Genesis ... The Creation [and Re-Creation] of the Earth

In case you are wondering why I am so focused on the Book of Genesis in this season of time and in this series of posts, it is because this book sets the stage for the rest of the Bible, as well as the history of mankind. If you have a discerning spirit, then you are probably wondering about the state of the world and this nation, and may be confused about how we got here. As I reveal some deeper truths within Genesis, I believe that the present state of affairs will become clearer. So hang with me, as I follow the rabbit trail through man's earliest history and pick up the puzzle pieces along the way!

Today, I want to share my thoughts on the "gap theory". That's the controversial and disputed premise that there is an undetermined gap of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. If you've never heard of this argument, I'm not surprised. This thought is usually ignored by the mainstream Church, or at least relegated to the "New Age" or "Unbiblical" category of Christian apologetics.

But, I do not think we should intentionally disregard it, especially when you approach it from a serious desire to understand God's creation of this planet we live on. And, for me, it shows an important facet of God's character. So, let's just dive in. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. How many of you, like me, took this verse for granted for far too long? That verse is easy and straightforward, I told myself. What more could there be to understanding that simple sentence? We know God created the universe, which exists of heaven and earth. What more could I possibly derive from this first verse of the most important book ever written for mankind?

Well, let me share what a heightened curiosity and diligent study can provide. I credit much of what I'm about to share to the immense amount of time that my husband, Mark, has put into developing his Biblical worldview. And it all started when a dear friend that he was trying to reach for Christ asked him a question about where the dinosaurs fit into the Bible -- and he couldn't answer it. That deeply troubled him, so he made a decision that he would never again be at a loss to explain what our Bible reveals about God or his character. That led to a several-year-long study of trying to understand the original language of the Bible and filter it through the versions we have today. So, as he would tell you himself, don't take what I share today as me saying you should believe the research that he [or anyone else] has done. Instead, let it spark your own hunger and do your own investigation to come up with your own biblical worldview. In these days of secular, religious, and political push-back, it will serve you and the Kingdom of God well to know what you believe and why.

That said, let's begin at the beginning .... literally. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. So, when was the beginning? The beginning of what? Time, the universe, or the beginning of God? I will tell you that once you step into this deeper realm of thought, you can't ever read the Bible the same way again! What I have discovered is that God not only created time, but He is outside of it. He's always been! So, this "beginning" is not the beginning of time, but to my mind, this is a specific moment in time when He began to consider creating the heavens and the earth. It's referring to the starting point in the expanse of boundless time when God conceived of the idea of heaven and earth. 

"In the beginning" in Hebrew is Bereshith, and the correct use of the word is in an "old world" or previously existing world/old world context. Fully exegeted, it translates "what can be seen before this age was created". If this understanding is accepted, that means the Bible is referring to a time period before Adam and before Lucifer's fall from Heaven, and before the earliest time of this earth.

Next, do we understand what is meant by the word "God"? In the Hebrew, that word is translated Elohim, and it is plural. It is the Divine Ones reflecting divine majesty and power ... Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all involved in the creation. In the Hebrew understanding, it is also acknowledged to be not only God, the Creator and Ruler of the World, but "superhuman beings including God and angels, who are called "sons of God" or "sons of gods [angels]". If that's not blowing your mind yet, this idea of Elohim will come into play later in that most contentious of verses, Genesis 6:1-4. For now, let us stay concentrated on the creation of the heavens and earth.

Which takes us to that powerful word "created". It is Bara in Hebrew and means "to create from nothing". Only the Supreme God of the Universe could do that. He didn't take something that already existed and form the heavens and earth. He spoke it into existence! As men, we can only create by starting with matter that YHWH created. He used no pre-existing matter or ideas from an earlier creation. He declared them to be, and they were. 

Now we take a look at the heavens and earth. Heavens is plural and exists of the three heavens the Bible reveals to us. The first heaven is our sky and atmosphere (Genesis 6:7 and James 5:18). The second heaven is beyond our atmosphere and extends into the realm where spiritual warfare takes place between Satan's angels and God's angels (Matthew 24:29 and Ephesians 6:12-13). The third heaven is where God resides and where His and Jesus's thrones are (Deuteronomy 10:14, Hebrews 8:1, Acts 7:55, and Hebrews 9:24). In Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew word for "earth" is Eretz, and is translated land or material world. If you can wrap your mind around all that, then hang on because next we're going to tackle Genesis 1:2!

It reads, The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. As we break it down in the Hebrew, I think you are going to be astounded at the picture that begins to emerge. The words "without form" are translated tohuw in Hebrew, while the word "void" is translated as bohuw.  In English, tohuw and bohuw is rendered "a desolate wasteland; an empty ruin; formed out of chaos; an indistinguishable ruin". Does that sound like a place that God would consider worthy of establishing His Garden of Eden or placing His creation of man? If today, we consider ourselves ambassadors of the Kingdom of God on earth, then this desolate place in Genesis 1:2 is not worthy of being a representation of God's Heavenly Kingdom! So what happened?

Scripture goes on to tell us that darkness was over the face of the deep. The Hebrew word for darkness is chosek, and it means "misery; destruction; death; sorrow; and wickedness". I'm sure that none of you think God would speak that into existence as a representation of His creative spirit! If His creation becomes "dark" [desolate, empty, a ruin, and chaotic], then we can pretty well understand that it was corrupted by evil -- in this case, most likely Lucifer being expelled from Heaven and cast down to make this pre-existing habitat his home base. Furthermore, there is an understanding that chosek means an evil that is combined or linked with judgment.

The word "deep" is the Hebrew word tehom, meaning an abyss (as in a surging mass of water). The rest of verse 2 tells us the Holy Spirit was "hovering" over the face [surface] of these surging waters. The word "hovering" means "a shaking or a tempest" in Hebrew. So we get a pretty precise picture of what Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 are trying to show us. These two disputed verses seem to suggest a pre-existent world that was covered in evil darkness and which the Holy Spirit shook in judgment. I say all this because it appears, beginning in verse 3, that God is creating a new world which He calls Earth. But He already created it in verse 1, right? Read Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 again. This earth [lower case "e"] is declared a ruin, evil, and dark. God saw the Earth [capital "E"] in Genesis 1:9 and declared it "good". It wasn't good in 1:2! Death and wickedness existed there! They don't exist yet in 1:9 until Adam and Eve sin in the Garden. And they haven't even been created yet!

After hours and days and months of study and research, I believe that something devastating and evil happened to God's created earth between verse 1 and verse 2 in Genesis, Chapter 1. The earth came under judgment and God decided to re-create it beginning in verse 3. I do not think He destroyed the first earth. I think He just renewed it and restored it, just as He will at the end of the Millennial Age, as noted in Revelation 21. Think about it this way .... when we come to Christ in our Salvation experience, we are not destroyed. We become "a new creation"; remolded and reshaped into the original design God had planned for us. So, it is in the case of the earth in Genesis. 

I don't know about you, but this account and understanding has so much depth and meaning that I find myself even more in awe of God Almighty. And wait until I take you on the next step of this journey where we will take a deeper look at what was set in motion in the Garden of Eden. You will see a bigger picture than a snake and an apple, and a bigger understanding of how it has affected all of history. You will be able to recognize the weight of what God shared with man and how that knowledge is still in play this very day. You will not hear the nightly news in the same way ever again! So be prepared for a huge wake-up call in the next post as more of the conflict between man and God comes into view.

Isaiah 65:17   For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.

 

Let's Begin At The Beginning ... And It Starts Before the Bible

Our Home Church group has finished our nearly 18-month study of the Book of Matthew, and I think one of the things I loved the most about it was the new knowledge we all gained as we learned more about the Jewish culture that Jesus was born into, and how it affected our understanding of Scripture. It broadened so much of the teachings we had all grown up with and exposed our 21st Century Western bias. So now that we've finished the first Book of the New Testament, we decided to go back to the first Book of the Old Testament, Genesis.

There is so much about Genesis that I think has been ignored and set aside by pastors, teachers and even Christian apologists because it is either controversial (Genesis 6:1-4, for example), or there is not enough information in the modern canon to come to a conclusive agreement or understanding. And once again, as I stated last post, I am a Christian contrarian and I am willing to dig deep, consider ancient writings and resources, and trust the Holy Spirit to reveal God's Truth to me, even if a source is outside the divine Holy Book we call the Bible. I will also state again that I sometimes think we 21st Century Christians are arrogant in our notion that our current dogma and doctrines are somehow superior just because we think we are more advanced than ancient peoples. But I also think that this prideful perspective limits the vastness of God's influence and activity in the world; from the ancient civilizations to the present. 

So, I invite you to join me as our faithful group attempts to uncover some of the questions that we've never dared ask in our Sunday School classes for fear we would be chastised. We will all be studying Genesis in the Bible, which for me is the core and central key to my research. But as we advance through what I consider one of the most important books of the Bible, I will be surrounded with the Book of Jasher, the Book of Enoch, the Complete Works of Josephus, and The Genesis 6 Conspiracy by author, Gary Wayne. The Bible will be my guide, but these other references will be the bread crumbs that lead me to additional knowledge, and ultimately back to the Bible. As I've so often said, everything in the Bible is about the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit .... but everything about Them and the history of their relationship with mankind is not in the Bible. I do not expect that all my questions will be answered because God is infinite and there will always be more to learn about Him. However, I do expect to know more of Him as the dirty veil Satan has put over our religious eyes is removed. And everything will be vetted through Scripture and Holy Spirit's counsel.

To begin with, let me explain why I consider the Books of Jasher and Enoch to be credible resources. Both are referenced in the Bible, and although I understand that our current Bible has gone through many translations and transformations through the centuries, I believe that what we have is still divinely inspired and God is still speaking through it for our edification and sanctification. The original manuscript of the Book of Jasher [or the Book of the Just, or Upright Man, as it has also been known] has been lost to history, and there have been forgeries down through the centuries. I have the Ancient Book of Jasher by Dr. Ken Johnson, in which he states, "The Book of Jasher was never considered to be inspired by God. It is simply an accurate history book". In that sense, it fills in so many of the gaps that our modern Bible has in the Genesis story -- specifically in the life of Abraham, for instance; all the while retaining the core truth presented in the Bible, along with God's righteous principles. 

Dr. Johnson writes that according to rabbinic legend, the Book of Jasher and several other ancient non-biblical Hebrew texts were brought from Jerusalem to Spain after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. One of the officers of Titus, Sidrus by name, was a believer in the God of the Hebrews. He made sure several sacred texts made it out of Jerusalem and into the Spanish city of Sevilia for safe-keeping. The sepharidic rabbis kept the texts safe and in the year AD 1613, the first official printed Hebrew copy of the Book of Jasher was published in Venice, Italy. The first translation from the Hebrew version of Jasher into English was completed in AD 1840. Again, it is a history book that relates ancient events in the history of the Hebrew race, and is referenced in Joshua 10:13, 2 Samuel 1:18 and 2 Timothy 3:8.

The Book of Enoch, on the other hand, is part of the liturgical canon of the Ethiopian Church and Eastern Orthodox Churches, but not included in Protestant canon. I find it interesting that it is quoted nearly verbatim in Jude, where it references the Genesis 6 incursion of fallen angels. Because Genesis 6:1-4 is so hotly debated in the Church [if it is ever discussed at all!], the First Book of Enoch is often declared heretical, even though it provides the story of Enoch being visited by evil Watchers [messengers] to intercede on their behalf for those evil deeds done on earth. He is also the recipient of how Satan gained access to the sacred knowledge God imparted to Adam and corrupted it, resulting in the origins of evil on the earth that we are still experiencing today. NOTE: the 2nd and 3rd Books of Enoch are considered forgeries and not credible.

So, I relate all this to let you know why I'm going on this journey. Genesis is the key to understanding the rest of the Bible. It holds so many gems of the origins of our faith; precepts and clues to why events unfold in the Bible the way they do, and the reasons for God's actions. But I want to start this series of revelations with sharing why it is important to understand Pre-Biblical history. Yes, the writings that became the Books of Jasher and Enoch existed before the Bible came into existence, but did you know that there is more evidence of God in the ancient stories and legends that we tend to dismiss as myths, fables, folk tales, and fantasy? Before I dive into even the first verse of the first chapter of Genesis, we must consider what ancient history tells us about God.

I think most Christians are either afraid to look at the myths and legends because it seems heretical and pagan, or a religious spirit whispers that those tales have nothing to do with our God, and therefore we might displease Him. But when you dive into their belief systems, you find some amazing similarities to stories in the Bible. I know, I know .... this often gives rise to agnostics and atheists who claim that our faith is just an extension of ancient fables. But did you ever consider that perhaps these legends were true? That it was God's way of communicating with ancient civilizations in language, experiences, and names/titles that were relevant to their time in history?

Let's consider a race of people from the region of southern Mesopotamia known as Sumer. These Sumerians were considered creators of civilization as modern humans understand it (existing between 4100 -1750 BC). They were known for their innovations in language, governance, architecture and more. There are quite a few Sumerian legends and writings that are similar to modern belief systems; they refer to an Age where "heroes of old" or superhuman deities [part man, part god] reigned over mortal man. In their writings, they spoke of a race of giant aliens from the planet Niburu, called the Annunaki. The word "Annunaki" means "Princely offspring" and "Those of royal blood". According to the Sumerians, the Annunaki were children created from the union of the supreme deity of their civilization, the god Anu, and Ki, who was the goddess of Earth. Is anybody else thinking of the pagan worship of Mother Earth that still exists today, or of the History channel's Ancient Aliens?

The Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh is recognized as the earliest surviving notable literature [written 2100 - 1200 BC], and the second oldest religious text. It consists of five Sumerian poems chronicling the history of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk. In the second half of the epic, Gilgamesh undertakes a long and perilous journey to discover the secret of eternal life. He eventually learns that "Life, which you look for, you will never find. For when the gods created man, they let death be his share, and life withheld in their own hands". Keep in mind this was written a couple of thousand years before Christ's birth! 

We also have the Greek legends of Titans as demigods of great strength, power, and height. All civilizations down through the centuries have shared some form of ancient legends of a powerful, giant-like race that were half-god, half-man -- not dissimilar to the Nephilim of Genesis 6:1-4. I do not relate these ancient legends to you in an effort to refute the account in Genesis 6, but rather to validate it! I believe God has been speaking to man down through the ages of the same event. Every civilization, age and epoch has recorded it, either in writing or oral form because it is true! They might have different names [as they became known in their own cultures and languages] but the nexus of all these stories --  from the Sumerians through Greek literature through Genesis and Revelation to even American Indian lore -- is that the ancient transcripts found in the Assyrian cuneiform tablets, the mythologies, and the legends from antiquity have a common theme with the Genesis account in Chapter 6. 

What are we to make of this? Do we dismiss it as mere mystery as the secularists wish? Do we disregard it as being unworthy of study as those with scientific minds suggest? Are they all just fanciful imaginations of men who need something greater than themselves to believe in? As I go forward with where my study is taking me, I promise you that standard theology will no longer apply. Will you be willing to view God as bigger and greater and older and more sovereign than you've ever considered Him? Set aside any doubts or skepticism that you might have from this incomplete and oversimplified post that I've written. I just wanted to give you a starting point to begin this journey with me and see if you are able to read the Book of Genesis in a new light; a profound Light of greater Truth. I hope you're as excited as I am!

John 1:1    In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (the eternal Message, the creative Word, and the Living Expression of God made visible), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.

I'm A Christian Contrarian, And I Wouldn't Change A Thing!

It has taken me a while to come to the realization that I'm a contrarian by nature, and when you add "Christian" to that identity, it has led me on an interesting path in my faith life. So you know where I'm coming from, let me define "contrarian" as it pertains to me -- and I'm pretty sure to a growing number of my Christian brethren. I'm a person who is not afraid to question or look deeper into conventional beliefs, opinions, views, or philosophies. I do not "go along with the crowd" for the sake of needing to belong with the majority. I guess the simplest way to describe it would be to say I'm a seeker of truth, not a blind endorser of conventional or prevailing philosophies. That doesn't mean that I reject traditional or mainstream thinking. I am simply not a mindless follower. I'm sure many of you identity with me.

When it comes to my faith, I am a believer that attempts to be as Biblically correct as possible [in my understanding], even when my views and opinions are unpopular or do not follow the status quo of accepted Church doctrine. Again, my goal is not to willfully and purposely reject established teachings, but to correctly discern God's message. I just want to be as close to God's perspective as it is possible for me to be. That has often resulted in finding myself outside accepted interpretations, but rewarded with a richer understanding of God's original purpose for inspiring the Scripture. As you can imagine, that doesn't always mean I'm welcomed with open arms in religious circles, but I'm okay with that. I have a greater fear [as in awe and reverence] of my Lord, than I have a fear of man.

You see, I often hear that my understandings of Scripture are not "biblically correct" because they can't be found in chapter and verse in any of the various translations. They are often purported to be false or misconceptions; even myths made up by men. So I guess that would put me in company with C.S. Lewis, who is quoted as saying, "All myth is an attempt to shine light on truth. True Myth is the ultimate Light shining on the ultimate Truth". As an example of C.S. Lewis's thoughts on this subject of divining God's Truth from myth, consider this example he gave ... Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us in the same way as the others, but with a tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content with accepting it in the same way, remembering that it is God's myth where the other's are men's myths. In other words, the pagan stories are God expressing Himself through the minds of poets, using such images as He found there, while Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things'." 

Are you with me so far? All the stories and myths and fables [many of them written down and preserved] from antiquity that mirror the "God stories", including a death and resurrection component, are often dismissed by modern Christians as "pagan" because they can't be found written in whatever version of the Bible they believe is the best one. And they are often relegated to the genre of "mythology" and dismissed as having any veracity. But the pride in which we view our twenty-first century knowledge of Scripture misses the possibility that those ancient myths still exist because it was God speaking to those writers in their time, and in their languages and images that their faculties could understand; that He was choosing to give "a description of Himself" in a way that fit their experience and ability to comprehend. Does it occur to anyone today that our "doctrines" are simply how our faculties and minds have translated the concepts and ideas that God revealed to later "poets" and "writers" that resulted in our Bible? And please know that I recognize the divinity of our Bible and do not mean to say that all writings throughout antiquity have been God-inspired, and therefore deserve equal status with the Bible. I merely want to present the idea that some "myths" may actually carry the seed of God's Truth and are worthy of consideration as we study to filter through the prejudices against them.

All that being said, as a Christian contrarian, I firmly believe it is not my duty nor responsibility to persuade or convince someone of the "rightness" of my own reasoning in spiritual or Biblical matters. In fact, I am more interested in sharing what I've discovered in the hopes that it will encourage others to do their own research and reap the joy and blessings of receiving more of God. Make no mistake, I'm not afraid to present a different view from mainstream Christian thinking or well-established doctrinal positions. But I don't do it out of rebellion or a desire to confuse or cause skepticism [about the Bible] among the faithful. In other words, I'm not out to disagree for the sake of disagreement, but rather to search out the real truth of God's heart on a specific matter instead of simply accepting man's interpretation. In that sense, I am convicted about researching the literal meaning of words, the cultural context in which Scripture was written, letting Scripture interpret Scripture, and listening to what Holy Spirit counsels.  And that sometimes puts me at odds with conventional Church understanding. So be it.

To be honest, I welcome more contrarians like myself. I do not want to see our faith and beliefs become subject to a method of interpreting Scripture according to what is agreed upon by a majority. That comes dangerously close to what is called "groupthink", and I hope we can agree that our society, our culture, and yes, even our churches have fallen prey to this psychological phenomenon. Groupthink occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Cohesiveness, or the desire for cohesiveness, in a group may produce a tendency among its members to agree at all costs. The Word of God deserves greater consideration!

I fear that as history takes us further down the road toward the persecution of Believers [that Jesus prophecies in Matthew 24], we will see the "go along to get along" attitude of the Church that has resulted in compromised denominations. As the pressure increases upon the Body of Christ to conform to accepted practices and ideologies, the need for more Christian contrarian voices will be vitally important. We must be diligent to resist calling them heretical, New Age, or some other derogatory epithet just because they refer to an ancient or pagan myth in clarifying some point of Scripture.

 For instance, I'd like to share this opinion from Apologetics Press and Dr. Caleb Colley: "Many times in Scripture, inspired writers use other sources of information; sometimes these sources are inspired, and sometimes they are not. For an example, one occasion when an inspired writer used an uninspired source is in 1 Corinthians 10:4, where [the Apostle] Paul apparently made a reference to Jewish legend to support his own inspired interpretation of Israel’s wilderness wanderings (Lenski, 1937, pp. 392-393). On other occasions (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12-13), Paul quoted from pagan poets to support his own assertions, and even told his audiences that the specific portions of the pagan writings he referenced were accurate. Did Paul claim that these extrabiblical materials were inspired? Certainly not. Paul used supporting materials that would have been meaningful to his audiences. The noncanonical works that were cited by New Testament authors were highly respected. The fact that Paul used noncanonical sources to add an extra dimension to his message should not motivate us to regard any of Paul’s writings as inferior, or to totally disregard them."

Now, you may or may not agree with this opinion, but can you see that this additional information about the sources of Paul's writings adds another dimension to the understanding of them? For me, I am able to discern that God inspired Paul to use those sources, and in no way does it disparage the Truth of the Bible. It stands as it does today, sufficient for the spiritual needs of Christians. But I also believe that God can and will use contrarians such as Paul, and writers and believers like C.S. Lewis and Dr. Colley [and in some small way, even myself] to broaden and expand revelation and understanding in order to shine His ultimate Light on His ultimate Truth. I stand convicted ... I am a Christian Contrarian, and subject to the divine inspiration of my God as I search for more of that ultimate Truth!

Acts 17:28    For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being], as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

Stranger In A Foreign Land

I wonder how many of you are beginning to feel like me; like I've woken from a long sleep to find myself in a strange place I no longer recognize. I know that, according to the world, I am a citizen of the United States. But I also know that on a higher level, my citizenship is in Heaven. Until recently, I have been satisfied that those two identities could co-exist in harmony. But increasingly, I am coming to understand that compromise is the only way my heavenly citizenship can comply with my national residency -- and my spirit finds that intolerable. 

It's hard to believe but it was less than two years ago that I wrote this for my book, Through A Kingdom Lens: Rediscovering What the Church Lost  --  "I think we can all agree that, as citizens of the United States, we have rights, privileges, and responsibilities. On a civil and public level, we are called upon to respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others; even if we think they are extreme, outrageous, or morally wrong. We know that if we are born in the United States, we legally belong to this country and we have the rights and protection of this country."  

Sadly, I'm not so sure I can say that today. Therefore, my citizenship in Heaven has become that much more precious to me. In fact, my identity and value as a citizen of Heaven is more valuable and costly to me than my recognition as an American. In fact, I find it harder and harder to recognize my native land. It's as if I clearly see the foreign and spiritual influences which are eroding the foundation of our moral underpinning. Our cornerstone of freedom and liberty is being chipped away, and I'm not sure we still possess an imperishable faith in God that will withstand the assault on our way of life.

I can't help but think of what it must have been like for the ancient Israelites to be carried into bondage in Babylon. I know it took approximately 50 years for the fullness of the exile to be completed, but I wonder if they recognized the slow slide of their nation into captivity, or did they willingly allow compromise and disobedience to lead them away from God? The rebelliousness in the House of David continued through Solomon and his son, and eventually led to the tribes of Israel carried into captivity in Assyria and Babylon. They abandoned their covenant with God -- who takes His covenants very seriously -- and their apostasy delivered them into His righteous judgment.

It seems to me that we have followed the same path, ignoring the covenant made by God with men He chose to set the spiritual destiny of this nation. One of these men was John Winthrop, a Puritan and leading figure in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Here are his prophetic words: "Thus stands the cause between God and us. We are entered into covenant with Him for this work. The Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us, as His own people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness and truth … We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies.” But there came a warning with this prophecy. Winthrop also said this: “If we shall deal falsely with our God; if our hearts shall turn away so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced and worship other Gods, and serve them, then our blessings will cease to exist”. 

It is not difficult to discern those "gods" which are so evident in our society: profit, greed, power, material possessions, lust, etc. The rebelliousness has led to altars being built to worship abortion, sex trafficking, false religions, and more. And it's not hard to see that our blessings are in grave danger of being eradicated. In ancient Israel, the entire national structure of the kingdom, which was thought to be ordained by God Himself, came crashing down. It certainly seems as if we are on the precipice of experiencing such destruction ourselves. As the Bible Project website records, "The event [in Israel] fulfilled centuries of prophetic warnings, as hundreds of years of tradition, culture, and history was destroyed in just one year. This was their Day of the Lord, and it left them absolutely devastated."

Our country is far less established; not yet 250 years old. How much quicker can we be destroyed? And I want to be clear ... we serve a God who remains committed to His promises to us, even as we have been unfaithful to our covenant obligations to Him. So, even in the midst of our despair over the current situation in our nation, I believe that IF God ordains that our national structure will crumble and fall, He will empower a remnant of the truly faithful to carry forth His Word. Although He is a righteous God, whose nature calls for punishment and discipline for the disobedient, He is also a God of compassion and restoration. It is not His will to leave this nation barren and unfruitful. That long-ago covenant has deep roots, and I believe new seeds of holiness can sprout from the ashes of whatever is in store for our future. 

Nearly a year ago, I shared a prayer that a Messianic pastor in Israel had written for America. He spoke from his own national history of seeing restoration rise from captivity. He declared that America was birthed out of covenant with the Lord and we have justice and righteousness engraved in our foundation. He declared that the Lord's purposes and dreams [for America] would be fulfilled. Oh, how I pray that his prophetic words will come true! Lord, let me part of the remnant that sees the kingdoms of the world become the Kingdom of God. Make no mistake, I fear it will become worse before it becomes better. But our God never abandons His promises! Let us invite the Most High God to once again establish His statutes, ordinances, and laws in this great nation, and declare that He is our God and we are His people. We stand at a very critical crossroads.... for our nation; for our society and culture; for the world's population; for the Body of Christ. In my flesh, I may feel like a stranger in a foreign land, but my spirit is strong and confident in identifying my true Homeland where my King intercedes for us. Stay committed to your personal covenant with Him, and pray that our time of disobedience is soon over.

Psalm 106:45   And He remembered His covenant for their sake,
And relented [rescinding their sentence] according to the greatness of His lovingkindness [when they cried out to Him],

Inquiring Minds Want To Know...

I've always loved the study of history, both in the modern age and ancient Biblical history. I've got an inquisitive mind and am not likely to accept a tradition or ritual simply because the masses are willing to believe whatever explanations are given to them. And I have been guilty of spending hours and days chasing down meanings of words and the cultural context of ideas and philosophies. In the past week, here are two that have kept me occupied ...

I'm always fascinated when new terminology seems to take the Body of Christ by storm. All of a sudden, it will seem as if a word or phrase comes into vogue and it becomes the latest buzzword in Christian circles. It may be a term that has been around for awhile, but it is as if it suddenly has a light shined on it, and its popularity soars. Such a word (to me, at least) is kairos. If my understanding is correct, this word (in Biblical terms) refers to "an appointed time"; ostensibly by God. It represents the right season or a fitting opportunity. 

Crosswalk.com gives an excellent example of how the Body of Christ would understand this word in Scripture. For example, in Luke 1:20, Zechariah didn’t believe the news when God’s angel revealed Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, would give birth to a prophet, so the angel told Zechariah he would not be able to speak until this miracle did indeed happen. As the angel said, “And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time” (Luke 1:20). The original Greek used here was kairon, a version of kairos, translated by scholars into English as the “appointed time [or season].” Further in the article, it is explained that kairos is also seen as "the time seen from the divine side." 

I have also heard it referenced many times that this season we are in, the season of birth pangs leading up to the Day of the Lord, is a kairos time -- fixed [in time] by Him, and to be used for His purposes. We may not know the day or the hour of these specific God-ordained times, but we should be sensitive and discerning of them; knowing that they are favorable opportunities given to us [by God], and recognizing that they are given to us to share God's will and His glory.

So, I found it interesting when Crosswalk referred to seeing kairos "from the divine side". Of course the word divine recalls a meaning of "godlike". But, did you know that there is a significance to the word kairos that is not Biblical? Did you know that Kairos was celebrated as a god in Greek mythology?  According to several websites I researched, he was usually considered the minor son of Zeus, and half-sibling to Hermes. The website, Greek Gods and Goddesses, says that Kairos was the Greek god of opportunity, and was in fact, considered a spirit. He personified the favorable moment which comes and passes quickly.

I also found it interesting that in front of the ancient stadium at Olympia there were two altars, one dedicated to Hermes and the other one to Kairos. The stadium was a holy place to the ancient Greeks, where all the sports activities were dedicated to the god, Zeus. Kairos was seen in the intelligence of Athena, in the love of Eros and even in the wine of Dionysus. Later, in the genealogy of the gods, he seems to be associated with all of them, as a manifestation of a specific moment. Now, I do not point out the association of a false god in the Greek pantheon as a way to discredit our Christian notion of a kairos moment; and I do not mean to suggest that the connection equates our Most High God with the worship of false gods. I merely wanted to show you that we in the 21st Century are not always the innovator of our theology. Nor do we always have a full understanding of the context of our belief system.

And speaking of theology, that idea is also evident in the second terminology that I found myself researching with a heart to know more about its origins. It is commonplace among Christians today, during the sacred ritual of baptism to have it spoken over them, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost". Yet, when the Holy Spirit falls on the 120 or so disciples of Jesus at Pentecost, the multitudes of Jews who were there for Passover, heard them telling of the mighty works of God in their own languages. They asked Peter and the apostles, "What shall we do?" Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Why would the Bible record Jesus giving His disciples one instruction in Matthew 28:19, and then record Peter, who had received that instruction from Jesus, giving a different command in Acts 2:38? 

Once again, we, in the 21st Century, should not assume that our "formula" is necessarily correct just because we are supposedly an advanced society. I know the differences in these two Scriptures has been a stumbling block within the Body of Christ and caused needless conflict. We can get a historical perspective by understanding the following ... we need to recognize that our Bibles have been translated and re-translated many times. That doesn't mean I am saying the Bible is corrupt. I acknowledge that the Spirit of God will always give us correct revelation and interpretation of God's Word. But it is also true that Satan has influenced men to try to change the understanding of Scripture and it is up to us to search out the truth of what God wants revealed. That being said, in reality, both of the baptism Scriptures can be seen as correct when looked through the lens of historical and spiritual perspective.

Let's look at how the historical and the spiritual intersect. Baptism was nothing new to those participants at Pentecost. It had long been a purification ritual for pagan conversions into Judaism. It was seen and practiced as a cleansing water-washing initiation by different sects of Judaism, by John the Baptist, and by rabbis, who all baptized their disciples. But when Jesus gave His Disciples the Great Commission in Matthew 28, He was distinguishing His baptism from all others, declaring that it was to be conducted with the full authority of God in Heaven, and in all the fullness of Him (as Father, Son and Holy Spirit). It was spoken by Jesus as a command that would bind all nations under the fullness of the Godhead. When Peter was given the opportunity to instruct the multitude gathered in Jerusalem for Passover, his assignment was to bring these Jewish people to and understanding [of], and submission [to] Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus came to the nation of Israel. To expect them to understand that He had ultimately come for "all the nations" would have lost them and impeded the process of their coming to Christ as the Messiah.

So, in theory, both expressions are correct. Jesus is both the Messiah that Israel has been waiting for, and the fullness of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in one person that has come to the nations. It is appropriate to baptize someone in either name or names. I am a woman, a wife, and a sister. But I'm not three separate persons. All those "names" identify me as the one person named Pam. They represent different parts of my identity and character. So it is with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being identified as the ONE, true God. I don't really get worked up over which is the correct usage for a baptism.

But there is another concept I want you to consider. In the First Century Church, Messianic Jews were a significant portion of the "Body of Believers". They accepted Jesus as the Messiah and followed His ways. But as he always does, Satan seeks to cause conflict and division among God's people. That came to a climax in the 4th Century when the Emperor Constantine, who hated the Jews, sought to drive them from Christianity. Knowing their religion was monotheistic (in contrast with the polytheistic nations who worshiped multiple gods), Constantine changed the baptism tradition so that people were baptized in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, rather than in the name of Jesus. He caused confusion by instituting the religious concept of the Trinity (intimating that Christians worshiped three Gods instead of the one God, YHWH, of Judaism).

I bring these two ideas to you in the hope that you can appreciate how important it is that our spirits be at one with the Holy Spirit; seeking His guidance for the context and the culture of Scripture. In the end, neither of these two ideas I've presented should change anyone's faith. But I have found that a fuller knowledge of history and the Bible can enhance our opportunities to witness to someone who doesn't know Jesus, or who doubts in the importance of faith in Him. As Christians, we must be able to defend our faith and be prepared to answer the sometimes unanswerable questions to bring someone into the Kingdom of God. So do not embrace skepticism, but seek Godly knowledge and wisdom. You just may be the instrument God uses to give eternal life to someone.

2 Timothy 4:2    Preach the Word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
 

Will We Christians Recognize God's Strong Delusion?

 

Those of us who are Christians with discerning hearts and spirits are aware that lawlessness is on growing/ There are spirits of anarchy, chaos, and rebellion that seem to have been given free reign over the land. And we are all aware that it won't be long before the Man of Lawlessness, as prophesied in the Bible, appears on the scene and is revealed. In 2 Thessalonians 2, we learn that this son of destruction will oppose the worship of any other god besides himself; and indeed, will exalt himself above the One True God, seating himself in the temple of God [in Jerusalem], and proclaiming himself to be God. We can take courage, though, because the Bible tells us that the appearance of this imposter is a sign that the Lord Jesus will soon appear and kill him with the breath of His mouth! 

But how has this blasphemous and profane man found his way upon the world stage? Again, the Bible gives us the answer ... "by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." As Christians, we know that Satan has the ability to fool and deceive many into rejecting the salvation that Jesus offers. But surely that warning to "those who are perishing" can't apply to us who call ourselves saved and believers! Or can it? Remember, that Jesus, Himself, in Matthew, Chapter 24, refers to the prophecy of Daniel that there will be an abomination in the House of the Lord when a usurper stands in the Holy Place. This will be a future Man of Lawlessness who perverts the sanctity of God's House. Jesus goes on to warn that there will be great persecution against His followers, and "false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." But how can that happen? How could people who consider themselves strong believers possibly be so deceived? We find the answer in 2 Thessalonians 2 ... "Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Surely, that only refers to those who persistently reject Jesus as the Son of God, denying His redemptive death on the Cross for our sins and denying His resurrection to eternal life. But I would ask you to consider this ... again, I want to emphasize God's Immutable (Never-Changing) Nature. As tired as you may be of hearing it, He truly is the same as He was yesterday, is today, and will be tomorrow. So, we must recognize that God lets us know throughout the Bible that Judgment is part of His character and nature. The Book of Psalms is full of descriptors of His Judgment:  It is true; it is in all the earth; He has established His throne for Judgment; and He will most assuredly execute His Judgment.

But there is another topic that surrounds this theme of "Judgment", and it can be found in both the Old and New Testaments.  In Ezekiel, Chapter 9, God shows the prophet a vision of an effectual slaughter of the people of Israel for the abominations they have committed against Him.  Ezekiel sees God commanding an angel to put a mark on the foreheads of those who mourned over the sinfulness and kept themselves apart from it.  Then come the devastating words of the Lord: Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary. It is quite apparent that God's Judgment is swift and terrible, and His Judgment begins with His sanctuary. We, my friends, are His sanctuary today! We, as individuals and the corporate "Church" are His dwelling place on the earth. But soon, there will be a man who will arise, and being full of deception, he will perform great signs and wonders, so that he will be able to deceive even the elect -- if it is possible. 

How can it be possible to deceive the elect? Let's start with 1 Peter 4:17, which says, For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Note that Peter says "for those who do not obey the gospel of God". Not "believe" but "obey" the gospel of God! First of all, the gospel of God includes all the good news of His nature, His character, His mercy, His love, and His laws. Can today's Church honestly say that they have obeyed His statues and His instruction to us? Have we followed His strict mandates for how He desires we worship, honor, and obey Him? Or have we followed our own hearts and compromised with the world so His House looks less like Him and more like what pleases us?

And has the modern church considered which gospel Peter is talking about? Is it the gospel of Salvation or the gospel of the Kingdom? Oh, we understand the gospel of Salvation pretty well and most of us will say we have obeyed its tenets. But remember, there are strong warnings to those who refused to "love the truth", thereby allowing themselves to be deceived and deluded. What is the truth? Yes, Jesus came to die for our sins, but He came for so much more! 

He came to re-establish His Father's kingdom on earth and to share the good news that the dominion of the earth could be ours again. Yes, His death gives us the choice to choose eternal life through faith in Him, but that salvation is just the first step. We cannot even see [or understand] what the Kingdom of God on earth is to be until we've been saved, and we cannot enter [or be a part of] the Kingdom [as citizens of heaven on earth] until we've been saved. Jesus, Himself, states that in John 3:1-5. Yet so much of "the Church" hasn't embraced and "loved this truth". Furthermore, we are commanded to take back dominion of the earth by healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, and spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom to all earth's inhabitants. Those actions can [and should] be done by every Christian in order to defeat Satan's kingdom. 

We are not to simply receive our salvation and live out the rest of our lives waiting to die and go to Heaven! I believe our refusal to obey these commandments, once we have acknowledged their truth, are grounds for condemnation at the throne of God... "each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). God desires more FOR us than our salvation. And He desires more FROM us -- that we enter His Kingdom, do all that He commands us on earth, and receive our inheritance in Heaven. That is the "bigger truth" of our faith.

So, back to this "strong delusion" from God. What might it look like? First, let's establish what the ancient writers would have meant by using that word delusion. It's interesting that in the Hebrew, the word can describe "a tyrant", which would certainly be indicative of the Man of Lawlessness. In the Greek, the word means fraudulent; a straying from orthodoxy or piety; wrong opinion; a forsaking of the right path (whether in doctrine or in morals); a wrong opinion or error in morals or religion. So, does the Bible give us any clues as to what this delusion could look like and how people could [and will] fall for it?  We just need to look to the Book of Revelation to see the vision...

This important and last Book of the Bible holds the key to answering our questions. It speaks in Chapters 12 and13 of several "players" in this great delusion. We have a dragon, who is Satan. And we see a beast, who was given the dragon's power, throne and authority. This is the Anti-Christ. We have another beast with two horns "like a lamb", who is the False Prophet. Hopefully, you are seeing that Satan is counterfeiting God's true hierarchy. Jesus, is of course the True Lamb, who shares in the Father's power, throne and authority. He was considered a great prophet in His day and proven to be the true Messiah. The beast, who is "like a lamb", will be a False Prophet [in the manner of John the Baptist}, who will be declared to be "like Elijah" [just as John was] and who is commissioned to make way for the appearance of the False Messiah [just as John made way for the true Messiah]. It is the False Prophet who will do great and miraculous signs and wonders [counterfeiting those of Jesus] and who will establish a one-world religion, with the objective of bringing about the crowning of the False Messiah. His call for a "universal church", blending all religions into one, will be a tempting message to those in the world who are tired of the persecution, strife and chaos that will be rife in the world. He will speak of "love" and "peace", which will be comforting words to ears that are desperate to hear them... especially Christians!

But we must not be deceived! We must hold fast to Jesus' warning that "false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect."  In fact, He tells us that many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another.  And again, Satan will counterfeit God's moves. In Ezekiel 9, God placed a mark on the foreheads of those who remained righteous and followed His precepts, keeping themselves separate from those who followed evil. Satan will cause a mark to be placed on the right hand or the forehead of those willing to go along with the False Prophet's enticing agenda. And just like God, Satan will destroy those who do not have the mark.

I cannot stress enough how important it is that the Household of God be aware of what is coming! We cannot bury out heads in the sand and pretend that what the Bible prophesies will not happen. What is spoken of in Ezekiel, 1 Corinthians, 2 Thessalonians, and the Book of Revelation will take place! There will be a fiery test of the quality of one's faith.  In other words, there will be a process of judgment that leads to a decision [by God], resulting from His investigation.  Those who are sealed with the mark of true faith will be exempt from the Judgment. Make no mistake ... there is a Man of Lawlessness waiting in the wings, and there is a strong delusion coming from God to separate the truly righteous from the pretenders. I pray the foundation of your life has been laid with the fullness of Jesus's truth and Gospels. May the true Church expose the deception of the Enemy and guide the faithful through the delusion that will cause many to fall away from their faith. To God be the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever and ever! Amen! 

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1 Samuel 15:23    For rebellion is as [serious as] the sin of divination (fortune-telling), And disobedience is as [serious as] false religion and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you as king.”

 

From 2012 to Today... A Study Of Psalm 91:7-8

 

A thousand may fall at your side,

    ten thousand at your right hand,

    but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes

    and see the punishment of the wicked.

 

In 2012, I wrote a post on these two verses of Psalm 91, and in revisiting it, I found it is even more relevant these nearly nine years later. The same questions I asked then are ones I would like to present to you today ... Do you take the words of this Scripture literally, or do you think they are figurative, or symbolic? As a Christian, do you have the courage to believe that God means this literally in His promise of protection?  Is it possible that this could mean exactly what it says, and we could miss out on the promise by doubting its veracity? I want to examine what the Holy Spirit prompted me to write nine years ago and see if there is more revelation [in light of where we are on the timeline of the final destiny of mankind].
 
As I look back on our recent history, the year 2012 seems to have been the harbinger for the slide into moral decay and lawlessness that now runs rampant in our nation. We saw the beginning of more intrusions in our lives with the Obama healthcare policies. The visible corruption within our national security agencies found many Americans beginning to distrust those whose job it is to protect us from enemies, foreign and domestic. Mass shootings seemed to explode across the land: Aurora, CO and the Batman movie massacre; the shootings at a Sikh Temple; the Empire State Building, and the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings all dominated the headlines.  We also saw the first big case of pedophilia hit the news cycle, when Jerry Sandusky, Penn State's former defensive coordinator, was sentenced to 60 years in prison for child sex abuse. We also saw Lance Armstrong fall from grace when he was banned from cycling for life for doping. Hurricane Sandy killed 130 people, and the nation was outraged [and still is] over the failure of those at the highest level of our government to protect and rescue the heroes of Benghazi. It was a rough year. 
So, at the time, I felt it was pertinent to ask the important question ... Do we believe what these two significant verses promise? And as we find ourselves in even more dire straits in 2021, the question is the same, and probably even more relevant. It will be very important in the coming months how you answer that question because I think it is safe to say that not everyone will benefit from these promises. Like all the other promises in Psalm 91, these two are available to all; but only those who believe what God says in His Holy Word, and hold fast to the promises within, will receive the benefits. So we must choose to believe and trust His Word!
 
Why is Psalm 91:7-8 more significant today? Nine years ago, we might have contemplated that the End Times were approaching. Today, I would surmise that most of us perceive we may even see the return of Christ in our lifetimes; or at least the lifetimes of our children or grandchildren. I want you to think about verse 6 that precedes the two I am pointing out today ... [You will not be afraid] of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction (sudden death) that lays waste at noon. We have certainly seen this prophecy fulfilled in the last year! God knew that there would be times when we would be overwhelmed with all the negative reports of life around us and in the world.  That is why He is warning us in this verse that thousands will fall around us; they will not only cave in to the doubts and worries of spiritual warfare coming against us, but could be consumed by the actual real-life events that we are experiencing (wars and rumors of wars from our foreign enemies; betrayal of our leaders; viruses and diseases; human trafficking; invasion at our borders). 

 

At this point we have to choose whether we will believe and trust; running to that shelter of the Most High, where He promised we would find rest (and safety) in His shadow. That's the first promise! But as I've told you before, this takes action on our part.  He offers the promises of protection, but we must choose to claim them!  Otherwise, we find ourselves, along with the rest of the world, passively accepting the consequences of "the destruction" that is befalling the thousands at our side, and the ten thousands at our right.  What I hope you will see is that Psalm 91 is a complete covenant package of protection.  It covers all the evils known to mankind, and God tells us how to claim His protection over them all! 

 

So, let's take a look at another promise in Psalm 91 ... You will only [be a spectator as you] look on with your eyes and witness the [divine] repayment of the wicked [as you watch safely from the shelter of the Most High]. Here God is telling us that we will see His judgment! I believe we are already beginning to see it as He exposes the corruption and perversion in the high places of the powerful.  Sooner or later, every sin will be exposed and paid for.  We are seeing that begin to happen today in the case of child sex predators, election fraud, and the unmasking of corrupt "science". Nothing will go unpunished. And I think this verse is telling us that if we seek His protection from the evil that is causing those around us to fall, that protection will include a sort of detachment; we will see it and not let it become part of us.  Our protection keeps us from letting the Enemy's hate become a part of us.  By believing and trusting in God's protection promises, we are putting ourselves in a separate category from the wicked mentioned in the verse, as well as the doubters and unbelievers.

 

But I must give a cautionary warning about Psalm 91. It does not promise protection from persecution. As Peggy Joyce Ruth, the author of the book, Psalm 91, says:  "There is a difference in the destruction of the enemy [as outlined in this Psalm] and persecution for the sake of the Gospels of Kingdom and Salvation."  In truth, Jesus, himself, told us that if we follow Him, we can expect to be persecuted. Jesus suffered persecution, but He did not face calamity, disaster, disease, or catastrophes. This verse lets us know to expect that spiritual warfare will be a part of our Christian walk, even as we suffer physical and spiritual attacks. The words of this verse are not written just to inspire or comfort us, but to provide protection and deliverance from the attacks of the Enemy.

 

The rest of Psalm 91 provides more promises: no evil will befall us; no plague come near our dwellings (SO relevant today!); God will command His angels to protect, defend and guard us as we continue in service and obedience to Him; we will tread on our enemies and trample them underfoot; He will be with us in our time of trouble [persecution]; He will rescue us and honor us; He will satisfy us with a long life and we will receive our eternal salvation. BUT, it is very important that you see the condition God has placed on these promises. The wonderful promises of Psalm 91 are dependent upon one’s meeting the conditions stated in the first two verses, as evidenced in the words of verse 9: Because you have made the Lord your refuge and your dwelling place, you can remain secure and rest in His Shadow [whose power no Enemy can withstand].

 

And I want to share the testimony of a reader who so vividly captured the truth of what it means to choose to believe the promises of this powerful psalm. He wrote to me about a year ago, after stumbling across the 2012 post I wrote, and this is what he said ... "Never was Psalm 91 more relevant to mankind than today. Your explanation of Psalm 91 is what the Holy Spirit has been revealing to me over the last few weeks, as the Corona Virus brings the whole World to its knees. Although at age 78 I am in the at-higher-risk category, I have no fear, because I trust in God's promises in Psalm 91. Until recently (schools have been closed due to the Pandemic) I have been teaching scripture to Primary School boys and girls. Last year the syllabus dealt with God's promises. I taught the kids, as the Bible teaches us, that when God makes a promise, He Keeps it! I was so happy to observe [that] the children accepted this truth so eagerly. Whenever I would use [in class] the phrase 'God makes a Promise', the whole class would rise in unison, punch the air with their little fists and shout out loud, 'He always keeps it'! I pray they will never forget this truth. It is clear to me (like you) that only those who truly believe in the promises of Psalm 91 will receive the protection from God which is promised in this Psalm".

 

So, I ask the same question in 2021 that I asked in 2012, because I discern the gravity of our situation, and the heart of the Father that we earnestly believe in His promises so that we might not be deprived of them. He longs for us all to have a depth to our faith; a very real confidence and trust in Him. We must not just say the words, but believe them to our core; live them, and embed them in our hearts. I pray that each of you will examine your hearts to know if you truly trust Him. The promises of God are real, but the benefits are not available to everyone. Hold fast to them and don't let go!  

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What Does The Lord Require Of A Nation?

At the end of my last post, I made the following statement: "We must recognize that our God and His ways are eternal; they are unchanging. And the words He spoke through His messenger Micah, nearly 2800 years ago, still ring true." If you read that post, and if you have taken the time to read the short Book of Micah, then you cannot deny that God spoke through the prophet Micah about ancient Israel's persistent rebellion and wickedness. The prophet made it clear that the earth and all men in it should be aware that the Lord God will be a witness against those who choose evil over righteousness. Micah particularly spoke against those who would use their social or political power for personal gain.

Micah warned that God would come down from His Holy Temple in Heaven and "tread upon the high places" and the worship of false idols. The Bible issues a strong warning against the oppressors, saying God is going "to devise disaster from which the rebellious will not be able to remove their necks". The rebellious nation will no longer walk in haughtiness [acting arrogantly superior and disdainful], "for it will be a time of disaster". 

Rulers and prophets of a nation who hate good and love evil will be denounced for all the sin they have engaged in; for the depraved and cruel things they have perpetrated. The Bible makes it clear God will bring a day of retribution for the leaders and prophets "who lead His people astray". There will be retributive justice for leaders who cry "Peace" to those who feed and bribe them, but declare war against those who are unable to put anything into their gluttonous mouths. In those days, says Micah, "the day shall be black" over such leaders; they shall be put to shame, and "there is no answer from God".

We must take these warnings from this ancient prophet seriously. It is folly for us Christians to think that the words spoken to ancient Israel and Judah do not apply to our beloved nation. And it is equally foolish and reckless to ignore the sins of our nation that are right before our eyes ... if we care to look at them. Remember ... as I told you in the last post, our God is Immutable. He does not change His character. The nature of His moral qualities are the same today as they were 2800 years ago when He spoke through Micah. Yes, there were good and righteous followers of Jehovah in that day, just as there are today. But we must not think ourselves and our nation superior to the rebellious kings and their followers in Micah's day just because we've had centuries of human inventions that have made our lives more convenient. We may be more technically and industrially advanced, but that doesn't make us more obedient to God. Nor should we consider ourselves more "spiritually" superior because we think we have figured out all there is to understanding God. We must not let our pride elevate us above those we think less worthy. If anything, I'm afraid mankind has raised the philosophies of humanism and rationalism above a belief in a sovereign, supernatural God. 

NOTE: Humanism emphasizes man's potential apart from any supernatural Being, and makes man the moral authority in both the individual and society; we are all able and responsible to lead lives that are personally fulfilling while also contributing to the greater good of society. Rationalism is the philosophy that reason and experience should be the basis of our opinions and actions, instead of any religious or spiritual belief system. In other words, there is no moral absolute, such as the Bible. Whatever seems right to the individual, will be his or her standard for behavior.  As a character in a fiction book I'm reading, says, "It would be best for men to deal decently with one another in accordance with God's principles. But what are we to do if we have men to whom God is of no account?" I think we can all see how far that is from God's plan, mandates and statutes. 

There is plenty in the ancient Book of Micah, and in our modern understanding of how far we have strayed from God's righteous principles, to warrant concern over how God regards our nation and the world. And if you do not understand that Jesus is throughout the Old Testament, and along with God, the Father, took a stand against disobedience and man's refusal to stay faithful to a covenant with his Creator, then you probably find it difficult to read the whole counsel of God in the Bible. But I'm not here to just sound the alarm against rebellion. I also want everyone to know there is HOPE! 

In the same chapter of Micah that the prophet repeats the Lord's warnings against the Rulers and Prophets, this bold prophet also declares, "But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob [Israel] his transgression, and to Israel his sin." Will not God give us the same power, justice, and might, because we are filled the Holy Spirit? We can call upon our leaders to lean on the Lord and return to His ways and walk in His paths. 

Throughout the Bible's long history we get a picture of God's justice in juxtaposition to His power and grace to save a remnant for His Name's sake. In the words of the 19th Century Christian theologian Charles Ellicott, "The thundercloud of darkness that descended upon sin again and again was always contrasted with a glimpse of sunlight through the storm clouds." From Noah to Isaiah, to Jeremiah, Paul, and John, in the Book of Revelation -- there is a picture of God's righteous anger, condemnation and wrath followed by His declaration to deliver and save a remnant, chosen by grace. Micah is no different. And because we are created by an Immutable God, the standards He held for all those who have come before us, are the same standards He holds for us. The violence, greed and deceitfulness of powerful men is leading to a demoralized state among mankind. Freedoms that Christ died to give us are being eroded and we see children treating their parents with contempt; as Micah says, a man's enemies are the men of his own house.

So, while we can look at the history of the Bible and see that the leaders and the people did not listen to their watchmen concerning the coming judgment and wrath, we can also see that the watchmen never stopped declaring their confidence in the Lord to deliver a remnant. And as much as we want to believe that all the world will come to the Light of the Lord, the Bible doesn't tell us that. Yes, the Gospel of the Kingdom is going out to all the world and then the end [of the kingdom of darkness] will come as the Lord descends from His throne -- but that does not tell us that all the world will receive the hope that is in the Kingdom; just that they were given the opportunity to hear and accept the promises that come with Salvation to enter the Kingdom.

I think I am not the only whose spirit discerns a terrible wickedness that is coming. And if we are able to learn the lessons from our Bible, then we know that it is time to repent and mourn lost opportunities; and to know the possibility that God may once again, in His Sovereignty, decide to consign our deserved punishment to our enemies. Just as Nebuchadnezzar and the king of Assyria carried out God's discipline against His beloved but faithless people, so might He deliver us into the hands of our enemies -- if we do not repent and return to Him. But are our wounds incurable? Are we doomed? The Destroyer is approaching. We should not be concentrating on the trouble in our enemies' cities, but need to bewail it in our own.

It is my earnest desire that all who stumble across this little blog will take notice of God's promises of both His Justice and His Deliverance. Take heart! We will see marvelous and miraculous things! Our enemies will eventually be defeated! There will be a remnant for His inheritance because He does not retain His anger forever. He delights in His steadfast love for those who seek Him in perseverance and righteousness. He will be faithful to tread all of our iniquities underfoot and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. He will gather both Jew and Gentile to His bosom, as we, [all who remained the faithful remnant] reap the rewards of not bending our knee to the Enemy. Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride and rocky path we journey on, but if we hold to our testimony of Jesus, [and Him alone], we are assured of participating "in that day [when] the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of His people." The Lord, Himself, will come to lead His remnant of faithful children in a triumphant procession! Hallelujah!

Micah 6:8     He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

  

"Stop The Singing and Listen" -- The Words of The Prophet - Part 2

I often find myself wondering what it must have been like for the prophets of the Bible to receive the word of the Lord concerning His judgments upon their nations. They knew that what He instructed them to say would not be popular, and would be difficult to receive. Yet, they were obedient, often at great personal cost, to forewarn their countrymen of the coming justice from God's holy temple in Heaven.

Such was the experience of the prophet Micah, who lived from 740 BC - 670 BC. He was the first prophet to predict the destruction of Jerusalem, which was the capital of the ancient nation of Israel before its fragmentation into separate northern and southern kingdoms. Jerusalem then became the capital of the southern kingdom, Judah. 

Micah was an equal opportunity prophet, rebuking the northern kingdom of Israel [as well as Judah] of dishonesty in the marketplace and corruption in government. He announced impending doom and judgment from God for enriching themselves while impoverishing their citizens. He announced, on behalf of God, their transgressions, rebellion, and idolatry... something common to nearly all the prophets of the Bible. So, why am I focusing on this minor prophet? Because, as I said in the previous post, the Holy Spirit unexpectedly brought this short book of seven chapters to my attention. As I read it, I could not deny that Micah's messages to the princes/leaders and people of Jerusalem could just as easily be given to us. Let me share with you what my spirit heard...

Micah begins his message with the earnest appeal for the people -- all of them -- to pay attention because the Lord God is going to be a witness against them. He is going to be "coming out of His place" because of the transgressions [rebellion] of the house of Israel and Samaria. Now for a little history ... the direct transgression he is referring to is the division of the nation of Israel into the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. But this was all set in motion years before by King Solomon when he built two houses: the house of the Lord and his own palace, the king's house. He then prostituted himself with Hiram, the king of Tyre, to receive gold to build the houses and multiple his wealth. As if that wasn't enough, he took foreign wives from Egypt, Moab, Ammon and other pagan nations. It was an alliance not countenanced by God.

Solomon sold the king of Tyre cities in the land of Galilee, virtually selling the birthright of the nation of Israel. And because of this corrupt alliance, the taxes were raised to fund all that Solomon owned, resulting (after his death) in the conflict between the ten northern tribes, under the rulership of Jeroboam, and the two southern tribes, under the rulership of Rehoboam. Solomon's slide into idolatrous worship [against the manner of worship God had prescribed] eventually led to Jeroboam's own fall from grace. He had been Solomon's superintendent over the taxes and labor of the citizens to maintain Solomon's extravagant lifestyle. He was effective in that role; enough so, that the prophet Abijah revealed to Jeroboam God's intention to make him a ruler of a new kingdom. When, after Solomon's death, Jeroboam attempted to explain to Rehoboam, the heir to Solomon's throne, that the northern tribes were too burdened by the taxation and labor, their demands were rejected and the nation of Israel split in two. 

Both Israel and Judah would see their once prosperous and God-blessed nations slide into degeneracy and destruction. Jeroboam would altar the methods of worship that God had established by worshiping at the altars of pagan gods, appointing his own priests [from other than the tribe of Levi]; and changing the times of the Lord's Feasts. Rehoboam's leadership served the nation of Judah just as grievously. Using the trappings of power and wealth, he continued to burden his people with heavy taxes, and engaged in worshiping false gods, even to the point of giving a home in the Temple of Jehovah to heathen deities. The falling away from the ways of YHWH to worshiping false gods cost the people of ancient Israel dearly. God would use foreign kings and nations to discipline both kingdoms. The northern kingdom of Israel would be conquered by Assyria. From 740 BC to 722 BC the inhabitants were deported and taken into captivity; never to return to their homeland. Likewise, in 589 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem, and in 586 BC he destroyed the Temple and took the inhabitants of Judah into captivity for 70 years.

Both kingdoms traded their unique and blessed inheritance from the Lord for worldly wealth and power. In fact, they traded those blessings they had received from God and transferred them to foreign countries. All this is prophesied by the prophet Micah ... All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place [site of idol worship] of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country ... All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, all her wages shall be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay waste, for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return (Micah 1:5-7).

I can't help but see a similarity to the sins of our nation. Have our leaders prostituted us to foreign nations for their own wealth and power? Have we entered into ungodly alliances with our enemies? Do our leaders seek to yoke us to heavier taxes and break the backs of the laborers instead of easing our burden?  Have we, as a people, abandoned our God-ordained ways of worship for ways that feed our souls instead of our spirits? Are we falling for soothing and appealing words of false teachers who encourage us to embrace all religions as the same, worshiping the same God? 

Micah 2:4 says, On that day they shall take up a [taunting, deriding] parable against you and wail with a doleful and bitter song of mourning and say, ‘We are completely destroyed! God exchanges the inheritance of my people; How He removes it from me! He divides our fields to the rebellious [our captors].’ I can't help but wonder if our enemies are mocking and taunting us in the same way. Will our leaders soon bemoan the state of the yoke they have placed upon us [by their immoral alliances]? Will they realize too late that the land they have taken from our hard-working citizens will be given into the hands of an idolatrous king?

And I know there are those who do not think that God's word against the ancient nation of Israel could possibly pertain to us. I hear all the time, that we are under the blood of Jesus, so we are not under the same condemnation or discipline that they were. But I will remind everyone that our God is Immutable, unchanging. It is not that He could change, but chooses not to. It is that He will always respond to everything according to His unchanging character. He is unchanging in who He is, in His perfection, in His purposes, and in His promises. So, while it may seem I only speak of doom and destruction; and it may be hard to accept that we are following this same path, and are deserving of His discipline, I will never fail to remind us all that by repenting, asking for forgiveness, and seeking His face, we can also be deserving of His promises.  

In order to receive those promises, we must be honest with ourselves. Not one of Israel's ancient kings restored the true worship of God. And the result was unavoidable national captivity. I do not believe it was our destiny to repeat that heresy. But I cannot ignore that this nation does not honor and glorify -- yet alone, worship Him -- the way He desires. Yes, there is a remnant that is desperately seeking to restore that Biblical model. We must recognize that our God and His ways are eternal; they are unchanging. And the words He spoke through His messenger Micah, nearly 2800 years ago, still ring true. Let us pray together and endeavor with might and purpose to change the trajectory of our nation so that we can avoid the downfall that is looming. We do not have to repeat the sins of the past!

Next: Micah's message of hope to this generation!  

Micah 2:1-2   Woe (judgment is coming) to those who devise wickedness and plot evil on their beds! When morning comes, they practice evil because it is in the power of their hands. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away. They oppress and rob a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.