Thursday, August 11, 2016

Yes, nations today are conscious of God’s Presence. “Political correctness” is having a detrimental effect on the Church IMO 519-2 - 24 - 2

In my opinion, many nations are conscious of God’s presence. Of course the disclaimer is these are the gods of their choice. However, Psalm 2:4, “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”
In my opinion it’s as if the world has lost its collective mind. Just a few recent examples.
Here in the United States we seek to open portals.
"Were They Seeking Contact With Real Demons Inside Alternate Dimensions? Behold The Secret CIA Programs That Inspired The Hit Series ‘Stranger Things"
[http://skywatchtv.com/2016/08/11/seeking-contact-real-demons-inside-alternate-dimensions-behold-secret-cia-programs-inspired-hit-series-stranger-things/]
China constructs a huge statue to a god of war.
Mammoth blade-wielding ‘God of War’ statue unveiled in China
“A 1,320-ton sculpture of the Chinese god of war “Guan Yu” has been unveiled in Jingzhou city, central China’s Hubei Province. The fearsome bearded warrior stands 58 meters tall and watches over the panorama of the city and its people with a grave and dignified bearing.”
[https://www.rt.com/viral/351647-guan-yu-china-statue/]
Scientists Given The Go Ahead To Mix Human & Animal DNA
Add to that cross breeding combining human and animal DNA. So many moral questions. What happens to the product of such a hybrid? Does a chimera have legal rights?
"Scientists Given The Go Ahead To Mix Human & Animal DNA"
[http://tmzuncut.com/scientists-given-the-go-ahead-to-mix-human-animal-dna/]
One only has to research the pagan gods such as Dagon sometimes pictured as a merman. Pagan priest would often dress in what looked like fish scales. As an aside, the Pope's "Mitre" hat is often call a fish head hat. The ancient Egyptians' national patron god Horus is usually depicted as a falcon-headed man. So do chimers harken back thousands of years? Is there really anything new under the sun?
As for the impact of “political correctness” on the Church and believers today, where does one start? God was kicked out of our school in the 60s, the era of free love. The U.S. Supreme Court made abortion legal in the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. Now two generations later, we have young people in college who need a safe place. As for Christianity, it has been referred to as child abuse in some allegations.
Churches have given the government major control over them to maintain their 501(c) tax exempt status. Prosperity tele-evangelist such as Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen are motivational speakers rather than presenter of the true gospel plus they have multimillion dollar estate. Winters I attend a Bible based Assembly of God church where pastor shares the true and politically incorrect Gospel and lives in a very modern home on church property.
The famous sermon by the fire and brimstone preacher from the 1700s, Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” would not likely be considered acceptable today and certainly not politically correct. Much of what is preached from the pulpit today is politically correct and presents loving God rather than a righteous God of judgment who currently continue to hold back His wrath. 

The link between eschatology and ecclesiology. 519-2 - 24 - 6

With thanks to CM, Eschatology is the “Study of the Last Things.” [Or, for many, it is “the Last Thing Studied.”] It is the nemesis of many pastors since it also requires a comprehensive grasp of the “whole counsel of God.” And, as a result, our “myths of eschatology” might as well be labeled “pitfalls in eschatology.”
According to Google eschatology is the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind. Wow, little wonder that it is the nemesis of many pastors. An attention getter but likely does not appeal to those who have itchy ears.
Also according to Google, ecclesiology is:
1. The study of churches, especially church building and decoration.
2. Theology as applied to the nature and structure of the Christian Church.
The study of church building holds no interest for me. During His three and a half years earthly ministry Jesus walked in sandals and homespun and turned the world upside down. The last time I attended church with my family several years ago it was Christmas eve day at a Catholic Church in Palm Desert, California. As I watched the regalia of the priest and the ornate decorations and rote rituals all I felt was a pervasive feeling of depression rather than exultation.
Give me a Bible study any day with born again Christians, the real Church.
As regards the link between eschatology and ecclesiology, in my experience, only those who are part of the Church have a real interest in exploring the last things. The Christians in name only and many claiming no Christian affiliation are picking up on things just being out of place. The New Agers are heavily invested in planet X and evolving to a higher dimension once those pesky born-again Christians are not around to hold them back.

Saturday, August 6, 2016

The Second Coming differs from the Harpazo 519-2 - 23 - 2

Always interesting to write on a familiar subject and compare today's and past thoughts.
According to “The Doctrine of Immanency” we can expect Jesus at any moment; there is nothing more required for the Rapture of the Church to occur. The Church will have been caught up to the Lord in the "Blessed Hope" before the Second Coming of Christ. There are many names for the Second Coming of Christ such as “Day of the Lord” and as “The Day of Vengeance of our God” in Isaiah 61:2.
Past leanings. “While the rapture can occur at any time, the Second Coming of Christ will be predictable once future events have set it in motion. The seven year tribulation starts with the signing of a covenant between the Anti-christ and Israel. Horrific as the first 3 1/2 years will be, the last half of the tribulation will be the time of Jacob's troubles with a Holocaust unlike anything ever occurring before.  The Second Coming of Christ will bring the tribulation to an end.”
While I want to believe that we, the Church, will be caught up before the start of the seven year Tribulation, I’m not so sure. Revelation 12 has the woman being pursued by the dragon while holding a baby. The baby ascends and the woman is transported to Petra to be protected during the three and a half years of Jacob's troubles. The baby is Jesus and the woman is the remnant of Israel. We, the Church, are the body of Christ so do we get caught up with Jesus, the Head of the Church? This strongly suggests a mid-tribulation rapture.
Pre-trib, mid-trib aside, we will not be here to go through all or half of the seven year tribulation which starts with the covenant between Israel and the Anti-Christ. A preview of the Second Coming of Christ is detailed in Isaiah 63:1-4 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.”
Again, the Church will not go through wrath of God, the final three and a half years of the tribulation. Rather we will return with Jesus to witness Him “treadeth in the winefat” and more as He destroys the army of the son of perdition. Then a thousand year Millennium. And finally one last unsuccessful attempt by Satan to overthrow Jesus and the "New Heaven."

Thoughts concerning Commen the “day of vengeance of the Lord.” 519-2 - 23 - 4

Isaiah 34:8-9, “For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. 9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.”
Interesting word recompense, also referred to by Paul. Romans 1:27, “And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.”
Today homosexuality is celebrated by many as a normal expression of love. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for the community’s acceptance of homosexuality rather than for its practice. Our country has travel far down that path to destruction.
But I digress. Picking up from last week, Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1 ending with a period rather than a semi-colon. Had Jesus continued reading he would have added verse 2, “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;”
Throughout the Old Testament warnings of the phases “The Day is Near” and “The Day of the Lord” are given by a number of the prophets including Mican, Amos, Jeremiah. As with Isaiah, many of these prophecies were for the latter days.
Chapter one of Zephaniah told of a Judgment on the whole earth in the Day of the Lord. Zephaniah 1:14, “The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Ezekiel 7:7, “The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the land: the time is come, the day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again of the mountains.”
1 Timothy 6 talked to doing good and “Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” And warns in 1 Timothy 6:11, “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”
And the grand finale will be Revelation 1:16, “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” The Word, the two edged sword will slay the enemies of Jesus as He returned as the Lion of Judah rather than as the suffering servant of His first incarnation.