If you’re like me, you may be having trouble getting in the Christmas spirit. I see the evils of this world on the news, and marvel at how it doesn’t take a break, even during Advent. It shouldn’t surprise me, but it does get to me. If you are like my wife, the fact that there is no snow on the ground brings her down. During our childhoods, we both had snow by Christmas. Some folks try to get in the Christmas spirit by shopping, watching, “Christmas” movies, and listening to, “Christmas” music. Let’s face it, the movies are more about Santa then Christ. Don’t get me started on secular, “Christmas” music.
If our feelings aren’t matching the reality of Christ’s entrance into this world to seek, and save the lost, let’s remember the glory of this Advent. The eternal Son, at the will of the Father, and the work of the Spirit, condescended from the majesty of Heaven, deigned to put on human flesh, forever joining Deity to humanity, in the person of Jesus, who is righteous, without sin, He emptied Himself taking the form of a servant, suffered persecution, laid down His life, was crucified, and had the wrath of holy God poured out on Him, to cleanse us from our sins, and justify us to God, died, buried, and resurrected on the third day, conquering sin, and death, on our behalf, as the perfect fulfillment of the Passover Lamb of God. He ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He intercedes for us, and the Holy Spirit is now with us, indwelling those who are His, and giving them communion with God for ever.
Our efforts to, “get into the Christmas spirit” are often well intended, but misguided. We miss the forest for the trees. If we are focused on Jesus, the gospels, and singing praises to God with the carols that do the same, we will be thinking about the true reasons we celebrate Christmas. You may find the Christmas spirit there.
Read this account from Exodus that records what God was going to do to the people who rebelled, and what Moses had to do so that God would relent. It is time for us to choose, as a nation, who we will worship, and whose laws/morality we will enforce.
Exodus 32 (LSB Strong’s) The Golden Calf 1 Then the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain. So the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Arise, make us gods who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 And Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he took this from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 5 And Aaron looked and built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh.” 6 So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink and rose up to play. 7Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go! Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” 9 And Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may consume them; and I will make you a great nation.” 11Then Moses entreated the favor of Yahweh his God and said, “O Yahweh, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and relent concerning doing harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and You said to them, ‘I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 So Yahweh relented concerning the harm which He said He would do to His people. 15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain. And the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other. 16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets. 17 Then Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted. And he said to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But the sound of singing I hear.” 19 Now it happened, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. 20 Then he took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it. 21 Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil. 23 Indeed they said to me, ‘Make gods for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” 25 Now Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies— 26so Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Whoever is for Yahweh, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Every man among you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother and every man his friend and every man his neighbor.’” 28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, “Be ordained today to Yahweh—for every man has been against his son and against his brother—in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.” 30 Now it happened on the next day, that Moses said to the people, “You yourselves have committed a great sin; but now I am going up to Yahweh, perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 Then Moses returned to Yahweh and said, “Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made gods of gold for themselves. 32 But now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” 33 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34 But now go, guide the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” 35 Then Yahweh smote the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.
Most Christians won’t ever condone violence. I do. Afterall, enforcement of a law, means with force. Police Officers use force when people are acting lawlessly, or as antinomians. If we legislate our way back to a Christian nation, we can write morally good laws, that use force for moral good, instead of tyranny, which is when man writes laws, and enforces them, that command us to do things that God forbids, or to not do things that God commands. We are living under the alphabet mafia’s tyranny. We are living under the satanic tyranny of the globalist communists who hate us, and God. They love to cause human suffering, and death. They love perversion.
God destroyed the Earth with water last time He poured out His judgment on it. The last time is going to be with fire. Repent of your sins, and trust Christ. Let’s make America a Christian nation, with Christian laws. It would be morally good for everyone, even the law breakers would benefit spiritually from America being a Christian nation.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few decades you are aware of the moral decline in America, and the rest of the world. It should be blatantly obvious to everyone at this point. The Democrats are the party of baby murder, every type of sexual immorality, lawlessness, animosity towards Christ, and His people, worship of the creation/creature instead of the Creator, genital mutilation of children, mind altering drugs, money laundering, proxy wars, corruption and coverups, lies, coercion, blackmail, weaponization of corrupt law enforcement agencies, and so on. The Libertarian party is the party of, “Do as thou wilt.” Which is the only commandment of the satan worshippers. Then we have traitors promoting communism, and socialism, in those parties. Both of those ideologies are satanic, and rob the human being of his dignity being made in the image of God, and on a more important issue, are blasphemously attempting to impugn God’s character.
I’m not saying that Republicans are the answer. There are far too many RINOs who have been bought, and paid for. Blackmailed, or coerced into doing the bidding of the demonic globalists. We can see their influence in every local election. We get the word out, “Don’t vote for that guy! He’s a RINO.” Then big money comes in from out of state to smear the honest to goodness Christian candidate, and what do you know? The RINO wins somehow. I’m not encouraging people to give up on politics, but I am encouraging people to SHARE THE GOSPEL!!! If people become born again, and repent of their sins, their minds will be changed by God. He will put them in right order. They will, by accord with their new natures, begin to abhor evil in the world, and love righteousness. God will give us the leaders we deserve. You can see that by the things the other parties call their, “platform.” Which is really as platform of satanic ideologies.
It isn’t a matter of Californians, or New Yorkers, moving to your state. Your own public schools are brainwashing your children to hate themselves, their parents, their country, their skin color, Christianity, their gender, and their history. You have homegrown enemies that the state has formed in the image of satan. Homeschool your kids! Put them in a Christian co-op! Put them in a charter school, or classical academy! Do whatever it takes to get them out of public schools. Get on the school board! Fire the perverts!
We’ve all seen the unhinged, apoplectic, lunatic, ravings, of the pro-abortion crowd. They see baby murder as a right. They lose their minds when baby murder is made illegal. The seething, and frothing at the mouths of these exceedingly wicked people is grotesque, and disturbing. It should awaken in anyone with a conscience, the fact that these people are in deed, and purpose, satan’s slaves. They love the murder of infants. It is a unholy, blasphemous sacrament of theirs, that they communally take part, and pleasure in.
The godless have been lying to our kids, and people. They tell them that they can be whatever gender they want, and that it is not tied to the biological reality of sex. They pervert their minds, and corrupt them, young and old. They are grooming them to be their children, as they can not propagate their perverse pleasures by natural copulation alone. They reproduce in the spirit of the mind by damning lies! All of their works lead to the suffering, and death of people who were made in the image of God. These people seethe in waves of emotional duress, while lecturing us on how our words are violence! They commit actual violence! They murder our youth in the schools! The homosexual, “trans people,” pedophiles, and those who are practicing bestiality, are being normalized. It is only a mater of time before necrophilia, and cannibalism are normalized. Mark my words. I told people this was going to happen thirty years ago, if we didn’t repent, and here we are.
They encourage people to use drugs. They hate humanity. They love to see people addicted, dying in the streets, homeless, and dirty. It makes them feel superior, and virtuous simultaneously. They say, “Look how loving we are. We won’t put you in prison for using drugs. We love you.” All the while, sitting back drinking their fancy coffee drink, and watching people literally kill themselves, and others, while on the streets, using drugs. I retired from Corrections as an Officer after 26 years. I can tell you, over the years, many inmates told me prison saved their lives. I currently work part-time at a rehab. We lost a client who finished the program. After a month of being out, he overdosed. If he had been sent to prison, he would have lived. He wouldn’t be on the streets. He would have 3 hots, and a cot. He’d have health care, mental health care, chapel, training to become an electrician, plumber, cad-cam, sign shop, construction tech, and more. I ask you, who is more loving? Who cares more for the imago dei, Christians, or godless leftists?
They have convinced the kids to worship animals, plants, and the planet. They tell them not to have children because we are killing the planet. They convince them that animals are on the same level of being as humans. We are made in the image of God, and given dominion over the planet to subdue for the encouragement of human flourishing, and the reduction of human suffering. The godless cannot have this. They love human death, and suffering. God will uphold this creation until His purposes with it are completed. Then He will burn it up with fire. Don’t believe the lies. Worship God the Creator, not the creation!
The only way out, is the only way, Jesus Christ! He is the way, and the truth! No man comes to the Father, except by Him! He is our King! His word is our pleasure, and duty! We worship the God of the living! We begin truly living the life eternal upon our true birth! Repent of your sins, and trust the Savior! Communism makes everyone equally subject by force. Who are they subject to? The centralized, governing of tyrants! Someone has to be more than equal to subject others to a false equality! God makes man equally man. Communist can’t have that. They attempt to rid their society of any god who would wield supreme authority. They are satanic usurpers, and murderers! Better dead, than red, the saying used to go. Don’t fall for the lies of the evil one. The only way you can fight evil is to be born again. Otherwise, you will fight against true goodness, and think you are doing good.
It is blatant to me. It is becoming blatant to many in this hour. My hope is that you will all wake up to the fact that the world is spiritually dead, and enslaved to sin. If you are not in Christ, you are part of that. You think you are good, but you are not. You are in love with demonic thinking. You only seek to please your own fleshly desires. Even your mercy is cruelty. Your good deeds, are for your own feelings of pseudo-piety. Repent, and trust Jesus for your justification to God. Only then will your works pleas Him.
I’m currently frustrated with all arguments I’m encountering from people supporting the Hebrew Roots Movement, and Messianic Judaism. I understand that these two groups may not want to be grouped together, but I really can’t see why I shouldn’t. Messianic Judaism sounds like an oxymoron to me. If you are in Christ, just call yourself a Christian already. From what I gather, to be a Messianic Jew, you need to be born an ethnic Jew, and then come to believe that Jesus was, and is the Messiah. Ok, fine, but why do they continue to practice their faith as if they had never been converted? Just drop all of the Old Testament practices, and be united to the other New Covenant believers. Paul had quite a bit against Peter when Peter gave in to the Judaizers.
Then there are the even whackier Hebrew Roots Movement hacks. Some of the Hebrew Roots Movement people have even cited Stephen’s sermon to the Jews who martyred him, including Saul at the time, as proof of their doctrinal stances. This one thing by itself blows my mind because it is such an obvious sermon against them. Anyhow, I thought it might be helpful to post a few sections of scripture with plenty of surrounding context, so you could read them, and hopefully figure it out. Let’s not put ourselves under the Old Covenant, or try to somehow get closer to God, or feel more spiritual, by imposing the traditions of the Old Covenant ancient Jewish people on ourselves, or others. We also don’t need to use broken, hacked up, ignorant idiots play-time Hebrew for dummies. Stop with, “You gots to call Jesus by His Jewish name, or you’re not a believer!!!” You sound like a JW telling people they have to use, “Jehovah” which isn’t even in the text. It was a translation convention created a long time ago to express the tetragrammaton by adding vowels from adonai to YHWH. We are under a New Covenant people. Jesus is our Savior, High Priest, and King. Please keep in mind, I don’t hate Jewish people for being Jewish. I’m simply frustrated by people’s desire to get back under the law, and self-righteousness.
Galatians 2:11 – 5:26 (LSB Strong’s) Paul Opposes Peter (Cephas) 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he began to shrink back and separate himself, fearing the party of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before everyone, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? 15 “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. 17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! 18 For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” The Righteous Shall Live by Faith 1 O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to learn from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things for nothing—if indeed it was for nothing? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6 Just as Abraham BELIEVED GOD AND IT WAS COUNTED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS, 7 so know that those who are of faith, those are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. 10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO DO THEM.” 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for “THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; rather, “HE WHO DOES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. The Promise by Faith 15 Brothers, I speak in human terms: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And TO YOUR SEED,” that is, Christ. 17 And what I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to abolish the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is by law, it is no longer by promise, but God has granted it to Abraham through promise. 19 Why the Law then? It was added because of trespasses, having been ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not for one person only, whereas God is one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed be by law. 22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, being shut up for the coming faith to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor unto Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise. Sonship in Christ 1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and stewards until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were enslaved under the elemental things of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. 8 However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. 9 But now, having known God, or rather having been known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you for nothing. 12 I beg of you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong. 13 But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I proclaimed the gospel to you the first time; 14 and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. 15 Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They zealously seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will zealously seek them. 18 But it is good always to be zealously sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you. 19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you— 20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, because I am perplexed about you. An Allegory of Two Covenants 21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the Law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant-woman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the servant-woman had been born according to the flesh, while the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 This is spoken with allegory, for these women are two covenants: one from Mount Sinai bearing children into slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. 27 For it is written, “REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT GIVE BIRTH; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE ONE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND.” 28 And you brothers, in accordance with Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh was persecuting him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “CAST OUT THE SERVANT-WOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE SERVANT-WOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.” 31 So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant-woman, but of the free woman. Christ Set Us Free 1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have fallen from grace! 5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are eagerly waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. 7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view. But the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11 But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross would have been abolished. 12 I wish that those who are upsetting you would even mutilate themselves. 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. Walk by the Spirit 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you do not do the things that you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become those with vain glory, challenging one another, envying one another.
Acts 6:8 – 8:3 (LSB Strong’s) Stephen Accused of Blasphemy 8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and were arguing with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to oppose the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they came up to him, dragged him away, and brought him to the Sanhedrin. 13 And they put forward false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases speaking words against this holy place and the Law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.” 15 And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin saw his face like the face of an angel. Stephen’s Defense 1 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And he said, “Hear me, brothers and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES, AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.’ 4 Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. 5 But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and He promised that HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION, AND TO HIS SEED AFTER HIM, even when he had no child. 6 But God spoke in this way, that his SEED WOULD BE SOJOURNERS IN A FOREIGN LAND, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. 7 ‘AND I MYSELF WILL JUDGE THE NATION TO WHICH THEY WILL BE ENSLAVED,’ said God, ‘AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.’ 8 And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham was the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac was the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. 9 “And the patriarchs, becoming jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he appointed him governor over Egypt and all his household. 11 “Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. 14 Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. 16 And from there they were removed to Shechem and placed in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. 17 “But as the time of the promise was drawing near which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18 until ANOTHER KING AROSE OVER EGYPT WHO DID NOT KNOW ABOUT JOSEPH. 19 It was he who deceitfully took advantage of our family and mistreated our fathers to set their infants outside so that they would not survive. 20 It was at this time that Moses was born, and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. 21 And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22 And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in words and deeds. 23 But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. 24 And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took justice for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. 25 And he supposed that his brothers understood that God was granting them salvation through him, but they did not understand. 26 On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers, why are you treating one another unjustly?’ 27 But the one who was treating his neighbor unjustly pushed him away, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US? 28 DO YOU INTEND TO KILL ME AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN YESTERDAY?’ 29 At this remark, MOSES FLED AND BECAME A SOJOURNER IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN, where he was the father of two sons. 30 “And after forty years had passed, AN ANGEL APPEARED TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS OF MOUNT Sinai, IN THE FLAME OF A BURNING BUSH. 31 When Moses saw it, he was marveling at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB.’ Moses trembled with fear and would not dare to look. 33 BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, ‘REMOVE THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND. 34 I HAVE SURELY SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE IN EGYPT AND HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANS, AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM; COME NOW, AND I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT.’ 35 “This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them out, doing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BROTHERS.’ 38 This is the one who, in the congregation in the wilderness, was with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai and with our fathers; the one who received living oracles to pass on to you. 39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40 SAYING TO AARON, ‘MAKE FOR US GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT—WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAS BECOME OF HIM.’ 41 At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘DID YOU PRESENT ME WITH SLAIN BEASTS AND SACRIFICES FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? 43 YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.’ 44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He, who spoke to Moses, directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. 45 And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. 46 David found favor in the sight of God, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built a house for Him. 48 However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands, as the prophet says: 49 ‘HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET. WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?’ says the Lord, ‘OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REST? 50 WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE ALL THESE THINGS?’ 51 “You men—stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears—are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 And which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet did not observe it.” Stephen Is Stoned to Death 54 Now when they heard this, they became furious in their hearts, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But crying out with a loud voice, they covered their ears and rushed at him with one accord. 58 And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he was calling out and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And having said this, he fell asleep. Saul Persecutes the Church 1 Now Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he was delivering them into prison.
Hebrews 8:1 – 10:25 (LSB Strong’s) Jesus, High Priest of a New Covenant 1 Now the main point in what is being said is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister in the holy places and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. 4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; 5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “SEE,” He says, “THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN.” 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL COMPLETE A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS IN THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. 10 FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND UPON THEIR HEARTS I WILL WRITE THEM. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 11 AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. 12 FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.” 13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. The Old Covenant 1 Now even the first covenant had requirements of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For there was a tabernacle prepared: the first part, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread, which is called the holy place. 3 And behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, 4 having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6 Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the first part of the tabernacle performing the divine worship, 7 but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the holy places has not yet been manifested while that first part of the tabernacle is still standing, 9 which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, 10 since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, requirements for the body imposed until a time of reformation. The New Covenant 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy places once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the trespasses that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU.” 21 And in the same way, both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry he sprinkled with the blood. 22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter holy places made with hands, mere copies of the true ones, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy places year by year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All 1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; 6 IN BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. 7 THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME, IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME, TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’” 8 After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time UNTIL HIS ENEMIES ARE PUT AS A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, 16 “THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,” He then says, 17 “AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.” 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. A New and Living Way 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Here is a copy of an e-mail I sent to some coworkers, and friends who are Christian. Maybe it will help you.
As many of you already know, the death rate is far lower than originally projected. Many of us know someone, or know of someone who has died of the virus. Several of us have had the virus. I want to give you a little ray of sunshine. If you look at the numbers as of today, 10,513,068 people in America have tested positive since they started keeping track almost a year ago. This is not the number of active cases, even though that is how it seems to be presented by the media. The total number of deaths in America has been listed as 242,527. We know that this number has been inflated, and is actually lower. How much lower, I do not know. To give the doom, and gloom squad the benefit of the doubt, we’ll use that number. The next number we will look at is the number of Americans who have recovered from the virus. As we know, this number is dramatically under-reported by the media. In reality, you either recover, or die within a month. So it is obvious they have not kept pace with all the recoveries. For some reason they don’t track, or report accurately on the number of recovered cases. Perhaps it would seem to lead to a different narrative than the one we are being presented?
In my house, when I had the virus, I was the only one tested. After I came down with it, I promptly infected everyone else. My wife, 32 year old son, and 20 year old daughter all caught it. Since they weren’t tested, their numbers didn’t get recorded, or added to the total number of confirmed cases. The clinic would not test them. They told them to stay home and quarantine. I understand that this is pretty typical. Also, around 50% of the people are asymptomatic. If you take these factors into consideration, the real number of people who had the virus is more likely 3 times the official amount, and the government knows it. That would be approximately 31,539,204 people who have had the virus. If we divide the number of people who have died, by the number of people who have had the virus, we get .76% mortality rate. In other words, 99.24% of all people, in all age groups, with all kinds of diseases, and pre-existing conditions survive the virus. Tell me again why we are going through all of this? Why are we shutting down jobs, and families? Why are we wearing useless masks? Don’t get me started on masks. Have you seen what kind of gear they wear in labs that work on viruses?
Don’t let your emotions, and fear take over. Trust God. Even during the bubonic plague when mortality rates were around 50% Christians still went into sick homes, and ministered to dying people. This virus is not the same, but Christians should have the same message. God is sovereign. He is in control. Even this is in His will. We all are guilty sinners, and deserve suffering, death, and hell. If He has determined to bring me home by catching a virus, so be it. It doesn’t change the fact that people need to hear the gospel. They need to be warned, they are sinners, just like you and I. We will stand before God on judgment day. We will have no excuse for our sins. We must repent, and trust the justifying work of Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection. Be found in Christ on the day of your judgment, and live with Him in glory. Don’t fear the virus, fear God, and live!
“The way to Heaven is ascending; we must be content to travel uphill, though it be hard and tiresome, and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh.” ― Jonathan Edwards
I have a few acquaintances, who for some personal reasons, think that it is a good, fun, time to mock Christ, and my faith in Him, as well as the faith of all Christians. They say things like, “Christ is a mythological character, God does not exist, all Christians are crooks, all Christians are homosexuals and touch little boys, Christians are the ones bringing all of the illegal immigrants in, If there is a God Christians are just trying to make themselves feel better by making up Christ who they dump all their sins on and God is really going to grind them to powder because there is nobody to atone for their sins, Christians are the worst people, the Bible is made up, religion is just used by the elite to control the masses, (“religion is the opiate of the masses.” ala Karl Marx, oh by the way he is dead, but Jesus is alive!) I am God worship me, I’d never worship a god who would allow people like you into heaven, Roman Catholicism, Easter Orthodoxy, Russian Orthodoxy, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnessism, Seventh Day Adventism, Judaism, Islam, (insert blasphemous heretical cult/religion here) are all the same.
Now we know these are ignorant, and hateful statements, that are the product of a heart and mind set against God, but it doesn’t cause us to be any less hurt when someone says them regardless of their professed reasons for saying them.
1 John 5:19, “19We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
Romans 1:18-23, “ 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.”
Romans 8:6-8, “6For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
It is even more upsetting when friends, or family say these things purposefully to get under our skin. Why does it hurt? Because our identity is wrapped up in Christ, if we are in Christ. Someone is mocking the one who you love, gave you new life, took the punishment you deserve, the one who died for you, and changed your heart. Of course, it should hurt.
Take heart, God is our fortress. He is our defense. God will not be mocked.
Psalms 62:5-8 “5My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
6He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
7On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
8Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.”
Galatians 6:7-8, “7Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Psalms 1:1-6, “1How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
4The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.”
We know that they only mock us, and God, because they hate God. One day, if they don’t come to be in Christ, they will be judged outside of Him. They will be judged in their sins.
Matthew 5:11-12, “ 11“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Romans 8:1-5, “1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
As we will be studying what God’s word has to say about His holiness, I thought I would quote some of what our elders have said on the topic of holiness in this brief preface to our study. We can learn from their wise counsel. Also, We would be remiss to do a study of holiness without first acknowledging the source. The holiness of God is not merely, or solely, an attribute of His among many others. To quote Charles Hodge, “The holiness of God is not to be conceived of as one attribute among others. It is rather a general term representing the conception of God’s consummate perfection and total glory. It is His infinite moral perfection crowning His infinite intelligence and power.” There is no other quality of God that the seraphim angels praise three times, time and again in eternity. [Isa 6:3 NASB] “And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” To know God, we must know He is holy, and we are not. “Only one attribute of God, in sacred Scripture is emphasized three times. Only once is a characteristic of God mentioned three times in succession. The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love; or mercy, mercy, mercy; or wrath, wrath, wrath; or justice, justice, justice. It does say that he is holy, holy, holy, that the whole earth is full of His glory.” R.C. Sproul.
God,
Being distinct, other than, separate, set apart, in moral perfection,
transcendent in His holiness, cannot be fathomed by man. This
holiness also manifests as majesty. The chasm that separates us from
Him due to our sin is so great, only the cross can bear us from one
sin to glory. R.C. Sproul wrote, “The most violent expression of
God’s wrath and justice is seen in the Cross. If ever a person had
room to complain for injustice, it was Jesus. He was the only
innocent man ever to be punished by God. If we stagger at the wrath
of God, let us stagger at the Cross. Here is where our astonishment
should be focused.” The only way to please the holy God, is for Him
to provide what is pleasing. In Christ, He has provided
righteousness for our justification. In Christ, we are separated
from sin, and set apart for His use. We are consecrated to and for
the glory of God. Jonathan Edwards wrote, “Never did God so
manifest His hatred of sin as in the death and suffering of His only
begotten Son. Hereby He showed Himself unappeasable to sin, and that
it was impossible for Him to be at peace with it.”
Our
problem is that we are not holy. Here is a quote from R.C. Sproul,
“Sin is cosmic treason. Sin is treason against a perfectly pure
Sovereign. It is an act of supreme ingratitude toward the One to whom
we owe everything, to the One who has given us life itself. Have you
ever considered the deeper implications of the slightest sin, of the
most minute peccadillo? What are we saying to our Creator when we
disobey Him at the slightest point? We are saying no to the
righteousness of God. We are saying, “God, Your law is not good. My
judgement is better than Yours. Your authority does not apply to me.
I am above and beyond Your jurisdiction. I have the right to do what
I want to do, not what You command me to do.” It is evident that
we must come to the knowledge of what holiness is by contrasting our
dire lack of it with its perfection in God’s being.
A.W.
Tozer had this to say, “We cannot grasp the true meaning of the
divine holiness by thinking of someone or something very pure and
then raising the concept to the highest degree we are capable of.
God’s holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered.
We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique,
unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. The natural man
is blind to it. He may fear God’s power and admire God’s wisdom,
but His holiness he cannot even imagine.” This is the transcendent
holiness of the Creator. It is on display for us, in the natural
creation, in His word, and personally in His Son.
“Without
such a vision of God’s holiness, true worship is not possible.
Worship is not giddy. It does not rush into God’s presence
unprepared and insensitive to His majesty. It is not shallow,
superficial, or flippant. Worship is life lived in the presence of an
infinitely righteous and omnipresent God by one utterly aware of His
holiness and consequently overwhelmed with his own unholiness… If
you have never worshiped God with a broken and contrite spirit,
you’ve never fully worshiped God, because that is the only
appropriate response to entering the presence of Holy God.” John
MacArthur.
“God’s
holiness means He is separate from sin. But holiness in God also
means wholeness. God’s holiness is His “God-ness.” It is His
being God in all that it means for Him to be God. To meet God in His
holiness, therefore, is to be altogether overwhelmed by the discovery
that He is God, and not man.” Sinclair Ferguson.
“If
every attribute of the Deity were a distinct member, holiness would
be the soul to animate them. Without holiness His patience would be
an indulgence to sin, His mercy a fondness, His wrath a madness, His
power a tyranny, His wisdom an unworthy subtlety. Holiness gives
decorum to them all.” Puritan, Stephen Charnock.
Have you ever felt like you are not an adult, like you are just pretending to be your idea of what an adult is? Do you wonder if the others are going to see through your facade and know that you are just playing at being an adult? My standard of what a man should be has always been my Father. He has been dead for about 4 years now. I know he would tell me he is proud of me, and that I’ve become the man he hoped I would be. He never showed us any doubt. He was always so outwardly confident, or perhaps that is the way it seemed to a child’s perception. I know he did have doubts and fears. I know he confided in his Wife. I have done the same thing. I wonder though, if the strength he portrayed to us wasn’t there, what kind of man would I be? Because of my Father, I can safely say, I am a more godly man than I would have been without Him. Because of His example, I took several, I mean several leaps of faith to do what I thought would have been the right thing, the thing Dad would have done, or been proud of. Ladies, this can apply to you and your godly mothers as well. I know my Dad wasn’t perfect, and he made mistakes that he privately regretted, but he was as good a Father to me and my Brother as he could have been. Now that Dad is gone, I don’t feel alone, or on shaky ground. Why? Because I’ve got another Father. A perfect Father who is not flawed. I have a Father who gave me and my Brother, and our Mother, the perfect man to accomplish His will in our lives. Dad might not have been the adult that we saw with our little eyes, and thought of with our childish minds, but he was the man that God used to bring us to Him. Dad was strong and compassionate, he was hard and thoughtful, he was self-sacrificing and forgiving. It was so much easier for me to see the character of Christ in a man most people would have called marginally Christian, than in many who put on a good show of being an adult. God the Father, in His perfect knowledge and sovereignty, “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Because of who God the Father is, I had the human Father He wanted for me. He used my Dad to lead one of His elect to Him. I was so lost as a young man. I loved myself more than anything or anyone else. I loved my own pleasures, and hated those who would deny me. Now because of the memories of my Father, and the testimony of the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit, I am a partaker in God’s grace. I have been adopted by the true Father of all who are born again. I and my Dad, are brother’s in Christ. I hope to see him again in eternity, and worship the Lord Jesus, with him as well. I hope and pray that my Brother, and his family, my oldest Step-Son, my present, and future Grandchildren, and all of you will be with us to, as brothers and sister, unified in love, and the love of Christ Jesus. We all have doubts and fears in life. We are uncertain at times, but look to God, fix your eyes on Jesus, and what He did for you in His life, crucifixion, and resurrection. There is one God, and only one way of salvation, it is Jesus Christ. Repent of your sins, and believe. He will grant you new life and make you a new person, just like He did for me. I’m not always assured and confident in my position, but I am so confident and sure of God, and because He is good, I know that whatever I go through in life is for my sanctification. It is to shape me into the the adult man, that He wants me to be. I hope that when I am dead, the people whom God has given me to be with will be able to say the same about me that I have said about my Father.
Have you ever chatted with a mormon on their website? I just did. I had two simple questions. Where did God come from, and did He have a body of flesh and bone? As a Christian, I know that God has no beginning or end. I know that He is the uncaused causation of all things. I know that He has never not been and will always be. I also know that God the Father is spirit and must be worshipped in spirit. He has no body.
The chat started out with two mormons in the chat. One was named Kyle the other was Tyler. As I began asking my questions Kyle became the main responder. Kyle was giving very evasive non-answers to my questions. It was as if the mormon church had no answers for my questions officially. When I explained the eternality of God, Kyle immediately left the chat and a new person named Alec joined. Then Tyler became the main responder to my questions. He paraphrased his partner’s previous noncommittal answers. When I was satisfied that I had received as much of an answer as I was going to get, I ended the conversation.
I wanted them to answer the questions because I didn’t want to misrepresent their beliefs. After talking with them, it is easy to see how people would misrepresent them. Their indefinite official stance on what their church doesn’t know is quite frustrating. The following is a transcript of the conversation;
“Thank you for your interest in chatting with a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
What would you like to talk about?
B
Did God always exist as God, or did He at some point in time not exist as He does now?
8:29 PM
Now chatting with Tyler & Kyle
T
Hi Bob!
8:31 PM
B
Hello.
8:31 PM
T
How are you tonight Bob?
8:31 PM
B
Fine, how are you?
8:31 PM
T
I’m doing well. Thanks.
8:32 PM
What brought you onto Mormon.org tonight?
B
Did God always exist as God, or did He at some point in time not exist as He does now?
8:34 PM
you guys still there?
8:40 PM
K
That is a great question! To be honest, we don’t know too much about the origin of God. Some leaders of the Church have taught that God progressed from a man to Godhood.
8:41 PM
Sorry about the delay.
We are here.
B
What was He before He was God?
8:42 PM
T
Like what Kyle said earlier, that’s one topic that we just don’t know about. It’s mostly speculation, no concrete doctrine.
8:43 PM
B
I heard from some people that mormons believe he was once a man named Elohim. Is that true?
8:44 PM
K
That’s what I said above ^^^
8:44 PM
B
It was kind of garbled on my screen for some reason.
8:45 PM
What leaders said he was once a man?
Is their some source material you can reference that I could look up and read for myself?
K
Joseph Smith and Lorenzo Snow were two. I’ll give you some articles.
8:48 PM
B
That would be helpful. I don’t want to misrepresent your beliefs when I encounter others in apologetics or polemics.
8:48 PM
B
Thank you. If he was at one point in time a man, then where did that man come from?
8:50 PM
K
Here is another one: https://www.lds.org/topics/becoming-like-god?lang=eng. That is an excellent question, that we don’t really comprehend 🙂 The assumption would be that it follows a similar pattern, so he would have a heavenly father as well. There is so much we don’t understand though.
8:53 PM
B
So, that begs the question, where did they come from and so on?
8:56 PM
Is Tyler still there?
8:58 PM
K
Exactly, and that is a question I have. Imagining eternity is a concept, we don’t fully understand as mortals. God hasn’t revealed much about it.
8:58 PM
Tyler stepped out of the room, but will be back shortly.
B
Kyle, I think He did reveal it to us. He is the uncaused causation, or original originator. Logically there has to be an original uncreated creator of all things. The Bible is pretty clear that God is immutable and eternal. Eternity is also understood as an infinite instance or ageless age.
9:00 PM
Kyle?
9:01 PM
T
Hi Bob! I’m back.
9:01 PM
B
Where did Kyle go?
9:02 PM
Hello?
9:03 PM
T
He had to go. He was just covering for me while I was gone. We just help out at Mormon.org in time shifts and he just finished and had to leave.
9:05 PM
Now chatting with Tyler & Alec
B
So could you answer my question about where did god’s parents come from and where did their parents come from?
9:06 PM
T
There is no official church doctrine on that subject. There is mostly speculation and personal opinion on this subject.
9:08 PM
On the last thing that you wrote. I think that’s an interesting thought. Do you have any other concerns.
9:10 PM
B
It seems to me that there would be a being that was the uncaused causation of all things. An eternal God who has always been and never not existed.
9:10 PM
Yes
I have another question I was pondering.
God the Father in the first vision was said to have flesh and bone.
is that true?
also why can’t I copy and paste something from earlier in the conversation into the input field?
T
Yes we believe that God has a body of flesh and blood. And I don’t know why you can’t copy and paste.
9:12 PM
B
Ok thanks.
9:14 PM
Have a good night.”
I wouldn’t want to be accused of making straw man arguments, or any other logically fallacious arguments. I hope you found this interesting, and informative.
Right off the bat, we have presuppositional problems. Here is a quote from the introduction,
“Are you ready for your prayer life to improve? Would you like to learn how to pray more accurately and receive God’s answers more quickly? If so, you’re reading the right book!”
There is no way our prayers can be any more or less effective, if we are in Christ, the Holy Spirit is interceding for us. The will of the Father will always be done. The efficacy of our prayers does not lie within our attitudes or abilities. In fact it is our inability that should glorify God. He uses weak little creatures like us to accomplish what He has ordained and decreed. When we see our prayers being answered it is because we are aligning our wills with His. When we don’t see the answers we were hoping for, it is because we are sinfully praying from the flesh for what we want over what He wants. We all know that what He wants is good and is for our good, even if it means our deaths. Yes, even our deaths can be part of God’s good purposes. Just because we cannot see the effect of something that happens in the future doesn’t mean that the seemingly bad thing that happened is not God’s will. We just assume so much about our own importance. The focus of the Christian faith isn’t us or what we want! The focus is the glory of God, and what He wills. After all aren’t we supposed to lose our wills and be conformed to the word and will of Christ? We cannot pray His will away, or pray Him into doing something we want Him to do from our carnal fallen wills.
Read what God says in His word.
“Romans 8:26-39 (NASB) 26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
WE were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Yet another laughable notion from the introduction,
“But let me ask you this: If the way you are praying isn’t getting good results, why then would you resist change in this area? “
I wonder what the magic formula must be?
His righteousness imputed to us is what makes our entering into prayer acceptable to God. Without that and the Holy Spirit, we would still need a High Priest. Good thing Jesus is our High Priest, and we don’t need any other.
Finally we get to Chapter 1 to read this gem,
“In 1969, I heard a wrong teaching that Satan was “God’s messenger boy.” It said that the devil can only do what the Lord allows, and therefore, God uses him to work good in our lives. That’s totally wrong, but I didn’t know it at the time. I brought this teaching back to my girlfriend and she bought into it completely.”
First off, satan is a creature. He was created by God as Lucifer. He sinned, was cast out of Heaven to Earth, and is now satan. He can’t do anything without God allowing it. If you remember from reading Job, he had to ask permission from God to torment Job. All creatures can only do what God allows. If God wants to stop you from doing something, He can simply stop you. God is sovereign.
Then he goes on to show allegedly the terrible outcome of believing in the sovereignty of God, and the fact that satan is a created subject of our Lord. I don’t know if his story is true or not. Even if it is, and even if they died because of their prayers, all it proves is that it was their time to die. Nobody dies without God ordaining it. Not even a sparrow dies without God ordaining it. Of course there are martyrs all throughout history who have died horrible deaths. These deaths have been exclamations of their lives of faith. Still today, Christians die horrible torturous deaths because of their faith, and love for Christ. I guess they must be praying wrong according to Andy.
I doubt his stories about the boy from school, “coming down with leukemia the next day” are true. We don’t pray to satan, and satan doesn’t answer our prayers. Satan has no ability to read our minds and hear prayers from us. Satan doesn’t control when we die. God does. If satan kills someone it is because God has ordained that fashion of death for them. If the stories about two young people are true, then God had ordained for them to die in just the way that they died.
So his son was raised from the dead, because his relationship with God, and how he prayed. When my father died and stayed dead, when my friend’s 2 year old died and stayed dead, it was our fault because we didn’t pray right, or have the same communion with God? What a load of garbage. Andrew Wommack needs to stop teaching and repent.
Here’s a good one, “The heart attitude behind your prayer interests God much more than the actual words you say. Just because you spend an hour, or more, in what you call“prayer” doesn’t mean you’re accomplishing anything. If your attitude is wrong, you’re praying wrong!”
Guess what… we are all praying wrong. None of us can pray a prayer on our own that is acceptable to God. The Holy Spirit makes our prayers acceptable to God along with the justifying work of Jesus.
Apparently Wommack teaches universal or general atonement. Here it is from his own book,
“As far as God’s concerned, the sins of the entire world have already been forgiven. The Lamb’s perfect sacrifice dealt decisively with the past, present, and future sins of every believer and nonbeliever alike. This doesn’t mean that all are just “automatically” saved (or healed). All individuals must receive for themselves by faith what Jesus Christ has already provided in order to actually benefit from it. A gift given isn’t fully yours until it’s received!”
Did you catch that? Apparently Jesus justified everyone’s sins with the Father. Apparently He atoned for everyone. So I guess Jesus’ work was not perfect or sufficient. I guess it was wasted on those who would not repent. Here is the problem with claiming He made salvation available for everyone, it means that all sin has already been paid for, so then even if a person doesn’t repent and believe in Christ, their sin is already atoned for. That means they have no guilt before God. There is no need for anyone to accept salvation or the gift as he puts it. It is a ridiculous statement. This is what happens when you let bad theology, emotions, and tradition dictate your faith.
It is apparent that Wommack has used an Arminian highlighter (black sharpie) to highlight/redact all of the verses about predestination and election. The lady he mentions on page 7 who was unsure if she was saved or not could have been helped by good theology, not Wommack’s hodge podge, grab bag, word of faith nonsense. If the lady had not been granted saving faith and repentance, then no matter how much she intellectually affirms the gospel, she will not be saved (justified). Being saved (justified) requires God to grant you true repentance, and faith along with the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. He only does this for His elect, whom He has predestined from before the creation of the world.
And yet more nonsense from Andy, “What if someone in a wheelchair came forward for healing during a service? If I prayed and didn’t see him rise out of the wheelchair immediately, I could ask the audience, “How many of you will stand in faith together with me? Let’s fast and pray in agreement, not letting go of God until He heals this person.” I bet I could persuade 90 percent of the people to go along with that! Yet God’s Word clearly proclaims, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Col. 2:6). In the same way you appropriate and walk in forgiveness of sin, you receive healing, deliverance, prosperity, and everything else! If begging God to save the lady in the first scenario is inappropriate, then doing so for healing or anything else in the Christian life is absolutely wrong too! Christ already made full provision for the abundant life through His atonement. It’s now not up to Him to do, but you to receive what He’s done!”
How about the Christians of the early Church or the middle east right now? The martyrs of the Church live an abundant life in Christ, even in their poverty and deaths. Christ talked more about suffering for the faith than living in comfort and health. Matter of fact, those are signs you are doing it wrong.
And more idiocy, “Sometimes Christians approach God, praying, “I know You can heal me, but You haven’t done it yet. Therefore, I want to learn how to make You heal me.” This is rank unbelief! They don’t believe that He’s already done it and they think they can make Him do it. Wrong! Such unbelief explains why more people aren’t experiencing healing.”
So how about Christians who suffer long lingering deaths? You can pray for life and health if you want, but you should be praying for God’s will to be done, and for Him to be glorified, after all isn’t that what Christ did before the crucifixion? Luke 22:42, “saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.””
We haven’t even made it to the 2nd chapter of this disservice to Christ, and twisting of His word to bilk people out of money and true peace.
“In our Bible schools and teaching seminars, we confidently instruct people not to “pray” for the sick, but to heal them. Jesus commanded us in Matthew 10:8 to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, [and] cast out devils.” There’s a huge difference between healing the sick and just praying for them!”
Matthew 10:8 is not an instruction to the Church. It is instruction to the Apostles during the foundation of the Church. The Apostles who were specifically personally appointed to their office by the incarnate Christ during His earthly ministry were to fulfill Matthew 10:8. Bad hermeneutics lead to Wommack’s horrible interpretation. The wages of sin is death. We are all under the curse of original sin. We all will die. There is not a single person alive today who will not die unless the Lord returns first.
And more false teachings,
“Jesus Christ completed everything necessary to save and heal every person. You believed and received salvation. Healing comes the exact same way! It shouldn’t be any harder to receive your healing since He provided it at the same time as forgiveness for your sin. Neither does it take any more faith to raise someone from the dead than to see them born again!”
If this is the case, then Wommack and his cronies should all never die, and not wear glasses, get sick, or ever go to the doctor. They need to go to each nursing home and raise all of the old people from the dead when they die. This is just ludicrous and idiotic. Anyone who believes this tripe is being deceived. They join the health and wealth false gospel with their soteriology. Do you see the problems here? If you don’t do these miracles, you aren’t justified to God according to Andy’s way of thinking.
You had to know this would show up sometime,
“As a citizen of the kingdom of darkness, the enemy legitimately dominated your life. At the time of your salvation, you hadn’t been fasting, praying, studying the Word, attending church, paying tithes, or living a holy life.”
Never mind that we are not Jews, we are not under the ceremonial law, and we have the instruction to prayerfully consider and give with a cheerful heart. There is no set tithe for Christians.
Here Wommack perverts the gospel,
“The good “news” of the gospel is that God has already forgiven you. Why would you choose to go to hell with your sins forgiven?”
with this I am done. I can’t take anymore false teachings. I’m not even out of the 1st chapter of this mess. The good news of the gospel my friends is that you and I are filthy, wretched sinners, who like the people God killed during the flood, deserve death and hell for all eternity, but God being rich in mercy, and grace, provided a way for us to be saved in the work of Jesus on the cross. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Christ took on our guilt. He took the punishment we deserve as sinners, and when He finished suffering the punishment for every sinner who would repent from sin and believe in His works on the cross, Jesus died, was buried, and resurrected on the third day. He now sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. The Holy Spirit regenerates the elect and according to the Father’s will the elect will repent and believe in the work of Christ. They are saved and cannot be lost. The Holy Spirit indwells them and is their seal for redemption. Here is another link to why you should stay away.
Snyder's Soapbox 