cultural · Earth Day · environment · God · green · Uncategorized

Earth Day? Christian say what!?

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

burning earth
This really bothers me.  I know many Christians who seem to be obsessed with the environment and the ethics of how we treat animals.  I wonder if they are worshipping an idol?  Sometimes, in some cases, it sure seems that way.  I remember reading in the Bible…  That is God’s word, in case, some of you don’t recognize that is what we believe about it.  I know that has come into  question with some of our more liberal and green brothers and sisters.  Anyways, I remember God saying in His word, that He would destroy the earth with fire.  (1 Peter 3:3-18, Revelation 21:1-4)  So settle down and relax.  We aren’t going to ruin the joint.

Matter of fact, God put it under a curse just like us after the fall.  He wants us to conquer the Earth.  He wants us to subdue it.  It is intended for us to utilize its resources for the glory of God, by reducing human suffering, and increasing human flourishing.  Think about it.  Places where the Earth has been subdued, have roads, clean water, agriculture that produces animals for meat, and plants for food, electricity to light our nights, to power our machines, to warm us in winter, and cool us in summer, education which brings forth medicines and advances in the medical arts, culture, and so on.  If that isn’t good for human flourishing I dare you to take your unwashed hippy dippy slappy happy hind end out into the wilderness with no provisions from modern life, and survive for five years with no outside help.  Then let me know how well you flourished and helped others to flourish while reducing human suffering.  It ain’t gonna happen skippy.  Nope, the places around the Earth where human suffering is the greatest are the places that have not been subdued in any way.  If there were no electric heat or lights in McMurdo at the south pole there would be no human life there.

I’m not telling people to be careless with what we are entrusted.  I’m just telling them to stop worshipping the creation instead of the Creator.  Of course, we don’t foolishly strip mine, or cut an entire forest down without replanting trees.  Of course, we don’t pollute the air so badly that it poisons the water, soil, and plants for generations.  If people are suffering because we are afraid of ruining the breeding habitat of an owl, we move the owls and use the land.  If we can’t move the owls, I guess they have to die to make a better place for people.  Owls, after all, are not created in God’s image.  When it comes down to plants and animals versus humans, we always need to go with what will cause human flourishing and reduce human suffering.  These glorify God.  

1 Peter 3:3-18

3Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

     8But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

     10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

     11Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

     14Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Revelation 21:1-4

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Bible Reviews · Uncategorized

A Review of the 2015 Amplified Bible in Paperback, from Zondervan

Bob Snyder18 Comments

443905
Instead of going through and listing several changes between the older Amplified Bible and the new for 2015 Updated Amplified Bible, I decided just to show one as a brief example.  Then I will explain some pros and cons.  The verse we are going to look at is 1 John 3:9.

First we’ll look at the familiar KJV.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

[1 John 3:9 KJV]

Now the NASB.

No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

[1 John 3:9 NASB]

Next, the old version of the Amplified.

“No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and[a]habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God.”

The same verse in the 2015 Amplified.

“No one who is born of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because [a]God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannot habitually[live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of God and longs to please Him.”

SBL Greek, “1 John 3:9 (SBL NT) πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ, ὅτι σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει, καὶ οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται.” Pas ho gegennamenos ek ton theou amartian ou poiei, hoti sperma autou en auto menei, kai ou dunatai hamartanein, hoti ek tou theou gegennetai.  Anyone having been born of God sin not practices because seed of him in him abides and not he is able to continue sinning because of God has been born.

Now after looking at all of those versions for comparison you might have noticed a few differences.  In the KJV the Greek word, “ποιεῖ (poiei)” is being translated as, “commit” when it more accurately means, “practice.”  So all of the other versions have a more accurate translation of the first part of this verse.  What is inside the []’s in the Amplified translations is added commentary that is put in line with the Biblical text.  It is not the actual translation.  So the added, “[deliberately, knowingly, and habitually]” is intended to help you understand what is meant by, “…practices sin…”  

The KJV renders the next part as, “…for his seed remaineth in him:…”  The NASB is pretty similar with, “…because His seed abides in him;…” And then the old Amplified has, “…for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him];…”  This caused some people to get a bit testy.  I think the 2015 fixed the problem by changing their comments to, “because God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose];” but in my opinion added another problem, that being excessive commentation.  Finally, the last part of the verse is the same in the KJV and the NASB.  “…because he is born of God…”  and the old Amplified, “… because he is born (begotten) of God.” 

and the 2015, “…because he is born of God and longs to please Him…”  Now here is a problem that might not be evident at first.  Notice that there are no brackets around, “and longs to please Him.”  These words are not in the Greek, KJV, or the NASB.  They are added as if they are part of the translation.  There is no notation to let you know they are added text.  Now perhaps the people who compiled the 2015 Amplified meant to put them in brackets, but didn’t.  Nevertheless, it is a cause for concern.  

Having brought your attention to these things, I think it is prudent to say that I can give a qualified recommendation for this Bible.  I would recommend it for mature Christians who understand textual criticism, and want some insights into the translation process.  I wouldn’t recommend this for Christians who have no understanding of textual criticism.  False teachers are always going to find some way to twist the Bible around to make it say what they want.  People who say the Amplified version is a responsible are placing the blame on the translation and not the false teacher.  I think the Amplified might be helpful as a side Bible for comparison, but I wouldn’t use it for a study Bible.  I also wouldn’t use it to read from as the added text causes some discontinuity.  

The Bible itself is a paperback with a hybrid binding.  The paper is fairly opaque, for the cost, and the print is uniform and clear.  It is arranged in a double column, paragraph format.  There are notes at the bottom of the page.  The page numbers appear at the top outside corner of the pages with the book name, chapter, and verse range.  There are section headings in bold type.  The expanded text shows up in brackets in line with the text [like this] see how that works?  The hybrid binding and creased cover allow this Bible to open well considering the fact that it is not a sewn binding.  I wouldn’t count on this Bible lasting a long time as a daily reader because of the construction.  It is a value line type of Bible.  The most expensive binding I found this in was an imitation leather, so it isn’t exactly meant to be a durable product.  

Here is a link to the Lockman page for this Bible, The Amplified Bible is a Literal Equivalent translation that, by using synonyms and definitions, both explains and expands the meaning of words in the text by placing amplification in parentheses, brackets, and after key words. This unique system of translation allows the reader to more completely and clearly grasp the meaning as it was understood in the original languages. Additionally, amplifications may provide further theological, historical, and other details for a better understanding of the text.

Here is a blurb from a Christianbook.com

Product Description

If you want to get all the rich nuances of the original Bible languages, the Amplified Bible is for you. No working knowledge of Greek or Hebrew is required—just a desire to know more about what God says in his Word. With its unique system of brackets, parentheses, and italics, the Amplified Bible defines and expands key words and phrases right in the text. Verse by verse, the deeper meaning behind the message of Scripture unfolds as you read.

This updated edition of the Amplified Bible is even easier to read and better than ever to study and understand. It includes more amplification in the Old Testament and refined amplification in the New Testament. Additionally, the Bible text has been improved to read smoothly with or without amplifications, so that the text may be read either way. It’s the same feel and style of study material that you expect from the Amplified Bible–now with even clearer wording for deeper understanding

Now available in a more portable size, the Amplified Bible is perfect for an on-the-go lifestyle. Whether you are headed to class, to church, to a coffee shop, or on a trip around the globe, the Amplified Bible can travel with you.

Features

  • Complete Amplified Text
  • Thin, portable size
  • 8.50″ x 5.50″

Product Information

Format: Paperback

Number of Pages: 1440

Vendor: Zondervan

Publication Date: 2015

Dimensions: 8.50 X 5.50 X 1.25 (inches)

ISBN: 0310443903

ISBN-13: 9780310443902

Availability: In Stock

 Text Layout: Double Column

Text Color: Black Letter

Text Size: 8 Point

Thumb Index: No

Ribbon Marker: No

Spine: Glued

Page Gilding: None

Page Edges: White
Book Reviews · Islam Muslims quran · Uncategorized

A Review of, “Answering Jihad” by Nabeel Qureshi

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

ansjihad
The full title of the book is, “Answering Jihad A Better Way Forward.” The majority of the book is a concise primer on Islam, and some of its doctrines. It also briefly juxtaposes some facets of Islam with corresponding aspects Christianity.

The big question, in my summation, that it answered definitively was, “Do the authoritative founding documents of Islam prescribe violence as an integral part of the practice of Islam?” It would seem that the answer is, “Yes.” He also answers another question that has got our liberal friends in a tizzy, “Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God?” Of course, this is simply answered with a resounding, “No.” by people like me. Qureshi does answer in the negative but is more diplomatic with his response. He takes some time addressing why some people might think that they do. He also explains why some Christians from other countries might use the word, “Allah” as an interchangeable word for God. As an American, this would never enter my mind, so it was interesting to learn why it would happen in other countries. Nonetheless, we should answer the liberals in this nation with a, “No.” He explains how similar does not equate to same. It is not enough to have some similar attributes and then coincidentally make it consequential.

Nabeel Qureshi takes just enough time to flesh out the truth, without weighing the reader down with minutia. He utilizes a writing style that the layman will be comfortable with while maintaining accuracy. It is a quick read, that can be read in a day. It is a good resource to hand to friends who may have new Muslim co-workers or neighbors. I agree with Qureshi’s conclusion that the best way forward is friendship, not fear. If we can take the time to understand where they are coming from, and then invite them into our culture, it would go a long way to improving relations with the moderate muslims of the world. With the help of men like Qureshi we can also spot the Muslims who are educated in the founding documents of Islam and are engaging in the prescribed violence from the quran and hadiths.

I recommend this book as a primer. Definitely, get a copy for yourself, and then give it to anyone who would be in a position to befriend muslims. I would look for any other books this author might have coming out in the future.

 

ISBN-13: 9780310531388

Uncategorized

Marriage, as a Typological Representation of Christ and the Church. | Snyder’s Soapbox

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

In today’s culture, many people are embracing the doctrine of egalitarianism, as it is applied in theology. They go so far as to ignore what scripture says. For them, it is more important to confor…

Source: Marriage, as a Typological Representation of Christ and the Church. | Snyder’s Soapbox

cultural · gender dysphoria · God · Repentance · transgender · transsexual · Uncategorized

God only made two genders for mankind.

Bob SnyderLeave a comment
God only made two genders for mankind. Male and female is all there is. You don’t go to the hardware store looking through the nuts and bolts to buy a nolt! If you found one it would be good for nothing. If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe God when Jesus quoted His words from Genesis while He was being questioned by the Pharisees in the book of Matthew, “And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’? “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
[Matthew 19:4-6 NASB]
So if God eternal, and incarnate has explained what He meant, when He revealed what is written in Genesis to us, and it isn’t good enough for you, then it isn’t the rest of us that have the problem. It is you! You are sick! You are not well in the head! You are in deep confusion and sin! You are evil through and through! You need to repent of your sin and ask God to forgive you and heal you from this deep perversion. If you repent and believe upon the finished work of Christ, there is hope for you! You can be saved! For those of you monsters, confusing your very own little children into believing they are not the gender God blessed them with, there is a special place in Hell reserved for the likes of you! Your punishment for harming those little image bearers of God will be exactly as severe as God justly imposes. This should scare you! You are an abuser of children and a blasphemer! Repent! Repent!! REPENT!!! Your death may come upon you at any moment. The next moment you will be in front of the one true and holy God. He will judge you and without the atoning work of Christ to make you just in His sight, you will be sent to Hell for eternal torment and suffering. One moment will be worse than the last. You will feel as if you are being eaten from the inside by worms that never finish their meal. You will feel the immense pain of being burnt up, but never being finished with the burning. You will be in darkness with no solid ground beneath your feat. You know the feeling you get when you miss a step in the dark and begin to fall? That is the anxiety and fear you will feel for ever and ever. You will only hear the suffering others in hell. The gnashing of teeth and wailing will be ringing in your ears. The smoke of their torment will rise up forever. Your only experience will be suffering. You won’t know how long you’ve been there. Has it been a minute, a day, a thousand days, a year, a million years? Eternity is an ageless age. An existence without time, and you will be suffering for all eternity. There will be no fellowship with God. God will be there pouring out His wrath on you. You will justly deserve it. Repent now while there is time! Turn from the judgment to come. Stop approving of sin. Stop calling evil good and good evil. Acknowledge God truth! Believe in the Savior for the forgiveness of your sins!!!
Uncategorized

Evil and Adulterous Generation.

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

What greater sign do you need than Christ and His resurrection?

Mat 12:38 — Mat 12:45 (NASB)
”
The Desire for Signs
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40 for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”
” (http://olivetree.com/b3/Mat.12.38-45.NASB)

MHCC
Matthew 12:38-45 Vs. 38-45. Though Christ is always ready to hear and answer holy desires and prayers, yet those who ask amiss, ask and have not. Signs were granted to those who desired them to confirm their faith, as Abraham and Gideon; but denied to those who demanded them to excuse their unbelief. The resurrection of Christ from the dead by his own power, called here the sign of the prophet Jonah, was the great proof of Christ’s being the Messiah. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale, and then came out again alive, thus Christ would be so long in the grave, and then rise again. The Ninevites would shame the Jews for not repenting; the queen of Sheba, for not believing in Christ. And we have no such cares to hinder us, we come not to Christ upon such uncertainties. This parable represents the case of the Jewish church and nation. It is also applicable to all those who hear the word of God, and are in part reformed, but not truly converted. The unclean spirit leaves for a time, but when he returns, he finds Christ is not there to shut him out; the heart is swept by outward reformation, but garnished by preparation to comply with evil suggestions, and the man becomes a more decided enemy of the truth. Every heart is the residence of unclean spirits, except those which are temples of the Holy Ghost, by faith in Christ.

Church · cultural · God · love · marriage · Repentance · Theology · Uncategorized · under God

Men, Submit to God. Women, submit to God. He says, submit to your Husbands.

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

Untitled

So, you are a modern woman, and you have heard, perhaps even said, “I can do what I want!  You don’t own me!  I don’t need a man!”  Well, if you are Christian woman, you should eschew such ignorant, godless, rhetoric.  It is prideful and selfish.  Very unbecoming of a Christian man or woman.  I am so sick of how the world has been portraying husbands and wives.  Let’s not allow the culture to define us.  Let’s be defined by God’s word.

Imagine a man who claims to be Christian, and won’t submit to God’s word.  Instead of doing what God has commanded, he does what he wants.  Is that a man who is at war with his sinful flesh, or is that a man who is giving into his flesh?

Imagine a man who claims that nobody has ownership of him.  We know that is wrong.   God tells us in His word that our bodies do not belong to us.  A husband’s body belongs to his wife.  A wife’s body belongs also to her husband, but God owns them both.  They are His creatures.  The ones who die in rebellion, will burn forever in Hell.  He will pour out His righteous wrath on them for eternity.

Imagine now, an arrogant, prideful, man exclaiming that he doesn’t need a woman.  That man is calling God a liar.  Why, the very first book in God’s word explains why He made Eve.  It was because it was not good for man to be alone.  God made for him a helpmate.  Everyone knows that men need women.  If we are to be fruitful and multiply it is obvious.  So, to subdue the Earth, we must have wives and they must have husbands.

Modern notions of gender are so diabolically satanic.  They defile, degrade, and mock what God has made for our good and His glory.  The enemy loves it every time a feminist howls in rebellion, every time a man becomes a selfish boy.  We need to embrace our roles as God has defined and ordained them to be.  We should reject what culture says.  The cultural hermeneutic says, “The verses in the Bible that tell a woman to submit to her husband, the verses that say a woman should not teach or have authority over a man, the verses that tell men to support their families, to be the spiritual leaders of their homes and Churches, the word of God that tells us how to live as godly men and women should not be applied as God intended because modern culture’s consensus is superior.”  Well, last time I checked, we don’t ask culture to explain God to us, we read His words and hear straight from God Himself in the reading of it.  I don’t have to consult the latest social pundits.  God has spoken, and He has done so with the ultimate authority that entails.

Want to know why your marriage doesn’t work?  Want to know why you are miserable in your Church?  Want to know why your children run your home?  Simple, you have forsaken God’s will as expressed in His word.  Rebels and scoundrels, each and every one of us!  Repent and believe the word of God and live to please the Savior who has bled and suffered for you on the cross of His crucifixion.  Christ submitted to the will of the Father to cleanse for Himself a bride.  That bride is the Church.  It submits to Christ.  Submit yourselves to His headship as Lord and master of your lives.  This means even unto death.  We must love our wives as Christ loved the Church.  Christ died for us while we were yet sinners.  We did not deserve His love or sacrifice.  We were, by nature His enemies, and He died to save us.  Men, love your wives when they don’t deserve it.  Women love your husbands when they don’t deserve it.  Men, submit to Christ.  Women, submit to your husbands, not because he says to, but because the one, true, living God, almighty says to!

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 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. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
[Ephesians 5:22-33 KJV]

Husband, head, protector, provider.  Not what T.V. says, not what the movies show.

cultural · Uncategorized

Civics lesson

Bob SnyderLeave a comment


“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”  John Adams.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Now let’s break this down.  The first part obviously instructs that Congress will not make laws that elevate one theistic religion over another to a point of primacy.  The time in which the Constitution was drafted was a time of very few options in what was called religion.  There was Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Protestantism.  Outside of these, other systems weren’t recognized by the writers of the Constitution as religions.  Other systems were thought of as paganism.  Paganism was not given consideration as a religion.  Just imagine the founding Fathers considering satanism as a religion when they were writing the Constitution.  Never in their wildest imaginings did they think that we would be considering, satanism, hinduism, buddhism, or islam as true religions.  Since they weren’t in the realm of consideration as religions, they were not covered under the 1st  Amendment.

The second clause states that Congress cannot prohibit the free exercise of the first three religions that I mentioned. (Protestantism, Anglicanism, and Roman Catholicism)  Under the pale of Protestantism there are several denominations.  Some have become heretical, but that is a matter for the Church to work through with Church discipline.  It is not a matter for the Congress.  So only something under the three religions above was considered true religion by the framers of our Constitution.  They obviously didn’t consider the various religions of the Native Americans to be real religions.  They called them savages, or pagans, just like they called the Hindus pagans.  When you read their writings, you can see what they intended when they wrote the Constitution.

The next section guarantees our freedom to say whatever we would like to say, or print whatever we would like to print.  It would not be stretching the historical context to assume that these freedoms would apply to the radio, television, and the internet now, and the Supreme Court has agreed.  Again, considering the quote at the top of this article, they would not have imagined anyone wanting to spread pornography, profanity, or anything that would violate the morals of the specified religious systems.

What does it mean to, “peaceably assemble?”  It doesn’t mean blocking the freeway so a politician can’t get to a rally.  That impedes the free travel of other citizens without due process.  It doesn’t mean a neighborhood can riot because they don’t like the way law enforcement behaves.  It does mean that you can stand out front of federal building and picket.  It does mean you can camp out on public land in protest while the government prepares to address your grievances.  It doesn’t mean the government should come and kill you for exercising your right.

It is interesting that the, “occupy wall street” nuts didn’t get shot by federal agents while they impeded the rights of other citizens.  We live in a day and age where the Constitution is being read with a cultural hermeneutic instead of a historical one that considers the intents of the authors.  People attempt to read the Bible with that same cultural hermeneutic.  They ask, “How should I understand this section of scripture given today’s consensus about the topic?”  Instead of asking, “How should I understand this section of scripture considering God’s intentions for having it penned, who His intended audience was, how do we apply to us in this day and age keeping in mind His intent?”  So as long as the secular popularists are the arbiters of good and evil, right and wrong, we will have an ever changing and interpretation of all of our foundational presuppositions, and as we well know, if you don’t build your house on the rock of Christ, it will be washed away when the storms of life come crashing in.  All other ground is sinking sand.

 

cultural · God · love · marriage · Uncategorized

What is a young man’s incentive to get married?

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

What is a young man’s incentive to get married?

In today’s culture, there really is none.  Think about it.  Because of feminism, promiscuity, abortion, birth control, and unfair divorce laws, a man has no reason to get married.  For a young man today, he has women exercising their, “equality” by approaching him for promiscuous sex outside of marriage.  He doesn’t have to court them, or win their affections.  No, he just has to be attractive, and willing.  He doesn’t have to worry about becoming a Father either.  Birth control, and abortion have him covered there.  Why become a Father when he can remain a boy?  Not to mention what he witnessed growing up.  His own Father was never in his life, because of the divorce his parents put him through.  He only got to see his Father on the court appointed days.  His buddies that have been divorced tell him of how they have to pay alimony, lose half their retirement accounts, take all of the debt, lose half of their assets, and only get to see their children when it is convenient for their ex.  So if he can keep having all of the sex he wants without being married, or even in a committed relationship, why would he want to go through the rest of that trouble?  This is why we need a Biblical world-view.  This is one of the ways the enemy has engineered to take down our culture.  Our culture was based on God’s word.  This is one of the ways the enemy has decided to defile us, and mock God.

cultural · God · love · marriage · Repentance · Uncategorized

Become Lowly Servants.

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

welove-christian-graphics1

The world is crazy. People are unstable, and unreliable. They are selfish, and self-centered. They don’t care what other people need. They don’t care about other people’s feelings. They only think about their own problems, and their own feelings. They don’t believe in loving other people more than they love themselves. They don’t believe it is healthy to do so. They don’t love Christ above all. People around them are only there as extensions of themselves. Their egos are tied up in them, and when they aren’t rewarded, it is easy for them to destroy the relationships they have, without care for the other people. I’m sick of seeing this, and hearing of it. Being a spouse, and a parent is not for your fun. If you are a spouse or a parent, it is not an option to cease. If you are a spouse, you made an oath to God, and your spouse, in front of witnesses. How on Earth could you justify destroying that, just because you aren’t happy? If you are a parent of a child, how could you mistreat your child because they are interrupting your, “time” or perhaps they don’t give you what you want. Well, duh! They aren’t there to complete you, or make you feel loved, or better. You are the parent for crying out loud. God has given you a job to do. Train them up in the way they should go. Teach them about God, and His word. Preach the gospel of the grace of Jesus to them. Love them more than you love yourself. Sacrifice for everyone around you. You are NOT THAT IMPORTANT!!! Become everyone’s servant. Wash some feet, lower yourself! All of the self-esteem, feminism, everyone’s a winner, sexual liberty, no fault divorce, birth control, promiscuity marketed to women as women’s lib, defilement of marriage by divorce, adultery, and gay marriage, euthanasia marketed as dying with dignity, abortion marketed as a women’s choice under women’s lib/feminism, porn turning men and women into objects, defiling gender that is God given as a gift for the procreation of image bearers of God, that was to be for His glory, and on and on and on… I’m tired… I’m disgusted… Haven’t we had enough of us? Haven’t we had our fill of this delusion? We need God. We need repentance. We need to be broken so we can see the vanity of it all. WE NEED TO HUMBLE OURSELVES AND REPENT. We need to become lowly servants. That is my rant for the day.  Like Paul when he said, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” 1 Timothy 1:15 (NASB)  We are the worst of sinners, I am the worst of sinners, you are the worst of sinners.