You Are Loved...

For sometime now I have admired the approach of a some Christians in placing the emphasis of their ministry on the love of God. Most of us mention the love of God but often present a fairly loveless gospel. We tend to get bound up in the sin of mankind and their wickedness. Not that we don’t need to know about sin and fact that it separates us from God. It is very important to be convicted of sin and to be repentant as a believer.

 

However if our witness is based around anger and condemnation only then it can act as more of a deterrent to the lost than a bright shining light on the hill. As a result they see only judgement and anger and completely miss the depth of God’s love for them.

 

John chapter three verse sixteen describes Gods love for the lost like this. “For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes on Him shall not perish but will inherit eternal life.” God so loved us that he gave his only Son to die on the cross and shed His blood as a sacrifice for your sins. So hat when you believe on Him. You will not die but will instead receive everlasting lasting life.

 

Next, I want to bring to your attention the true attitude of the Father for his children. In the word there is no brighter example of God’s love for his children than the example given by Jesus in the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke chapter fifteen. The parable goes as follows.

 

The Prodigal Son 

 

Luke 15:11-32

 

And He said, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

 

Now look at how the younger brother regarded the attitude of the Father. He looked upon the Father as being dictatorial and judgemental. An implementer of rules. So he approached the Father asking for his share as he might under the rules of inheritance of the time. He received his share and left to spend his wealth in riotous living. When he found himself in desolate times he realised that even a servant of his father would be well feed and so he went to throw himself on his fathers mercy hoping that his father would take him in as one of his hirelings. When he returned home his father spied him afar and came out to me him with boundless joy of a father overjoyed at the return of a son who was lost. Instead of judgement and reduced status he was taken in and reinstated. Instead of rules and legalism he received what he didn’t deserve or expect. Forgiveness and unending love.

 

Now the older brother also misunderstood the attitude of the Father. He felt that because he was obedient and loyal, keeping the rules he would therefore inherit and be more blessed than his prodigal brother who had taken his inheritance and wasted it. Instead his father showered forgiveness and love to the prodigal and his own hard work and obedience was overlooked. He missed the fact that his father did not value him, more or less, because of his loyalty, obedience or his hard work. The father loved the older son because he too was his son just as he had the prodigal. So, the father also went out to meet him in love and forgiveness to his child just as he had gone out to the prodigal.

 

The point that Jesus was making in this parable is that the father doesn’t just love us because we obey the rules and do our best to be good servants who are worthy of salvation. The father loves us completely. He always has and always will. He so loved us that he gave his only son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross and to shed his blood for our sins. That is the depth of the love of God for each and everyone of us who believe on Jesus as our Saviour and for every human being that he has called to believe on Jesus as their Saviour. He so loved us he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Now 1 John chapter 3 verses 1 through 3 says this:

 

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

 

God loves us so much that he has bestowed his love upon us and we should be called his children and when he returns we shall be like him. Purified in the hope that we shall be like him. Purified in his love which has lifted us out of sin and allowed us to abide in Him.

 

Further,1 John chapter 4 verses 15-16 say this:

 

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

 

If you confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in you. You have known and believed the love that God has for you. God is love and you who abide in love abide in God and He in you. For God is love and therefore our entire existence as Christians is to allow God to shine through us in the person of the Holy Spirit and to let that love shine through us to reach out to our fellow men. Loving each other as the Father has loved us. Loving our neighbour as ourself as Jesus Christ instructed and in the fullness of the Spirit ministering to those in need with the love of God.

 

What I am really trying to say here is that love as a Christian is the most important facet of our character. For some reason we tend to get frustrated that the World isn’t accepting the gospel and that people are getting caught up in their sins. Then we become angry and judgemental as a result of that frustration.

 

The sad result of that anger and condemnation is that it is the worst kind of witness to the lost. It isn’t a good witness to other Christians either and drives many of us out of the Church. The best witness is born of the love of God and the fruit of the Spirit. A believer’s life and witness should be based on love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control as laid out in Galatians chapter 5 verses 22, 23. Based in the true love of Jesus Christ brought to us through his redemptive work on the cross. 

 

Such love as is described in 1Corinthians chapter 13 verses 4 - 7. Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 

This type love is founded in humility and understanding. It is the type of love that answers “Yes,” to the question “Am I my brothers keeper?” Most certainly we are responsible for those in need and it is our obligation to make every effort to provide for the poor and infirm. To see that the gospel goes out to the lost and that we obey the Great Commission of Matthew chapter 28 verses 16 – 20.

 

But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

 

You are indeed loved! God has made great provision for your salvation and care.

 

Reference List

 

All scriptures http://biblegateway.com 15-02.19 - 23.02.19 ASV and NASB

The New World Order

Once in a while politicians mention an entity called the New World Order. Actually, I believe the Presidents of the United States of America occasionally mention the New World Order. I believe both Presidents Bush mentioned it and I understand that President Obama also mentioned it once or twice.

 

Now the New World Order is very important to me because as a young man I read a book called Mystery 666 by Don E Stanton. If you can source it I would highly recommend you get a copy because it contains a lot of information that you won’t hear from anywhere else. This book is about the world we live in and the activities of various dark forces in their battle to conquer the world financially and militarily with the ultimate aim of reshaping it politically and spiritually into a New World Order and a New World Religion.

 

So the reason I am writing to you is to briefly explain that those dark forces working through the organisations that they control like the Freemasons, the Jesuits, the Bilderbergers and the Knights of Malta to name just a few of the very many organisations that they use to cover their footsteps. These people have gained control of the governments of every country in the Western World and can even exert massive influence in countries that are the enemies of the West.

 

These dark organisations work in secret but do not work for the benefit of you and me. Oh no. They are about garnering wealth for themselves. They are about bringing the pagan religions back from the shadows and pushing Christianity over the brink of extinction. Their intention is to drastically reduce the population of our planet which they refer to as Mother Earth to allow regeneration of the natural realm. 

 

Nothing wrong with that I hear you say. Christianity needs to go and nature needs some respite from mankind. True enough but if mankind would turn back to God if they would heed the Apostle Peter’s words in the Book of Acts chapter two and verse thirty eight “ Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” NASB 

 

If the whole world would hear those words and repent then Jesus would return immediately. He would gather us all too him and he would restore all of creation. He would install a world government based on righteousness. Everyone would be safe with him. No longer would their be war, famine, poverty or disease. All of the distortions caused by the fall of man in the beginning will be corrected and all of the animal kingdom will feed on plants. No longer will there be killing or a continual cycle of death. The Earth will be as it was in immediately after the Creation.

 

If you desire a New World Order then this is the New Order you should choose and the only way to choose this is by accepting Jesus Christ as your savior. By understanding that he purchased you through His redemptive work on the Cross at Calvary. That He shed his blood in your place to pay the price for your sins. So that you could believe on Him and ask Him to forgive your sins and come into your heart and life.

 

Reference List

 

All Scripture from https://www.biblegateway.com NASB Version

 

Stanton Don E.(1977) Mystery 666. Maranatha Revival Crusade. Secunderbad. India

Enabling a good life...

My son with Williams Syndrome, my wife and I were in attendance at the biannual Williams Camp at Living Springs on the Port Hills of Christchurch. While we were there a female presenter gave brief seminar on the subject of “Enabling a Good Life.” She described how there is a move toward bulk funding for people with disabilities. She was very positive about this even though successive governments have struggled to garner much interest in the proposal beyond the pilot scheme. Mainly I suspect because placing all of the funds for a disabled person in the hands of a parent or caregiver is no guarantee that those funds will be spent on them. So even though it costs a great deal to administer the current program and it is by no means perfect it makes more sense to try to refine what we have rather than change to a system with no checks and balances.

However, this discussion raises another question along similar lines. Should our communities take responsibility for the well being of the disadvantaged members of our society. Shall we say the disabled, the mentally ill, and the poor. The reason I ask this is because it is the subject of a famous interaction in the bible. The parable of “The Rich Young Ruler.” in Matthew chapter nineteen verses sixteen to twenty two. 

Matthew 19:16-22  

Verse 16 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. NASB

Now a largely unseen aspect of this text is the fact that those who ruled society in Israel in Jesus’ time were become extremely selfish. You see under Jewish tradition the community has a responsibility to care for the poor and less fortunate members of society. The ruling class were seeking to take a step away from this practice because it meant that the community had to make physical and monetary resources available to assist these poor people. If they didn’t care for them then it meant the rich became significantly wealthier because they did not have to contribute to the community. So this a major factor causing the change in the Rich Young Ruler’s demeanor. He hoped to trick Jesus into approving his lifestyle. That of the rich and influential. However instead he received an instruction to care for the poor. The very thing that the rich of Jesus period were seeking to detach themselves from. Hence a sullen countenance and heavy footsteps.

To me this is entirely about community and the need for Christian values. Secular values are rights based but have no heart. There is a discussion of what might be fair or right but there is no moral impetus to fulfill an obligation. We are after all just matter and energy so even if we recognise a need to care for the poor if we fail to meet the obligation and the poor perish it doesn’t matter in the eternal arch of time immemorial. 

Whereas in the Judeo Christian world view we are our brother or sisters keeper. We have a genuine responsibility to them and the existence of the poor or under-privileged is an affront to our society before God. We are to ascribe resources to their care. We believe that God expects us to care for those who cannot care for themselves and to assist them to a position where they can eventually care for themselves once more. Because they are our brethren before God they are family and community. They are to be treated as such and we are to make sure that they are looked after to the highest standard. 

Just as the Good Samaritan did with the person that he came across on the road as related by Jesus in Luke chapter ten verses thirty to thirty seven.

Luke 10: 30-37

Verse 30 Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” NASB

In the nation of Modern Israel wounded Syrians and Palestinians are given field treatment and then transferred to hospitals throughout Israel for first class treatment which is provided for free and under strict conditions of anonymity because the lives of the patients and their families could be endangered for even accepting such life saving treatment from the enemy. This is the policy of the people of Israel toward even their enemies and of course is the policy of bible believing Christians toward their enemies also as directed by our Lord Jesus in the book of Luke chapter six verses twenty seven to thirty six.

Luke 6:27-36

Verse 27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. NASB

So if we have such love toward our enemies how much more will we have love toward our community and family. How much more love for our poor and disabled. So although it may be disparaged as inefficient and ineffective by central government who wish only to maintain total control of the social welfare system. It is the way of Jehovah and should be the way of his people for the community to gather around their disadvantaged and to lift them toward wellness and prosperity in a spirit of love and generosity. 

This is the way of God.

Reference List

Ahronheim A. Treating wounded Syrians who arrive in Israel is ‘holiest of holy. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Treating-wounded-Syrians-who-arrive-in-Israel-is-holiest-of-holy-494602 02.02.2019

Charity (Tzedakah): Charity Throughout Jewish History. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/charity-throughout-jewish-history 01.01.19

Atheism, Communism, Evolution and Secular Humanism = The Spirit of Antichrist...

How could this be I hear you say. Communism and secular humanism (socialism), contain so much doctrine that seems to be what Jesus was saying. This is why the socialism has drawn so many clergymen away from the fold. If they were ever in it to begin with? At first glance the idea distributing wealth across society and guaranteeing personal well being does seem to be what Jesus was talking about. But Communism has been well trialed in the last century and it does not equate to the teachings of Jesus. In fact communists have gone to great effort to purge Christians and Christianity from their society. One could say they are obsessed with the idea.

 

Now, the real difference between Christianity and the Communist conglomerate of Atheism, Socialism, Evolution and Humanism is that all of Communism is devoid of morality. Such that, Communists tend to believe that the Universe is filled only with matter and energy and there is no purpose for being. If then, there is no higher purpose and no God. There is no consequence of action. You can literally do what you like because there is only matter and energy in the Universe. So in the opinion of the Communist the Universe has no purpose and therefore no morality. No code of conduct. Nothing to guide or control the actions of the megalomaniac anymore than the lowly peasant. So you can literally “Do want you wilt.” Sound familiar?

 

Hitler although a fascist was an ardent evolutionist and insisted that we should not tolerate disabled people in our society as it violated the Darwin’s theory on natural selection. It is estimated that between 11 and 12 million non combatants were killed under Hitlers reign. Stalin based much of his philosophy on Darwinism, as well, and his purges were in effect Social Darwinism. He apparently was not interested in racial cleansing but ferreting out those who showed a propensity toward the merest amount of independent or free thinking. One can see why Christianity would cause an issue to that form of mindless tyranny. Imagine, a whole section of society focused on the fulfilling the desires of the divine most high God, Jehovah. A people who would question any command that was at odds with the will of God. Needless to say millions of free thinking people died under the Stalinist regime. Chairman Mao was a Darwinist also and once again we see a regime where anyone who questioned Mao and the Party was liable to face intense torture, persecution and death. Once again millions of free thinkers and Christians passed into oblivion in purges like the The Great Leap Forward from 1958 - 1962 which is said to have killed 45 million people. The following so called Cultural Revolution is conservatively estimated to have claimed the lives of another 1.5 million between 1966 and 1976. One concludes that if you can find away to dispense with morality then issues of conscience can easily be cast aside and any outcome, even the deaths of millions of innocent fellow humans, is justified without fanfare.

 

With modern technology it is possible to communicate a line of thought to an audience of billions and so it has been with Darwinism. In the past smaller populations of humanity were goaded by feudal Lords to achieve the political and religious ends of small elites guided by mystical powers. Today huge populations take more finesse to herd into even loose agreement with policies that are so often to their detriment and just as often filled with lies and deceits. But with media and education the people are so often lulled into a spirit of passivity and apathy that darkness is ever so slowly and stealthily pervading their lives and snuffing out the light of freedom.

 

Sin and and the absence of sound moral values are promoted as the way of the scientific world (i.e.: abortion, homosexuality). Christianity, the Bible and our God, Jehovah are characterised as the stuff of fairy tales and mysterious nonsense. The people are immersed in atheism, Darwinism and secular humanism through the media and Internet while Christians are portrayed as judgemental and backward people who are out of step with reality. It is as though mankind is asleep, unaware of the creeping death that is covertly moving to ensnare them. George Orwell’s 1984 is upon them and most don’t even want to know that the jig is almost up.

 

I spoke of the mystical power that has long sought to manipulate and enslave humanity. Throughout history a multitude of religions have sort to raise up and worship a host of pagan deities. In our age we rationalise these religious expressions of the past as the efforts of the less evolved to acknowledge the existence of the universe around them. A natural part of the evolution of mankind. Again manipulation of humanity to conceal those who have always followed the Gods of the esoteric religions and an attempt to conceal the real work of creation by Jehovah Elohim (the one creator God). 

 

Yet we see in so much of the literature, theater and media of our time attempts to describe pagan religions and their dogma and to influence the ways of thinking of humanity today. Buddhism and Hinduism give the worship of self and the need to seek fulfillment or personal development within on the journey toward perfection. They also remind us of the coming Maitreya or Christ (Antichrist). The Esoteric religions of Egypt, Greece and Rome bring us the notion of secret knowledge that only the elite may know and that each may know according to his or her point of advancement through the levels of knowledge. The worship of Lucifer (Angel of Light), and Satan (Emissary of Darkness), where those who indulge in the worship of the devil flirt with practices relating to the service of that pagan deity. Note that this concept of light versus darkness is put forward in the Star Wars movie franchise. The idea of the force and that light brings goodness in the Jedi Knights (Lucifer), but that the dark-side brings out evil with the Sith (Satan), who closely resemble those who are involved in Satanism. The Earthly reality that the two forms of worship are one as Lucifer and Satan are one being. The fallen archangel of Heaven who was indeed formerly called Lucifer and now known as Satan. 

 

Our society is pervaded with this esoteric knowledge and the encouragement to reject Jehovah and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We are bombarded with propaganda exhorting us to take on the New Age Teachings of the occult as the true source of enlightenment. Our leaders and indeed the entire elite political and religious class of our planet are, I believe, completely enmeshed in the occult New World Order system that is a reality in our day. 

 

Everywhere people are inundated with information that tells them self is God. Do yoga, meditate and practice mindfulness. Look inward to find that real strength of the Godliness that is within you and so forth. This is the teaching of the New Age Leaders and this is the teaching of the esoteric religions which have infiltrated the Christian Church as they infiltrated the Roman Church in the reign of the Emperor Constantine through the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.. This is the merging of the pagan and Christian Church to become Mystery Babylon as described in the Bible in Revelation chapter seventeen. The ancient religion of Babylon now harlot drunk on the blood of the saints through oppression and persecution of the true Christian Church. The false teachings of paganism are dusted off, mixed with elements of Christianity, and presented as new spiritual light but in reality are the same teachings that Nimrod and Isis purported in ancient Babylon. These are the teachings of the occult religions through the ages that have poured forth strange light through myriad religions and secret societies in the effort to bring all the World under the domination of Satan.

 

Friends, the esoteric knowledge that leads you to worship self. The secular humanism which condemns the bible as intolerant and unduly judgemental because it states clearly the division between working righteousness and working evil. The world system that is about to unfold upon all of humanity living in this end time. The Darwinism and Evolution that seeks to discredit the Bible and to bring forward a new society where morality is cast aside and any action is justified because we are all just matter and energy without cause. This is all simply best described as the Spirit of Antichrist.

 

In fact, these are the last days of this the Age of Grace. Soon Jesus Christ will return to gather His elect from throughout the Earth. The nation of Israel is regathered in this time and the generation that saw that regathering shall not pass away but He shall have returned. So I believe time is short. The New World Order and Religion are drawing together those who have been moved by the spirit of antichrist and soon this world will tolerate the followers of Jesus Christ no longer. It remains only for the restrainer (the Holy Spirit), to be removed and the time of tribulation (war and great turmoil), will be upon us. My call to you is that you repent of your sins and are baptised for the forgiveness of sins and in order to receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

 

Reference List

 

Carter, R. 2014. Evolution’s Achilles’ Heel. Creation Book Publishers. Powder Springs. Georgia. USA

 

Herzog C.E. Star Wars The Truth Behind the Fiction. https://rcg.org/realtruth/articles/345-swttbtf.html 15.01.19

 

Johnson I. Who Killed More: Hitler, Stalin, or Mao?https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2018/02/05/who-killed-more-hitler-stalin-or-mao/ 13.01.19

 

Phillips T. The Cultural Revolution: all you need to know about China's political convulsion https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/11/the-cultural-revolution-50-years-on-all-you-need-to-know-about-chinas-political-convulsion 13.01.19

 

Roman Catholicism: Merger Of Paganism And Christianity. http://www.exposingtheenemy.com/what-we-believe/--paganism-in-the-church/the-merger-of-paganism-and-christianity 15.01.19

 

The Power Triangle Of Buddhism, Yoga And Mindfulness Meditation. https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/buddhism-meditation-mindfulness-yoga/ 15.01.19

Why do we print New Testaments today? Why do some Christians only read the New Testament? Is the Old Testament still relevant?

In answer to the first part of the question “Why do we print New Testaments today.” I would say we print New Testaments today because for the believer / evangelist who hopes to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people that they come across who are open to hearing the gospel. It is very handy to have a light, strong and portable version of the New Testament scriptures from which to share supporting verses from God’s word.

In recent times bibles have become very light and quite small and it is possible to have a complete bible the same size as New Testaments of yesteryear. There can be issues with font type and clarity today that weren’t such and issue in the past but if you look around it should be possible to get a small but fit for purpose copy of the Bible to assist you in your Christian outreach. So there may not be the demand for New Testaments that there was, perhaps, fifty years ago

This brings us to the second part of the question. Why do some Christians only read the New Testament? There are a few different reasons that people reject reading the Old Testament. One is that with the advent of Darwinism in the Nineteenth Century. Christianity in the New Testament was seen as a natural evolution of the thought of mankind and therefore the Old Testament was considered not to meet the ethical and moral standards of the New Testament.

These opinions tend to pervade Christian thinking to some extent even today although I’m not certain that some of those who hold them completely understand why they adhere to them. In some circumstances there is a tendency to hold them because someone else taught them that this was the truth and they haven’t really thought to challenge the ideas behind them. By this I mean is it really true to say that the Old Testament is pre Christian and sub Christian and therefore we should not read it? Personally I would disagree with that statement. I don’t believe that the age of a text makes it less valid and I don’t think that we can dismiss a text as being sub Christian based on our evaluation of the ethical and moral values of the people who wrote it. There may be very good reasons for those people to have acted in the way that is described in the Old Testament.

Another reason Christians become centred on the New Testament is that they feel the gospel is based on faith, grace and God’s love. Such that, the emphasis is on the life of Jesus of Nazareth and his death burial and resurrection. The New Testament is written to Christians and for the benefit of the Church. Israel and the Law of Moses are not longer the focus of God’s work and Jews are saved through the gospel and are part of the Church. The solution to this equation is that the Old Testament is no longer relevant and has no meaning to the modern Christian.

The final part of the question “Is the Old Testament still relevant?” can be approached through two perspectives. The first states that God’s work and promises to the nation of Israel are everlasting. Genesis chapter seventeen says “4 As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 “No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6“I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. 7“I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. 8“I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” So the covenant with Abraham and his descendants is an everlasting one and the Old Testament is still relevant to all believers because of this.

The second perspective is that the Law of Moses is also eternal and although we are saved through grace in Jesus Christ. The sin we are set free from is defined in the Law. Hence we need to read and understand the Old Testament to understand what the Messiah set us free from and how Jehovah achieved our Salvation. Remember Jesus said of the Law “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17-18 KJV

So the Old Testament is not just relevant to the believer today it is essential to read and understand the books of the Old Testament to gain an understanding of the events it describes. Everything from the Creation, the Fall of Man, The Flood, The dispensations God made to mankind including Grace and the reign of Jesus Christ in the Millennium and beyond to eternity. Also included are the books of Psalms, Proverbs and Lamentations and the Word of God through the Prophets and the accounts of the many Old Testament Saints in the book of Judges, Samuel, Chronicles, and the Kings. Not to mention the Captivity described in Daniel, Jeremiah and Isaiah and the return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and the Wall of the City in the time of Nehemiah and the Prophecies relating to the Messiah and the End of the Age of Grace.

Why wouldn’t you read the Old Testament?

Reference List

Goldsworthy G. Why Read the Old Testament. https://www.monergism.com/why-read-old-testament 06.01.19

All Scriptures http://www.biblehub.com King James Version. 06.01.19

Are You Saved?

I want to preach to you briefly from the book of Romans. Firstly Romans chapter 3 and verse 10 says “There is none righteous, not even one...” So if I ask you are you righteous what would you say to me? In truth if you are already a Christian you probably already know that your righteousness is as filthy rags before the Lord (Isaiah 66:6 NKJV). So what can we say then. How about you can’t save yourself so you must get your righteousness from Jesus Christ.

Romans chapter 3 verse 23 says “...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So you are not righteous and you have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Sin separates you from God and unless you jolly well sort it out you are going to die in your sins in eternal fire separated from God.

Romans chapter 6 verse 24 says “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The wages of our sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ who bore our sins on the Cross and paid the sin debt that we owe in our place. Yes God took your place and was judged instead of you and me that if we believe on Jesus Christ our Savior we have eternal life. Our sins forgiven.

My friend II Peter chapter 3 verse 9 says “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Know that God has made preparation before you were born that if you choose Jesus Christ as your savior then your sins are forgiven and your salvation is assured. Jehovah loves you and is not willing for you to perish in your sins. If you are not saved then it is time to get down on your knees and seek the Father to forgive your sins in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son and to ask him come into your heart in the person of the Holy Spirit of God. If you have faith then he will do this for you

God bless you my friends.

Reference List

All scriptures from http://www.biblegateway.com From either the NKJV and NASB Versions of the Bible.

A Festival of Sin

We live in a time when it is almost illegal to point out biblical sin. Idolatry, Cursing the name of God, Keeping the day of worship, Respect and obey your parents and elders, Do not kill (In any way including Abortion), Do Not commit adultery (Almost laughable today because so many fail to even marry.), Do not steal (Our Police don’t have time to even police theft now.), Do not lie (You only need to look at politics to see that today the crime is not to lie but to get caught lying.), Do not covet your neighbour's goods (In this Godless society what don’t we covet?) None of these commandments are considered relevant anymore and Christians are considered to be and intolerant nuisance. In the secular world if Christians stick their necks out by bringing the truth of the Word of God to bare on wickedness of the people then they will be persecuted through prosecution.

The Ten Commandments of Exodus chapter twenty state:

The Ten Commandments

1. You shall have no other Gods but me.
2. You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
4. You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Respect your father and mother.
6. You must not commit murder.
7. You must not commit adultery.
8. You must not steal.
9. You must not give false evidence against your neighbour.
10. You must not be envious of your neighbour's goods. You shall not be envious of his house nor his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbour.

The Ten Commandments above are a foundation to the laws that our Western Societies are founded on. Non God fearing folk want to ignore these laws and to have what they call a more tolerant and open society. A place where everyone has the freedom to do as they please as long as it doesn’t interfere with anyone else. What they don’t realise is that you can only have that freedom if God’s laws underpin your society. The world they are living in is a hybrid of Good and Evil. Once the law is completely removed and replaced by evil that freedom no longer exists. Then they will find themselves in the a Dark and Satanic Kingdom where their only right is complete obedience to their the devil. A world of complete lawlessness and utter tyranny. A place where horror is routine and hatred, malice and contempt are the fruit of the spirit of evil. A place best described in the book of Genesis as Sodom and Gomorrah epitomised by the actions of Ahab (King of Israel), and his infamous wife Jezebel in the book of Kings in the service of Baal.

You can’t have a society without moral values and have freedom. You can have a hybrid society of good and evil but eventually the people either repent and follow God or, continue in sin and end up facing the judgement of God. Most people in their right minds don’t want to live in an evil and unsafe society like Sodom and Gomorrah. These people were so evil that the men of the city wanted, one of their citizens, Lot to give them the Angels that came to take him out of the way of God’s judgement. This so that they could have carnal knowledge of them. The Angels smote them with blindness and even that didn’t stop them trying to find a way into Lot’s house to have their way with them. Lets face it, the world we live in kills unborn innocent babies by using the most barbaric methods and no one raises an eyebrow. How different is our society from that of Sodom and Gomorrah? How far are we from the point at which God decides to judge this society. You can read in Genesis chapter nineteen what happened to the cities of the Dead Sea Plain.

The Greek philosopher Plato described the various types of government which unfold in a kind of perpetual cycle over time. In his opinion first came Aristocracy or the rule of a King. Secondly followed Timocracy or the rule of benevolent or often more accurately a benign military rule. This is followed, thirdly, in Plato’s opinion by Oligarchy which is rule by wealth and land holding or the Free Market. The final, or fourth type of legitimate government is Democracy or rule by liberty and equality where the people vote to make laws and choose representatives. Aristotle called this the rule by many or the free citizenry. Plato believed this cycle of government always lead ultimately to to tyranny or “Rule by fear, without just laws; like a despot.” Plato also believed that a perfect Republic contained a blend of all of these types of government and the ultimate goal was to create a government that avoided Tyranny for as long as possible and at all costs.

We see the tension between the types of government that Plato considered played out in real life in the Roman Empire. Rome had it all: Aristocracy, Timocracy, Oligarchy and Democracy in various configurations through the seven hundred years of the Empire. The Romans employed all of Plato and Aristotle’s collective wisdom to save Western Civilisation as the Empire began to decline and fall. Changing to Christianity as the state religion and incorporating the pagan elements in that new hybrid religious Church State. Attempting to ensure that a scaffold was put in place to sustain unity of government in Europe and to halt the decline into anarchy and eventual tyranny by making certain that enough of the key structures of government survived the transition from Empire to Church State.

Probably the closest governments to Plato and Aristotle’s model of blended government have been the British Empire and in the current United States of America. The British Empire was far from perfect but God allowed righteousness to prosper in the British people and the Christian Church that other type of Government resulted from the freedom to share the gospel of Jesus Christ during the Empire’s period of influence. America has been an interesting blend of righteousness balanced against the wickedness. I don’t know if Plato and Aristotle counted the influence that the one true creator God could have on the government of a nation. Anymore than they factored in the negative influence of Satan and his forces of darkness. The United States as we see it right now is the principal actor to usher in the New World Order. The New World Order will enact Plato’s worst fears. A sustained period of Tyranny and Lawlessness.

I doubt that many people realise that God represents all that is good in the universe. He embodies love, light and righteousness. In our world he is the champion of the lost, the embattled and the disenfranchised. He loved mankind so much that he came to us as the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, that he might redeem us from our sins and that we might have eternal life. So that we might live in glory with God fulfilling the destiny that God has had for us since the day he created Adam and Eve. His purpose is to demonstrate the righteousness is the only wise and true form of government and that there is no greater act of love than when a God lays down his own life as a human being to provide a path back to a restored relationship with Jehovah Elohim through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Satan was once a great and glorious ArchAngel. Probably the most powerful being in the Universe next to God himself. He was perfect until sin was found in him. He embodies hatred and unrighteousness. He rules through tyranny and gives no quarter to anyone or anything. His hatred of God is such that he deliberately subverted the work of creation here on Earth and usurped the place of man becoming the Prince of this World. Most of the people in his service don’t truly understand Satan or his plans for mankind and the Earth. Part of his revenge against God for casting him from heaven will be the total annihilation of mankind from the face of the Earth and the destruction of every aspect of God’s perfect creation. Those who worship him in his various guises are simply and completely deceived. He is a master liar and is the Prince of Deception. Loyalty is not in his nature and he will casually reward a lifetime of service with a knife in the back. Those who are valuable to him are only valuable for their skills in the pursuit of wickedness. Beyond that he has no sentimentality or attachment to his tools. Serve him and die or fail him and die. It matters not to the devil. Tyranny is his only aim, that and to take the place of Jehovah God on the throne in heaven. His greatest motivation is to oppose and if possible to destroy people’s faith in God so that they are eternally separated from God. If he could he would destroy God and all of the Creation and then to supplant himself on the throne of God. Ultimately he is doomed and Satan and all of those who follow him will be thrown into the Lake of Fire in the day of judgement.

In the end The Festival of Sin that so many describe in an almost euphoric way as “Wicked Man” will have been seen to be only possible if there is a semblance of a moral framework underpinning it. Once that is completely eroded by tyranny and wickedness there is no freedom and so no seemingly enjoyable “Festival of Sin.” The devil and his throng will have seen to have failed to produce a substantial case for his model for the universe based on evil and those who have watched for so long will understand that Jehovah’s way of righteousness is only viable system of rule for the universe.

THEREFORE MY FRIENDS. Come to Jesus Christ in repentance so that you may truly say as the apostle Paul did in the book of Galatians chapter two: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me...”

Galatians 2:20 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.

Reference List

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ancient Political Philosophy. First published Mon Sep 6, 2010; substantive revision Fri Dec 7, 2018. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ancient-political/ 22.12.18

Michelle T. Plato’s Five Regimes: Understanding The Classical Forms of Government as Presented By Plato. http://factmyth.com/platos-five-regimes/ 22.12.18

Sodom’s Depravity. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+19&version=NKJV 15.12.18

What are the Ten Commandments. Topmarks. https://www.topmarks.co.uk/judaism/the-ten-commandments 15.12.18

Jezebel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jezebel 15.12.18