Force vs Freedom

Verse of the Week

                  The king is not saved by great force; a mighty man is not saved by great strength.

                  (Psalms 33:16)

Thought for the Week

          I am guessing this past week was an anniversary for the original movie Star Wars because I saw a lot of advertising regarding the movie's main catch phrase, "May the Force be with you". This seems rather apt timing since we are now seeing that even the US, an alleged bastion of religious freedom, is now using an elevated level of force to punish Christians for their religious beliefs.

          It is indeed sad to see that a clearly defined and expressed Constitutional right to the "freedom of religion AND the expression thereof" has been supplanted by an alleged "right" to socially benefit from being a part of a homosexual pairing - a "right" that is not defined or expressed in the Constitution or any logical penumbra thereof. Further, the US Government is wasting no time using incarceration to enforce its evil will upon the People. Politicians and law enforcement personnel that swore an oath to uphold the Constitution are now using the power of their offices to dismantle the document instead. Clearly a force is with these evils minions of Satan and that evil force is aimed at the destruction of the children of YHWH. The US Government is waging its own "War of Terror" on Christians just as surely as ISIS is - even if the methodologies differ - so far. (At least ISIS does not try to force Christians to support homosexual sin against YHWH!)

          As things get progressively worse we need to ensure that our focus remains where it should be - on service to YHWH and not on our own individual or collective freedoms or comforts. Jesus himself deftly avoided being captured and persecuted until his mission to establish a permanent cadre to spread the Gospel was achieved. Only then did he allow himself to be captured and make the ultimate sacrifice for us. No matter what the world does to us we too have this duty - to continue to serve YHWH and spread the gospel until we die.

          US pagans and politicians have only evil and their own pathetic exertions to rely on. The children of YHWH have the greatest Force in the Universe to rely on - the Holy Spirit of YHWH. At the same time though the children of YHWH know that just as Jesus was persecuted so too will we be treated - even unto death. It is our duty to work to protect and project not our lives or our will but our faith and YHWH's will. We, each of us individually, must balance our actions with the knowledge that even while enduring the heartache of a losing battle in the US we will be on the side of victory at wars end.

          We must stand together to serve and preserve His church no matter what rulings are made by man-made governments (AKA tyrants): Even as we are treated as the lowly nail, being pounded to its fullest extent, because it is the lowly nail which binds the frame of a house together. Our house is not built upon on, or dependent on, the sands of man and time: It is built on the eternal Rock of YHWH. And Uncle Sam, like ISIS, can huff and puff all it wants - they cannot blow this house down!

          Spread His Truth brothers & sisters - if not with a shout from the rooftops then at least with a whisper in the cellars. Never surrender the Sword of our Lord. Uncle Sam cannot take it - not even from your cold dead hands - if you have already shared it with the heart of another.

 

Quote of the Week

          Be like the cliff against which the waves continually break; but it stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

          Comment: The world is awash in a sea of evil and the waves are increasing in size, intensity, and tempo. Is your life built on the shifting sands of man which wash away with the tide or on the timeless Rock of YHWH?

                             

Did You Know

          "Science" tells us it is a basic Law of Nature that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Comment: Why fight nature? Whatever amount of effort "they" act with to silence you put as much effort into an equal and opposite reaction: Speak Out!

 

          "Science" recognizes four forces interacting in our world:

          1. Gravity - This force acts between all mass in the existence. It has infinite range of influence.

          2. Electromagnetic - This force acts between electrically charged particles. Electricity, magnetism, and even light are all produced by this force. It too has infinite range.

          3. The Strong Force - This force binds neutrons and protons together in the cores of atoms. It has a short range of influence.

          4. Weak Force - This force causes Beta decay (the conversion of a neutron to a proton, an electron and an antineutrino). Some particles (the "strange" ones) are formed by strong interactions but decay via weak interactions (that's what's strange about "strangeness"). Like the strong force, the weak force is short range.

          Note: Science has yet to offer an intelligent theory to explain all four forces. The weak and electromagnetic interactions have been" unified" under electroweak theory. Theories have been put forth in an attempt to treat both strong and electroweak interactions under the same mathematical structure; but, all attempts at a Grand Unification Theory to include gravitation are acknowledged as complete failures. Comment: Gravity has been known to and used by man the longest of the four forces yet it still defies explanation. Gravity seems to defy science even as science relearns it cannot defy gravity.

         

Courage and Truth

Verse of the Week

                    Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, If you continue in my Word you                           are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

                  (John 8:31-32)

Thought for the Week

          As with so many things Jesus told us the above is too often shortened so much as to lose the heart of the matter. I have written before on the dangers of allowing the insertion of chapter and verse designations to interfere with Bible study. It seems folks forget that the original writings did not have such chapter and verse separations or even punctuation as such. In this case folks focus, to paraphrase, on know the truth and it will set you free. They miss the part that this is only true, as Jesus told us, "If you continue in my Word". Here is a part of Robertson's Word Pictures comments on the verses above, "Your future loyalty to my teaching will prove the reality of your present profession. . . . Continuance in the word (teaching) proves the sincerity or insincerity of the profession. It is the acid test of life."

          In essence only those that practice what has been taught will be given more truth. You do not teach a child to walk until they have learned to stand. If you do not obey YHWH's teaching (to stand) then He does not waste time revealing more truth to you (how to walk)! Are not His Commandments a truth offered to all (Psalms 119:151)? Does not YHWH draw near to those that call on Him in truth (obedience) (Psalms 145:18)?

          The Truth is not there just for the taking or even asking. How many times have you heard it said that YHWH hears all prayers? What do the Scriptures tell us though! We are told quite clearly that if you do not listen to YHWH's teaching (His law) He does not listen to your prayers (Proverbs 28:9). I would posit that failure to obey is the primary reason so many are blind to the deceptions of Saul of Tarsus. They think simple belief enables them to run free without following YHWH's instructions.

          YHWH's teaching is not about a simple belief or even salvation: His teaching is about how to live your entire life in a manner that pleases Him. Sadly it seems most folks put more stock in their faith in Paul. Too many follow the teachings of Paul and treat Jesus as little more than a sacrificial lamb. This is even worse if you take into account that many of these same folks also claim Jesus is God - all the while ignoring both! How anyone can place Paul above every prophet of YHWH and above YHWH's chosen Messiah would be unfathomable to me if it were not for the knowledge that they are unknowingly wearing blinders.

          These blinders are very selective too. Many of these so called "christians" preach that we should "work in harmony" with Muslims, Buddhists, and others who deny YHWH and His Messiah; but, if you deny Paul many will treat as if you are the spawn of Satan himself. Most mainstream "christians" not only fail to live YHWH's teachings but most fail to even learn or listen to them. While great effort is expended to "spread the Gospel" the gospel being spread is not the Gospel from Jesus the Christ. Practically the entire world has heard of "a gospel" but how many have heard the true Gospel?

          If you do nothing else this week, please, have the courage to reach out to someone wearing blinders. You may learn what it is truly like to try to love someone who persecutes you for Jesus' sake; but, you might also help save a soul.

Quote of the Week

          Long before morning I knew that what I was seeking to discover was a thing I'd always known. That all courage was a form of constancy. That it is always himself that the coward abandoned first. After this all other betrayals come easily. - Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses

Comment: The children of YHWH know and apply the adage of "practice what you preach". We also know that it is YHWH who supplies the strength; we are but tools in His hands.

                             

Did You Know

          "Believe" appears less than 150 times in the entire Bible; but, "Do" appears over 2700 times. Comment: Sources HRB, LITV, YLT, and NET Bibles. The KJV search appears to show less but this is a language usage issue because the KJV also uses doth, doest, etc.

 

          Sir Isaac Newton, considered one of the greatest Bible scholars, wrote that he did not believe in the trinity but did not publish this writing. Why you may ask? Because back then going against the doctrine of the trinity was illegal throughout the British Empire. In 1693 a pamphlet attacking the trinity was burned by order of the House of Lords and the printer and author prosecuted. The Blasphemy Act of 1697 made it an offence to deny the trinity and could result in imprisonment without bail or worse. That same year a student was even hanged in Edinburgh, Scotland for denying the trinity. In 1711 one of Newton's friends, William HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Whiston"Whiston, lost his professorship at Cambridge for this reason. Comment: Even today most of mainstream "Christianity" requires adherence to the doctrine of the trinity - but not to YHWH's law or His Sabbath! -- And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; "depart from me, those working lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:23) -- Reference to Psa. 6:8

 

          The term "pharaoh" does not mean an Egyptian ruler. The term means "great house". Comment: Just as the term "the House of David" refers to King David's royal court so to pharaoh refers to the court of the Egyptian King. That's why you may have heard of King Tut but not Pharaoh Tut.

 

 

 

Beginnings and Endings?

Verse of the Week

                  The righteous falling down before the wicked is like a fouled fountain and a ruined spring.

                  (Proverbs 25:26)

Thought for the Week

          It seems it would be safe to say that almost every age since the time of Jesus has thought they would be the one to see his second coming. Sometimes this belief was based on faulty numerical calculations but more often than not it seems a sense of widespread evil and calamity gave rise to the belief, if not hope, that the end was near. Now too is such a time.

          The media is chock full of folks touting the end is near and even though it is an old song it may behoove us to examine what, if anything, makes this generation different from those that came before. It does not take a bible scholar to see that a key prophecy relating to Israel did not come to pass until the middle of the last century. That single issue separates recent generations from all who "cried wolf" in times gone by.

          Next I would point to Jesus' own words regarding the times being "as the days of Noah". It is safe to say that never before has the world seen homosexuality as widespread as today. Never before has homosexuality had a superpower forcing its acceptance on a world-wide basis. For those that would point to Rome they should remember that Rome actually had very little influence on the world outside of the "West". Rome never influenced the majority of Asia or Africa and none of the Americas. The US, on the other hand, is influencing the entire world - and it is doing so in a very evil manner.

The US is becoming the world's biggest hypocrite as nations go; and, it is paying a price for this evil and hypocrisy. The US itself is dying because of this evil and because the people of the US, as a whole, no longer have the courage to stand up against evil. Europe is experiencing the same catastrophe and for many of the same reasons.

As nation-states weaken and the UN grows stronger we draw closer to the potential for the "one world government" envisioned by many referred to in Revelation. We also see that Islam is rapidly expanding on a global scale - second only to humanism (not Christianity). Ironically we also see resurgence in the number of folks turning away from the false doctrines of many so called Christian churches and seeking the true path to life as set forth by YHWH.

Only YHWH knows when He will send His Son again. At this point all we can do is serve the best we can. We must keep our faith and spread the knowledge that salvation is from YHWH only and was never achievable by a manmade government. In times past there may have been at least one place in the world the children of YHWH were free to worship Him in peace. I know of no such place in the world today. Only Israel offers that freedom to its citizens but with most of the world seeking the destruction of Israel one could hardly say Israel can worship in peace.

The US, once a bastion of freedom for the worship of YHWH, has now joined the world in persecuting the children of YHWH. The US has indeed become a wellspring of corruption and is polluting the world. If Jesus does not come soon the end of the US will.  The US will pay for the evil it is forcing upon its people and the world. The wrath of YHWH against the US is coming soon - whether by the hand of Jesus or the hand of man. Are you ready?

The one testifying these things says, Yes, I am coming quickly. Amen. Yes, come, Lord Jesus!

(Revelation 22:20)

 

Quote of the Week

There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, more dangerous to manage, than the creation of a new system. -- Niccolo Machiavelli

Comment: The new system of government created at the founding of the US is, after just a historically brief blip on the radar of time, coming to an end. Hopefully, for our children’s sake, our Lord will come quickly.

                                                                      Did You Know

          Saul of Tarsus and Herod were Jewish by affiliation, not by blood. In Herod's case his grandfather had converted to Judaism. Herod was only the king of the Jews because the Romans appointed him as such. Herod even had a temple built to a roman “god”. Herod was a killer thru and thru, even before the murder of the innocents. He had his wife tried and executed. He had three of his own sons executed, and it is believed he had a high priest, whom he had himself appointed, drowned because he got too popular.

          Habiru: a term from between 1800 BC and 1100 BC, sometimes translated as wanderer, is believed by some to be the name for the people who later became known as Hebrews.

If ever one wanted proof YHWH is color blind consider that there are more Nations in Africa fighting against the scourge of homosexuality than there are States in the US with the courage to wage the same fight. Loading Preview

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The Enforcement of Evil

Verse of the Week

                  For YAHWEH, to do righteousness and justice is

                 to be chosen more than sacrifice.

                  (Proverbs 21:3)

Thought for the Week

I whole heartedly support a legal system for the administration of justice. Regretfully the US legal system is more focused on “law” than it is justice. Just as bad is the fact that the legal system also continues to increasingly ignore the Constitution which is the very foundation of US law and the US legal system. The US Department of Justice no longer operates legally or with justice. Not only have they blinded Lady Justice they have bound and gagged her as well!

It is not difficult to understand why the left wing liberals of the DOJ hate the Constitution so much. Legally it is an obstacle for them on their march toward the creation of a totalitarian state. But the hatred goes much deeper. The Constitution, as a legal document, is based on English Common Law. In turn English Common Law is largely based upon the Bible and Mosaic Law.

The DOJ, along with the rest of the US Government (regretfully even the DOD is guilty here as well), is dominated by left wing liberals - aka democrats and RINO’s. These left wing liberals are succeeding in making the US into a socialist nation. Their agenda is one of national socialism. For those that need a reminder for why that term may sound familiar it is because National Socialism is often abbreviated as NAZI.

The strange part is that the German version of national socialism was seen as right wing extremism whereas the US version is from a left wing extremist perspective. It is this irony that makes America’s descent into tyranny a perfect illustration of politics making for strange bedfellows. The left despises law enforce officers yet cannot achieve their goal of total control without them. Conversely most law enforcement personnel have historically been more conservative and right leaning.

Why is this important? Because if US law enforcement personnel were to uniformly honor their oaths to the Constitution then the left could never gain domination. Sadly, as things stand, too many US law enforcement personnel are uniformly ignoring their oaths and are abandoning all honor for the sake of “just following orders”. This too should sound familiar. It was a common refrain used by Nazi war criminals to explain away their guilt. History is repeating itself.

By design the US Supreme Court has no enforcement capability. Just because the Federal Government is betraying the Constitution, the States, and the People does not mean state and local law enforcement personnel are relieved of their duty to the people.

We must call upon all law enforcement personnel to decide where they stand. Will they uphold their honor and their oaths by standing with the people? Or will they do as the Nazi Gestapo did and “protect and serve” the tyrants. US law enforcement personnel must know that if they earn the people’s respect it will be given; but, if they serve the tyrant they will earn and deserve not only condemnation by the people but damnation by YHWH as well.

          Every street cop knows that the ultimate power resides in their hands. The courts can issue all the writs and warrants they like but it is meaningless unless the cop on the street enforces it. Legislatures can write all the laws they like but it is meaningless unless the cop on the street enforces it. America will soon learn what kind of men and women they have entrusted with badge and weapon. Are they men and women of honor deserving of respect or are they merely petty tyrants themselves knowing neither honor nor shame? Are they just an American version of the Gestapo and deserving of the same punishment? Ask every cop you know or meet, maybe we can still save this country. Better a revolt than civil war.

NOTE: As a former law enforcement officer I am not hopeful for the future of freedom in America.

 

Quote of the Week

If the machine of government is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. -- Henry David Thoreau

Comment: As the children of YHWH we are duty bound to interact with others according to justice as defined by YHWH. We must not strive for righteousness only for ourselves: Biblical love requires we try to aid even our enemies in achieving righteousness.

 

                                                                      Did You Know

 

QUESTION: What Pope was exhumed and tried after his death?

ANSWER: Pope Formosus. In what is now known as the Cadaver Synod, Pope Stephen VI had his predecessor Formosus dug up, dressed in papal robes, and placed on trial. The corpse was found guilty on all charges and all his papal acts were voided. For good measure Pope Stephen then had the three “blessing fingers” on Formosus’ right hand chopped off.

 

QUESTION: Can a man and a woman get a divorce if they do not enjoy sex together?

ANSWER: Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) said yes if the sex was poor due to genital size.

 

          QUESTION: What revered saint and icon of the Catholic Church said, “Prostitution is a necessary condition of morality” and that “If you put down prostitution, license and pleasure will corrupt society”?  

ANSWER: St. Augustine

 

          QUESTION: Do women have souls?

ANSWER: The Council of Macon in 585 A.D. decided, by one vote, that women were human and had souls.

 

QUESTION: What revered saint and icon of the Catholic Church was killed after being caught in “flagrante delicto” by the husband whose wife he was committing adultery with?

ANSWER: 10th-century Pope John XII.

 

QUESTION: What important position did Joan Anglicus once occupy in the Catholic Church?

 ANSWER: Some claim she was its Pope from 853 to 855 A.D. when Joan posed as “John”. But then Pope John got pregnant.

 

PS: The Abridged New Testament (without the writings of Paul but with the OGM, the Didache, & Study Guides) project will soon start the final edit stage. I just ordered print proofs.

I will still continue to work on my next project too: A How-to Manual for a Christian Underground.