is proof enough of that! And the following linked article should quell any doubts about the true purpose of the FOX networks โ including the news branch.
(NaturalNews) The more subtle side of satanism in Hollywood entertainment is now a thing of the past, as primetime television airs blatantly evil shows like the upcoming Fox drama Lucifer, which glorifies the goings about of the โlord of hellโ after he fictitiously leaves the lake of fire and retires to Los Angeles.
The premise behind the absurd drama, which is set to release in 2016, centers around so-called โLucifer Morningstarโ and his new life as the owner of Lux, an upscale nightclub located in the City of Angels.
A trailer for the show portrays Lucifer as a handsome, British-accented, well-to-do ladykiller full of charm and wit.
This is the image most people, and especially Roman Catholics, are familiar with.ย 100% repellent.ย Sometimes on the cute side, as a โlittle devil,โ other times menacing and hideous.ย
Through the use of the Dialectic, here is the Satan of today. Attractive, charming, and even โ moral. Someone that you might be interested in getting to know. Heโs not evil โ heโs edgy! What could be more appealing? In the same way Satan has been repackaged for todayโs fleshly crowd, so has the Bible, the preachers, and the church of today โ Laodicea.
Revelation 3:13-15
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
13ย For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14ย And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15ย Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
We truly are living in the last days. Do you see where this all leads? First the idea is introduced into popular culture for conditioning of the masses. Does anyone recall the ridiculous โUncle Arthurโ on the 60โs Tv show โ โBewitched?โ
He was the penultimate funny โgay guy.โย He wore a neck scarf and had homosexual affectations, yet he was appealing because he was so funny.ย The TV consumer, lets down their guard and the Dialectic has done its job.ย Now, we are faced with the worst perversions known to mankind being โnormalizedโ into our society.ย Decades of โfunny gay guysโ leads to not so funny sodomites parading their sin down the streets of our cities.ย
Iโm not laughing now โ are you? I hope you can see how the Dialectic progresses, and how we got to where we are now.