As you have already read: NT Greek– The Greek word for circumcision is formed from two base words. (English example: fiberscope, if you had never heard of a fiberscope you could go to the words fiber and scope to get a more complete understanding.) SO: circumcision is- #1 completeness, one cut, all through, (compare to salvation when all your past sins were suddenly cut away and gone), AND #2 repeated blows, like hacking, (Heb. 4:12 keyword: sharper) with a sharper instrument, (compare to spiritual growth as God’s word and the Holy Spirit hack away at the bad parts of your soul like temper, pride, neglecting God’s word & etc. and you slowly become a better Christian). As you read this remember your COVENANT.
FROM THIS POINT ON ALL THREE SPHERES OF BATTLE ARE FOUGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY
SELF, SATAN and SOCIETY
There is enough information given in this website that each Christian could be a super-soldier for Jesus if he/she, young/old wanted it, so we will not go over that again; you are or you are not; you want to be or you do not want to be; you want to serve Jesus or you do not want to serve Jesus. That is the (2Cor. 11:3) simplicity and beauty of the Christian experience; it is your decision to be what you want to be (John 5:21-22) and it is Jesus’ decision to let you come to heaven or not.
(Matt. 9:14-15 plus 15 other places Jesus is referred to as the bridegroom) (Rev. 21:9 and 4 other places the bride is identified as the church) This allegory of bridegroom/bride is written so we can understand the intensity of Jesus’ love for us and the intensity of the love He expects from us. SO: The Church is the Bride of Christ and by that each Christian, male or female, is the bride of Christ.
Would Jesus want: a bride who will not talk to Him, OR a bride who will not admire Him and tell everyone how wonderful He is, OR a bride who will not tell everyone how fortunate they are the Bridegroom chose them, OR a bride who is unfaithful, OR a bride who has a lukewarm love for Him, OR a bride who will not make Jesus the top priority in their life, OR a bride whose wedding dress is soiled and dirty with sin, OR a bride who will not admit Jesus is their Provider, OR a bride who will not depend on Him. WHAT IF JESUS WAS THAT WAY? WOULD YOU WANT HIM TO BE YOUR GOD?
If you were Jesus would you want you for a bride? (Rev. 19:5-10 esp. V.7 keywords: hath made herself ready) Don’t forget, the bride is only engaged (betrothed) at this time, (Matt. 25:1-13 keyword in several verses: oil: defined: Strong’s #1636: fruit of the olive tree: <–this compares perfectly with John 15:1-6) this is the try-out time for heaven worthiness, the marriage has not happened yet!
In the first two parts we compared the two covenants, how the NT is hidden in the OT and we compared Israel’s physical warfare to the Church and Christian spiritual warfare. Think about this:
The Holy Spirit is your ally in your war with (1John 2:15) the world, (1Pet. 2:11) the flesh (self) and (Eph. 6:10-11) the devil. It is a daily, life long war and the life changing instruction is in God’s word and in your own willingness to serve God at all costs through the power of the Holy Spirit. Your freedom of choice is left intact and if you want to sin you are free to do so. BUT: You will regret it because the Holy Spirit will show you what you have done. What good would a relationship with you or me be if Jesus had to force us to love Him enough to serve Him? If Jesus twisted our arms to make us obey Him we would hate Him in our hearts even as we served Him? The free will giving of love is the only love that satisfies.
(John 15:1-6) In your warfare you need spiritual pruning to spiritually grow (2Cor. 10:3-5) by pulling down the “strong holds” of carnal tendencies. OT Example: (1Chron. 11:1-6) (V.2) David (a type of Christ) was fighting to conquer the Promised Land for his people (a type of salvation). (V.3) The Israelites (a type of Church) made David their king (a type of the relationship between Jesus and the Church).
Jerusalem was going to be the crown jewel in the Promised Land. But at that time (V.4) the JEBUSITES (a type of sins) lived there and they called their stronghold city JEBUS (the threshing place, the name of the city before the Israelites came, conquered and changed it to Jerusalem). (V.5) David led the Israelites to take JEBUS and make it Israel’s capital city. The Jebusites told David he could not take JEBUS away from them and David took the castle of Zion (a type of your sins BEFORE you were saved and those are the sins that Jesus took away).
But the Jebusites were still there jeering and daring David to come on and try to take their stronghold. The Jebusites were a festering sore right in the middle of Jerusalem (a type of the Bride of Jesus, the Church) which is the jewel of the Promised Land. (V.6) David sent Joab (a type of the Holy Spirit) to destroy the Jebusites.
SO
Jesus saved you, your sins are gone, you are all ready to be a super-soldier for the Lord Jesus Christ and suddenly you realize (1Cor. 10:3-5) you have a great big JEBUS (a “stronghold”) like ugly temper, pride, greed, anger, stubbornness, selfishness, laziness, fear, doubt, ignorance of the scriptures, or whatever stuck right in the middle of your salvation.
That JEBUS is jeering and daring you to conquer it! That JEBUS sure takes the “juice” out of your ability to be the kind of “good Christian” you want to be doesn’t it? Do like David did; send the Holy Spirit after your JEBUS by identifying the JEBUS to God and ask Him to help you with whatever YOUR problem with YOURSELF might be.
The next three paragraphs are how God showed me, through the Holy Spirit, according to God’s word, how to pray and thus get closer to God. (2Tim. 3:17) You, me, all of us Christians are in the same boat, we like to say; “Well, I’m not perfect but God knows all about it.” AND then we go on and ignore what makes us imperfect.
Many times people have said; “God hears and answers every prayer but its our fault if we don’t understand the answer”. Then one day I read (Psa. 66:18), I looked up the definitions I gave you in Part 2, God immediately gave me a vision—; I could dimly see God behind a piece of clear Plexiglas.
To my horror, with a strange coldness, I drew a mighty bow and launched a slender, somehow deadly arrow right at God! My arrow ricocheted off the Plexiglas and went on out of sight into nothingness, I had not connected with God. I was horrified; why in the world would I be so stupid that I would shoot at God?
Suddenly I understood. That strange coldness was my arrogant attitude that, in my ignorance, I was trying to use God as a “spare tire God” to take care of my wish list. That mighty bow was my mighty self-righteousness. The slender arrow was my slender prayers that were deadly to me, not to God.
The Plexiglas was my sins, I could see God but I couldn’t connect with Him. My prayers couldn’t get to God because of my unrecognized/ignored, unrepented of, unconfessed sin. I knew then I was a prayer failure instead of the prayer warrior I pictured myself to be. I wasn’t even a soldier for Jesus, I was still in boot camp. —and that vision broke my heart.
That vision was a revelation of my sins to me and as I named them one by one I was shocked and horrified by their multitude that exposed my sins of pride, idolatry, neglect, cold heartedness, the lack of love, selfishness, rudeness, sins that grieved the Holy Spirit, sins that caused part of God’s longsuffering; they were endless, all of them were against God, against His love and against His goodness.
As I begged forgiveness I had the knowledge, certain and sure, through the Holy Spirit, according to God’s word, I would clean up my COVENANT relationship with God if God let me live through this terrible time of confession and repentance.
I realized, because of my lack of studying God’s word and my spiritual myopia, I had set myself up to be a victim of and a part of the great Church lie. WHAAAT??? Examine yourself as you read the next two paragraphs.
Have you ever heard any Christian praying a public prayer, even in Church, that started out with asking for forgiveness of their sins before they roll out the wish list? “Oh great, loving, compassionate, tenderhearted, God of all gods, God of all love, God of all mercies, (Luke 18:9-14 keyword: publican) I must stand before thee as did the publican, smiting my heart with sorrow, regret and shame because of my pride, failures and my sins of neglect, coldness, laziness and heedlessness.”
“I ask thee to be merciful to me a sinner and forgive me, and us, of our sins and transgressions so Thou will hear my supplications and petitions.”; AND: then go on with the petitions of the prayer. The listeners would pass out if you prayed a public prayer like that, even in church! BUT:
(Psa. 66:18) “If I regard (Hebrew: Strong’s #7200: advise self, approve behold, consider, discern, enjoy, experience, gaze, take heed, look on another, present, respect, stare) iniquity (Hebrew: Strong’s #205: to come to naught, nothingness, trouble, vanity, wickedness, idolatry, iniquity, unjust, unrighteous, wickedness) in my heart (the feelings, mind, self, soul), the Lord will not hear me.” If there are any sins of attitude such as pride and etc., or any other sins either, in a person’s life and he does not confess them and ask forgiveness for them God will not hear his prayer. (1John 1:7-10) The moment you confess your sins in prayer you are perfect, until you sin again. That is God’s word, nothing else matters.
THE FACT IS: (Psa. 22:3) “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest (Strong’s #3427: to sit down specifically as judgment in ambush, to settle, to marry, cause to, make to dwell) the praises of Israel.” Surely some of you will surely disagree strongly; THAT IS ABOUT THE JEWS!” BUT: (Eph. 2:11-22 esp. V.11 keyword: Gentiles, V.12 keywords: commonwealth of Israel, V.19 keyword: fellowcitizens AND Gal 3:29 keywords: And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.”) I have never heard a public prayer that praises God.
I do sincerely want God to inhabit my prayers! HOW ABOUT YOU? God does deserve our praises for all the gifts, drawing, faith, salvation, the Holy Spirit, sanctification, righteousness, and simply putting up with a bunch of jerks like us.
AND do not forget to praise Jesus for His bloody, agonizing fist and hand beating from the temple guard then the Roman soldiers, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the long walk up Calvary’s Hill while the cross scraped and peeled the whip cuts to the bone in His skin and flesh of His rib-cage, back and collar bones, then the horrid crucifixion and finally His agonizing death. IF IT HAD BEEN YOU, WOULDN’T YOU EXPECT SOME RECOGNITION AND THANKS? In my opinion there is not one Christian in the world worth Jesus’ awful agony, especially me, BUT (John 3:14-18 esp. V.16) God and Jesus thought we were!
The great church lie: No, we are too proud and too afraid to let anyone see we are not perfect (read this–>Luke 18:9-14) and like the pharisee we must keep up the; “I’m a strong, perfect Christian” act that hides (1John 1:7-2:1) the fact we do sin just like every other Christian because (Rom. 3:23) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
That is the prayer example given, in Church, to every young Christian who is learning from their elders. That’s also the prayer example given to the weak Christian sitting in the back who is in a spiritual war for his eternal life and the devil whispers; “See, see, that’s what real Christians are like. They are perfect! You didn’t get saved in the first place. You’re not a Christian or you wouldn’t be in this mess you’re in.”
Prayer is also a time of self-examination when we pray because it is an exercise in (Luke 18:10-14, Heb. 5:5-7 & James 4:6-10) humility, (1John 1:9) confession, (Heb. 13:14-16) praise, (Phil. 4:6) supplication and thanksgiving.
(Matt. 6:9-13 then 14-15) Jesus gave us the skeleton of the perfect prayer and when He explained it He was very careful to show that (V.12) debts are (V.14-15) the same thing as trespasses (unintentional error, willful transgression, fault, offense, sin–> no wiggle room left) and that we are to ask forgiveness for them. Hidden is the message that God is offended the same way we are when people trespass against us and we are to realize that fact and forgive them before God will forgive us our trespasses!
A soldier in any physical army will become a better and more dangerous soldier with dedication, a want to attitude, extensive training, learning to work together with other soldiers, first-aid training, good weapons, knowledge of conducting war, courage and good leadership.
The same thing applies to spiritual warfare which is what God told us in (Eph. 6:10-18). You can become “dangerous” spiritually. (Heb. 4:12) You can sharpen your sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, until it is razor sharp; you can be filled with the Holy Spirit; you can be brimming over with the love of God; and you can overcome fear because (1John 4:18) “perfect love casteth out fear”.
After Israel crossed Jordan and entered the Promised Land (physically compares to our spiritual salvation) they had to fight wars: to keep self safe, to protect each other, to keep their promised land, and to build their God given kingdom of Israel.
Just like OT Israel’s physical wars: (Matt.24:12-13, 2Cor. 10:3-4, Eph. 6:10-18 & 2Tim. 2:15) Each Christian is in a spiritual war: to keep his/her own salvation, to win souls to Jesus, to help all our brethren in Christ Jesus and to build God’s kingdom. BECAUSE:
The Church, the Kingdom of Light led by the Prince of Light, is under spiritual assault from society, government, false religions, unbelievers and etc. (John 8:44 & Eph. 6:12) based in the kingdom of darkness led by the prince of darkness.
Check the scriptures: Satan is liberal; anything goes as long as you don’t worship God through Jesus. God Jehovah is conservative; we all know God is straight-laced about forbidden sex, condemns idolatry and also (Read this-> Prov. 6:16-19) God hates a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood (abortion), a heart (soul) that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness (testimony) that speaks lies and one that soweth discord among brethren. (John 14:6 & Acts 4:10-12 esp. V.12) And the only way to get to God is through His Son Jesus.
(Ezek. 28:13-19 esp. V.15-17) Satan knows what is coming because of his rebellion so why does he act the way he does? He has pride and a desire to run his own show. It is the same reason your family members, your friends, your acquaintances and other lost people will not come to Church and seek salvation; they have pride and they desire to run their own show.
SATAN & SOCIETY: the war on SELF
The humanist movement was actually started around 600 years BC by these Greek philosophers (loving wisdom) who believed, argued and taught: Empedocles- the four basic elements of the universe were earth, air, fire and water; Anaxaqoras- there are no gods but the human mind; Parmenides- what is cannot have come into being from nothing so it must have always been and etc.
(Gen. 3:4-5) Do you hear the serpent’s whisper in this “DON’T YOU WANT TO KNOW?” about wisdom? The humanist movement grew in scope and power through the dark ages into the middle ages and sparked the Renaissance which roughly started in the late 1300’s on into the 1600’s. The Renaissance, through philosophy (humanism), gave rise to an explosion of the exploration into the awareness of self.
BUT: (Col. 2:8) God said; “Beware (look, perceive, take heed) lest any man spoil (seduce, lead away) you through philosophy (fond of wise things) and vain (empty) deceit (delusion), after the tradition (**precepts**) of men, after the rudiments (fundamental, orderly principal) of the world, and not after Christ.” A **precept** is a rule or principal imposing a particular standard of action or conduct on somebody or many somebodies.
No changing or juggling of the scripture is intended but (Col. 2:8) is written again using the underlined definitions for a more precise understanding. “Beware lest any man seduce and lead you away through a fondness of wise things and empty delusion, after the rules and principals that will impose a standard of conduct of men, after the fundamental, orderly principals of the world and not after Christ.
The Renaissance is called the Age of Enlightenment and is sometimes referred to as the Age of Reason. (Rom. 1:30 keyword: inventions) Satan found this to be fertile ground to work his rebellion as man sought answers to the question; “Why am I.” and Satan’s influence can easily be seen in the results of man’s search.
Basically the story of the Age of Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, and its results are exactly the same as Adam and Eve’s search for self-expression in the Garden of Eden! (Satan said; “Look at this tree”. She looked, got curious, Satan tempted her to try it, “You’ll be like God”, she did, shared it and they lost their paradise and their eternal life that was part of it).
Huge advances were made in natural thought, mathematics, astronomy, poetry, literature, philosophy, art, medicine, music, astronomy, architecture, politics, democracy, science and etc. At that time in the Middle Ages the protestant movement was in rebellion and sought to purify the Roman Catholic Church.
Society was sick and tired of the Church, its repressive policies and its bloody conflicts taking place all over Europe and the near east. The Age of Enlightenment was, for effect, a rebellion against the restrictions of organized religion, repressive government and an uneducated society. The whole story is given in the three article Introduction to the Sin in Church commentary.
The Age of Enlightenment theory and teaching continued to grow until it has “flowered” into the all-pervading, philosophically guided society America lives in today. It is commonly called Secular Humanism or Humanism with the basic concept there is no God and through reason, man can progress toward perfection on his own merits.
That sounds harmless doesn’t it? EXCEPT: Generally, Secular Humanism declares itself non-religious instead of atheistic; but, in reality, there is no difference between the two. Secular Humanists do not rely on any supernatural entities and thus they deny all Gods except the invisible god of SELF and its reasoning.
(2Cor. 4:4) The subtle prince of darkness is completely satisfied to work undercover and out of sight while he blinds men to the gospel of Christ that should shine unto men because he understands there are only two supernatural kingdoms (light and darkness), only two gods (Jehovah and Satan), only two races of people (Rom. 2:28-29 and 3:9-12 then 20-26: Jew and Gentile) and only two types of people (believers and unbelievers).
It’s the same old story as Nimrod’s idol worshipping kingdom of idolatry. Nimrod, through self-expression, worshipped Satan while he tried to satisfy self by worshipping a god (his tower) he could see and touch.
It is obvious Satan is liberal because he operates by the philosophy of “Anything Goes”, you can even have a religion, as long as you do not worship Jehovah through His Son Jesus Christ OR worship Jehovah through Jesus in a way that is contradictory to God’s word. Satan even has a liberal, Christless, God denying church.
It’s called the General Assembly of Unitarian Universalist Congregations. They work toward peace and justice for the world. They regard each human being as having an inherent worth and dignity. They claim no deity other than self’s ability to make changes toward the betterment of humanity.
(Matt. 7:22-23) Jesus said there would be people who would do many wonderful works but He would tell them He never knew them. Obviously the people Jesus referred to had not (John 3:3-8 & 1Pet. 1:23) experienced the born again event in which they became (2Cor. 5:17) a new creature (creation) and (Rom. 8:6-17) a joint-heir with Jesus to God’s Kingdom of Light.
Satan has been and is very successful as he works in a liberal, Christless, God denying government. Democratic principles say; “We’ll legislate sin away, its simple, we’ll just make sin legal. When your emotional load gets too heavy we’ll give you therapy to get rid of whatever is bothering you. You poor downtrodden thing we’ll give you unearned entitlements if you’ll vote for us.”
“Give us the POWER over you, we know what’s best for you, we’ll regulate, and direct every aspect of your life, right on down to how much soda you are allowed to drink. Peace, prosperity and utopia are right around the corner then we’ll blah, blah, blah.”
(Matt. 11:25-30 esp. V.28) Jesus said; “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” AND (Matt. 15:9) Jesus also said; “But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Paraphrased; “Just because its legal don’t make it right!”
Oddly enough the Secular Humanist movement is also divided. A small part wants Secular Humanism declared a religion so they can enjoy tax exempt status. The vast majority of Secular Humanists realize if it is declared a religion they will not be allowed to teach their philosophy based Humanist ideals in schools. AND:
It’s really hard to define Secular Humanism with a short, succinct definition because it is a world view with several elements and principals. Please go to the internet and type in; what is secular humanism and you can research every aspect of it.
Satan is proud of America’s liberal, Christless, God denying schools because they have produced a lot of today’s leaders and are producing all of tomorrow’s leaders who will lead and function in every aspect of society. They teach the same old vain philosophy:
“There is no God; we’re a product of evolution; we’ll cure society’s ills through the philosophy of reason, therapy and legislation; promiscuous sex is fine as long as you protect yourself from STD’s and pregnancy; If you get pregnant we can handle that too, it isn’t viable so it isn’t alive and we can abort that little mistake.
We don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings and risk traumatizing them, SO there are no losers, there’s no accountability for failure, no child will be left behind, everybody passes, everybody graduates; There’s no accountability for doing something wrong, a little therapy will fix it; Self deserves because self is self; blah, blah, blah, blah!”
Satan revels in America’s liberal, Christless, God denying society, especially when he stomps, laughing and dancing, through the blood, body parts and slaughter of 40-50 million aborted babies, the blue/grey corpses of the drug OD’s and the bloody slaughter of the murdered. Satan grins and grins when he squats beside the babies born malnourished, scrawny and in drug withdrawal from their Mother’s habit.
Satan grins when he sits in homes where shaky, nervous, out of their depth grannies and even great grannies who don’t understand what happened to the society they knew while they try to help their grandchildren and great grandchildren cope with their homework and the myriad problems the kids face because the children’s Mommies are someplace fornicating out another high.
(Rom. 1:22-28) Satan boogies on down at same sex marriages. (Rom. 1:30 keywords: inventors) Satan sits with grave influence in boardroom marketing meetings on how to market the latest electronic invention that will make American life a little more isolated, or a little more out of touch with reality, or a little colder, or that gives a little more leisure time so we can entertain ourselves.
I’ll have to agree with the Muslims when they call America the GREAT SATAN. I don’t have to tell you about it because you live in it too. “We’ve got a problem? We’ll call a meeting. We’ll appoint another Czar. We’ll form a task force. We’ll legislate, educate, philosophize, therapize, sling taxpayer and Chinese lender money at the problem and we’ll reason our way right on to perfection.”
Think about it: That’s what got us in this mess in the first place. And this: (Prov. 22:7) “the borrower is servant to the lender.” Good grief! Even a dumb hillbilly like me knows I can’t spend more than I make and I can’t make monthly payments that total more than my income. If I do I’m bound to lose something.
Even I understand I can’t borrow my way out of debt! That’s a mathematical impossibility, borrow your way out of debt, hogwash! The way to get out of debt is to tighten your belt, live frugal to save and pay off your debts. Even first graders understand you can’t buy candy if you don’t have any money.
Good grief! Nobody ever mentions the amount of interest money owed on America’s national debt, do they? That’s because it’s rising faster than we can talk. We can pick a time and say what it was then but we can never say what it is right now.
I guess Washington’s brains are sunk in a $400.00 dollar bottle of champagne, OR in a $1,700.00 luncheon, OR on a $70,000 junket to a vacation paradise, OR a $30,000 party, sometimes their brains are even in the wrong bed or in front of the wrong camera BUT: “That’s allright boys we’ll vote ourselves another raise, kiss the credit card that comes with the job, brag about the expense account and shine up to the lobbyists all at taxpayer expense.”
“What do you mean out of touch? I’m the intelligentsia, I run the show here in Washington, I take care of you folks and its tough, really tough. There’s a bright spot though, as soon as I get this banking legislation pushed through that’ll help you folks, I’m going to retire from politics, take my pension and go to work for a bank to exploit the loopholes in the legislation I sponsored.”
Christless Churches
Welcome to the church of Satan. See: www.churchofsatan.com.
(Mal. 3:6) God does not change. See: www.gaychurch.org/ (Rom. 1:21-32) Why would God form a present day church comprised of individuals with the same sexual preference as a group He gave over to a reprobate (rejected, castaway) mind in the New Testament (Lev. 20:13 keyword: abomination) and called an abomination (Strong’s #8441: something disgusting, abhorrence, idolatry, from Strong’s #8581 to loathe, detest) in the Old Testament?
(V.21 keywords: when they knew God)—>(knew- Greek ginosko- pronounced ghin-oce’-ko, is a prolonged form of the primary verb and means to know absolutely) The only way to know God absolutely is to be in the grace COVENANT with Him (John 3:3) through the born again (to begat again) salvation experience (2Cor. 5:17-18) in which one becomes a new creature (creation) in Christ (John 14:23, Eph.1:12-14 & Rom. 8:9) with the Holy Spirit residing within you.
(V.22-23) They gained some earthly wisdom (Col.2:8 keyword: philosophy) and started idolatry; Satan’s tried and true method of deception. (V.25) Obviously they changed God’s Word to mean something it didn’t mean which was a lie so they could justify their unnatural sexual acts. (V.24-27) They obviously started homosexual relationships.
(Gen. 1:28) God had instructed the first man and woman to be fruitful and multiply (Gen. 2:24) because a man shall cleave (be joined together) unto his wife because that’s the only way to make babies and multiply. (V.27 keywords: natural use) The gay movement has found an easy way to overcome man’s natural revulsion to an unnatural act; invent a word with a meaning: homophobia- fear of homosexuals, and use it to define a prejudice instead of a natural person’s reaction to an unnatural act.
Use political correctness as the vehicle of social acceptance; nobody desires to be accused of being prejudiced against a minority. Use democratic political principals through the Constitution as the base to demand and obtain homosexual equal rights. Its 4-12-13 and it will not be long before the homosexual movement will obtain equal marriage rights under state and/or federal constitutional law. America is a democracy and their plan has to work. Like Jesus said above; paraphrased, “Just because it is legal does not make it right“.
(V.27) “receiving in themselves that recompense (return correspondence) of their error (straying from orthodoxy or piety, to deceive, delusion) which was meet (necessary). (V.28) “God gave them over to a reprobate (rejected castaway) mind (soul)” (Heb. 6:4-6) and that is when the Holy Spirit left. (V.31 keyword: covenantbreakers) Because they were covenantbreakers among other things. They had to be in covenant before they could break covenant. (Psa. 89:34) God does not break covenant (V.31) but man does break covenant.
So, why would God enter into a grace COVENANT through Jesus’ blood with more people who were committing sexual acts He had already condemned? Homosexuals just like fornicators, liars, thieves and etc. should be welcomed into Church with kindness, courtesy and Christian love BUT just like other sinners they must stop their sins if they go into GRACE COVENANT (get saved) with God.
Check the easily available internet information concerning congregations, parts of denominations and whole main-line denominations who, through secular humanist philosophy, have accepted homosexuality as part of God’s plan for their church.
There are other denominations/sects that are “iffy” when their faith, teaching and practice are compared to the scriptures of the KJ Bible and I’m glad God will be their Judge and not me.
Mormon- Church of Latter Day Saints: I do know (Gal. 1:6-12 esp. V.8 & 9) the scripture says; “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” AND (2Cor. 11:13-15 esp. V.14-15) “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
I will not hang my forever on what some 14 year old boy said was written on a, or some, golden plates he dug up, copied, then re-buried, and that an angel revealed some type of gospel to him.
#1) ALSO I do not believe Jesus came to the American Indians because: They did not have a written language so they could pass the Word, God is not stupid, He expects His Word to be passed on and the American Indians could not and did not do that.
#2) The Jews were (Luke 1:17) a prepared people because they had lived under and understood the life or death meaning of COVENANT and only they were covenant prepared to spread the gospel of the grace covenant and they were prepared to die and many did die before they would break COVENANT.
#3) The concept of COVENANT was started with Abraham and the Jewish/Hebrew bloodline is what produced the human bloodline side of MESSIAH. Advice to Mormons and non-Mormons (gentiles): Check out the secret Mormon teaching that is reserved for the “initiates” such as; many worlds many gods, Jesus and Lucifer were spirit brothers and etc. It’s on your internet.
Jehovah Witness-Watchtower Society: In reality it is a waste of space here to compare their New World Translation Bible with the KJ Bible. Some of their faith, teaching and practices are; 1) there is no hell, 2) Jesus is inferior to God, 3) they reject the trinity of the Godhood, 4) the Holy Spirit is God’s active force, 5) that only 144,000 people will go to heaven to be with God and etc. Information about their belief is easily available on the internet.
(Luke 16:19-26 esp.23-24) The rich man was in hell, he begged for one drop of water to cool his tongue because he was tormented in the flame, there is a hell. (John 1:1-4 & 1John 5:6-7) Jesus (the Word), God and the Holy Spirit are one, (Col. 2:6-9 esp. V.9 keywords: Godhead bodily), personified in Jesus (Heb. 1:1-3) who is the express (exact) image of God’s person (essence) and the three are one in purpose, thought and intent.
(John 14:23 & 26) The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Godhead and he leads, teaches and talks spiritually to man. See the article Who is the Holy Spirit on this commentary for clarification. (Rev. 7:9-10) A great multitude are in heaven thanking God for their salvation through the Lamb (Jesus).
Roman Catholic: Their basic teaching; #1) sprinkle a baby to get rid of the original sin from Eden. #2) Later in life baptism washes sins away and is considered the born again event. #3) Pray to OR through the Virgin Mary and the saints so they will make intercession to God OR Jesus for us. Here are three scriptural things that must happen if a person wishes to go to heaven.
#1) (Rom.8:7-8 keywords: the carnal mind is enmity against God) Carnal defined is the human nature, the flesh with its frailties, morals and passions. Mind defined is the feelings, the personality, the me, the soul. Enmity is defined Strong’s #2189 & 2190: hateful, odious, hostility, opposition. We did not inherit an original sin brought from the Garden of Eden, (Rom. 8:7-9 & 1Tim. 2:3-6) we inherited our human nature (soul) (Gen. 2:17 & 3:5) from Eden and as we mature we know good and evil.
When you sprinkle water on a baby nothing changes except you have a baby with drops of water on it. The carnal mind is revealed as the baby develops into a reasoning personality. “MINE” is one of the first words a baby learns when it realizes things have value. Its human nature (soul) is to lie, steal, or hurt you to obtain what it wants, that’s the human nature (soul) we are born with which we inherited from the Garden of Eden (Rom. 8:7) and it is enmity against God. (Acts 2:37-41 esp. V.38) A baby is incapable of making the decision to repent (think differently, to change one’s mind for the better). The baby has no life information and cannot yet understand words. See #2 below.
#2) (1Pet. 3:21) “Baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God.” The only way to have a good conscience toward God (John 3:3-8 & 1Pet 1:23) is through the spiritual born again event (salvation), (2Cor. 5:17-21 & Gal. 6:15) in which a person is spiritually made a “new creature (creation) Jesus reconciled to himself“ (Rom. 8:13-17) so the person can be a joint-heir with Jesus to God’s kingdom. Baptism signifies an event that has already happened. If you have not had the spiritual born again salvation event and are baptized you will go into the water a dry, lost sinner and you will come out of the water a wet, lost sinner!
#3) (John 2:1-11) They had run out of wine at a marriage celebration. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, told Jesus about it. Jesus said; “Woman, what have I to do with thee?” She then told the servants; “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” That is no more than any other Christian can say; “When Jesus tells you to do something, do it!” She had attempted intercession and Jesus refused.
(Rom. 8:26, 27 & 34) Scripturally the Holy Spirit and Jesus are the only two who are authorized to make intercession for Christians. Christians waste their breath when they ask Mary or the saints to make intercession for them. Draw your own conclusions about what you want for you. I won’t even go into the great Catholic leadership child abuse/homosexual cover-up until civil law, as opposed to Church/Biblical law, forced their admission of sin.
Christless Religions
Some of humanity have already lived and died; some are living and dying; the rest will live and die. (John 5:29) Some will come forth unto the resurrection of life and some unto the resurrection of damnation. BECAUSE (Rev. 20:10-15) God will hold a judgment.
(Rev. 20:12) God will open the book of life and judge Christians according to their works and (Rev. 21:27) “And there shall in no wise enter into it (heaven) any thing that defileth (to make profane: 2Tim. 2:16 thru 3:13 esp. V.16 keyword: profane: defined: heathenish, wicked, crossing the door-way) (Prov. 6:16-19 esp. V.16 keyword: abomination) neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: (John 1:29 keywords: Jesus the Lamb of God) but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (John 1:29 keywords: Jesus the Lamb of God). (Rev. 20:14-15) Those not written in the Lamb’s book of life will be cast into the lake of fire, (Rom. 8:9) with all the phony Christians who do not have the Holy Spirit, to die forever in torment.
Each Christian is in a war: to keep his/her own salvation, to win souls to Jesus, to help all our brethren in Christ Jesus and to build God’s kingdom. YOU ARE IN COVENANT.
I re-read this three-article series down to here and I remembered how God had triggered understanding the depth of modern-day idolatry.
One night I walked by my wife at her computer, she was reading the news about the Oscar awards. The picture was at the entrance where the huge statue of the Oscar stands. Beautiful people were strolling around admiring it while they tried to out-dress, out-shine, out-sexy, out-sophisticate and out-jewel each other. The Holy Spirit “popped” me with “IDOLATRY” and I was stunned.! Then a scripture (Acts 17:16-34 esp. V.16 keyword: idolatry) came to mind.
Idolatry- the worship of idols, or excessive devotion to, or reverence for, or love for some person or thing (John 20:25-28 esp. V.26 keyword: Thomas) more than “my Lord and my God”. Like Thomas each one of us need to occasionally, spiritually touch the bloody wounds in the body of Jesus and renew what each of us cost Jesus in blood and pain and death.
Other pictures started flashing through my brain. A TV personal interview show that had burned into my brain years ago flashed before me; Barbara Walters and Donald Trump climbed into a helicopter on a pad on top of a building. The chopper took off. The camera panned the beautiful, seemingly endless, far off, buildings-scape skyline of New York City all around them.
Her beautiful staccato voice asked a question and the camera zoomed in for a close-up of his face. “Mr. Trump, you have the wealth of kings, even more than some small nations, what more could you possibly want.” He took his time while he looked all around them as the camera had just done. He had an expression of introspection, almost a sadness, when he finally murmured; “All of it, I want all of it.” IDOLATRY!
Idolatry-> an affair of the soul–> love of self, pride, self-centeredness, love of possessions—> worshipping and depending on someone or a thing or things to bring happiness, pleasure and fulfillment instead of worshipping and depending on God—-> rebellion against God!
Various boxing organizations and their different weight class championship belts, the Heisman trophy, the world series trophy, the Masters trophy, the Wimbledon trophy, football trophies from the fourth grade to the Super Bowl, basketball, soccer, baseball; the Kentucky Derby, the Triple Crown of horse racing, Indy 500, Daytona, the statue of Icarus, the winged man, at the entrance of the Air Force Institute of Technology.
The Iwo Jima flag raising statue, the collections of cars, trains, dishes, guns, knives and millions of others. Movie stars, sports stars, singing stars, TV stars, hot dog eating stars, baking stars, fishing stars, hunting stars, the common expression for entertainers and actors is “he/she is idolized”.
It’s a secret club, a pressure group, a sport, a hobby, a political party, a house, a car, a business, a job, money, property, power, a six-pack, sexual conquest, a family member, IDOLATRY! (Gen. 22:1-12 Abraham didn’t fall for it, he trusted God and he was willing to offer up Isaac because he loved and trusted God).
(Acts 17:16) “the city wholly given over to idolatry.” America is wholly given over to idolatry because the things mentioned above, and many others, are symbols of what many/most Americans love more than God/Jesus and that’s where they expend their passion, time, money and effort trying to achieve that which brings pleasure to them.
Sudden Memory: About 33-34 three years ago I’d been a Christian 2 or 3 years and was sitting in Church. I was vaguely aware it was a good, red-hot, God Love meeting with singing, testifying, preaching and praying. People knew we went to Church every Sunday and I was worrying someone would break into our house and steal my 29 antique guns I had been collecting for about the last 10 years. Suddenly God broke through my thoughts and He asked me a question; “Do you love your guns more than me?”
My insides lurched like they do when you’ve almost had a car wreck. I saw the slaughter of Jesus, my COVENANT sacrifice. I was broken and my physical heart was pounding. I started silently crying and I whispered; “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry” through the tears.
Monday morning I loaded my guns into my pickup truck and a lot of people I knew got some “excellent deals” on those idols that could not speak, nor hear, nor see, and neither could they love me. I’ve never been more relieved to get rid of something in my whole life.
(Acts 17:18) “philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the stoics,” Epicurus, a Greek, started the Epicurean movement nearly 700 years before Christ came. His teaching was; “What is good is pleasurable, what is bad is painful.” That teaching gave rise to sensualism (gratification of the natural, physical appetites, devotion to sensual pleasures). God said it this way; (Heb. 11:25) “to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;”.
God didn’t say sin wasn’t fun, He said sin has consequences.
Sensualism pervades every aspect of American life. Think not? Check the advertising; sensualism sells; “This item will make you sexier, prettier, stronger, think more of yourself, more appealing, feel better, be better, look better and etc.“ Sensualism says; “bigger house, bigger car, more expensive than, better than and etc.“ so you can feel good about yourself and look down (pride) on somebody else.
Sensualism says; “Change the mood of society then change the laws, make it politically incorrect to name sins and speak of judgment, shut down the moral teaching of the Church; if God don’t toe the line we’ll run Him right out of the country;“ Epicurean philosophy says; “if it feels good, do it!”
Pride is an emotion, an attitude; it is conceit, the sense of self’s worth, value, it is the pleasure and satisfaction in achievements or possessions. Pride is a mother emotion because it gives birth to jealousy, to greed, to (Col. 3:8) anger wrath, malice, to (Gal. 5:20-21) idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, strife and envy.
THE VISIBLE CHURCH IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT TOO, it is part of each Christian’s war with self. “My denomination is bigger than yours, my church house is more expensive, bigger, prettier, my something is more than your something. My team, my game, my club, my kid my blah, blah, blah.
Witness? Can’t, my show is on tonight. Pray? Can’t, I’ve got a dozen more calls to make to my friends. Sunday school? Sorry, Saturday night is our sit up late and watch TV with the kids. Bible Study? Can’t make it, the kids don’t get off practice in time.
Thoughts: I’ll cut my skirt a little higher, I’m a hottie. I’ll plunge my neckline a little lower, this old gal’s still got it. I’ll wear it a little tighter, I’m sexier than them old fat girls. I’m not on drugs, it’s just my medicine. I’ve got more hair than him. My hair isn’t dyed, my car, my dress, my suit, my shoes, my purse, my house, my business, my salary, my position, my donations, my gifted child, my, my, my. I just have to have this, that, or the other!“
Idolatry is loving all those things that cannot speak nor hear, neither can they see nor talk, they cannot feel nor can they love us. When Christians love those things, we are simply loving ourselves instead of loving God! JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD.
As I was wondering where all these thoughts were going God had given me because of Oscar and the reading of (Acts 17:15-23). I suddenly thought about (Rev. 20:11-12) and the opening of the books. Of course, we will be judged by the books of the Bible and the names in the book of life. But I wondered if there were books mentioned here that I was not perceiving.
I looked up the word record and was led to (Deut. 30:19, Job 16:19, 2Cor. 1:23 & 1John 5:7 keyword: record) and (Phil. 4:17 keyword: account) So there is a record, an account, kept on us. Of course God knows all things and can do all things but He likes to keep His servants busy too. I wondered about a recording angel? Sitting there, a steady flow of information coming in, writing about each of us.
(Acts 17:23) Is some of the modern Church worshipping an unknown God? A God they unconsciously know as “must have” or “I want?
THEY MUST BE (Rev. 3:14-22 esp. V.16-18 then V.22) or Jesus would never have said to the churches; (V.16-18) “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue (projectile vomiting) thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.“
(V.22) “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (plural), (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13 & 22 keyword in all: churches) THE SEVEN EXISTING CHURCHES, OUT OF THE 40 OR SO IN EXISTENCE AT THAT TIME, THAT JESUS SELECTED FOR HIS PROPHESY COVERS THE FULL SPECTRUM OF TYPES OF CHURCHES (CONGREGATIONS) AND THE INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIANS IN THEM FROM THAT TIME UNTIL THE PRESENT!
(Rev. 1:11 thru 3:22) If you wish to read about all the Revelation churches in detail please click on the commentary God, Satan and Man: The Relationship on this website and read Parts 28 through 36 which is composed of 20 articles. Each of you will find yourself, your pastor, everyone in your individual congregation, and everyone in every denomination in those articles. (Matt. 10:37-39, Luke 9:23-25 & Heb. 6:4-6) Do not let the number of articles intimidate you because in them you will discover if how you are living and if what you are doing might cause you to miss heaven if you don’t repent. (READ->Matt. 16:26-27) IT IS THAT IMPORTANT!
Remember, you are in COVENANT!