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Can we really trust the Bible?


By Michael Brown, CP Op-Ed Contributor| Thursday, March 02, 2023

Read more at https://www.christianpost.com/voices/can-we-really-trust-the-bible.html/

(Photo: Unsplash/James Coleman)

On June 30, 2022, someone named Robert posted this comment on our ministry’s YouTube channel: “Why would anyone in the 21st century give a [expletive] what illiterate desert dwellers from 2,000 years ago thought about anything?”

In writing this, he reflected the views of many people today, especially the younger generation. Why on Earth should I care about what this old, outmoded, outdated book has to say? What does it have to do with me?

Of course, the authors of the Bible were anything but “illiterate desert dwellers.” To this day, scholars are still trying to understand all the nuances of the brilliant Hebrew of Job (let alone plumb the philosophical depths of the book), while theologians have written thousands of books and articles debating the meaning of single verses in the writings of Paul. But who cares about facts? It’s convenient to bash the Bible and dismiss it out of hand. “I’ve got better things to do than read the Bible!”

I want to give you a fresh perspective on God’s Word. I want to invite you to get reacquainted with the most wonderful book that has ever been written. Are you ready to come along?

In recent years, I’ve heard lots of people say, “You can’t trust the Bibles you read. They are translations of translations of translations.” Is there any truth to this? Absolutely not. Whether you’re reading an older English Bible (like the King James Version) or a modern English Bible (like the NIV or ESV or NASB), you’re reading a translation into English straight from biblical Hebrew, biblical Aramaic, or biblical Greek. That’s it.

You are not reading a translation from Hebrew into Greek into Latin into German into English (or something like that). You are reading a translation straight from the biblical languages (namely, Hebrew and a little Aramaic for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament) into English. Everyone who knows anything about Bible translations knows this to be true, and the translators have spent decades studying the original languages and then many years producing their translations. So, let’s bury that myth about “translations from translations” once and for all.

“But,” you say, “I’ve heard of ancient translations of the Bible like the Septuagint, translating the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, or the Vulgate, translating the whole Bible into Latin. And then scholars today use those versions, meaning, they use translations of translations. What about that?”

Well, you’re right and you’re wrong. It is true that such translations exist, dating as far back as 250 years before the time of Jesus. And it is true that scholars use them to see how ancient readers understood the original text. In other words, when a scholar is translating the Hebrew Scriptures into English today, he will see how the Septuagint translated those same verses more than 2,000 years ago, seeking to understand the Hebrew as best as possible. Why not use all the tools you have? But then — and this is the key point — that scholar will go directly from the original language into the target language, in this case, English.

“But hang on,” you protest. “I understand what you’re saying about these scholars going straight from the biblical languages into the modern language they’re working with. But you keep talking about ‘the original Hebrew’ or the ‘original Greek,’ yet we don’t have any original copies of the Bible. We only have copies of copies of copies. So that undermines your whole argument.”

Actually, it’s true that we only have copies of copies of copies. It’s the same with virtually all the major books from the ancient world. But we must remember that the people copying books and verses of the Bible did so with the utmost seriousness, believing these to be sacred texts, even the very Word of God. It’s true, of course, that with so much interest in these texts, not every scribe was professionally trained or thoroughly meticulous. But there’s good news here, too, since we have so many thousands of manuscripts to compare, sorting out the least accurate from the most accurate.

The more you dig into this, the more amazing it becomes. That’s why, when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the late 1940s, scholars were amazed to see that among the Hebrew manuscripts found there, some of them dating back to as early as 150-100 years BC, some were identical to the text found in our Hebrew Bibles today virtually letter for letter.

But this should not surprise us. After all, if you look at a Hebrew Bible today, which is based on manuscripts that are roughly 1,000 years old, you’ll see a note like this at the end of the Torah (also known as the Pentateuch, referring to the first five books of the Bible). It lists the total number of verses in the Torah, then the middle verse. Then the total number of words in the Torah, then the middle word, then the total number of letters in the Torah — yes, letters.

This means that, upon finishing his work of copying out the Torah, the scribe would have to go back and count every verse, every word, and every letter. (How many times do you have to count something like that before you’re sure you counted correctly?) And what happens if your total deviates by one single letter? You cannot use the manuscript. It is considered defective. Talk about a painstaking job!

It is true that there are some verses in the Bible that we find troubling today, such as the command to drive out (or kill) the Canaanites, a subject I have addressed at length in other books. For the moment, let me just say that there are explanations that make good sense — and I mean good moral sense. But here, I want to focus on another subject. What kind of morality does the Bible put forth? How does God call us to live?

Let’s start with the Ten Commandments. If you’ve forgotten them or are not familiar with them, I’ll print them here in full:

And God spoke all these words:

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

“You shall have no other gods before me.

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in Heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

“You shall not murder.

“You shall not commit adultery.

“You shall not steal.

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:1–17).

Now, ask yourself this question. If the whole world lived by these words, would the world be a better place? A safer place? A healthier place? A more moral place? Would it be easier for you to raise your kids in an environment like this? Would there be less crime? Would marriages be stronger? Would people be more at peace with themselves and one another? The answer is obviously yes — unless you think that more murder and more adultery and more theft and more lying and more dishonoring of parents and more covetousness and more workaholism and more worship of false gods would make the world a better place. Yet it is these Ten Commandments which lay the moral foundation of the rest of the Old Testament. Perhaps the Bible has some divine wisdom after all.

(This is a small section of the chapter “Why Should We Care About What the Bible Says?” from my new book Why So Many Christians Have Left the Faith: Responding to the Deconstructionist Movement With Unshakable, Timeless Truth, used here with permission from the publisher.)

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Michael Brown Op-ed: What the IRS got remarkably right in the midst of a terribly wrong ruling


Commentary By Michael Brown, CP Op-Ed Contributor| Monday, June 21, 2021

Read more at https://www.christianpost.com/voices/what-the-irs-got-remarkably-right.html/

Michael Brown
Michael Brown holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a professor at a number of seminaries. He is the author of 25 books and hosts the nationally syndicated, daily talk radio show, the Line of Fire. | Courtesy of Michael Brown

Just type the words IRS, Christian, and Bible in your search engine and you’ll get a flood of results, most of them starting with headlines like this: “IRS denies Christian nonprofit tax exemption, saying biblical values are Republican.” Or this, “IRS denies tax-exempt status to Christian nonprofit group because ‘Bible teachings are typically affiliated with the Republican Party’.”

Naturally, there has been outrage among Christian conservatives over this ruling, pointing to this yet another example of the IRS’s anti-Christian, anti-conservative bias. That’s also why most of the commentary has focused on the egregious ruling itself, which is being appealed.

Yet, in the midst of this very wrong ruling, the IRS made a very right observation: by and large, the Republican Party is more aligned with biblical teaching than is the Democratic Party.

Of course, neither major party is fully aligned with God and His Word. And, without a doubt, the world of politics cannot be confused with the purity of the spiritual realm and the kingdom of God. We can also debate which party’s policies are closest to biblical values when it comes to helping the poor or the immigrant.

That’s why, on principle, even though I have voted for Republican candidates for years while not voting for a single Democrat, I am registered as an Independent. It’s just my way of saying that I cannot align myself fully with any political party.

At the same time, when it comes to important biblical values, in the great majority of cases, the Republican platform is more aligned with Scripture than is the Democratic platform, to the point of getting the backhanded recognition of the IRS.

As for the organization involved in this ruling, it is called Christians Engaged, and its stated purpose is: “to awaken, motivate, educate, and empower ordinary believers in Jesus Christ to.”

Their threefold emphasis is: “Pray for our nation and elected officials regularly. Vote in every election to impact our culture. Engage our hearts in some form of political education or activism for the furtherance of our nation.”

Yet when they applied for tax exempt status, they were rejected.

In the words of the official IRS ruling (I’m quoting the most relevant section), “Specifically, you educate Christians on what the Bible says in areas where they can be instrumental including the areas of sanctity of life, the definition of marriage, biblical justice, freedom of speech, defense, and borders and immigration, U.S. and Israel relations. The Bible teachings are typically affiliated with the [Republican Party] and candidates. This disqualifies you from exemption under IRC Section 501(c)(3).”

Again, the mocking headlines were well deserved, including this one, from RedState: “The IRS says if you believe in God and the Bible, you are working for the GOP.”

That’s why, for good reason, the ruling is being appealed by First Liberty Institute, which has argued that the IRS ruling “errs in three ways: 1) [it] invents a nonexistent requirement that exempt organizations be neutral on public policy issues; 2) [it] incorrectly concludes that Christians Engaged primarily serves private, nonexempt purposes rather than public, exempt purposes because he thinks its beliefs overlap with the Republican Party’s policy positions; and 3) [it] violates the First Amendment’s Free Speech, and Free Exercise, and Establishment clauses by engaging in both viewpoint discrimination and religious discrimination.”

Yet in the midst of the pushback against the IRS, many have missed the biting irony of the words of the ruling where biblical teaching is associated with the Republican Party. In large measure, the IRS got this exactly right.

As noted in RedState, “The Bible, yes, IRS, the word is capitalized, is not neutral on the sanctity of life. It is not neutral on homosexuality. It is not neutral on marriage. It is not neutral on justice.”

Let’s remember that the Democrats positioned themselves as the party of the Religious “Nones” (meaning, people with no religious affiliation).

And it is the Democrats who have become increasingly radical in their pro-abortion zeal.

And the Democrats who are pushing the Equality Act, which guts religious liberties in favor of LGBT extremism.

As I noted in September 2019, “There is no question about it. There is not even a desire to hide it. The Democrat Party continues to grow spiritually darker to the point of actually proclaiming itself the party of the religiously non-affiliated. Is it any surprise?”

Or, as I pointed out in August 2020 (with regard to the Biden-Sanders “Unity Plan”), “God is never mentioned in the document. Not once.” In contrast, “the word gender occurs 22 times.

“More importantly, ‘transgender’ occurs twice, and in very specific contexts: ‘we will act expeditiously to reinstate Department of Education guidance protecting transgender students’ rights under Title IX and make clear that schools shall not discriminate based on LGBTQ status.’”

In sum, “LGBTQ” is “mentioned 17 times in the plan” while “‘religion’ is mentioned once, ‘Christian’ and ‘Jew’ and ‘God’ are not mentioned at all, but ‘LGBTQ’ is mentioned 17 times. Need I say more?”

And what of the rising, virtually unchecked tide of anti-Zionism and antisemitism within the Democratic Party?

For good reason the IRS pointed to what “the Bible says” with regard to “U.S. and Israel relations.” Here, too, the Republican Party stands much closer to Scripture than does the Democratic Party.

So, while the IRS ruled quite wrongly in denying Christians Engaged tax-exempt status, it ironically got one thing right: if you teach the Bible accurately, by and large, you’ll end up siding with the Republicans rather than the Democrats.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program.  He holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a professor at a number of seminaries. He is the author of 40 books.  Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

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Archaeologists Uncover Definitive Proof of Bible Passage in Middle of Jerusalem


Reported By Jack Davis | Published April 1, 2019 at 7:14am | Modified April 1, 2019 at 9:16am

An artifact recently discovered beneath a Jerusalem parking lot contains the first non-Biblical reference to an Old Testament figure in the court of King Josiah. The 2,600-year-old clay impression references the biblical name Nathan-Melech, according to the Times of Israel.

The clay was stamped with a seal that read, “(belonging) to Nathan-Melech, Servant of the King,” the newspaper reported. Nathan-Melech is named in 2 Kings as an official in the court of King Josiah.

The discovery took place within the ruins of a building destroyed during the destruction of the First Temple. It was found during excavations of a parking lot in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Post reported.

A second seal was found that said it belonged “to Ikkar son of Matanyahu.”

Doron Spielman, vice president of the City of David Foundation, which operates the park, told the Times of Israel that the mention of Nathan-Melech’s name makes the discovery important.

“This is an extremely exciting find for billions of people worldwide. The personal seal of Nat(h)an-Melech, a senior official in the government of Josiah, King of Judah, as described in the Second Book of Kings.

“The ongoing archaeological excavations at the City of David continue to prove that ancient Jerusalem is no longer just a matter of faith, but also a matter of fact,” he said.

“It is truly fascinating to watch how archeologists have uncovered more than 12 layers of Jerusalem history in what used to be a parking lot until just few years ago,” he said.

Nathan-Melech is mentioned in 2 Kings 23:11. As an official of King Josiah, he implemented religious reforms.

2 Kings 23:11 New King James Version (NKJV)

11 Then he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had [a]dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech, the officer who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

The finds are “not just another discovery,” said archaeologist Yiftah Shalev of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The “paint a much larger picture of the era in Jerusalem,” he told the Times of Israel.

“What is (of) importance is not just that they were found in Jerusalem, but inside their true archaeological context,” he said, commenting on the two-story First Temple structure in which the items were found.

Shalev said the building was an administrative center in ancient Jerusalem.

Shalev and Yuval Gadot, an archaeologist and professor at Tel Aviv University, said in an antiquities authority news release that the area shows signs of destruction in the sixth century B.C., roughly the time of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem.

“These artifacts attest to the highly developed system of administration in the Kingdom of Judah and add considerable information to our understanding of the economic status of Jerusalem and its administrative system during the First Temple period, as well as personal information about the king’s closest officials and administrators who lived and worked in the city,” the news release stated.

Anat Mendel-Geberovich of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Center for the Study of Ancient Jerusalem said that it’s a bit too early to be certain that the individual referenced on the clay and the biblical figures are one and the same, but admitted the possibility is strong.

“Although it is not possible to determine with complete certainty that the Nathan-Melech who is mentioned in the Bible was, in fact, the owner of the stamp, it is impossible to ignore some of the details that link them together,” he told the Times of Israel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jack Davis
Contributor, News
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Jack Davis is a freelance writer who joined The Western Journal in July 2015 and chronicled the campaign that saw President Donald Trump elected. Since then, he has written extensively for The Western Journal on the Trump administration as well as foreign policy and military issues.

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5 Signs Your Church Might Be Heading toward Progressive Christianity


Reported by Alisa Childers AlisaChilders.com

URL of the original posting site: https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/5-signs-your-church-might-be-heading-toward-progressive-christianity.html

1. There is a lowered view of the Bible

1. There is a lowered view of the Bible

Slide 1 of 8

One of the main differences between Progressive Christianity and Historic Christianity is its view of the Bible. Historically, Christians have viewed the Bible as the Word of God and authoritative for our lives. Progressive Christianity generally abandons these terms, emphasizing personal belief over biblical mandate.

Comments you might hear:

  • ​The Bible is a human book…
  • I disagree with the Apostle Paul on that issue…
  • The Bible condones immorality, so we are obligated to reject what it says in certain places…
  • ​The Bible “contains” the word of God…

1. There is a lowered view of the Bible

2. Feelings are emphasized over facts

Slide 2 of 8

In Progressive churches, personal experiences, feelings, and opinions tend to be valued above objective truth. As the Bible ceases to be viewed as God’s definitive word, what a person feels to be true becomes the ultimate authority for faith and practice.

Comments you might hear:

  • That Bible verse doesn’t resonate with me….
  • I thought homosexuality was a sin until I met and befriended some gay people….
  • I just can’t believe Jesus would send good people to hell….

1. There is a lowered view of the Bible

3. Essential Christian doctrines are open for re-interpretation

Slide 3 of 8

Progressive author John Pavlovitz wrote, “There are no sacred cows [in Progressive Christianity]….Tradition, dogma, and doctrine are all fair game, because all pass through the hands of flawed humanity.” Progressive Christians are often open to re-defining and re-interpreting the Bible on hot-button moral issues like homosexuality and abortion, and also cardinal doctrines such as the virgin conception and the bodily resurrection of Jesus. The only sacred cow is “no sacred cows.”

Comments you might hear:

  • The resurrection of Jesus doesn’t have to be factual to speak truth….
  • The church’s historic position on sexuality is archaic and needs to be updated within a modern framework…
  • The idea of a literal hell is offensive to non-Christians and needs to be re-interpreted….

1. There is a lowered view of the Bible

​4. Historic terms are re-defined

Slide 4 of 8

There are some Progressive Christians who say they affirm doctrines like biblical inspiration, inerrancy, and authority, but they have to do linguistic gymnastics to make those words mean what they want them to mean. I remember asking a Pastor, “Do you believe the Bible is divinely inspired?” He answered confidently, “Yes, of course!” However, I mistakenly assumed that when using the word “inspired,” we both meant the same thing. He clarified months later what he meant—that the Bible is inspired in the same way and on the same level as many other Christian books, songs, and sermons. This, of course, is not how Christians have historically understood the doctrine of divine inspiration.

 

1. There is a lowered view of the Bible

Including the Word “Love”

Slide 5 of 8

Another word that tends to get a Progressive make-over is the word “love.” When plucked out of its biblical context, it becomes a catch-all term for everything non-confrontative, pleasant, and affirming.

Comments you might hear:

  • God wouldn’t punish sinners—He is love….
  • Sure, the Bible is authoritative—but we’ve misunderstood it for the first 2,000 years of church history…
  • It’s not our job to talk to anyone about sin—it’s our job to just love them….

1. There is a lowered view of the Bible

​5. The heart of the gospel message shifts from sin and redemption to social justice

Slide 6 of 8

There is no doubt that the Bible commands us to take care of the unfortunate and defend those who are oppressed. This is a very real and profoundly important part of what it means to live out our Christian faith. However, the core message of Christianity—the gospel—is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and resurrected, and thereby reconciled us to God. This is the message that will truly bring freedom to the oppressed.

Many Progressive Christians today find the concept of God willing His Son to die on the cross to be embarrassing or even appalling. Sometimes referred to as “cosmic child abuse,” the idea of blood atonement is de-emphasized or denied altogether, with social justice and good works enthroned in its place.

Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

1. There is a lowered view of the Bible

Comments you might hear:

Slide 7 of 8
  • Sin doesn’t separate us from God—we are made in His image and He called us good….
  • God didn’t actually require a sacrifice for our sins—the first Christians picked up on the pagan practice of animal sacrifice and told the Jesus story in similar terms….
  • We don’t really need to preach the gospel—we just need to show love by bringing justice to the oppressed and provision to the needy..

1. There is a lowered view of the Bible

Conclusion:

Slide 8 of 8

Identifying the signs is not always obvious—sometimes they are subtle and mixed with a lot of truth. Progressive Christianity can be persuasive and enticing, but carried out to its logical end, it is an assault on the foundational framework of Christianity, leaving it disarmed of its saving power.

We shouldn’t be surprised to find some of these ideas infiltrating our churches. Jesus warned us, “Watch out for false prophets” who “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). So if you spot any of these 5 danger signs in your place of worship, it might be time to pray about finding fellowship in a more biblically faithful church community.

This article originally appeared on AlisaChilders.com. Used with permission.

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‘F*** the Bible Voters’: Democratic Fundraiser Crosses Every Line Imaginable


Reported By Lisa Payne-Naeger | October 9, 2018 at 10:40am

Democratic candidates Colin Allred, left, and Amy McGrath are running in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District and Texas’ 32nd District, respectively.

Democratic candidates Colin Allred, left, and Amy McGrath are running in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District and Texas’ 32nd District, respectively. (Colin Allred / Facebook; Amy McGrath / Facebook)

That’s it. I have come to the personal conclusion that liberals have completely lost their marbles.

This story reminds me of my mother trying to teach me as a young child that we are judged by the company we keep. I didn’t understand it then, but I certainly understand it now, especially as it applies in the world of politics.

However, that lesson is completely lost on the left.

The Washington Examiner published a piece by Ryan Girdusky on Monday that clearly illustrates that reality.

As he wrote, the Democrats have their sights set on overturning some Republican congressional districts in the November midterm elections by convincing voters their supposedly moderate candidates hold dear the center-right values of the voting demographic.

However, Democratic campaigns in Texas and Kentucky have teamed up with a motivational speaker “who has a history of hostile rhetoric and negative views of middle America,” Girdusky wrote.

That can’t possibly play well in those states.

“Retired Lt. Col. Amy McGrath and former Tennessee Titans linebacker Colin Allred are running in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District and Texas’ 32nd District, respectively,” he wrote. “Both candidates have been campaigning as centrists, and neither have endorsed extreme positions like, for example, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But despite their carefully crafted images, they have been working with far-left-wing activist and motivational speaker Laura Gassner Otting.”

And while her background seems harmless enough for a liberal, it hardly tells the entire story.

“According to her website, Otting is a professional motivational speaker who ‘helps innovators, idealists, and critics get “unstuck” in their thinking.’ Before becoming a motivational speaker, she was a political appointee for the Bill Clinton White House and then worked for several nonprofits,” Girdusky wrote.

Here’s where it gets sticky for Otting and Democrats.

Nothing ever dies completely on the internet. It never goes away. Girdusky found some old Facebook posts where Otting emotionally up-chucks all over conservatives and everything they stand for. How is she going to paint Democratic candidates as centrists when she holds core beliefs that are diametrically opposed to her target audiences?

The Examiner posted screen shots of some of her vile rants, explicit language and all. Her disdain for those who didn’t support Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is apparent in this post from August 2017.

“F— the patriarchy,” she began.

“F— the white males standing by in silence.

“F— the bible voters who looked away and believed the worst rumors about her instead of facing up to the worst facts about him.

“F— those who think they are being ‘replaced’ because they have to, for the first time in their privileged lives, compete with people who spend their days being twice, thrice, and four times as good to still just get table scraps.

“And f— those who didn’t vote, stayed out of the fray, considered themselves non-political, or couldn’t bring themselves to vote ‘for the lesser of two evils.’”

After Donald Trump won the election in November 2016, she went into a rant against “sexist” and “racist” America.

“So, America wants major change?” Otting wrote. “But, also overwhelmingly sent every ineffective male Republican incumbent back to the House and Senate? Don’t tell me this isn’t about misogyny.

“It turns out hate trumps love after all.

“Side note: who knew that America was even more sexist than racist? And jeez, it is racist.”

Girdusky connected the dots and noted that while Otting holds deeply disdainful feelings about conservatives and middle America, she held fundraisers for candidates Allred and McGrath at her home on June 25 and Sept. 25, respectively.

Girdusky said he attempted to reach out to the Allred and McGrath campaigns for an explanation, but representatives failed to return his calls.

Maybe the lesson here for Democrats is to be smarter about portraying themselves as something they aren’t. Americans are on to them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Payne-Naeger
Contributor, Commentary
An enthusiastic grassroots Tea Party activist, Lisa Payne-Naeger has spent the better part of the last decade lobbying for educational and family issues in her state legislature, and as a keyboard warrior hoping to help along the revolution that empowers the people to retake control of their, out-of-control, government.

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California To Ban the Sale of Bibles?


Reported By Benjamin Arie | April 19, 2018 at 4:53pm

URL of the original posting site: https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/california-to-ban-sale-of-bibles/

When you think about the censorship and outright banning of books and opinions, do you imagine the United States of America? Or, more likely, does that kind of suppression strike you more as the tactics of communists or fascists that America has frequently fought against?

If liberal lawmakers in California get their way, that west coast state may be one step closer to being unrecognizable as part of the United States. A bill currently pending in the legislature would essentially ban the sale of books that include traditional Christian views on marriage and sexuality.

Shockingly, the proposed law could even be construed to make it illegal to sell Bibles, since they include verses that the far left finds unacceptable.

“Assembly Bill 2943 would make it an ‘unlawful business practice’ to engage in ‘a transaction intended to result or that results in the sale or lease of goods or services to any consumer’ that advertise, offer to engage in, or do engage in ‘sexual orientation change efforts with an individual,’” explained National Review.

That’s a lot of legalese to digest, so let’s break it down. What the bill basically says is that anything that can be seen as trying to impact a person’s sexual orientation would be illegal to sell or offer. This would almost certainly include traditional Christian counseling services and books.

“The bill then defines ‘sexual orientation change efforts’ as ‘any practices that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation. This includes efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex,” continued National Review (emphasis added).

“Efforts to change behaviors” is where the real problem is. After all, almost all counseling and even common psychiatric care are intended to “change behaviors” in various ways.

If you think about it, that’s the entire reason people seek help in the first place: They want to stop drinking or becoming angry or, yes, having troubling thoughts about their sexuality.

It’s also worth pointing out that the bill as written would apply to people who are trying to change their own behavior. This would mean that if a person was struggling with same-sex behavior or sexual identity and they themselves wanted to change, it would be illegal for them to buy any book meant to help them with this. The problem here isn’t limited to Christian books. Bizarrely, the bill appears to put almost any counseling or psychiatric service in the cross-hairs.

For example, let’s say a man has the paraphilia of crossdressing or transvestism. For whatever reason, the person has become addicted to wearing women’s clothes and has found that showing up to work in high heels and a dress has a negative impact on his life. Setting aside any personal judgment about this lifestyle choice (how liberal of us), suppose he voluntarily seeks counseling to get a handle on this problem. Maybe he just wants to stop being addicted to cross-dressing in public. 

It’s his own choice. Yet counselors or books intended to help him would be illegal because they’re “efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions,” in the words of the proposed law.

You might consider that example silly, but this concern is rather serious: If passed, it could only be a matter of time before the law’s extremely vague wording is used against traditional Christian teachings in the Bible.

Take Romans 1:26-27, for instance. This verse calls out homosexuality as “shameful” and encourages Christians to not act in this way.

Then there are 1 Peter 1:15-17, Romans 6:1, and Ephesians 4:22-24, all of which direct followers of Christianity to abstain from homosexuality even if they have those desires.

Let’s be extremely clear: The point of this article is not to lecture about gay lifestyles. There are an increasing number of gay conservatives who have reached their own conclusions about their beliefs, and many are on the front lines of the culture war.

You don’t even have to particularly agree with the Bible verses mentioned here to see the problem. Efforts like the proposed bill represent dangerous slippery slopes that would use the legislature to attack traditional beliefs, and even mainstream views that happen to be at odds with the far-left agenda. If nothing else, it’s an affront to the free exchange of ideas — yes, even ones that someone might dislike — and a censorship of speech.

“No one doubts that (Christianity’s) teachings on sexual morality are increasingly unpopular,” summarized National Review. “But they remain constitutionally protected, and no state legislature should be permitted to ban a ‘good’ (such as a book) or a ‘service’ (like counseling) that makes these arguments and provides them to willing, consenting consumers.”

It’s amazing that the same liberals who bemoan “government in the bedroom” eagerly jump at the chance to give the same government control over sexual and moral topics the moment it helps their cause.

Even non-Christians and political moderates need to fight against the new wave of suppression before a 21st-century iron curtain appears. Free speech is everyone’s fight.

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Pope Francis: There Is No Hell


Reported By Randy DeSoto | March 29, 2018 at 11:35am

URL of the original posting site: https://www.westernjournal.com/pope-francis-there-is-no-hell/

Pope Francis reportedly proclaimed that hell does not exist and that condemned souls disappear when they die, in a pronouncement that runs contrary to 2000 years of Christian teaching. The pope is said to have made the statement to his longtime atheist friend Eugenio Scalfari, publisher of La Repubblica, CNS News reported.

In an article in the Italian paper titled “The Pope: It is an honor to be called a revolutionary,” Scalfari is quoted asking the pontiff, “You have never spoken to me about the souls who died in sin and will go to hell to suffer it for eternity. You have however spoken to me of good souls, admitted to the contemplation of God. But what about bad souls? Where are they punished?”

The Pope responded, “They are not punished, those who repent obtain the forgiveness of God and enter the rank of souls who contemplate him, but those who do not repent and cannot therefore be forgiven disappear. There is no hell, there is the disappearance of sinful souls.”

The Catholic leader’s view does not square with the Bible’s multiple affirmations of the existence of hell.

The late evangelist Billy Graham wrote on the subject, “It might surprise you to learn that the person in the Bible who spoke the most about hell’s reality was Jesus.”

Graham continued: “He repeatedly warned us not to take it lightly: ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell’ (Matthew 10:28).”

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The Christian Broadcasting Network in a piece entitled “Is Hell A Real Place?” pointed out that the Bible described hell as a place of torment, darkness and fire. Jesus said some “will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12).”

The Apostle Paul wrote that those who don’t know Jesus “shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10).”

The Book of Revelation, written by the Apostle John, records one day all those who go to hell will face a final judgement.

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Chapter 20, verses 13-15, read: “The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Christ said to Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:17-18).”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church holds to the reality of hell, as well.

“The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, ‘eternal fire.’ The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs,” it reads.

The document further states: “The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny.”

The Vatican released a statement in response to Scalfari’s article denying the writer directly quoted the pope, but not the substance of his reported claim that hell does not exist.

“The Holy Father Francis recently received the founder of the newspaper La Repubblica in a private meeting on the occasion of Easter, without giving any interview,” the statement reads.

It continues: “What is reported by the author in today’s article is the result of his reconstruction, in which the textual words pronounced by the Pope are not quoted. No quotation of the aforementioned article must therefore be considered a faithful transcription of the words of the Holy Father.”

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Trump Team Attends Weekly White House Bible Study


Reported By Randy Desoto | July 31, 2017 at 10:15am

URL of the original posting site: http://www.westernjournalism.com/trump-team-attends-weekly-white-house-bible-study/

Several members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, as well as Vice President Mike Pence are meeting together for a weekly Bible study at the White House. CBN News reported that Trump’s cabinet has been called “the most evangelical” in the history of the country.

Regular attendees to the study include Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Agricultural Secretary Sonny Perdue, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

Pence — who described himself at the 2016 Republican National Convention as “a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order” — attends the study as often as his busy travel schedule permits.

The study is led by former NBA player Ralph Drollinger, who played for the UCLA Bruins under legendary coach John Wooden and became the first player in NCAA history to make it to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament four times. The Bruins won the national championship in two of those years.

Wooden was also an evangelical Christian, who sought to coach his team integrating Christian principles.

After his retirement from the NBA, Drollinger founded Capitol Ministries, which has launched Bible studies in 40 state capitols, as well as several foreign nations. Its mission is to evangelize and disciple public servants.The organization also leads weekly studies at the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Drollinger told CBN News that about a dozen members attend his weekly White House study.

“These are godly individuals that God has risen to a position of prominence in our culture,” he said. “It’s the best Bible study that I’ve ever taught in my life. They are so teachable; they’re so noble; they’re so learned.”

Drollinger said he believes the regular study is the first formal one in the White House in at least 100 years.

The Christian leader spoke highly of Pence, likening him to key Biblical leaders whom God raised up to the second-highest spot in government, including Joseph, Daniel and Mordecai.

“And I praise God for Mike Pence, who I think with Donald Trump chose great people to lead our nation,” Drollinger said.

Trump is invited to the study, and receives notes following each week’s meeting.

As reported by Western Journalism, Trump’s top spiritual adviser, Pastor Paula White, said that the president has “heart for God, a hunger for God.”

She added that Trump “has a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We’ve had in-depth conversations about God.”

A reverence for God and the Bible in Washington has strong precedent. The largest Protestant church congregation in the country used to meet at the U.S. Capitol in the 1800s. At its height, over 2,000 attended weekly, including members of Congress and the executive branch.

Thomas Jefferson was a regular attendee, both as vice president and president.

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Pristine Bible Page Found Fused To 9/11 Steel — What It Says Left Us In Awe


waving flagPosted on October 16, 2015 by Dom the Conservative

URL of the original posting site: http://madworldnews.com/pristine-bible-page-911-steel

After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, a firefighter found a fragment of steel from the Twin Towers with a page from the Bible fused to it. As incredible as it is that the page is easily readable, the prophetic message it contains sent chills down his spine.

In March 2002, an unnamed firefighter discovered a fragment of rubble from the World Trade Center under Tully Road, a temporary truck route covering the remnants of the south tower, the New York Times reports.

Embedded in the metal was a damaged Bible, torn and singed from the horrific catastrophe. After he read the remaining words, he called over a nearby photographer, Joel Meyerowitz, to document the unbelievable message.

“Retaliation.”

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Pristine Bible Page Found Fused To 9/11 Steel — What It Says Left Us In Awe

 

Of all the thousands of message within the holy book, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, in the Gospel of Matthew, remained perfectly intact.

“This shredded, burned and rubble-covered Bible came to me from the loving hands of a fireman who knew that I was the record keeper of ground zero,” Mr. Meyerowitz said Thursday in an e-mail from Italy, where he now lives.

“My astonishment at seeing the page that the Bible was open to made me realize that the Bible’s message survives throughout time,” he said, “and in every era we interpret its teachings freshly, as the occasion demands.”

The chilling message not only accurately sums up the Islamic wrath upon New York City, but it prophetically warns America what will happen if it embraces its enemies — namely Islam.

Sharia law operates on an “eye for an eye” basis, as the Quran states that retaliation is commanded by Allah.

And We ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution. [Quran 5:45]

The Islamic supremacy that spurred the event on 9/11 was in perfect accordance with Sharia law, Allah’s law. The retribution that the Muslim world felt was deserved came in the form terrorism against innocent Americans.

However, the Muslim world doesn’t see unbelievers as innocent. The Quran states numerous times that Allah has a hatred for non-Muslims and that the jihadists who fight with their lives against the unbelievers will be rewarded.

Although Jesus Christ preached and modeled a life a love, forgiveness, and peace, the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, who all Muslims are called to emulate, practiced pedophilia, racism, slavery, rape, murder, and conquest. The two doctrines are not only incompatible, they are complete opposites.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, this message serves as a warning to the U.S. We have invited in the very religious and political ideology that commands the overthrow of our Constitution and establishment of Sharia law.

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A detailed explanation of why Christians don’t accept gay marriage


waving flagPublished by: Dan CalabreseDan Calabrese on Monday June 29th, 2015

URL of the Original Posting Site: http://www.caintv.com/a-detailed-explanation-of-why

Image Credit: Keoni Cabral via Flickr

For those genuinely interested in understanding.

Given the nature of the discussion following the gay marriage ruling last week, one thing that’s clear to me as a Christian who opposes gay marriage is that very few secular people – and sadly, by no means all Christians – really understand why Christians take the position we do. That’s why there is so much being said that doesn’t really reflect what Christians think. Some say we hate or we judge. Others say we are against love. Some think we’re threatened by homosexuals. Some think we object too vociferously because we secretly want to join their ranks. Some even claim we don’t think God loves gay people.

None of that is true, but maybe it’s understandable that you jump to those conclusions if you’re not familiar with the Bible or with the details of Christian doctrine.

What I want to do here is lay out an explanation for the basis of Christian opposition to gay marriage. The intent here is not to convince you if you don’t agree, although I’d be glad if I did. If you come away from this feeling that you better understand the Christian position, but still disagreeing with it, then I’ve accomplished my goal.

First, a few caveats: This explanation is going to reflect my particular denominational bent, which is Pentecostal. I don’t think the substance of what I say will differ in a substantive way from any Bible-believing denomination, but I recognize, for instance, that Baptists or Lutherans may not put as much emphasis on the supernatural as I do. Noted. I still think they would mostly endorse the substance of how I’m going to explain this. Also, my target audience here is people with a genuine interest in understanding. The fire-breathing ideologue who is simply spoiling for a fight about anything and everything is going to do what he or she always does. That’s not my problem.

Finally, I understand that some of you don’t believe in God or in anything spiritual, and for you, all of this is absurd on its face. You’re still welcome to gain an understanding if you’d like, even though I recognize you will not accept the basic premise behind any of it.

With that said, let’s start by establishing a basic point about the Bible. The Christian (present company included) believes that the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God. The various writers wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so we don’t believe it was merely “written by men,” and we also believe that God has protected His Word over the course of centuries with new translations to reflect modern language – by choosing godly men and women to lead those translation processes. That’s why, when we cite the Bible, we treat it as authoritative.

Also, since every writer of the Bible was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it doesn’t matter when people argue that “Jesus never said anything” about this or that. Just because an issue isn’t specifically referenced in the red-letter words of Jesus (although the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman actually is, which we’ll get to shortly) doesn’t mean Scripture had nothing authoritative to say on the matter.

Now, let’s establish beyond any doubt what Scripture says about homosexual sex. I have five passages for you, starting with Romans 1:24-28:

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

This passage clearly establishes that God intended a natural order for how we would receive and engage in the gift of sexual activity, and it likewise establishes that homosexual sex is outside that established order. It also establishes that there is a penalty for this. Loving Christian people want to see gay people spared of the pain of that penalty.Picture2

Next, let’s look at Mark 10:2-9:

2 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.

3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”

5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Jesus is answering a question from the Pharisees about divorce – one of their typically pathetic attempts to trap him – and in the course of answering, Jesus lays out God’s clear plan for marriage, affirming that it is indeed between a man and a woman. There are people who argue implausibly that Jesus only phrased it this way because, in that day and age, He couldn’t have conceived of gay marriage. That’s transparent nonsense. As the Son of God, Jesus knew everything that would ever happen. And Jesus introduced lots of concepts into His teaching that were radical in His day. If He had been OK with gay marriage, this was the perfect opportunity to say so. Instead, he affirmed that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Next, let’s look at Leviticus 20:10-18:

10 ‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death. 11 The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. 12 If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed perversion. Their blood shall beupon them. 13 If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their bloodshall be upon them. 14 If a man marries a woman and her mother, it iswickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you. 15 If a man mates with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. 16 If a woman approaches any animal and mates with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them. 17 ‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing. And they shall be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his guilt. 18 If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has exposed her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from their people.

Now I realize many will focus on the “put to death” aspect of this, and that’s where you have to understand the difference between moral law and ceremonial law. A lot of people cite prohibitions against things like eating shellfish as evidence that Leviticus is just full of random nonsense. No. Those are laws specifically for the Israelites about remaining ceremonial clean for entering the Temple and offering sacrifices to God. Those are ceremonial laws.

The death penalty proscribed for these sins is likewise a penalty under ceremonial law, but make no mistake, God views the actions described as moral sins, and the reason I included so many other examples is to establish that there is such a thing as sexual morality, and there are limits to it. God intends sex to be enjoyed within marriage between a man and a woman who are not closely related to each other, and He is very stern with those who engage in sexual immorality – as defined in great detail in this passage. That’s because God establishes that when you unite with someone physically, you also unite with them spiritually – and He only wants you to unite spiritually with one person. Your spouse. Of the opposite sex. Taking on the spiritual iniquity of others with whom you were never intended to unite is a very dangerous game, and God is trying to warn you against doing so.Picture3

Next, 1 Timothy 1:8-11:

8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

Just to be clear, sodomites are those who engage in sodomy (referenced in other translations as those who practice homosexuality) and fornicators are those who engage in sex outside of marriage.

Finally, James 1:14-15:

14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

I included that last passage not just to show that desires of the flesh are sinful, but also to show that sin has ultimate spiritual consequence, which is torment in your life and ultimately death.

Now, I know that’s a lot of Scripture, so let me pull it together. Every one of us is born into sin. For the homosexual who says, “I was born this way,” I will not argue. We were all born with sinful urges of our flesh. Some struggle with anger. Some struggle with heterosexual lust. Some struggle with gluttony or addiction to alcohol. And some struggle with homosexual urges. These are our desires. They come from the flesh and they war against the spirit.

God’s desire for each person is that they will repent of those desires and surrender to Him so that He can deliver them from these urges by the power of Christ. The Christian who loves as God loves certainly does not a hate another human being for having sinful desires of the flesh. We have them too. We need the power of Christ to be delivered from them. But crucially, we recognize that these urges are sinful and we want to be delivered from them so we can be in a right relationship with God, and receive the fullness of His blessings in our lives.

I understand why some Christians struggle with this. They know a gay person, or maybe have a gay family member, and they want that person to be happy. It’s enticing to accept the “love is love” argument and to believe that surely God wants that gay person to be in a loving relationship. But that argument wrongly conflates love with sex. There are a lot of different kinds of love. Hopefully you love a lot of people, but you only have sex with one person – the one to whom you’re married. If you want a gay person to know love in a romantic/sexual relationship, good, so do I. So I will pray that this person is delivered from those urges through the blood of Jesus so that he or she can find the mate of the opposite sex that God always intended for them to come together with.

For a Christian to encourage a gay person in the consummation of a gay “marriage” is to encourage their permanent indulgence in a lust of the flesh that Scripture clearly tells us God finds detestable, and to suffer all the spiritual consequences that come with that. It would be like encouraging you to go hiking down a path where we know a deadly wild animal is waiting to devour you. Far from hating you, we’re loving you by warning you of the consequences and urging you to repent – which literally means to turn back and change directions.

That’s why the Christian baker doesn’t want to bake that wedding cake, and why the Christian adoption agency doesn’t want to process those papers, and why the Christian church won’t perform the ceremony. And that’s why so many people like me won’t be cloaking our Facebook profile pictures in the rainbow colors. What we want for you is something better than your flesh is leading you to, and we’re praying for you to receive it. We’re not going to encourage you to follow the desire of your flesh instead of the light God wants to put in your spirit.

I hope that by reading this, some of you gained a better understanding of the Christian position on gay marriage, and why a Bible-believing Christian can never accept it. If you did – even if you still disagree – I did my job.

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From the Lighter Side…………..


waving flagLeft, Right Study

  • Remember what Jesus said: ‘goats on the left, sheep on the right’
  • (Matthew 25:33). Jesus also told peter that if he wanted to catch fish do it from the right side of the boat. They did and filled the boat with fish.
  • John 21:6 (NIV) … He said, “throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” when they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.”

ORIGIN OF LEFT & RIGHT…

I have often wondered why it is that conservatives are called the “right” and liberals are called the “left”.

By chance i stumbled upon this verse in the bible: Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NIV) – “the heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.” Amen?!?!

 It surely can’t get any simpler than that.

SPELLING LESSON:

The last four letters in American………. I can

The last four letters in Republican…….. I can

THE LAST FOUR LETTERS IN DEMOCRATS……… RATS

 

End of lesson ! ….test to follow on November 6, 2016.

REMEMBER, NOVEMBER 2016 IS TO BE SET ASIDE AS “RODENT REMOVAL MONTH”.freedom combo 2

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I would regret dying and knowing I did not use God’s gifts


Posted by Hobo John — January 25, 2015

URL of the Original Posting Site: http://joeforamerica.com/2015/01/regret-dying-knowing-not-use-gods-gifts/

I am going to ramble around a bit so as to make a point or two. It is Sunday after all and God and Christ are what I found at the end of my journey on the streets. They were both there the entire time of course watching over me as I examined my childhood wounds and learned my lessons about how to use God’s gifts, love myself and others.

Our society makes no time for reflection, we all work too hard and too long and give ourselves little time to chew over mistakes so we often repeat the same ones in vein, hoping for a better out come.

The economy makes it difficult as well, most folks work more and more while receiving less and less. A lot of that has to do with the greed of the rich and clever, and makes my heart hurt. Lots of folks have no time to think about and work through wounds, they are too busy trying to provide for families. I hold them in my heart with every tenderness.

Those seven years without a job, without family or friends was lonely at times to be sure. But it also allowed me to sit with my grief and my fears and to mull them over without anyone interfering with my thinking process and telling me what I should be doing. I count them as a true blessing.

As I said while on the streets I re-familiarized myself with the Bible and Christ’s teachings. I became particularly fond Bible-in-hand-300x150of the Book of James so many nuggets of wisdom and things to ponder.

“For what is your life? It is but a mist that arises for a while and is gone.” James 4:14. The implications of this are extraordinary. The things in this life we hold dear including our own breathe and body, merely temporary and as short term as a mist. The idea is to hunt for something more substantial than even your own life; that could only mean your eternal self. the one beyond time.

It is also refreshing. The things I worry so much about, things as simple as saying something stupid or out of line, where my next meal is coming from, will I make my deadline at work? Well from the point of view of my eternal self these things are a vapor indeed. He is saying we should not work to impress others or even ourselves, but to impress our creator.

Christ said the kingdom of heaven is within and James confirms this calling God’s word implanted. James also says that with patience, and holding to Christ’s teaching we can become, “whole and complete lacking nothing.”

James also tells us “pure religion” has nothing to do with churches or doctrine but is, “to visit the orphan and the widow in their affliction, and to remain untouched by the world.” To me he is saying take care of those who are traumatized and in today’s world you do not have to look to far to find those folks.

“To remain untouched by the world,” that is another phrase that really made me search for some understanding. Well, what runs the world? In my mind it is fear and the things that arise from fear: greed, jealousy, anger, violence, wrath etc. Along with fearful things, lust, or desire is perhaps a kinder word, it also runs the world.

Generally our desire is for stuff we do not have and the stuff other people have. To be untouched by the world means to dwell in God’s joy and peace no matter what happens, no matter what you have or do not have.

After I was molested I lost trust in others to take care of me, I also lost trust in myself. Over time God has restored my faith in myself and I am busy chasing the eternal.

I am genuinely a happy person and still desire many things in this world, a jeep for one thing would be very nice indeed. Lust, jealousy, greed, anger, hate arise in me every day, but when they do I do my best to turn them over to God or I invite God in to heal them.

When it comes to family and friends, well knowing these people are temporary makes them become very precious indeed, far more precious than anything than I could own or have. To hold onto jealousy and hate is something I would regret. In other words it inspires me to be kinder and forgiving of everything.

It also makes me strive to become as good as I possibly can at the things I do. I would regret dying and knowing I did not use God’s gifts to their full potential to better this temporary world. Peace to you folks. I love you with everything that I have; that is my motto, my mantra and the truth of things.

About the Author; Hobo John

Hobo John here, I am a fifty year old man currently living in a small town in Idaho, this is also where I grew up. Like any Idaho boy I love the outdoors, and am a sports enthusiast. But I also love the arts and paint a little myself. In Proverbs it says, “A man’s pursuit is his kindness, ” and that is my only true mission in life. I like to write about just about anything; songs , children’s stories, politics, short stories, however, I have not attempted a novel yet. I also consider myself a bit of a philosopher, after seven years of living the homeless life I actually started to enjoy it. I started writing little phrases that I hope contain some wisdom. I call them Hobo Metaphysics. “Gentle beats the hell out of aggressive,” being one of my favorites. Peace to you folks, “I love you with everything that I have.” That is my motto and the truth of things.

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An unshakable foundation for right living


The Bible is a source to which we can look and say with confidence, “This is right,” or “This is wrong.” Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

An unshakable foundation for right living

July 14

All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.

-II TIMOTHY 3:16

We are beginning a new millennium. Can you believe it? I remember as a boy wondering if I might live to see the turn of the century. The post-war fifties seemed to speed by, and then the turbulent sixties…but it was the 1970’s that ushered in the beginning of a revolution in America.

Was it economic? No. Political? No. Educational? No. It was a moral revolution where authority of every kind was questioned, undermined, and ultimately disregarded. And chaos has been the result.

Some of you may have read a book called “The Lord of the Flies”. It depicts an island of “lost boys,” some good and some bad, who set up their own form of rule. Any time they had a problem or dispute, they consulted a conch shell for wisdom. If they listened hard enough, the shell would tell them what was right. But one day in a fight the shell was shattered, and the boys’ source of authority was destroyed. Suddenly, anarchy set in. Might made right. There were no longer good boys and bad boys. Every boy on the island became a savage.  The conch shell is broken.

There is a cry today in families, churches, and the marketplace for moral authority. The Bible is a source to which we can look and say with confidence, “This is right,” or “This is wrong.” You and I need authority in our lives. And as we enter the twenty-first century, we need it more than ever. I believe the Bible—the Word of God—is that authority we need. It’s precepts give us a place to stand, and a foundation for right living that is unshakeable and true.
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Spiritual

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Bible ban: Wis. university system removes book from campus center rooms


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jan/16/wisconsin-university-system-bans-gideons-bibles-ca/#ixzz2qyhh50yT

By Cheryl K. Chumley

The Washington Times

Thursday, January 16, 2014

** FILE ** Scholars will modernize the language in the New International Version, the Bible of choice for conservative evangelicals, as well as revisit the debate on gender terms. (Associated Press)The Wisconsin public university system removed all its copies of the   Gideon Bible from the campus conference center after the Freedom From   Religion Foundation complained of a constitutional violation.

Administrators  with the University of Wisconsin-Extension said they  received the  complaint in November and after weeks of consideration and  discussion,  decided to remove from the Lowell Center all 137 copies of  the bible — a  normal fixture at guest rooms and in hotels around the  nation.

“Permitting  members of outside religious groups the privilege of  placing their  religious literature in public university guest rooms  constitutes state  endorsement and advancement of these Christian  publications,” said  FFRF attorney Patrick Elliot, in a letter of  complaint, UPI reported.  And on the group’s website, he wrote that  “while private hotels may  choose to put any type of literature they want  in their guest rooms,  state-run colleges have a constitutional  obligation to remain neutral  toward religion.”

In response, a UW-Extension spokesman said in a  letter: “We reviewed  the concern raised about the placement of Bibles  in our guest rooms and  decided to remove them. We want to make sure all  guests are comfortable  in our lodging.”

Gideons International  gives the books for free to any hotel that  wants them, as a means of  winning “the lost for Christ,” their website  said

MrB’s response;

In order for anyone to find Bibles in Hotel rooms they have to DELICERATELY look for those Bibles becauxse they are never out in the open for anyone to see. You open a drawer, and there is the Bible. You don’t want to see it or read it, then CLOSE THE DRAWER. Simple. Now, when someone who wants to read the Bible finds it, they will have that opportunity.

These people are so deep in the dark, hating any light that will expose their philosophy as empty and baseless, that they squeal every time they accidentally find some light. As Christians, why are we letting them get away with this? I guess you really do have to be careful to select your battles.

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