Podcasts about though christians

Though Christians may experience great suffering and persecution, Scripture reminds us that we have reason to continue in hope. Today, Derek Thomas discusses the sure promise that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. Get Derek Thomas' teaching series Romans 8 on DVD, plus lifetime digital access to all 12 messages and the study guide, for your donation of any amount. We'll also send you his book How the Gospel Brings Us all the Way Home: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/3980/donate   Live outside the U.S. and Canada? Request digital access to the Romans 8 teaching series and study guide, plus the ebook by Dr. Thomas, for a gift of any amount: https://www.renewingyourmind.org/global   Meet Today's Teacher:   Derek Thomas is a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow and Chancellor's Professor of Systematic and Pastoral Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary.   Meet the Host:   Nathan W. Bingham is vice president of ministry engagement for Ligonier Ministries, executive producer and host of Renewing Your Mind, and host of the Ask Ligonier podcast. Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

The Sword or the Cross? (audio) David Eells 2/23/25 Please be patient with me and I will share something that just may save your physical and eternal life. If you are not willing to believe only what the scriptures say concerning your relationship to this evil world and its God-ordained plan in your life, you don't need to waste your time with this revelation. When Peter used the sword to keep Jesus from going to the cross, He said, “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword”. Even though the true saints will not agree with much that is about to happen in this world, they will not take “the sword” of man and break their covenant with God as the apostates and their leadership will. God's plan for His people is demonstrated by Jesus. (Joh.12:23) And Jesus answereth them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. (24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit. (25) He that loveth his life loseth it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (Loseing our life is mostly losing our carnal self life to partake of the life of Christ.) (26) If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will the Father honor. As Jesus was a seed sown in the dirt of this earth, so must we be. The wicked of this world are the dirt that puts to death the fleshly husk of the seed so that the inner life may come forth and bear fruit. As a lamb does not struggle with a wolf, the seed does not struggle with the dirt but permits it to fulfill its purpose. (Luk.10:3)...I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. In God's plan wolves devour the flesh of the lambs. He uses the wicked to chasten His children. (2Sam.7:14) I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. (2Cor.4:11) For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (16) Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. (17) For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory. The glory of God will be manifested in those who will “resist not him that is evil” but will “turn the other cheek” and permit the dirt to do its job. No one else can drive the nails, friend. You are unable to do it and other Christians shouldn't do it. It is God's plan to use the harlot and the beast to crucify our old man. (Act.2:23) Him (Jesus), being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay. (4:27) For of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together, (28) to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass. Through death to self at their hands, the world will see Jesus in us and we will be enabled to fulfill the great commission. (1Pet.4:1) Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2) that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. In the days when God's people were ruled over by the Roman beast it was written: (Rom.13:1) Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the [powers] that be are ordained of God. (2) Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. Though Christians are forbidden to take the mark and image of the beast, they are also forbidden to take up arms against secular nations over them. This puts the people of God in a position of weakness like Jesus when He submitted to His cross instead of fighting. (Note: Some falsely say that the U.S. is not typed in the Scriptures. In Revelation, we see that Babylon is the Queen of the world, an end-time world superpower, a very rich nation that trades with the whole world. Both Revelation and Daniel say it is the head of all the nations and was called the “great eagle” in Ezekiel 17. Jeremiah 25 shows that it will bring destruction to the Middle East and then fall in what appears to be a nuclear attack from the nations. Revelation 18 says this will be in one hour of one day. Who, with common sense, would not see that this ancient eagle lives again in our day and has been secretly ruled by a satanic, corrupt, and perverted deep state? Most recently Babylon is being conquered by our modern day Cyrus who ruled in ancient times as Media-Persia. Using Babylon and her king as a type of the U.S. and her President, God warned his people to submit to her as far as secular matters go. (Jer.27:5) I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth, by my great power and by my outstretched arm; and I give it unto whom it seemeth right unto me. (6) And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant.... (7) And all the nations shall serve him.... (8) And it shall come to pass, that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. This has happened. (9) But as for you (Christians), hearken ye not to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreams, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: (10) for they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land, and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.... (12) And I spake to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. (13) Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord hath spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? The modern day apostate leadership has served Babylon turning against the Word of the Lord. And the rebels have been chastened by their “sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence”. (14) And hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon; for they prophesy a lie unto you. (15) For I have not sent them, saith the Lord, but they prophesy falsely in my name; that I may drive you out, and that ye may perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you. And these depopulationists have murdered the apostates who trust in man's vaccines rather than the clear Word. Also we will see that true Christians are not to take up arms in the worlds wars. Our kingdom is not of this world as Jesus said. That is not to say that God doesn't have mercy on ignorance. In this way God will cleanse His body of those that refuse to obey and go to their cross. We are now close to the beginning of the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation in Revelation 12 where the dragon/serpent chases the woman Church into their wilderness refuge to be taught of the Man-child. What brings us to our cross? Jesus said, “Love your enemies”, not shoot them, and “turn the other cheek”, not make war on them. God will chasten the Christians who “take the sword”. Our Lord said, “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword”. I am certainly not excusing the government's actions in any of this but if David Koresh, the leader of the Davidians' stronghold in Waco, Texas, in early 1993 had not broken God's covenant and stored up that arsenal with the intent to use it against the government, he and his followers would still be alive. Bear witness that God did not defend them. God will bring the U.S. against His people and their apostate leaders because they have ignored His covenant. (Hos.8:1) [Set] the trumpet to thy mouth. As an eagle [he cometh] against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. (2) They shall cry unto me, My God, we Israel know thee. (3) Israel hath cast off that which is good: the enemy shall pursue him. (4) They have set up kings, but not by me; they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. In the days of Jesus, the apostate people of God were in bondage to the Roman beast for their rebellion against the Word. These stiff-necked people of God were in constant revolution against the Romans and paying a great penalty for it. (Mar.15:6) Now at the feast he used to release unto them one prisoner, whom they asked of him. (7) And there was one called Barabbas, [lying] bound with them that had made insurrection (revolution), men who in the insurrection had committed murder. (8) And the multitude went up and began to ask him [to do] as he was wont to do unto them. (9) And Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? (10) For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. (11) But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. (Jn.18:40) They cried out therefore again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. Notice that Barabbas and many with him were in prison for making a revolution against the Romans. Jesus suffered in the place of this Jewish patriot. In like manner, the true body of Christ will suffer innocently because of “Christian” patriots who will revolt against the beast. In another type, Barabbas was chosen out of all the Jews that were in prison with him to be released. Barabbas means “son of the father”. Because Jesus went to the cross, a remnant of these people who truly are “sons of the Father” will be forgiven and saved. Militant patriots do not understand what the Holy Spirit showed in this text, that killing Romans or Americans is “murder” and that those who steal from them are “robbers”. Remember, God did not defend almost 1000 very religious patriots whom the Romans destroyed. In 66 A.D. when the Jews rebelled against the Romans, they captured this mountain 1000 meters above the Judean wilderness. In a well-supplied, seemingly impregnable fortress, the Jews attempted for seven years to hold out against the Roman beast. In a clear type, all but a remnant of seven committed suicide and brought an end to the worldly state of Israel. “Christian” rebels in our day will, in effect, commit suicide by fighting against the beast and bringing an end to the worldly state of the Church. The Timothy McVeigh's of this world are not patriots in God's kingdom. The real heroes are those who leave worldly governments up to God and choose their cross over rebelling against His Word. Like Jesus, Paul gives us a type of how innocent Christians in our day will be falsely accused as rebels and imprisoned or killed. In Acts 21:38, a chief captain said to him, “Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?” Notice once again that an Egyptian, representing the old carnal man, was leading Jews to kill Romans. The “Christians” who are led of the old man today will fight against the beast. God will not tolerate those who call themselves patriots in order to rebel against governments and God's Word. (Rom.13:1) Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God.... (2) Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. Let our Cyrus do his job to take down Babylon while we preach the gospel to all, which is our job. Jesus gave us permission to “flee” like sheep before the wolves, but not to fight in the flesh as wolves. (Mat.10:16) Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (23) But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. Notice that this persecution will spread the Word through the cities of God's people and He will come. Praise His Name! While the carnal people of God were having their revolution against the government, Jesus and the disciples were having a spiritual revolution against their flesh. Jesus said, “Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword (the Word). For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law: and a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household” (Mat.10:34-36). Notice when you get saved they are often on the other side until they get saved. Tertullus, speaking against Paul's spiritual revolution, said, “For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of insurrections (revolutions) among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5). They always call us a sect or cult for obeying the Word. Jesus and Paul's revolution was to use the Word to separate the chosen from the carnal church of his day. Neither of them had anything to do with wrestling with a flesh and blood beast system. That was the harlot's revolution. We are to be patriots of the Lord's kingdom, not the U.S. Like Jesus, “My kingdom is not of this world”. Because they would not obey Jesus, the Jews were led by their deceiving leadership to their own destruction and that of their city in 70 A.D. This was also the cause of its destruction in other times. (Ezr.4:19) And I decreed, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein. (5:12) But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon. Every beast kingdom was raised up by God to chasten and bring into bondage and crucifixion His rebellious people and so it is with the Babylon of our day. Our warfare is not with flesh and blood men but with the demon principalities and powers that rule them (Eph.6:12). (Mat.5:38) Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: (39) but I say unto you, Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Jas.4:7)...resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Many will fight to keep from going into captivity but only God determines if one needs this for their maturing. (Rev.13:9) If any man hath an ear, let him hear. (10) If any man [is] for captivity, into captivity he goeth: if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Only God gives authority to the beast to bring His people into bondage or death. M. Cox relates a dream he had concerning these principles. I had a dream so real that every time I think about it, it becomes more vivid just as if I was there. I was sleeping in our small farmhouse with a few other people one night. Sometime in the dead of the night all of a sudden I heard the thunderous boom of these military helicopters and airplanes. Then this helicopter landed right beside our house. All the occupants of our house were rounded up and taken away by the helicopter, probably to prison work farms. I was just standing there amazed, thinking these people never resisted, or tried to run away. And they all acted like I wasn't there. I thought that they had forgotten me. Soon after they left, another helicopter came. They were probably told that they had forgotten one of the occupants. I was naturally scared so I hid under the bed, shaking like a leaf with my legs sticking out. The soldiers didn't have any U.N. symbol but were probably a makeshift multi-national army. A black and a white soldier had yellow torches and machine guns with them. They were looking and thrashing everywhere trying to look for me. The black soldier was looking under the bed I was under. The funny thing was I was right in front of him with my feet sticking out but it appeared he couldn't see me. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I was invisible to the soldiers. They couldn't see me. After a while, the soldiers left frustrated at not being able to find me. I must say that the fear and terror of the situation was unbelievable. A few days later this helicopter came and sprayed this chemical and the surrounding place turned all brown. They probably had been given orders to let no survivors that they couldn't find live. Anyway, even before they sprayed I noticed that the surrounding vegetation looked brownish, maybe from nuclear fallout. Miraculously, with all this happening I was still alive and the dream ended there. Notice that God's people did not resist and only those who needed captivity were taken. We should not put it beyond God's ability to supernaturally hide those who do not need more crucifixion. If He could translate me halfway around the world to preach, He can certainly make us invisible to the enemy. Bob Aicardi also had a dream like this. I found myself cautiously walking the floors of a very large government building, which was occupied by foreign troops, and I knew that as an American I was not supposed to be there. I was noticed by a worker, who set off an intruder alert. Down the corridor, the entrance doors slammed shut and locked. As I walked up to the doors they opened and I passed through to escape. Once outside, perimeter guards were alerted and were all about. I walked through them as invisible and saw another man doing the same thing. I said to him, “Isn't the blood of Jesus wonderful?” We see that not only can God protect those who are mature but He can also give rest to those who need to submit to their cross. (Joh.19:11) Jesus answered him, Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above. Like our Lord, we are to receive everything as from God and leave retaliation up to Him. (Rom.12:17) Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men. (18) If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men. (19) Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath [of God]: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. (20) But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. (21) Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Our old man wants to live by defending self and retaliating, but our obedience to these commands crucifies that carnal nature in us. Satan seeks through well-meaning people to keep us from this cross. (Mat.16:21) From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up. (22) And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee. (23) But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men. Notice that Peter, by the spirit of Satan was a stumbling block by trying to dissuade Jesus from going to His cross. Peter later took the sword, to try to enforce his way and again met with rebuke. (24) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (25) For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. Even when we are at our best, the hidden carnal nature must be crucified. (1Pet.2:20) For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted [for it], ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. (21) For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: (22) who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: (23) who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously. What could be clearer? We are to follow in Jesus' steps by cooperating with God's process of using the harlot religious system and the beast kingdom to bring us to the cross. We are not to resist them by force. The laws of our kingdom do not permit us to fight in the flesh to escape captivity. (Joh.18:36) Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. In the days leading up to a civil war in the midst of the One World Order, many will stand up against the U.S. as the king of the South. Included among these are some of God's people who will try to impose their vision of the kingdom of God in the U.S. by violent methods, but they will be killed. (Dan.11:14) And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the children of the violent among thy people shall lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they shall fall. God will not permit fleshly methods to have any success so that His people learn to walk in the Spirit. (12:7)...It shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of (self in) the holy people, all these things shall be finished. Notice that our temptation to use our own power must be crucified. (Zec.4:6)...Not by (our) might, nor by (our) power, but by my Spirit, saith Lord of hosts. War is of the world and is motivated by lust, not God. (Jas.4:1) Whence [come] wars and whence [come] fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your pleasures that war in your members? (2) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. Those who join with the world to make war on their enemies are enemies of the cross and of God. (4) Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God. Those who preach peace and safety and refuse to cooperate with God in this process of falling to the earth to die will be cut off. (Amo.9:8) Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; save that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord. (9) For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, like as [grain] is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least kernel fall upon the earth. (10) All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, The evil shall not overtake nor meet us. We are coming to the same tribulation days of sifting as it was with Peter. (Luk.22:31) Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: (32) but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not. Even though Peter initially denied the Lord, he got back up and became a strong leader who gave up his old life. Satan is ordained of the Lord to sift the disciples to get the husk that is his, so that God may have the pure fruit of Christ. Here is a prophecy through Thomas S. Gibson that relates the persecution the U.S. will bring against Christianity to separate the true saints from the tares. Thus says the Lord, repent and listen to the Word of God. Note that there shall be persecutions arising in all places, throughout the U.S. and Canada, and through Europe. These nations shall rise up in persecutions against My people. It shall purge the Church. Those of Mine, that are truly Mine, who walk in power and are committed to Me, they shall stand in this persecution no matter what it brings. But listen to Me, and heed Me. For thus saith the Lord, I am God, and I am allowing this, for it shall purge My Church. For there are many that shall quickly deny Me, shall quickly deny the truth, quickly revert to a world religion, shall quickly deny the power of the Word; they deny the truth of the Word. They shall quickly deny many things, and they shall become politically correct for the day and the age that they live. For they do not want to be in persecutions and they do not want to stand against the world. They love the world, and they are part of the world, and they were never part of Me. But they have a form of Godliness in the Church, and they were in the Church, shining as Christians and looking as Christians in outward appearance, but in their heart they were not of Me. This shall purge the Church and bring to pass what I have said; I will separate the sheep from the goats; that is, My people from the world. God is sovereign in the happenings of history in order to show us what will happen in the latter days, for, “That which hath been is that which shall be”. In the time of the tribulation of Christ's day, Rome had swallowed up the people of God. Through Babylon's type we see that the U.S. would swallow up the people of God before her fall. (Jer.51:34) Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath, like a monster, swallowed me up, he hath filled his maw with my delicacies; he hath cast me out. (35) The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and, My blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. Because Babylonish U.S. tried to save herself by sacrificing God's lambs on the altar of religious unity and political correctness, God will take vengeance on her. (36) Therefore thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her fountain dry. (37) And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place for jackals, an astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant. ... (41) How is Sheshach taken! and the praise of the whole earth seized! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations! (42) The sea (of men) is come up upon Babylon; she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof. (43) Her cities are become a desolation. by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence Please also listen to the audio series Honor the king? and How Shall We Die? and read Torment to Those Who Fight Back.   The Militant Apostates Rebel God is raising up the beast kingdom of the tribulation to crucify us as their forefathers crucified our Master. At the same time, the beast will purge Christianity of those who refuse to go to their cross of death to self. At first you may think I am wrong about this but if you will bear with me you will be overwhelmed with proof from God's Word. This is God's M.O. Because Christians do not stick to their command of spreading the Great Commission a competition has raised up which is unhealthy for us. When God is fighting against our enemies with His angels we are seen as guiltless and there is no competition between us and the world, which ruins our witness. The devil is being permitted by God to stir up competition so that paranoid, disobedient Christians will fight this government in the flesh and be destroyed. The Lord said to me once that “Spirits of paranoia will stir up Christians to fight against this country. In this way I will cleanse my Church of those that refuse to obey and go to their cross.” Conspiracy addicts are the prime spreaders of this paranoia. But we are to fear nothing but God who “works all things after the counsel of His will.” (Isa.8:11) For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, (12) Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread [thereof]. (13) The Lord of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. You ask, “But David, what about the Deep State Illuminati conspiracy that has taken over our government to bring war and their New World Order?” Fear “him who worketh all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph.1:11). The Deep State Illuminati are nothing without God's permission. They and many others like them are sent by God to deceive those who do not love truth and to judge those who need it. Therefore, we are not to wrestle with flesh and blood but principalities and powers. Physically we are to permit them to cleanse the body.  (2Th.2:9) [even he,] whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (10) and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (11) And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: (12) that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. “The lowest of men” are raised up to lead the beast to crucify rebellious Christians. We need them. (Pro.16:4) The Lord hath made everything for its own end (Hebrew: His own purpose); Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Some say, “But I know some of these conspiracies are real”. I do, too, but the flesh is stirred up to fight when we think on the conspiracies, rather than the promises and the way of the cross. We are taught to study Truth rather than the evil in conspiracies because Truth has power unto Godliness, which delivers from evil. (Rom.16:19)....I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple unto that which is evil. Those who are taught to recognize counterfeit bills don't study counterfeits because there are too many possibilities. They study the real bills. That way they can recognize all counterfeits. The Word gives us eyes to see all errors. Some waste all their time studying evil governments and have no faith. But what we bind on earth is bound in heaven and He has given us authority over all the power of the enemy. All secular governments are evil just as the one in Jesus' day but He stuck to the business of the Father, taught the Word, and let patriots like Barabbas fight with flesh and blood to their own destruction. I also know that the beast government will persecute and crucify the saints when the time comes. I say along with Jesus, “Not my will, but thine be done”. If we are not willing to give up our carnal life in order to be obedient to the Word, then we will not be counted worthy of a heavenly life. Any who stir up God's people to take the sword will be guilty of their blood when they die by the sword, as the Word says will surely happen. Antichristian militant “Christians” will not stand for their rights being taken away and will fight against their governments. What do you think they will do when world law is imposed and the mark of the beast is inevitable? Civil war. States are seeing their Constitutional authority undermined by the socialistic moves of the past Obama and Biden administrations and the Deep State shadow government. Also, a litany of leftist, global U.N. treaties that were resisted by more conservative administrations are waiting in the wings to give sovereignty to the U.N. beast over families, women, and children, opposing free trade, opposing democracy and Christian freedom, bringing intrusive emissions laws, etc. The last three leftist presidents were just the men to open the flood gates. But God through the saints confession has and will cast down the dominion of Satan. Rev 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;  8  and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9  And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. 10  And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night. 11  And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death. Militia's of conservatives, including many of God's people, have already trained and armed to fight against the U.S. government but look what God can do! Satan, who starts wars is cast down. Presidential voting fraud fiascos revealed the underlying dangerous polarization between conservatives and liberals. Ammunition sales rose significantly as did talk of civil insurrection and state secession. Much of this was by conservatives. Congressmen were openly warning of civil violence. Ammunition and gun sales began to get worse when the Obama and Biden administrations took the country in a sharp left turn. Clearly, the fear of where we are going and the conspiracies are corrupting people's minds and taking away their peace. Whether you agree with their militant thinking or not, all Christians will be blamed for these excesses. The liberal news media, although wounded now, will gladly continue to sway popular opinion against their historic enemy, the conservative Christians. Left-wing harlot “Christianity” will, of course, join in this attack proclaiming to be the true heirs of Christ, while they sleep with the beast in their politically correct tolerance of other faiths. What happened to the Jews in WWII will happen to the Christians and, ultimately, what happened to Germany will happen in the world. The world will become more antichrist and increasingly hate, persecute, kill, and bring God's carnal people into bondage. Oh, because of the recent successes you don't believe this? Read Revelation 12 and 13, which speaks of persecution and leads to the mark of the beast, without which many will be put to death and go to heaven. Ezekiel, as a type of the Man-child, prophesied that the apostate leadership of God's people would be brought into bondage by the “great eagle”, as a type of the U.S. He also saw and warned that part of that leadership would lead part of God's people to rebel against the “great eagle” to their own destruction. (Eze.17:2) Son of man...speak a parable unto the house of Israel; (3)...A great eagle with great wings...came unto Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar: (God's people were likened in Scripture to the tall cedar evergreens of Lebanon because of their properties of eternal life.) (4) he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs thereof (the immature leadership of Christianity), and carried it unto a land of traffic (Babylon); he set it in a city of merchants (Babylon). The top apostate leadership of Christianity, typed by Zedekiah, was taken into bondage in Babylon and his sons were killed and his eyes were put out, and he was put to death. (5) He took also of the seed of the land (God's people), and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters.... God's people will be put “beside many waters”, which are the peoples of the world depicted by the “many waters” that the harlot sits upon in Revelation 17:1,15. Therefore the people of God, righteous or apostate, were taken into bondage and put under the authority of the religious harlot, as it was in Jesus' day. (6) And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature (the harlot cannot overcome to lift herself from the earthly), whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine. The false prophet leadership of the harlot will rule with the ten kings as the little horn among the ten horns in the U.N. beast under the “great eagle”. The Lord confirms this interpretation in the text. (12) Say now to the rebellious house... Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to him to Babylon. The nations with the “great eagle” at the head will confirm a covenant with this false prophet leadership of God's New Testament people, uniting them with the false religions in the U.N.. (13) And he took of the seed royal, and made a covenant with him; he also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land. Notice in these verses that the king and all of the princes of Israel were called “him” meaning they are a corporate False Prophet. This covenant will be hidden from the apostates and their leaders. They will fulfill the type of the Jews in Jesus' day, who didn't realize that they had made a covenant with the beast to crucify the saints. To keep the peace, the Roman beast gave the apostates authority over the saints. History repeats. The strong delusion of the letter of the Word has already convinced the false leadership of Christianity of a fairytale covenant between a man called the antichrist and the letter Jews. Meanwhile, the real covenant will be fulfilled in the spirit under their noses. To them this could not be the covenant because they have not yet been raptured and their antichrist hasn't shown up. This covenant with the beast will make God's apostate people preach an even more impotent gospel because it is a covenant of tolerance for all false religions and all sinners in a vain effort to bring peace to the world. (14) That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. The apostates will be permitted to stand in the world as the base kingdom of the religious harlot. We just saw the word “covenant” mentioned in verses thirteen and fourteen. It was at this point in my revelation that the Spirit said to me, “From the first mention of the word “covenant” in verse thirteen count. How many verses does the word “covenant” cover?” Thirteen is the number in Scripture that stands for apostasy and rebellion. Including verse thirteen, the word “covenant” covers seven verses (13-19). I was impressed that this represents the seven years of the covenant of the beast in the Tribulation. Then I heard, “How many times is the word “covenant” spoken in those verses?” “Covenant” is mentioned six times in these seven verses. Six is the number of man and of the beast. As we saw, the sixth book, sixth chapter, sixth verse and sixth word of the New Testament is “man” (Rom.6:6). It was at this point the Spirit directed me to count, “How many verses before the “covenant” is broken?” In the “midst” of the fourth verse the words “covenant he brake” are spoken. That makes 3 ½ verses or years before the break and 3 ½ verses or years after the break. The covenant is broken “in the midst of the seven” years. (16) As I live, saith the Lord, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he (the apostate leadership) brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. This also is in the “midst of the seven” verses, which is a quote from the Hebrew in Daniel 9:27. “And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one seven: and in the midst of the seven (Hebrew) he (beast) shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease”. Notice in these two verses that the apostate rebel leadership of God's people will break the covenant so the beast will cause the “sacrifice” to cease. At the time when the crowns of authority will be taken from the seven heads and given to the ten horns, the beast will make the mark compulsive. This will be a vain attempt to enforce peace by identifying those who are in covenant with the beast and those who are enemies and/or commit crimes. This will cause both true Christians and militants to be enemies of the state. The U.S. already has created the literal mark and is exporting it to the world. The U.S. will use its persuasion over the beast kingdom to make the mark compulsive in the midst of the Tribulation. Many apostate Christians will take it and become reprobated. What is left of their life of submitting their “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God” will cease as an “abomination that maketh desolate”. In this same text we see the nature of this rebellion which breaks the covenant of peace. (15) But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? shall he break the covenant, and yet escape? This covenant is broken when the rebellious people of God, who were told by God to submit to Babylon, as we shall see, instead went to another “great eagle with great wings”, Egypt, for strength to fight with arms against her. (Eze.17:7) There was also another great eagle with great wings and...this vine did bend its roots toward him. Notice that the same terminology is given to describe a second eagle. This is because both of these great eagles represent the U.S. Foolish Christians in the U.S. will go down to Egypt to fight with her when they see their rights being taken away or, for some when they see the mark coming. What does Egypt represent? God's people came out of Egypt and were baptized in the Red Sea where the Egyptians, representing the old man, died. To go back to Egypt spiritually is to trust in the strength of the old man, the arm of the flesh. (Isa.30:1) Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that make a league, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin, (2) that set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt! (3) Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. Some of God's foolish people with a conservative patriotic faction of this nation will take up arms to fight against it. This pits the “great eagle” against the “great eagle”, or civil war. God asked the question in our seven verse text: “shall he break the covenant, and yet escape” (Eze.17:15)? God's answer to this question is that these rebels will be crushed: (17) Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war.... (18) For he hath despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet hath done all these things; he shall not escape.... (21) And all his fugitives in all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward every wind: and ye shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it. When Peter used the sword to keep Jesus from going to the cross, He said, “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Mat.26:52). Even though the true saints will not obey the religious aspects of this peace covenant, they will not take “the sword” of man and break their covenant with God as the apostates and their leadership will. The last of the seven verses says this. (19) Therefore thus saith the Lord: As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, I will even bring it upon his own head. The righteous will keep God's covenant even if it costs them their physical life but the self-willed will rebel. Some religious people say the mark of God trumps the mark of the beast, and that because they believe in once saved always saved. After bringing apostate Israel as a type of the Christians under his dominion in the beginning of what we would call the tribulation, Nebuchadnezzar appointed the Zedekiah administration to rule over them. This is the “he” above who rebelled with a large portion of Israel. Jeremiah, who represented the Man-child, prophesied against these apostate rebels in the parable of the two baskets of figs. (Jer.24:8) And as the bad figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad, surely thus saith the Lord, So will I give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt, (9) I will even give them up to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth for evil; to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. (10) And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. On the other, hand those who submitted to the Word of the Lord through the Man-child Jeremiah were the blessed of the Lord. (24:4) And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (5) Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so will I regard the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, for good. (Notice that this captivity is going to be “for good” to the “good figs” who obey the Word and refuse to rebel.) (6) For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land (Notice Father will bring them to the New Jerusalem and land because Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the former apostate Jerusalem and land.): and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. (7) And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. All we have to do is replace the church in the Ezekiel 17 parable of civil rebellion above with natural Israel and we see another more natural interpretation, which is being attempted now. The U.S., which is at the head of the nations, is pushing Israel hard to give up land and make a covenant with the nations around them. Israel's natural ally in the United States is the apostate Christians and Jews who militantly support her. Since this ultimately will be a political and religious covenant both of these interpretations are coming to pass at the same time. It is certainly true that the beast is forcing both Israel and the Christians to give up their land now. Beastly laws are forcing Christians out of the moral ground that they have held on to issues such as abortion, sexuality, schooling, displays of Christian heritage, etc. In the U.S., this holy ground has been held since the more Christian times of the founding fathers. Eventually Israel and the apostate Christians will rebel against this covenant and turn to the militant arm of flesh represented by the great eagle of Egypt. Then they will both find themselves a burdensome stone that have something in common; the ire of the nations. Perhaps this is God's plan to infuse more Christian influence into Israel so that the elect among them will be saved and come out. Now I would like to share a few revelations that warn of these things.   Survivalism Coming in Evil Times G.W. - 08/22/2012 (David's notes in red) I had a dream where David and I were sitting and talking in what I believe represented the world. As we talked, there was complete and utter chaos going on all around us. It appeared that the whole world was turned upside down and was shaking. Several major catastrophic events had occurred. (Eve saw seven major earthquakes go around the world. The shakings are coming now to prove what is not to be trusted in: governments, nationalism, personal strength, religion, money, people, etc. Heb.12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not when they refused him that warned [them] on earth, much more [shall not] we [escape] who turn away from him that [warneth] from heaven: (If we don't obey God's voice, we will be shaken and judged.) 26 whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven. 27 And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: 29 for our God is a consuming fire. The people who were around us started to act completely insane. They were worse than animals because animals have some sense of control. These people were consumed by fear of the shaking that they were experiencing. It was almost like everything was falling apart all around and nothing was holding together. (Shakings like natural disasters, failed economy and incomes, loss of food and basic services, no health care, crime, martial law, war, terrorism, no fixes in sight, etc., will cause men's hearts to fail them. Luk.21:25 And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows; 26 men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. David said, “I told you they would act like this”. As he said this, a hysterical young girl started to try and grab me (persecution from immature Christianity). It was apparent that she had no sense of sanity left. (She acted like a drowning person who would pull someone under to save herself.) (They will fall for the beast promises of a worldly fix, like a covenant with many.) It was apparent to me that the girl possessed no inward thoughts; her whole focus had become grabbing and groping (with the intent to destroy) everything around her. As the unfolding happened, I began to think about relationships I had when people would lose control when the pressure was too much, but it was nothing compared to this. Everywhere I went there was disorder. It was the basic breakdown of every fundamental element of society. I saw people on the floor shaking for excessive drunkenness and cliques forming that were full of evil and worldly behavior. (When domestic dogs lose the moral compass of a master, they revert back to the pack mentality to survive. It's us against them, guns and crime for survivalism.) One of the people looked like an old Popeye (I can't remember in the dream what he was doing). (Popeye was the worldly hero who was endowed with worldly strength to solve every problem.) I could discern before ever knowing the guy that things were not right with him. But I wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt and a chance. In the end, he proved just as corrupt as everyone else. (Those who are strong and righteous in the world's eyes will fail for not having the spiritual answer to their problems.) I thought to myself, I knew I shouldn't have been hanging out with that guy. What was I thinking? I knew he would do this. (Let us not be influenced by their ways of seeking help or solutions.) At the end of the dream, I remember tasting blood in my mouth and it was very painful. I took my hand to wipe my mouth of the blood and when I looked down on my hand, there were little white meat particles on my hand, instead of blood. (A warning to not devour one another, as the strong in the world will do to save themselves. Gal.5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.) These coming times are to separate the wheat from the tares. The wheat will not compromise their convictions and will endure the trial trusting in the Lord and holding to His Word. Mat.13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things (not numeric) that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, 42 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear. Don't be bribed by your need to break God's Word. He has given all authority to you to receive your needs by His Word. Php.4:19 And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Inflation and the War on the Saints Jerod Thomas - 10/22/2010 (David's notes in red) There was this dollar bill that was about the size of a small computer monitor, like a 17-inch screen. (Strangely enough I have an enlarged hundred dollar bill and I just measured it at 17 inches long.) And, interestingly enough, it had what looked like a screen because I could see images forming out of it. Words were forming out of it. I saw one of the words was “punishment”. I also saw this country (the U.S.) and the face of Benjamin Franklin. (Benjamin's face is on the $100 bill. Will the punishment of the U.S. be that what a dollar would buy would soon cost $100, as the value drops and they print more and more creating inflation?) Then I saw Cain, Abel's brother. Cain's eyes were bloodshot and he looked like a character from a western movie. He had shot his gun. (Cain, who “was of the evil one” [1Jn.3:12], slew the chosen seed, as it will be in these days.) He had a very strong spirit on his face. It was the spirit of murder and then his eyeballs disappeared and I was able to see inside of his eye sockets; it was as if I was staring into the very depths of his soul. It was pure darkness, literally. It was pitch black. Mat 6:22-23 The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness! And then I saw an image of Satan as that darkness. He was in an elevator, as in that “Devil” movie (2010) that just came out in theaters. (The seven-headed, ten-horned body of the dragon in Revelation 12 represents a corporate Cain, the body of all lost mankind inhabited by Satan. These will attempt to devour the woman Church.) It was the most awful, defiling presence I had ever felt from demons. Satan was trying to scare and consume me with that spirit of murder and through my fear I would have given in, but I didn't want to wake up out of my sleep and run because I felt the LORD was with me and I wanted to fight that devil. (Through murder, Satan will attempt to intimidate the saints into obedience to him, which is the spiritual mark of the beast.) My voice was different because I was in the middle of a war and that war was resisting the devil, and I spoke with a very aggressive and raspy voice, and I said to that devil, “God is greater!” Then that devil left. Jas.4:7 ... Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Luk.10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Praise God Almighty that I was able to experience this and triumph through Him. To Him be the glory and honor, dominion and power now and forevermore, in Jesus' name, Amen. What Is Inflation? A simple commonly used definition of the word inflation is simply “an increase in the price you pay for goods”. In other words, a decline in the purchasing power of your money”. But there is more to inflation than that. There is “Price Inflation” and “Monetary Inflation”. Technically, Price Inflation is when prices get higher or it takes more money to buy the same item. Monetary Inflation is an increase in the money supply which generally results in price inflation. This acts as a “hidden tax” on the consumers in that country. Monetary inflation is commonly referred to as the government “printing money” although the actual process is a bit more complex than just cranking up the printing presses the effects are essentially the same. As the money supply increases, the currency loses its purchasing power and the price of goods and services increases. This process usually takes 18 months to two years, so the government is able to spend the newly minted dollars at the old value before consumers realize that they have been cheated into accepting something that will purchase less than they originally thought it would. Summary: When inflation skyrockets and poverty is everywhere, men become desperate and crimes against humanity become rampant. Governments who are looking for scapegoats and want to cut someone out of their meager benefits will find that the god of this world, who has taken them over, will anoint them with reasons to blame and persecute the Christians. The dragon/beast is coming to make war on the saints. Make sure you have your armor on.

Those who live a life of sin shall received the wrath of God. Though Christians once lived in sins and deserved the wrath of God, thankfully we received mercy from the Lord. Equally, we are not to continue in sinful practices. If professing Christians practiced putting off sinful habits there would be no divisions in Christianity.

Though Christians are not immune to suffering or safe from the hands of evil men, the same gospel that spread in the midst of persecution will give you the strength to overcome the world.

Though Christians often have a strong opinion about certain laws and certain politicians, the guide for our voting behavior in a democracy should rest on the foundational pillars of a biblical worldview.  The Bible provides a comprehensive worldview designed to direct every aspect of our lives.  In this podcast, we look at the four worldview principles most relevant to determining how and why we cast our votes.  These biblical foundations involve a look at human nature, how the Bible tells us to measure those with influence and authority and concludes with one of our responsibilities as those belonging to Christ.

Though Christians are entitled to certain liberties, when is it wise to abstain from acting on your liberties? How can abstaining from certain liberties actually be a loving thing to do for a brother or sister with a weaker conscience?4 Reasons Why It is Wise to Abstain From Your Liberties - Abstain Because Not Everyone Possesses Knowledge  - Abstain Because It's Dangerous for Others - Abstain Because It's Dangerous for You - Abstain Because the Honor of Jesus is At Stake

Though Christians are entitled to certain liberties, when is it wise to abstain from acting on your liberties? How can abstaining from certain liberties actually be a loving thing to do for a brother or sister with a weaker conscience?4 Reasons Why It is Wise to Abstain From Your Liberties - Abstain Because Not Everyone Possesses Knowledge  - Abstain Because It's Dangerous for Others - Abstain Because It's Dangerous for You - Abstain Because the Honor of Jesus is At Stake

According to Rebecca McLaughlin, many of the beliefs of our contemporary culture can be summarized into a kind of “secular creed.” Though Christians will agree with some parts of this creed and disagree with others, it's important to note that many of the assumptions underlying this “statement of faith” are deeply rooted in Christian soil. So how did Jesus completely reshape the moral imagination of Western culture? Shane discusses this with Dr. McLaughlin, who is the author of numerous books including Confronting Christianity, and The Secular Creed.SHOW NOTESRelated BooksThe Secular Creed & Confronting Christianity, Rebecca McLaughlinDominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, Tom HollandThe Righteous Mind & The Anxious Generation, Jonathan HaidtChristianity & Liberalism, J. Gresham MachenThe Secularist Heresy, Harry BlamiresEarly Christian Writings, The Apostolic FathersRelated ArticlesHow Christianity Killed Infanticide, Rebecca McLaughlinAn Ancient Letter from a Soldier to His Wife (scroll to bottom right)The Epistle to Diognetus (see chapters 5 & 9).Pentecost Skewers Racism, Rebecca McLaughlinCan We Trust the Gospels: A Review, Rebecca McLaughlinLiberalism or Christianity?, J. Gresham MachenThe Tower of Babel & The Virtue of Doubt, Shane RosenthalRelated VideosThe Secular Creed, Rebecca McLaughlinChristianity is Returning, Tom Holland & Justin BrierleyHow St. Paul Changed the World, Tom Holland & N.T. WrightJesus Through the Eyes of Witnesses, Rebecca McLaughlinSexuality & Identity, Rebecca McLaughlin & Sam AllberryRelated PodcastsThe Gospel Creed, Humble Skeptic #9Same-Sex Attraction, Sam Allberry & Michael HortonIdentity in a Post-Christian Culture, Humble Skeptic #33The Woke Revolution, Humble Skeptic #34Navigating the Currents of Aggressive Secularism, Humble Skeptic #36Is Faith Irrational? & Is Faith Blind? Humble Skeptic #2 and #3Is Faith a Feeling? Humble Skeptic #4Upcoming Events CEDAR CITY, UTAHOn Wednesday, Sept. 18th, Shane will discuss the topic of his forthcoming book, Is Faith Blind? at the Festive Hall Conference Center in Cedar City, Utah. The event is free and dinner is provided. Doors open at 6:00 pm, and you can find the event page here.ST. LOUIS, MISSOURIOn Friday, Oct. 18th, Shane will be the keynote speaker at the ReThink315 fundraising dinner, which will take place at the Missouri Athletic Club in Des Peres. To purchase tickets for this event or for more info, click here.MILAN, ITALYOn Sunday, Oct. 13th, Shane will be speaking at Chiesa Riformata Filadelfia on the northwest side of Milan. For more info or directions, click here. HOUSTON, TEXASOn Friday & Saturday, Nov. 8-9, Shane will be participating in a panel discussion on the historicity of Jesus' resurrection, featuring Gary Habermas and others. This event will take place at the Lanier Theological Library.If you would like to invite Shane Rosenthal to speak at your event, send an email to: INFO at HUMBLESKEPTIC dot COM. Support This Podcast!Donations to The Humble Skeptic podcast are tax-deductible. To make a one-time donation or set up recurring monthly gifts, click here or use the QR code below. Another way to support this podcast is by upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack. Subscriptions begin at $5.95 per month or $59 per year, however, this option is not tax-deductible. Thanks for your support!If you haven't heard The Pilot Episode yet, be sure to fix that before Sept 3rd! Featuring an interview with a special guest whose name you just might recognize, this episode will revisit questions related to the location of The Executive Room. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

Though Christians may still grieve loss, we do not have to despair in it. #daybydaylw Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org! ~~~ In light of 2 Samuel 1, where David and his men learn of the death of Jonathan, King Saul, and many other fellow Israelites, we can imagine the disciples of Jesus feeling much like David, when they realized their Rabbi, their Leader, was slain by crucifixion. No doubt they mourned. But before the ink was dry on their song of lament, they received even more dramatic news, and that is that his grave was empty and that one of the ladies had seen the LORD alive, resurrected. So now, they were writing new songs! And Paul could write the famous words, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope…Therefore encourage one another with these words.” Do we still grieve? Yes. The humble in Christ grieve. We grieve with our mind on the kingdom. We grieve thoughtfully. We grieve because of personal loss. But we do not grieve without confidence, without Hope, without assurance. Grief is different than despair. We do not grieve as those without Hope. Grief sees the hole that is left, but is confident in God that He will fill the void. Despair thinks that the hole cannot be filled.

Though Christians have great sorrow longing to be reunited with Jesus, their reunion with Him at His return will cause them to rejoice in an incomparable degree of intensity in feeling and duration. Your Short Sorrow Will Soon Be Eternal Rejoicing.

Though Christians have great sorrow longing to be reunited with Jesus, their reunion with Him at His return will cause them to rejoice in an incomparable degree of intensity in feeling and duration. Your Short Sorrow Will Soon Be Eternal Rejoicing.

     At the moment of faith in Christ, God's righteousness is gifted to the believer (Rom 5:17; cf. 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), and he is at once made right with God and declared just in His sight. Divine justification is not by human works at all, “for there is none righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Rather, Paul reveals we are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24). Like our spiritual birth, justification is a one-and-done event, perfect in itself, not to be confused with our experiential sanctification, which occurs over time. According to Norman Geisler, “Justification is an instantaneous, past act of God by which one is saved from the guilt of sin—his record is cleared and he is guiltless before the Judge” (Rom 8:1).”[1] And Charles Bing states, “Justification is the act of God that declares a sinner righteous in God's sight. It is a legal term that speaks of one's right standing in God's court of justice.”[2]      Being justified in God's sight is by faith alone and not by any human works, for “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Rom 3:20a). Rather, “to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Rom 4:5), for “a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Gal 2:16).[3] J. I. Packer states: "Justification is a judicial act of God pardoning sinners (wicked and ungodly persons, Rom 3:9–24; 4:5), accepting them as just, and so putting permanently right their previously estranged relationship with himself. This justifying sentence is God's gift of righteousness (Rom 5:15–17), his bestowal of a status of acceptance for Jesus' sake (2 Cor 5:21)."[4] Louis Berkhof agrees, stating: "Justification is a judicial act of God, in which He declares, on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that all the claims of the law are satisfied with respect to the sinner. It is unique in the application of the work of redemption in that it is a judicial act of God, a declaration respecting the sinner, and not an act or process of renewal, such as regeneration, conversion, and sanctification. While it has respect to the sinner, it does not change his inner life. It does not affect his condition, but his state."[5] Merrill F. Unger adds: "Justification is a divine act whereby an infinitely Holy God judicially declares a believing sinner to be righteous and acceptable before Him because Christ has borne the sinner's sin on the cross and has become “to us … righteousness” (1 Cor 1:30; Rom 3:24). A justified believer emerges from God's great courtroom with a consciousness that another, his Substitute, has borne his guilt and that he stands without accusation before God (Rom 8:1, 33–34)."[6] Paul Enns states: Whereas forgiveness is the negative side of salvation, justification is the positive side. To justify is to declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus Christ. It is a forensic (legal) act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner righteous on the basis of the blood of Christ. The major emphasis of justification is positive and involves two main aspects. It involves the pardon and removal of all sins and the end of separation from God (Acts 13:39; Rom 4:6–7; 5:9–11; 2 Cor 5:19). It also involves the bestowal of righteousness upon the believing person and a title to all the blessings promised to the just. Justification is a gift given through the grace of God (Rom 3:24) and takes place the moment the individual has faith in Christ (Rom 4:2; 5:1). The ground of justification is the death of Christ (Rom 5:9), apart from any works (Rom 4:5). The means of justification is faith (Rom 5:1). Through justification God maintains His integrity and His standard, yet is able to enter into fellowship with sinners because they have the very righteousness of Christ imputed to them.[7]      The process is faith in Christ (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 16:31), imputed righteousness (Rom 5:17; cf. 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), and the declaration by God that the believer is now justified in God's sight (Rom 3:24; 4:5; Gal 2:16). Robert B. Thieme Jr., states: "Anyone who expresses faith alone in Christ alone is instantly justified before the bench of God's justice. The mechanics of justification follow three logical steps, though they all occur simultaneously. First, the person believes in Christ; second, God the Father credits, or imputes, His righteousness to that person; and third, God recognizes His righteousness in the believer and pronounces him “justified”— vindicated, righteous (Rom 5)."[8]      The imputation of God's righteousness to believers means we are declared righteous, but not made righteous in conduct. To be righteous in conduct is the lifelong process of sanctification whereby the believer advances to spiritual maturity and lives in conformity with the character and will of God as revealed in His Word. This is the walk of faith. But though we are righteous in God's sight because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, at the same time we continue to possess a sin nature that continually causes internal temptation and conflict (Rom 6:6; 7:14-25; 13:14; Col 3:9; Gal 5:16-17, 19-22; 1 John 1:8), and we commit personal acts of sin (1 Ki 8:46; Eccl 7:20; 1 John 1:10; 2:1). Though the power of the sin nature is broken (Rom 6:11-14), the presence of the sin nature is never removed from us until God takes us from this world and gives us a new body like the body of Jesus (Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2, 5). Martin Luther understood this duality and coined the Latin phrase simul iustus et peccator, which translates as, “simultaneously righteous and a sinner.” Though Christians are declared righteous in God's sight, sin will constantly be present (Eccl 7:20; 1 John 1:8, 10), to varying degrees, depending on the status of the believer's spiritual walk with the Lord. Timothy George states: "The believer is not only both righteous and sinful at the same time but is also always or completely both righteous and sinful at the same time. What does this mean? With respect to our fallen human condition, we are, and always will be in this life, sinners. However, for believers, life in this world is no longer a period of doubtful candidacy for God's acceptance. In a sense we have already been before God's judgment seat and have been acquitted on account of Christ. Hence we are also always righteous."[9]      I agree with the phrase simul iustus et peccator, that a Christian is “simultaneously righteous and a sinner.” I think a better phrase is semper iustus et peccator, that we are “always righteous and a sinner.” Both are true. Always. As a Christian, I am righteous because I have received God's “gift of righteousness” (Rom 5:17). This is “the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” in Christ (Phil 3:9). God gave me His righteousness at the moment I trusted Christ as my Savior, and like all of God's gifts, it can't be given back, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). As one who possesses God's righteousness, I am forever justified in His sight. The matter is settled in heaven. God has made it so. After being saved, the issue for every Christian is to advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1), which glorifies God and edifies others. Dr. Steven R. Cook ------- [1] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 235. [2] Charles C. Bing, Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship: How to Understand Some Difficult Bible Passages (Brenham, TX: Lucid Books, 2015). [3] Some in the early church thought righteousness came through adherence to the Mosaic Law. The apostle Paul dealt with this, saying, “if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly” (Gal 2:21), for “if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law” (Gal 3:21).    Salvation comes to the one who simply trusts in Christ as Savior and receives it as a free gift, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). [4] J. I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs, 164. [5] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 513. [6] E. McChesney and Merrill F. Unger, “Justification,” The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, 729. [7] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, 326. [8] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Justification”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 153. [9] Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers (Nashville, Tenn., Broadman and Holman publishers, 2013), 72.

     At the moment of faith in Christ, we have eternal life. This is a fact, even if we don't fully understand it. In truth, most people will not understand what they have from God or find assurance of their salvation until they've studied God's Word and learned to live by faith. Doctrinal ignorance and/or false teaching will lead to fear and doubt. For those who have trusted Christ as their Savior, subsequent knowledge of God's Word and trust in it will yield assurance of their salvation. And, as one advances spiritually, there will also be a noticeable change within, and this too may provide a subjective assurance of salvation. Objective Assurance of Salvation      The Bible reveals God is absolutely righteous and set apart from all that is sinful (Psa 11:7; 99:9; Hab 1:13; 1 John 1:5) and He hates and condemns sin (Deut 25:16; Psa 5:5; 45:7; Prov 8:13; 15:9, 26; 20:9; Zech 8:17; Rom 1:18; Col 3:6; Heb 1:9). The problem for us is that all mankind is sinful (Gen 6:5; 8:21; 1 Ki 8:46; Psa 143:2; Eccl 7:20; Isa 59:2; 64:6; Jer 17:9; Rom 3:10; 3:23; Eph 2:1-2; 1 John 1:8, 10). Not only are we sinful, but our good works have no saving merit (Rom 4:4-5; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Our salvation was accomplished 100% by Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. Salvation is never what we do for God, but what He's done for us at the cross (Rom 5:8; 6:10; 1 Cor 15:3-4; 1 Pet 3:18). God offers to justify and save us freely as a gift, totally apart from any good works we may perform (Rom 3:24, 28, 4:5; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5; 1 Pet 3:18). God's salvation comes to us who have trusted in Christ as our Savior (John 3:15-18; 6:40; 10:28; 11:25; 14:6; Acts 4:12; 16:31; 1 John 5:12). Salvation means we have forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7), the gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), eternal life (John 10:28), are part of the family of God (Gal 3:26; 1 John 3:1), are blessed with many spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3), and will never face condemnation (Rom 8:1, 33).      When we understand these truths by studying Scripture and accept them by faith, we have assurance of our salvation because we trust in God and His Word (Psa 119:160; John 17:17). The apostle Paul wrote, “I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Tim 1:12). The apostle John wrote, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life” (1 John 5:11-12). The assurance of salvation does not come by looking to ourselves, but to the One who saved us. John also wrote, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Assurance of salvation is not a guessing game for those who have trusted in Jesus as their Savior, but is a confidence that is rooted in the revelation of God's Word. For those of us who have trusted in Jesus as our Savior—believing He died for our sins, was buried, and raised again on the third day—we have eternal life. According to Zane Hodges, “It should be said here that all true assurance of salvation and eternal life must rest on the ‘testimony of God,' for only that testimony has full reliability and solidity.”[1] What Calvinists and Arminians Generally Believe      Arminians are those who believe they are eternally secure in Christ, as long as they remain faithful in their walk with God. Like Catholics, they believe faith + works = salvation. They believe their salvation can be lost due to intentional, egregious, ongoing sin; therefore, they cannot have assurance of salvation because there's always the chance they may turn away from God and forfeit their salvation. This stands in contrast to the Calvinistic doctrine of perseverance of the saints, which teaches that those whom God has chosen will persevere in faith until the end.      Calvinists believe God gives His elect a special kind of faith that guarantees they will persevere to the end of their lives and be saved eternally; however, knowing they are among the elect is always a question in their minds that cannot be finally answered until they die. If they have persevered until the end, not having denied the Lord, and continued in good works, then they can know they were among the elect. If they fall into serious and prolonged sin, especially to the end of their lives, it strongly argues they were not among the elect who are said to persevere to the end. Kenneth D. Keathley notes, “Arminians know they are saved but are afraid they cannot keep it, while Calvinists know they cannot lose their salvation but are afraid they do not have it.”[2] Norman Geisler correctly notes: "Arminians and strong Calvinists have much in common on this issue. Both assert that professing believers living in gross, unrepentant sin are not truly saved. Both insist that a person cannot be living in serious sin at the end of his life if he is truly saved. And both maintain that no one living in grave sin can be sure of his salvation."[3]      Though Christians may, to some degree, advance spiritually by learning and living God's Word, and bear the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, this will never be consistent, because the taint of sin is also present in the life of every Christian, and this to varying degrees. Christians are never free from sin (1 John 1:8, 10), and God never promises to make us completely sinless during our time on earth, so consistency of performance is lacking. Because of our imperfect knowledge and imperfect life, our ability to analyze ourselves accurately will not always be consistent. John Walvoord notes: "The difficulty is that human experience may be far from a norm, may be inaccurately analyzed, and may be made the basis of an induction which in the last analysis is based only on fragmentary evidence…The only sure basis for salvation is the promise of God in the inspired Word of God which properly accepted by faith gives validity to assurance. One clear promise sustained by “Thus saith the Lord” is better than a thousand testimonies of human conviction without a specific ground. A proper doctrine of assurance of salvation is therefore inseparable from a belief in the inspired Word of God."[4]      The Word of God is the objective basis for what we believe, and our focus should always be on learning and living His Word so that we can expunge any false ideas and properly calibrate our thinking to align with His divine revelation. Jesus said we have “eternal life…and will never perish” (John 10:28); therefore, there is no danger of us losing our salvation, for there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1), and “Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies” (Rom 8:33). The matter of our eternal destiny was settled at the cross when Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins. And Jesus' work on the cross was perfectly applied to us at the moment we trusted in Him as our Savior.[5] Subjective Assurance of Salvation      Christians who are advancing spiritually may enjoy a subjective assurance of their salvation. Paul wrote, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16). According to William MacDonald, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with the believer's spirit that he is a member of God's family. He does it primarily through the Word of God. As a Christian reads the Bible, the Spirit confirms the truth that, because he has trusted the Savior, he is now a child of God.”[6] This experience is valid only for believers who are in submission to God (Rom 12:1-2), learning and living Scripture (2 Tim 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2), walking by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6), and advancing to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1).      As believers, we have been “born again” (1 Pet 1:23), “made alive” spiritually (1 Cor 15:22), and are a “new creature” in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17). At the moment of salvation, God the Holy Spirit indwells us and gives us a new nature that, for the first time in our lives, has the capacity and desire to obey God. Paul wrote of his new nature in Christ when he said, “I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man” (Rom 7:22). Since we have the Spirit within us, as well as new spiritual life, it is natural to expect there will be some change in attitude and behavior. The degree to which this change occurs, in part, depends on our staying positive to the Lord. According to John Walvoord adds: "The ground of assurance as stated in Scripture is something more than an intellectual comprehension of the theology of salvation and more than a conviction that the terms of salvation have been met. Scriptures make plain that there is a corresponding experience of transformation which attends the work of salvation in a believer. Some aspects of this are nonexperimental, but the new life in Christ is manifested in many ways. The believer in Christ possesses eternal life and a new divine nature which tends to change his whole viewpoint. He is indeed “a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new” (2 Cor 5:17). The believer in Christ is indwelt by the Spirit of God, which opens a whole new field of spiritual experience. He now knows what it is to have fellowship with his heavenly Father and with His Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. His eyes are opened to spiritual truth, and the Scriptures take on a true living character as the Spirit of God illuminates the written Word. He experiences a new relationship to other believers as he is bound to them by ties of love and common faith and life. The believer is relieved from the load of condemnation for sin and experiences hope and peace such as is impossible for the unbeliever. His experiences include deliverance from the power of sin and from opposition of Satan. He enters into the joy of intercessory prayer and experiences answers to prayer. The new life in Christ, therefore, provides a satisfying and Biblical new experience which is a confirming evidence of the fact of his salvation and a vital and true basis for assurance."[7]      As Christians, our assurance of eternal life is, first and foremost, based on the salvific work of Jesus on the cross (Acts 4:12; Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:3-4), and the revelation of Scripture that we, who have trusted in Christ as our Savior (Acts 4:12, 16:31), “may know that [we] have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). This assurance is objective and constant, because God's Word is sure and does not change. Dr. Steven R. Cook     [1] Zane Clark Hodges, The Epistle of John: Walking in the Light of God's Love (Irving, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 1999), 228. [2] Kenneth D. Keathley, “Perseverance and Assurance of the Saints,” in Whosoever Will, ed. David L. Allen and Steve W Lemke (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2010). [3] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2004), 302. [4] John F. Walvoord, “The Doctrine of Assurance in Contemporary Theology,” Bibliotheca Sacra 116 (1959): 198. [5] The Bible reveals that when we sin, we are walking in darkness and have broken fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-6), and stifled the work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (Eph 4:30; 1 Th 5:19). If we continue in sin, or leave our sin unconfessed, we are in real danger of divine discipline from God (Psa 32:3-4; Heb 12:5-11; 1 John 5:16-17; cf. Dan 4:37), which can eventuate in physical death (1 John 5:16; cf., Lev 10:1-2; Acts 5:3-5; 1 Cor 11:30), and the loss of eternal rewards (1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 John 1:8). If we confess our sin directly to God, He will immediately forgive it and restore us to fellowship (1 John 1:9; cf. Psa 32:5). Being in fellowship with God means learning and living His Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2), walking by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6), being honest with Him about our sin (1 John 1:8, 10), and coming before His “throne of grace” (Heb 4:16) in transparent humility and confessing it in order to be forgiven (1 John 1:9; cf. Heb. 4:16). God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins every time we confess them because of the atoning work of Christ who shed His blood on the cross for us (1 John 1:9; 2:1-2). [6] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1711. [7] John F. Walvoord, “The Doctrine of Assurance in Contemporary Theology,” Bibliotheca Sacra 116 (1959): 201–202.

The Spirit's Regeneration, Indwelling, Baptizing, and Sealing Ministry At the moment of salvation, God the Holy Spirit performs several acts for new believers, which include regeneration (John 3:6; Tit 3:5; 1 Pet 1:3), indwelling (John 14:16-17; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19), baptizing (1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:27), and sealing (Eph 4:30). Regeneration The word regeneration itself occurs only twice in the Bible (Matt 19:28 and Tit 3:5). In both places the Greek word used is paliggenesia (παλιγγενεσία), which means, “the state of being renewed… [the] experience of a complete change of life, rebirth of a redeemed person.”[1] Regeneration means new believers receive spiritual life at the moment they trust in Christ alone as their Savior. Geisler states, “The new birth of which Jesus speaks is the act of regeneration, whereby God imparts spiritual life to the believer's soul (1 Peter 1:23).”[2] Paul Enns agrees, saying, “Succinctly stated, to regenerate means ‘to impart life.' Regeneration is the act whereby God imparts life to the one who believes.”[3] Ryrie notes: "Although the word regeneration is used only twice in the Bible (Titus 3:5, where it refers to the new birth, and Mt 19:28 where it refers to the millennial kingdom), the concept of being born again is found in other passages, notably John 3. Technically, it is God's act of begetting eternal life in the one who believes in Christ. While faith and regeneration are closely associated, the two ideas are distinct, faith being the human responsibility and the channel through which God's grace is received, and regeneration being God's supernatural act of imparting eternal life."[4] David Anderson adds: "The NT uses a number of different words and images to convey the doctrine of regeneration. The noun palingenesia is used just twice: Matthew 19:28 and Titus 3:5. In Matthew, Jesus is speaking of the regeneration which will occur at His second coming. He refers to setting up His kingdom, placing the twelve over the twelve tribes of Israel, and rewarding those who have sacrificed for His cause. But in Titus 3:5, we have a direct reference to the rebirth of the believer: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”[5] To the concept of regeneration, the Greek words anothen (ἄνωθεν) and anagennao (ἀναγεννάω) can be added. Jesus, while speaking to Nicodemus, said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again [anothen] he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3; cf., John 3:7). The word anothen (ἄνωθεν) generally means “from a source that is above.”[6] That is, from a heavenly source. (At least two English translations, NET & YLT, render the word “from above”). Because Nicodemus confused physical birth with spiritual birth (John 3:4), Jesus clarified His statement, saying, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). Jesus was talking about spiritual birth, or regeneration, which comes from the source of heaven. Peter used the Greek word anagennao (ἀναγεννάω) when he wrote about Christians who have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3), and who “have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Pet 1:23). The basic meaning of anagennao (ἀναγεννάω) is to “beget again, cause to be born again.”[7] In both instances the word denotes imparting new life. This work of the Spirit is directly related to the believer's salvation. According to Walvoord, “The work of regeneration can be assigned to the Holy Spirit as definitely as the work of salvation can be assigned to Christ.”[8]And the believer's new life is the basis for a new walk with the Lord. Ryrie notes, “Regeneration does not make a man perfect, but it places him in the family of God and gives him the new ability to please his Father by growing into the image of Christ. Fruit from the new nature is proof that regeneration has occurred (1 John 2:29).”[9] Lighter states: "The means by which regeneration is accomplished eliminates all human endeavor. Though personal faith in Christ as Savior is necessary, faith does not produce the new life; it does not regenerate. Only God regenerates. Human faith and divine regeneration occur at the same time, but the one is man's responsibility as he is enabled by the Holy Spirit, and the other is the work of God imparting the divine life."[10] Indwelling The indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit for every believer was an innovation that was future from the time of Jesus' ministry on earth. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water'” (John 7:38). And John tells us, “But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). The Spirit would begin His special ministry on the day of Pentecost, and it would involve His personal indwelling of every believer. Prior to His crucifixion, Jesus spoke of this, saying, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). Notice that Spirit would not only be with them, would be in them. Merrill Tenney writes, “This distinction marks the difference between the Old Testament experience of the Holy Spirit and the post-Pentecostal experience of the church. The individual indwelling of the Spirit is the specific privilege of the Christian believer.”[11] This new indwelling ministry by God the Holy Spirit is different than His work in believers in the OT. Under the Mosaic Law, only a select few received the Holy Spirit (Ex 31:1-5; Num 11:25; 27:18; 1 Sam 16:13), and that was conditioned on His sovereign purposes. But now, in the dispensation of the church age, God the Holy Spirit would personally indwell both the local church (1 Cor 3:16-17), as well as each individual believer (1 Cor 6:19). Paul wrote to the Christians living in Corinth, saying, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16). Concerning the Spirit's indwelling the church in 1 Corinthians 3:16, Radmacher states: "There are two words translated temple in the NT. One refers to the temple building and all its courts; the other refers strictly to the Most Holy Place where no one but the high priest could go. Paul uses the latter term to describe the local church, in whom God dwells. Unlike 1 Corinthians 6:19, where the word temple refers to the individual believer, and Ephesians 2:21, where the word speaks of the church universal, these verses speak of the local church as God's temple. God takes very seriously our actions in the church. destroy: Any person who disrupts and destroys the church by divisions, malice, and other harmful acts invites God's discipline (1 Cor 11:30-32)."[12] Paul also describes the Spirit's indwelling each Christian in 1 Corinthians 6:19, where he wrote, “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” According to Constable, “Previously Paul taught his readers that the Corinthian church was a temple (naos; 1 Cor 3:16). The believer's body is also a temple. The Holy Spirit is actually indwelling each of these temples (Rom 8:9; cf. Matt 12:6; 18:15–20; 28:16–20; Mark 13:11; John 14:17, 23).”[13] What we find in the church age is that all three Persons of the Godhead indwell every believer (John 14:16-17, 20, 23); however, the Holy Spirit has a special ministry which began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:4-5; 2:1-4; 11:15-16; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:26-28), and will continue until the church is raptured to heaven (2 Th 2:7; cf. John 14:1-3; 1 Th 4:13-18; Tit 2:13). Chafer states: "The Spirit made His advent into the world here to abide throughout this dispensation. As Christ is now located at the right hand of the Father, though omnipresent, so the Spirit, though omnipresent, is now locally abiding in the world, in a temple, or habitation, of living stones (Eph 2:19-22). The individual believer is also spoken of as a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). The Spirit will not leave the world, or even one stone of that building until the age-long purpose of forming that temple is finished…The Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost and that aspect of the meaning of Pentecost will no more be repeated than the incarnation of Christ. There is no occasion to call the Spirit to “come,” for He is here."[14] Baptizing The subject of baptism has been, and continues to be, a subject of confusion. The word baptize is a transliteration of the Greek verb baptizo (βαπτίζω) which broadly means to “plunge, dip, [or] wash,”[15] and is often used “of the Christian sacrament of initiation after Jesus' death.”[16] The Greek noun baptisma (βάπτισμα) refers to the result of a dipping or immersing. In Classical Greek literature, the verb baptizo (βαπτίζω) “was used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing of a garment, or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another.”[17] The Greek poet Nicander (ca. 200 B.C.) used both bapto (βάπτω) and baptizo (βαπτίζω) when describing the process of making pickles. According to James Strong, “When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism.”[18]  There are numerous baptisms mentioned in the Bible, some are wet and some are dry. John the Baptist said, “I baptize you with water” (Matt 3:11a), clearly making the baptism wet. But then, John the Baptist spoke of Jesus, saying, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matt 3:11b). These latter two baptisms are both dry, where no one gets placed into water. A few other baptisms mentioned in Scripture include the baptism of the cross (Mark 10:35-38; Luke 12:50), the baptism of Moses (1 Cor 10:1-2), and the baptism of Christians (Matt 28:16-20). For the Christian, water baptism is a picture of the believer's spiritual union and identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom 6:3-7; Col 2:11-12). Water baptism does not save (1 Cor 1:17). It never has and never will. God saves at the moment believers place their faith solely in Jesus (John 3:16; 1 Cor 15:3-4). At the moment of faith in Christ, God the Holy Spirit unites new believers spiritually to Christ, adding them to the church, the body of Christ. Paul wrote, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Cor 12:12-13). Lewis Chafer states, “As a ground upon which the certainty of eternal security rests, the baptism of the Spirit should be recognized as that operation by which the individual believer is brought into organic union with Christ. By the Spirit's regeneration Christ is resident in the believer, and by the Spirit's baptism the believer is thus in Christ.”[19] Merrill F. Unger comments: "This momentous spiritual operation is set forth in the NT as the basis of all the believer's positions and possessions “in Christ” (Eph 1:3; Col 2:10; 3:1–4; etc.). The operation is prophetic in the gospels (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16–17; John 1:33–34, where Christ is the baptizer), historic in the Acts (cf. Acts 1:5 with Acts 11:16), and doctrinal in the epistles (1 Cor 12:13, where the Spirit is named specifically as the agent; Rom 6:3–4; Gal 3:26–27; Col 2:9–12; Eph 4:5). The Spirit's baptizing work, placing the believer “in Christ,” occurred initially at Pentecost at the advent of the Spirit, who baptized believing Jews “into Christ.” In Acts 8, Samaritans were baptized in this way for the first time; in Acts 10, Gentiles likewise were so baptized, at which point the normal agency of the Spirit as baptizer was attained. According to the clear teaching of the epistles, every believer is baptized by the Spirit into Christ the moment he is regenerated. He is also simultaneously indwelt by the Spirit and sealed eternally, with the privilege of being filled with the Spirit, as the conditions for filling are met."[20] Sealing Several times Paul used the Greek verb sphragizo (σφραγίζω) when writing to Christians. Paul wrote of God “who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge” (2 Cor 1:22). To the Christians at Ephesus he wrote, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13), and “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30). In each of these uses the verb sphragizo (σφραγίζω) means “to mark with a seal as a means of identification…so that the mark denoting ownership also carries with it the protection of the owner.”[21] Laney Jr., states, “In ancient times a seal was used as an identifying mark, indicating the rightful ownership of the object sealed. And so the sealing ministry of the Spirit marks believers as God's own possession, guaranteeing their security for eternity.”[22] Concerning Paul's use of sphragizo (σφραγίζω) in Ephesians 1:13, Harold Hoehner comments: "God seals the believers in Christ with the promised Holy Spirit when they have not only heard but also believed the gospel of salvation. The sealing with the Spirit must not be confused with the other ministries of the Spirit. The indwelling of the Spirit refers to his residence in every believer (Rom 8:9; 1 John 2:27). The baptizing ministry of the Spirit places believers into the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13). The filling by the Spirit is the control of the Spirit over believers' lives (Eph 5:18). The sealing ministry of the Spirit is to identify believers as God's own and thus give them the security that they belong to him (Eph 1:13; 4:30; 2 Cor 1:22). The very fact that the Spirit indwells believers is a seal of God's ownership of them."[23] The Holy Spirit is Himself the seal that marks us as owned by God and guarantees our future redemption and glory (Eph 1:13-14; 4:30). These blessings are completely the work of the Holy Spirit for the benefit of Christians and occur at the moment believers trust Jesus as their Savior. These are facts based on objective statements in Scripture and are accepted by faith, not ever-changing subjective feelings. Though Christians can grieve and/or quench the Holy Spirit with personal sin (Eph 4:30; 1 Th 5:19), and though they may suffer divine discipline because of personal sin (Heb 12:5-11), they cannot grieve Him away. Joseph Dillow notes: "The ancient practice of using seals is behind the figurative use of the word here. A seal was a mark of protection and ownership. The Greek word sphragizō is used of a stone being fastened with a seal to “prevent its being moved from a position” (BDAG). In fact, this was apparently the earliest method of distinguishing one's property. The seal was engraved with a design or mark distinctive to the owner. The seal of ownership or protection was often made in soft wax with a signet ring. An impression was left on the wax signifying the owner of the thing sealed. When the Holy Spirit seals us, He presses the signet ring of our heavenly Father on our hearts of wax and leaves the mark of ownership. We belong to Him. He certifies this by His unchangeable purpose to protect and own us to the day of redemption. In Ephesians 1:13-14, we are told that the Holy Spirit Himself is the seal. He is impressed upon us, so to speak. His presence in our lives is thus a guarantee of God's protection and that we are owned by God. A broken seal was an indication that the person had not been protected. The Holy Spirit cannot be broken. He is the seal of ownership. In Ephesians 4:30, we are told that we are sealed unto the day of redemption. This sealing ministry of the Spirit is forever and guarantees that we will arrive safely for the redemption of our bodies and entrance into heaven (Romans 8:23). He is the seal that we are now owned and protected by God until the day of redemption."[24] Dr. Steven R. Cook     [1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 752. [2] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2004), 123. [3] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 338. [4] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, A Survey of Bible Doctrine (Chicago: Moody Press, 1972). [5] David R. Anderson, Free Grace Soteriology, ed. James S. Reitman, Revised Edition. (Grace Theology Press, 2012), 235. [6] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 92. [7] Ibid., 59. [8] John F. Walvoord, The Holy Spirit, 131. [9] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, A Survey of Bible Doctrine (Chicago: Moody Press, 1972). [10] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology: A Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review, 199. [11] Merrill C. Tenney, “John,” in The Expositor's Bible Commentary: John and Acts, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 9, 147. [12] Earl D. Radmacher, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary, 1464–1465. [13] Tom Constable, Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), 1 Co 6:18. [14] Lewis S. Chafer, He that is Spiritual (Grand Rapids, Mich. Zondervan Publishing, 1967), 26. [15] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 164. [16] Ibid., 164. [17] W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 50. [18] James Strong, βάπτω bapto, Enhanced Strong's Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995). [19] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 3, 337. [20] Merrill F. Unger and R.K. Harrison, “Baptism of the Spirit,” The New Unger's Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988). [21] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 980. [22] Charles R. Swindoll and Roy B. Zuck, Understanding Christian Theology (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003), 206. [23] Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 240. [24] Joseph C. Dillow, Final Destiny: The Future Reign of the Servant Kings, 4th Edition (Houston, TX: Grace Theology Press, 2018).

Though Christians may experience great suffering and even persecution, Scripture reminds us that we have reason to continue in hope. Today, Derek Thomas discusses the sure promise that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. Get the ‘Romans 8' DVD Series and Digital Study Guide for Your Gift of Any Amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/2628/romans-8 Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources.

     I think it was Martin Luther who popularized the phrase, God uses crooked sticks to draw straight lines. It's a cleaver phrase that communicates the notion that God works through imperfect people to accomplish His perfect will. Though I believe God calls us to be transformed in our thoughts, words, and actions (Rom 12:1-2), and to strive for spiritual and moral purity (1 Pet 1:15-16), the reality is that He does not wait for us to be perfect before He uses us. In fact, if God were to say to His children, “Let those who are without sin serve me”, there would be none. Though Christians are not perfect, we can be humble and obedient, and when willing to do God's will, He can and will work through us as conduits of truth, grace, and love. Click here for complete article: https://thinkingonscripture.com/2022/12/25/god-uses-imperfect-people/   Steve's Blog: https://thinkingonscripture.com/ Steve's Books: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B005FSY6XO Steve's Audio Lessons: https://thinkingonscripture.com/audio-video/  

Though Christians are solidly under the new covenant, rooted in grace, we enjoy the principle of taking a Sabbath rest from our work. In the message "The Sabbath Rest," Skip shares how you can honor God through worshipful rest.

on Connect with Skip Heitzig, Skip continues his series Hustle and Grind. Though Christians are solidly under the new covenant, rooted in grace, we enjoy the principle of taking a Sabbath rest from our work. In the message "The Sabbath Rest," Skip shares how you can honor God through worshipful rest. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/104/29

In this stand alone sermon we take a look at the covenant sign of baptism and what it is meant to portray. Though Christians have debated the mode and the time to apply the sign, we see clearly that it is meant to portray the work of Christ on our behalf and the application of … The Covenant Sign of Baptism Read More »

1 John 2:28-3:1 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. 3:1 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. John 2:28-3:3 deal with the motivation for righteousness – the Rapture. Those who anticipate the Rapture will meet the Lord with an attitude of courage. The reason for this courage is their walk with Him in time. They are confident of their fellowship with Him. Righteousness - Love that satisfies Justice Marked by; the birth they have experienced 2:28 We abide in Him, He keeps us from falling from grace   The hope of Christ's return sustains our faith. Abiding in Him means that we believe the Lord's promises, we apply His principles and we love Him and serve Him. You abide in Christ by believing the truth, obeying the truth, and loving other Christians[1] We allow the Holy Spirit to fill and control us. We trust Him in everything. Abiding means that we willingly do God's will. It may mean that we must deal radically with some sin or injury. If we abide in Him, we are prepared to do what He asks of us. It means we accept our present situation. We may not like it but we believe in His sovereign hand on our lives. We accept His design for our lives. Abiding in Him may mean that we may have to deal with a broken relationship. that when He appears, 1Thess. 4:16-18 Appear. This is the first mention in this epistle of the promised return of Christ. The Book of Revelation deals in detail with future events. The epistle (1 John 2:28–3:3; 4:17) merely mentions the return of Christ and a coming day of judgment.[2]ought to be an incentive for us to live in fellowship with Him and be obedient to His Word. [i] 2 Tim. 4:8 Anticipation of the Rapture purifies our heart. It keeps us in a state of expectancy. Christians agree that Christ is returning for His church (1 Thes. 4:13–18). Though Christians will not then be judged for their sins, they will be judged on the basis of their faithfulness in serving Christ (1 Cor. 3:10–15). Those who have been faithful will receive rewards (1 Cor. 4:5); and those who have not been faithful will lose rewards. This event is called “the Judgment Seat of Christ” (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10); do not confuse it with the “Great White Throne Judgment” of unsaved people at the end of time (Rev. 20:11–15).[ii] There is nothing like the hope of the coming of Christ in a situation in bleak circumstances. The fact that Jesus Christ may return at any moment We may have confidence It comes to mean fearless confidence when Jesus comes. This means a person with nothing between his soul and the Savior can meet Him when He returns with open arms. and not be ashamed before Him at His coming 2 Cor. 5:9, Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. No matter in which direction a Christian looks, he finds reason to obey God. If he looks back, he sees Calvary, where Christ died for him. If he looks within, he sees the Holy Spirit who lives within and teaches him the truth. If he looks around, he sees his Christian brethren whom he loves; he also sees a world lost in sin, desperately needing his godly witness. And if he looks ahead, he sees the return of Christ! “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). The return of Christ is a great inspiration for godly living.4   Co 1:22, Ph 2:12, John 6:37-38, 8:31-32, 1Co 3:12-15, 1Co 4:5 2:29 We habitually practice righteousness, because He lives in us The hope of Christ's return makes righteousness a habit A life characterized by sin is not compatible with a God of absolute righteousness. Note the emphasis on the two words for “know” in this verse: “If you know…you know.” These are two different Greek words for know. The first word for “know” means to know inherently, “If you know inherently or are aware that He is righteous.” The second Greek word means perceive, experientially know, “You discern or perceive that….” That is, “If you clearly understand that the Lord is absolutely righteous, you will know by experience that those who reflect His righteousness are spiritually born of Him.”  I.E. Doing righteousness is proof of salvation. “If you know how God behaves, then you will know that whoever behaves like God is born of him.” Is born of Him John 3:3-8 Rom. 3:21-22 John has written about light and darkness, love and hatred, and truth and error; and in 1 John 2:29 he sums up the whole matter of Christian living in one phrase—“doing righteousness.” The life that is real is a life of doing, not simply talking (“If we say,” 1 John 1:8–2:9) or giving mental assent that a doctrine is correct. “Not every one that saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21, italics added). Christians do not simply believe the truth; they do it (1 John 1:6).[3] 2 Cor. 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you cfail the test? 3:1 We are greatly loved and are called the children of God (Behold - an unveiling) The believer's hope is strengthened by the fact that God's love initiated his salvation Behold- What manner of love – Rom 5:1-11 without strength, sinners, enemies Eph 1:3-6 Take note of the amazing, pure, undying love of God for us.” of a mother for her child. Jer. 31:3 “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'” Rom. 8:38 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eph. 2:4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…” 2 Thess. 3:5 “Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” Special uses of the word “behold” in Scripture: Jer. 23:5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.” John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'” 1 Cor. 15:51 “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Jude 14 “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 “to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” Rev. 1:7 “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” Rev. 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Principle: God wants us to take special note of His unique love for us. Application: God wants us to take special note of His unconditional love. He wants us to concentrate on the nature of His love. John calls attention to the wonderful exhibition of God's love for us. What manner of persons - burned up.  2 Peter 3:11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, the Father has bestowed on us, 2 Cor. 9:15 “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” God's love is a donation to us. We do not earn it nor deserve it. It is of pure grace. Rom. 8:32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” that we should be called children of God! - John 1:12, Ro 8:15   Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32 Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.  hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en Don't go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F   The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions        

In most of the world today, slavery is unthinkable. Is it possible that we could ever reach that same place with abortion in America?  Just as there were once states where it was legal to own slaves and other states where it wasn't, we are now a nation deeply divided on the issue of abortion on a state-by-state level. In certain states, abortion is allowed, encouraged, and even subsidized abortion. In others, abortion is all but illegal. The history of the Church's stance on both issues, abolition and abortion, is instructive as we seek to obey Christ in a post-Roe world.  Clearly, the early Church did not like slavery. The New Testament condemns behaviors that were endemic to the slave trade. In his letter to Philemon, Paul gave broad hints that masters should free their Christian slaves. Early Christians often purchased slaves specifically to set them free.   Even so, neither the New Testament nor the early Church pushed for full abolition of slavery, for at least two reasons.  First, taking a public stand would have brought even more unwanted attention to an already targeted group. Second, the ancient world offered no model to Christians for a society without slaves, so few could envision what that would look like. Though Christians saw slavery as a curse, they could not conceive of being rid of it entirely (any more than they could imagine a world rid of disease or poverty). This failure of moral imagination meant that it would be centuries before the implications of the Gospel would lead Christian rulers to take definitive steps toward abolishing slavery.  By the Middle Ages, overt slavery was rare in Europe, and Church leaders spoke out against it. Thomas Aquinas claimed that slavery might be part of the “law of nations” but was against the law of nature and therefore a sin. When, centuries later, the infamous Atlantic slave trade began, Portugal and Spain defied the decrees of four different popes to spread it in their colonies. In the English-speaking world, the rampant practice of slavery found opposition among Quakers and a rising evangelicalism that eventually ended first the slave trade, then slavery altogether.  All this means that the American theologians who defended slavery were following the culture's lead, not Church teaching. Though it took far too long for the implications of the Gospel to become clear, the teaching of both Jesus and Paul of the spiritual and moral equality of all persons meant that slavery was incompatible with Christianity, and its abolition in Christian states was only a matter of time. Eventually, because of the commitment to the worth and dignity of every human being as created in the image of God, Christians fought to end the abuse of slavery.  In contrast, the Christian position on abortion has been clear from day one. In the Didache, the earliest non-New Testament Christian work to survive, Christians are instructed “you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is born.” Similarly, the late first or early second century Epistle of Barnabas, a manual of ethics in this early period, says “you shall not murder a child by abortion, nor again kill it when it is born.” In “A Plea for Christians,” written in 177, Athenagoras of Athens wrote, “[w]e say that those women who use drugs to bring on abortion commit murder …”  Similar teaching can be found in the writings of Clement of Alexandria, the pseudonymous Apocalypse of Peter, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Cyprian, and Lactantius, which takes us up to the de-criminalization of Christianity by Constantine. The teaching of the Church on abortion has been clear from the start and continued to be clear well into the 20th century.   Only recently have some claiming the name of Christ accepted abortion as morally licit, or worse, have celebrated it. Christian opposition to abortion is based on precisely the same reasoning as Christian opposition to slavery. Every human being is made in the image of God and is crowned with glory and honor, a dignity we dare not ignore. The same dehumanizing and depersonalizing claim that undergirded the idea that slaves were less worthy as human beings, and further undergirded the horrific treatment of African Americans in the Jim Crow South, is also at work in pro-abortion thinking. And yet, the same liberating power of the imago dei that broke the chains of slavery demands that we see the dignity of preborn children and work to protect them.   Slavery and the subsequent dehumanizing treatment of African Americans was evil, and that the crusade to end both was (and is) God's work. May we also recognize that dehumanizing and killing the unborn is at least as evil, and rightly abhorred.   

The Civil and Un-Civil War  (Audio) David Eells - 7/3/22 2019 Kentucky Derby Predicts Lockdowns and Persecutions Michelle Rogers - 5/2019 (David's notes in red) In 2019 I felt quickened in my spirit that the Lord had something to say through the Kentucky Derby that year, and that I needed to look into the race. With some excitement I began searching the internet only to discover that this Derby was like no other. For the first time in the history of the Kentucky Derby the winning horse was disqualified because, he ran out of bounds almost causing the worst disaster in derby history. The horse was named, Maximum Security. Here is a short excerpt from the news: “May 5, 2019: War of Will's trainer, Mark Casse, likened the race to following a drunken driver and said Maximum Security's swerve had put the lives of other horses and their riders in peril." For the sake of clarity, here is the final line up of Derby Winners. (The significance of the winners is in the meaning of their names, and the disaster that was narrowly averted.) Maximum Security (later disqualified.) So the correct order of 1st through 3rd places are as follows: 1st.   Country House 2nd.   Code of Honor 3rd.   Tacitus I puzzled over the name of the first horse for almost a year because I just could not see what the horse, Maximum Security, had to do with the United States. When I heard the name, I immediately associated it with the term, “maximum security lockdown” like in a prison and couldn't understand how that could apply to America. (As we have seen there have been lockdowns and the leftist DS is pushing for more.) It wasn't until March of 2020, when the lockdowns started, that it made any sense to me.  I was watching a minister on the internet sharing about his father's vision many years ago in which he saw that something was going to happen that would so frighten people that they would flee the cities and migrate to rural areas. That's when I understood exactly what it meant. (Well, this is happening especially with liberal cities where they don't punish crime but instead the police. They are crumbling because they have no economic sense. They punish the good and reward the bad.) (The lockdowns are being contested in the United States and may be deemed unconstitutional if they haven't already. We may see the global Beast implement them, but for now it seems that they could be deemed unconstitutional, or “disqualified” like Maximum Security.) The second horse, which became the first place winner, was Country House. (Country House represents the migration to rural areas of the United States as people flee the big cities, although there may be more to this than I understand.) The third horse, which became the second place winner, is Code of Honor. (Code of Honor is a military term and may signify an increase in military action in the coming days. Rev 6:3-4 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.) (This could already be starting although the police and military actions are very covert at this time. Most people don't know that there is a Civil War going on in many nations; the Alliance against the D.S.) The fourth horse, which became the third place winner, is what I think is the most important aspect of this revelation currently, and why I felt led to share this sign with the UBM community. In the summer of 2020, I was walking my dog and mulling over all of the deadly George Floyd riots, feeling overwhelmed with everything happening in our country. In exasperation I said, “Lord, what will happen next?” Although I had not thought of the Kentucky Derby race in a while, I immediately heard in my spirit, “Check the 3rd horse.”  I was very surprised to hear Him say that. So I rushed home to research the horse that took third place. (I had overlooked him because he was originally the 4th place horse.) I discovered that his name was Tacitus, which means “silence.” With more research, I discovered that Tacitus was the name of a famous Roman politician and historian who wrote about the persecution of the early Christians under Nero. Tacitus recorded how Christians were scapegoated and blamed for a destructive fire that broke out in Rome, leading to mass persecution of the Christians. (I felt that the Lord was saying that the next major thing that would happen in our nation was Christian persecution, and that it would come about in the same way. We would be blamed for contrived events as the early Christians were under Nero. I also felt led to stock up on Bibles because soon we will not be able to purchase them as they will be considered racist and homophobic etc. etc.) The very next day as I was pondering the meaning of Tacitus, a friend sent me Dana Coverstone's dream about the coming persecution. As I watched the video about his dream, I experienced a trembling deep inside my spirit. I knew that it was a direct confirmation of what the Lord had shown me the day before. Joh 16: 2-4 They shall put you out of the synagogues; yea, the hour cometh, that whosover killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto God. And these things will they do, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I spoken unto you, that when their hour is come, ye may remember them, how that I told you. And these things I said not unto you from the beginning, because I was with you. (The day after Jan 6, I turned on the radio to hear the propaganda, and they were talking about finding and “separating” anyone associated with the event because they pose a threat to society. I thought that could be the event, but now that we are seeing the fallout from Roe V Wade, I think this could be the event that leads to persecution.) Acts 6:15  And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. (This was Stephen who was persecuted and stoned to death.)  (The Lord has said that if we watch and pray, God will give us strength to endure persecution as He gave Jesus strength before the cross. Our love for Christ and for our enemies brings great glory to God just as Stephen's face shone with God's glory. Paul witnessed Stephen's sacrificial love, and his stand for truth played a part in Paul's glorious conversion and ministry.  Just yesterday the Lord spoke to me from John 10, and how the good shepherd sees the wolf coming, and he lays his life down for the sheep. Jesus said that he had the power to lay his life down, and to take it up again. In the same way, He will give us the power to lay our lives down as He leads, because His Holy Spirit indwells us. )   Poll: 44% of Americans Believe a CIVIL WAR is Coming Mary Villareal - 6/3/22 (David's notes in red) (Natural News) The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) poll showed that 44 percent of Americans believe that the United States is headed toward another civil war, which includes 53 percent of Republicans and 39 percent of Democrats. (The D.S. has invaded this country and many countries and is being rooted out by those who want to bring NESARA/GESARA law and prosperity. There is a Civil War which is breaking out more and more on the surface and will get worse. More false flags are predicted.)  While this is a cause for concern. Another poll showed that one in five individuals somewhat approve of assassinating politicians whom they believe were “harming the country” or U.S. democracy. Nearly seven in ten also agreed that left-wing politicians were deliberately driving economic changes to gain power by replacing conservative white voters with non-whites entering the country in what is called the “replacement theory.” This “replacement theory” began in white supremacy circles long ago, but has since moved to mainstream media such as political right-wing citizens. It also came to the attention of the media in May when the Buffalo shooting suspect penned a 180-page racist document online that promulgated racist conspiracy theories he referred to as the “great replacement.” He then live-streamed himself gunning down Black shoppers at a supermarket. He then allegedly used the inspirational idea that minorities were and would be replacing whites as justification for his actions. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray said that the bureau is investigating it as a hate crime. “I want to be clear, for my part, from everything we know, this was a targeted attack, a hate crime, and an act of racially motivated violent extremism,” he said. (Related: Toxic, treasonous media pushing “white supremacist” hoax and hit lists of Trump supporters in desperate scheme to drive America into civil war.) “What we found was a great deal of hostility for people on the other side of the political aisle. A majority of both Republicans and Democrats believe their political opponents pose a threat to the country and want to harm their political opponents,” the SPLC said in its report. “That kind of animosity could fuel partisan violence.”   2015 US military exercise triggered a cascade of conspiracy theories The U.S. already put in place some parameters in case things could take a turn for the worse. In 2015, the U.S. military conducted a routine exercise in the south that triggered a cascade of conspiracy theories. Some people believed the maneuver was a precursor to a Chinese invasion, while others thought it was in preparation for a massive asteroid strike. Dark fantasy websites said that the exercise, which was called Jade Helm 15, stood for “Homeland Eradication of Local Militants.” And then there's the talk of an impending civil war. (Related: The seeds have been planted for the next American Civil War. I don't think anything stops it now.) Today, almost half of Republicans and Democrats believe in using violence to achieve political ends – a massive increase compared to the less than a tenth for each in 2017, or the year Trump took office. The U.S. has since become a “factionalized anocracy,” which is just halfway between autocracy and democracy that is “quickly approaching the open insurgency stage.” (Anocracy or semi-democracy is a form of government that is loosely defined as part democracy and part dictatorship, or as a "regime that mixes democratic with autocratic features.”)  With violence now part of the U.S. political language, novelists like Canadian national Stephen Marche imagine disunion among the states, with the country being “one spectacular act of violence away from a national crisis.” Visit Chaos.news for more news related to civil unrest. Watch this video link to know more about the possibility of the government orchestrating a civil war to escalate its own draconian policies. (I understand that a lot of people would disagree with my direction here especially those who have been deceived by the 1,000 years of peace deception. Cyrus' empire was followed by a more corrupt empire. The Greek empire, many times equated to the Antichrist empire, in the statue of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel proves this. Daniel was a type of the Man-child reformers at the time Cyrus conquered Babylon. Also, in Rev.6 we see the Man-child ministry begin just before the second seal when peace is taken from the earth. So we see the victory over the D.S. will be short.)   Leftists Make Good on “Night of Rage” Riot Threats After  Roe v. Wade Gets Overturned Ethan Huff - 6/25/22 (David's notes in red) Link to Article (Natural News) Before the US Supreme Court declared that murdering unborn human life was not a federal right, Leftists planned a so-called “night of rage” to riot against the decision. (Leftist/Satanists have always been baby killers.) This is the “George Floyd” event of 2022. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is shaping up to become another mass destruction event where extremists on the Left howl and break things, and possibly even commit violence against humans outside the womb. (This is what communists and anarchists do.) “DC CALL TO ACTION NIGHT OF RAGE … THE NIGHT SCOTUS OVERTURNS ROE V. WADE HIT THE STREETS. YOU SAID YOU'D RIOT” reads a flyer that was spotted on a light pole in Washington, D.C., the other night. “TO OUR OPPRESSORS: IF ABORTIONS AREN'T SAFE, YOU'RE NOT EITHER. JANE'S REVENGE.” the flyer further states. (To have a fit because you can't kill babies proves who you are but we will pray for them.) See this WendyRogers.org page for videos from Arizona, showing the abortion “insurrection” that's already taking place this weekend. In other words, there are people, out there, in this country who believe that not being legally allowed at the federal level to murder unborn children is a form of “oppression,” even though they have the right not to get pregnant in the first place. Jane's Revenge, by the way, recently took credit for the firebombing of a crisis pregnancy center in Buffalo, N.Y., which was blasted to bits for helping women save their unborn children. Jane's Revenge declares “open season” on pro-life groups, crisis pregnancy centers The thought of even just some unborn human lives being saved from abortion is so upsetting to Jane's Revenge that the domestic terrorist group recently declared “open season” on everyone affiliated with anything pro-life. The group has an extensive history of damaging the property of pro-life groups and crisis pregnancy centers, including a pregnancy resource center in Des Moines, Iowa, that just like the Buffalo clinic, was recently firebombed. A pro-abortion extremist was also reportedly arrested in advance of a plot to target Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home. “The Jane's Revenge threats have received little attention in the rest of the press, but we hope the Washington, D.C., and Capitol police are much better prepared than they were for the riots of 2020 and 2021. The Justices and the Court as a democratic institution have to be protected,” wrote the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Another letter allegedly written by the fine folks at Jane's Revenge states that the impending Supreme Court decision “is an event that should inspire rage in millions of people who can get pregnant,” referring, of course, to women as they are the only people who can get pregnant. “We need the state to feel our full wrath … We need them to be afraid of us,” the letter goes on to state. “Whatever form your fury takes, the first step is feeling it. The next step is carrying that anger out into the world and expressing it physically. Consider this your call to action. On the night the final ruling is issued – a specific date we cannot yet predict, but we know is arriving imminently – we are asking for courageous hearts to come out after dark.” “Screaming for the ‘right' to murder the unborn … Has there ever been a more demon-driven age?” said, someone at Zero Hedge about this insanity. “Like the KKK, BLM and ANTIFA, Jane's Revenge are state-sponsored domestic terrorists,” responded another. “Maybe they can just do a peaceful tour of the Capitol building?” joked another. (Sarcastically referring to the hypocrisy of the Jan. 6th fiasco.) The latest news about the Left's obsession with abortion can be found at Abortions.news.   Roe Decision Brings Us Incredible Clarity on the Luciferians Running the Abortion Child Sacrifice Cult Mike Adams - 6/27/22 (David's notes in red) Link to Article (Natural News) It's all the same pool now: the left-wing vaccine pushers, abortion instigators, LGBT indoctrinators, child groomers, transgender genital mutilators, pedophiles and Luciferians… they have become a homogenized group of death cult practitioners who feed on children while working to destroy every Christian person or pro-lifer on planet Earth. (Only Christians understand that the people who have these demons pass them on to those who listen in a geometric progression. The closer we get to the end, the more demon possessed people we will see, until what Jesus said happens, and that is, “You will be hated of all nations for my names sake.”) And now in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade, their inner demons have come out for all the world to see. Over the weekend, demon-inspired abortion advocates carried out demonstrations of filth and pedophilia in public, with obese naked men riding bicycles in front of children in Seattle, followed by “golden showers” urination displays as well as some people eating their feces. Scantily-clad LGBT and transgender advocates twerked in front of children, while a pregnant woman wrote in black marker, “Not yet human” on her pronounced baby bump, and then displayed it for all the public to see. The demonism was on full display, even while police in blue cities watched and did nothing. The only thing remaining is for LGBT Luciferians to start sodomizing small children in public while onlookers cheer and wave rainbow flags. (That won't be far behind…) The gift in all this? Clarity.   Decent people can now see that the radical pro-abortion Left is crazed, demonic and purely evil Now there is no doubt among decent Americans which side of this fight is steeped in evil. Because abortion advocates just couldn't stop at “rare” or “solemn” abortions that were considered a last-ditch option for unwanted pregnancies. No, they had to celebrate abortions and expand the definition to not just full term babies but even to kill babies up to 28 days after they're born. To the political Left, abortion is no longer a reluctant, shameful procedure but rather is now something to be celebrated and even repeated as often as possible. Over 25 prominent corporations in America — including Disney, Levi's, Apple, Netflix and more — have even promised to pay for employees' “abortion vacations” so they can travel to places like New York or Los Angeles to have abortions, with all expenses paid. So now demonic Leftists can get pregnant and then get paid to take a vacation and murder their unborn child. This can be repeated ad nauseum because there are no limits on the corporate “benefits” for abortion tourism.   The Fourteenth Amendment protected former slaves and now protects unborn babies The evil nature of the Left's true intentions — mass murder, violence, suffering, death and destruction — is now out in the open for all the world to see. And no reasonable person believes the left-wing's lies anymore… claiming that murdering unborn babies is necessary for “reproductive health” or “human rights.” Authentic human rights must include the rights of the humans not yet born, for they are protected by the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, Section 1, which says that no state may deprive a human being of life, liberty or property without due process. Abortion ends the life of a unique, conscious, aware and alive human being, yet that human being has never been indicted, prosecuted or found guilty of anything. To deprive that human being of the right to life is to violate the Fourteenth Amendment, which was added to the US Constitution following the heinous human rights violations surrounding slavery in America. By rejecting the human rights protections of the Fourteenth Amendment, abortion advocates are taking this country back to the days of slavery where one group of people could claim “ownership” (and control) over another group of people. When slaves were not considered to be full human beings, they were mutilated, raped, abused, bought and sold and sometimes even killed.  These actions were horrific evils that were eventually overturned, just as Roe vs. Wade has been overturned, in the name of human dignity and human rights. Yet today, the abortion zealots want to bring back the very same violations of human rights, claiming that doctors and mothers-to-be somehow have the right to mutilate and murder an entire group of human beings (unborn human babies) simply because they find the existence of those babies to be “inconvenient.” By this definition from Leftists, any group of people in America who find another group to be “inconvenient” must therefore — in their twisted logic — have the right to murder those they despise. This is the pro-abortion argument in a nutshell: That one group of Americans can murder another group of Americans, and that the federal government must protect this “right to murder” even though it grossly violates the rights of the individual. (This precedent will set the stage for the persecution and murder of Christians too.) Thus, overturning Roe vs. Wade was actually one of the most progressive decisions the US Supreme Court could have possibly rendered. It establishes universal human rights in America, protecting all human beings from the violence and homicide of others. More importantly, it protects the most vulnerable in society — infants that are wholly unable to defend themselves against such violence. As such, overturning Roe vs. Wade protects the ultimate minority — the minority of one.   Left-wing Luciferians oppose human rights being expanded to include those they wish to kill Never forget that the Luciferian Left claims to operate from a philosophical framework of “inclusiveness” and “tolerance,” yet their proclamations of compassion and human rights never extend to their own unborn children. Thus, they are discriminatory, not inclusive. Their “tolerance” isn't even strong enough to tolerate the life of another conscious human being that they don't wish to have around, so they demand the right to kill that individual at will. “On demand,” as they say. These are not the philosophical pillars of compassionate, empathetic, inclusive people; they are the desires of a murderous death cult that allies itself with Lucifer while rejecting Christ and God. LGBT pushers and abortion advocates are not on the side of good; they are wholly aligned with pure evil. And now, thanks to SCOTUS, we have achieved remarkable clarity on what the abortion / LGBT / grooming / pedophile Left actually stands for. They are murderers, rapists, pedophiles, groomers and demons. Their goal is the complete destruction of Christianity and anything smacking of God, which is why they also enjoy shredding Bibles. Watch the following video (profanity warning), depicting left-wing abortion advocates / Luciferians shredding a pastor's Bible while verbally mocking him: https://twitter.com/i/status/1540678347432202240 Finally, there's also video of an abortion advocate screaming about how he "loves killing babies.”   Brighteon.com/aae88741-152e-4ee8-aebb-d3884dbcbde0 (Don't forget, our job is the great commission and the good news, not just opposing evil, but offering the solution. Opposing evil while not offering a solution is ineffective.)   Civil War in the US David Eells  Something we have received in our morning prayer meeting is that the D. S. will be used by God to bring down apostate Babylonish Christianity in the U.S., especially the leadership. They will target them with fire, sword, pestilence, and famine. God uses men to chasten whom He will.  At the same time we have received that Cyrus/Trump will continue to conquer the Babylonish D.S. and bring them to justice. Many have been executed in military tribunals in 5 different locations. Since these are both true there can be but one scenario where these things can both happen; Civil War, which we are in right now. The battle is between the elite radicalized left wing globalists, mostly Democratic party, muslims, MS-13, Antifa, perverse sexual groups, Anarchists of all kinds, AND the patriotic, Christian, and right wing of the Alliance. Ken Dewey received this word called, WALLS IN AMERICA. (It is about Civil War.)   Walls in America: Civil War Coming Ken Dewey - 11/2018 (David's notes in red)  Link Here I woke up early in the morning, turning in bed I looked at the clock and it said 2:22 am. (2 is the number of division. There is a revelation in Pro 2:21-22 For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it. 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, And the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.) I said to myself what does that mean? I have always been aware that God speaks in numbers with special meaning in the Scripture. I got out of bed and went to prayer and this is what I heard: Look at the FIRST TWO DAYS of Creation. and see I did SEPARATE LIGHT FROM DARKNESS AND WATERS FROM THE WATERS. I SEPARATED THE LAND FROM THE FIRMAMENT AND MADE HEAVEN. I will move the two... Earth and the Heavens and I will bring awakening. I will be known by men to be THE CREATOR. Men have not believed [or wanted to believe that I exist], now I will show them MY CREATIVE POWER. I WILL SHAKE EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE SHAKEN AND THEY WILL BE FORCED TO SEE ...ME! (Earthquakes that split the country will be a part of this judgment.) See that 20 divided by two is 10, and then add the numbers 10 and 2 and you have 12. Twelve is the number for my governmental perfection. Ten is the number of completion of testing. I MOVE NOW TO BRING MEN TO SEE MY GOVERNMENT. I am the Lord and besides me there is none other. I am your only God, and I rule and none can speak or correct me, FOR I AM YOUR GOD ALONE. I WILL SOON TAKE BACK MY EARTH FROM MEN WHO HAVE TRIED TO STRIP IT FROM ME. Men have moved against me. Two, Both male and Female, and I will move to complete my work for all to see. I will reveal my reasons for making 2, male and female, and all will know the difference in my 2. SEE THAT THERE ARE NOW TWO [2] WALLS IN AMERICA. There is the Border Wall which many do not want, and then there is ANOTHER WALL BUILT RIGHT ACROSS AMERICA DIVIDING THE LAND. THE BOUNDARIES WERE PLAIN TO SEE IN RED AND BLUE. (Right and left wing) STARK; STANDING OUT IN THE VISION. THE WALL WAS PLAINLY BUILT AND MEN WOULD FIGHT OVER IT. (How ironic: The division of Right and Left is partly over the Border Wall.) ***While I heard the above words I saw a Vision and heard sounds... THIS IS WHAT I SAW AND HEARD: The sound of rumbling of War Machines, guns and bombs. I saw the Bullets flying over the DIVIDING WALL IN AMERICA as the two sides fought. I heard then the words: CIVIL WAR FOUGHT. MEN DYING, BLOOD IN THE STREETS. [This caused me to remember again the several times now I have heard the Lord speak before about Civil War coming again to America]. In the end of these words and visions I sat there knowing that we are entering right now into very dangerous days in America. The time is very short for this Nation. Americas land will never again be the same as it has been, but is changed by another Civil War. I knew that the second war was to be much worse than the first and would leave the Nation divided into parts.I have seen America ceasing to be America, as it is, and becoming a battle ground which would divide into pieces or sections. Unlike the first Civil War, this new Civil War will divide permanently men from men, land from land, and there would be separate governments arise from the aftermath.Many will arise to fight again for Freedom. They will have their place, but those fighting against Freedom will also have their place.America will never be as it has been, united again, but it will divide and be less than it has been in the past. Like the Soviet Union divided and fell, so will this Nation.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxI have spoken this Word as I have heard it. Lord help your people, who believe, to come up under you and live in the Secret Place, for there will be no safe place besides you. … Desert ProphetAs we have said this Civil War is happening and will get worse.  Looks like in Matt's dream below the Deep State demonrats are going to try for a false flag attack on the Russians again to try and start World War 3 to distract from their evil works and their election cheating and a war would make more money for the Elites.    False Flag War With Russia and Distraction  Matt Stewart - 11/12/18 (David's notes in red) The dream started like this: Several of us (Greg, Gabe, Anna, myself, and a few others I did not recognize) were in a foreign country, and none of us knew where we were, but I knew, in the Spirit, that it was Russia. We were all walking down a road towards the center of a city, and we all came to a stop. But I noticed that the road continued on towards the center of the city, and came to a round-about. In the center of the round-about was a water fountain feature. And there were cars and people walking around this round-about. Then Gabe said, “We should go to this restaurant over here.” The restaurant was off the road a little bit and to the right. (Many dreams have likened UBM to a restaurant. In Russia also there are spiritual restaurants to partake of God's Food.). Then a couple of others in the group agreed, and they all went.  I turned my body towards the restaurant to go, but then I looked down the road to the round-about and saw a column of smoke, or cloud, coming down towards the center of the city and it hit with a big explosion. The wave of shock and debris went out and I knew that the people engulfed in it were obliterated. I thought to myself, “I hope it doesn't reach out here where I'm at.” My first thought was that it was a nuclear bomb going off, but the shock wave and destruction was very small compared to a nuclear bomb, which made me think of an asteroid hitting. (Battle field nukes are much smaller and can be mounted on missiles.) Then I knew in my Spirit that the remaining people in the city were very angry and thought that the Americans did this to them. I turned and looked down the opposite way from the city. There was a fox-hole with two American military men in it. (False flag by the D.S.). One was of higher rank than the other. Then the Russians started shooting at the two Americans in the fox-hole. All of a sudden, bullets and bombs started flying by in both directions.  The Russians weren't only aiming for the Americans in the fox-hole, but even further beyond that. As I looked up from the scene of the two Americans in the fox-hole and looked beyond them, I could see land of distant countries being shot at by the Russians and they were shooting back. (This appears to be what has happened before; A false flag by the D.S. to start a war between Russia and the west. This is the elite attempting to make money on the war because Trump has been drying up their income. Also to distract from their dirty deads and the theft of the elections.) Then I continued on into the restaurant, but took one look towards the city to see the destruction, but there was no destruction. Then I realized I must have just seen a vision of something to come. I asked the Lord for a word by faith at random for the over all dream and received: Nah 1:6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by him. 7 Jehovah is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that take refuge in him. 8 But with an over-running flood he will make a full end of her place, and will pursue his enemies into darkness We received by faith at random this parable of Civil War in the U.S. on 11/11/18. The full story is in chapters 19-21 in Judges. The portion  received was about the conquering of the perverse left wing. This is at least the second time recently that we have received this. It is the story of the tribe of Benjamin who defended perversion in the form of gang raping a defenseless woman in their midst much like the satanic D.S.  are known for doing to men, women, and children.  The Democratic party has defended and taken part is this like Benjamin did and factioned against Israel who stood against this perversion to both of their destructions. The right wing had a set back but ultimately wiped out Benjamin. - Jud 20:43-46 They inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trod them down at their resting-place, as far as over against Gibeah toward the sunrising. 44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valor.  45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and followed hard after them unto Gidom, and smote of them two thousand men. 46 So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valor. So all Israel set an ambush much as the Trumpites have done to the perverse left wing in watching them cheat, steal, and rape, while gathering proof for the tribunals. Benjamin was taken down to 600 men and was almost extinguished as a tribe, which will happen to the D.S. American Civil War Marilyn Klinke - 07/28/09 (David's notes in red) In the dream, a Godly sister in Christ and I were at some train tracks, watching young men board the trains. The young men were dressed in American Civil War uniforms and going off to war. The sister and I implored them not to go, telling them that this war would not be good and that brother would end up fighting brother. No one would heed our tearful pleas; they just kept boarding the trains.  I noticed that, in addition to each soldier carrying a rifle, they also had a small pack or tray of seedling vegetables, like you plant in your garden in the spring. I understood the part of the dream about civil war coming, but was puzzled over the seedling vegetable plants. I felt that somehow the plants represented in some way the disruption of food or crops because of the civil war, but after praying I also thought that they might indicate that the war would start in the spring. Perhaps this dream has some relevance to the events we see coming to pass now. (The second seal in Rev. 6:3-4 is war and the third seal in Rev. 6:5-6 is famine.)  Civil War in the US Kenneth R. Atnip, Sr. - 12/18/2010 (David's notes in Red) My 16-year-old daughter, Maryann, had a dream a few days ago. She dreamed of civil war against the…government. The scene was very chaotic and those in rebellion to the government were going house to house forcing any and all men to join with them. Many of us Christians were in hiding, not willing to join in a rebellion against the government. (The right-wing will be a threat against Christians, too, who will not kill. Although Christians will not agree with the government they will obey Jesus and not take up arms to kill them. He has others without Biblical convictions to do that.) She awoke in the middle of the night with a strong taste of blood in her mouth. Her 13-year-old sister, Aimee, woke up as well and immediately asked her what was wrong. The 16-year-old said that she had the taste of blood in her mouth to which the 13-year-old asked, "Were you dreaming of war?" Somehow she knew that she was dreaming of war. Last November my three-year-old son, Jeremiah, slept with Mom and Dad. He awoke at 5:30 AM yelling, "War is coming ... people are dying ... people are crying to God". He has no idea what these things are. It woke me out of a dead sleep and I sat up and looked at him. He was wide awake and started telling of hearing a noise: "pop, pop, pop", he kept repeating. All day he kept talking about big balloons coming and looking out the window. He said, "Maybe they won't come; maybe they will pop". (This will become a shooting war.) Should we Die by the Sword or the Cross? David Eells I want to preface what I am about to say with this:  I am in agreement with Cyrus/Trump conquering Babylon and bringing an end to its extreme criminality. But when this turns into a Civil War I do not agree Christians should disobey Jesus and fight with flesh and blood which we are commanded not to do. We should leave this up to those who are doing this. Our Kingdom is not of this world.  We are called to bring as many people as possible from both sides into the Kingdom of God and eternal life. Those who disobey our Kingdom will not be a part of it. Please be very patient with me and I will share something that just may save your physical and eternal life. If you are not willing to believe only what the scriptures say concerning your relationship to this evil world and its God-ordained plan in your life, don't waste your time reading this. When Peter used the sword to keep Jesus from going to the cross, He said, "All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword". Even though the true saints will not agree with much that is about to happen in this world, they will not take "the sword" of man and break their covenant with God as the apostates and their leadership will. God's plan for His people is demonstrated by Jesus. (Jn.12:23) And Jesus answereth them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. (24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit. (25) He that loveth his life loseth it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (26) If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will the Father honor. As Jesus was a seed sown in the dirt of this earth, so must we be. The wicked of this world are the dirt that puts to death the fleshly husk of the seed so that the inner life may come forth and bear fruit. As a lamb does not struggle with a wolf, the seed does not struggle with the dirt but permits it to fulfill its purpose. (Lk.10:3)...I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. In God's plan wolves devour the flesh of the lambs. He uses the wicked to chasten His children. (2Sam.7:14) I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. (2Cor.4:11) For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (16) Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. (17) For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory. The glory of God will be manifested in those who will "resist not him that is evil" but will "turn the other cheek" and permit the dirt to do its job. No one else can drive the nails, friend. You are unable to do it and other Christians shouldn't do it.  It is God's plan to use the harlot and the beast to crucify our old man. (Acts 2:23) [H]im (Jesus), being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay. (4:27) [F]or of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together, (28) to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass. Through death to self at their hands, the world will see Jesus in us and we will be enabled to fulfill the great commission. (1Pet.4:1) Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2) that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. In the days when God's people were ruled over by the Roman beast it was written: (Rom.13:1) Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the [powers] that be are ordained of God. (2) Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. Though Christians are forbidden to take the mark and image of the beast, they are also forbidden to take up arms against secular nations over them. This puts the people of God in a position of weakness like Jesus when He submitted to His cross instead of fighting. Using Babylon and her king as a type of the U.S. and her President, God warned his people to submit to her as far as secular matters go. “Obey every ordinance of man for the Lords sake” (Jer.27:5) I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth, by my great power and by my outstretched arm; and I give it unto whom it seemeth right unto me. (6) And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant.... (7) And all the nations shall serve him.... (8) And it shall come to pass, that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. (Notice that DS Babylon has sent these three things against God's people and is killing many.) (9) But as for you (Christians), hearken ye not to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreams, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: (10) for they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land, and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.... (12) And I spake to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. (13) Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord hath spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? (14) And hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon; for they prophesy a lie unto you. (15) For I have not sent them, saith the Lord, but they prophesy falsely in my name; that I may drive you out, and that ye may perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you. Fear this warning and do not listen to false prophets who come as patriots to stir up Christians to rebel against this country. Those who do, God will destroy by the hand of this government. In this way God will cleanse His body of those that refuse to obey and go to their cross. Jesus said, "Love your enemies", not shoot them, and "turn the other cheek", not make war on them. That's what those concentration camps are for, friends. They are expecting and waiting for Christians to "take the sword". Our Lord said, "All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword". I am certainly not excusing the government's actions in any of this. God will bring the U.S. against His people and their apostate leaders because they have ignored His covenant. (Hos.8:1) [Set] the trumpet to thy mouth. As an eagle [he cometh] against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. (2) They shall cry unto me, My God, we Israel know thee. (3) Israel hath cast off that which is good: the enemy shall pursue him. (4) They have set up kings, but not by me; they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. In the days of Jesus we see this same type in these days. The apostate people of God were in bondage to the Roman beast for their rebellion against the Word. These stiff-necked people of God were in constant revolution against the Romans and paying a great penalty for it. (Mk.15:6) Now at the feast he used to release unto them one prisoner, whom they asked of him. (7) And there was one called Barabbas, [lying] bound with them that had made insurrection (revolution), men who in the insurrection had committed murder. (8) And the multitude went up and began to ask him [to do] as he was wont to do unto them. (9) And Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? (10) For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. (11) But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. (Jn.18:40) They cried out therefore again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. Notice that Barabbas and many with him were in prison for making a revolution against the Romans. Jesus suffered in the place of this Jewish patriot. In like manner the true body of Christ will suffer innocently because of "Christian" patriots who will revolt against the U.S./U.N. beast. In another type, Barabbas was chosen out of all the Jews that were in prison with him to be released. Barabbas means "son of the father". Because Jesus went to the cross, a remnant of these people who truly are "sons of the Father" will be forgiven and saved. Militant patriots do not understand what the Holy Spirit showed in this text, that killing Romans or Americans is "murder" and that those who steal from them are "robbers". Remember, God did not defend almost 1000 very religious patriots whom the Romans destroyed. In 66 A.D. when the Jews rebelled against the Romans, they captured this mountain 1000 meters above the Judean wilderness. In a well-supplied, seemingly impregnable fortress, the Jews attempted for seven years to hold out against the Roman beast. In a clear type, all but a remnant of seven committed suicide and brought an end to the worldly state of Israel. "Christian" rebels in our day will, in effect, commit suicide by fighting against the beast and bring an end to the worldly state of the Church.  Jesus gave us permission to "flee" like sheep before the wolves, but not to fight in the flesh as wolves. (Mt.10:16) Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (23) But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. Notice that this persecution will spread the Word through the cities of God's people and He will come. Praise His Name!   Every beast kingdom was raised up by God to chasten and bring into bondage and crucifixion His rebellious people and so it will be with the Babylon of our day. Our warfare is not with flesh and blood men but with the demon principalities and powers that rule them (Eph.6:12). (Mt.5:38) Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: (39) but I say unto you, Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Jas.4:7)...resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Many will fight to keep from going into captivity but only God determines if one needs this for their maturing. (Rev.13:9) If any man hath an ear, let him hear. (10) If any man [is] for captivity, into captivity he goeth: if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Only God gives authority to the beast to bring His people into bondage or death.  Not only can God protect those who are mature but He can also give rest to those who need to submit to their cross. (Jn.19:11) Jesus answered him, Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above. Like our Lord, we are to receive everything as from God and leave retaliation up to Him. (Rom.12:17) Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men. (18) If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men. (19) Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath [of God]: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. (20) But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. (21) Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Our old man wants to live by defending self and retaliating, but our obedience to these commands crucifies that carnal nature in us. Satan seeks through well-meaning people to keep us from this cross. (Mt.16:21) From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up. (22) And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee. (23) But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men. Notice that Peter, by the spirit of Satan was a stumbling block by trying to dissuade Jesus from going to His cross. Peter later took the sword, to try to enforce his way and again met with rebuke. (24) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (25) For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.  Even when we are at our best, the hidden carnal nature must be crucified. (1Pet.2:20) For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted [for it], ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. (21) For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: (22) who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: (23) who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously. What could be clearer? We are to follow in Jesus' steps by cooperating with God's process of using the harlot religious system and the beast kingdom to bring us to the cross. We are not to resist them by force. The laws of our kingdom do not permit us to fight in the flesh to escape captivity. (Jn.18:36) Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. In the days leading up to a civil war in the midst of the One World Order, many will stand up against the U.S. as the king of the South.  Included among these are some of God's people who will try to impose their vision of the kingdom of God in the U.S. by violent methods, but they will be killed. (Dan.11:14) And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the children of the violent among thy people shall lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they shall fall. God will not permit fleshly methods to have any success so that His people learn to walk in the Spirit. (12:7)...[I]t shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of (self in) the holy people, all these things shall be finished. Notice that our temptation to use our own power must be crucified. (Zec.4:6)...Not by (our) might, nor by (our) power, but by my Spirit, saith Lord of hosts.  War is of the world and is motivated by lust, not God. (Jas.4:1) Whence [come] wars and whence [come] fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your pleasures that war in your members? (2) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. Those who join with the world to make war on their enemies are enemies of the cross and of God. (4) Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God. Much more on this subject Here: https://www.ubm1.org/?page=swordorcross  We do have a spiritual warfare to accomplish.  Jesus gave us authority over the principalities and powers and rulers of this darkness and this is the only way this battle is won. Luk 10:19  Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you.  Rev 12 tells us the saints won this battle with the dragon, who is the devil and the god of Babylon, in the heavenlies. Rev 12:7-12  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;  8  and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.  9  And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.  10  And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night.  11  And they (The saints) overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.  12  Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. (Then comes the war against the saints in Rev.13.)   Select Language Afrikaans Albanian Amharic Arabic Armenian Azerbaijani Basque Belarusian Bengali Bosnian Bulgarian Catalan Cebuano Chichewa Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Corsican Croatian Czech Danish Dutch Esperanto Estonian Filipino Finnish French Frisian Galician Georgian German Greek Gujarati Haitian Creole Hausa Hawaiian Hebrew Hindi Hmong Hungarian Icelandic Igbo Indonesian Irish Italian Japanese Javanese Kannada Kazakh Khmer Kinyarwanda Korean Kurdish (Kurmanji) Kyrgyz Lao Latin Latvian Lithuanian Luxembourgish Macedonian Malagasy Malay Malayalam Maltese Maori Marathi Mongolian Myanmar (Burmese) Nepali Norwegian Odia (Oriya) Pashto Persian Polish Portuguese Punjabi Romanian Russian Samoan Scots Gaelic Serbian Sesotho Shona Sindhi Sinhala Slovak Slovenian Somali Spanish Sundanese Swahili Swedish Tajik Tamil Tatar Telugu Thai Turkish Turkmen Ukrainian Urdu Uyghur Uzbek Vietnamese Welsh Xhosa Yiddish Yoruba Zulu Powered by Translate Printer-friendly version

From the series "Peculiar". Romans 12:14–21, Romans 5:6-11, 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 As we continue in our "Peculiar" series recapturing the distinctives of the early Church, Pastor Ryan Smith examines what Romans called "obstinate foolishness." Though Christians were often excluded, criticized, persecuted, and even killed, they taught forgiveness, withheld retaliation, and loved their enemies. In this teaching we investigate this enemy-love, where it came from, and how we can carry it out today. Sermon Notes Here

“Account of the exalted Sultan Muhammad Uzbak Khan.  His name is Muhammad Uzbak, and Khan in their language means ‘sultan.' This sultan is mighty in sovereignty, exceedingly powerful, great in dignity, lofty in station, victor over the enemies of God, the people of Constantinople the Great, and diligent in the jihad against them. His territories are vast and his cities great; they include al-Kafa, al-Kirim, al-Machar, Azaq, Sudaq and Khwarezm, and his capital is al-Sara. He is one of the seven kings who are the great and mighty kings of the world. [...] this sultan when he is on the march, travels in a separate mahalla, accompanied by his mamluks and his officers of state, and each one of his khatuns travels separately in her own mahalla. When he wishes to be with any one of them, he sends to her to inform her of this, and she prepares to receive him.”   So the great traveller Ibn Battuta describes Özbeg, Khan on the Golden Horde, during his visit to that khan's camp. From 1313 until his death in 1341, Özbeg enjoyed the lengthiest of reigns of a Mongol ruler, second only to his distant cousin Khubilai Khaan. The powerful Özbeg would be long remembered as the mightiest of Jochid rulers, and his life was  a watershed for the Horde. After him, all khans were Muslims, and his life would be a model, the marker of the Horde's Golden Age. Yet, despite the proclamations of his excellence, tensions bubbled under the surface, and Özbeg's great power did not translate into great success. In today's episode, we take you through the transformation of the Golden Horde under Özbeg, looking specifically at islamization and urbanization. I'm your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquest.   Özbeg was a son of To'rilcha, a grandson of Möngke-Temür Khan, a great-great-grandson of Batu, a great-great-great-grandson of Jochi, and thereby a descendant of Chinggis Khan. Özbeg's father To'rilcha had been a part of the four-wary princely junta that ruled the Horde from 1287 to 1291 under Tele-Buqa Khan. As one of the top princes of this union, and one of the sons of the prestigious Möngke-Temür Khan, To'rilcha had certainly been a powerful prince within the horde. It seems Özbeg drew much of his initial legitimacy from this, and retained a great distaste for his uncle Toqta Khan, who had To'rilcha and the other princes  killed in the 1291 coup with the aid of Nogai. Toqta then married Özbeg's stepmother, To'rilcha's chief wife Bayalun Khatun, and apparently exiled Özbeg to Khwarezm, which cemented Özbeg's hatred for his uncle. It's not surprising then that Özbeg is often accused of being behind Toqta's somewhat mysterious death in 1312. As we covered in our episode last week, the sources are contradictory over what immediately followed. Though Mamluk sources tend to have Toqta's sons predecease him, a number of other accounts have Özbeg battle one of Toqta's surviving sons. Regardless, by the start of 1313 Özbeg was duly enthroned as Khan of the Golden Horde, and if he had not done so already, made public his conversion to Islam.    Özbeg had a particular view on how to hold onto power, which involved executing a great number of potential rivals to the throne. At least one hundred princes and members of the military elite were killed in perhaps the largest princely massacre of the Mongol Empire and its successor khanates. The justification for many of the deaths was the failure of the given princes to convert to Islam, but this was almost certainly little more than an excuse to substantially trim the branches of the aristocracy. Özbeg wanted to ensure that there would be not only no rivals to his own position, but that only his own sons would be able to succeed him.   Certainly, islamization was a key part of Özbeg's reign. There can be no doubt over its spread amongst the Jochid elite from these years onwards, and accounts like Ibn Battuta not only stress the piety of Özbeg and his court, but how islamic institutions were now seeped into the actual administration of the Golden Horde. This ranged from readers of the quran accompanying the royal family everywhere, to Islamic qadi courts now operating alongside the initial justice system established by the dynasty, the jarquchi courts. From Özbeg's coinage, we know he took the Islamic title and name of Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad, and in his contacts with the Mamluk Sultanate he expressed loudly the notice of his conversion, and his success in converting the nomads of his empire to Islam. The specific mentions of him killing shamans and Buddhist lamas also indicates an effort to actively uproot the old ways.   Yet there remains considerable evidence to continued religious plurality within the Golden Horde and for Özbeg himself. For example, at the very start of his reign he wedded his step-mother, Bayalun Khatun, a widow of both Toqta and his father To'rilcha. An experienced political player with many contacts, her support was important in Özbeg's ascension. Yet wedding his own step-mother was quite against Islamic law and practice. Here Özbeg's qadis conveniently found a loophole; as neither of her previous husbands had  been Muslims, neither marriage was thus legal, and hence technically Özbeg was not marrying his own step-mother. We can't know if that convinced anyone, but noone had the power to tell Özbeg “no.”    Moreover, we know that Özbeg did not seek to convert the Christian populations of his realm to Islam. The Rus' chronicles mention no effort on the part of Özbeg to do so, and only rarely do they even remark on his status as a Muslim. One of his earliest actions as khan, even in the midst of the most zealous period after his conversion, was going out of his way to welcome the Genoese back to Caffa, and in 1332 granted the Venetians right to build a quarter at Tana, on the mouth of the Don River. In quick order he confirmed tax exemptions for the local Franciscan community and gave them permission to build a cathedral in Caffa. Even when a nominal order went out banning the ringing of church bells, it seems there was little enforcement of it, given that this Franciscan cathedral continued to ring them according to other sources. These were not the only privileges they were granted, for the Franciscans were also given freedom to perform missionary activities deep within Horde lands. A Franciscan letter from 1320 indicates that their missionaries had reached as far as Bashkiria, only six years into Özbeg's reign.  A number of extant Franciscan letters survive speaking of the success of their missions due not just to Özbeg's tolerance, but of even his family. Özbeg's chief khatun after Bayalun's death was Taydula, who was specifically noted for her patronage of Christian communities. In fact, letters remain from Pope John XXII and Pope Benedict XII thanking Özbeg and Taydula for their favourable treatment of Christians in the Horde.   Though Christians received privileges from Özbeg, there is also references to his treatment of other religious groups. During his trip to the Golden Horde, Ibn Battuta met a Jewish person from Spain. Buddhist Uyghurs remained a part of Özbeg's court. And from other evidence too we know of the continued practice of non-Islamic beliefs well after Özbeg. The Golden Horde's powerful beylerbeyi, Edigü, who took power some fifty years after Özbeg's death, also made a name for himself having to stamp out Buddhism and shamanism. And in the fifteenth century a few eye witness reports, such as Johann Schiltberger, indicate a limited presence of traditional folk religions. In other lands of the former Golden Horde, such as in what is now Kazakhstan, the advance of Islam among the Kazakhs remains a topic of debate, with some arguing that it was not until late in the nineteenth century that the islamization was really complete among the nomads there. Özbeg, much like his predecessors Berke and Töde-Möngke, could make a show of the islamization of their states in diplomacy with the Mamluks, but nomads clung, often quite stubbornly, to their old ways.   Yet no mistake should be made; for Özbeg and his successors, their government was now Islamic, and there was no question about that. Özbeg's active promotion of Islam, and invitation of Islamic administrators to his cities and government did a considerable amount to promote the religion and bring more converts. Moreover, Özbeg actively had much of his support come from Islamic beys within the Horde, such as his powerful ally Qutlugh-Temür, the governor of Khwarezm. And the effort stuck. Every khan to succeed Özbeg seems to have been a Muslim. According to the Mamluk chroniclers ibn Taghriberdi and al-Safadi, Özbeg ceased to wear his hair in traditional Mongol fashion or to Mongolian hats. Contemporary accounts from the Ilkhanate written before the 1330s such as Wassaf and Qashani portray Özbeg as a pious Muslim, who strictly punished soldiers who harassed sufis. Özbeg's first embassy to the Mamluks arrived in Cairo in April 1314 and loudly proclaimed their lord's conversion to Islam. And of course Ibn Battuta, traveling and meeting Özbeg in the 1330s, present Özbeg unambiguously as a Muslim, albeit one who enjoyed large feasts and drinking during ramadan.  The image that comes across then, is a relatively adaptable monarch when it came to religion, who knew how to press hard when he could and thus promote Islam, but when necessary to remain flexible to local custom, and keep his empire running smoothly.  The fact that Özbeg would sit on the Jochid throne for thirty years speaks much to his success in these matters, compared to the very short reigns of many contemporary khans.    Of course, nothing can be said about Özbeg's islam without mentioning Baba Tükles. This famous sufi became, in legend, the man who converted Özbeg to Islam. The story goes that he and Özbeg's shamans were to hold a competition to prove whose religion was true by seeing who could survive inside a hot oven. The shaman, as most humans would, burnt to death, but when they checked on Baba Tükles, he was sitting comfortably in the oven wearing nothing but a suit of maille and reciting prayers. Seeing that they had opened the oven's entrance, Baba Tükles asked what the hurry was. Thus was everyone amazed at this miracle, and converted happily to Islam, mashallah.  This conversion narrative, masterfully explored in an excellent monograph by Devin DeWeese, became hugely popular in Turkic and Tatar accounts from the sixteenth century onwards. However, Baba Tükles is a mythic figure, not appearing until centuries after Özbeg's death. Sources contemporary to Özbeg name several other individuals, such as a Bukharan sufi named Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Hamid, as the leading men who converted Özbeg. Perhaps one of them became the inspiration for Baba Tükles, though no fourteenth century account references men burnt inside ovens.   After the massacres of the Jochid princes, Özbeg set about reorganizing the Jochid administration.  In short, the power of the princes was broken, and Özbeg ruled through the non-Chinggisid noyad. For Özbeg, these were the four ulus emirs, called also qarachu begs or ulus begs. Essentially, the four most powerful clan leaders within the Golden Horde not of the dynasty of Chinggis Khan. The head of these four was the beylerbeyi,  who acted like the viceroy of the khan. Essentially, these four men discussed and carried out policy with the khan, and their stamp or signature was necessary on all official documents. The origins of the institution are unclear. Similar institutions are recorded in the other khanates; in the Ilkhanate, we know that chancellery documents had to be signed off by the heads of the keshig day guards, powerful, prestigious and hereditary positions. There is some argument that the positions actually were always a part of the Mongol Empire, while others see it as an innovation of Khubilai Khaan, and during the detente between the various khanates after 1304, it spread to other khanates. In the Golden Horde though, the qarachu begs appear distinct from the keshig, and appears as a formal institution throughout all of its successor khanates. For Özbeg, his first beylerberyi was Qutlugh-Temür, the skilled governor of Khwarezm who had been such a stalwart ally of Özbeg in his rise to power. Until his death in the 1330s, Qutlugh-Temür was the number two man in the Golden Horde. Together they led an administrative transformation, redistributing lands, islamicizing parts of government and greatly strengthening the central might of the khan.  The Blue Horde, the khanate of the line of Orda east of the Ural River, was nearly totally subsumed in this period and lost its autonomy.    Özbeg's new government also fostered the growth of cities within the steppe. The urbanisation of the Horde in the Volga Steppes had been ongoing steadily for years. In a trade network based along the major rivers of the steppe, important camps of the khans and princes, or those few-existing steppe settlements, had flourished under the stability wrought by the Jochids. It should be noted that the nomads of the Golden Horde did not aimlessly wander from one side of the khanate to another. Instead, the entire empire was divided into appanages, and allotted to minghaans. A given minghaan, meaning a thousand men and their families, was given access to pastures and natural resources within that appanage to provide for themselves. When nomadizing, they travelled between these allotted pastures, and were forbidden from accessing those of another minghaan without permission or paying a fee. These minghaans were placed under the control of princes and the military elite, essentially like a feudal estate. What this meant was that the lands of the Eurasian steppe were kept remarkably stable, and no longer divided between warring factions where each sought to claim more land from another.   No longer concerned about raiding by Qipchaps, and rivers now marked by permanent ferries sponsored by the khans, merchants moved relatively freely across the steppes, paying taxes and tribute but able to make a tidy profit for a bit of work. With then came either imports from Europe, Mediterranean, Central Asia or China, to exports, such as grains, horses, glass, beads, pottery Siberian furs, honeys, horses and slaves, which travelled to the Rus', Ilkhanate, Mamluk Egypt and as far as India. Indeed, as the Horde's cities grew, so did its ability to manufacture goods for both internal and external trade. And industries grew around them to support these networks, either by importing the materials needed for manufacture, to feeding the employees and housing the merchants who transported it. A wetter climate in the early fourteenth century coupled with the careful control the Jochids kept of land allowances also allowed for a wider cultivation of farmland within the steppes to better feed growing settlements. Then these people's spiritual and entertainment needs had to be met, requiring the construction of mosques and other places of worship, market places, bath houses, manors for the elite and more, which made steady work for builders and stone masons.   Altogether this fostered a veritable explosion in the growth of the Horde's major cities during the reign of Özbeg, recorded both in written sources and the extensive archaeological work in the former Horde lands.  Well over a hundred such Golden Horde settlements are now known. The most important of these were along the lower reaches of the Volga River, towards the Delta where it meets the Caspian Sea. Here lay the Horde's capitals; the first of these was Sarai, founded by Batu after the withdrawal from Europe. Berke had apparently founded a settlement further upstream, and Özbeg moved the capital there. It is assumed it was to better lay out his desired city, and avoid the flooding which plagued old Sarai, for the Caspian Sea was rising every year of the 1320s. Hence, the new capital was called Berke's Sarai, or Sarai al-Jadid, “New Sarai.” While originally made up of a few hundred felt gers and a handful of permanent structures, these cities rapidly transformed. Felt gers were replaced with immobile homes, originally maintaining the same shape before over time becoming polygonal, then square. Most of the Horde's major cities followed a similar layout as evidenced by archaeological study; one or more main squares surrounded by large buildings, with streets radiating out from it in rectangular districts. They contained great complex manor houses for the nobility; numerous craft workshops, from bone carving, pottery, iron works, glass-blowing, brick making, bronze casting, and jewellery production, as well as bathhouses, mosques, madrassas, necropolises, and orchards.    The largest of the ruins is the site known as Selitrennoe, which scholarship currently associates with Sarai al-Jadid, the second capital of the Golden Horde. Its remains stretch over 7 kilometres along the Akhtuba River, a minor branch off the Volga, and 2 kilometres into the steppe, and at its height in the mid-fourteenth century some estimates give it a population of 75,000. Ibn Battuta visited the city in the 1330s, and his description is as follows:   “The city of [Sarai] is one of the finest of cities, of boundless size, situated in a plain, choked with the throng of its inhabitants, and possessing good bazaars and broad streets. We rode out one day with one of its principal men, intending to make a circuit of the city and find out its extent. Our lodging place was at one end of it and we set out from it in the early morning, and it was after midday when we reached the other end. We then prayed the noon prayer and ate some food, and we did not get back to our lodging until the hour of the sunset prayer. One day we went on foot across the breadth of the town, going and returning, in half a day, this too through a continuous line of houses, where there were no ruins and no gardens. The city has thirteen mosques for the holding of Friday prayers, [...]; as for the other mosques, they are exceedingly numerous. There are various groups of people among its inhabitants; these include the [Mongols], who are the dwellers in this country and its Sultans, and some of whom are Muslims, then the [Alans], the [Qipchaqs], the [Circassians], the Rus' and [Greeks]. Each group lives in a separate quarter with its own bazaars. Merchants and strangers from the two ‘Iraqs, Egypt, Syria and elsewhere, live in a quarter which is surrounded by a wall for the protection of the properties of the merchants. The sultan's palace in it is called Altun Tash, altun meaning ‘gold,' and tash ‘head.'”   The remains of the palace of Altan Tash have likely been identified, and what a magnificent structure it was. As the largest building found within the Golden Horde, the palace in its glory must have been over 32 metres long and over 40 metres wide. Made of fired brick and timber, its great hall alone was 5.8 by 9.4 metres across, with tiled floors and elegant, gilded polychromatic mosaics along the walls. Some 35 rooms have been identified, including a child's room where children's drawings were found carved into the plastered walls. Unlike the palaces of Qaraqorum or Khubilai's capitals at Shangdu or Dadu, the palace of Sarai was not influenced by Chinese design, but Islamic. Seljuq, Khwarezmian and Iranian influences are detected throughout the remains. Similar layouts and designs, albeit on smaller scale, are found in both Sarai itself and the other cities of the Horde.   While Özbeg continued to live in nomadic encampments travelling hither and yon across the Horde, he certainly stopped in Sarai when business demanded it, and he sought to ensure he lived in style. The lower Volga from New Sarai down to Hajji Tarkhan on the Volga Delta became the densest part of a  new urban network, with these major centres each surrounded by dozens and dozens of smaller settlements, pitted with orchards, farmland and surrounded by the endless grass sea where herds of the nomads still roamed. Typical of these settlements, is that before 1360 they were built without fortifications; no enemy would march across the steppe, and if he did he would have to face the Khan's horsemen. Only when the Horde fragmented, were there foes who could march on Sarai.   The growth of the Horde's cities was not caused by Özbeg Khan. Rather, it was a long running process which evolved out of several developments laid down by his predecessors. But Özbeg took advantage of it, and cultivated it. Or at least, his knowledgeable ministers did, and Özbeg supported them, happy to see goods and coins fill up his warehouses while leaving the trouble of collecting it to others. He actively encouraged settlement and trade, welcoming craftsmen, merchants and administrators from across the Middle East and Central Asia to bring their knowledge and wares to his cities. As already mentioned, he granted quarters in cities along the Black Sea to Italian merchants. On their ships the goods of the Golden Horde, particularly grains and slaves, could be sold across the Mediterranean, while desired imports were brought into his empire. From those port cities merchant caravans could travel east to the Volga cities like Sarai al-Jadid; there a merchant could exchange his wares and rest, before returning home, or travelling south to the Ilkhanate, or even eastwards into Khwarezm. Here Gurganj, once destroyed by Özbeg's ancestor Jochi, was restored to prominence and was the Jochid's chief city in the east, a staging point for those travellers going deeper into Central Asia, or perhaps even to Yuan China. Özbeg certainly maintained contacts with the Great Khans, and routinely requested the delivery of the tribute owed him from the Jochid's injü lands in China. Özbeg could take advantage of, and capitalize on, the development of the Jochid lands and the normalization of contacts with the other Chinggisid states. In short, he enjoyed the fruits of a tree grown generations before.  And at each ferry crossing, in each city, and each border, every passing merchant paid tax to the Khan of the Golden Horde, in coins minted in Jochid cities and bearing the names of the Jochid Khan. In this manner,  Özbeg became a wealthy man indeed.   It was a system reliant extensively on wider Eurasian trade networks; thus the Jochid economy would face a terrible consequence were something to happen to that network. But that's a matter for another episode. Having looked at the transformation of the Golden Horde, our next episode will look at the politics and campaigns of Özbeg Khan, so be sure to subscribe to the Kings and Generals Podcast to follow. If you enjoyed this and would like to help us continue bringing you great content, consider supporting us on patreon at www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. This episode was researched and written by our series historian, Jack Wilson. I'm your host David, and we'll catch you on the next one. 

Becoming a “Christian” is supposed to be a life-changing experience (2 Cor. 5:17). Through the Holy Spirit, as our “Counselor” (John 14:16–17), Christians move through a process of sanctification, learning about God, what He expects of us, and drawing closer to Him. Though Christians continue to sin, we should be convicted and repent of those practices, and, as such, should better display the “fruits of the Spirit” which includes “self-control” (Gal. 5:22–23). If true, then one should expect evidence in various aspects of life.This is the first in a series of articles looking at the differences between the general population and Biblical Christians in America. In the future, we will explore topics such as incarcerations, recidivism, juvenile delinquency, domestic violence, and crime in general. This first article is on the divorce rates between Christians and non-Christians. Is there a difference?IT SEEMS THAT “EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS” ACTUALLY HAVE A DIVORCE RATE OF ONLY 26% AS COMPARED TO THE GENERAL POPULATION OF 33%. 

Let's free associate: what goes through your mind when you think about rest? What does rest mean to you, and how do you obtain it? Perhaps it would be good to ask yourself if you are a restful soul. Knowing how to rest and being at rest are essentials in our fearful and frenetic world. Though Christians should be the most restful of all humanity, it's not a given, which is why practically thinking about rest is worth our time. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/are-you-a-restful-soul-how-to-enter-gods-rest/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/

Though Christians are solidly under the new covenant, rooted in grace and not law, we enjoy the principle of taking a Sabbath rest from our work. We bring honor to God by worshipful rest. We also show respect to others in our lives by using our free time to build them up. Not only that but we need a break for our physical health and emotional health. Today, let’s consider not only God’s commandment for us to rest, but also the stewardship of our time in putting it into practice. This teaching is from our series Hustle and Grind: The Theology of Work with Skip Heitzig from Calvary Albuquerque.

Though Christians are solidly under the new covenant, rooted in grace and not law, we enjoy the principle of taking a Sabbath rest from our work. We bring honor to God by worshipful rest. We also show respect to others in our lives by using our free time to build them up. Not only that but we need a break for our physical health and emotional health. Today, let’s consider not only God’s commandment for us to rest, but also the stewardship of our time in putting it into practice. This teaching is from our series Hustle and Grind: The Theology of Work with Skip Heitzig from Calvary Albuquerque.

Though Christians are often separated physically by space they are always connected spiritually in Christ. We Are Always with One Another in the Spirit.

     We live in a divided world. I'm speaking about a division between believers and unbelievers, children of God and children of the devil. Jesus gave an illustration when He told the parable of the wheat and tares (Matt 13:24-30). Afterwards, when Jesus was alone with His disciples, they asked for an explanation of the parable (Matt 13:36), and Jesus said: "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." (Matt 13:37-43).      In this revelation we understand: 1) God the Son has sown good seed in the world, which are believers, 2) Satan has sown weeds, which are unbelievers, 3) both live side by side until Christ returns at the end of the age, 4) at which time Jesus will send forth His angels to separate out all unbelievers, 5) which unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire, and 6) believers will enter into the millennial kingdom. That's a picture of the current state spiritual of affairs which are followed with eschatological certainties concerning judgment and kingdom rule.      For the present time, Satan is the ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 1 John 5:19). We are all born under “the dominion of Satan” (Act 26:18), into his “domain of darkness” (Col 1:13). Our spiritual state changes at the time we turn to Christ and trust Him as Savior (1 Cor 15:3-4). At the moment of faith in Christ, we become “children of God” (John 1:12), are transferred to the kingdom of His Son (Col 1:13), forgiven all our sins (Eph 1:7), given eternal life (John 10:28), the gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17; Phil 3:9), and the power to live holy (Rom 6:11-14). And, it is God's will that we advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1; Eph 4:11-13; 1 Pet 2:2), and serve as His ambassadors to others (2 Cor 5:20).      Are Christians called to make the world a better place? Certainly, those who know God and walk in His Word will live moral lives and bring improvement wherever they go. However, that's not really our calling or objective. As a Christian, our primary focus is evangelism and discipleship (Mark 16:15; Matt 28:19-20), not the reformation of society. Though Christians are to be good and do good (Gal 6:9-10; Eph 2:10; Tit 2:11-14), the reality is we live in a fallen world that is currently under Satan's limited rule, and God sovereignly permits this for a time. True good is connected with God and His Word, and His good is executed—in part—by those who walk according to His biblical directives. But there are many who reject God and follow Satan's world-system, which system is always pressuring us to conform (Rom 12:1-2). A permanent world-fix will not occur until Christ returns and puts down all rebellion, both satanic and human (Rev 19:11-21; 20:1-3). Those who are biblically minded live in this reality. As a result, our hope is never in this world; rather, we are “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Tit 2:13). We are looking forward to the time when Christ raptures us from this world to heaven (John 14:1-3; 1 Th 4:13-18). This will be followed by seven years of Tribulation in which God will judge Satan's world and those who abide by his philosophies and values (see Revelation chapters 6-19). Afterwards, Christ will rule the world for a thousand years (Rev 20:1-7), and shortly after that, God will destroy the current heavens and earth and create a new heavens and earth. This is what Peter is talking about when he says, “according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet 3:13; cf. Isa 65:17; Rev 21:1). Our present and future hope is in God and what He will accomplish, and not in anything this world has to offer. As Christians, we are “not of the world” (John 17:14; cf. 1 John 4:4-5), though it's God's will that we continue to live in it (John 17:15), and to serve “as lights in the world” (Phi 2:15), that others might know the gospel of grace and learn His Word and walk by faith. This understanding is shaped by God's Word, which determines our worldview.      How are we to see ourselves in this present world? In the dispensation of the church age, we understand people are either in Adam or in Christ (1 Cor 15:21-22). Everyone is originally born in Adam (Rom 5:12), but those who have trusted in Jesus as Savior are now identified as being in Christ (1 Cor 1:30; 2 Co 5:17; Rom 8:1; Gal 3:28; Eph 1:3). This twofold division will exist until Christ returns. Furthermore, we are never going to fix the devil or the world-system he's created. Because the majority of people in this world will choose the broad path of destruction that leads away from Christ (Matt 7:13-14), Satan and his purposes will predominate, and Christians will be outsiders. And being children of God, we are told the world will be a hostile place (John 15:19; 1 John 3:13). There will always be haters. Until Christ returns, Satan will control the majority, and these will be hostile to Christians who walk according to God's truth and love.      How should we respond to the world? The challenge for us as Christians is not to let the bullies of this world intimidate us into silence or inaction. And, of course, we must be careful not to become bitter, fearful, or hateful like those who attack us. The Bible teaches us to love those who hate us (Matt 5:44-45; Rom 12:14, 17-21), and we are to be kind, patient, and gentle (2 Tim 2:24-26; cf. Eph 4:1-2; Col 3:13-14). What we need is courage. Courage that is loving, kind, and faithful to share the gospel of grace and to speak biblical truth. The hope is that those who are positive to God can be rescued from Satan's domain of darkness. We also live in the reality that God's plans will advance. He will win. His future kingdom on earth will come to pass. Christ will return. Jesus will put down all forms of rebellion—both satanic and human—and will rule this world with perfect righteousness and justice. But until then, we must continue to learn and live God's Word and fight the good fight. We are to live by faith (Heb 10:38; 11:6), share the gospel of grace (1 Cor 15:3-4), disciple others (Matt 28:19-20), be good and do good (Gal 6:9-10; Tit 2:11-14), and look forward to return of Christ at the rapture (Tit 2:13; cf. John 14:1-3; 1 Th 4:13-18).  

     In chapter fourteen, Moses shifts away from the danger of accepting pagan idols to adopting pagan practices that were part of the surrounding cultures. Moses addresses pagan rites concerning mourning for the dead (Deut 14:1), as well as distinctions between animals the Lord declares to be clean or unclean (Deut 14:3-21a). These dietary laws are sandwiched between commands to be holy to the Lord (Deut 14:2, 21b). Finally, Moses concludes this pericope with a comment concerning boiling a young goat in its mother's milk (Deut 14:21c). These directives would help Israel know what God expected of them and secured blessing if obeyed and cursing if not obeyed (Lev 18:26-30; Deut 11:26-28).      Moses opens with a command, saying, “You are the sons of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave your forehead for the sake of the dead” (Deut 14:1). This appears to refer to a mourning rite associated with the cult of the dead. Non-Israelites held to the notion that the deceased spirits of dead family members continued to exist and to wield influence over the living. Some practiced ancestor-worship. Jack Deere writes: "The precise significance of the rituals mentioned here (Deut. 14:1)—laceration and shaving the head for the dead—is unknown today. But cutting oneself was a sign of mourning (cf. Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5; 48:37). However, it is clear that these practices reflected beliefs about the dead that conflicted with faith in the Lord, the ultimate Source of life. Therefore, when a loved one died, the Israelites were to demonstrate their faith in the Lord by refraining from these pagan practices."[1]      Israel's relationship with God required them to walk in conformity with His character. God is holy, which means He is upright and set apart from all that is fallen. God called His people be to be holy, which meant their behavior was to conform to His expectations, and they were not to act like the pagan nations around them. Moses wrote, “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” (Deut 14:2). All of Israel was holy in the sense that they were set apart by the Lord and in a special covenantal relationship with Him. But God expected His people to behave in a holy manner, saying, “you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine” (Lev 20:26). Warren Wiersbe states: "As a holy people, the Jews were set apart from all the other nations because the holy presence of the Lord was with them and they had received God's holy law (Deut 23:14; Rom 9:4). Because they were a holy people, they were not to imitate the wicked practices of their neighbors, such as cutting their bodies or shaving their foreheads in mourning (1 Ki 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5)."[2]      Continuing with the subject of holy living, Moses addressed the subject of eating, saying, “You shall not eat any detestable thing” (Deut 14:3). The detestable thing (Heb. תּוֹעֵבָה toebah) here refers to animals God declared as unclean for consumption (Deut 14:4-20).      What Moses presents is a list of animals into three classes: 1) animals that roam on land (Deut 14:4-8), 2) animals that swim in water (Deut 14:9-10), and 3) animals that fly in the air (including insects, Deut 14:11-20). It's likely this list is not exhaustive, but representative of each group. Jack Deere states “It has been suggested that certain animals in each group provide the standard for that class; any deviation from that standard renders the animal unclean. For example, the unclean birds are birds of prey that eat flesh without draining the blood and/or are carrion eaters, whereas clean birds are presumably those that eat grain.”[3] This distinction was not new, for Noah had known about clean and unclean animals at the time he constructed the ark (Gen 7:1-10). And this distinction was not based on any quality intrinsic to the animal, but was a designation set forth by the Lord; a designation we don't fully understand. Some have thought these dietary restrictions were for hygienic purposes, and that's possible. Peter Craigie states: "Regarding this section…there has been debate over the principle underlying the regulations on permitted and prohibited foods. There are those who adopt the position that the underlying principle has to do with hygiene. Thus, an American doctor conducted a series of experiments to determine the levels of toxicity in the meats of the animals, aquatic creatures, and birds mentioned in Deuteronomy 14; he discovered that the various types of prohibited meats contained a higher percentage of toxic substances than those which were permitted."[4]      However, because this pericope opens with a prohibition against pagan cultic practices associated with the cult of the dead, it seems likely that the dietary laws concerning clean and unclean foods were associated—in some way—with the pagan practices in Canaan. Perhaps the laws served both purposes. And we're not even sure about the identity of all these animals. Warren Wiersbe states: "We must admit that we don't know what some of these creatures were and can't identify them with creatures we know today. For example, the hare (Deut 14:7) certainly isn't the same as our “rabbit” even though the NIV gives that translation. The rabbit doesn't chew the cud, although the movements of his jaw and nostrils may look like that's what he's doing."[5]      Though we cannot identify every animal, nor understand with absolute clarity all the reasons why some are declared clean and others unclean, we assume the Israelite to whom Moses spoke understood. Whatever we make of the dietary laws, they were pedagogical in nature and connected with God's expectation of His people to be holy, and this was to distinguish them from the practices of surrounding cultures.      Apart from the list of clean and unclean animals, Moses also said, “You shall not eat anything which dies of itself. You may give it to the alien who is in your town, so that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to the LORD your God” (Deut 14:21a). It's possible this prohibition was given because an animal that died of itself has not had the blood drained from it, which would make it prohibited for consumption (cf., Deut 12:16, 23, 27; 15:23). However, the dead animal—assuming its death was recent and its carcass suitable for healthy consumption—could be given as an act of charity for the benefit of the alien (Heb. גֵּר ger) who resided within the covenant community. Or, the dead animal could be sold to the foreigner (Heb. נָכְרִי nokri) who lived in the region, perhaps for business purposes. In both instances, the alien and foreigner were not under the requirements of the Mosaic Law, so they could eat the dead animal.      Lastly, Moses closes this pericope with the statement, “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk” (Deut 14:21b). It's likely this practice was tied to the pagan Canaanite culture and represented something detestable. On the surface, it seems unnatural to take what is meant to promote life (milk) and use it to destroy life. In closing, these dietary laws were to be a part of Israel's everyday activities and serve as a constant reminder of their relationship with the Lord and that they were to be set apart from the pagan practices that surrounded them. Christians and Food:      Christians living in the dispensation of the church age are also called to “be holy and blameless” before the Lord (Eph 1:4; cf. 1 Pet 1:15-16). Paul wrote to Christians, saying, “I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:1-2a). Such holy living also pertains to everyday activities such as eating.      In our current dispensation, all foods are cleared for consumption. Jesus, when discussing things that defile a person, “declared all foods clean” (Mark 7:19). God gave Peter a vision of all kinds of animals (Acts 10:10-12) and told him to “kill and eat” (Acts 10:13). But Peter refused the Lord's directive, saying, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean” (Acts 10:14). But the divine reply came to Peter, saying, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (Acts 10:15). The primary reason for the vision was to teach Peter that he was now to accept the Gentiles as equal in the body of Christ, and that he “should not call any man unholy or unclean” (Acts 10:28). However, the Lord was simultaneously declaring all foods clean and Gentiles acceptable under His new program for the Church. The apostle Paul further revealed that foods are no longer an issue, saying, “Food will not commend us to God; [for] we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat” (1 Cor 8:8). And to the Christians living in Colossae, Paul stated, “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day” (Col 2:16). Though Christians are not under dietary restrictions (except for the consumption of blood; see Acts 15:20); we should be mindful that our behavior—even concerning food—reveals something about our walk with God. For this reason, Paul instructed the Christian at Corinth, saying, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). Those who seek to live holy lives will do it to the glory of God.     [1] Jack S. Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 287. [2] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 98. [3] Jack S. Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 288. [4] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), 230. [5] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 100.

Today, Monday July 26 Abiding and Not Ashamed 1 John 2:27-28 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. John is about to conclude his message on fellowship and is about to begin his message on sonship. He has pointed out the contrasts between light and darkness (1 John 1:1-2:6), love and hatred (1 John 2:7-17), and truth and error (1 John 2:18-27). He has explained that a real Christian lives a life of obedience (walking in light, not darkness), love, and truth. It is impossible to live in fellowship with God if we are disobedient or hateful or untruthful. Any of these sins will lead us out of reality and into pretense. We will have an "artificial" life instead of an "authentic" life. John now uses three words that ought to encourage us to live in fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Abide. We must recognize the importance of abiding in Christ. We abide in Christ by believing the truth, obeying the truth, and loving other Christians—"the brethren." Obedience—love—truth. If we are a believer and find ourselves out of fellowship with God, it is because we have disobeyed His Word, lacked love for a brother, or believed a lie. The solution is to confess our sin instantly and to claim God's forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Appear. This is the first mention in this epistle of the promised return of Christ. The Book of Revelation deals in detail with future events. This epistle (1 John 2:28-3:3; 4:17) merely mentions the return of Christ and a coming day of judgment. Not all Bible students are agreed as to the details of future events, but we agree that Christ is returning for His church (1 Thes. 4:13-18). Though Christians will not then be judged for their sins, they will be judged on the basis of their faithfulness in serving Christ (1 Cor. 3:10-15). Those who have been faithful will receive rewards (1 Cor. 4:5); and those who have not been faithful will lose rewards. This event is called "the Judgment Seat of Christ" (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10). The fact that Jesus Christ may return at any moment ought to be an incentive for us to live in fellowship with Him and be obedient to His Word. For this reason, John uses a third word: Ashamed. Some Christians will be "ashamed before Him at His presence" (1 John 2:28). All believers are "accepted," but there is a difference between being "accepted" and being "acceptable." A Christian who has not walked in fellowship with Christ in obedience, love, and truth will lose his rewards; and this will make him ashamed. No matter in which direction a Christian looks, we find reason to obey God. If we looks back, we see Calvary, where Christ died for him. If we look within, we see the Holy Spirit who lives within and teaches us the truth. If we looks around, we see our Christian brethren whom we love; we also see a world lost in sin, desperately needing a godly witness. And if we look ahead, we see the return of Christ! "And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:3). The return of Christ is a great inspiration for godly living. Friend, be encouraged today to abide in Christ and look for His return. God bless!

Freedom, though given freely, does not come free. This is true both in our Nation as men and women fight to protect our beloved freedoms found in the land of the free, but spiritually there is a dire need for those willing to rise up and fight for the freedom we have. Though Christians are free indeed, often we lack a willingness to fight to remain in the freedom provided to us. Want more from Sandhill? Click HERE: https://sandhillfwb.com/

Though Christians still wrestle with the sin in their flesh, the Spirit of God has given them eternal life in Christ Jesus. Paul declares that there is now no condemnation from the sins of the past to the sins of the future. Jesus has taken the penalty for all their sins.

Today there is much discussion about rights and fairness. More and more Christians are facing hostile treatment. How should a Christian respond? Though Christians should not give up their rights, especially the right to worship, there is wisdom needed to know when to insist on our rights and when to turn the other cheek. Christ addresses this in Matthew 5:38-42. Though Christians may think it is fair to retaliate in light of what was done to them or to cling to what is their by right or to refuse to serve a hostile government, Christ teaches that Christians are rather to take up their crosses and follow him for the sake of the Kingdom.

Though Christians are objects of God's love and rich mercy through Jesus, we face great opposition and even hatred from the world. Psalm 124 gives us the deep assurance that through it all, the Lord is on our side.

Rev. Steve Andrews, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Proverbs 24:23-34. Solomon provides another compilation of sayings of wise people that he has edited under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In these verses, he primarily deals with three topics: courtroom conduct, wise and foolish speech, and diligent labor. The matter of judgment without partiality finds its foundation in the character of God. Though Christians may not always experience in this life the reality that Solomon writes, we live by faith in the good blessing that will be ours in the resurrection. Honesty upon the lips of Christians also has its foundation in the fact Jesus is the Truth. In Him, we receive our hard work and our rest as good gifts, knowing that our labor in the LORD is not in vain. “Wisdom and Instruction” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Proverbs. Although Proverbs is perhaps best known for its short sayings full of practical advice, the one true God has so much more in this book of wisdom. True wisdom begins with the fear of the LORD. Christians walk His way of righteousness rather than the way of wickedness because we trust that all good gifts come to us through His Son Jesus Christ, who is His wisdom made flesh for our salvation.

We live in a world of religious confusion. Though Christians are to "speak the same thing, be of the same mind and of the same judgment," we have many who claim to be "Christians," but do not "do what the Lord says" (1 Cor. 1:10; Luke 6:46). Jesus prayed for unity (John 17:20-21) and God is not the Author of confusion but of peace (1 Cor. 14:33), yet we have division and confusion in the religious world. This episode begins a three-part series on "weathering the storm of religious confusion" as we examine AUTHORITY. I hope and pray that this will be beneficial for you and help you have a better grasp on the authority of God. 

Though Christians suffer and even die by persecution, God uses it to spread the gospel and advance Christ's church.--I. Persecution brings suffering to Christ's church -v. 1-3-.--II. Persecution brings blessing to Christ's church -v. 4-8-.

From Jesus of Nazareth to the Apostle Paul, the Christian's life is defined by a steadfast devotion to the Kingdom of God, rather than the kingdom of this world. Though Christians don't necessarily see worldly and spiritual success as mutually exclusive, they do prioritize Christ and His kingdom above everything else—a decision that often leads to a life that looks like failure to the surrounding culture. In this 3-part series, we'll discuss the Christian vision of success and see how it challenges the many competing pictures of success. Listen to Part 2 Follow Cameron on Twitter:@CamMcAllister7

From Jesus of Nazareth to the Apostle Paul, the Christian's life is defined by a steadfast devotion to the Kingdom of God, rather than the kingdom of this world. Though Christians don't necessarily see worldly and spiritual success as mutually exclusive, they do prioritize Christ and His kingdom above everything else—a decision that often leads to a life that looks like failure to the surrounding culture. In this 3-part series, we'll discuss the Christian vision of success and see how it challenges the many competing pictures of success. Listen to Part 1 Follow Cameron on Twitter:@CamMcAllister7

From Jesus of Nazareth to the Apostle Paul, the Christian's life is defined by a steadfast devotion to the Kingdom of God, rather than the kingdom of this world. Though Christians don't necessarily see worldly and spiritual success as mutually exclusive, they do prioritize Christ and His kingdom above everything else—a decision that often leads to a life that looks like failure to the surrounding culture. In this 3-part series, we'll discuss the Christian vision of success and see how it challenges the many competing pictures of success. Follow Cameron on Twitter:@CamMcAllister7

In this sermon, looking at Titus 2 and other Scriptures, we summarize the biblical approach to alcohol -and drugs-- it's allowable uses and the forbidden abuses. Though Christians may enjoy it in moderation, they must always remain sober, so they are always ready to serve Christ in every situation.

Joe and Jimmy are wrapping up chapter 6 of the 1689 Confession by walking through the fifth and final paragraph. Though Christians are born again, they continue to sin. We are made saints, but remain sinners. What does the doctrine of indwelling sin in the believer mean for us in our every day lives? What’s the danger of denying this doctrine? Plus, Jimmy plays LARP, and Joe explains football. For all the links and show notes visit www.doctrineanddevotion.com/podcast/168965

Without the Pentecost, the gospel is not really "Good News."  Many people actually experience Christianity as bad news.  The Ten Commandments were impossible for even King David to keep.  Though Christians are justified by grace through faith and receive friendship with God as a pure gift, they are still called to live the gospel lifestyle, as portrayed by the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount.  Trying to do this on will-power alone is a pure recipe for guilt and frustration.

Though Christians do not grieve like the world... we still grieve. We have seasons of doubt, discouragement, and despondency. We look to Psalm 42-43 to learn how to deal with a troubled heart.1. The Cry of a Troubled Heart2. The Cure for a Troubled Heart

The Bible says in Psalm 23:4: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” The featured quote for this episode is from humorist Charles Bukowski. He said, "I carry death in my left pocket. Sometimes I take it out and talk to it: I say, ‘Hello, how you doing? When are you coming for me? I'll be ready.’" Our topic for today is titled "The Individual, the Church, and the Ars Moriendi (the Art of Dying), Part 4" from the book, "The Art of Dying: Living Fully into the Life to Come" by Rob Moll. --- A Dying Face The early ars moriendi taught that the spirit of the Christian was quite alive, wrestling with angels and demons, even as the body died. Therefore, death was to be actively undertaken. Though Christians changed in their beliefs about what happens at the moment of death, they never dismissed the idea that the spirit was still active. Modern science teaches that in the process of dying, when death is not caused by trauma, a body actually shuts itself down. It does not simply stop working. Rather, organs prepare themselves to cease their function, like a factory closing shop by turning off the machines and sweeping before cutting the power. So our body, even while dying, is still working. In the same way, the spirit of the Christian is too. For example, hospice workers often report seemingly strange events which, for them, are proof of purposeful living even in a dying person. Some wait hours or even days until they are alone before dying. Other times, those who are extremely ill may appear to doctors to be physically unable to live, without blood pressure or signs of breathing, yet they stay alive until certain words are spoken or certain visitors arrive who perhaps offer reconciliation or permission to die. What nurses and doctors recognize today, Christians understood centuries ago. When medical techniques to prolong life were not available, says pastor John Fanestil, people were not so passive about their dying. "Those who practiced the ritual of happy dying near the turn of the nineteenth century... did not approach it in a spirit of resignation or despair. To the contrary, because they believed God's hands were strong and trustworthy, [they] embraced death, or, better yet, they rose to greet it as if rushing into a loving embrace." ...

This week's episode is titled, “Keeping a Record”The first 3 Cs of Church History are at times a difficult puzzle to sort out because no coherent historical narrative was being kept.Luke's account in the Books of Acts recounts a time span of about 30 yrs & roughly narrates the spread of the Faith from Jerusalem to Rome. The next narrative doesn't come till the writings of the Christian historian Eusebius in the 4th C.  What we have for a period of over 200 yrs are the writings of the Fathers whose letters give little more than a thumbnail sketch of what was happening. We have to infer & assume a lot by picking up what facts we can about what was happening. As we've seen, the work of the Church Fathers focused mainly on providing pastoral & apologetic support.  Gaining an historical framework for this period comes from merging secular accounts of history with the commentary of the Fathers. But with the work of Eusebius at the opening of the 4th C, the narrative becomes significantly clearer.Eusebius began compiling his magnum opus of Church History in the 290's. Titled Ecclesiastical History, it's an attempt to provide a narrative of the Communion of the Saints from the Apostles to his time.Eusebius was born & raised in Caesarea on the coast of Israel. He was a student of the Christian leader Pamphilas, who was himself a student of the great Apologist Origen. Eusebius became the bishop at Caesarea in 313. He played a major role in the Council of Nicaea in 325, which we'll take a closer look at in a future episode.Eusebius is a key figure in the study of Church History because his Ecclesiastical History is the first work after Luke's to attempt an historical narrative of the Faith. He's also an important figure because of his close association with the Emperor Constantine.I want to quote the opening of Eusebius' narrative because it gives us a sense of the monumental nature of his work.  He knew he was attempting to reconstruct a narrative of the Church from scant resources.In Chapter 1, which he titled, “The Plan of the Work” he writes –It is my purpose to write an account of the successions of the holy apostles, as well as of the times which have elapsed from the days of our Savior to our own; and to relate the many important events which are said to have occurred in the history of the Church; and to mention those who have governed and presided over the Church in the most prominent parishes, and those who in each generation have proclaimed the divine word either orally or in writing.It is my purpose also to give the names and number and times of those who through love of innovation have run into the greatest errors, and, proclaiming themselves discoverers of knowledge falsely so-called, have like fierce wolves unmercifully devastated the flock of Christ. …But at the outset I must crave for my work the indulgence of the wise, for I confess that it is beyond my power to produce a perfect and complete history, and since I am the first to enter upon the subject, I am attempting to traverse as it were a lonely and untrodden path. I pray that I may have God as my guide and the power of the Lord as my aid, since I am unable to find even the bare footsteps of those who have traveled the way before me, except in brief fragments, in which some in one way, others in another, have transmitted to us particular accounts of the times in which they lived. From afar they raise their voices like torches, and they cry out, as from some lofty and conspicuous watch-tower, admonishing us where to walk and how to direct the course of our work steadily and safely.Having gathered therefore from the matters mentioned here and there by them whatever we consider important for the present work, and having plucked like flowers from a meadow the appropriate passages from ancient writers, we shall endeavor to embody the whole in an historical narrative. …This work seems to me of especial importance because I know of no ecclesiastical writer who has devoted himself to this subject; and I hope that it will appear most useful to those who are fond of historical research.Eusebius was unaware of any previous attempt to provide an historical narrative of the development of the Faith from the late 1st C to his time in the early 4th, a period of a little over 200 yrs. From a modern perspective, Eusebius' account might be considered suspect, relying as it does on tradition & at best fragmentary evidence. What must be remembered is the importance of that oral tradition and the accuracy of such transmission over long periods of time. Because the ancient world didn't possess cheap and plentiful means of recording information, it was dependent on oral tradition & rote memorization.  With the advent of the printing press and more economic media, the priority of the oral tradition declined. Eusebius had both written and oral source material to draw from. His work can be considered dependable, while subject to question when it leaned toward the ancient penchant for using history as propaganda.As we return to the narrative timeline of Church history we need to pick up the story with the reign of the Diocletian who presided over the last & in many ways worst round of persecution under the Roman emperors.Though Christians remember Diocletian for that, he was in truth one of the most effective of the Roman Emperors. By the time he came to the throne, the Roman Empire was a sprawling & unwieldy beast of a realm to rule. The City of Rome was an old & decayed relic of its former glory. So Diocletian moved his headquarters eastward to Nicomedia in Asia Minor, modern Turkey.  Instead of trying to exert control over the entire empire himself & solely, Diocletian appointed Maximian as co-emperor to rule the western half of the Empire from Rome while he ruled the East.One of the persistent problems that led to so much unrest in the recent decades was the question of succession; who would rule after the current emperor? To forestall that turmoil, Diocletian appointed dual successors for both himself & Maximian.  Flavius Constantius became Maximian's successor while Diocletian took on Galerius. This established what's known as the Tetrarchy.While Diocletian had no warm & fuzzy feelings for the followers of Christ, it was really his successor Galerius that urged him to launch a campaign of persecution. Galerius was a military commander who thought Christians made poor soldiers. He knew their loyalty was supremely to their God and thought they made for unreliable troops. Galerius was also a committed pagan who believed in the Roman deities. He attributed any setback for the Army & any of the regular natural disasters that shook the realm, to their displeasure that so many of Rome's subjects were turning to the new god on the block. So it was really at Galerius' urging Diocletian approved the severe measures taken against Christians and their churches.  When Diocletian retired to his villa to raise cabbages & turned the eastern half of the Empire over to Galerius, persecution increased.Eventually, Constantius replaced Maximian in the West, just as Galerius had assumed the mantle in the East. And Diocletian's tetrarchy began to unravel. Galerius decided he wanted to be sole ruler and abducted Constantius' son, Constantine who'd been named successor to his father in the West. When Constantius fell ill, Galerius granted Constantine permission to visit him.Constantius died, & Constantine demanded Galerius recognize him as his co-emperor. No doubt Galerius would have launched a military campaign against Constantine's bid for rule of the West, but Galerius himself was stricken with a deadly illness. On his deathbed, Galerius admitted his policy of persecution of Christians hadn't worked and rescinded his policy of oppression.In the West, Constantine's claim to his father's throne was contested by Maximian's son, Maxentius. The showdown between them is known as the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. Maxentius didn't want Constantine marching his troops into Rome so he tore down the Milvian Bridge after marching his troops across it to meet Constantine. Just in case the battle went against Maxentius, he had a temporary bridge built of a string of boats across the river.At this point, the story gets confused because there's been so many who've written about what happened and the reports are varied. On the day before the battle, Constantine prayed, most likely to the sun-god. As he did, he looked toward the sun & saw a cross. Then, either he saw the words or heard them spoken, “By this sign, Conquer.” That night while he slept, Jesus appeared to him in a dream, telling him to have his soldiers place a Christian symbol on their shields. The next morning, chalk was quickly passed round & the soldiers put what's called the Chiron on their shields. Chi & Rho are the first 2 letters of the Greek word Christos, Christ. In English it looks like a P on top of an X.When the 2 forces met, Constantine's veterans bested Maxentius' less experienced troops, who retreated to their makeshift bridge. While crossing, Maxentius fell into the water & drowned. Constantine then marched victoriously into Rome.A year later, he and his new co-emperor Licinius issued what's known as the Edict of Milan, which decreed an end to all religious persecution, not just of Christians, but all faiths. For Constantine, Jesus was now his divine patron & the cross, an emblem of shame & derision for generations, became instead—a kind of charm. Instead of being a symbol of Rome's brutality in executing its enemies, the cross became a symbol of Imperial power.Bishops began to be called priests as they gained parity with their peers in pagan temples. These Christian priests were shown special favors by Constantine. It didn't take long for the pagan priests to realize which way the winds of political favor were blowing. Many converted.Now à there's been much debate over the legitimacy of Constantine's conversion. Was he genuinely born again or was he just a savvy politician who recognized a trend he could co-opt and turn to his favor? People will disagree on this and my meager offering is unlikely to convince anyone. But I think Constantine was probably a genuine Christian. He certainly did some things after his conversion that are difficult to reconcile with a sincere faith, but we have to remember the moral base he grew up in as the son of a Caesar & as a general of Roman legions was very different from the Biblical morality that's shaped Western civilization.  Also, Constantine's actions which are so decidedly non-Christian, like murdering those who threatened his power, may have been rationalized not as personal acts so much as attempts to secure the peace & safety of the empire. I know that's a stretch, but when analyzing history, we need to be careful about judging people when we don't have at our disposal all the facts they did.If we could sit down with Constantine and say, “You shouldn't have executed that guy.” He could very well say something like, “Yes, as a Christian, I shouldn't have. You're right. But I didn't execute him out of personal anger or suspicion or mere selfishness. It really bothers me that I had to off him; but I discovered he was plotting to usurp my throne and it would have thrown the empire into years of civil war & chaos.” To which we'd reply,  “Well Constance, you need to trust God more. He'll protect you. He put you on the throne, He can keep you there.” And Constantine might reply, “Yeah, I considered that & I agree. But it's a tough call. You see, in terms of my personal life, I trust God. But when it comes to my role as Emperor, I need to make tough choices others who don't wield the power I do will understand.”Let's not forget that Constantine, while being a competent general & astute politician, was at best a novice believer.I share this little made-up discussion because it points up something we're going to encounter again & again in our review of the history of the Church. We look on past ages, on what they believed and the things they did, with an attitude of moral superiority because we wouldn't do the terrible things they did, or we assume would do some things they failed to. We need to be cautious with this attitude for the simple reason that when we take the time to listen to the voices of the past and let them explain themselves, we often come to a new appreciation for the difficulty of their lives & choices. We may not agree with them, but we at least realize in their own minds & hearts, they thought they were doing what was best.You make up your own mind about the genuineness of Constantine's faith, but let me encourage you to spend a little time looking up what Eusebius wrote about him and some of the tough decisions Constantine had to make during his reign.Some of the things regarded as incompatible with a genuine conversion is that he retained his title of Pontifex Maximus as the head of the state religious cult. He conceived & hatched political plots to remove enemies. He murdered those deemed a threat to his power.On the other hand, from 312 on, his favor of Christianity was quite public. He granted the same privileges to bishops, pagan priests enjoyed. He banned crucifixion & ended the punishment of criminals by using them in gladiatorial games. He made Sunday a holiday. His personal charity built several large churches. And his private life demonstrated a pretty consistent genuine faith. His children were brought up in the Church & he practiced marital fidelity, at least, as far as we know. That of course, was certainly NOT the case with previous Emperors or even the wider Roman nobility.Critics like to point to Constantine's delay of baptism to shortly before his death as evidence of a lack of faith. I suggest that it ought to be read exactly the opposite. Remember what we learned about baptism a few episodes back. In that time, it was believed after baptism, there were certain sins that couldn't be forgiven. So people delayed baptism to as close to death as possible, leaving little chance for commission of such a sin to occur. Following his baptism, Constantine never again donned the imperial purple of his office but instead wore only his white baptismal robes. That sounds like he was concerned to enter Heaven, not a casual disregard of it.Chief among Constantine's concerns upon taking control of the Empire was unity. It was unity & strength that had moved Diocletian to establish the tetrarchy. Decades of civil war as one powerful general after another seized control and beat down his challengers had desperately weakened & impoverished the realm. Now that Constantine ruled, he hoped the Church would help bring a new era of unity based on a vital & dynamic faith. It didn't take long before he realized the very thing he hoped would bring unity was itself fractured.When the Church was battered & beaten by imperial persecution, it was forced to be one. But when that pressure was removed, the theological cracks that had been developing for a while became immediately evident. Chief among them was the Donatist Controversy we recently considered. In 314 the Donatists appealed to Constantine to settle the issue on who could ordain elders.Think about what a momentous change this was! The church appealed to the civil authority to rule on a spiritual affair! By doing so, the Church asked for imperial sponsorship.At this point we need a robot to wave its arms manically & cry “Danger! Will Robinson, Danger!”Constantine knew this was not a decision he was capable of making on his own so he gathered some church leaders in Arles in the S of France to decide the issue. The Donatist bishops were outnumbered by the non-Donatists – so you know where this is going. They decided against the Donatists.Instead of accepting the decision, the Donatists called the leaders who opposed them corrupt and labeled the Emperor their lackey.  The Church split between the Donatist churches of North Africa and the rest who now looked to Constantine as their leader.As tensions rose, the Emperor sent troops to Carthage in 317 to enforce the installation of a pro-government bishop opposed by the Donatists. For the first but far from last time, Christians persecuted Christians. Opponents of Constantine were exiled from Carthage. After 4 years, he realized his strong arm tactics weren't working and withdrew his troops.We'll pick it up and this point next time.

This is the 8th episode in our series examining the impact Christianity has had on history & culture. Today we take a look at the influence the Faith has had on labor and work.Historians of the traditional school laud Greco-Roman civilization for what it bequeathed the modern world in politics & philosophy.  But in the classical world poly-phi was done by the elite; the wealthy & powerful 1% who had the leisure time to engage exclusively in intellectual pursuits. What gets glossed over in this era is the low regard paid manual labor & those classes of society that did it. You could make a good case that it was the tension between the tiny elite, patrician class & the lower masses of plebeians that was the deciding factor in shaping Roman history.Both Greeks & Romans thought manual labor fit only for slaves & the lower classes who had to work because they couldn't afford slaves. The wealthy shunned work or any kind. Plutarch reported that Plato was infuriated at 2 fellow philosophers because they constructed a machine to help solve problems of geometry. Such a device ought to have been made by a slave or artisan—not by thinkers & freemen. But that wasn't the end or extent  of Plato's outrage. He was also incensed that a machine had been constructed to make geometry practical; it corrupted the excellence of geometry as a thought-experiment! In Plato, at least, and his thinking here likely expresses the rest of the Athenian elite – there was utter disdain with & for the everyday world of the common man.The ancient mathematician Archimedes was embarrassed by having constructed devices that aided his studies in geometry. The 1st C BC Roman philosopher Cicero said no gentleman ought to lower himself to engage in daily labor to provide for his needs. He said, “Vulgar are the means of livelihood of all hired workmen whom we pay for mere manual labor…and all mechanics are engaged in vulgar trades.” Seneca, who lists the honorable activities for freemen, never mentions manual labor.In Athens in the 1st C AD, 1/3rd of the freemen did nothing more than sit in the city's political assembly hall and discuss issues of State while slaves performed the work that made the State run. There were 5 times as many slaves in Athens as citizens.So, if the elite 1% weren't working, what were they doing? They were seeking pleasure purchased by the wealth earned by the lower classes they despised. It was into this anti-work cultural environment the early Christians entered the Greco-Roman world.The value assigned simple work by Christians stemmed from 3 sources.First – they had Jesus as their example.He grew up in the home of a craftsman. Tradition says Joseph was a carpenter but the NT word tecknon refers to a skilled construction worker. Remember that though Joseph & Mary were from Bethlehem in the S just a few miles from Jerusalem, they lived up N in Nazareth when Jesus was born. That's where He was raised. Joseph lived in Nazareth because in that day, that's where the work was. Herod was building a new capital for Galilee in the city of Sepphoris, a short hike from Nazareth, which in that day was little more than a work camp for Jewish laborers working on Herod's project. Tour the ruins of Sepphoris today and you come to the conclusion, Joseph probably did more work as a mason than as a carpenter. And following custom, Jesus would have learned his father's trade & spent many hours in the quarries & on-site shaping stones. He plied this trade till he was 30.Second – The early Christians had another excellent role model in the Apostle Paul who from his Hebrew heritage had learned a trade, even though his real career was as a rabbi. Paul repeatedly used his tent-making as the means of supporting his ministry. So much so, that phrase has come over into our vernacular.Third – Early Christians were well aware of Paul's admonition in 2 Thess. 3:10 that “If a man won't work, he shall not eat.”This embrace of work as noble not only set Christians apart from the Greco-Roman culture, it enabled them to prosper. Their strong work ethic bore fruit. But their increasing prosperity brought them under the eye of Roman officials wary of the power wealth inevitably secured. Though Christians used their wealth to better the lives of others, the Romans couldn't help but assume they were constructing a secret society that would eventually challenge their control. This became one more reason to be suspicious & to persecute Christians – because of their success in business.Another effect the Christian view of work had on Greco-Roman culture was the way it undermined slavery. If work is noble & industry is a virtue, then slaves possess dignity because they do nearly ALL the work. It was easy for freemen to overlook the suffering of slaves when they were regarded as nothing more than living tools, as Greeks called them. Assigning them dignity was dangerous, because ate away at the conscience of freemen. If a salve is a man or woman, not just a tool—it's not right for them to be subjected to such treatment. A man can own a thing; but can he own another man? // It was the introduction of Christianity that began the long, slow road toward abolition.In AD 375, church leaders compiled a list of policies regarding what constituted Christian practice. Called The Apostolic Constitutions, they were 8 treatises on discipline, worship, & doctrine, intended to serve as a manual of guidance for clergy & to a lesser extent, for the laity. In no uncertain terms, based on what Paul wrote the Thess., the Constitutions stated – “The Lord our God hates the slothful.”The monasteries of the early Middle Ages were organized around Christianity's high regard for work. Benedictine monks of the 6th C. considered labor an integral & spiri­tual part of their discipline that did much to increase the prestige of labor and the self-respect of the laborer. All the monastic orders honored work as they tilled the soil, tended herds, milked cows, & crafted artifacts.Work was also considered an antidote to the sin of laziness. Basil of Caesarea in the 4th C said, “Idleness is a great evil; work preserves us from evil thoughts.” This is where the phrase, “Idle hands are the devil's workshop” originated. In the 12th C St. Bernard taught; “The handmaid of Christ ought always to pray, read, & work, lest the spirit of uncleanness should lead astray the slothful mind. The [willful] delights of the flesh are overcome by labor.” So strong was the Christian concern in the Middle Ages regarding the willful avoidance of work, the Church counted sloth as one of the 7 Deadly Sins.The high value Christianity assigned manual labor was further bolstered during the Reformation. Martin Luther saw work not only as pleasing to the Lord but as a means by which His glory could be expanded. Work was a calling to serve God. The Latin word was voca­tio comes over into English as vocation; a divine call to the service of God, in whatever form that took. Up to that time, it was believed the only calling God gave was into the clergy. The idea that He also called farmers & merchants and the rest of the occupations of society was new & novel & revolutionized people's view of a career. There was no low-status or high-status work, good work or bad work. It made no difference what kind work the Christian did so long as he/she performed it to the glory of God. Work was not an end in itself but something someone did in everyday life to the glory of God and to the service of mankind. It was thru work, especially the work of Christians, that God maintained and preserved the world and the people in it. Thus, all legitimate work was noble and God-pleasing. Work became a Christian duty.And while the curse of the Fall had turned work into toil, the work itself was still noble because even BEFORE the Fall, God had commanded Adam to tend the Garden. He had work to do before sin made that work hard.All of this conspired to produce the Protestant Work Ethic which found a society wide application in the Puritan settlements of Massachusetts & helped launch American prosperity.When in Luke 10:7 Jesus said "the worker deserves his wages”, He par­aphrased Deut 25:4, an OT norm first spoken by Moses when he com­manded the Israelites: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Just as the ox treading out the grain needs to be rewarded for his work, so too, laborers are worthy of the reward of their wages. These biblical references made it mandatory workers be paid for their efforts. It also underscored once more in the eyes of Christians that work was honorable.It's simply assumed by workers today that they deserve a wage or salary for services performed. This hasn't always been so. In pagan societies of the ancient world right up thru the era of the early church, the norm was for societies to have the majority of their residents work as slaves. These slaves, who performed all manual labor, received little other than a meager subsistence allowance. And that was only given so that they'd be able to keep working, not as a reward for their toil. People today ought to appreciate that the current practice of compensating workers & the belief it's unjust to deprive them of fair compensation, would not be in place were it not for Christianity establishing the norm that "a worker deserves his wages.”If employers who identified themselves as Christian, had faithfully heeded the biblical admonition to pay their workers as they deserved, labor unions might never have needed to come into existence. And unions, some of them being so rabidly anti-Christian in their policies, ought to consider this: The influence of the biblical admonition that the laborer is worthy of his hire lies behind today's institutionalized practice of unions nego­tiating contracts for their members. If it didn't come from this biblical norm, from where did it come? It certainly wasn't present in the Greco-Roman era, where slaves performed nearly all manual labor.Christianity's 2000 year influence is more deeply ingrained and pervasive in Western economic val­ues and practices than is realized.Before Christians brought dignity to work and labor, there wasn't much of a middle class in the Greek or Roman society. People were either rich or poor, & the poor were commonly slaves. The Christian emphasis on everyone being required to work and work being honorable had the effect of producing a class between the wealthy & the poor. People like the Christians, who didn't just live for “bread & games” to use Cicero's expression. Christians couldn't fail to prosper. So the economic phenomenon of a middle class arose, now present in Western societies but unknown before the advent of Christianity.The presence of a middle class in Western societies has rightly been credited w/greatly reducing the extent of poverty & its inevitable by-product, disease. It's also been a potent factor in fostering and main­taining political and economic freedom.